Monday Mood: Super(model) Minimalism.
Like her or not, the accessories sing.
Mood boarding is how my brain works. So it only made sense to bring it to the newsletter in a new (recurring) way. Every so often I’ll channel what’s inspiring me into a board and fire it off into the ether. Let me know if this new style vibes for you!
Right now (and ever since September, honestly) it’s been Kendall Jenner’s highly strategic, uber-controlled pap shots on my sartorial mind. Ever since coming on as “Creative Director” with FWRD, her street style (a collaboration with stylist Dani Michele, who also works with Hailey Bieber) has skyrocketed into the stratosphere. Bullshit honorary title or not, you have my attention, Kenny!
Jenner favors 90’s minimalism (we see lots of knits from The Row and Toteme, comfortable black trousers, and sensible sneakers like Sambas on her off-duty days), but she’s got a knack for upping the proverbial ante with irreverent statement pieces when it’s go time, like the above coat she donned in Aspen, giving me Tony the Tiger in all the right ways.
Her choice to lay down a foundation of only tights and sleek unis in many of her latest looks has many clutching their pearls, but I’m into it. In reality, I’d knock the look off with a short hemline instead of abandoning pants altogether — you still get that legginess, but without flustering the biddies. The black pointy toe is key as a finishing point — hers are Saint Laurent, but anything with a sexy heel and a low toe vamp would work. (A tip that Wolford makes the best black sheers out there, get the Neon 40s!)
I also love that she repeats key pieces, especially from Bottega and The Row. We’ve seen her Sardine bag several times now, as well as her Sofia bag in black. And her ubiquitous Bottega drop earrings have made the style damn-near impossible to track down in the small or large sizes, gold and silver equally as elusive.
Dani Michelle embraces her client’s affinity for simplicity, which is why I think her style feels so easy to emulate at any budget. Throw on an oversized sweater over a mini slip dress with a pair of tights and you have yourself a look, designer labels or not. Headed out on a cold night? The coat is the outfit! I love the way Jenner’s looks make me re-think pieces I already have, push me to play with scale, and inspire me to style old things in a new way.
But she is the world’s highest-paid model, after all, so super-luxe statement accessories are (nearly always) her centerpiece. A $12k Khaite coat in Aspen, a $4300 bag in New York… lest we not forget her blood runs Karadashian.
But she hits a tasteful, even accessible note in a way her over-the-top sisters don’t manage. At the U.S. Open last summer, Jenner hit the headlines when she showed up in a full Blazy Bottega look, topped off… by a humble Polo Ralph Lauren ball cap! It was brilliant styling. While Dad caps were already trending, I was inspired to immediately wear mine with Drop earrings of my own, as an intentional part of a finished look and not just a quick way to hide a bad hair day. And that’s the mood.
P.S., if you’re here from Gloria’s kind mention last week, hello and welcome! I’m happy you’re here. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better! Feel free to drop me a line any time via DM, by leaving a comment or by replying to this email.