Diderot Effect - Part Deux

True confessions: I wrote this entire post on my phone while commuting and multitasking at a truly irresponsible level. Got to my laptop to finish it. It was gone.

I laughed. I didn’t even have the energy to be annoyed. I have no idea what I did or didn’t do on my phone that made the whole thing disappear. (This is what happens when you have no social media apps left — just Pinterest and Substack - the phone becomes a lot less sticky. Also Substack is just better on a laptop. Shows my aging, probably.)

Anyway. The point is: once the draft disappeared, I had to really motivate myself to rewrite it, knowing it just wouldn’t be as good the second time around. But I wanted to share this shopping journey, so here we are back again (Cue Olivia Dean.)

A quick preamble before we get into it.

I first learned about the Diderot Effect from a Kelly Williams piece, and I wrote about my experience with it almost exactly a year ago when I bought a Zara sweater off Poshmark.

The short version: ever since, whenever I buy a top or bottom over the $100 threshold, I make myself create 10 outfits spanning different occasions before committing to the purchase. It’s my way of making sure something actually earns its place in my wardrobe.

I don’t apply this rule to outerwear, dresses, or jumpsuits (though I rarely buy jumpsuits anymore). Outerwear pretty much goes with everything, I’m more focused on whether it works across the seasons I actually live through. Same logic for dresses: I lean maxi or midi over mini, since it’s rarely warm enough and the occasion rarely calls for it anyway.

But tops and pants? Very particular. It has to work with the bulk of what I already own, across seasons and occasions: work, dinner, fancy, vacation, the lot.

Every year, I try to increase my precision when it comes to shopping. Pieces that really work with my other existing items. Earlier this year I got these jeans and this shirt, both of which I remain completely obsessed with. And a couple weeks ago, I bought this shirt (yup you guessed it) from Chava Studio’s latest collection so I want to tell you all about the journey that it was to get it. (I even mentioned that I am dreaming about the shirt in my last post)

Olivia (Chava founder) had sent out a note saying she’d be in SF for a trunk show. I’ve been gushing about Chava and Olivia on here for a while, so getting to meet her in person felt like a big deal, and spoiler: she was every bit as lovely as I’d hoped.

Beyond finally meeting her, I was also really curious whether the new shirt would be available to try on and buy in person. When I messaged her ahead of her trip, she said she’d bring her sample. So I got to work.

I wanted to build at least 10 outfits across different occasions before the trunk show. I already have three other Chava pieces, so I knew the quality would be there, but incredible quality doesn’t automatically mean I need this. That’s where Indyx comes in; building outfits there makes the decision so much cleaner.

Here are the 10 outfits I made with the Chava shirt: (technically 9, but the top left has two shorts options, so we’re counting it).

Having done the exercise, I felt confident it worked in my wardrobe. But the real test is always in person. When I tried it on at the trunk show, I genuinely couldn’t leave without it. The material is so soft, and the way it falls on the body is kind of perfect; the length, the oversized-ness of it. Chef’s kiss. Olivia sold me her sample piece and I skipped home a happy gal.

But then the anticipation… online outfit-building is only half the battle though. It also has to work in practice. So when I got home, I tried on every single combination.

Every single look above I would wear to work. I actually did wear the first look to work last week. After staring at the first two looks for a while, I realized they were really similar to these two looks I've had pinned on Pinterest forever:

Easy, breezy (beautiful, lol) and perfect for this in-between weather we've been having. Enough coverage for when you're cold, nothing too fitted, plenty of ventilation for when it's warm. The kind of outfit that just handles the day.

These are what I'd wear to a springy/summery dinner - at a restaurant or a friend's place - or to the kind of daytime events that pop up this time of year. No fuss, but there's still an element of fun and play that feels more suited to those moments than a office.

I try really hard not to buy things for “vacation mode”. Even if I took 30 days off (ha, if only), that’s still less than 10% of the year. It feels wasteful to buy something singularly relegated to those days. But this shirt genuinely works for a lovely summer trip. Great as a coverup, or throw on some shorts and it’s dinner-ready in two seconds flat.

Also, I am clearly in love with this blue paired with a bright pink. It brings me some much needed joy.

I really try not to force outfits to justify a purchase. But I think these all genuinely work. What do you think? Do you have a system to help you decide with your purchases?

Before you go:

How I’m Avoiding the Diderot Effect

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April 2, 2025

I recently learned the term Diderot Effect via Kelly Williams (great read). I knew of the phenomenon but didn’t know it had an actual name. A quick Google search gave me this definition:

Also here is what I’ve really enjoyed reading recently:

Traci Landy - midweek snack 001

Jennifer Cook - issue #129: motherhood has made me a shorts person

Elin Strong - My Deeply Unoptimized Morning

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