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I wish I’d screwed up the courage to take street style photos while in Italy, because the people there — especially the Florentines — were deeply chic. The only photo I snapped was of the above men on their way to work in Como; the men in Como were beautifully dressed. A lot of sharp, tailored trousers with perfect breaks at the ankle, trench coats, wood handled umbrellas (it was drizzly), loafers. And black, black, and more black. (And can you even deal with the gentleman’s briefcase above?!)
On the women, I saw a lot of wide leg jeans, blazers (especially in plaid and houndstooth), loafers, trench coats, and black. The vibe:
VERONICA BEARD BLAZER // FREDA SALVADOR LOAFERS // AGOLDE REN JEANS // TOTEME BAG
You can recreate the look for less with a blazer like this or this. I feel like the look was a bit oversized in Florence — almost worn like a top coat versus a blazer. So you could do this J. Crew Factory one I’ve been sharing but maybe go up a size or two to get the vibe? For loafers for less, try these or these (I also saw a fair amount of lug sole boots and loafers — these would be cool); for jeans, these.
MANGO TRENCH // CASHMERE SWEATER (MENS – SLOUCHY) // FAVORITE DAUGHTER PANTS // BOTTEGA BAG // UMBRELLA // JAMIE HALLER LOAFERS
I’ve been wanting a classic trench for awhile, and I ordered this well-priced Mango one. My plan is to see how often I reach for it / style it, and if it’s frequent enough, I’ll eventually invest in a Burberry. I also love Sezane’s take for something in between.
For affordable cashmere crewnecks, I can’t implore you to try Quince’s cashmere assortment more. They have $49 crewnecks in loads of colors, but in my opinion, the jewel is this $69 shrunken cashmere sweatshirt. The silhouette and fit read more modern/contemporary, and I find myself reaching for mine constantly. I have one in a marigold color that’s now sold out but I think I might buy in either gray or brown? The gray is calling my name. Imagine with great jeans and a blazer? I take my true size (xs) and find it’s flattering on its own or layered over a slim-fit button down (this one is my favorite). And final note on Quince cashmere: their sold-out-in-a-minute Mongolian cashmere cardigan is back in stock for pre-order. This has been the dark horse of my fall wardrobe. I wear it all the time — a perfect top layer over a fall dress, or layered over a blouse or tee with jeans. It has a nice structure to it and is unbelievably well made relative to price. (You can also upgrade to the Jenni Kayne Cooper, upon which it is probably modeled, although at least two Magpies have written to say they own both and can hardly tell the difference between the two.) I love it so much I am contemplating buying the black or brown? Can’t tell how much I’d wear the black. I am more of a brown / taupe / ivory person these days?
Back to Italy for a second: the other really chic thing I spotted was a family (I believe they were speaking Hungarian) at Passalacqua. The mother and daughter were both wearing (I’m almost positive) Emilia Wickstead; I’m 90% certain the daughter was wearing this to dinner. Wow. Even Mr. Magpie commented on them!
Will wrap up my thoughts on our Italian sojourn with a recap of our three nights in Como soon (details of our Tuscany visit here) — let me know if you have any other questions about our trip.
P.S. How to plan a great vacation. (Your comments on this were an actual gold mine.)
P.P.S. What does your job say about you?
P.P.P.S. Under-the-radar rom coms.
Hi Jen,
Just wanted to say that I appreciate your blog and its content. Itās peaceful, beautiful and refreshingly absent of politics and potential divisiveness. I āvoteā to keep it that way!
Looking forward to the post on Como. Deeply enjoyed reading about your visit to Florence and Tuscany!
Ciao!
Great photo of the guys in suits – European street fashion is my favorite! Your images are always so interesting, and I think you often take them yourself, right? (I’m thinking of the photos other than the obvious selfie/fashion outfit pics although those are great too…) I’d be interested to hear more about your photography sometime – what camera you use, etc.
Thank you so much!! I do take these photos myself, and I just use my iPhone 15 Pro, BUT I edit the photos in the VSCO app so I can adjust color, exposure, shadows, etc. VSCO has some great presets that I’ve found I really like / speak to my aesthetic and sometimes I’ll use these as a shortcut. Those are the HB1, HB3, and C1 presets, in case you have the app and want to test yourself. I also find that shooting in portrait mode is helpful for the look I’m after, even when not taking a photo of a person. I like that it blurs the background and creates more noticeable foreground/background dimensions. Finally, the zoom! I often shoot at 2x — I’m not sure why, but this often gives a new feeling to photos and helps me focus on specifics.
I’m still learning…would love one day to buy a proper camera and learn how the real photographers do it!! Thanks for the encouragement.
xx
Very inspiring Jen, thank you for sharing! Impressed that itās all with your iPhone. I have never used VSCO so Iāll have to play with that a little.
Jen, I have a question that I am hoping you and other readers can weigh on.
How does one decide whether or not to continue to support influencers and brand owners who may or may not have voted based on beliefs you disagree with? For instance, perhaps someone who is pro-choice or pro-life unknowingly supports an influencer or brand owner who is the opposite and that support later translates to a financial donation to a cause that the person supporting the influencer or brand owner might not believe in? Or perhaps someone stops purchasing products from an influencer or brand owner they would want to support if they didnāt fear the aforementioned scenario and had clarity on that influencer and brand ownerās beliefs?
It is easy to make a decision one way or the other when you know where the influencer or brand owner stands on various issues. However, when youāre not sure where they stand (and I can understand why an influencer or brand owner may not want to share their beliefs on a public platform), it is difficult to know what to do. This is, of course, by design, and benefits the influencer and brand owner with more sales than they otherwise might expect if they made their beliefs clear and people unfollowed. With peopleās livelihoods at stake, it makes sense to optimize for follow count.
I am (and have for years) struggled with who I support when making purchases. I worry that the brands I wear and have in my home support causes I do not, and that by proxy, I am doing the same. For instance, I worry about selecting wedding outfits from someone who holds, whether to their knowledge or not, racist beliefs. Can you imagine unknowingly wearing something on your wedding day and finding later that the brand owner does not think of you (or others) as an equal human being and being reminded of that each time you look at your wedding photos? Iām sure Iām not the only one in these shoes and would love to hear how you and others navigate this.
One additional thing Iāll note is that those influencers and brand owners who make their stances known also tend to get some awful backlash in their comments, regardless of their beliefs. This is another reason (of many) why I can imagine why an influencer or brand owner may not want to disclose their perspective. My question is specifically how to think through purchases holding fixed that we will not always know how those we are supporting feel about causes near and dear to us, whatever those causes may be.
Iām providing my thoughts being you asked readers to weigh in. I prefer political beliefs be kept separate. It is something so personal and sensitive. Just because we may not share the same views does not mean we cannot continue to support one another. Iām highly sensitive to influencers and celebrities using their platforms to influence the beliefs of others or make them feel excluded if they donāt share the same. This space is geared towards grief, motherhood, literature, and fashion. It personally provides me with inspiration, a peaceful escape and opportunity to be part of a community of likeminded women. I would be disappointed if it were otherwise and becomes a space that divides or shames readers based on political beliefs. This is just my personal feelings and hope my feedback was helpful.
As a long time Magpie reader, the reason why this place is special is because Jen leaves politics out of it. It was a treat to visit here on Wednesday morning and read a blog post that had nothing to do with the election. As Anne commented, Jen’s site is a peaceful escape which in today’s world is getting harder to come by, There are plenty of influencers to follow if you care to hear them discuss politics or want to engage in political conversations with their audience . You’re also welcome to stay here and delight in Jen’s lovely writing and interact with the wonderful Magpie community.
Lastly, perhaps it’s in the New Yorker in me but why beat around the bush? Just flat out ask her who she voted for if you want to know so badly.
Jen, excuse my language, I don’t give a rat’s ass who you voted for. š
Also replying here given you asked for a reader’s perspectives. I personally think it’s unfair to ask influencers to share their political views, It’s not what the blog is about. If I want commentary on politics, I read the news, listen to political podcasts, pundits, etc. I come here for beautiful writing, musings, fun fashion finds, book recommendations, etc. Who cares who Jen or any influencer votes for. Also, I actually appreciate this being a welcoming place.
In fact, I actually find it irksome to go visit some fashion / lifestyle blogs where the influencers are “talking down” to their readers and basically saying things where it’s implicit they think some of their readers are wrong/evil/bad/etc. Even if I voted the same way as done! I find that very tone-deaf and entitled/assuming.
Jen, keep doing you! <3
Hi Lauren, it seems that you and others have taken my comment as an ask for Jen to comment on her political views, and that was not the intention behind my comment. Jen wrote at some point that she does not comment on politics and that is fine by me (and if it wasnāt, I would stop reading the blog vs. try to get Jen to comment). I asked a question that has been on my mind specifically because I thought others, regardless of which side of the political aisle they are on, might have wondered at some point or be wondering the same thing now. There was interesting discussion on blockprint items and those who sell them vs. the artisans that make them at some point in the blog comments so I thought I would post something related today to hear from others. Anyway, it seems folks are reading what Iāve written as a plea for Jen to include political content on her blog so forget I asked!
I strongly disagree with the comments after yours! We follow influencers and support with our clicks and purchaes bc we largely want to “buy” a slice of their life – that is the truth! You enjoy coming on to her blog and reading Jen’s posts bc you can either relate to her or if you can’t, maybe you want to try to feel how would it be to be in Lake Como or preparing for Christmas her way. I would be disheartened to learn if Jennifer voted against women’s rights (and basic human respect and decency) and it would definitely encourage me to take my clicks and purchase commissions elsewhere. There is a strong population of female viewers who would rather put their money behind someone who they can relate to – ie with the same values! It was disappointing enough to not use your influence to encourage people to at least get out there and vote. To continue to remain silent is extremely disappointing.
Hear, hear, Rayna and D. We vote with our wallets and I donāt like the idea that my clicking on a link or making a purchase is lining the pockets of a stranger diametrically opposed to what I believe in. does that mean I think influencers need to put out an all-points bulletin on who they voted for? No. But I am thinking very differently about how I engage with āinfluencer cultureā and, more importantly, how my money is implicated.
Please donāt make blanket statements. You may feel this way, but that is not to say the rest of us do. There is a popular ālifestyleā blog where someone posted the most insulting and hurtful
My apologies hit the post button by mistake too soon. Meant to finish typing that this person posted a very hurtful comment. I responded in a respectful and polite manner, but let the person know that I disagreed and why. My comment awaited moderation, but my views were different than the influencer and never published. It made me feel very unseen and unimportant. For this type of platform, I feel best to leave politics out. Respect opinions of others, but this would be my preference.
I agree with you, Rayna. The idea that we can occupy a completely apolitical world is a total fantasy ā and I would also like to note that it is only possible to believe in this illusion if one occupies a place of privilege and entitlement.
Speaking candidly, we live in a capitalist society and to me, it is ALWAYS prudent to think about what our money is ultimately supporting. This is something I have given deep thought to (relative to the creators I follow) since the 2016 election cycle, and it honestly never leaves my mind. Often creators and their audiences have different relationships to their values and how theyāre communicated, and I fully respect the freedom that people have to share these values as they wish (or not). That said, it has been increasingly important to me to put my money where my mouth is, and therefore I absolutely try to withhold my clicks and attention from people whose values donāt seem to align with mine, and sometimes also from creators who remain pointedly silent. This is a a personal decision that I made almost a decade ago, at a point when the stakes reached a place that felt quite high at the time.
Also: I do feel that if one has an audience (of any size), they also have a duty to use their platform for good, however they might define that.
All of this said ā I firmly believe there is no right answer here, and that we as readers must follow our own brains when making decisions about which creators and brands to support financially.
D ā I really appreciate you beginning this conversation. I did not read your initial comment as aggressive and I think some of the comments that followed can be chalked up to the hyper-tense, super anxious atmosphere this week (I hope!)
Hi MK,
I woke up Wednesday feeling fantastic. In fact, this has been a great week for me. I wasn’t anxious or tense when leaving my comment.
Cool story, bro.
Dear D, and my other Magpies commenting below ā As always, thank you for your longtime readership and especially engagement in the comments over these past many years. I appreciate that you and likely other Magpies are grappling with these issues. I have consciously worked to keep this blog out of the political discourse, and for many reasons. Principally, I hope that we can focus here at Magpie on the things that unite us and keep us going, especially when we are feeling dysregulated, overwhelmed, disconnected and in search of the positive. I know that people will not agree with my decision, and that is of course their (your) prerogative.
xx
Jen
Hi Jen, thank you for responding. I want to be very direct in stating that I am not asking you to divulge who you voted for nor asking you to include political discourse on your blog going forward. It seems many, including you, have interpreted what I have written in that way, even after Iāve clarified, so unfortunately, Iām not sure if further clarification will help. However, I will try clarifying my question one last time: regardless of who you voted for, how do you, if at all, think about which influencers/brands you support in instances where you donāt know where they stand on issues that are important to you? Please note that answering this, should you choose to, does not require telling us who you voted for or including political discourse on your blog going forward.
As a longtime reader, given the breadth of topics that have been discussed on this blog, this topic did not strike me as controversial or taboo to ask about. You keep your political beliefs to yourself (which is fine by me! please continue! I never asked for otherwise!) so you and other readers of this blog seemed to me like the perfect audience to ask. Based on prior discussions in the comments of this blog over the past several years, it seemed like a safe space to ask about something that has been on my mind without fearing that folks would think I was attacking your choice to remain silent and feel the need to come to your aid!
I will of course be more guarded going forward about what I post given the sensitivity around questions such as this one, which once again, do not require you or anyone to state their political beliefs or write/read about them on this blog. To say Iām deeply saddened by the misunderstanding is an understatement, but I understand that some cannot separate the question without assuming I am asking you to state your political beliefs and including political discourse on your blog going forward.
Thank you for clarifying your point. To answer your question directly, my view is: influencing is a job, like any other. I am the beneficiary (for free!) of influencers doing their job — it helps me shop, helps me with home stuff, helps me plan trips, lets me decompress by reading beautiful writing first thing in the morning. I read about 3 blogs each morning without fail, and Magpie is one of them. If I find something in a blog and then forget about it and then see it later and want to buy it, I always make sure to go back to the blog to buy it thru their affiliate link, as a thank you for an influencer to do the work for me to discover it. I assume that influencers are mostly using their earnings to take care of their families and enjoy life (like what I do with my earnings), so I just don’t tie these things together. Obviously if there is a statement saying “the earnings from this purchase will go to supporting XYZ organization” and I happen to disagree with that organization, I might think twice as it is direct, but otherwise I just don’t view supporting influencers as supporting their politics, I view them as totally different. I know some people do not separate that, and that is okay too. That said, if an influencer is incessantly posting about politics and it’s something I disagree with, I may stop following their blog (e.g. I did that with a famous lifestyle blogger as I thought over time the tenor became disrespectful). By virtue of not following their blog anymore, I am not supporting them. But if I’m still reading their content, I think it’s a bit silly to go there to get recommendations and then specifically make sure to not purchase things through them just because I disagree with their views. To me, that feels hypocritical and not recognizing of someone else’s labor.
I also am a bit weary of all the name calling and assumption (that doing this or thinking this way is a marker of privilege). Btw, I don’t think this comment was yours, just reacting to someone else’s follow up to your thread. Actually that is not true of me, and I imagine not true of many others. Respectfully disagree with that statement too.
<3
Hi Dā I think itās a good question and one worthy of serious thought/response. For me personally, I donāt know if I can go with more than my best guess in the situation you outlined. I just ask myself, what is the overall message/feel/vibe this brand is conveying? Does it resonate with me? If so, then Iāll continue to support unless and until Iām proven wrong. If the vibes feel off, I try not to add to their revenue.
Here are two specific (and I hope clarifying!) examples:
1) Here, this blog, what Jen is putting out in the world, always reads to me as content underscored by love firstly, and kindness and beauty additionally. I feel like the underlying questions being probed here are usually, how can I be the best version of myself, see the best in others, and extend grace to myself and the world? These are all messages I can get behind. Until someone proves to me that Jen is a raging sociopath who relies on AI to create empathy-filled content, sheāll continue to get my support.
2) on the flip side, there is a clothing brand that touts sustainability as one of their main tenets. Seems like something I would want to support. But, their clothing is not very inclusive (supermodel proportions only!) and worse still, every in-store shopping experience has been like pre-makeover Julia Roberts shopping on Rodeo in Pretty Woman. Doesnāt really comport with their stated image. They no longer get my money.
Bottom line, D, you sound like a thoughtful person who knows her own values well. I think you can trust your own judgment in cases of limited info.
(Sorry for the inadvertent novel!)
Have you noticed that the influencers saying āI stay out of political discourse,, I just want to talk about being kindā are primarily white women? What a privilege it must be to see consumerism as the thing that unites and keeps you going. Shopping and putting more money into the pockets of billionaires with Amazon hauls and brand new outfits for every single social event and holiday is not self care, it does not regulate the dysregulated, or connect the disconnected. If only we could all be so willfully ignorant.
Hi D, I donāt think itās on us as consumers to interrogate the politics of an individual unless they are using their profits to further an insidious agenda? The author who must not be named comes to mind, sheās actively contributing big money to squashing LGBTQ rights, and sheās said she believes anyone who buys her books knows her stances and agrees with her. I no longer feel comfortable enjoying anything associated with her, given that. Whereas I discovered as a teen that a favorite author held homophobic views that he kept fairly under wraps (I personally had always found his work affirming so it was a shock), and I felt comfortable no longer giving him any money but continuing to enjoy the copies of his books I had and the meaning I found in them. Itās a personal choice!! I do agree that your example of a wedding dress would warrant more scrutiny in order make sure you felt comfortable. But we can have the same values and make different choices. My BIL and I are very close, both queer, and heās stepped away from our Catholic upbringing, very understandably. I refuse to be shoved aside from the faith of my birth and have sought out queer Catholic voices and spirituality. But I refuse to eat chick-fil-a, and he eats it happily! Both of us are trying to make choices we can live with, and to make space for joy in our own lives. Or people may be making decisions along multiple axes (Iāve seen people despair of plastic wrapped chopped vegetables but itās very important for accessibility for folks with limited dexterity and hand strength, or for working folks with limited prep time, and while eco friendliness is vital, those tubs of produce get a lot of outcry that frozen veggies in plastic packaging donāt).
That said, if someone gives you the ick, thatās a good a reason as any to unfollow! I prune who I follow regularly not necessarily for value alignment but because my attention and time are limited and I only want to consume what gives me joy. Iām pretty much just here and on Substack these days!
Thank you for sharing all of the details of your Italy trip – it sounds like we travel similarly especially on the food front so I’ve taken many notes! You would absolutely love Milan for the fashion alone – every few seconds you see an impossibly chic person biking or scootering by you. And random fashion photo shoots occurring on the street corners! The style there is simply next level.
Oof I can’t wait to get back — ! There are so many other parts to explore!! xx
Oh my gosh! I absolutely love Italy. I think Venice is my favorite, but I do love many cities throughout Italy. I always dreamed of moving there and even listened to the podcast “The Real Life in Italy” which actually help tame my so called dreams!
We stay at the Villa D’Este on Lake Como and I enjoyed reading about your experience at the Passalacqua Hotel. IF we ever go back I will definitely look into it.
The most FUN part of Italy is THE FASHION! Without a doubt my head is on swivel constantly checking out the chic Italians. They are so effortless in their everyday dress and actions. The Italians are always at least a year ahead of us in fashion.
I always purchase a scarf (or two) when there. I also bought two Venetian masks that I framed and hung in my house as a reminder of Italy (and especially Venice).
Love reading about your glorious trip.
Oh yes, Venice is pure magic! I visited in college so very different experience but I spent the most memorable afternoon by myself at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection there. Will absolutely never forget it, and the feeling of independence, and seeing the world for myself.
xx