I was inspired by Sezane’s styling of these Martin crop trousers (en route to me now) — love the boyish loafers and crisp button-down — and I’ve found the menswear-inspired vibe percolating the past two weeks, influencing my wardrobe decisions. Below, some favorite “borrowed from the boys” finds, along with a lot of “looks for less.”
P.S. I have been so startled by your responses to my posts on female friendships. This is a subject so many of us worry about / think about / fret over and yet there is so little out there on it.
P.P.S. Some of our favorite quotes — the comments are fantastic.
P.P.P.S. Lots of fall finds for home and family here.
By: Jen Shoop
What is it about John Mayer?
I realized, the other day, that his music has accompanied me through two decades of living, and that I handily know his oeuvre better than that of any other music artist’s, and yet my impressions of him are pointillist constructions: small, isolated spots of unexamined information. Interesting to reflect on our contrivances of celebrity, and the provenance of their grist.
Let me start here: I love his music. But my music-snob sister-in-law (she openly owns this title, and has earned it – her taste and encyclopaedic knowledge across so many genres of music is unparalleled) despises it. I can appreciate the dressing-down, because “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” with which his name was for some time (is?) synonymous, is about as bubblegum as it gets. A critic once described Mayer’s music as “pillow-soft songcraft” defined by “dull sentimentality,” and I will admit that even as a starry-eyed high school student, it was difficult not to cringe at “And if you want love / we’ll make it // swim in a deep sea // of blankets.”
Still, he is a widely respected guitarist and a multiple-time Grammy Award winner who has collaborated with many of the greats. Beyond the credentials, though, I straight-up, unapologetically adore his albums — all of them, but especially Continuum. The only songs I skip are “Waiting on the World to Change” (unbearably twee?) and “Daughters,” the latter of which reads patronizing and inauthentic, especially if we are to believe his Lothario persona. Those songs notwithstanding, I listen to him constantly, especially on the weekends. Contrary to the aforementioned critic, I find his lyrics clever and often profound, and his voice and guitar skills simultaneously soothe and stir. He is easy to listen to when I want nothing to disrupt me, but his introspective lyrics can also offer roads into or out of a sudden-onset mood. I can think of dozens of lyrics that have woven their way permanently into my consciousness, given real shape to sentiments I share, including multiple stanzas of “Stop This Train,” which I cried to while we were driving through a terrible storm as we moved our entire world to parts unknown in The Midwest, newlyweds striking out on our own in an infelicitous tempest. The lyrics have pawed at me for well over a decade: the way life can seem to accelerate right out from beneath you, like an ill-footed skateboard.
Stop this train I want to get off and go home again I can’t take the speed it’s moving in I know I can’t But honestly, won’t someone stop this train?
Don’t know how else to say it Don’t want to see my parents go
I’m one generation’s length away From fighting life out on my own
His songs reveal a soulful contemplativeness, high EQ, and poetic finesse. I love throwaway lyrics like “I played a quick game of chess with the salt and pepper shakers,” “but you could distinguish Miles from Coltrane,” “So put your faith in a late night show / I bet you didn’t even know / depends on how far out you go / the channel numbers change.” The attentiveness of these lines, the way they condense entire personalities and social awkwardnesses and feelings of isolation into the span of a handful of words, stirs me. I recently learned that he considers his first few albums, “Inside Wants Out” and “Room for Squares,” both of which I listened to compulsively in high school and college, a negotiation with the social anxiety that plagued him in his 20s, before anxiety was a normalized experience. He commented in an interview that “having anxiety in mid ’90s, late ’90s was like, you think you’re going crazy.” (Now, by contrast, it has been widely named and destigmatized.) I’ve re-listened to those albums from that lens and the lyrics glint with new meaning: “Would you want me when I’m not myself? Wait it out while I am someone else?”, he croons in “Not Myself.” The entire songs “Why Georgia?” and “My Stupid Mouth” invite reinterpretation. This must partly explain why I was so deeply drawn to him as a teen: there is a lot in his early work that reminds us of our rich, private interiors, and the way those depths are often at odds with or strangled by the selves we present to the world. Which is more or less the Cliffnotes version of my teenage experience.
Moving away from the ouevre and towards the artist: I’ve seen John Mayer perform live twice, and I’ve virtually studied his guest appearance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series. I find him fascinating as a performer in that he permits himself to fall entirely into the musicality of the moment, routinely making what my husband refers to as “stank face.” This, to both of us, seems like the true mark of a musician: he proves himself to be unconcerned with his appearance and instead entirely given over to the music itself.
Still, there are elements of his public persona that give pause. There are deeply uncomfortable interviews he’s given with Playboy and other outlets, and Jessica Simpson had some…choice words about him in her memoir (which is a delight to listen to on audiobook — I truly enjoyed learning more about her). Those recollections of him line up neatly with what Taylor Swift has alluded to in her song “Dear John,” in which she sings:
And I lived in your chess game But you changed the rules every day Wondering which version of you I might get on the phone tonight
And, later:
Or maybe it’s you and your sick need To give love then take it away And you’ll add my name to your long list of traitors Who don’t understand And I’ll look back and regret how I ignored when they said “Run as fast as you can”
I carry a certain level of circumspection here: these are fellow musicians looking to advance their own careers and personas, and they are, in the end, selling songs and books, and therefore standing to benefit from reported salaciousnesses. But, still. He’s dated a lot of famous women, and the reportage has not been favorable. (What does this mean, as a female listener?)
The other day, spurred on by my recent reflection on how little I know about Mayer, I listened to an interview with him on Call Her Daddy. This was a true blind listen, as I know nothing about the podcast or its host, but I found him in turns rakish, and charming, and self-involved, and music-obsessed in all the ways I had anticipated. But there was one moment that jumped out at me. He’s talking about how he made mistakes in his earlier career, seemingly alluding to the publicity of his womanizing ways, and how he then drew inward, and was able to focus on presenting just the side of him that he believes matters: his musical skills. He says, at this point in his life, there’s no other living artist that won’t at least entertain a musical idea he’s had. (This sounds pompous, but I’m sure it’s true — he’s even covered Beyonce.)
He goes on to say that he is able to live happily because “I’m known for what I do.” He explains that he’s seen fellow celebrities flail when their moments are passing, when they realize they don’t have pegs to hang their hats on. By contrast, he’s always had his love of his music, and his faith that other people will like what he’s playing, to lean on. I thought to myself that this was a good example of someone who has asked: “What do I want to be known for?” and really leaned into the answer.
What are your impressions of Mayer? I’m so curious what my smart Magpies think about his seemingly polarizing music and persona.
And, are there other musicians who you listen to constantly but know little about?
Post-Scripts.
+My reference to our stormy drive to Chicago brought up old memories: “The Chicago that ascends out of Lake Michigan as you approach from the northwest is sprawling, powerful, industrial, towering, and with each passing mile, you are only aware of your impossible smallness alongside it.”
If you want more Magpie, you can subscribe to my Magpie Email Digest for a weekly roundup of top essays, musings, conversations, and finds!
Shopping Break.
+This longline cardigan has been trending among Magpies the past week. J’adore. I especially love this for a new mama — great to layer over leggings/nursing tank during those first few weeks. But also a great option for any of us who aren’t quite into coat territory but run cold.
+All Oribe is 20% off this week! This Royal Blowout spray (a Magpie reader rec!) is absolutely stellar and works great on fine hair (whereas other products have weighed my hair down). I also love their volumizing spray (again, works on fine hair, but use sparingly) and all of their shampoos and conditioners are top-notch. (I have said this elsewhere and will repeat, though, that I think Roz’s slightly less expensive Foundation Shampoo and Conditioner give Oribe a run for their money. The best lather. You can get 15% off with code MAGPIE15.)
+Julia Amory’s new gem-toned caftans are so chic! Love this cranberry one for Thanksgiving. I know a few of you have bought these and RAVE about them. So flattering and feminine.
+Another great, slightly dressier pick for Thanksgiving: this velvet Rhode. Wowza!
+Weezie is running its once-a-year 25% off sale. I absolutely adore their French terry robe. Easily one of my favorite possessions. I wear it every morning while getting the kids ready for school. It’s the perfect weight and length and the sash actually holds the material closed (for some reason, with all my thicker plush robes, the sash just slowly unties). Also love these personalizable cover-ups for kids. My children have worn the last two summers!
+UBeauty Lip Plasma. I did not want to love this $68 lip product, but…I love this $68 lip product. This ties for my favorite beauty product I tried this past month, and I know many of you swear by it, too. It plumps and fills the lips in a way I’ve never experienced before? I love the pillowy effect! The brand sent me a few colors to try, and my favorites are Rose and Bellini. If I were you, I would sign up for a restock of the Rose color (which keeps selling out!) — it’s divine. Sort of like augmenting the color of your God-given lips and adding an alluring layer of glossiness. I’m not typically a gloss gal (the only other gloss I like is Merit’s, which I still enjoy but it does not deliver the lip-filling/lip-plumping qualities that UBeauty does), but I have been wearing this every day, occasionally swapping out for the Bellini, which is a bit brighter but still doable for everyday. There are so many good colors to test, though! Already tempted to buy more. These would also make a great, luxe Christmas gift for girlfriends. (Always thinking ahead…!)
+Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. (Ed. note: If you are reading this during Prime Big Deal Days, you can buy a jumbo 9.9 oz size for the same price as the standard 5.5 oz bottle here.) Where have I been?! This ties for first place this month. Guys — this is it. A dry shampoo that actually works and smells fantastic. For my entire adult life, I’ve washed my hair begrudgingly every other day. This dry shampoo easily buys me a third day between cleansings. It is magic, I tell you. Erases greasiness, adds volume! LOVE. I’ve been using every third day, and feeling good enough about my hair that I’ve gone out to dinner with third day hair!
+Motif Abundance Face Cleanser. I’d seen a few creatives I follow on Instagram raving about this and was eager to test out when Motif sent me a bottle to try. It arrived at an interesting moment because I’d just read that you should spend the least amount of money on your cleanser, as it spends the least amount of time on your face, and therefore I went into using it with the sense that $65 for a cleanser feels a bit pricey. However. I really love this cleanser. It has an almost cream-like consistency, with microbeads for exfoliation — very similar to Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser, which I used for years and years on end. I stopped using Tata Harper because I felt it was too abrasive to be using exfoliating beads daily, but I do miss the scrubbed-clean feel it affords. Motif offers that, but mitigates it a bit with its slightly creamier, more hydrating consistency (and a lower density of beads — Tata’s is much more gritty). Still, I have been using Motif every other night, alternating with non-exfoliating cleansers, because I don’t want to strip my skin too much. That said, Motif is a deeply impressive brand. You can read all about the science of their cleanser, and why it works well for all skin types, here. I especially appreciate that they designate which products are pregnancy safe — that always felt slightly harrowing when I was expecting!
+Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Protectant Spray. Currently 20% off, and I love that Oribe offers most of its products (including this spray) in travel sizes, so you can test before fully committing. I polled Magpie readers for their favorite heat protectants / detanglers / priming sprays, and this was the overwhelming top vote getter. I ended up trying this and the other top-vote-getter, a combo of Lolavie’s Detangling Spray and Leave In Conditioner. (Lolavie is Jen Aniston’s brand!). I was smeh on Lolavie — it was OK, but it didn’t blow me away, whereas Oribe’s formula absolutely detangled and conditioned my hair, also leaving it very soft and shiny. I’m hooked.
+Goop Vita-C Brightening Eye Cream and Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream. Lumping these two together because I tested them comparatively back to back. I’ve been on a quest for great eye cream for a long time, and everything I try is “this is nice, but I could live without it.” These unfortunately fall into the same category for me, which is mystifying because I know so many people love both of them. Maybe I’m expecting too much from an eye cream? Both do a good job of hydrating the area, but I don’t know if they do that much brightening or, really, anything else? If choosing between the two, I’d suggest the Biossance. I prefer its texture — a bit thicker and more hydrating — whereas Goop’s is a tad runny. I will absolutely finish both tubs of these to the very last drop, but neither leaves me enthusiastic.
+Goop Color Blur. This is skincare-grade cheek color! It is packed with nutrients and hydration, but delivers great, buildable color (and I love the inaugural color palette they launched with — all the colors are so good!). I will say that I still find Merit’s flush balms slightly easier to reach for in the mornings because you can just slick the balm right onto your cheek, and it’s a tiny bit glossier/easier to spread. But the Goop has longer staying power, so it’s a tradeoff, I suppose. I really love the Afterglow color — it looks like it would be super-dark and intimidating, but it delivers this beautiful “Winona-Ryder-in-winter” flush. Beautiful.
+ROZ Foundations Shampoo and Conditioner. OK, this might tie for “first place,” too. This is my new favorite everyday shampoo/conditioner duo. This is fantastic for fine hair (some other products I’d been testing previously had really weighed mine down), has a wonderful handfeel and luxurious scent, and the absolute best lather I’ve ever achieved at home. I love the result, too — soft, shiny, happy hair. This rivals Oribe’s Signature formulas, which I’ve long insisted are the best on the market — a splurge, but a wonderful everyday extravagance. I would put Oribe and Roz on equal footing — they feel and smell similar, with great results, but Roz is less expensive, and you can get 15% off at ROZ with code MAGPIE15.
+Merit Solo Shadow. This was a miss for me, mainly on account of color options. I usually prefer an eye shadow that can brighten the eye area, but I went with Vachetta — a warm brown color — and I don’t like it on my skin. I feel like it comes off like a dullening gold/yellow? The formula is fine but nothing that wowed me. If you’re looking for a neutral eye shadow that can be applied with a finger, I’d vote for Ilia’s Eye Tint, which I absolutely adore. I have it in the matte cork color and it’s gorgeous for everyday. Eyeing some of the others to expand my collection. For evening, I have been reaching for RMS Beauty’s Cream Eye Shadows, which have more metallic/luminous effect that feel better suited to evening. I love the Moondust color. Brightening and so pretty on the lid!
+Unnaturally Natural Cleansing Balm. I ran out of my Farmacy cleansing balm (I initially bought the travel size to test), and this arrived in a PR package before I broke into my full-sized Farmacy balm, so I gave it a try. It’s wonderful. It’s hydrating, makeup-melting, and clean. It is scentless (which I know many of you find appealing) and leaves skin soft and hydrated. I think it’s very similar to Farmacy, which is less expensive, though.
Next month, I’m planning to review Clarins’ heavily hyped Cyro Flash Mask. If you’ve been a reader for awhile, you know I lose my mind over their Depuffing Face Mask. It is the best and I always have one open plus a backup in my beauty closet. I didn’t even know my face sometimes looks puffy until I used this? It chisels your cheekbones and jawbones. It’s incredible. I put it on before any evening out. I’ll leave you with this: I used it before going out to a party last weekend and a partygoer commented (unsolicited) on my “fine bone structure.” Haha! I’ve literally never had anyone comment on my facial bone structure before and I am convinced it has to do with Clarins!
The other beauty item I’m on the hunt for: a good everyday moisturizer. I’ve used several solid ones but none I’m wedded to. I’m of course intrigued by Augustinus Bader but still uneasy about the spend. I’ve also heard great things about the brand Yina? Any other strong recs for an everyday moisturizer for colder months?
If you want more Magpie, you can subscribe to my Magpie Email Digest for a weekly roundup of top essays, musings, conversations, and finds!
By: Jen Shoop
I had a lot of fun putting this post together. It began when I was reviewing a few of the random lists/clusters of ideas in the notebook perennially at my side, my paper Philoetius. And a new post-style was born: five quick lists.
Above, I’m wearing the pointelle Leset tee shown immediately below. I put it on and I basically never wanted to take it off again. It is ultra-soft and stretchy, with the sweetest details and a kind of homespun hygge. A perfect base layer for fall knitwear. I loved it so much, I ordered a second and immediately texted my sister to tell her about it. I’m wearing with my trusty Charlotte crops, a cozy Kilte cardigan (the color makes me happy!*), and suede drivers from Talbots (my second pair – these are such great everyday shoes; I feel like the silhouette elevates casual denim but compliments fall dresses, too. They’re also super comfortable.)
On the subject of Kilte*: you can get $50 off your first order by signing up for emails. They have so many beautiful sweaters for the fall season, and the brand generously sent me the cardigan seen above. I am now eyeing the Caroline in marigold. I can’t stop thinking about the color!
Five Chic Buys Under $100 You’ll Wear All Season Long.
Pops of red are a big trend this season. People went wild over the Adidas Gazelles in cherry red, and I’ve even seen street style starlets wearing red tights (!). I personally like when the red is mixed in with preppy staples — striped button-downs, dark-wash denim, navy, gold buttons/accents. Below, my top picks for four great pops of red.
Totally obsessed with J. Crew’s latest launch — I added so many items to my cart! — but these three items are at the tip-top of my list.
BRYNN BLAZER // CABLEKNIT CARDIGAN (SO CUTE FOR FALL BUT ALSO IMAGINE WITH HOLIDAY TARTANS!) // STEVIE BOOTS (ACTUALLY THINK I’M ORDERING IN BLACK, BUT ALL COLORS ARE SO GOOD)
I was heavily influenced on the blazer by this chic snap of Megan Strachan posted of Ariel Kaye. I want the whole look — red sneaks and of course Toteme bag, too!
Two Pairs of Everyday-Wash Denim I Want to Try.
So many of you have raved about Mother’s Hustler jeans over the years. Want to try those and the Gauchos (size down 1-2 sizes) in these great everyday washes. These are perfect for errands, Saturdays, work at home, etc.
I literally cannot even deal with this gorgeous VB blazer. I feel like it will go with absolutely everything and elevate absolutely anything. So incredibly chic. Love the details. I’m concocting outfits with brown cords, dark wash high-waist denim, slip skirts, ecru jeans, brown suede boots…!
03. STRIPED SWEATER — Toteme vibes, for a fraction of the price.
04. RIBBED, STRIPED PAJAMAS — I’ve ordered several sets of these, for both kids, over the years. These are great for back-up clothes at school, loungewear for long car trips, layering beneath snowsuits, etc., and can also (of course) be worn as pajamas.
05. SUEDE MULES — Look just like Manolos. Such great colors!
06. SHORT WINE GLASSES – 12 for $40! So many of you have written to rave about these, and a girlfriend of mine recently said she’d bought for herself and then her mother, too.
08. OUAI HAND WASH — This smells divine and has tiny microbeads for exfoliating. Currently have this in our powder bath.
09. FOX CAMERA — My son has been asking for a digital camera for awhile (“to take pictures at the zoo” — meep!) and both he and my daughter LOVE foxes. This is absolutely going under the Christmas tree this year.
10. BIRDIE PERSONAL SAFETY ALARM — I now carry this on my runs with me. Just an extra measure of safety/comfort.
13. COLORFULKOALA LEGGINGS — My favorite inexpensive leggings. So comfortable and come in great colors. Just ordered the chocolate brown seen here. I wear a size XS in these!
14. CROPPED SWEATER PANTS — So many of you love these. Love the look. Elevated athleisure! (More picks along these lines here.)
I am a moody reader, or perhaps a “seasonal” one?, in the sense that sometimes I will slowly read one book over a few weeks, and other times, I will stay up late reading for nights on end, tearing through novels one after the other. I have thoughts on this. First: like any habit, reading requires some amount of discipline. You must will yourself to find the time, to displace other hobbies and interests, in order to accommodate it. This is often facilitated by finding times of day in which reading comfortably fits — just before bed, while walking the dog, while commuting. When I am not a period of readerly devotion, I am usually invested in other priorities — for example, the couple of weeks during which my husband and I watched a string of erotic 80s thrillers while this podcast explained them to us from a gender theory lens (absolutely fascinating and brilliant, once you get over the narrator’s vocal affectations), or when I am sleeping poorly and need to get myself to bed by 9. It has taken me a nontrivial amount of time and effort to make peace with my fairweatheredness as a reader. I carried guilt — actual, iron-weight guilt — over it because I love to read, pursued an advanced degree in literature, and feel in some ways that reading defines me. I felt particularly stricken by the period in my mid-20s in which I could not bring myself to read anything outside of my scholastic undertakings. I had grad school classmates who seemed to glide through the latest highbrow lit alongside the academic ballast of Yeats, and Derrida, and Woolf, and I would cringe when admitting “I was between books at the moment.” But grad school had temporarily sucked much of the joy out of reading for me. I found irritating apparatuses separating me from the page. Instead of letting the novel wash over me, my mind would roll up its sleeves and begin to pick the text apart, just as I would for class. Time has mercifully eroded these competencies. I am now capable of sitting in a kind of pleasant, empty stupor as a novel unfolds around me. I am perhaps strangely grateful for my own intellectual atrophy, because it has enabled me to rediscover lost joy. (Perhaps another sign that I was never “meant” for academia?)
But also, a moment to address the issue of my readerliness defining me. In my youth and teen years, I did almost nothing outside of academics. I was not an athlete, I was barely a pianist, and the only extracurriculars I enjoyed were writing classes and various creative writing competitions. I earned top marks and every highest achievement award for which I was eligible, and though I always loved to read, I learned that people expected me to be an avid reader, as though the only way to be “smart” was to be “readerly.” For this reason, I would strategically read “the classics” while tearing through The Baby Sitter’s Club and Nancy Drew under my covers at night. My instinct to perform my own readership persisted until my mid-20s, when, as mentioned above, I temporarily ran out of energy and interest. I don’t think I read a book “on my own,” outside of my role as a grad student, for a good two years. I think about this and I want to tell myself, gently: “Stop worrying so much about what other people think.” And also: “You can choose to change who you are at any time, and with nobody’s permission.” And also: “You are not a project. You are not designed for consumption. You are not beholden to someone’s expectations or opinions of you.”
Amen, amen!
Even now, far more comfortable in my own skin, a small shudder of joy moves through my body when I read those words.
You can change who you are at any time, and with nobody’s permission.
My Fall Reading List.
Several of these books were recommendations from Magpies, whom I polled via Instagram! I’m asterisking the four that got a high volume of votes.
+Yellowface*, R. F. Kuang. A top rec from Magpies — a lot of us are reading this. The premise: a white author steals a manuscript from her just-deceased Asian friend and becomes a bestselling sensation. Per the book jacket: “This novel grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.”
+Bright Young Women*, Jessica Knoll. A dark hybrid of psychological suspense and true crime in which murder descends on a Florida sorority house. “Two women from opposite sides of the country are brought together by violent acts of the same man, and become allies and sisters in arms as they pursue the justice that would otherwise elude them.”
+A Writer’s Diary, Virginia Woolf. Leslie Stephens mentioned she was reading this set of Woolf’s personal journal entries, which include reflections on her writing and the books she was reading, and I was immediately intrigued.
+Hello, Beautiful*, Ann Napolitano. A boy with a dark, difficult childhood meets and falls in love with a family of four vibrant sisters — only to have his past trouble them all. Tones of Little Women in this one!
+Tom Lake*, Ann Patchett. I already read and adored this book; full review here. But including it in this list in case you’ve not yet read.
+Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos, Nash Jenkins. “A searing debut novel about a tragic scandal at an American prep school, told in the form of a literary investigation through a distinctly millennial lens.”
+Mother-Daughter Murder Night, Nina Simon. How amazing is this blurb: “A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.” Sign me up! (I started rewatching Gilmore Girls from episode one a few weeks ago — it is so charming.)
+The Golden Couple, Greer Hendricks. My mom (fellow thriller lover) recommended this to me. “Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.”
+None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell. Currently enjoying on audiobook. “A scintillating psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.”
+Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus. I’m so late to the game on this one (I know many of you loved this, including my mother and sister!), but hoping to read it before the Apple TV adaptation goes live this month. “A gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show.”
+The Idea of You, Robinne Lee. I occasionally dabble in the romance genre, and so many of my girlfriends have raved about this one in particular. It is steamy and explicit — you’ve been warned; this is a true “beach read after dark” (BRAD) to use Beach Reads and Bubbly’s term! — but tells the story of a 40 year old art gallerist who unexpectedly turns the head of a 20-year-old boy band pop star (clearly intended to be Harry Styles).
What else would you add? Any strong opinions on this list?
+Have heard such good things about Anthro’s colette pants over the years. I think I’m going to order a pair in corduroy to test.
+Schutz just restocked / added new colors to its wildly popular Arissa flats (under $100!). I own these in two colors. They are supremely comfortable — some of the most comfortable right-out-of-the-box shoes I’ve ever owned!
+I do a lot of drafting by hand and I’m kind of dying to to buy one of these classic Kaweco fountain pens? So writerly, with cartridges and everything. When I studied abroad in France, I used fountain pens like this! The French have such beautiful paper/pen options, and entire boutiques dedicated to them. It was so fun.
+Speaking of desktop accoutrements: these notebooks remain my absolute favorite. I keep a whole stack next to me! The best, most inviting covers and great quality paper. You can get 15% off with code MAGPIEBYJENSHOOP.
+Target has a cute preppy house brand out, and I love this Repp-tie-inspired throw blanket for fall outdoor hangs (thinking of pumpkin patches, marshmallow roasts, etc). These iron-on letter patches and striped reusable straws are also fun.
+This croc-effect phone sling is so chic! Love it in the brown.
+People rave about these goldtoe ribbed socks from Amazon.
If you want more Magpie, you can subscribe to my Magpie Email Digest for a weekly roundup of top essays, musings, conversations, and finds!
By: Jen Shoop
This week presented me with a litany of autumnal joys:
+a dinner of roast chicken, Boulud carrots (the best, my mouth waters for them), and roasted potatoes, with a big glass of jammy red;
+two pairs Uggs for the hygge season (these and these), presently en route to me;
+horror movies (we watched The Blackening and Scream VI — the first excellent, the second too mired-in-its-own-legacy to be legible to more casual viewers, but still jump-off-your-seat fun), thrillers on Kindle (I started this), and a new psychological thriller audiobook;
+the first turn in the trees in my neighborhood — I love the way autumn creeps in, on cat-like paws, and I also love how Mother Nature continuously models accepting change with grace;
+swapped out my summer desk sweater for a fall one;
You can find links to nearly everything worn above in Friday’s WILW (What I Loved Wearing) Post, but the jacket I’m wearing top left and in the header photo for this post is Wyeth’s Jacey Barn coat. It is, truly, a perfect fall jacket. A great weight — not too heavy, not too light — and I love the corduroy detail on the patch pockets. (Also, the pockets are lined in soft corduroy — so cozy when you tuck your hands in there!). I also appreciate the shape: clearly, this was designed by a woman, as it fits easily over knits but still offers a cropped/feminine vibe.
I also wanted to mention that in the mirror selfie above, I’m wearing two new beauty products I’m loving: Goop’s Color Blur (wearing in shade Afterglow) and UBeauty’s Lip Plasma (wearing in shade Rose, which keeps selling out!, but they just introduced a bunch of new hues). I’m in love with both of these products and think they have particularly great color options. Goop’s color blur is basically tinted skincare (!). It’s packed with vitamins and designed to hydrate skin. It also looks gorgeous on and boasts buildable, semi-sheer color (which I personally prefer over more pigmented formulas — more room for applicator error). It reminds me a bit of Merit’s Cheek Balm for that reason, but I will say I find Merit a tad easier to apply because you can glide the whole balm right onto your cheek. The Goop blur requires fingers and a brush. I am loving the Lip Plasma, too — it is wildly expensive for a lip product, but (!) I have to be honest that it does wonders for my thin lips! Adds a pillowy fullness? A new secret weapon.
A few random things on my mind today…
+Jane Win is offering 20% off sitewide now through Tuesday. This is their biggest and last sale of the year. If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know I adore their necklaces and wear this petite hearts pendant close to daily (sometimes swapping out depending on what I’m wearing from Dorsey). I also wore this larger “joy” coin for weeks on end earlier this year, and will often put it on when I need to remind myself to pause and reach for those slivers of joy in my everyday life. They also have a smaller version of the joy coin (and different styles/motifs — protection, hope, faith, etc). How beautiful would it be to buy your sister this “sisters” coin necklace for Christmas/an upcoming special occasion? Or this “STRONG” one for a loved one undergoing a difficult time? These make such spectacular gifts. My mom has given me one and I treasure it.
+Cannot stop thinking about this poem on watching your children grow up. (I feel constantly torn between the sentiments of “Fly, be free!” and “I don’t want anything to change.”)
+This week would marked my friend Elizabeth’s 40th birthday. I’ve been visiting a lot with her in my heart. Toasting her in heaven!
+I had a lot of readers ask me to report back on the Nili Lotan “Shon” pants, which most of us now refer to as “The Hamptons Pants” because my Internet friend Stephanie said she saw them all over the Hamptons this past summer. They run big — size down one size — and are better suited to tall Magpies. I am 5’0 and I’d need to have them hemmed a good few inches, but then I worry the dimensions might look off, and this is a style all about silhouette/proportions. That said — I was surprised at how wearable and flattering the pants were (if only they came in a petite version!). The “horseshoe” shaped pant sort of creates an illusion of more slender, long legs? I’m sharing a couple of photos below. I like how they look on the thigh especially. When I shared these snapshots on Insta, a few of you mentioned that Velvet has a similar style called “The Brylie” that is almost half the price and better suited to petites. This feedback was corroborated by the stylist Mary Glenn, who mentioned a few weeks ago that a petite client of hers was wearing these and looked incredible in them. Sadly, these are sold out nearly everywhere, but you can still find a few pairs here, here, and here. Last but not least — another Magpie reader wrote in to say she’d tried the Shons, found them too big, and then fallen in love with this $30 pair from Target, which go down to a size XXS. They don’t have the same dramatic shape as the Shons or Brylies, but they do nail the “elevated cargo” look.
+I’m taking my daughter to see the Taylor Swift Eras Concert in theaters! It’s launching October 13th. We’re going with her best friend and her best friend’s mom and we’re all equally excited — ha! I’m eyeing this “Taylor” shirt and these boots for mini for the occasion, and she’s already told me she wants to wear one lightning bolt earring and one heart earring for the occasion from her Pip Pop Post collection. How cute is that? I’m torn between wearing this 1989 t-shirt and calling it a day, or maybe going the bejeweled route with a top like this. (I do love the “Midnights album”…). I also ordered two sets of these — one for my daughter and one for her friend. I can’t believe my daughter is getting to an age where we can do these kinds of things together! I cannot wait.
+Fellow mamas with little ones at home: could this be more accurate? My husband has a rule that when he’s talked over more than twice in a row, he just “buries what he was going to say deep in his soul.” Haha.
+New go-to gift for little girls aged six or seven. More gift ideas for young children here.
+Both of my children want to be Mario for Halloween. HA! I could not convince either of them to be another Nintendo character, so we’re rolling with it. I bought them these costumes because I think the padded belly makes a big difference. A lot of the less expensive options don’t have that extra detail. They have been begging me to dress up as Princess Peach and Mr. Magpie to be Toad. (I absolutely died laughing when I found this Toad “cap” — hideous! I don’t think I can convince Lan to wear it.)
+Strongly advise us all to buy these feather-trim button-downs now, in advance of holiday season. They are SO amazing for festive wear. Just throw on with jeans and heels, or tuck into a patterned skirt, and you’re done. Imagine that top with this skirt for Christmas Eve?! Or with high-waisted denim, a red lip, and a Savette clutch for cocktails?! Too good.
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P.P.S. I made this cocktail twice this week. So delicious. It’s a great riff on a daiquiri if you want to venture out to try something a little different.
P.P.P.S. Mr. Magpie is making this party dish for an upcoming gathering at our home.
If you want more Magpie, you can subscribe to my Magpie Email Digest for a weekly roundup of top essays, musings, conversations, and finds!
By: Jen Shoop
If you want more Magpie, you can subscribe to my Magpie Email Digest for a weekly roundup of top essays, musings, conversations, and finds!
I took the above photo at a vineyard about an hour outside NYC a few years ago. How spectacular?!
I did a big shop for my children at J. Crew — many of the items were marked down 50-60% off! — for some basics for their wardrobes, including this cardigan, a few of these and these (like a mini Leset pointelle!) tees, and this fuzzy sweater for my daughter; and, for my son: some dock pants (I like the fit of these on my boy, but find a lot of their pants are too slim/narrow/long), this striped tee, this LS polo, and this henley. The total should have been like $700 but with the code I made it out for under $200. Such good bargains!
This Week’s Bestsellers.
This week, we all settled into our fall wardrobes, it seems? Lots of fall footwear purchases! Some more of my favorite shoes for fall here.
I keep coming back to a poem I recently came across by Tess Gallagher, “I stop writing the poem.” She wrote this shortly after her husband, celebrated fiction writer Raymond Carver, passed away.
It elicits the strangest, strongest arc of emotions from me. I think about the enormity of grief as it unfolds awkwardly amidst the smallnesses of everyday life, how motherhood demands that we model living (and all of its attendant emotions, happy and sad) for our children, the interaction between the creative life and the everyday one, the constrictions of gender roles. So much packed into a scant twelve verses. Underneath it all: the poetics of grief, its unruliness. The way the title bleeds into the body, and boomerangs back out onto a metafictional plane (she tells us she has stopped writing, even as she, clearly, proceeds); the enjambment between verses; the formlessness — stanza-less-ness — of its form. The image of a widow folding the arms of her husband’s shirt together clings to me, thistle-like: an inverted, half-formed hug.
What else speaks to you in the poem?
Post-Scripts.
+Hygge season. Loving this fleece. How perfect with my fav $22 Amazon leggings in brown and Ugg ultra minis in burnt cedar for a little family fall walk? (Also love this solid brown fleece from Varley, and this much less expensive oversized fleece in great fall colors from Old Navy.)
+Speaking of chocolate brown: seems like the entire world is buying brown flats! Every pair keeps selling out! If you love them, too, snag this pair from J. Crew before they’re all gone. They launched Monday and are nearly sold out!
+Speaking of J. Crew, how adorable is this plaid skirt for a little love?
+We’re fully embracing Halloween already. I think we’ve talked about this in the past, but how has Halloween spiraled into this enormous holiday in our lifetimes? It wasn’t a huge deal when I was a kid — a single night to dress up and eat candy — and now I swear it’s turned into a full on season! I’m not complaining but wow! I just bought my kids a few more Halloween activities, including these cute little Lego activity sets (another option here). I always like to keep some activities stocked in my closet. They came in handy this week when my daughter was home with an ear infection for two days and I needed some distractions for her! More activity/book ideas for Halloween here.
+These sherpa slides just arrived and my daughter looks so cute in them! Nailing the Boston Birk look at a young age!
+The brand Aligne just generously sent me a few items from their e-boutique, including this classic camel topcoat and this denim shirtdress. I will share styled photos ASAP but wanted to flag that this is a great brand for my tall Magpies. Everything is very long/lean. I will need to have the coat tailored to fit — sleeves, hem! — and the dress is also very long.
+I love this dry shampoo SO MUCH (!!!) — thank you so much for the rec! I normally do not go more than two days without washing my hair, but now I can easily make three days with no problem. Some of you wrote in after to suggest I also try their volumizing spray — intrigued! I do struggle with volume at my crown. I’ve been using Oribe’s volumizing spray and it works great as a pre-heat-styling spray (spritz on wet hair before using hot tools), but intrigued by LP for when my hair is already dried/styled.
+Keep coming back to this cute gingham mini. I feel like it’d be the perfect thing to throw on for football Sunday / barefoot hang around the house this fall.
+Thanks to the generous team at Dorsey, this spectacular sapphire ring is en route to me. I’m pinching myself! Absolutely beautiful. I’m obsessed with this jewelry brand and think it’s a great source for pieces for a wedding (bridesmaids gifts / bridal earrings), milestones, birthdays, etc. I wrote a full review of the pieces I own from them here.
P.P.P.S. Some of my favorite home storage solutions.
By: Jen Shoop
On the way to a birthday party last weekend, my son’s chatter filled the car, inexhaustible. A new “tell” of his, this chattiness: an augury of excitement. It was the same the morning of his “visit day” at his new school, when Mr. Magpie and I took him out for breakfast before walking him into the red brick building to meet his teachers and classmates, his tiny body swinging between us (“one, two, threeee!”). That morning, his prattle had become a fourth companion, filling every void and pause in conversation, and overwriting most everything else, too. Observations and memories tumbled out of him, wedging their way around us.
The insight tugs at my heartstrings, reminding me that perhaps I haven’t been as dutiful as I could have been about finding occasions in which he plays the lead character rather than the sidekick to his opinionated, older sister. He finds a tiny stream of attention and basks in it, a cat lolling in the sunshine.
Still, I strained to keep my focus from wandering as he burbled about Halloween costumes, “that red car,” why the party’s location had been moved and where it had been moved, why his friend did not go to our Church. Suddenly: “that’s where God is, in the colored window.” I peered at him in the rear view mirror. “Right, mama?” I paused. Sometimes he will steamroll right along if not answered immediately, and I wasn’t sure I had the stamina to engage in theology at 1:45 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, especially as I inwardly prepared myself for the throttling experience of supervising a young child at a birthday party while engaging in splintered, desultory conversation with other parents.
“Right, mama?” he persisted. “God lives in the colored windows at Church?” I could see in this language a sweet perversion, or adaptation, of something he might have learned at school about stained glass. Perhaps a kindly teacher or priest talking about its metaphor.
“Well, yes,” I said. “But God is everywhere, too.” He thought for a moment, and then we walked briskly in the direction I’d anticipated and loosely hoped to avoid, in which he asked whether God was in his seat, the car, the grass, the street light, the tree, the neighbor’s dog, Spider-Man, his pinky finger.
“But he’s all broken up?” He concluded, mystified. I long ago decided that I would participate in this kind of wonder at the mysteries of faith when my children presented them rather than strain to explain something I myself struggle to understand.
“Yes, He’s everywhere, and in everything. It’s a mystery we can’t fully understand. But He is there.”
“Ohhh,” he nodded. “God is magic.”
And I thought — that’s not a bad landing place for a four year old’s theology.
And I also thought, with some small inward regret, how ill-conceived it had been of me to temporarily hope to dodge this conversation, how wrong it was to have considered his inquisition ill-suited to the time, to the venue. Revelation operates according to its own timetable. It is rarely opportune. Sometimes our most profound insights arrive when we least expect them. Who was I to divert my son’s?
I was reminded, too, all of the sudden, of a quote from Zechariah I’d displaced for years:
“Who dares despise the day of small things?”
He is talking about the re-building of a temple, how paltry the first stones must have looked when laid.
And I thought how all my days are filled with small things. The tiny feet padding around outside my door in the morning, the filling of the coffee mug, the packing of the lunches, the “I love you!” thrown out the car door at drop-off. And yet they eventually stack up to the great things: family, comfort, the rhythmic warmth of domesticity.
My son’s recitative about God in the trees, and in the dog next door, and in the fabric of his carseat suddenly feltpercipient, well-shaped.
So, yes —
Here I am, ready to praise this day of small things.
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Shopping Break.
+J. Crew’s new arrivals are incredible. I think I’m going to order these boots in the black and these incredible jeans. Also eyeing this ruffle-collar cardi (so many good colors!) and this sherpa jacket.
+I’m overdue for an Honest Beauty Review installment (some recent ones here), but wanted to say I am really liking this UBeauty Lip Plasma so many of you have raved about. I will write a full review soon. My first reaction was — “$68 for a lip gloss?” — but I have to say that the colors are gorgeous and, more importantly, it somehow plumps/fills lips in a way I’ve never experienced with any other lip product. I haven’t ever used a dedicated “lip plumper” so candidly don’t have great points of comparison as to how this stacks up against other products in that category, but I will say I love the results this one achieves. The brand sent me a few to test. I really love the Rose color, which was just restocked, along with a handful of new colors, too!
+I ordered a couple of long-sleeved, white base layers for fall/winter, and will report back with thoughts. I’m really excited about this pointelle one from Leset! More sizes here.
+Ordered myself some blue light glasses (do they work?!) to help with my long days staring at the screen. These ones are specifically designated for small faces like mine!
+Adorable cableknit sweater for a little love — under $25.
+Four very random, unexciting, but important buys for my daughter: this clip-on reading light (she loves to read in bed, and I love anything I can do to support her reading habit!), a rec from a Magpie reader!; classic Adidas slides for before/after cleats on soccer Saturdays; a standard-issue Gatorade squirt bottle that she begged me for (!!! — I guess all her classmates have them? Man, I feel like I suddenly leveled up to grade school mom status); and more of these white crew socks for school. Those socks are really well-made — soft, stretchy — and much better than whatever I bought her last year, which always felt sort of like torture to get on her feet.
+These velvet ballerinas…! Under $75 and so fun for holiday!
+How fun are these quatrefoil-shaped velvet pillows?!
+Menswear-inspired vest tops have been majorly trending this season. The editor’s pick seems to be the gorgeously tailored one from Attersee, but I love this one from Rag and Bone, and J. Crew covers the look for less.
By: Jen Shoop
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Today, a big guide to party dressing for chillier weather. Some of these will take us straight into holiday! Compiling this post made my heart go pitter-patter: I love the rich colors, luxe textures, and dramatic silhouettes and would giddily wear every last item included in this roundup.
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Q: Everyday black pants.
A: I love the Spanx perfect fit line — specifically their Kick Flare style. These run TTS and are slightly compressive but comfortable. They hold you in but aren’t uncomfortable to wear all day long. They also have other silhouettes if the kick flare is not your vibe, but I do love the way the kick flares work with a ladylike flat and cropped jacket as easily as they do with a dressy sneaker and simple knit. I am also really impressed with Talbots’ Montauk pant (seen here) — they have a slightly less dramatic flare than the Spanx, and they come in a petite length for fellow shorties.
For something more casual, these rib knit pants from Donni are selling out quickly and look ultra-comfortable. I like the way they’ve styled them up on the site with a button-down. And for leggings that can be worn during the day and not look athletic — these Splits59. They are matte and super flattering.
Q: Chic lounge sets for postpartum.
A: I would buy a few pairs of Aligns (so stretchy and comfortable) to pair with nursing tanks and longline cardigans like this, this, or this, oversized button downs, or this slouchy waffle henley!). If you want a fully coordinated I set, I love this Frank and Eileen (cape style top would be easy for lift-up nursing), this H&M set looks chic and comfortable, and am into this distressed Free People set (looks so loose and breezy!). These ribbed kick flares (you can coordinate with tanks/tops) when you want to dress up a little bit. And treat yourself to some fun slippers!
Q: Options to easily “dress up” workout wear for school pick-up/city living.
A: Mix in non-athletic wear — throw an oversized sweater like this or this on over your leggings, add a statement baseball cap (drooling over this, will probably buy one of these), and/or layer beneath a non-athletic coat like this, this, or even this. I also think a dramatic vest like this or this layered over top can elevate a look instantly. One other tip: opt for a monochromatic look to tie everything together. All grays / all navies and blacks / all hues of green / all white/ivory/taupe.
Q: Pretty fall floral or print autumn dresses for work, flowy fabric and sleeves!
Q: Baby Christening in October. Nothing short – 2 months PP.
A: Congratulations! I love a rich, sophisticated fall floral like this, this, this, or this.
Q: Wedding day earrings under $1000.
A: Congratulations! I would buy these lab-grown white sapphire earrings from Dorsey. They’re real sapphires and so elegant. Look heirloom! If you want something more “statement,” Oscar de la Renta has beautiful options. Love the vintage appeal of these, but these flowers are spectacular, too. Nicola Bathie also has some fun options — this “baby’s breath” style is beautiful — and of course there is Rebecca de Ravenel (these are so gorgeous).
Q: A top to go with wide-leg, dark jeans for brewery rehearsal dinner out West. Under $200.
A: My Doen blouse would be perfect for this! I have in the burgundy. This Tuckernuck is also really fun, and feels very “Western,” and I own this Mille top in a few patterns and love the way it looks tucked into high-waisted denim.
Q: Pants for work that are more casual but not jeans. Not into the whole barrel leg trend.
A: I just ordered these in the hunter green myself. So sharp with some croc loafers! I also love a pair of cords, and think they dress up beautifully with a blazer or refined knit! What about these kick-flares in delightful, on-trend espresso brown, these wide legs in taupe, or these straight legs in olive? Finally, two pairs of pants I wear frequently that look great when styled up with dressier flats / blazer / blouse are Joe’s Cleo pants (see me styling them recently here and here) and Spanx’s black kick fits.
Q: A really nice housewarming gift.
A: A special ceramic from Stephanie Dawn Matthias, a Ralph Lauren mixing glass set (if they’re cocktail drinkers), or extra towels. Who doesn’t love/need extra towels? I love to gift the Matouk Auberges with the family’s initial on the front or Boll & Branch if the family is more modern in aesthetics.
Q: A pair of statement pants to wear out to dinner, but under $100.
