Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Welcome to the new Racked! Our look changed this morning, but it’s arguably the least dramatic change we’ve made over the past few months.
We have, first and foremost, zeroed in on shopping for real life, striving to explain both why and how people shop. This has allowed us to grow into a resource for the consumer who wants to know where their clothes come from and is curious about what’s new and cool, but doesn’t necessarily want to wear a watered-down runway look (nor can they, as is the case for most of us, afford to wear the real thing).
We’ve done so because shopping is Racked’s DNA, and because it’s a subject that’s traditionally not taken seriously — and it should be. Fashion and beauty are billion-dollar industries worthy of investigation and increased transparency, not to mention that what you choose to wear announces who you are to the world. Whether it’s lipstick or sneakers, your armor should make you feel great about yourself, regardless of shape, size, gender, age, race, or anything else.
This gets to the simpler, more personal reason I am so dedicated to creating a brand that talks about shopping realistically: Working in fashion often made me feel bad about myself, and I am determined to change the norm.
My dad would tell you that I’ve had a shopping problem since I was 14, when I used the money earned from my first job at Baskin Robbins to buy a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans at Stink, the only boutique in my hometown of Petaluma, California. At $98, they went against every financial value he’d instilled in me, but oh the buzz! I’m still a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl (though I’ve upgraded to culottes Monday through Friday). I like oversized sweaters from the men’s department and ridiculously feminine shoes, and I will never tire of hearing other people talk, write, and tell me about what makes them feel confident.
To make our new focus a reality, we’ve hired our first dedicated menswear and beauty reporters, as well as a director of visuals and a robust video team. We’ve recruited new voices, including the inimitable Aminatou Sow (our new editor at large, whose new video series you must watch).
We’ve ceased publishing to the local sites of Racked’s past in favor of comprehensive city guides as we set our sights on becoming a truly global brand. We’ve made dramatic changes to our newsletter, filling them with exclusive content from original columns to products our staff is actually buying; tomorrow, we kick off 30 days of holiday gift suggestions from a different person every day, ranging from Rihanna’s personal chef to middle schoolers, a dominatrix to an astronomer, so sign up now. By the way, we’re publishing best on our Facebook page. You don’t even need to come hang out on our website to find the latest and funniest and coolest and most helpful stories our team is telling — we’re determined to bring them right to you.
And finally, we’ve set out to make the brand as inclusive and accessible as possible. Which brings us back to our fresh branding: The aperture running through both the logo and the brackets you’ll see across our videos, images, and social channels represents the openness with which Racked approaches how, where, and why things are made and what your dollars do and do not support. We believe this is more important than ever before.
I want to know what you think and what you’d like to see more of, so please email me anytime: britt@racked.com.
Thank you!
Britt
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