Sita your whole intro made me chuckle hard!! My first intro to Tibi was in regard to Ring 3 colors (a great into TBH) but when I bought the book I really felt myself drinking the koolaid. I went deep into Tibi for a bit (though I could never really afford their stuff) and now I can hold it all at a pleasant arms-length. Which is to say I enjoy it without feeling like I need to buy all Tibi or follow all Tibi rules.
Lol yes I’ve drunken the Tibi koolaid. And yeah their clothes are sooo expensive. But cleowave has great deals once you know your size. But holding them at arms-length is probably the way to go.
I joined Substack already a cult member. So it was surprising to see all the vitriol here against the brand. Maybe not ALL, but I did see a bunch of articles when I joined. The criticism is fair, tbh. I just didn’t join the cult brainwashed like some of these authors had in the past. I don’t consider Amy to be an infallible god, and I’m under no delusions that they do style classes out of the goodness of their hearts. I’m saying all this here because I’ve seen people on here being apologetic about being into Tibi, perhaps because of the general distaste towards the brand in these circles. But hey, if the clothes work for you, like they do for me and many others, welcome ❤️ Its a business, we are their consumers. If their product works for us, great!
It seems like you have a good, measured view of Tibi. And yeah I’m very aware their style videos are one long advertisement but I still pick up good tips and I like seeing the clothes in motion. And the clothes work for me too! They suit my body well and my current aesthetic.
As someone who’s in both a 12 step program and into Phish, I love a good cult adjacent group. That, and the uniqueness of the clothes, is one of the reasons I love Tibi!!
Sita, did you even experience the pandemic if you weren’t watching style class on instagram? The Dione era was my fave. That said I agree with all your sentiments here and stick to an occasional secondhand buy. There is lots on Poshmark and TRR if you’re willing to go back a few seasons. Also love that you’re still wearing Elizabeth Suzann! I wore my florence silk pants last night. Talk about beautifully made clothes…
Lol I know! I can’t believe I missed the Tibi covid years. I was deep into sustainable clothes at the time and eating up things like Rudy Jude’s idyllic life on Instagram.
I love Elizabeth Suzann! Her crinkle linen is the best and I wear my Florence pants all the time. Glad to meet a fellow fan.
“It seemed like some sort of cult clothing company that got popular during covid where there were these videos that people watched and that’s how they joined the cult and then the cult took all their money and gave them clothes.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Now that I’ve composed myself, you rock those Calders HARD!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I have no bad feelings about Tibi or Amy smilovic (why the lower case?) except hey, it’s not rocket science. The clothes are expensive and not suited to my body type. I think of it as 21st century Eileen Fisher with a narrower size range.
As for skin, I’ve been ignoring mine for over two weeks since I had shoulder surgery and it seems to be doing just fine.
You get it! It’s so hard to do surface level body care when you’re going through BIG medical stuff. I hope your shoulder is healing well.
I was mentally comparing Eileen Fisher to Tibi in my head the other day, or remembering how I felt when I “discovered” Eileen Fisher at a time when I’d gained weight and their clothes fit me so well and it was a revelation. I feel a little bit like that about Tibi right now and how well their pants work for me recently when I’ve also gained some weight.
Thank you for this! I had never heard of Tibi until I joined Substack and suddenly it was everywhere on the app. I have mixed feelings about the cultish quality of the terminology but I’m intrigued by some of the clothes. Do you shop for the brand in real life and if so, where in the Bay Area do you shop? I see the brand carried at a few places but I’m curious about places you like.
I’ve only seen their clothes in real life at Hero Shop in Marin. I don’t know that any store in the east bay carries Tibi. I mostly shop online and secondhand on cleowave.
McMullen carries Tibi pieces online and in their San Francisco shop (on Sacramento in Presidio Heights) and online. Their Oakland shop closed earlier this year.
I just went to McMullen. I’ve never been before. It’s super glamorous! Tried on some Tibi, bought some Tibi…may buy a little more…thank you for the recommendation.
I bought the silk blend cargo pants in raspberry. I’m besotted with the plum twill bubble skirt but I think another pair of pants would be more useful if I’m spending. I’d upload photos but don’t know how!
It’s fun to read about your journey. I’ve been on the tibi path for awhile now and am finally able to resist immediately buying everything Amy wore in Style Class on any given week. hee hee. But I gotta say… Eileen fisher vibes??? Huh??? I’m not seeing that at all. Eileen fisher is a brand I associate with my mother in law who wore that when she was 50-60 years old but that was also 20 years ago. Is the reference bc Eileen fisher appealed to 50 year old women 20-30 years ago? Or is the reference meant to imply that Tibi clothes have the same feeling as the Eileen F clothes? Bc I def don’t get that from the clothes. What am I missing? I definitely hope I’m not wearing Eileen F adjacent clothes right now!
I totally want to buy everything Amy wears in style class. Then I have to remember we look totally different.
I can only talk from my opinion but I don’t think Eileen Fisher clothes are similar in style to Tibi, but I think there’s a similarity in the way they appeal to middle-aged women, have larger sizing, have a system dressing approach, and sort of offer a complete wardrobe where you could wear only their clothes and have a coherent style. But Tibi clothes are much more modern and interesting.
Ahh I see. I’m not familiar with Eileen F really. Didn’t know they had sort of a system of styling so to speak like Amy does. I just think of that brand as very monotone in color and styling and flowy pants and long tunic tops. To me it’s very single note so it was confusing me with the reference. But admittedly I don’t follow that brand so it may be much more than what I know about it. :)
I discovered Tibi without realizing it- I bought one of their old skirts at a consignment store and loved it. Thanks for the parallel with Eileen Fisher- that’s the vibe I was getting! I like guidelines and rules as much as the next person, but I also go rogue frequently and don’t like being told what to do.😁
I’m excited to follow along with you, Sita! Thanks for the excellent article. Love your outfits, too, of course. The track pants call to me…
“S for Sloppy around the house” 😂 Same! I’m surprised to hear that there is a lot of negative talk about Tibi - I’ve only read positive things. I am obsessed with Amy’s explanations, and I think she really tapped into women’s struggles. I would love to try Tibi but I just can’t justify the price. I’ve fallen for making a few dupe purchases but never been happy with any of them.
So for me I think the tips and knowledge have been really valuable, but I’ve adapted it to my body and style. Though some of their employees are also petite in height, they are thinner/sharper, and with my round face + short neck + short torso I can easily feel frumpy in what looks amazing on others.
Have you ever tried cleowave? It’s a Tibi resale site and there are some good deals but you do have to know your size which can make it challenging.
I so hear you about the models. I think it’s a constant problem in fashion that there are so few midsize models. Like with Tibi for example there is Keturah who is plus size which is great, and then there are Amy, Sloane, Sarah, etc who are all different heights but very slim and like you say angular. There’s no one with an average weight and biggish boobs or hips so yeah we have to do a lot of interpreting if that’s our body type. I totally get it.
There is no one like you — and I am so grateful. Definitely excited to read your takes through the book. And your outfits are so good! I read Kelly’s comment and totally agreed with that wisdom. 😘
Lol yes I need to pull back the obsession to arms-length when it comes to shopping. But I am excited to go through the book and hopefully learn some new things about style. Thanks for being here xo
Adore this and I remember you gave me really good advice about the Calders fit and sizing before I pulled the trigger!! They’re the best sweatpants I own 🤍🤍
I’ve had lots of similar feelings about Tibi, though mine seem to be more based on not feeling cool enough to get it! 😂 Also, I loved the interview with Joomee Song—her stance on ‘anti aging’ is so affirming!
Sita your whole intro made me chuckle hard!! My first intro to Tibi was in regard to Ring 3 colors (a great into TBH) but when I bought the book I really felt myself drinking the koolaid. I went deep into Tibi for a bit (though I could never really afford their stuff) and now I can hold it all at a pleasant arms-length. Which is to say I enjoy it without feeling like I need to buy all Tibi or follow all Tibi rules.
Lol yes I’ve drunken the Tibi koolaid. And yeah their clothes are sooo expensive. But cleowave has great deals once you know your size. But holding them at arms-length is probably the way to go.
I joined Substack already a cult member. So it was surprising to see all the vitriol here against the brand. Maybe not ALL, but I did see a bunch of articles when I joined. The criticism is fair, tbh. I just didn’t join the cult brainwashed like some of these authors had in the past. I don’t consider Amy to be an infallible god, and I’m under no delusions that they do style classes out of the goodness of their hearts. I’m saying all this here because I’ve seen people on here being apologetic about being into Tibi, perhaps because of the general distaste towards the brand in these circles. But hey, if the clothes work for you, like they do for me and many others, welcome ❤️ Its a business, we are their consumers. If their product works for us, great!
It seems like you have a good, measured view of Tibi. And yeah I’m very aware their style videos are one long advertisement but I still pick up good tips and I like seeing the clothes in motion. And the clothes work for me too! They suit my body well and my current aesthetic.
As someone who’s in both a 12 step program and into Phish, I love a good cult adjacent group. That, and the uniqueness of the clothes, is one of the reasons I love Tibi!!
This comment made me laugh. Especially because my housemate is in 12 step so I KNOW it.
Tibi clothes are unique! And I don’t love all of them like the ones with weird squiggles, but sometimes the uniqueness is just right
Sita, did you even experience the pandemic if you weren’t watching style class on instagram? The Dione era was my fave. That said I agree with all your sentiments here and stick to an occasional secondhand buy. There is lots on Poshmark and TRR if you’re willing to go back a few seasons. Also love that you’re still wearing Elizabeth Suzann! I wore my florence silk pants last night. Talk about beautifully made clothes…
Lol I know! I can’t believe I missed the Tibi covid years. I was deep into sustainable clothes at the time and eating up things like Rudy Jude’s idyllic life on Instagram.
I love Elizabeth Suzann! Her crinkle linen is the best and I wear my Florence pants all the time. Glad to meet a fellow fan.
“It seemed like some sort of cult clothing company that got popular during covid where there were these videos that people watched and that’s how they joined the cult and then the cult took all their money and gave them clothes.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Now that I’ve composed myself, you rock those Calders HARD!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
So do you! Thank you for being an inspiration 💗💜
I have no bad feelings about Tibi or Amy smilovic (why the lower case?) except hey, it’s not rocket science. The clothes are expensive and not suited to my body type. I think of it as 21st century Eileen Fisher with a narrower size range.
As for skin, I’ve been ignoring mine for over two weeks since I had shoulder surgery and it seems to be doing just fine.
You get it! It’s so hard to do surface level body care when you’re going through BIG medical stuff. I hope your shoulder is healing well.
I was mentally comparing Eileen Fisher to Tibi in my head the other day, or remembering how I felt when I “discovered” Eileen Fisher at a time when I’d gained weight and their clothes fit me so well and it was a revelation. I feel a little bit like that about Tibi right now and how well their pants work for me recently when I’ve also gained some weight.
Thank you for this! I had never heard of Tibi until I joined Substack and suddenly it was everywhere on the app. I have mixed feelings about the cultish quality of the terminology but I’m intrigued by some of the clothes. Do you shop for the brand in real life and if so, where in the Bay Area do you shop? I see the brand carried at a few places but I’m curious about places you like.
And yes there is definitely a cultish vibe that is weird!
I’ve only seen their clothes in real life at Hero Shop in Marin. I don’t know that any store in the east bay carries Tibi. I mostly shop online and secondhand on cleowave.
McMullen carries Tibi pieces online and in their San Francisco shop (on Sacramento in Presidio Heights) and online. Their Oakland shop closed earlier this year.
It’s sad the Oakland store closed. I went to Oakland fashion week last year and McMullen put on a great show
I just went to McMullen. I’ve never been before. It’s super glamorous! Tried on some Tibi, bought some Tibi…may buy a little more…thank you for the recommendation.
Oh how fun! Feel free to share what you got if you feel comfortable. I’d love to know.
I bought the silk blend cargo pants in raspberry. I’m besotted with the plum twill bubble skirt but I think another pair of pants would be more useful if I’m spending. I’d upload photos but don’t know how!
I love the silk blend pants! And the bubble skirt is so tempting to me too but I figured I wouldn’t wear it very often.
I’m not sure that you can upload photos to comments but if you ever want to message me with photos I’d love to see them.
Sure! Love to get feedback.
It’s fun to read about your journey. I’ve been on the tibi path for awhile now and am finally able to resist immediately buying everything Amy wore in Style Class on any given week. hee hee. But I gotta say… Eileen fisher vibes??? Huh??? I’m not seeing that at all. Eileen fisher is a brand I associate with my mother in law who wore that when she was 50-60 years old but that was also 20 years ago. Is the reference bc Eileen fisher appealed to 50 year old women 20-30 years ago? Or is the reference meant to imply that Tibi clothes have the same feeling as the Eileen F clothes? Bc I def don’t get that from the clothes. What am I missing? I definitely hope I’m not wearing Eileen F adjacent clothes right now!
I totally want to buy everything Amy wears in style class. Then I have to remember we look totally different.
I can only talk from my opinion but I don’t think Eileen Fisher clothes are similar in style to Tibi, but I think there’s a similarity in the way they appeal to middle-aged women, have larger sizing, have a system dressing approach, and sort of offer a complete wardrobe where you could wear only their clothes and have a coherent style. But Tibi clothes are much more modern and interesting.
Ahh I see. I’m not familiar with Eileen F really. Didn’t know they had sort of a system of styling so to speak like Amy does. I just think of that brand as very monotone in color and styling and flowy pants and long tunic tops. To me it’s very single note so it was confusing me with the reference. But admittedly I don’t follow that brand so it may be much more than what I know about it. :)
I loved this!! As someone who 100% has drank all the kool aid 😂
Currently drinking it my friend 😂😂
I discovered Tibi without realizing it- I bought one of their old skirts at a consignment store and loved it. Thanks for the parallel with Eileen Fisher- that’s the vibe I was getting! I like guidelines and rules as much as the next person, but I also go rogue frequently and don’t like being told what to do.😁
I’m excited to follow along with you, Sita! Thanks for the excellent article. Love your outfits, too, of course. The track pants call to me…
The track pants are the best!! I wear them every day
“S for Sloppy around the house” 😂 Same! I’m surprised to hear that there is a lot of negative talk about Tibi - I’ve only read positive things. I am obsessed with Amy’s explanations, and I think she really tapped into women’s struggles. I would love to try Tibi but I just can’t justify the price. I’ve fallen for making a few dupe purchases but never been happy with any of them.
So for me I think the tips and knowledge have been really valuable, but I’ve adapted it to my body and style. Though some of their employees are also petite in height, they are thinner/sharper, and with my round face + short neck + short torso I can easily feel frumpy in what looks amazing on others.
Have you ever tried cleowave? It’s a Tibi resale site and there are some good deals but you do have to know your size which can make it challenging.
I so hear you about the models. I think it’s a constant problem in fashion that there are so few midsize models. Like with Tibi for example there is Keturah who is plus size which is great, and then there are Amy, Sloane, Sarah, etc who are all different heights but very slim and like you say angular. There’s no one with an average weight and biggish boobs or hips so yeah we have to do a lot of interpreting if that’s our body type. I totally get it.
Hadn’t heard of Cleowave! Wow the prices were pretty reasonable compared to retail. Shocking number of “worn once” pieces!
I knooow! I think some people who are into Tibi buy stuff and let it go quickly and cleowave is the wonderful result of that. It’s awesome!!
There is no one like you — and I am so grateful. Definitely excited to read your takes through the book. And your outfits are so good! I read Kelly’s comment and totally agreed with that wisdom. 😘
Lol yes I need to pull back the obsession to arms-length when it comes to shopping. But I am excited to go through the book and hopefully learn some new things about style. Thanks for being here xo
The fact you’re able to even read the book slowly shows you’re a really strong person :-)
Lol
Adore this and I remember you gave me really good advice about the Calders fit and sizing before I pulled the trigger!! They’re the best sweatpants I own 🤍🤍
I know right?? The structure is everything on the Calder. They really up the whole idea of a sweatpant.
💯!!
I’ve had lots of similar feelings about Tibi, though mine seem to be more based on not feeling cool enough to get it! 😂 Also, I loved the interview with Joomee Song—her stance on ‘anti aging’ is so affirming!
I’m so glad you liked the Joomee Song interview. It really made me feel better about quitting Tretinoin and not going for laser treatments.