Getting to this month’s questions a tad bit late, but…here goes! More coming next week!
Q: Ergonomic chair for office.
A: Everything I’ve read suggests that Herman Miller gets top billing in the ergonomic office chair category. However, they aren’t the most attractive chair I’ve ever seen – – few desk chairs are, with the exception of my Laura Davidson SOHO chair, which was originally recommended to me by a Magpie reader whose interior designer recommended it to her, and now I’ve heard several close friends and many other Magpie readers chime in to rave about it too. I’ve now been sitting in mine for about two weeks on a daily basis and I LOVE IT. So comfortable and I love the design! Mr. Magpie was going to go with a Herman Miller but I think I’ve convinced him to try mine, too.
Q: Chic reading glasses!
A: Warby Parker! If you’re game for something a bit louder, love the fun colors that these Caddis ones come in (matte pink! pearl! whee!).
Q: Vintage style trench.
A: Love this – a great investment you will never regret and can wear at any age (and in most seasons). I’ve been wanting to invest in a Burberry trench for years, but you can get the look for less with this J. Crew, this BR (my first trench coat was from here and I wore it for YEARS when I went into an office), or this Mango.
Q: Sweaters for fall.
A: Girl, you’re reading my mind! Full post coming soon, but in the meantime, can’t encourage you enough to check out the discounted pieces from La Ligne I mentioned a week or two ago. Mine arrived and it is SO WELL MADE FOR THE PRICE. Like a J. Crew price sweater but 50x better made. The Nordstrom Sale just went public access today and I think I need this $129 pink one, too!
Q: A small writing desk for my bedroom.
A: I super love this PB style — simple, elegant, unfussy, and it comes with a handy drawer to hide your laptop/notepad. This leaning Sawyer desk from Crate and Barrel is so reasonably priced and comes with convenient shelving! I can attest to the quality — this is not, like, flimsy composite material. It’s very sturdy. If you are lucky enough to live close to Philly, this gorgeous vintage desk is available for pick up at a great price. I would love something like that — so unique, so sweet. I’m imagining sitting there writing letters by hand with it! And then this one is glam!
P.S. Chic desktop accessories.
Q: Cute but not too cute phone case.
A: You can twin with the rest of the Magpies with this faux Goyard case! I got mine in pink, but was strangely drawn to the green as well, and I own like one other green item in my entire wardrobe. Also love: this initialed style, this simple gingham, this chinoiserie, and all the styles and slings from Not Another Bill. More feminine: this floral or these bows!
Q: Non-coconut top Hawaiian outfit for a 50th birthday in September at a country club.
A: Check out Farm Rio! Tons of tropical-inspired prints and pieces perfect for a festive occasion. I think this one is my current favorite, but I also love this. And if you’re not looking for a dress, this toucan top would be fabulous with white linen trousers! So fun! Cara Cara also has a really fun (more expensive) dress that would be absolutely perfect for the theme (look for less with this BB Dakota). If you’re open to a looser interpretation, lots of really fun, playful, festive party pieces here. You might also find some fun beach-inspired accessories for the occasion here!
Q: Red suede ballet flats for fall.
A: My top picks would be these adorable ones from Pretty Ballerinas or these stunning Aquazzuras! I’ve never owned a pair, but people rave about the comfort of Chloe’s scalloped flats, and they are on sale in red suede!
Q: Twin bed duvets — simple, comfy, and affordable.
A: You can’t beat these classic navy trim ones from PBK, $99 each. Timeless! Matouk’s Essex is more expensive but similarly crisp and classic looking, and this S&L style is available in a chic green trim on sale.
I shared more bedding finds recently here and I just discovered that my favorite brand for sheeting, Boll & Branch, is included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! You can get an entire sheet set for a queen size bed for about $100 off the retail price!
Q: Pregnancy-friendly dresses and undergarments.
A: Undergarments: the best thing I did for myself my second pregnancy was splurge on proper maternity underwear. I loved this exact style from Cosabella. For bras, I absolutely adored the seamless racerback styles from Amazon and Gap — have been wearing them all summer long and honestly don’t know if I’ll ever go back to underwire for everyday. (I just discovered a very similar looking style at Gap Factory but it’s unclear to me whether the Factory items are as well made as Gap proper. At $12/pop, maybe worth an experiment…). Alternately, you could buy these Coobies, which I had a few pairs of — they are actually nursing bras so can be used post-partum as well. Super comfortable.
For dresses, I’m sure you’re already aware of nap dresses if you’re a reader of this blog, and then there is a new brand called Maxwell and Geraldine that offers similar (smocking-centric) dresses, which will be your best friend. In general, smocking is huge right now and there are so many pieces that will work with a bump because of it — check out this gingham! I also liked simple tee/jersey dresses like this and this in black that I could pair with loud flats/statement jewelry/big headbands. Hatch always has fun pieces (love this!), but I had to return everything I bought from them because they ran so big. Frances Hart wasn’t around for my pregnancies, but I would have bought this white dress — so versatile, could be dressed up or down, etc. Some of these new Alice Walk dresses would also work early/mid pregnancy!
Q: Gown for a black tie dinner dance I’ve been planning for two years!
A: Ooh la la – this sounds exquisite! A few gowns that blow my mind:
BADGLEY MISCHKA (ON SALE AND JUST A DREAM)
NAVY. SILK. OSCAR. DE. LA. RENTA. (DROOLS)
Q: Wedding after-party dress!
A: Congratulations!!! This sequined white Markarian is SO FUN. Like, can you even?! I also love this Carolina Herrera, this simple silk number, this Alexis for a beachier vibe, this tiny white Amanda Uprichard (J Love Hewitt vibes?), and so many of the fun styles from Reformation, including the Nikita, this backless number in ivory, and the Verena.
Q: Dress to wear to an afternoon summer wedding.
A: Fun! This sunshine-y floral (under $100!), this Agua Bendita, this SIR, this Reformation in one of the floral prints, this Jonathan Simkhai, this SEA. There are also some great options here.