Motherland & back in the city; Jan 2026

January was a tough year, but we made it, y’all!

We have a saying in Poland that goes more or less like this: ‘A Pole is wiser after the damage is done’ and let me tell you, this Polish cowgirl is SO MUCH WISER after surviving this month!

Absolutely NOT freezing and NOT regretting my life choices here….

My back-to-work motivation was really high when I came back from the motherland. Recharged with mum’s comfort food, days spent in the snow and filled with giggles with my two-year-old nephew, I couldn’t wait to be back at the market. I was rested, I had new amazing stock from the US I shipped to myself at the beginning of the month, and I was ready to share it with y’all - as I do best. But I didn’t consider one tiny little detail. Nobody wants to try things on when the temperatures are close to zero. A Pole is wiser after the damage is done. Next January, I will be sending greetings from Mexico. Right now, grab a hot (pun intended) drink of your choice, and let’s rewind the past 31 years days, which felt insufferable, but were also filled with good vibes, new and familiar faces and beautiful vintage pieces that I’ve had the pleasure to touch with my own hands.

Wroclaw and Christmas market (it runs until mid Jan evert year) with mum, watching westerns with my father, hometown and the simplest, most delicious food

You’ve heard about the cowgirl in the sand; I took it to the next level (sorry, not sorry, Neil Young) and became a cowgirl in the snow. Stetson 20x handled both the cold and the snowflakes with ease, and the comments of the fellow passersby on the trail were priceless. Girl, where’s your horse, and it’s really cold on the frontier, were some of my favourites. Did I ever mention that when I retire from selling vintage (that is, when I will no longer find rare tags in the sea of Primark labels), I will become a clownboy?

Apart from the Stetson, my outfit was strictly practical: puffer jacket from my brother’s girlfriend store, skiing pants that I bought when I was 14 and they still fit me (if you’re a woman, you understand my enthusiasm) and the most ugly pair of snow boots that I left at my mum’s because I couldn’t imagine brining them back with me - and putting them next to my 70s Tony Lama’s like it’s not a big deal????

Back in the UK and before hitting the road, I had the pleasure to see (once more) The Jive Aces. Live music moves me like nothing else. Though I come from a very musical family, I can barely play keys (to my father’s disappointment, my old man plays on absolutely everything, accordion being his biggest love, but that’s a story for another time). Yet, instruments and people who know them inside out always give me chills, and I think it’s one of the best feelings of being alive. I’m not sure what’s the best way to describe The Jive Aces - it’s a mix of 50s music, cabaret vibes, lots of jokes and those super talented men in yellow suits - quality entertainment, I am genuinely looking forward to catching them again.

January 15th, I loaded my volkswagon and headed South to commence my market year. Since then, I was back in the city weekend after weekend, growing my skin thicker (does it sound disgusting? I mean that I was toughening up), layering up everything I could possibly fit under the shearling jacket and inside the boots while drinking gallons of earl grey tea with ginger honey that I got from my best friend for Christmas (Lu, I will need 20x bigger jar next year, ok?). Though I took 3 or even 4 good weeks of break, the day I arrived at the market (5:49 am, I have proof in my camera roll), I felt like I didn’t stop at all. Not sure if it means that I need to take more time off next year (Mexico, etc.) or that - even though I find this job exciting, it starts to feel like a regular routine now.

bts: market life from dusk to dawn

some of the looks I pulled

If iI had a dollar for every time someone laughed or took a picture of this sign… #clownboy

January’s market setup - some of those pieces will be listed shortly, some are listed

But what always helps lift my spirits is the interactions with people that I would never experience had I not left my online comfort zone (if you didn’t know, I’ve been running an online business since 2021 and started the markets only last Spring). Fellow traders, customers and locals of Notting Hill - there are so many interesting and inspiring people that I get to know, spend time with, listen to their stories - there’s so much truth in the saying that it’s the people who make the place.

Once again, my path crossed with the coolest British cowboys, Alan Power & The Take Twos, the band that plays great music and has impeccable style. I’m beyond flattered anytime I see them wearing a piece from me. I know I might not be showing it, but deep inside, I’m really humble and things like this mean so much to me.

Alan in 70s Rockmount shirt, Sebastian in 30s tailored blazer

Last Saturday of the month I brought my wares to the Second Life market in Shoreditch. I might sound very vain, but oh boy, was it nice to be in a warm and dry venue for once! But jokes (well, not really) aside, as always - so many cool people, great styles, interesting conversations, good vibes -I am really thankful I can call this my job.

I ended the month crossing the country (literally…) in search of the gold. I got a tip that there’s a warehouse that gets its stock from Texas, and though I’m famous for my terrible listening skills and having the memory of an old lady, you don’t have to tell me twice that there’s vintage out there to be found - especially if it’s from the OG source. How did it go, you may ask. Veni, vidi and partially vici - I managed to secure some great pieces, and as I’m writing this, my washing machine is on a marathon - laundry number 4 of too many to admit is currently on. Wish me good weather this week, because I will work on the next online drop - I really can’t wait to share with you what I’ve found!

I feel like this post is getting as long as the past month itself, so I will end it here. Let me just thank each and every one of you for your presence, orders, kind words, visits to the market and all the good vibes y’all are sending my way. I hope that you can receive the good vibes I send back. I will be back at the Portobello Market Valentine’s weekend - come hang! <3