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01. COS clean-cut tee. The big sister to everyone’s favorite Uniqlo. I was driven to buy this after seeing it on Julia Amory time and time again! Twice as expensive, but SoldOut also sent me one of their Iconically Soft t-shirts (in ultra-wearable black, seen above — I’m wearing an XS and it runs a tad big/boxy but would still advise ordering your true size) and it really does make you feel like a million bucks. You can tell the quality from the fabric and fit. I have been wearing the uniform of a tee, great jeans, and statement shoes for the balance of the past few weeks — it’s easy to throw together, comfortable to work in, ideal for this strange transitional weather where the mornings are 40 degrees and the afternoons 70 — and so am keen on making investments in my t-shirt game. Excited to take the COS for a spin but if you want a sure thing, invest in the Sold Out one! (I believe that Emese Gormley has a code that still works there — EMESE15 for 15% off. Worth a shot! If you’re a gray girl, this t-shirt is included in just the gray color in Shopbop’s tiered spring sale, too, so you can get it for up to 25% off depending on your spend). I’ve already talked this one to death, but this everything shirt, also by Sold Out, and also under $200, is a majorly worthy buy. The silky material and oversized fit feel like something a high end design house would put out. Again, I think the Emese code should work!
02. Gap white kick fit jeans (also seen above). I can’t believe how many of you ordered these last week on my rec! (See my full list of favorite white jeans here.) I was convinced every Magpie reader already owned these. They are SUCH a good jean, and you can’t beat the price. Run TTS.
03. Cashmere rollneck cardigan. The neckline adds interest, and I absolutely love a cardigan — throw on over a floaty dress, a white tee and white jeans, etc. This is giving us Nancy Meyers wardrobe starter pack vibes.
04. Mom fit jean shorts. Intrigued by the admittedly man-repelling fit of these. Imagine with the aforementioned COS tee, leather sandals, and a cult following Alex Eagle sports cap. The shorts give the Agolde Rileys (included in Shopbop’s tiered sale, which ends today!) a run for their money – the Zara ones scratch a similar itch but are a bit more dramatic/long, meaning they have an obvious point of view.
05. Pistola Sophia pants. OMGGGG. I love a utility pant – always have, ever since that iconic look by Gwyneth P. circa 2000 wearing army green utility pants and a navy blazer – and this pair is really, really good. It passes “the workday test,” meaning I can easily wear it while tapping at my computer for north of seven hours. I love the unexpected “mushroom” color (brown), but it also comes in a classic olive green (trending!) or peony pink. These have a good amount of stretch in them, but I’d still take your true size for an easy fit.
06. Speaking of denim that passes “the workday test”: my Alex Mill white overalls! These are now available for pre-order in any sizes that sold out. Run very generously. I took the XS and they’re very roomy, but I like the baggy look. My friend Sarah at Retail Diary (a GREAT Substack — data-driven, insider-baseball look at fashion, trends, and the business of retail) wrote recently about how white overalls are trending at the moment, and included me as a reference! Pinch me!
07. Mesh flats are peaking in popularity — here is a good, simple pair for $110.
08. You know I love my Aligne denim maxi dress, but now I’m swooning (!!!) over this broderie dress, which brings to mind iterations from Rhode and Marchesa Rosa that are 2-3x the price.
09. I’ll admit this is $29 over budget, but at $229, you are getting serious The Row Idaho bag vibes with this Massimo Dutti steal. Love this tote.
10. This ultra-oversized striped shirtdress is $30 — pair with your best sandals and big sunnies for a Mary Kate and Ashley moment.
11. Dorsey Lucien leverback earrings — truly make you feel like a zillion bucks, for $200. Somehow go with everything without looking too dressed up or dressed down and affording just the right amount of fashion friction. By this I mean they add sophisticated to a t-shirt and jeans and just a tad of downtown edge to a cocktail dress.
12. Denim espadrilles. So unexpected and chic. I’d pair with jeans, floaty dresses, the whole nine.
13. For my fashion-forward crew: this denim mini is under $50 and WOW does it give me Prada vibes.
14. A great gauze shirt to tuck into the mom fit jean shorts, or your Gap kick fits — I love this style and own something similar from Xirena that is multiple times more expensive. I feel like I’m often saying this, but I love an alternative to a white tee when I want to look a tad bit dressier, and this fits the bill. (So does the Frank and Eileen Patrick shirt, FYI. Still available in most sizes as a part of the Shopbop tiered sale!)
15. We’ve nearly sold this out, but this $129 Bardot dress (even less, as currently part of the Shopbop tiered sale) is a must for spring. Dress up for a wedding with heels / updo; dress down for date night with flat sandals and a jean jacket.
16. Own and adore this white embroidered top. Tuck into jeans for an easy but polished look.
P.S. Long days of parenting.
P.P.S. If you are a new mother, and wondering if your life will ever feel normal again: don’t worry. You are not alone in those fears. It is just the season of life.
P.P.P.S. Literary life rafts.
If you end up getting that ultra oversized striped amazon dress I would love to see a pic of you in it! I’ve eyed it in the past but can’t tell if it only looks chic in that very specific pose that the model is in, and if in fact in real life it’s just a massive unflattering tent. Also, I wanted to mention how much I appreciate that you feature realistic photos of yourself on your blog, including mirror selfies. I actually find it a lot more helpful to see the fit of items, actual colors, which of your finds may or may not work well on my (much taller) figure, how you style things for real life, etc. versus other blogs and IGs that solely feature hyper-stylized professional photography. Of course professional photos are fun and serve a purpose too, but in terms of what’s actually helpful and inspiring I love your approach of mixing in some more “real” photos. Thank you for continuously providing one of my favorite corners of the internet!
I second Bayley’s comment about your photos! It’s refreshing to see real photos vs the same blogger poses that so many other sites. I wonder if that’s part of the reason your community/comments section is so great??
Thank you SO much for this feedback — really helpful and encouraging!!
xx
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m glad to hear that — thank you so much.
I’m on the fence about the Amazon dress for the same reason, especially because I’m petite (5’0!), but stay tuned on if I order…will report back!!
xx