Shop Feature: comma_cereal

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you based? How do you spend your days?

Hi! I'm Charlie. I live in Seattle with my spouse, our sweet old dog, and a backyard full of needy wild birds.

I work as a content designer. Content design is kind of a mysterious title, but basically my job is to make information simple, clear, and friendly.

If you've ever wondered who writes the interface text in your favorite app, like buttons and error messages, that's probably a content designer! But most of my job is actually talking to people and learning about how they understand the world. I love it.

Before I was a content designer, I was in retail and service for almost a decade. When I'm not at work, I'm hanging out with my dog, reading about natural science, finding excuses to go to bakeries, rearranging everything in my house, or accidentally taking on second and third jobs I don't have time for.

How did you hear about Noihsaf Bazaar / when did you become a part of the community?

I used to buy and sell on NB when it was just an Instagram account. I think the first item I sold was a Dusen Dusen dress in 2017! It's been amazing to watch Noihsaf grow. I've also met some close friends in the slow fashion community, and I'm so grateful I found it.

What is your favorite Noihsaf score?

Oh dang, I have so many from back in the Instagram days. My favorite recent one, though, is a floral Beams Plus shirt I got in the menswear section — I wear it all the time and love to layer it under a sweater vest for that rebellious schoolboy look.

How would you describe your personal style? Do you have any style inspirations that you return to?

Quite androgynous. I also love bright and saturated colors. I get stuck on certain color combinations and try to reinvent them over and over, like practicing a chord until it's perfect. Right now I just keep wearing black and indigo blue together. Eventually I'll get tired of it!

I'm kind of obsessive about fabrics, textures, and shapes. I can really only wear natural fibers, so that adds some productive constraints to my closet. There are also certain patterns and cuts that just don't feel right. Often, if I'm selling something on Noihsaf, it's because I loved it on the hanger but it didn't work for my very particular brain.

When I get dressed, I like to make up a secret theme for the day. I choose something like "what if Han Solo was a milkmaid?" Then I add and subtract until I get that perfect balance of weird and effortless.

Do you have any designers/brands that you’re especially into these days?

I'm currently obsessed with Graziano and Gutiérrez, out of Portland. I have a couple of their pieces and they are so well made and feel completely timeless.

Most of my closet is Caron Callahan and Cordera, though. I love both of those brands because their clothes are constructed beautifully and they play with gender and silhouette in an interesting way.

I'm also a huge ceramics nerd. My favorite collection pieces are from Shayna Stevenson in Toronto, The Granite in Portland, or Hop & Jans Studio here in Seattle. I love a good blue, and all three of those ceramicists know how to use an eye-searing cobalt to great effect. Noihsaf is one of my favorite places to pick up incredible ceramics — I've discovered so many artists here!

What trend are you currently loving, or what trend would you like to see?

More clothing being repaired, altered, or resold. It's awesome to see more people giving their stuff another life.

Favorite song to play when getting dressed?

It changes a lot, but right now I'm obsessed with this weird Penny & Sparrow cover of Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now". It is utterly perfect.

Thanks Charlie! 👋 Check out the comma_cereal shop for more great finds!