Hot Girls in the Hamptons

What people are wearing, injecting and imbibing out East this summer.

Hi again from Montauk! I had a quick drink with a girlfriend and her husband over the weekend, and he good-naturedly quipped, “So, are you summering here?” I guess I am! Summer is a verb, my friends.

I was out and about on Saturday with my friend Esha. We went to a party at Montauk Beach House and then rode down to Amagansett. Our friend Erin, who I’ve told you about already, was hosting a trunk show at Suzie Kondi.

While we were there, I snuck across the street to peek at the new Row store, which was executed with the predictably pitch-perfect taste we’ve come to expect from the ladies Olsen, replete with boutiquey touches like Lisa Eisner jewelry, Régime des Fleur fragrances, and juices from Happier Grocer — presumably a nod to the beloved Tiina Laakkonen, their landlord and predecessor.

As always, each little township has its own niche dress. Even if the variation in code is an almost indiscernible whisper, it is there.

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Hamlet Anthropology

The ubiquitous Montauk Mom. Set, Akoia Swim. Photo via Moda Operandi.

In Montauk, the hot Moms are bon vivants who parade around in expensive beach wear like they spent their morning surfing at Ditch. The vibe of the coolest women was more Gypset than Blue Crush, telegraphing cross-cultural wanderlust with a touch of hedonism. Think crochet bits by Akoia Swim and Diotima, chunky black Dad sandals from the likes of Prada and Chanel, and separates from Christopher Esber. And blowouts? Forget it: the hair is windswept and beachy, with carefully-articulated highlights.

Meanwhile, the twentysomething set dresses in groupthink, like they all watched the same TikTok and took it as gospel. Reformation may as well be the official uniform on deck at Surf Lodge, though the girls who can afford real designer stuff are wearing Des_Phemmes and Jacquemus. My friend complimented another girl on the beach sporting a Doen sailor top, a rare bird who looked like she had a point of view of her own. And I spied a handful of smart Staud bags and easy-but-not-cheesy Faithfull dresses.

Overall though, it’s a sea of bodysuits under jean shorts for this set, finished with some kind of depressing wedge heel and an expensive Aprés manicure (chrome dusted, natch). At least it appears the LoveShackFancy era is over; I haven’t seen a single one of the brand’s signature frilly floral dresses — it seems like that girl is now onto Farm Rio.

In East Hampton, designer raffia abounds. Bag, Khaite. Photo via Moda Operandi.

In East Hampton, the vibe is predictably preppier. I’ve spied several pairs of colorful High Sport kick flares paired with woven bags from Loewe, Prada, and Khaite. Loewe, too, seems to be leading the proverbial pack with sunnies. Their whimsical acetate confections are all over, slung on without a thought for coffee and Citarella runs. T-shirts from LeSet and Doen shifts are topped by jewelry from Adina Reyter and Foundrae with little Row 90’s bags for dinners out. That Roxanne Assoulin necklace is everywhere. It’s mesh flats a go-go, though I’ve been told more than once that girls are wearing dupes — Christopher Esber and Khaite knocked off most often. Hermes headbands are taking off. And in the morning, sleek workout sets abound.

The Universal Hamptons Cool Girl

There’s a riptide across the early adopters and cross-fork queen bees who have set another uniform altogether: it’s rooted by a studied striped or graphic t-shirt that looks collected from the men’s department or boyfriend’s closet. Or, by a lightweight button-down, maybe part of a broken-up set from Suzie Kondi, Chava Studio, or Charvet. Boxers and cotton pants abound. I’ve seen a handful of IYKYK Renata.Q’s clamored-for (and perenially sold-out) necklaces. Shell statements, in general, really.

The Row tote, shorts, and jellies. Gigi Burris hat, Renata Q. necklace, Bode t-shirt.

This woman isn’t above algorithmic dictations, but she synthesizes them in a way that makes them her own. Her style is imbued with interesting local pickups and pieces brought from the city. She’s aware of the fact that she has not become an entirely new person on vacation and, thus, does not need an entirely new wardrobe to suit.

The Row’s woven Oregon and Emilie bags are on her arm, presumably picked up in Amagansett, often doubled up with a well-loved tote from some event or club many seasons past. Denim dominates here, but the worn-in, well-loved look of Re/Done and A.Golde or a vintage pair of Levis. The Row’s jellies, controversy or not, are present here, as well as the brand’s sock flats and good old-fashioned Birkenstock Arizonas (the big buckle kind). Since the aforementioned trunk show, I’ve been spying more and more Underwater Weaving bags, but the petite ones, which make a great conversation piece perched atop the bar at Il Buco, next to her Ossa-embellished iPhone.

Posse dress, Ossa wristlet phone strap, Suzi Kondi shirt, Underwater woven tote, Havaianas slim flip flops

I’m seeing watches on their wrists, mostly Cartier with a peppering of Franck Muller, finished with a delicate tennis bracelet or Sherman Field chain. There is no nail polish, and minimal makeup covers skin that looks like it cost a fortune. Hair is undone or slicked back, maybe with a well-loved ball cap or personality hat for daytime. If it’s a dress, it’s Matteau, Johanna Ortiz, or Posse, accessorized with nothing but stud earrings and a tan.

When she’s not in a ballet flat, she’s opting for simple thong flip flops, whether by The Row, Havaianas, or purchased from the drug store. In the evening, a light cashmere sweater over the shoulder for evening beach walks or a chill cotton field jacket.

Beauty

Curated beauty giveaways from Marlien and Coliena Rentmeester are available on the Hampton Jitney this summer.

A few things, though, are universal this summer: everyone is partying, taking Ozempic (the oral kind is having a moment) and the Jitney, getting Botox in weird places (pits and hairline for sweat, traps for a swan neck), taking NAD in IV bags or supplements, and drinking Aperol Spritzes, which are going nowhere. Oh, and nobody will shut up about Dr. Diamond’s $200 plasma serum.

Also, more people have filler than you think; it’s just well-done, and they’re not doing their lips. Popular: a “cheek pop” to bring out the eyes and Juvederm’s relatively new Volux, a sturdier filler manufactured specifically for the jawline.

The full-body scrub and abdominal massage are popular services at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, where you can stay overnight for an all-encompassing wellness unwind.

Water Mill’s Shou Sugi Ban House spa.

If you’re envious of the girls with the perfect-looking skin, it might be too late for this year: summer skin is apparently made in the winter, i.e., laser season, when sunspots are singed off via Halo, Moxi, and BBL. Case in point: Anne Hathaway looked unbelievably hot in The Idea of You, which I hear is the handwork of Atlanta-based aesthetician Lauren Bays, known for her deft wielding of a laser. And to all the sunscreen truthers, enjoy your basal cells. Meanwhile, this girl’s been wearing it every day for years. (Currently, the favored brand is Dune.)

Reformer Pilates is still dominating workouts, with referral-only studios and private instruction surging over megaclasses. I’ve heard excited chatter about two slick new gyms opening up in Flatiron soon (both the new Chelsea Piers and LifeTime promise to be state-of-the-art). As women trickle back into the city this fall, I think they’ll find those infrared saunas, in-house spas, and other amenities more hospitable than Equinox’s cold rubber mats.