I have recently fallen, hard, for the brand Xirena. I am obsessed with their simple white gauze “Lark” top (unfortunately not on sale but the rest of the Xirena pieces in this post are) and have been wearing it on repeat. It is so insanely soft (wears like a t-shirt) but gives the impression of a blouse, and therefore feels a bit more polished. I also love their Poe blouse (seen above), which I just discovered was on sale, and specifically have been pairing it with these wide-leg utility pants (also on sale, seen above). The Poe blouse is featherweight/thin and therefore perfect for tucking into high-waisted trousers without adding any bulk to the waistline. I find both styles run true to size, but the Lark runs a tad bit short — I am only 5’0 but I fear it would come untucked/not tuck in for taller Magpies.
Anyhow, I just discovered chic pieces from the brand on sale at both Shopbop and Saks and had to share my pick of the litter. I specifically love this pink striped shirtdress and think this white button-down is a great investment that will work in countless contexts. But I am realllllly tempted by this tiered maxi in a fun tile print — on sale for only $122?! (Originally $327!). SO chic for a Fourth of July moment, backyard party, fiesta, etc…!
I’ve been testing lots of inexpensive t-shirts the past few weeks on the recommendations of many Magpies, magazines, and fellow creatives. This exercise made me realize I wear t-shirts a lot more often than I thought I did. In these still-chilly months between winter and warmer weather, I wear them nearly every day of the week beneath sweaters/sweatshirts/blazers/cardigans tucked into jeans. (I’m currently swooning over the new spring shades of BA&SH’s Gaspard cardigans — I must own it in the lilac?! I noticed they are almost $100 cheaper on Farfetch, but then you need to pay for international shipping, while BA&SH is free with free returns.)
I hope this isn’t a boring punchline, but my favorite of the tested candidates was J. Crew’s Vintage Cotton crewneck t-shirt, which has been my favorite for nearly a decade. Is it the longest lasting, best-quality t-shirt you’ll ever own? No. But it is a soft, 100% cotton, feather-weight, lived-in, tag-less fabric, purported to be modeled after “thrift store t-shirts,” and it therefore wears like nothing at all and tucks wonderfully into any pair of pants/jeans/shorts. It basically adds no bulk to your frame. It is the tiniest bit sheer (has almost a burnout quality in some spots) so you do need a nude bra if you go for the white, but I also own and love in navy and black. The sleeve shape and length are, for me, the clinchers. So many of the competitors I tried had much boxier sleeve shapes/lengths, which — yes — have their merit and appeal. But J. Crew’s reads a bit more shrunken/feminine/tailored/soft — a bit more like me, I guess. I take these tees in either the XS or XXS and see virtually no difference in size.
My second favorite was Uniqlo’s U-Neck tee (seen at top of post), which has a massive cult following, and I now understand why. These t-shirts are only $15 but they boast a thick, almost glossy cotton (and yes, they are also 100% cotton) that reads like something you bought at a designer boutique in Berlin selling minimalist shapes at insane price tags. The t-shirts have a completely different vibe than my favorite J. Crew ones — they have a more polished, contoured, slim-fit silhouette. The sleeves are narrower. I love the slightly exaggerated collar width. This will be my go-to when I’m looking for a t-shirt that needs to look a bit dressier — say, when paired with black pants or a skirt. I tried to take an up-close photo of the quality so you could get a sense at the top of this post. Wildly sophisticated for $15! I took this in the XS and am glad I did — I would take your true size or size up if in between sizes. This style runs pretty narrow and snug. (I’m wearing below with Agolde’s Riley jeans in the Zephyr Wash. I sized up in them for a perfect fit because they have ZERO stretch and I can’t be walking around like a tin man all day. In nearly every photo in this post, I’m wearing my Jane Win Joy pendant and my Lizzie Scheck Zodiac pendant. I’m a cancer!)
I have to give runners up awards to both Walmart’s Free Assembly tee (bottom left — $10, 100% cotton) and Gap’s Organic Cotton Vintage Crewneck tee (bottom right — currently on sale for under $20, 100% cotton). I actually slightly preferred the Walmart for handfeel and laundering (held up better at the collar especially) — I found the Gap looked a tad bit shrivelly/obviously-laundered/brushed after going through the wash only once (!) I took both in the XS. (I’m wearing my favorite white jeans from Gap in left photo — run TTS — and these Agolde jeans, also run TTS, in right photo.)
The only one I tested that I really did not like was this Target tee. Maybe I tested the wrong Target tee? (Several of you wrote enthusiastically about your experience with Target’s t-shirts, so please LMK if I ordered the wrong style.) It was too clingy, the sleeves were too cutesy/cap-sleeve-like, and the material felt and looked cheaper than the other styles. Like, I swear that you could wear the Uniqlo and someone might think you’re wearing something from Rag and Bone or Proenza Schouler or something.
Two t-shirts at higher price points that I absolutely adore: Ayr’s Sno Cone and Alice Walk’s Crew tee. Ayr’s has a perfect cropped length (note that I am short — 5’0) to tuck into high-waisted denim with minimal bulk, and a slight drop at shoulder that I loveeee. So effortlessly cool. Trust me – the fit is what you’re after for that Parisian chic moment. Alice Walk’s is like the sophisticated older sister of all of these under $100 t-shirts. She’s elegance, she’s grace. She feels like heaven, with THE softest, silkiest, almost springiest cotton you will ever lay on your body. She is a lady. I love the slightly elongated waist and contoured silhouette. It hugs and drapes in all the right places. I wrote more detailed reviews of these and a few other pricier t-shirt brands a few months ago. One other pricier t-shirt on my radar is Leset’s Margo, which I’ve seen a number of chic peas rave about.
A: Cute – love this look, too. I would try this pair from Madewell — currently 25% off and I have really good luck with their denim (like most Magpies). Also available in a cool off-white/ecru canvas color. If you’re a designer denim hound, these Veronica Beards (25% off as a part of Saks’ Friends and Family sale), these Nili Lotans, and these ASKK NY are both incredibly chic. I feel like Meredith Melling of La Ligne has single-handedly reintroduced the flare into the fashion conversation, and I’m so into it. Remember her in this Canadian tuxedo, maybe a decade ago?! It’s as chic now as it was then. But I digress.
Q: Any ideas for formal wedding guest attire for a June event on Santorini? My 21-year-old daughter and I are both flummoxed searching for the right attire that will also travel fairly well…Thank you!
A: Hi! First, I would suggest bringing a travel steamer. Totally worth the suitcase space for looking fresh as a daisy after international travel. I own and love the Rowenta Xcel. It’s not TEENY, jut a heads up. It’s probably about the size of a pair of shoes in a shoe bag, FYI. There are more compact options (this one folds up) but Rowenta is a powerhouse, known for their steaming technology. (We also own and love their iron at home.). As for formal wedding guest attire…a few favorites I’ve spotted lately:
Any of these would be look fabulous with a simple pair of strappy sandals, like these from Larroude, which I’ve been hearing are insanely comfortable. They go with everything.
Q: Work basics – casual but nice – for teacher in NE. Chilly spring. In 2nd trimester of pregnancy.
A: Congratulations! I would channel the look in this Gap maternity photo: nice denim, oversized button-downs from Rag&Bone, J. Crew, Closed, or Gap, and cool sneakers (New Balances are all the street style rage — see here — but reach for what you love! I personally still love my Golden Goose sneaks and have been flirting with the idea of Converse Chucks). If you’re not a sneaks gal, pick up a chic new pair of flats in a great color. I’m obsessed with these furlanes, these wisteria suede beauties from Margaux, and my Loeffler Randall Leonies, which are quite possibly the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn right out of the box. They are SO soft and forgiving. I feel like a broken record here, but shoes were the key to my fashion sanity while pregnant. I cheaped out on the clothes and wore almost exclusively black, white, and denim from Old Navy, etc, but I brought my A-game with footwear. Doesn’t matter size you are!
But, also – I love a dress that can be worn during and after pregnancy and did make a few investments there. Some possibilities to consider below. I own and adore each and everyone one of these!
Q: I’m pregnant with baby 3, due in June. I’m not investing in any maternity clothing but want some fun earrings for spring to put a little pep in my step. Can you please recommend some pieces for under $50?
A: Congratulations! Wise woman! I own and love these dramatic oversized raffia earrings. They are so fun with maxi dresses / patterns. Also love these, these, and these — all cheerful exclamation points!
Q: My SIL had her second baby about a month ago, and unfortunately it’s been difficult since then as the baby was born with health problems. I’d love to send her something as she goes through this difficult time, ideally a gift that is comforting and/or self-care focused. Do you have any recommendations?
A: I am so sorry to hear. What a tough time. You are so sweet to think of this. My first thought was to have groceries or dinner delivered. It doesn’t sound like self-care, but taking meal prep/planning or a grocery run off her plate would feel like such a luxury. If you aren’t sure what to buy or don’t know their dining schedule, perhaps a meal subscription service (I’ve heard good things about 3 Owls) or a gift card to Uber Eats. I do think some of the restaurant delivery services enable you to calendar the food delivery and give recipients a heads up as to when it will arrive so they can fold the meal into their plans. For groceries, one of my go-to gifts for new parents is a big bundle of fancy sandwich makings — really good bread (e.g., from Bread Furst or a proper bakery), the best deli meat you can find, fancy mayo and mustard, truffle chips, cornichons, bags of dried fruit and nuts, etc. Those kinds of foods go a long way for quick meals, sometimes consumed while standing in front of the fridge.
If you want to give her something just for herself, I will never forget the time I gave a girlfriend who’d just had a baby a gift card to DryBar to treat herself. Her eyes filled with tears! She was excited to just have a little pocket of time to make herself feel more like herself, and be pampered. Same goes for mani/pedi.
Finally, I’ve given nearly every single one of my friends a pair of Lake Pajamas at some stressful point in their lives. There is nothing like a fresh, soft pair of pajamas! I love this style (I own so many pairs/prints!), but they do also have maternity styles!
Q: Trouser jeans – nice enough for office.
A: Love this. I think the key is a really dark wash. I like this pair from J. Crew – imagine with a crisp button-down tucked in. I also think the aforementioned patch pockets could work paired with some smart flats or loafers. And Nili Lotan and Veronica Beard are known for making tailored pieces that work from the office to cocktails — both good places to investigate!
Q: Something chic to wear to high tea in London.
A: SO fun. When? If it’s late spring/summer, I’d wear a pretty, ladylike dress, like this Thierry Colson, this belted lavender lace beauty, or this Staud beneath a cute cardigan. If it’s cooler (sooner), I would wear wide-leg trousers in ecru/white like these or these with a fun spring quilted jacket or cardigan and a ladylike bag. My mood board below.
Q: Outfits for a girls weekend retreat at a lake house this spring.
A: How fabulous! I love all of these trips you Magpies have planned. I’d pack a Beyond Yoga set (cropped tank / leggings) in a color that appeals, an Alice Walk half-zip or Anine Bing sweatshirt, an Ayr early mornings tee, Rose Gold Birks, Splits59 leggings, sneakers, and these matte pastel hair clips. Throw everything into a large Naghedi and namaste!
P.S. Detailed reviews of the leggings and all my other favorite fitness gear here.
Q: Dress for opera, symphony, etc. Simple and can change up the look with various accessories.
A: I’d go with an LBD like this, this, this, or this. You can dress up with black pumps or evening sandals, big earrings, and a clutch, or dress down with flat sandals and a straw bag. SO chic.
Q: Spring trip to Paris.
A: OO la la. You’re living the dream! My brother is there right now and I’m living vicariously. So – I wear a lot of color at home but when I think about traveling to Paris, all I want to pack are navy, black, and ecru. I would anchor around a few of these key pieces, which are versatile enough to style down/up:
A ZIPPERED CROSSBODY – HAVE LONG LUSTED AFTER A CELINE TRIO…THEY AREN’T AS TRENDY RIGHT NOW BUT YOU’LL STILL SEE THEM ON WELL-HEELED NEW YORKERS AND THEY LOOK SO SLEEK AND PRACTICAL
A STRAW/WOVEN TOTE WITH LEATHER ACCENTS LIKE THIS OR THIS
By: Jen Shoop
I’ve been eyeing the dad sandal trend for about a year now and I think I might try it on for size this spring. Not for everyone, I realize, but I enjoy stretching my fashion wings and playing around with the ambient styles. I like the way the street style starlets below have kept their outfits fairly minimal (in neutrals/black) to tone down the statement a bit. If you’re not into the chunky two-strap dad styles, you might like some of the fisherman-style variations, which have a bit more…femininity? to them? I’ve already shared these Tory Burch ones I bought last summer a lot recently (see me in mine here), but I was surprised by how often I reached for them, frequently pairing with floaty maxi dresses. The contrast (ethereal dress with heavy sole) was pleasing and different. You might surprise yourself! (You can get the look for less with this $59 pair.) This Madewell pair (25% off right now) is an even more feminine take on the trend if you don’t love the super heavy/platform sole.
Prada has a lug-sole fisherman pair that is new out this season that is flying (a best-seller at Neiman’s) — I think we’ll see a lot of the shape this season. It’s bold but I would tone it down with a white maxi or jeans and a tee. You can get the look for less with these Loeffler Randalls or these Free Peoples.
You’ll notice there are a lot of Chanel dad sandals seen in the collage above. You can find lots of them pre-owned (some barely worn) on The Real Real (these are iconic), FashionPhile (love these pastel pink ones), and ReBag (fun raffia option — note: you can get the raffia dad sandal look for less with these!). All three of those luxury resale sites are legit; I’ve ordered from TRR and FashionPhile and especially love The Real Real because you can set alerts for brands you like and keep your “hearted” items in one place. I haven’t tried ReBag before, but have friends who have. Pay attention to the “condition” notes so you aren’t surprised. Often, the price is reflective of wear, too.
If you’re liking the look but not ready for an investment, this $50 “inspired-by Chanel” pair is a sure thing. I ordered myself a pair to play around with to see whether I want to pony up for a designer pair. I am SO tempted by the bubble gum pink Gucci ones…
A few designer pairs of shoes alongside looks for less below —
And, a full accounting of all of my favorite “dad sandals” out right now below if you want in on the look. My personal motto is to have fun with fashion — don’t take yourself too seriously! Don’t worry! Just try!
P.P.P.S. A poem that just feels good to read. As one Magpie commented: “Reading this poem felt like somebody gently rubbing my back. So soothing.”
By: Jen Shoop
We compiled all Magpie recipes into beautiful cards for your kitchen! Get the recipe card collection in your inbox here.
Last year, I made anginetti — Italian Easter cookies — from a recipe of unknown provenance. It was not my Italian grandmother’s, but it felt very much like something that should have been. Do you ever find yourself reaching for roots that aren’t quite planted? Consciously channeling a heritage to which you wish you more fully belonged? Having never even tasted anginetti before, baking these cookies made me feel like a bit of an imposter — but then I reminded myself that it is human to want to belong, and also human to want to remember people we’ve lost, sometimes in ways that feel oblique or contrived, even ersatz.
And nature reminds me that there are, in fact, roots of different varieties: the deep-seated tap roots that anchor us, but also the feathery lateral ones that keep us fed closer to the surface.
I plan on making the anginetti again this year. New traditions introduce themselves awkwardly at the beginning, as though wearing too-big shoes, but I think to a future where, maybe, these cookies mean something to my children. If not a reminder of their Italian heritage, then one small way in which their mother tried to make things special.
Anginetti — Italian Easter Cookies for a New Tradition
These cookies are, on their own and absent my heavy-handed tradition-making, a delight. Dense and lemon-y. My sister could not stop talking about them. In my opinion, the style of sprinkles make the cookies–you need them flat and pastel. You can buy them here.
For the cookies:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (grated from rind, no white pith)
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts, lemon zest, and salt. Add the eggs and beat for a full minute until light and fluffy. Add the milk and baking powder and beat for another 30 seconds. Finally, blend in the flour, but take care not to over-mix at this stage or you will develop the gluten and your cookies will be tough. The dough will be soft and sticky. Be sure to chill the dough at least 1 hour—cold dough is easier to work with. Use flour-dusted hands when working with the dough. If storing overnight, take out dough, pat into a disc and tightly wrap in plastic.
Preheat your oven to 350 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break off pieces and form into balls. (You can also make them into other traditional Italian cookie shapes, like horns, rings, etc.)
Bake about 10 to 15 minutes. The cookies will not brown on top, so look for a light golden browning on the bottoms.
Make the glaze: Into a bowl sift 2 cups powdered sugar. In a separate, small bowl place 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (you should be able to extract this from 1 large lemon). Add 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract and 2 teaspoons water. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.
+Saks is running a 25% off Friends and Family sale that is primarily focused on current-season pieces from great labels. My top picks are the Lilly Pulitzer shifts for babies and girls (25% off and otherwise hard to find on sale), one of the on-trend Marni woven bags (smaller size here), and…WAH this splurgey Bernadette dress, which has been haunting my dreams as the perfect gown for an end-of-summer wedding we’re attending in Maine. This solid-colored Staud (comes in a few pretty hues, also included) has a similar shape — have my eye on the pink. All of my Saks sale picks here.
+These linen platforms were just re-stocked. I’ve had them in my cart all weekend. I’m a little intimidated by height — don’t often go that high anymore — but they just feel right for spring festivities with all the pretty florals we have in mind.
+Swooning over this Fanm Mon dress. The embroidered flowers at the bustline! Oh my gosh!
+Love the look of these lattice planters. Great price!
+Legitimately can’t believe this dress is $132. It looks so much more expensive — the silhouette, the pattern!
+These are the most joyful pajamas I’ve ever seen for a little one. So happy.
+For Easter, I ended up buying mini this daffodil dress and micro this pastel button-down, which is somehow on sale. You can get 10% off your entire order (including sale) with code LESPRING23. How I’ll style them below, with all details/links here. More cute Easter outfits for littles here, plus Easter basket fillers here.
+This chic everyday boho dress is $36 — I’m such a sucker for billowy, nightgown-like dresses at home.
+I’m not really a mini gal but the botanical print on this skirt (and the ric rac) are SO good. And, like $16 right now with codes.
+FUN pop of orange. Love the shape of the dress, too — would work with bump and while nursing, FYI. Don’t be afraid of color! Some of my best and most favorite pieces are unexpected colors.
+A great belt to pair with spring dresses. Love it in the blue. For something wider, I am LOVING this one from J. McLaughlin — the raffia feels like it goes with everything. I have it in the natural color. It does not have pre-bored holes so you can cinch it to the perfect size, which I love.
+This tennis dress looks just like Marysia, but costs $40.
+Speaking of tennis: don’t miss out on the nearly-sold out fitness skirt I’m wearing here (scroll down) or this lace-effect style from Veronica Beard, currently on super sale.
By: Jen Shoop
We aren’t far off from al fresco dinner season. After living in Manhattan for nearly five years, this is probably one of the most treasured charms of suburban living. In fact, the photo above is from one of our summer trips to the Hamptons (we made it out there every summer we lived in NYC), and all we could talk about on those strips was how much we loved living outside. We’d eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner outside, and would bemoan the absence of that option the minute we’d return to our apartment. So when we first moved into our new home, we could hardly tear ourselves from the (covered) patio for the first two weeks straight. It almost felt unethical not to. I distinctly remember retiring to the wicker settee out there together after the children were in bed those first ten or twelve nights after we’d moved in, eating Jeni’s ice cream out of condensating tubs, watching the fireflies, talking unhurriedly into the night, processing the enormity of what we’d just done to our lives. Something about the blanket of thick, black summer night just beyond the pool of light around us made me feel deeply secure in our decisions. When my brother and his children visited last summer, we spent a square half of their trip sitting on our back patio — eating meals, lingering over coffee, shucking crabs, sipping cocktails late into the evening, watching thunderstorms roll by. It was nothing short of magic.
Anyhow, I’m ready for those moments, and feeling the itch to add to our existing set-up. On one end of our covered patio, we have this teak dining table from Serena and Lily and these Ballard dining chairs with cheerful yellow and white striped cushions. On the other end, we have a white wicker set (couch, chairs, ottoman, coffee table, side table — all look very similar to this set from S&L) that we inherited, but we hated the floral cushions and replaced with these. They aren’t a 100% perfect fit but you can hardly notice, and I didn’t have it in me to figure out how to find custom-made indoor/outdoor pillows. I am frankly astounded by the quality of those cushions. They look brand-new (we have them in navy) and have shown absolutely no signs of mildew/wear/stain/etc. Meanwhile, our much more expensive dining chair cushions in Sunbrella fabric have some mildewing already. So annoying! I wanted to mention that teak is incredible for weather like ours — humid, wet, hot as hell, and then cold in the summer. Our dining table has held up wonderfully. I know the material is known for its durability, but my experience has corroborated the reputation. I found this reasonably-priced teak outdoor couch that I had to spotlight. Such a good value and bound to last. I also think it’s about 1/3 of the price of a lot of the other similar outdoor sofas I’ve seen.
I would love to add a piece of outdoor furniture that serves as a sideboard when we’re dining / hosting, and/or possibly a storage chest for the area beneath our patio, where our kids tend to run through the sprinkler / play outdoor sports / use chalk / etc. I came across a few really chic options —
For outdoor dining, I have been eyeing one of these rattan-wrapped pitchers and matching tumblers for awhile. They just makes me want to mix up a big batch of lemonade…or sangria. But what I really need is some more acrylic drinkware. I used these reusable/dish-washer safe heavy duty “roadie” cups all summer long when watching the kids bike/scoot/play out front or when sitting in the backyard, but feel like I could use something a bit more substantial/elegant when hosting guests. I love the look of these striped ones from Frontgate, Juliska’s acrylic set, and, I mean, you can’t really beat the price on this 12-piece hobnail style set from Amazon. I’m probably going to go the Frontgate route. I also just ordered this inexpensive set of bamboo-style cutlery for outdoor dining.
Oh I could go on and on but instead, I’ll just share my current mood board, complete with chic easy-breezy-I’m-in-a-Nancy-Meyers-film hostess outfit!
P.P.P.S. The fireflies are nothing short of magic in the height of summer here.
By: Jen Shoop
I listened to a How’d She Do That interview with fine artist Eleanor Scott Davis last week, and, in it, she comments that “Living and listening makes you a good writer, not a degree.” It will come as no surprise that I agree with this statement. Though I have found many elements of my degrees in literature useful — the heft of hundreds of hours of “practice” writing, the way poetic scansion tuned my antenna to the multivalence of language and syntax, the grounding in the centuries-long conversations around form and character – it is listening that sends us to the summit of Mount Helicon.
I have been pawing at the principle of “receptivity” across many of my musings lately. I have been cocking my head, sizing it up, in my essay on signs, in my engagement with the book Enchantment (which posits that opening oneself up to the rhythms of the natural world, which which we are too often disconnected, yields deep and transcendent thought), and in errant rivulets of thought on what it means to create. It’s the listening piece that echoes. Over the course of my life, whether because of my inborn personality (a predisposition to stand on the sidelines and watch before plunging in), the curious sequence of professional and artistic undertakings that have conditioned me to live this way by necessity, or my reckonings with grief (mainly over the loss of one of my best friends when I was in my 20s)– I have found myself consciously nurturing receptivity to the inlaid designs of the world around me and those nether-worlds beyond.
This is not to say I am a good writer, but to say that I am a working writer, and I find the practice indispensable to my craft. This is also not to say that I have reached enlightenment, or communed with the dead, but to say that I have willingly held out my shaking palms and occasionally been met with the tingling sensation of reply, and I find that practice indispensable to living.
Which is a good segue into the living part of the equation Davis highlights. Joan Didion famously wrote:
“I’m not telling you to make the world better, because I don’t think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I’m just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment. And if you ask me why you should bother to do that, I could tell you that the grave’s a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that’s what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it.”
JOAN DIDION
Oh — can you feel it, Magpies?
I do not agree with everything she says here. Specifically, I refuse to see the grave as a dead end. But —
Oh, I hear these words, and I think how desperately short life is, and I want to taste and feel everything, and it comes down to the kind of hunger Mary Oliver captures so well in so many of her poems, but especially here:
When it’s over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument. I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world
mary oliver
Let’s stretch out our arms today, take up space, feel our feet on the floor and the prickle of early spring chill on our bare arms and the particular optimism of the morning sun, the way it winks at the daffodils “fresh-faced and fair,” and invites the familiar outlines of bedside lamps and sleeping dogs to take shape around us.
Let’s live today instead of visiting it.
Onward!
Post-Scripts.
+I express similar sentiments in this post, which concludes: “I am not living an alternity, or a rehearsal, or a dressing room. I am living, to quote HRH Mary Oliver, “my one wild and precious life.””
+I used this Paravel tote ALL last summer in the large size, and it’s currently 25% off with code SPRINGBREAK. It was perfect for trips to the pool — not that it’s waterproof, just the ideal size for toting all my children’s clothing and necessaries (sunscreen, goggles, shampoo/brush for post-swim shower, snacks, etc), but I also found it handy for day trips/car trips and travel. I love the look. I had mine monogrammed!
+Blockprint pareos in fabulous colors for under $25! I have similar ones from Julia Amory that I love to pair as cover-ups at the pool, but I also use it almost as an oversized scarf to wear with simple/monochromatic outfits, like white tee and jeans, utility jumpsuit (<<Madewell makes the best ones), etc.
+Summer living essential — love a linen pull-on pant! I’m eyeing these in the army green. Would look so fabulous with simple leather sandals and a blockprint blouse, tee, etc.
+A truly versatile and stylish navy dress. Dress up or down!
+This caftan is a dream. The ric rac! The embroidery!
+These children’s helmets come in the best matte pastel colors.
+This lilac sundress is spectacular. Love the corded belt tie. I have this dress (or a variation of it) from Antik Batik in a yellow pattern with the same corded belt tie that is SO happy.
+Obsessed with these sandals from The Row. I love that they combine a fierce minimalism with the tiniest bit of playful femininity thanks to the bow — like, a grown up sandal with a smirk on its face.
+Zara has some great new arrivals — this patchwork midi dress and this poplin tank dress in a fetching apricot color turned my head! The latter reminds me of this Staud dress!
+You all loved this reasonably priced blockprint tablecloth so much — wanted to share scalloped, block-print placemats at a similarly appealing pricepoint (2 for $20; 4 for $36).
+Westman just released its fabulous highlighter in a new color: “glassy oyster pearl.” I am fairly stringent with my one-in-one-out policy on many beauty products, e.g., I force myself to use foundation, concealer, tinted moisturizer, cleansers, mascaras until the tube is finished or I’ve determined I don’t like it for some reason, in which case I will get rid of them for something new, but I can NOT have enough highlighters. I just love this product category so much.
+The chicest scalloped cocktail napkins I ever did see.
01. PARKER HOME DESIGNS PILLOW. Oof, this corner of my studio has been giving me some trouble. The skirted Parson’s chair is very old Ballard Designs, but their current slipcovers do not fit over it! So I have a very sad looking, wrinkled chair that will just need to suffice for now. Maybe I can eventually find a larger slipcover or have one custom made or something? In the meantime, this gorgeous pillow from the Etsy shop Parker Home designs arrived and immediately gave life to the situation. The owner, Christina, has so many gorgeous options and will offer contrasting piping of your choosing. Christina generously gifted me this beautiful and single-handedly saved this little corner of my daily world. I have been debating adding a little occasional table at its side. I think that might make the space feel more cozy.
02. PINK CHICKEN SWIMSUIT. I cannot deal with this adorable swimsuit for mini. I am usually a sale hawk when it comes to swimwear — I almost always stock up when Minnow and Sunhouse run their semi-annual sales — but I might have to splurge on this sweet style.
03. My lunch on Thursday sparked serious joy, for multiple reasons. First: I was enjoying my favorite soup, Caldo Verde, which is a Portuguese kale-potato-and chorizo soup whose recipe I shared here. In my opinion, soup is the perfect lunch food. It’s light but satisfying. Second: I laid out my new spring Proper Table placemats and coasters (thank you, Dana!) on top of my Hunter Blake tablecloth and finished with my Coley Home scalloped napkins (currently on sale for 50% off — available in other colors, too). The result is the happiest confetti of pattern. My scalloped plates are old Aerin but these are really similar. Finally: I have been holding firm in my commitment to not eating lunch at my desk. It is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love the ritual of taking a considered pause from my writing to sit down at a proper table with a proper meal. Even when I am harried and have a million things on my mind, the lunch break is like a welcome caesura.
04. PINEAPPLE STREET BY JENNY JACKSON. Wow — I solicited fictional book recommendations from Magpies over Instagram and about half of you raved about Pineapple Street, which I’d never heard of. I immediately purchased it. I just finished Enchantment and needed something fictional after. I’ll share more thoughts on Enchantment after I’ve digested but I had the feeling, even as I was tearing through it, that it might be better read in gulps, a few weeks apart. Anyway, Jackson’s book: “A delicious new Gilded Age family drama… a guilty pleasure that also feels like a sociological text.”
05. THIERRY COLSON DRESS. I’ve only shared this gorgeous dress a trillion times and I think I am finally going to pull the trigger. It’s currently 15% off and free ship with code 15OFFER. It is SO my style and exactly the kind of thing I wear daily during the spring/summer months. I’m already dreaming of pairing with these Vibis — ahhh they do the BEST color combos. I’m generally loving hot pink right now — I’ve also been contemplating this La Ligne dress. I do not need another smocked dress but…the color! The little cap sleeves! And no one does dresses like La Ligne. I love the enormous drama of the skirt.
06. CARA CARA MARISSA JACKET. Oh my WORD. I saw this little reversible floral jacket and swooned. It is SO cute and interesting — love the ties, the pattern, the quilting, the shape! Sitting heavily in my cart.
07. VIBI VENEZIA MARY JANES. These are still my favorite everyday shoes for warm weather. They are very lightweight canvas and they offer basically no support but they are like wearing little slippers around everywhere and the patterns are so fun.
08. I won’t go into details on the bag in this pic because I’ve already talked your ear off about it, but I was so surprised by how many questions I got about the platform fisherman espadrilles and especially the yellow dress! The sandals are Tory Burch, last season, and you can still find them on sale in select colors (like here and here). SM also came out with a pair that looks VERY similar that is marked down to only $42 with code FRIEND, in case you want to dip your toe (pun intended) into the trend. On the dress front: sadly, it is by the brand Glamorous from a few seasons ago and I can’t find it anywhere, even on eBay. But yellow is such a fun and underrated color! So — in the next bullet point, I found three sweet yellow dresses worth considering for a similar look.
10. We took our children out to lunch and my son was highly dialed in on this color-by-sticker book I surprised him with. It was perfectly calibrated to his age (3.5) and kept him busy the entire meal. He liked it so much, he went home and finished the entire book, dutifully working on mosaic after mosaic for the entire afternoon! When I shared the photo above, I received questions about his sweater — it’s Minnow. They make really cute and beautiful quality knits in different stripes and solids. I find the knits run small and short. My son is not super-tall, but it’s cropped on him and has been since I first bought it. I would size up — plus, you’re more likely to get an extra year/season out of it that way. Final note on this vignette: as you can see from his hair, I’m still…learning how to use the pomade I bought to tame his wild cowlick and crazy baby hair. I’m slowly getting the hang of it. I mist all of his hair with water using this spray bottle (could not live without — also use daily on mini!), brush it to the best of my ability into the general direction/shape I want it, and then rub a pea sized amount of pomade through the hair. I’m getting the hang of it and his hair looks so, so much better. Another Magpie mom said she finds this medium-hold gel even easier than pomade, adding that it does not leave hair “crunchy.” Worth considering if you’re also battling cowlicks on the daily.
11. L’OREAL PARIS GLOTION. I have to tell you — this illuminating primer / highlighter is really, really good. It’s about $12 and strikingly similar to Saie’s highlighters. It’s a bit runnier and has the slightest bit of tackiness on application but then just blends right in. I bought it in the “light” color. I’ve been using both under my makeup and as a little dab on the cheeks/cupid’s bow/eyebrows at the end. Very impressed! A really good “inspired by” product.
Not pictured: I am loving (!!!) Miley’s new album (ah!!! such a welcome addition to our “happy hour/getting ready for dinner/packing lunches” window between 5-6…it is fun, but not too poppy, with some surprisingly soulful ballads). On the TV front, we’ve laughed out loud at multiple episodes of the Apple TV show “Shrinking” with Harrison Ford and Jason Segel! Worth a watch.
I outlined highlights of my recent acquisitions in detail here, but I truly love my Naghedi tote. I’ll try not to sound like a broken record, but such a fun addition to my spring uniform. I also ordered some tennis gear for my daughter from Southern Smocked Company — this tennis dress, this skirt, and this polo. Sizes are running out fast. You can get 10% off with code WELCOME10 (if you’re placing your first order, as I was).
Raccoons have been getting into our garbage bins, scattering trash all over our driveway. I found myself idly searching on Amazon for “garbage bin clips” once or twice, and wondering whether we shouldn’t move the pails into our garage, which would be an enormous inconvenience, since they currently sit nestled in a nook outside of the mud room off our kitchen. But after cleaning up the aftermath of this midnight bacchanalia a handful of times, Mr. Magpie placed bricks on the bin lids, and we’ve had no issues since.
Mr. Magpie is this way: he sees a problem, and he engineers a straight-forward solution. His cost no money and came at no inconvenience to us. Where the man sourced bricks is beyond me — part of that Mr. Magpie mystique and graciousness that means I also, up until recently, had no idea where our circuit breaker panel was. These are probably not omissions to brag about. (I am an adult woman!) But, all the same, I am deeply grateful that I do not have to worry about them. Mr. Magpie thinks it’s beneficial to divide labor in this way: why have me wondering about bricks and circuits when I already have other domains I fully own and fuss over about myself, e.g., children’s clothing (sizes, seasonality), our social calendar, the housekeepers, doctor’s appointments, etc.
But, household division of labor aside, I was reminded of a possibly apocryphal story about ingenuity and simplicity that I call upon frequently. During the Cold War, the Russians and Americans competed on everything related to space exploration and aeronautics. Apparently, the Russians spent weeks iterating upon the design of pen that could write in space. (I guess the absence of gravity interfered with the flow of ink in the firmament.) Finally, they announced with great fanfare that they’d successfully created one that worked. The Americans shrugged it off: “We just use pencils.”
There is an important lesson here about over-engineering, and I return to it frequently. Sometimes, in design, in business, and certainly in life, less is more. Simpler is better.
Tossing the sentiment out to this Saturday morning. Is there something convoluted in your life that is nagging at you? Something causing contortion? Maybe worth a minute looking for a straight line between the two points.
Shopping Break.
+Marea’s popular Elizabeth top was restocked in several fun spring patterns in most sizes. Run! So cute! Also loving their smock-waisted skirt either with a plain white tank or the matching blouse.
+A cute wagon to have on hand for spring/summer activities and walks with littles.
+Don’t know how I missed this striped maxi shirt dress from J. Crew — soooo chic.
+Swooning over the summer wedding guest gowns/dresses from Bernadette — can you even with this or this?!
+Are you a Jack Rogers fan? I lived in these for about a decade. I like how they work with dresses or jeans or shorts – anything. I love this new sage color they came out with.
+I love this little stool. We have it in our downstair powder room for my son to use the toilet / wash hands and it tucks perfectly on the shelf under our sink.
+Really cute shorts for summer. I also thought these patterned ones from a collab between Markarian and Summersalt were adorable.
+The shirtdresses from new-to-me label Misook are gorgeous — !! Love the lilac and the pale blue.
*Above: one of my best attempts at French braiding my daughter’s hair. Some women are SO good at it! This was when mini was around four. She’s wearing Luli and Me here — still one of my favorite brands, especially when girls are between 2-4 years of age. They have the sweetest traditional smocked florals. You can find a bunch of beautiful new arrivals from the brand here. I mean, can you even handle this?
Last weekend, I wrote about the concept of “busyness,” and it spurred so many fascinating conversations both in the comments section and on Instagram about how many activities we permit our children to undertake at a time, summer plans, and travel with young families. You can join in via the comments section here — lots of great perspectives, insights, questions. One thing I observed from these exchanges is that there aren’t any “bright line rules.” There are perspectives and general philosophies, but a lot of us are tinkering, and many of our opinions on the matter shift with time. For example, a lot of Magpies with older children said that it’s inevitable that weekends ultimately belong to activities, for multiple reasons — keeps bigger kids busy and out of trouble, are requirements for high school/college admissions, can be undertaken on their own, feed into passions/talents, etc. One Magpie also commented that activities can be a great way to socialize as a family (e.g., for parents, too!) and model socialization for younger children. I think there are also ways to enshrine family values in activities — if you prioritize fitness/an active lifestyle, it makes sense you’d want to start your children in these pursuits while young. Anyway, just to say that everything is a spectrum, and it’s OK to try things and change your mind and dial up or down.
For us personally, though I generally gravitate towards the less/fewer side of the spectrum, I know I did too little with my children last summer. They were under-enrolled. Boredom is a good thing, I think, but my grand visions of a big, muddy, barefoot, backyard summer in fact ended with Mr. Magpie and I totally burnt out and at the end of our tether. Even though we had full-time childcare, we just felt like they were crawling all over us, and it was difficult to get even one afternoon of quiet work in. I loved hearing them tumble through the house but it also tended to not bring out the best in me. This summer, I probably over-indexed on the camps, but I trust we’ll eventually find a happy middle that works. We enrolled both children in a few week-long tennis clinics, art camps, day camps, and one three-week long music program. I’m excited for them but it is going to be a packed summer, with family visiting for a week, a week-long trip to Maine, and a long weekend trip to Deep Creek Lake. (Did I over-compensate?!). We shall see. All a learning curve. I’m still becoming…
Anyhow, on a trivial note, I’ve already begun some planning for the athletic aspects of their summer undertakings. I know a lot of you liked this post on cute athletic wear for girls because some of it is really hideous. I just discovered that Southern Smocked Company has the cutest athletic wear for tennis/golf/light fitness! I bought mini this white skirt and polo as well as this white tennis dress, because the tennis court at which she’ll be playing has a strict all-white dress code (they permit some trim). I wish I could buy some of the patterned ones, though — how beyond adorable is this gingham or this Liberty floral? Run! Sizes are already selling out. I also have these all-white athletic shoes in my cart because the court also requires totally white shoes, even white soles. (The sneaks remind me of tiny APLs!)
A lot of the finds below are great, affordable buys — either on sale or from places like H&M, Amazon, etc. Happy spring/summer shopping to us!
I have been reading about the concept of “deep play,” which author Diane Ackerman describes as “an ecstatic form of play. In its thrall, all the play elements are visible, but they’re taken to intense and transcendent heights.” In her book on the subject, Ackerman explains that deep play — whether experienced via athletics, gaming, gardening, breathwork, art, wood-working — invites “rapture” and “awakens the most creative, sentient, and joyful aspects of our inner selves.”
Deep play emerges us in activities that call to us over long periods of time, occasionally teaching us new things but often existing as a kind of pure and unavailing joy, consumed privately and without gain. There are no end goals, objectives, obvious material earnings from this kind of play. It is play for the sake of play.
Reading about this, I thought immediately of an indulgent, frivolous kind of “pre-writing” I have undertaken almost daily since I was eight or nine. When I am walking Tilly, or driving vacantly down the familiar routes of our daily life, or — especially — laying down to sleep at night, I will often enter this “pre-textual” space where I draw and re-draw the contours of a couple of frothy, shallow plot lines that center around a heroine falling in love. These stories have never made their way onto a page, and though elements remain the same, many of the details are overwritten over the course of months and months (turned years and years) of visitations. I also routinely dispense of the boring back stories and narrative buttresses that would be required of a story on paper, presented to an audience.
Now, I subscribe to the belief that, as a creator, I know nothing of the merit of my productions; those appraisals are the work of the audience. But, this writing — this pre-writing, at least — is, objectively, bad. The language I conjure is flat, unadorned, perfunctory. Sometimes the language is even underbaked, as I don’t always transliterate the cinema of the stories into words. Sometimes I’m just watching the story unfold in my mind’s eye. The stories themselves are imperceptive and puerile. It is the worst kind of romantic comedy. I think of it like paper tableware: cheap, disposable, void of craft. Used only to temporarily hold too-sweet or too-greasy party food.
But my God — is it fun. I have spent countless hours of my life in this liminal, pre-creative space, and I had never — not once — thought of it as anything but daydream. And don’t we all daydream? But, reflecting on the concepts of “deep play,” I realized these narrative re-workings represent a peculiar kind of imagining. My mind travels immediately to their familiar grooves, caressing and changing elements with godlike capriciousness–and yet I travel the same tracks each time. It is cinematic, and deeply indulgent. I don’t feel this kind of play takes me to “transcendent heights” or “awakens the most sentient aspect of my inner self,” but it does release me entirely from the practical and productive self I present to the world. And something about the sequestration of an unbridled version of myself is deeply fulfilling.
What about you?
If you are reading this through squinting, suspicious eyes, I guarantee you have your own form of deep play. I spent a few minutes thinking of every deeply-loved person in my life and easily identified at least one or two candidates apiece, even for the seemingly “serious” ones. I have friends and loved ones devoted to golf, video games, flower arranging, gardening, “cropping” (making collages/albums out of paper and photographs), biking, knitting, trumpet-playing, tennis, cooking, puzzles, drawing, crafting of various obscure varieties, bug-collecting (!), rock-climbing, skiing, swimming, meditation, painting, needlepoint, pickling, bread-making, wood-working, card solitaire —
The list could go on for a long time. Interestingly, many of us find these pastimes embarrassing — or at least find ourselves wont to minimize them. Few of us consider these avocations forms of meditation, but I think that’s exactly what they are. I invited my Magpies to share thoughts on their modes of “deep play” over Instagram last week and received a steady stream of lovely, insightful replies, including messages like: “As a long distance runner, after a certain point, everything comes into focus and my body responds with chills and even tears sometimes. It’s powerful.” Another Magpie wrote: “I knit, crochet, needlepoint. Love being productive with hands while I relax mind/body,” and still another: “Tennis! All of my brain is focused so I can’t think of anything else.” These bear all the markings of transcendence, emerging, dreamlike and wondrous, in the narrow and nearly mundane repetition of specific movements.
When Seamus Heaney won the Nobel prize for literature in 1995, he spoke about crediting poetry in words I return to yearly. It is an automatic intellectual pilgrimage: I must re-read it, and the Patti Smith essay on failure, at least once a year. I rarely re-read books, but these two reflections must be visited. Anyhow, at the crescendo of his gorgeous lecture, he asserts: “I credit poetry, in other words, both for being itself and for being a help, for making possible a fluid and restorative relationship between the mind’s centre and its circumference.” Poetry — language, really, and he was a master of capturing earthy, physical experience with it — was his deep play. Revisiting his words today, it strikes me that the “creation of a fluid and restorative relationship between the mind’s centre and its circumference” describes any form of deep play. They are pathways to bind together the sensorial — the physical movements, the feel of clay in our hands, the rhythm of poetry — with our rich and always-hungry inner lives.
Ackerman mentions that, in deep play, “One enters into an alternate reality with its own rules, values, and expectations. One sheds much of one’s culture, with its countless technical and moral demands, as one draws on a wholly new and sense-ravishing way of life.” The language is a bit overblown, but don’t let that get in the way of her point: when you are knitting, or playing a video game, or pickling okra, you are out of the flow of your life as a productive adult, doing something only for yourself, that has no bearing on your livelihood, or your family, or your physical wellbeing. You are often tinkering. You make mistakes that no one will ever see. You may laugh at them, or re-do the botched stitch line, or throw away the jar of funky-tasting pickles, or hit the “re-start button.” You set the rules and choose how much you enforce them — if at all. The stakes are encouragingly low, or do not even register. If you ruin this batch of bread, you can make another, and yet you are still there, measuring the temperature and the flour with care, following all the steps, in your own joyful solipsism.
So, I’ll ask again: what deep play do you engage in?
+Also, his pasta amatriciana would be my final meal. (Recipe included in this post.)
+One reason I love sensory play for children is that — though children intuitively know how to play, it permits and invites physical, sensorial interaction with everyday materials. “Play with the everyday things in our house! It’s OK!”
+I shared this gorgeous Agua Bendita-esque botanical patterned dress from Boden last weekend, but wanted to mention they’ve released the pattern in tons of styles, including pants, espadrilles, swim! This skirt would be so epic with a white tank or button-down.
+The flat charging pad I use in my studio is currently on sale for 25% off with code SPRING25. It really is a handsome way to stow and charge your electronics. Comes in multiple sizes/colors and can be monogrammed, too.
+This eyelet ruffle bib blouse (30% off, bringing it down to $52!) is such a great buy for spring. Great with jeans, under joveralls, with a skirt! I’ve had this similar-ish style from Antik Batik on my radar, but the Loft would scratch the itch for less. Speaking o: Loft has a few great eyelet pieces, actually. This hot pink number sparks joy.
+Now, you KNOW these gingham Vibis are a big YES for me. Also love the color combo of pink and green on these. I own four pairs of Vibis at this point. Do I need a new summer/spring pair, too? Y/N. (Yes.) I love to pair with floaty maxi dresses. I always get questions on whether you can wear outside — yes. I’ve traipsed all over in them. Were they the best idea for traveling up and down Manhattan by foot and drippy Subway? No. But most places, they’re perfect.
+Moms with one year olds: I found a small cache of Patagonia hi-loft hooded down jackets on sale for 30-40% off. Buy now for next winter. I find these jackets are THE BEST for toddlers. Really warm, hooded, last well, can be tossed in the laundry when inevitably smattered with yogurt. Check out the entire sale section there, because there are other great finds, like these Patagonia fleece layering longalls for underneath a snowsuit — 40% off.
+Isn’t this fruit bralette charming?! I am in love!
+Switching seasons entirely: Sunhouse Children just launched an adorable summer collection. I especially love their Bingley suits — the ruffles and patterns are just too cute on a little love. Mini wore hers all last summer. Mini also owns one of their Dashwood Sets, which are my kind of “loungewear.” The cutest patterns, the softest (silkiest!) pima cotton, but can be dressed up with cute sandals and a bow. I also just realized that one of my favorite suits on Hill last summer — this sweet floral — is on sale for only $22. I find this brand runs TTS.
Today, I thought I’d share a few recent fashion acquisitions with thoughts on sizing/styling each. I didn’t fully style most of these, choosing to orient more towards fit and initial thoughts on whether to keep or not, so this is a bit more a rapid-fire, gut instinct review situation.
First: you knew this was coming, didn’t you? My Naghedi St. Barths medium tote arrived and I couldn’t adore her more. I feel like she’ll fill a meaningful gap in my bag repertoire. I have a lot of wicker/basket bags for spring and then my Goyard, but sometimes I want something that can be worn everyday, casually, and not be as precious as the Goyard? I’m thinking of outings with the kids, errands, etc. I am going to continue to share thoughts but I’m really impressed after wearing it since I first received it. The medium size is ideal for carrying all essentials, and then some — you can totally use as a “diaper bag” for kids of my age. Plenty of room for two water bottles, snacks, an activity or two, and all my gear. It is, conveniently, super lightweight on its own despite looking rather hefty.
I’m wearing below with a favorite dress from a few seasons ago. It’s by the brand Glamorous but no longer available anywhere — I even checked eBay! Sorry! I will keep my eyes peeled for them. I paired with my favorite platform espadrilles from Tory Burch from last season, which you can still find (on super sale!) here and here. You can find a very similar pair “inspired by” TB for $60 here. These were a surprise hit for me. They were a bit more fashion-forward/out of my comfort zone and I ended up pairing them with all of my maxis all summer long, and fully look forward to doing the same.
Two key features on the Naghedi St. Barths tote I wanted to report back on: 1) The straps do fit over your arm — albeit snugly. This is, for me, a big requirement for an everyday tote. And 2) I didn’t realize it, but the bag comes with a cute little pouch! You know my feelings on pouches — ha. I can’t live without. And you could absolutely use the pouch as a clutch, which I fully intend on doing this summer! Fun little bonus. You can see both of these features in action in my snaps below. This is probably more of an accurate depiction of how I’ll style it most days –with an unfussy caftan dress (mine is Mille; runs really big so you can size down) that is essentially a nightgown.
Second: J. McLaughlin Parr Skort. I have a burgeoning interest in golf, and two of my girlfriends have expressed eagerness to learn the game alongside me, as fellow amateurs who will not laugh at whiffs and be open to picking up the ball if we’ve exhausted ourselves. I found this adorable skirt, which would work for either racquets or the links, and it is beautifully, thoughtfully made. It is made of a performance fabric so it is actually meant for fitness, and it has built-in shorts underneath, a zipper pocket (for ball/tees/glove), and a cute pleated hem. I was surprised to see that this skort is already sold out in a few sizes as I set out to write this post. I guess good fitness skirts are hard to come by? I took an XS and it fits wonderfully. Note that I am very short and this hits maybe 4″ above my knee so might not be great for taller chickadees. I’m wearing with a very old Lacoste polo and this beautiful cashmere funnel neck sweater, which would not be practical on the course, but the matchy-matchy stylist in me couldn’t resist tying in with that cute little M logo.
Next up: the aforementioned Haven Well Within Cashmere Funnel Neck sweater. My friends over there generously sent this over as a complete surprise and I couldn’t love it more. A beautiful moody blue and super soft. The little patch pockets in the front are too cute! Currently 25% off. And how fun with my yellow bag? Easter egg vibes.
I’m wearing them above with my new Gap kick fit jeans, which are easily one of the top two or three purchases I’ve made for spring thus far, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve made a lot of really fun buys this season, including several items in this post! I think these jeans are a tie with the Naghedi tote. Anyway, I took the jeans in my true size in the petite inseam and OMG. Guys! These jeans! They’re like $50, so comfortable, have a good amount of stretch but hold you in, totally opaque, flattering fit! And I love that Gap offers tall and petite inseams so you don’t need to mess with tailoring. A no brainer. I will be wearing these with everything all spring and summer long.
I’m wearing the Gap kick fits with one of several different inexpensive tees I’ve been testing lately. I have had so many people tell me they love Uniqlo, or Gap, or Walmart for cheap tees, and I wanted to investigate further. Will share a post with my complete findings soon. Above is the $10 Walmart tee. I have to say, I’m impressed that it is made of 100% organic cotton given the low price point. It’s soft and feels more expensive than than it is. I love the contrasting collar (in navy) and the torso length is good for tucking. I don’t love the length of the arms. On me (again, I’m petite), they look a little too long/ungainly/schlumpy? Maybe it has to do with the slight drop of the shoulder? I wish they were just a tad shorter/more tailored. But, for $10, will absolutely work this into the rotation, possibly layered under my Alice Walk half-zip or denim jacket (seen below) during these interim months.
This collarless denim Gap jacket is impressively high-quality for the price (under $100). It has a good amount of stretch in it and I love the fashion-forward collarless silhouette. It runs fairly cropped — I’m 5’0 and you can see it hits around my belt line in the back. The sleeves are too long for me, so I rolled them up. I like it…but can’t decide if I need it. It arrived and I thought, “am I jean jacket lady after all?” I am going to play around with styling this week. After I threw it on over the tee and jeans, I thought maybe I would prefer it if I layered it over a frothy white mini or something? Stay tuned. But, if you are a jean jacket afficionado, this is a good one. I can’t believe how incredible Gap is at the moment. I find the quality superior to a lot of similar big retailers.
Finally: I picked up these $27 Amazon running shorts based on tons of favorable reviews. They’re solid. Not, like “OMG I need these in 12 colors,” but I know I’ll be happy to have them in my running drawer come warmer weather, and they tick all the boxes. I feel like a lot of running shorts have a kind of diaper-y quality to them and these are frankly no different. I do love the navy — I find dark navies looks more expensive — but they come in tons of other colors. I sized up to a small in these because I hate running gear that is inany way too constricting. I bought a pair of Lululemon running shorts a few years ago that were too small and have no idea why I kept them, because I dreaded wearing them and eventually got rid of them. They were always riding up in weird spots and making me self-conscious. Anyway, I routinely size up in fitness wear. I’d say the size-up was good for these — they fit me well. They have a nice thick waistband, zippered pocket, and are lined.
