Chocolate for Summer.

*Image via Oroton, showcasing their Capri dress.

Good morning and happy Fourth! Hoping you are enjoying a day with your family and friends, perhaps making one of those flag sheet cakes with blueberries and strawberries, or sitting on a dock somewhere. I wrote this post before I realized it would go live on Independence Day, and now it feels strangely timed because it starts with an anecdote from my time in France — ha! But such has been my summer life: a bit out-of-order and blurry. My brother and his family ended up extending their stay last week because their daughter caught a virus while here, and so life has felt fast and slow at the same time in the sense that there have been long, slow afternoons of chatting at the kitchen counter, and then the real admin of life, all my rhythms and writings and responsibilities, have been smooshed in around the sides, accomplished or absorbed in quick draughts. I am not complaining. I’ll take the strange pacing any day for extra time with them. But, to the subject at hand —

When I studied abroad in Lyon, I bought myself a large brown Longchamp pliage tote (similar to this one, still made today!) that I cherished for years to come. I used it to carry my books to class, to travel, to commute to/from work. Looking back, brown was an unusual choice for my preppy 20-year-old self, but it operated as a grounding neutral in my colorful wardrobe for years to come — a little softer and more distinctive than black, too. I clearly remember standing by the Van Ness metro stop in the sweltering D.C. heat one college summer, and my mother came to pick me up in her car. I was wearing a white shirtdress, brown pointed-toe kitten heels from Aldo, and my trusty Longchamp. When I got into the car, my mother could not stop talking about how chic she thought I looked with my brown accessories. I felt like a million bucks! I’ve thought fondly about the color brown since, even treating myself to a DVF wrap dress in chocolate brown a few years later with hard-earned money from my first “real world” job. Today, sharing some favorite pieces in this vein — lots of whites/neutrals paired with brown accents.

01. OROTON CAPRI DRESS // 02. DOEN DRESS // 03. RDR EARRINGS // 04. RDR COWRIE SHELL NECKLACE // 05. MADEWELL EYELET DRESS // 06. MARGAUX SANDALS // 07. CESTA COLLECTIVE LUNCHPAIL BAG // 08. HUNTER BELL DRESS // 09. FRANK AND EILEEN SHIRTDRESS // 10. GAP LINEN BLEND DRESS // 11. FENDI RUCHED SANDALS // 12. HILL HOUSE COSIMA DRESS // 13. TKEES SANDALS // 14. CANE RATTAN BAG // 15. & OTHER STORIES DRESS // 16. BODEN LINEN MINI

I want to call out a few things. First, I know logos aren’t for everyone, but I can’t stop thinking about these ruched Fendi sandals, or the similar strappy ones from Celine. I feel like you could throw these on with a white tee and shorts, or $25 tee dress, and feel like a movie star. Second, this Oroton dress is haunting me / taunting me. The stripes! The silhouette! The pockets! It’s SO cute. Finally, this cane rattan bag looks like the ones from Bembien but is only $59.

Not included in the collage above, but I’m also absolutely swooning over this fab little dress from Mi Golondrina — such an unusual and cool color palette! — as well as this Banana Republic maxi. Both would be chic picks for first half of a pregnancy.

P.S. If chocolate is not your color palette, two blue dresses that have been very popular with Magpies the past few days: this gingham Doen (note: this brand runs large; I ended up having to return this adorable mini because I was swimming in it and it was sold out in the XXS) and this striped La Ligne. In a similar vein: this $160 Anthro and this ultra-chic Horror Vacui (on sale).

P.P.S. Some of my absolute favorite, most-worn possessions this summer.

P.P.P.S. Standing on Mars, or the feeling of falling in love and no one knowing it.