#14: Closet Confessional with Angela Galvez

Angela Galvez has lived through fashion's digital transformation from the inside out. Starting as stylist #12 at a little-known startup called Stitch Fix (found via Craigslist, naturally), she helped scale their stylist organization from 15 to over 5,000 people before moving to Amazon to build their first physical fashion store. Now based in San Francisco, she channels her fashion-tech expertise into Letters We Send Friends, her weekly Substack that delivers chic finds and style inspiration with the insider knowledge of someone who's trained AI and styled thousands.

I recently met Angela through friend of Future Ref Tina Boetto while on a trip out to San Francisco, and I was instantly pulled in by her jewelry stack (in addition to her fashion tech expertise). Her talent for unearthing emerging brands has made her a go-to source on Substack for brands before they hit the mainstream—from Paris-made jewelry labels to niche luxury designers tucked away in Bay Area boutiques.

After losing some of her most beloved pieces in a (truly) devastating dry-cleaning mishap, we chatted with Angela about how she’s rebuilding her wardrobe with the same intentional approach she brings to her newsletter—hunting vintage Chanel clutches on one hand while celebrating workhorse finds like Flore Flore tanks on the other, always with an eye for what's next in fashion.

Angela Galvez

I grew up in Manila, and have called San Francisco home since 2008.

A friend described my style as a balance of classic pieces with playful accessories. She also admires my ability to sprinkle in trends and color thoughtfully, which makes my style feel fresh and modern. I swear I didn’t coach her, but she pretty much nailed it – my three style words are modern, classic, and playful. 10/10.

• ZIIP halo (100% worth it when used diligently)

• Sea Fringed Embroidered top and Marlies Grace wood & tassel clutch (I’ve always loved a good fringe)

• Travel steamer (I use at home and bring on trips)

• Toteme T-lock shearling clutch for 40% off on NAP

I started my career in fashion PR in Chicago, then moved to San Francisco in 2008. The post-recession job market was brutal, so I became a flight attendant at Virgin America (RIP to the best airline ever), then eventually joined their corporate PR team. After a year of airline PR chaos, I was burned out and questioning everything.

During my job hunt, I found a Craigslist posting for a fashion stylist (true story) at some personal styling startup called Stitch Fix. I became stylist #12, employee #57.

I had many roles over an almost 9-year tenure, from hands-on stylist to the company's first-ever Lead Stylist and founding member of the enablement and ops team that supported the growing stylist community. I helped scale the stylist organization from 15 to over 5,000 people, building the recruiting, onboarding, and training programs that became Stitch Fix's foundation. Those were some of the most formative years of my career.

Amazon recruited me to build a specialized team for their first physical fashion store (it was called Amazon Style) — fashion experts who could train AI while delivering personalized recommendations to customers. When the business shut down, I got laid off.

During funemployment, I started posting outfits on social media (@linkswesendfriends), which led me to launch Letters We Send Friends on Substack. Today I'm a content creator, newsletter writer, fashion tech advisor/consultant, and stylist. I also advise Zeen, a design tool for fashion and lifestyle creators making shoppable content.

Over the years, I've gone through a style evolution from my loud and preppy Jenna Lyons J.Crew era to an edgy, minimalist capsule wardrobe. I'm happy with where I am today — somewhere in the middle, built on a strong foundation of classics. I guess I can call myself a midimalist (cc: Kelly Williams ).

I had a habit of impulse buying fast fashion for cheap and cheerful pieces in my early to mid-20s. During my preppy phase, almost everything I bought was loud, colorful, and had some sort of embellishment. And because I worked at a fashion company and had access to a great employee discount, I was also buying random things that I thought were cute without any sort of strategy.

Then I did a total 180 and decided that I wanted a "capsule wardrobe." I got rid of my super trendy pieces and focused on building the classics I didn't prioritize during my maximalist phase. I kept a strict shopping list of foundational pieces — white shirt, loafers, black blazer, etc. — and all I wore were neutral pieces from either Everlane or J.Crew, very much quiet luxury vibes with a little bit of edge. For fun designer pieces, I did Rent the Runway, which was super popular back in 2017-2019. I was on that train for a few years until COVID hit — just like everyone else, all I wore and shopped for were matching sweatsuits. After a year or so of lockdown, I outgrew most of my clothes (physically and figuratively) and needed to rebuild my wardrobe almost from scratch.

Today I have a good balance of classics and statement pieces. My wardrobe spans vintage, secondhand, contemporary, and independent labels with a sprinkle of luxury designer. I build from a neutral foundation but rely on what I call “personality pieces” to make my outfits feel more interesting.

I try to prioritize curation over collection.

I’ve gotten better at it over the last few years, but of course, it's not perfect. I tend to curate personality pieces and collect staples. For example, I just replaced my basic tanks for the season — it had been years since my last refresh. I got the Flore Flore Esme tank, which instantly became a workhorse. I’m one of those people who will buy multiples of one SKU when I know I’ll be wearing them nonstop. To me, that’s a perfectly acceptable use case for owning the same piece in multiples.

On the other hand, I like to curate personality pieces with longevity in mind. A sheer skirt is trendy right now, but I’ve always loved statement skirts, so I’d most likely keep wearing them past the trend cycle. Modern boho is having a moment too, so I recently got this embroidered fringed top from Sea, which I’ve now worn three days in a row. It’s a statement piece that’s already on its way to becoming a workhorse in my wardrobe.

I try to be thoughtful but not overanalyze. I mostly go by feeling – if it instantly sparks joy and I feel that full-body yes, then that’s good enough for me.

I’m a big online shopper. I regularly browse Moda Operandi, Net-A-Porter, Besette, The Real Real, Vestiaire, and Etsy.

For in-person shopping, I love Hero Shop in Marin – they have the best curation in the Bay Area, hands-down. I go there to stock up on basics like my Flore Flore tanks, AGOLDE jeans, and I love discovering niche luxury labels you won’t find anywhere else (Yaser Shaw, Pepa Pombo, Giuliva Heritage to name a few)

I recently graduated from the notes app to using Carted for my shopping wishlist. I love how I can organize everything into categories, and keep track of prices and back-in-stock notifications in one place.

I recently lost some of my most cherished and most worn pieces because of a dry-cleaning/donation mishap (editors note: noooooooo), so I’m in the process of trying to replace them. I wore most of them during my recent trip to France, not knowing it would be our last adventure together :(

Three of my favorite summer dresses were included in the casualties: two were from Doen (a black cotton poplin midi and a gingham cotton maxi), and a very old Zara satin polka dot slip. I’m taking my time deciding what to replace them with. I’m looking at pre-loved options on The Real Real and Poshmark, and doing wider searches as well to see if my exact items pop up.

Laoli, a small jewelry label that’s handmade in Paris. I saw Melanie Masarin , founder of Ghia, wear their citrine necklace on Instagram and I immediately fell in love. It’s on top of my wishlist right now. I don’t have anything like it, and it reminds me of a Marie-Helene de Taillac piece that’s way above my budget.

I’ve been on a jewelry kick lately, specifically statement pendants. I scored this insane Charlotte Chesnais onyx and sterling silver necklace on Vestiaire for over 60% off. I mentioned I’ve been living in Flore Flore tanks — I got this two-tone version on Moda, thanks to a back-in-stock notification. Annnnd, this gorgeous zebra print silk maxi dress I’d been eyeing for months from By Malene Birger for 60% off.

Digitize my wardrobe for resale

Khaite satin blazer: I got it on sale when I was looking for a dressy blazer I can wear to fancy-ish places and events. I love how it fits, but the satin feels way too fancy for SF. It’s just not getting enough wear for me to justify keeping it.

Mach & Mach embellished mules: I love a fun, embellished shoe but they are a tad too small on me!

Aje black mini dress: This is one of those impulse final sale buys where I got an incredible deal (over 70% off), and thought I’d wear it to a wedding or a party. It’s been sitting in my closet, unworn, for over a year (womp womp).

Don’t sleep on ThredUp for pre-loved designer goods! A dear friend of mine is an avid ThredUp shopper and I’m always amazed at the gems she finds. Now I’m regularly browsing the site for treasures. In general, filters and saved searches are your best friend when it comes to resale sites.

Let go of the idea that once you acquire certain pieces then your wardrobe would be “complete”. Our style is constantly evolving, so why would our wardrobes ever be “finished”? Also, everything is a data point about your evolving style. That outfit you didn’t really love because you thought the jeans fit a little off? Or that top you used to love but haven’t worn in years? Those are great data points. Now you know what to add to your wish list and what to let go of.

I am SO here for it.

For me, the biggest roadblock in reselling is the process of getting stuff uploaded to resale sites – it’s tedious and time-consuming. I just added my first three items on Future Reference, and am so impressed with how quick and easy it was! I love how it keeps track of my purchases and their potential resale value. My favorite feature is seeing insights on recently sold and currently listed items for my specific listing. It gives me a better pulse on how I should price my item without the manual research. It’s a game-changer.

Sell across marketplaces in one-click

Brand that is criminally underrated: Matteau and Savette are not getting the rave they deserve, in my sartorial opinion.

Piece you have been searching for for years: A 2006 cruise Chanel velvet printed clutch with resin handles

Best secondhand find: I can’t choose just one so I’ll spill my top three:

• a vintage Gucci Jackie in zebra ponyhair

• and a vintage minaudiere with a chic tassel

• a vintage men’s leather bomber and suede trucker both from eBay (sorry, that’s 4)

Biggest closet regret. All the money I spent on things I didn’t really love but bought anyway just because they’re on sale. Also, not dropping off my own dry cleaning :(

Favorite place to shop. IRL: Hero Shop; online: Moda Operandi and TRR

On the weekend you can find me… Working on my newsletter, hanging out with friends, and day tripping to wine country with my partner and our 4-year-old bernedoodle.

We’d love to hear from you - how has your closet evolved or your mindset around shopping changed? Want to be in our next confessional? Let us know in the comments.

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