extra good
Monday, September 21
London Fashion Week is making an extremely convincing case that the quickest way to make everything already hanging in our closets feel new has very little to do with buying more clothes. It’s the extras. The attendees are underscoring what’s been building all season: accessories aren’t finishing the outfit right now—they’re making it. A bright sweater tied around the waist of jeans. A big, bold bag against otherwise completely ordinary clothes. Mulberry’s new purple satchel, above, may just be the go-to of the moment. (Also in red, below.). A belt cinched somewhere it hasn’t been cinched before. Or, as Ralph Lauren would have us believe, several things tied, wrapped and buckled around the waist at once, pictured below. I want to replicate this belt situation with this great leather conch cincher from Johnny Was (in this size too), and this similar-looking scarf. And pile on the extras with Steve Madden, Vera Bradley (hello, Celine), this tassel belt, these Warby Parker statement sunnies, this Moma’s Eye pinkie ring and this leather B-Low the Belt cummerbund.
the week in review
Friday, September 18
This past week felt like everyone in LA decided to come out of summer hibernation at once. Three dinner parties, a trunk show, coffee dates, lunches, meeting new people, catching up with longtime friends who scattered away in late June—it feels like everyone is suddenly back in town and making up for lost time. Besides the obvious pleasure of seeing everyone, all this going out has given my closet a vigorous wake-up call. Things that have been languishing in my closet are finally seeing some action: the Chan Luu dress that practically dressed me by itself, below; the Merlette pants that only needed a jacket (with nothing underneath); the Jamie Haller shoes that make jeans feel dinner-party appropriate, above (denim is Kallmeyer, BTW). And, naturally, being out—and seeing what other women are wearing—has only made me consider more things: a spot-on pop of color across the table, a new pair of Saint Laurent sunnies that simply read COOL, a bag I clock from three people away, below; Cinq a Sept’s embellished tank (vibing Prada, no?), Steve Madden’s cap-toe slingbacks, Guest in Residence’s bandana print cardigan and the cute $50 mariner bracelet (last pic). P.S. I could not have faced it all without this miracle-working energy formula and new Caviar Stick Eye Shadow from Laura Mercier (in Mixed Metals) that literally made me appear way more wide-eyed than I actually was!
look twice
Thursday, September 17
The High Street is looking extra compelling right now—and not in a “can you believe this is from…?” way. Just compelling, period. I’ve already gone on about the very IYKYK appeal of Valesque, and now H&M is riffing on that same clean, pared-back bag idea, above. I also like the Dolce Vita luxe-looking tote, below. Especially for $148! Beaded Asos, also fun, plus pretty (Doen-ish) Topshop lace, black and blue Zara, Mango’s super cool wide-collar knit and Madewell’s lace-up oxfords in oxblood (for 25% off, no less). Even Walmart has some look-twice pieces in the mix: the denim cropped jacket and this pleated denim skirt. Consider this your reminder to keep the radar wide: good things are turning up everywhere.
designated driver
Thursday, September 17
Last night, it was a jacket that dragged me off the couch. It literally greased my wheels all 10.9 miles to Crescent Heights and Sunset for a dinner party. Which is why, if there’s one thing worth investing in this fall, I think it’s this: the jacket that gets you places. The one you can throw over whatever you’re already wearing and suddenly look like you had a plan. The one that helps me become one with Waze. I’m especially drawn to this season’s styles with a high neck, an embellished collar, some kind of fastening or flourish that makes everything underneath almost beside the point. Here are others that will earn their keep: the embroidered Never Fully Dressed, above, this Theory shirt-like jacket (on sale—I almost wore last night!), this vegan leather Modern Citizen blazer, the $49 Zara lace situation, below, the Polo Ralph Lauren cropped jacket (the denim version is compelling too), and Hill House Home’s chocolate herringbone.
group chat jeans
Wednesday, September 16
I recently found myself sitting around a table with a group of women who essentially style, shop and recommend clothes for a living, and, not surprisingly, we got onto the subject of jeans. The interesting part was how much our answers overlapped. The same brands, the same styles, the same very specific fits kept coming up. An entirely unofficial denim focus group—and, somewhat surprisingly, a pretty strong consensus. Considering how many pairs have collectively passed through our closets (vetting processes), I figured the intel was worth sharing, starting with Levi’s (of course), Pistola’s Cassie Super High Straight Jean (if you like a bowed shape, this is it), AGOLDE’s 90’s Pinch, Mother’s Reifler jeans (hands-down, the most comfortable), Madewell’s vintage-inspired denim (the nicest price), Ossou Noon jeans (sleek, chic), and Still Here (whatever is not sold out!). Some new additions to the collective rotation: J.Crew’s carpenter denim that I saw everywhere in NYC in blue, but I like the berry wash better, (also Phillip Lim has a really good pair that’s selling fast), Reformation’s baby boot cut jeans, and Citizens of Humanity’s new crisp dark denim.
keep calm and carry on
Tuesday, September 15
I went for a walk early this morning with energy healer Jakki Leonardini, whom I met many years ago in Aspen. I’d signed up for one of her workshops at the GOOP store on the eve of New Year’s Eve and pretty much instantly decided I needed her in my life. And not just because she was wearing the chicest Western boots I’d ever seen. That helped. In fact, I bought my own! Jakki’s philosophy is that intuition isn’t some special gift bestowed on a lucky few; It’s a skill we all have and can strengthen. Her work draws on energy healing to help clear out some of the old stuff that can get in the way of actually hearing ourselves. She does private sessions, groups and workshops, and I always leave her feeling a little more tuned in. This morning, after I told her about my very compressed, very social, very energy-intensive Fashion Week in New York, she prescribed a little (ongoing) replenishment: Creatine Monohydrate for less brain fog, better muscle tone (I’ll take both, please) and Adrenal Health to, as she says, “keep calm and carry on.” Apparently running around Manhattan, talking to approximately 4,000 people and getting dressed three times a day has an energetic bill that eventually comes due. But my bigger takeaway from our walk was simpler: recovery isn’t necessarily doing nothing. Sometimes it’s being a little more deliberate about what—and who—you let refill the tank. Anyway, consider this my post-Fashion Week energy edit!
bags first
Tuesday, September 15
Sézane is in refresh mode, and while there’s plenty to discuss—the sharper styling, more directional clothes, generally elevated point of view—I think the bags might be making the most convincing argument. Evidence: most of them are sold out. They’ve landed in a particularly useful sweet spot: interesting enough to change an outfit, practical enough to use every day, and priced at a level that doesn’t require a lengthy justification caption. I took my Sézane clutch to New York and it ended up working overtime—day, dinner, Fashion Week, repeat. Naturally, it’s now sold out, although a new suede version is available for preorder. More interestingly, a new batch is currently sitting in the “Coming Soon” section, including several I’d put on the short list now rather than discover three weeks from now when they’re marked “Notify Me.” My frontrunners: this suede bucket bag and this structured tote. (Plus: my sweater and skirt!)
boss energy
Monday, September 14
I am bursting with LE CATCHES today. There are approximately six posts I want to write, and in the interest of not assaulting your inbox (or your brain/wallet/etc), I’m condensing them here, so excuse being all over the place. New York always does this to me. Leaves me scattered. Over-stimulated. I come home wanting to dress like I have somewhere fabulous to be at 10 a.m., when the reality of my LA life does not accommodate the fantasy. But there were ideas everywhere that I can actually use—and, more importantly, use with things I already own. The big one: one bossy piece with everything else quiet. I kept seeing people do this brilliantly—an emphatic coat (I just bought!), an oversized belt, a shoe with something going on (Loeffler loafer pictured)—and then almost aggressively basic everything else. See the experts demonstrate here. This all feels extremely doable—at home too, no less. I’m starting with the long duster coats I kept clocking in New York, like this Modern Citizen, Reformation or Chan Luu (even a very utilitarian with something extra trench coat would work too), thrown over a no-fail jeans/tee situation. Or maybe a crisp tuxedo shirt (which I’m about to do). If not a coat, a fur-trimmed jacket (a la Connor Ives, above) will deliver and then some. I ordered the less expensive Rixo version, below. Altuzarra also drove home something I’m now fully committed to: extra-long cuffs, which might be the lowest-effort styling update of the entire season. Let them (Cos, Theory, The Latest) poke out from under jackets, sweaters, coats. So, yes, I came home with a lot of thoughts. But maybe that’s the actual takeaway: I don’t need a whole new New York wardrobe!
