Hello, my dewy dumplings! How was your spring break? Mine was wonderful, thanks for asking. And thanks for giving me a little time off for my birthday. I got to have a romantic getaway to Palm Beach with my beau and a quick run to Charleston with my best friend. So I am rested, refreshed, and feeling just the right amount of bitchy and balanced.
If you found us via Kathleen’s great article in Elle, hi! Welcome. This issue’s a good way to get your sea legs since it’s right down to business. I’ve been clocking lots of stuff to bring back to your respective doorsteps, so let’s get into The List.
COS Boxy-fit tee: a simple and inexpensive staple that’s new to me, maybe old news to you. For more rigorously-vetted basics, check out last month’s issue on the subject.
La Bouche Rouge Rouge L’Extrait de Parfum: La Bouche Rouge could sell me anything in that chic leather packaging, so I guess it’s a relief that their products actually deliver. Their newest foray into fragrance is a win — the value is solid, and the scents are as tasteful as their Parisian origins.
Morgenthal Frederics ‘Sabrina’ sunglasses: I tried on nearly every pair in the brand’s Palm Beach boutique, and these lightweight, bottle-green frames were my favorite. By far my most comfortable sunglasses, probably because they’re actually big enough for my enormous noggin. (Not a joke, my head is actually huge!)
Tibi’s Creative Pragmatist book: Designer Amy Smilovic has spawned an instructive genre on her Instagram where she dispenses seasoned fashion-know how with a heavy dose of, well, pragmatism. Declarations like “The tri-furcated closet sucks” and “Wear your clothes. A lot.” form the foundation of her unique ethos, which has been meticulously outlined in the brand’s newly-minted book. It’s so information-dense that I have been working my way through it very slowly, but I already think of it as indispensable.
Restaurants are the new runways: “Food and gossip are two of the most fail-proof ways to nourish people.” YES! Faran knocked this whole piece out of the park. I see that Elle is where the good fashion writers are, lately.
The Low-Key Rich Bitch, High Maintenance to Be Low Maintenance, The Neo-Elegant: Call it what you like, but it’s un-fakeable. It’s too niche and too prohibitively expensive for your run-of-the-mill wannabe. You can either afford it, or you can’t. It’s a silent signal. A quiet nod. No LKRB is running around in a thick stack of Sherman Field or dripping in Lemaire because she wants your run-of-the-mill Joe to know, y’know? She’d rather you keep to your Ulla Johnson, and mind your business.
Incense Papers. Specifically Santa Maria Novella.
Colin King’s “Arranging Things” is like visiting a very chic monastery. I can admire the austerity, but the level of restraint required is beyond my own self-control.
Tory Burch loafer flats: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think… the Tory Burch flat is back?! And I actually like the current loafer iteration(?!?!?) “This time, it’s more grown-up and delightfully understated,” says Vogue. I was talking to my friend Allie about this the other week! I swear — Tory Burch is right on the cusp of roaring back. And not the sort of watered-down comeback Lindsey Lohan has been threatening to make for the last ten years. Like, a real one.
The Moda x 15 Percent Pledge trunk show boasts a legion of supreme Black talent — I am personally obsessed with Anonlychild. Hello, this!
#CaviarTok is an excellent rabbit hole to tumble down if you have some time to waste in Wonderland. Makes me want to visit the new Caviar Kaspia in New York and Instagram my baked potato like everyone else. The chokehold this dish already has on the NYC girlies is threatening to squeeze out those ubiquitous Spicy Rigatone posts tagged @majorfoodgroup. Pass the Ossetra.
- by Laurel Pantin is my new favorite newsletter. A delight. Her taste!
Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66: how very sly of these sneakers to tiptoe back into our collective consciousness after the Kill Bill era. I’ve been seeing them everywhere among the niche IG cool-girl set, but Kaia Gerber trotting around in them cements their inevitable launch into the Samba-level stratosphere. This year’s sneaker is here. Get the yellow.
Toteme press-creased drawstring pants: these look super unassuming online, so you’re just going to have to trust me on this — the fit is there. The little press crease gives them polish, but the drawstring is all comfort. And they’re light enough to wear into even the deepest depths of summer.
Pineider ‘Capri’ stationery set: don’t you want to get a letter on this?
Sherman Field chalcedony locket: 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
Epi.Logic Even Balance Toner, Westman Atelier Skin Activator, and Vinter’s Daughter Active Renewal Cleanser: for the au curant requisite #SkinFlooding.
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