LE CATCH

I’m not ready for fall clothes, but I am suddenly interested in making summer clothes feel a little more fall-ish. Zara, Massimo Dutti, Shopbop, et al. seem to get it: instead of clobbering us over the head with chunky knits and coats, they’re softly nudging us forward with texture, nuanced layering (immediately below), buttoned-up blazers, richer neutrals, a chain belt here, a long sleeve t-shirt there (above)—all while keeping the lightness of summer intact. And weirdly, it’s working. Here are some very good ways to go there without actually going there: flowy Zara trousers, wool-blend tee, satin midi skirt, Tory Burch’s low-waist canvas skirt, Proenza Schouler’s textured dress, embellished Asos jacket, Banana Republic’s pull-on painter pants, and khaki stretch wide leg pants.

My latest style crush: London-based Jia Ying Goh. She’s a creative strategist (for brands like Netflix) whose approach is “audience-first”—shaping campaigns around how people think and ultimately act on. Her wardrobe, it seems, follows a similar playbook. In other words: she gets your attention and makes you want to discover more. Consider me converted—and taking notes on the silk black tank (above), barely-there balloon pants, and a cobalt blue button-down (for layering).

Happy Friday! In case you’re interested, here’s my week at a glance, outfit-wise. Not the big-deal outfits, not the vacation outfits, not even particularly thought-out outfits—just the things I actually wore for desk-side Le Catch-ing, casual work meetings, future-collab scheming, running out for coffee(s), hanging at home, and half-watching The Shards, on repeat. All in all, nothing major happened, but my shorts (but mostly these) certainly put in their hours. Above: Striped Amanda Uprichard crochet mini, Dolce Vita flats, Madewell t-shirt. Highlights below: lace-trimmed Maje skirt, Felina ribbed tank, Ciao Lucia x Clare V bag with Tory Burch charm, apricot Donni shirt, suede Jimmy Choo, Mother stripes, Frame x Sotheby’s cap, L’Agence mini skirt with Attersee blouse. P.S. Last pics—pistachio cashmere and t-shirt and trousers—are future-planning at a quick glance!

They're everywhere at Copenhagen Fashion Week right now: cinching waists (and hips), replacing belts, tied over hair (above), looped around necks. Zara just devoted an entire drop to scarves (and graphic scarf print clothing and this very Dries-looking bag!), and I’m happily adding fuel to the trendy fire. In particular, I’m leaning toward the long, slinky fringed scarf tied around the hips a la The Row. I snapped up this affordable scarf to do the trick (this from Etsy works too)! While you're at Zara, don't stop at the scarves—the rest of today's drop is worth a scroll, too. I bought the red leather belt, this deep V knit, this scarf-print dress and the flowy Bermuda shorts (last pic).

$230, la veste

Parade this terry-cloth pareo from beach to street.

1. Leset cropped crepe tank top (on sale!)
2. La Veste terry cloth pareo
3. Linda Farrow sunglasses
4. Azlee emerald and diamond gold ring
5. Boucheron yellow gold watch
6. Miu Miu bag (Use my code MARLIEN to borrow this bag and save 50% off the first two months of membership at Vivrelle)
7. Asos fringed sandals

The “Kinda Chic” TikTok/IG meme has officially taken over my feed, and I’m calling the next one: “When All Else Fails.” I mean, the ways we could fill in the blanks. Even fashion-wise: because we all have those pieces that somehow pull it together when we can’t. The great pair of jeans. The no-brainer dress. The top that does all the work. The thing that saves the day (and your time!)—kinda chic! Actually: very chic. Here are some true hero pieces: J.Crew’s forever chic (black and white/boatneck) stripes, an up-to-the-minute-making turquoise Gucci sandal, Mango’s beaded choker, Reformation’s shimmery white button-down, this purple Aligne knit for fall layering and/or a IYKYK pop, and infallible cargo shorts from Jamie Haller. Might need to add this western belt (above) to our outfit-making arsenal, too!

Copenhagen Fashion Week is currently doing what it does best: making me want things I didn’t know I wanted approximately 24 hours ago. Day One’s streets are teeming with early-fall intel—unexpected color combinations, interesting proportions, and vibrant prints. Consider this post a very shoppable cheat sheet for what suddenly looks right now—and what I suspect we’ll all be wearing in the next few weeks, starting with oversized long sleeve t-shirts in colors like this and this (above for $16!), Sea New York’s slouchy cargo pants and eyelet cape top, collared cashmere cardigans, Gucci’s Jackie bag, quarter zip sweatshirts (vintage-looking or polished and plush), and check prints (GAP has great ones!, this is about to sell out, this Toteme, and this one looks vintage). Much more to come!

H&M’s new drop is looking good this morning. Like, stop-what-you’re-doing-and-scroll good. The fall-leaning assortment features several things I suspect won’t hang around long—and because I consider alerting you to excellent H&M before it sells out part of my job description, I’m sharing the standouts, above and below, including the red mohair blend cardigan, the leopard print, scarf-trimmed denim shirt, the navy blue buttoned cardigan, the lace vest, the striped boatneck shirt, and pull-on khaki pants. And while we’re here, Uniqlo is also overachieving with these zip-up cardigans, designed by Clare Waight Keller (formerly at Givenchy, Chloe, etc), rendered in new autumn colors (because the last batch sold out in a blink of an eye). I bought red and purple!

Not to alarm anyone, but Monday, August 3, is looking suspiciously more like fall than Friday, July 31, did. Zara is already making the case for leather and knits—yet keeping our toe-baring sandals in rotation while we’re at it. Also creeping in: leather pants, tailored trousers, a smattering of sequins, and some kind of cummerbund (the new fall outfit-making update that can also be pulled off with this tied around your waist). Other fall glimpses: Zara’s yellow nylon bomber jacket, this transition-friendly, perfectly oversized ($120) cashmere v-neck knit, Asos’ frog-closure jacket, a cobalt blue Everybody.World long-sleeve t-shirt, extra-long silk shorts from Aflalo, and Reformation’s cropped satin jacket.

$68, evereve

Make no mistake, it’s still full-on beach bag season.

1. Staud dress
2. Warby Parker sunglasses
3. Boucheron diamond ring
4. Evereve bandana tote bag
5. J.Crew lace-up flats