LE CATCH

This morning, it feels like a few things in this country are being set right. In the considerably smaller matter of fashion, I have a rebuke of my own. Miu Miu wants about $2,600 for a fleece jacket! Fast Company pointed out that it looks a lot like something a startup hands out on day one. Not wrong! Still, I wear fleece practically every day to work out, and I like where Miu Miu has helped take it—as in strongly making the case for fleece with actual clothes. I’d happily trade my gym fleece for a reversible western-inspired pullover from The Great or a sleek zip-up Varley or a fair-isle print Polo Ralph Lauren (for skiing, too!). I also love the $37 knot-buttoned H&M, below, the knit Zara, and this dark plum and strawberry combo. I’d still wear any of these piece to work out. I might even put them back on after I shower!

$47, walmart

My kind of disco ball—for $47!

1. Cos cashmere sweater
2. Walmart embellished jeans
3. Chloe check wool cape
4. Electric Picks ring set
5. Balenciaga tote (Borrow this bag with the code MARLIEN and save 80% off first month of Vivrelle membership)
6. InnBeauty Project Extreme Cream

Coco just arrived from New York as if she hadn’t bothered to check the weather in LA. In her defense, I’d probably ignore 72 and sunny for the above fringed Apiece Apart jacket she had on, too. I was about to ask what else she’d packed when I remembered who I was dealing with! I’m always happy to grant full access to my closet to my twin sister, though she has a funny way of making me take a second look at things I already own. The minute she puts on a shirt I haven’t worn in weeks, I remember exactly why I bought it. Usually right around the time she asks if she can take it to New York. Of course, I’m just as susceptible to Coco’s taste. When we sit down together to online shop, half the things I end up wanting are things she’s already pulled up on her phone. Today we are both eyeing just-dropped J.Crew, including the fringed knit pullover, the embellished wool collar, the pearl-buttoned shirt (size up for a borrowed-from-the-boys look!), the tweed shacket (so good!), the Miu Miu-ish polo, and these tasseled pajamas (such a good gift). Also getting two yes’s: the $89 desk lamp, Ariel Gordon’s happy face pendants, Gerard Darel’s red parka, Adina Reyter’s new art deco lariat (currently around my neck, where it’s safe!), and the $55 flower ballet flats from Amazon (courtesy of Courtney Grow). Then there’s the new trench from Sophie + Lucie that just arrived and will probably be at JFK by Friday, along with my pair of beloved jeans she’s wearing to work today!

The clock went back an hour on Sunday morning, but somehow I feel like I’ve landed three weeks ahead. It’s now pitch-black by six, and this week’s calendar is already calling for a little holiday sparkle. I’m going to tiptoe in, beginning with more dressed-up accessories: long, glinty Tory Burch earrings with a sweater. An embellished bag tucked under the arm of an otherwise entirely ordinary outfit. A furry ballet flat. Extra flair, above. There’s something appealing about getting more dressed up without actually doing much more dressing. Great jeans, a standout coat, a zip-up statement knit, glossy hair, plus one thing that catches the candlelight. Yes to this $175 colorful Swarovski crystal lariat, immediately below, and mixed charm Elizabeth Cole (last pic), a fringed Zara scarf to tie around a coat, an oversized Asos leopard-print scarf, a luxe-looking $75 fluffy scarf, and wrist bling from Electric Picks (now in necklace form!).

Yesterday, I drove from Santa Monica to Beachwood Canyon, which, by L.A. standards, qualifies as international travel. I traded ocean breezes and all-day pickle-ball outfits for narrow, winding roads, storybook houses, and a much better view of the Hollywood sign. Same city, different country! The occasion was a gathering to meet the designer behind Rashi World, the Australian swimwear label whose vibrant pieces I have no intention of retiring for winter. The guest list was basically models and…me. I appeared to be the only one wearing crow’s feet, along with a one-piece bathing suit under a vintage St. John jacket. The welcome, however, was as warm as the weather. One particularly enterprising model turned beauty content creator recommended Violettefr’s chocolate-hued lipstick, promising a natural-looking boost to my pout. Coming from someone whose lips already seemed to have everything figured out, I took notes and bought it this morning. ICYMI—or if your feed has somehow escaped the beauty-recommendation blitz—Sephora is having a massive sale today through 11/9. I stocked up on this and this for my, eek, crow’s feet and proliferating dark spots. Two accessories I can do without!

$398, doen

I’ll be slipping out in these Doen slippers.

1. Chloe ruffled lace top
2. Loulou de Saison silk pants
3. Olaplex Two Ways to Shine Set
4. Shashi drop earrings
5. Guerlain L’Heure Bleu Eau de Parfum
6. Mary Frances beaded bag
7. Doen slippers

Gregg Renfrew’s last-minute text advising her guests to bring a jacket last night sent me straight to my closet—and deep into analysis paralysis. We’d be celebrating beecee, her new clean skincare brand aimed at Gen Z, outside in her Brentwood backyard. After weeks of fall weather that had denied me so much as a second layer, this opened the floodgates. A boiled wool Alex Mill jacket that’s been patiently waiting its turn? An au courant peplum blazer? An embroidered toggle-button jacket that everyone’s hooked on these days? Something with faux fur to make up for lost outerwear time (yes to the Asos, last pic)? One thing is for sure: I’m especially drawn to the latest ones with indulgence built in: a sold-out Hill House Home chinoiserie coat (also a 10/10 Free People), gold embroidery that catches the light (I die!), a brocade vest (I have it), printed faux fur (second to last pic for $169!!). I’m still waiting for the Rixo, pictured below, to arrive. Even my chicest blazers are getting layered to feel like it’s… compensating for, well, less! Apparently, all I needed was a backyard invitation with a temperature advisory to get me going.

It should come as no surprise that Prada ranked as the world’s hottest brand on Lyst’s just-released Q3 report, which draws on data from 160 million shoppers. Chalk it up, in part, to the small but mighty nylon pouch above: an $875 entry into the Prada universe, just restocked in rich new hues. Meanwhile, my own research department—endless scrolling, a highly curated feed, and a steady diet of fashion lunches and dinners—has a few additions to the bestselling list: baggy, cuffed jeans (here and here) and faded washes (pictured below); soft, flowy pants from taffeta drawstrings to fluid trousers; vibrant versatile knits tied nonchalantly at the waist, and high-vamp ballet flats (Jeffrey Campbell’s new take on the perpetually sold-out Jamie Haller). Also gaining ground: shawl -collared jackets and funnel-neck coats (both below), preferably thrown over all that easy movement. A smaller sample size than Lyst’s, admittedly, but a strong case for further fieldwork.

Apparently, it’s not just CVS getting dressed for the holidays early—our clothes are, too. The upside of this trend is that we can keep the outfit simple and let the sparkly, beaded, gilded, and embroidered trimmings do all the entertaining for now. I just ordered the embellished Zara skirt, below, and am eyeing these brooches from Cos (floral rosette, $59!), Tory Burch (sardines!), Tuckernuck (pinned on a basic knit!) and Me + Em (dripping with bling). P.S. I am not above this super inexpensive one and also this one that echoes the colorful Dries Van Noten pins, below. Yes, that’s me pictured putting trimming into practice with a satin-collared Donni and new patent-leather ballerinas—and soon to be me in the cute faux fur-trimmed Ciao Lucia jacket and Walmart (!) peplum situation (to be festooned with a brooch or a belt, of course!). When it’s officially time to dress up, I have the $250 sparkly Anthropologie dress, last pic, already waiting in the wings!

Google just released its annual When to Buy Guide, analyzing historical promotions, search trends and discount data across U.S. merchants to predict when holiday deals are likely to peak. The findings are compelling—but they also complicate our annual Black Friday cart sprint. Shoes, for example? Buy them over Black Friday weekend, when both selection and discounts are strongest. Fragrance? Shop within the two weeks afterward. Personalized gifts (read: jewelry and last post!) need securing early—as in now. As for designer bags, late December brings the deepest discounts on whatever remains. Emphasis on whatever is left. The Row just re-released its Idaho bag—and it’s already sold out. I ended up snapping up a very good $99 dupe on Amazon, below. This led to another useful discovery: Shopbop is selling many of its bestsellers at up to 40% off right this minute—and only for the next three days! Apparently smarter holiday shopping requires both historical data and the occasional well-timed scroll. Some of my picks: the best-selling Alex Mill jacket, above, that my sister stole from me and needs to buy for herself (hint, hint!), AGOLDE’s zipper-trimmed sweatshirt, Aeyde’s knee-high boots, plus jeans galore.