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+HOW TO DO ANYTHING: I loved this Instagram post from Katie Benn. It has a similar energy to Anne Lamott’s “Bird by bird” instruction on how to write: “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.””
It also reminded me of some business wisdom: do everything yourself until you become the bottleneck.
+VISITING THE HOBBS LONDON STORE (SPONSORED MENTION): Last week, UK-based Hobbs London invited me to visit their brand new store in Tyson’s Corner. The boutique itself is gorgeous – I wanted to spend all day trying on clothes in their beautifully appointed fitting room – but it was the wardrobe classics, and specifically the iconic outerwear, that caught my attention. I tried on both their timeless camel Livia coat (available in a petite size so I will not need to have the sleeves shortened and the length hemmed!) and plaid-lined trench and felt like a million bucks. These are gorgeous wardrobe investments that complement any age and style – I know that my mother would love the pieces as much as my youngest sister. These are styles that feel right at home alongside my closet full of Veronica Beard, J. Crew, and Ralph Lauren. I also tried on their mixed-media Trina dress in elegant navy blue – the top is a ribbed knit; the skirt is silky. It was so flattering and I immediately imagined styling it five different ways: dressed up with heels for a cocktail party for school or work; dressed down with flats and a cropped jacket for a meeting or special lunch. I’m deeply impressed with the pieces from this brand and anticipate spotlighting more of their collections in the future.
+EASY FORMULA FOR WIDE-LEG JEANS: I was at my girlfriend’s house on Saturday and she asked if she could try on her first pair of wide leg jeans for me (these, from Old Navy!; more of my wide leg picks here), unsure of the fit, the look, etc. I loved them on her and then sent her this simple styling inspo from Maddie Hull. Love the simplicity of a long-line cardigan and a mary jane to make the look easy and approachable — the proportions are also just right. A cardigan is a great way to make sure you can still spotlight your shape — sometimes a pullover can obscure where your hips/waist start and can look frumpy.
JENNI KAYNE COOPER CARDIGAN (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // OLD NAVY JEANS // MADEWELL FLATS // BEST $15 TEE // MANSUR GAVRIEL BAG
+7 JAPANESE TECHNIQUES TO STOP OVERTHINKING: As a habitual worrier, this carousel really spoke to me this week. I especially loved slide six: “Wabi-sabi: embracing imperfection and transience.” I wrote about letting go of worries here.
+EVERLANE SALE: 25% off so many great pieces at Everlane runs through tomorrow. My top picks: these barrel leg cords, this cocoon coat, this long fisherman cardigan, and this henley.
+EYEING + BUYING: I wrote about this earlier this week, but Crown Affair’s dry shampoo (also available at Sephora — while you’re there, grab this lip butter, which I am addicted to) has totally knocked me out — it is SO good. Smells like heaven, really absorbs oil, and leaves hair looking fresh. A major RWI (regrettably worth it) item. Along those lines, I’ve been hearing such good things about another commonly-cited RWI: the Skims jersey tee. I have noticed that with all the barrel/wide legs I have in my wardrobe this season, I’m needing slimmer-fit/more contoured tees and tops to balance things out; the Skims seems to fit the bill. I ordered in short-sleeved and long-sleeved versions and will report back with thoughts.
Also, this week: 1) got my hands on a pair of the Larroude Milan boots in black (so so so chic), 2) started listening to Ina Garten’s audiobook; and 3) pinching myself, but gorgeous jewelry brand Dana Rebecca offered to send me an item from their collection, and I selected these crossover huggies. I feel like they’ll be such a great everyday earring.
CROWN AFFAIR DRY SHAMPOO // DANA REBECCA HUGGIES // LA LIGNE RIBBED CASHMERE CARDIGAN // SKIMS TEE // PISTOLA FAUX LEATHER PANTS // LARROUDE MILAN BOOTS // INA GARTEN MEMOIR // SUMMER FRIDAYS LIP BUTTER
+RESTOCK ALERTS: My VB Valentina sneakers and my wool Alice Walk cape were both restocked this week! These are two of my absolute favorite fall items.
+THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS: This classic black dress was number one this week. Something you can wear forever and that seems to go with any life stage, any event, etc.
01. TIMELESS LBD // 02. VERONICA BEARD MABEL BLAZER // 03. GREAT FALL WEDDING GUEST DRESS // 04. MY FAV CORDS (RUN TTS) // 05. BEST VINTAGE-STYLE SWEATS // 06. MOTHER SCIENCE SERUM (REALLY WORKS ON DARK SPOTS) // 07. WIDE LEG CORD TROUSERS // 08. VERONICA BEARD CORDS (ON SALE!) // 09. FEATHERWEIGHT CASHMERE POLO // 10. SOLDOUT NYC EVERYTHING SHIRT // 11. BEST AFFORDABLE SLEEPING PILLOWS // 12. FLEECE PULLOVER