Meet Harling Ross

Introduce yourself to readers in 1-3 sentences:

I’m a former fashion editor turned freelance writer and brand consultant. I write a weekly newsletter called Gumshoe where I focus mainly on shopping secondhand or from small brands.

Tell us about your Substack, Gumshoe! I am curious what your process is like for deciding what to write each week.

I started Gumshoe because I wanted a space where I could share style and shopping recommendations from a very personal POV that isn’t beholden to the same affiliate revenue or traffic considerations that a larger publisher would be. I feature a lot of one-off secondhand finds because those are the things I’m personally excited to shop for – both in terms of cultivating a more original sense of style, and practicing more sustainable shopping habits. At the top of each month I create an editorial calendar where I sketch out a rough idea of what I want to write about each week (while still leaving room for impromptu inspiration when the mood strikes). I try not to be too formulaic about it, but at the same time I want to make sure I’m covering a cohesive mix of topics.

I know you recently had a baby. Huge congrats by the way! Are there any specific brands or products that have played a dominant role in your life these past few months?

I just finished putting together a huge Google doc to give to a pregnant friend with all of my favorite baby products and baby brands, so this is very top of mind for me at the moment! Here are some of my favorites that I can wholeheartedly vouch for:

Woolino is my favorite brand for sleep sacks. They’re made of merino wool, an incredible natural fiber that helps babies regulate their temperature (i.e. it keeps them cool in the summer and warm in the winter). I have two of the Ultimate Baby Sleep Bags, which fit from 2 months to 2 years.

Frida is a staple for so many moms, and for good reason. They make ingenious tools for labor, postpartum, and baby care. I’m particularly obsessed with the Accudose Pacifier, which made the emotional experience of administering pain medication to my baby for the first time significantly less stressful than it would have been.

Tubby Todd has an ointment that eliminated my son’s eczema patches in 24 hours. Magic.

Bumco makes a wonderful little silicone spatula thingy for applying diaper cream. Could I just use my fingers? Of course. But it’s much easier to fasten the diaper of a squirming baby when I’m not covered in gook.

Oso & Me is one of my favorite children’s clothing brands. Everything they make is really beautiful but still functional, and made with high-quality materials. I especially love their crossbody one-pieces and corduroy pants.

Pehr is another children’s clothing brand that I love for sweet, comfortable, organic cotton pieces like this romper and this one-piece.

Wildbird’s ring sling is perfect for baby-wearing around the apartment when I need to do chores but my son won’t let me put him down.

Avanchy makes a stainless steel baby bowl with suction that I use now that we’ve started the solid food journey. I prefer stainless steel to silicone for something like this since it doesn’t stain or retain smells or tastes after going through the dishwasher.

Boon Trove’s “lawn” drying rack is so cleverly designed, and as a bonus it actually looks pretty cute on your countertop.

Elvie’s wearable breast pump is a multitasking marvel. I’ve pumped everywhere from the hair salon to an airplane aisle seat. It’s very quiet and discreet, I almost forget I have it on.

Your approach to jewelry has always been particularly fun and refreshing to me. I love the way you mix color, items of varying price points, and vintage + new pieces. Can you tell us what’s in your everyday jewelry stack these days? Any recent additions/changes?

It’s funny because I feel like my jewelry style has been evolving by default after having a baby since he is a little magpie and likes to grab anything shiny and dangly. I’ve been wearing a lot of shorter necklaces as a result. I love to string a vintage pendant or brooch on a sturdy leather choker-length cord. I also wear a lot of rings.

What else is in your current rotation? (i.e. a hangout spot, a recipe, a hobby, anything!)

I’m not the best cook so I’m always on the hunt for unintimidating, easy, delicious recipes. My friend recently came over and made me a pot of Alison Roman’s dilly bean stew with cabbage and frizzled onions and wow is it a perfect soup. I made it again myself the following week and I’m determined to do so at least once more before New York’s winter chill has officially dissipated.

Who are some spotters in your community that you look to for new things?

My friend Maria Echeverri and her sister Rafa are my north stars for inimitable taste and creative inspiration. They co-own a creative agency called Marfala – they recently did the brand identity for Family Style, Joshua Glass’s new quarterly print magazine. They also did the branding for my newsletter and created my (objectively) perfect logo.

Spotted on Harling's nightstand: