summer sparkles
Tuesday, May 12
I knew Dorsey’s new enamel collection was good before I even saw it with my own eyes, because my sister Coco would not stop talking about it after photographing the campaign, above. “It’s so us,” Coco kept saying to me after the shoot, and she was right. A departure from Dorsey’s signature lab-grown diamonds, the collection still has that signature throw-it-on sparkle, just softened with colorful enamel hues that feel fresh, delicate, and infinitely layerable (especially with these floating diamonds). It’s jewelry that feels polished without feeling precious—easy enough for every day yet luminous enough to change the entire equation of an outfit. It’s also the stay-on kind I clasp on one morning and somehow I’m still wearing three beach days and two dinners later. Case in point in the pics, below. P.S. Bracelets and anklets are also in the capsule mix—but nothing will be restocked, so get ‘em while you can!
monday headlines
Monday, May 11
The headlines this weekend were particularly committed to keeping us on our toes: UFO disclosures (“aliens are among us”), dire warnings about AI replacing everyone except maybe Pilates instructors, and another IG testimonial insisting that Akkermansia is the best new path to prime gut health. Meanwhile, in the fashion corners of the internet, French oracle Leia Sfez, below, announced plans for a “trouser-adjacent” summer, which honestly felt more consequential than extraterrestrial life. Try this, this and this (she’s wearing Sezane). Then came Marks & Spencer’s new summer collection, which the Evening Standard essentially applauded for being “not frumpy.” I liked it—specifically the (Chloe-esque) tiered lace dress and top. And elsewhere across my incoming fashion feed: the glorious resurrection of Calvin Klein, summer-perfect (under $200) beaded bags (above and below, same vibe but different shape at 40% off), lace lingerie attempting daytime legitimacy, trapeze tops taking over, and mixing prints (Zara, Damson Madder) with Portuguese confidence. In other words, the world may or may not be revealing alien life, but fashion has already decided the real revelation is looking vaguely unbothered by everything, ideally in a pair of Donni pants (or one step ahead in this!) and an excellent sandal.
may december romance
Friday, May 8
I don’t know about you, but for me, May feels a lot like December: a highly social blur of beginnings and endings, filled with school events, summer kickoffs, family gatherings, dinners that multiply, weekends that disappear, and the growing sense that everyone is either packing a suitcase or planning to. The ideal wardrobe right now is therefore ready for anything from a graduation bleacher to an impromptu spritz that turns into three. Think a blazer that can finesse a board meeting and a backyard brunch (see below) or a sandal that can pound the pavement or sift through the sand. A powder blue trench that says “I’m relaxed,” but also “I mean business.” I stretched a striped L’Agence cover-up (yes, cover-up, last pic) from my son’s volleyball sidelines to dinner at RVR. A vintage looking t-shirt could sub in just as well. Out of the ordinary jeans are critical too—embellished, striped, embroidered—along with wear-with-everything cap-toe ballerinas (that look like Blazy’s Chanel, no less), and a sleek ($139) black linen dress that can open (and close) any doors.
magic making
Thursday, May 7
Yesterday at my son’s volleyball game, a woman stopped me to ask if my old Zara pullover was Chanel. No, it’s just the kind of “Le Catch” that still holds its shape a decade later and somehow reads “chic” from across a gymnasium. The magic is in the choosing, and fortunately, there’s no shortage of inexpensive luxuries to choose from today, including more from Zara: the tiered patchwork skirt, above (I also bought the layered tank to go with), the polka dot jeans, the crochet bag bag, the beach-bound ME + EM print dress (immediately below), the H&M crochet maxi, Steve Madden’s (Gucci-spirited) bamboo sandals, the $44 Loewe-like straw bag, the knotted print Camilla bikini top (hello, Dolce!), Clare V’s straw rattan hat, Mango’s perforated leather ballerinas, the fish comb charm necklace by Madewell (save 25% site-wide with the code SUNNY), Quince’s $84 soft leather (summer-perfect) loafers, a ruffled statement top from Anthropologie (use the code MARLIEN20 to save 20% off $100+ purchase), and my radiant-cut Electric Picks bracelet ($70!) that literally sparks daily compliments.
better in butter
Wednesday, May 6
White jeans will always have their place. Crisp. Classic. Year-round versatile. But this summer? Pale yellow denim—butter, custard, lemon chiffon, call it what you want—feels infinitely fresher. The reason is simple: they’re also neutral yet they’re different. Very Carolyn Bessette if she summered in Provence instead of Cape Cod. Proof in the pics here, thanks to Paris-based Sara Ramen in flared Vanessa Bruno. My other favorite options include a dusty yellow barrel-cut H&M, cropped and relaxed Paige, and utility-style Frame jeans. If yellow is a stretch, try a creamy white jeans instead—also so chic!
everyday art
Tuesday, May 5
I’m not usually one to judge red carpet events but the Met Gala is almost designed for exactly that. The theme this year centered on the body as canvas—structure, form, the idea of clothing shaping and framing the body. Plenty of room for interpretation. And yet so many landed in the same place: naked dressing. Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Hailey, Lauren, etc…turned up in variations of corseted/sculpted silhouettes. Not surprising, I guess, but still a bit of a letdown, considering the opportunity to do something truly original. Which is why I want to call attention to everyday dressing here, because the goal isn’t spectacle, but rather small, interesting choices to take it out of the ordinary. A detail, a proportion, something that yields personality. Some ideas to scroll through: Christopher Esber’s asymmetric halter top, Essential Antwerp’s embellished scarf top and collared shirt (looks very Miu Miu), my floral print Paige jeans (currently on repeat), the blue back-baring Aflalo mini dress, Norma Kamali’s lace romper, Marlies Grace’s halter top, Mansur Gavriel’s (on-sale) leather tote bag, Rag & Bone’s grommet studded dress, and Blanca Miro’s above fringed Mango skirt (I’m a proud owner of it too)!
heatwave on the horizon
Tuesday, May 5
Summer beach uniform officially covered. Love it in orange too!
closet keepers
Monday, May 4
ICYMI, yesterday’s Substack dabbled in the art of not dying (light reading!), which feels ambitious for a Monday morning. More immediately useful: clothes that stand the test of time—easy, enduring pieces that will help us thrive this summer without trying too hard. And there’s no time like the present to act: Shopbop’s 40% off sale is on for just three days, rife with closet lifers like the red jacket, below, the below striped blouse ($70!), these forever jeans, this Alemais mini dress, and this Anine Bing jacket, and this Shop it all here!
walking on sunshine
Monday, May 4
My red pair caused drama last summer: attempted theft by my sister, raving compliments. These are next!
