One of my favorite questions I’ve ever asked of Magpies on Instagram: who were you named after? The stories that gathered were incredible: women named after plucky grandmothers, women named after places, even — and I wrote about this here — women named after near-strangers, the ones who left outsized impressions on our parents. (One Magpie wrote that she was named after “a smart, can-do woman my dad knew in college.” Can you even?! The warm laundry feeling this gives me! The way — just by being our truest selves — we can draw people in, leave a lamp lit. I wonder if that woman knows the legacy she left just by virtue of being herself?)
I’m curious today: who were you named after? Do you feel that your namesake has predisposed or shaped your life in any way? Why or why not?
For my part, Jennifer was both a family name and a trendy one. Jennifer was the most popular baby name the year I was born, 1984, which I have to imagine in part shaped my naming, but I also had a great-great aunt nicknamed “Jennie” (the “ie” spelling, which I also inherited during the brief window of time in which I went by the abbreviation), and she even — idiosyncratically — had a set of silver, which I have also since inherited, engraved with the moniker. Jennie on a silver soup spoon! Can you imagine? Avant-garde in its own way. I know next to nothing about her but this little wayward detail about the engraving speaks to me. The fact that we have somehow lost, in the course of a few generations, the family history related to this woman is yet another imploration to write things down. Especially the small, fine details. I wrote this post about my grandfather for this reason: to go toe to toe with the inevitable erosion of memory. I want to remember the gumdrops and the dashing hats and the way he counted iambic pentameter on his fingers over lunch (no caesar salads permitted). If you have a few minutes today, take a blank page of paper and write down whatever you remember about your grandmother, your aunt, your favorite distant cousin. The candy they kept stocked in their pantry, the smell of their soap, the off-color joke they told that one time in the backyard at the family reunion. One day, these details will be as valuable as anything else you could imagine inheriting.
But, to the point at hand: please share the provenance of your name! How do you feel about it? What story does it carry?
Post-Scripts.
+More talk about names here — p.s.: the comments are a great resource if you’re expecting a baby and in the naming conversation. We talk about names we love, the names of the kindest people we’ve met, “hot guy” names, and more.
+On being a joyful witness in motherhood.
Shopping Break.
+New favorite denim silhouette. Also come in petite, which I own! Super flattering on the leg thanks to that twist seam.
+While you’re there: Shopbop is running a 20% off sale, and I spent a lot of time sifting through the listings to narrow down to the best gems:
THE BEST OSFA SWIMSUIT (THIS COLOR!!!) WITH A PUNCHY COVERUP
SPRING WEDDING GUEST (OR LAST-MINUTE EASTER): THIS OR THIS
THE PRETTIEST TOP FOR SPRING (DREAMIEST LIGHTWEIGHT, PERFECT FOR TUCKING INTO JEANS)
+If you want to do a deeper dive, I organized all my sale picks here: The Daytime Edit, Spring Dresses, and Beach/Pool Edit.
SPRING DRESS EDIT (20% OFF)
+Julia Amory re-released her Jane dress in the most gorgeous seaglass green for spring. Swooning. I own this in a marigold color and the fit is absolutely perfect. Pair with one of these Lizzie Fortunato necklaces. I have invested in a few of these over the years and I get so much wear out of them. Even just layered over an inexpensive white tee (<< my favorite white tee under $20), they completely make an outfit.
+My friend Erin releases similar necklace styles for under $100 in small batches — waiting for this one to restock, but this one is really fun for spring, layered over a tee or patterned dress! I also really love these heart cord necklaces, somehow on sale for $19. Great for layering.
+Ordered several sets of these peony print cocktail napkins — art!!! These and other pretty spring finds for home and family here. These are SO DELICIOUS.
+A favorite polished athleisure top layer. I love the length — a little longer, nearly covers the rear. These performance-material half-zips are great for actual athletic wear (tennis, walking, hiking, etc). I actually got that one in the pink gingham but my daughter co-opted it for her new golf hobby! (In the XXS, it actually fits her, too!) I’ve been scrambling to find golf attire for her, and I came across great options at Gap and Target for reasonable prices. Any recs for girls golf polos? My daughter’s not super into the frilly stuff but I want something more interesting than a plain white. I’ve been saving all the best golf/tennis girls gear I’ve found here in case you’re on a similar journey.
+On the tennis front: my son in these shorts carrying this tennis racquet bag to his tennis lessons is…I can’t even deal with how cute he is. (I buy these performance polos in white whenever they go on sale, BTW. Good quality, simple, logo-less. The court he plays at has strict rules – he has to wear all white, no color allowed!)
+Two fabulous dressy spring coats for layering over cocktail wear / dressier outfits: this lace and this collarless style.
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