NYC Street Recon

Pops of red, daytime bling, and big-ass earrings.

Attersee Vest, Mango ballet flats, Esse Studios dress, COS cargo trousers, Lie studio necklace, Jacquemus flats, Khaite sweater and skirt (love the styling here).

I’m the first to admit that I’m easily influenced. Cool girls on Substack, TikTok, and Instagram are always compelling me to add to cart (and I thank them for their service) — but seeing a piece styled on a real person on the street (for me) is always a stronger pull to purchase than a carefully angled photo online. Perhaps because it’s less engineered or better articulated for the practicality of day-to-day life. Either way, I’m always keeping my eyes open to what the girls are wearing.

In New York, the heat has let up a bit — enough that you can get away with a light jacket in the evening. Doing so in July’s crescendo made me feel like a meat stick in tin foil, trapping my own heat and roasting in it. No more. I’ve noticed other people pulling out their pre-fall items and styling them with summer pieces too.

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In the West Village last weekend over drinks at Bar Pisellino, I saw a crew of girls clearly devoted to a certain sect of influencers (I’m thinking Lilly Sisto, Courtney Grow) — one in white short coveralls, New Balance sneakers (no socks) and a white Bud Light ball cap. It was really working. Her friend wore a long white dress with a light sweater thrown casually over her shoulders with Sambas and socks, equally as cool.

After, in breezed a girl in a look I’ve been seeing a lot of iterations of: an oversized denim jacket worn over a short hemline, styled with mesh or perforated flats a la Alaia and Khaite. Her hair was swept back to show off her oversized clip earrings. This, I thought, is exactly the kind of thing I love to wear. I copied the outfit the next day.

Doen shirt dress, Lie studio earrings, Khaite jacket, Jacquemus earrings, Mango earrings, Khaite flats, Chanel bag.

As I spot it, big, 80s-hearkening earrings are still very much the vibe. I’m continuing to see Bottega’s ubiquitous drop earrings proliferating street ear lobes (who can say if they’re the Amazon copies at this point), but a close runner-up is Khaite’s shell-shaped Julius earring.

Y’all know I love me some Khaite, but the Julius earring is deeply uncomfortable. I’ve tried it in multiple sizes on multiple occasions. For something that expensive, I want to be able to wear it comfortably all day. These I tore off my ear after sixty seconds. But I love the look of them, so I’m trying this lower-stakes comp from Mango.

Also everywhere I look right now: red! Red, red, red. Tiny, strategic moments of red, to be exact, peppered into otherwise neutral outfits. I ogled this pony-hair Chanel at What Goes Around a few days ago and added it to my mental wish list along with similarly-hued Carnelian beads from Lié Studio and these terrific backless Jacquemus flats.

Meanwhile, in the Hamptons, Doen is inescapable. I’ve spotted the real deal and many a dupe all over Montauk. I think their dresses are much cooler when styled in a less literal way — think Allison Bornstein’s “wrong shoe theory”. This shirt dress would be great with a sparkly mesh flat (daytime bling forever!) and something chartreuse like this trusty Baggu duck number.

Though when we’re there next week I’m willing to bet it will be the new Gap x LoveShackFancy collab I’ll be seeing on the twentysomethings — rife with RomCom energy, perfectly timed to align with the crux of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s second season. (Team Jeremiah, btw.) I’ll let you know.

The next issue is reader questions! Feel free to comment below, DM me on Instagram, or reply to this email if there’s anything you’re shopping for right now. I’m here to help.

Talk soon!