Shop With: Christene Barberich, digital media pioneer and thrifting savant.
The beauty of shopping is choosing something over everything.
She is sharp, tuned-in, funny, kind and bursting at the seams with a personal style that is so timeless and so self-assured that it makes me question my life choices.
Can you tell—I was next-level excited to interview her. Our brains clicked during our first call (well, I hope she’ll say the same but I can’t be 100% sure so I’ll just imagine it to be so).
As I (sometimes) say, time for less of me and more of Christene.
Hi! Can you introduce yourself—where you live, your favorite drink, what you love, your origin story…
Hi, my name is Christene Barberich, I am a writer and a brand advisor (I also co-founded a media company called Refinery29 back in 2005!). I spend most of my time lately creating a newsletter on Substack called A Tiny Apt. which is about my love/appreciation for design, personal style, and small(er) spaces as well as our ability to be agile, flexible, even “expansive” when we’re presented with limitations or restrictions, be they square footage or otherwise.
I live in Brooklyn, New York, and also part-time in Columbia County upstate where I am building a small 650 square-foot straw-panel house with my family (my partner is an architect, which makes it handy).
In terms of my favorite drink, it’s a tie between the first cup of coffee in the morning (just a splash of oat milk) or a vodka martini in a tiny vintage glass pre-dinner. We just had dinner at our friend’s house upstate, and when we arrived he was serving Manhattans in tiny traditional vintage water glasses, they were so lovely.
So I suppose that’s something else about me—I love making ordinary things special (like using old water glasses as cocktail vessels). Finding the beauty and utility in things forgotten or unwanted is a kind of joy for me. Which is why I love thrifting so much (and write about it a lot in my newsletter).
What does shopping mean to you (specifically shopping and buying versus styling and style)?
I like to think of shopping more as an experience where I can learn things rather than just an acquisition. Whether it’s learning more about myself, history, a culture, a ritual—I like understanding why a pocket or some other signature detail functions the way it does. My former company was rooted in personal style, really at the dawn of the internet and the global street style movement, when people were celebrating individuality and identity (more than labels) and looking for new ways to express themselves by mixing vintage and lesser-known emerging designers.
I’ve always worn vintage and second-hand clothes (not exclusively, but they comprise a big part of my wardrobe), so while I enjoy learning about trends and trying out new things, my own style is deeply personal and grounded in my favorite core closet pieces that I’ve had/worn for a long time. A vintage long glen plaid Miu Miu with a giant black ruffle down the front (it’s AMAZING), a now vintage Prada coat from the 2012 collection, silver Proenza Schouler boots, a long silk printed Rachel Comey dress from the early aughts. Mixed in with contemporary things like a Row shirt-dress or Heidi Merrick jeans.
Clothes and style for me are so much about where we come from, and these little bits of us trying to ‘come out’. What we can’t say in words, we often say with a blazer, or a set of vintage embroidered cocktail napkins. Or art!
So shopping to me is about collecting rather than consuming—which is why keeping lists is vital for me. Because I’m often in pursuit of something rare, that’s not always available (in my size), and knowing when it is is vital information.
Has your relationship with shopping changed over time?
Definitely. Especially now that I’m building a house, I am much less whimsical about where I spend money and the actual value of things. If I know a set of cabinet pulls are going to cost $200, I will likely wait on a new pair of sneakers (at least for a beat). But that’s the beauty of shopping, CHOOSING something over everything. That’s what makes it interesting. And reveals more about who we are and what we really, really love.
You co-founded Refinery29 in 2005, with a mission to help people discover and refine their personal style. You had a huge influence on millions of readers—a whole generation. How has the role of influence changed since then?
Thank you! To be really honest, I think social media and the dreaded “algorithm” have made it really hard to discover something new and left of center. Which is why it’s more important than ever to go and see art and search around outside of what’s just being served to you in your social feeds.
There is a sameness or “beige-ing” of our culture now that’s incredibly dangerous and detrimental to all the new voices, artists, creators, on both sides of an idea—the person creating it and the person integrating it into their own style/life. The more we can follow emerging designers and support them, explore independent retail, pursue designers that are creating the trends—not just diluting them—we can support and participate in a creative system that fosters individuality and different points of view.
That said, even though I am a big proponent of vintage and smaller designers, I also do buy things occasionally from places like Zara, because it’s a better fit with my size or price-point. The point is to make informed choices, do the research, and buy things that match who YOU are. Know who you are, not what the algorithm wants you to be.
When/where/how do you shop these days?
Across a variety of vintage and second-hand sites, like eBay and Etsy, various thrift stores near me like the Goodwill or Vintage Thrift in NYC (which is like Church for me :).
For me it’s always a mix between spontaneous thrifting at local Goodwills or Savers, collecting beloved designer things from Prada and other faves on eBay and Etsy, and also shopping my regular locals like No.6 Store downtown in Manhattan. I occasionally buy a thing or two from Zara or COS as well for filling in the blanks with a trouser or coat that checks a lot of running around boxes.
What are the last three things you bought?
There’s a good chance I will be wearing all three together…
1. A vintage menswear Brioni blazer with royal blue piping up the seams…it’s exquisite. I found it on eBay for $100.
2. A pair of black leather brogues from No.6 Store.
3. A long off-white top coat from Zara that will be great for layering come spring.
Plus the vintage silk flower brooch I also found on eBay recently…a total gem for $20.
Tell me about your DMs with your friends? Is there a lot of shopping chat?
I definitely talk shopping for special things we REALLY covet with just a handful of friends. For example, I posted a photo of me wearing the Brioni blazer with a new No. 6 dress and I immediately started texting with my friend Anne who had her eye on this dress, too. I told her to borrow mine to see if she’ll like it, since it has a pleasingly oversized cut, but the boxiness of it might not be for everyone. But I think she’s going to love it. A lot of great places like No. 6 have limited quantities, which is why we have to check in with each other on these special, less common pieces. Especially if they come back into stock after being sold out. It’s not at all about quantity and volume but about tracking things that are unique and fill a certain need in our closets or lives.
Curating/editing/recommending things to buy has long been part of your life. How do you make decisions about what to buy for yourself?
Honestly, 95% of the time, I go with my gut. I rarely do research, maybe only if it’s a very rare Old Céline or Dries or Prada thing that I want to price compare and be knowledgeable about condition, etc. But rarely. Usually if I see it and I can afford it, and it’s something I’ve had my eye on for a while, I’ll go for it. AND, if for any reason, I feel kind of iffy about it once I get it, it always, always, always goes back.
If I’ve learned anything from a lifetime of shopping and collecting, it’s that the reason you were on the fence about at the very beginning will always be the reason that prevents you from grabbing it from your closet or collection. Trust that instinct. It will never steer you wrong.
You published a book about personal style in 2014. Has your style changed in 10 years? It sounds like your Rachel Comey love affair is definitely still in full-swing? :)
I think I’m even more judicious and intentional about my purchases (which is why lists are so important and Carted has been amazing!). Whereas ten years ago I might have jumped on impulse buys at vintage stores or the Céline store in Paris, now I’m more thoughtful about editing it down to just one thing that I want, not three. Especially now that my family and I are building a small house upstate. I’m trying to reuse as much materials/furniture/objects as I can, shopping second-hand as much as possible.
What do you think the future of shopping looks like?
With so much to choose from now (probably too much!), we need more and better curation via trusted sources on platforms like ShopMy, or personal curation tools like Carted, where individuals can organize and/or share things that they love or are curious about with their friends and audiences. Hopefully there will be more storytelling tools, too, to provide deeper context about why something is worth the recommendation. Personally, I’d love to share my eBay watch list with people who have an affinity for my saved searches, so maybe being able to share that experience of searching/shopping/saving will help to make shopping more personal and intentional again.
Independent multi-brand retailers like No.6 Store in NYC are also important for bringing more emerging designers to our attention and fostering a new era of fashion and clothing we really want to wear. I miss department stores like Barneys New York so much—I hope someday the department store experience comes back too. It’s more about seeing things, exploring, and soaking up that knowledge or inspiration and not just ‘shopping’.
How do you feel about the idea of having an AI personal shopper?
I think I’m probably not the person to ask…because I love hunting something down if I really need or want it. But I think for busy people who really don’t know where to start, it might be a smart tool to have in their arsenal.
Tell me three items that are currently on your list to buy.
1. A small-scale stacked washer and dryer for the cabin we are building (small ones aren’t so easy to find!).
2. Bedside tables that I don’t hate (that are likely vintage).
3. This Rachel Comey coat that would be a real splurge…but I can’t stop thinking about it!!
What's the most unexpected item you've ever bought?
A vintage sterling silver heavy Hermès chain with a sterling padlock. I have never worn it and I honestly don’t know why I bought it, but now that I have it and it’s so rare, I’m hanging on to it to see if I grow into it. It’s definitely a VIBE.
It's a cross between this and this.
What's the one item in your closet/home you can't live without?
I found a vintage Alky lounge chair by Giancarlo Piretti about six years ago, and it is honestly the perfect chair. It’s a smaller size (which is perfect for a tiny apartment like ours), super comfortable, and has a really flexible timeless design. I had mine recovered in this rich mustard Herman Miller velvet. I want to find another one so I have a pair. Here she is with her "elbow" patches on now, thanks to my cat loving this chair as much as I do :)
In terms of my closet, it would have to be a pair of 18-karat gold vintage retired Cartier hoop earrings. They are stunning and perfect and I would take them everywhere with me if I wasn’t a little scared I would lose one.
Many of us are looking for more ‘intentional’ shopping moments these days. Are you?
I don’t like restrictions like that…for anything. All in moderation is kind of my credo across the board. Also, we live in a time when there is a lot of information being flung at us constantly. Instead of wishing I lived in the 70s or whenever (it’s tempting!), I just try to find my own way to manage all the garbage and stimulation. I leave my phone in another room. I unsubscribe from marketing emails. I have to make choices that make sense to me and my life. For me, that’s mostly second-hand, a few investment designer things, a Zara thing here or there, and 100% utility-driven—if it’s not doing a job or filling a hole, I’m probably not buying it.
We listen to lots of stories about buyers' remorse? Do you ever have any guilt around shopping?
I don’t think so?
What’s the biggest misconception people have about you?
That I’m outgoing. I’m actually extremely shy, and still work on being comfortable in crowds, speaking publicly, etc.
What does it look like inside Christene Barberich’s closet?
What is your one go-to online store?
A tie between eBay and No.6 Store.
What makes you fall in love with a brand/product/item?
That it really feels amazing when I put it on my body (because if it doesn’t, I know I won’t ever wear it). I felt that way about a pair of Caron Callahan shoes recently. They have a platform and while I don’t wear heels as much as I used to, they’re just wonderful to walk in. Same goes for Jamie Haller. Her jeans and blazers are exquisite—beautifully made and wearable.
Is there anything you wished I asked you about that I missed?
Favorite vintage designers to collect and wear now that feel super modern contemporary…like you could see these pieces in a runway show today: Jean Muir, Jean Paul Gaultier, Pauline Trigere, Anne Klein, YSL, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan…and Prada and Miu Miu forever and ever and ever.
Fast Five
What city do you call home?
Brooklyn!
Favorite place to eat?
Montague Diner or Hibino.
Favorite place to shop?
No.6 Store, eBay, or Rachel Comey.
Favorite place to run/hike/pilates/yoga/dance/tennis
Dance at Bodycraft in Brooklyn.
Favorite coffee (tea/matcha/milkshake)?
Oat milk cappuccino at Salter House.
Let’s do time-shares on that leopard coat. It’s TOO good.
Any info on where the mustard/brown skirt is from? It’s positively dreamy.