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Last March in Paris, I bought my husband a pair of Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses and have been envious ever since—they are magnificent. Suddenly, all of my sunglasses felt a tad passé, so I’ve been on the hunt for a new silhouette that will suit my narrow face. Width is my bugbear and always a challenge. Sunglasses are an easy, immediate personal-style update without a huge investment. I am considering the two shapes above.
Loewe, Phoebe Philo, Gucci, Oliver Peoples x Khaite, Vincent Boulevard.
On My Inspiration Board
A car coat is my cape this fall—my grail. I’ve tried three from The Row, each one more oversized than the last. I have an old Macintosh that is the perfect shape, but it’s stiff with weatherproofing and meant for truly wet weather. I’m looking for a car coat to wear, like the one in the streetstyle image above, as a lightweight fall coat. The Maison Margiela, above right, will be here Thursday.
I use my Birkins as travel totes. They are too big for everyday, and, honestly, I don’t like carrying them as an everyday bag—I prefer Picotins for running around. However, a Birkin is perfect stuffed atop a carry-on suitcase.
Fall = layering and I love the cardigan from The Row as a base , and the Leset anorak (no secret that I am an anorak fanatic) over a tee is very cute.
On a final note, I am wearing low-heeled pumps a lot this summer, a habit I started last spring and will continue into the fall. Sneakers for long walks and sports only.
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I love a good corduroy skirt and have a number of them that I wear year-round. However, for the first time in a long time, I am exploring corduroy pants. The challenge is how to wear them without looking like I’m back in boarding school. Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from this fall.
On model navy Toteme, ecru Bottega, dark brown and black The Row
On My Radar
This August, which is surprisingly right around the corner, I am focusing my reading on short stories, essays, and criticism. The only novel I intend to read next month will be Richard Russo’s Under the Falls. A longtime fan, I am thrilled he has another book out August 11. I heard Emily Eakin in conversation with Adam Gopnik (years ago Emily was Adam’s fact-checker at The New Yorker), and her book The Frenchmen — Derrida, Barthes, Deleuze, Foucault, etc. — is truly brilliant.
Leset has really been my go-to brand, and the pants and satin skirt are perfect day-to-evening pieces. I bought these The Row pumps in black and white to wear in the fall; however, the white pair has been perfect for jaunts to the city this summer. I’m obsessed with the wedge heel — it’s a nice change from the kitten heel pumps I’ve been wearing for years, and I’m ready to pass on a few pairs to a dear friend who shares my shoe size.
On My Radar
These long, lazy summer days have been lovely. Hanging by the pool is nice; tearing apart the house and gardens in the name of repairs and updates, not so much. Many of the projects are redos of things we no longer like, just six years in. So be it — it’s summer, and summer makes everything okay.
Here are a few things I swear by in the midsummer heat.
Hours of reading outdoors are so much better in these Peepers Sun Readers. EltaMD Red Color Correction Sunscreen is a dream come true. I bring Hydratis tablets in kiwi back from Paris, but love Liquid I.V., too. And I jumped for joy when Maria McManus produced my beloved Baby T in Black — they are not nearly as teeny as the white ones I posted about last summer.
Happy July!
On My Radar
Top of my summer to-do list is reducing the stack of books that seems to grow on its own, and I’m doing an admirable job of it. I devoured Ben Lerner’s Transcription and plan to reread it. North Woods is on my short list of all-time favorite novels, so I am counting the days until Daniel Mason’s new book Country People is out July 7. At the same time, I am taking an 8-part seminar on Moby-Dick through the 92Y’s online program, Roundtable. They get amazing scholars to lead their in-person and online classes.
Tomorrow we are going to cheer on France’s soccer team, Les Bleus. However, the Norwegian team and their fans are completely endearing, and it should all make for a memorable match.
For the first time in what seems like ages, I am excited about a number of fall collections. The Row’s car coats, available now, are on my inspiration board, and I picked up a pair of pumps with a higher heel.
After bingeing Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever—specifically the episode on Korean beauty—I’ve started adding kimchi to my diet. Next, I want to learn how to make my own.
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I love pointelle, and it’s my summer go-to, but the trick to wearing it at my age is keeping it from looking too girly. Leset and Cou Cou are my favorite brands for pointelle. The Leset dress is short and perfect over a swimsuit, and the Cou Cou skirt looks great with a slip underneath.
On My Radar
Sorry for the radio silence—this has been an insanely busy six weeks, and it’s not over yet. I need to learn to say “maybe,” or better yet, “let me think about it.” So here is a long-overdue post of random bits and bobs on my radar.
A friend wrote an exquisite collection of poems, and I’m having them bound at Thornwillow Press as a surprise. I’ve been waiting for an excuse to go there. I saw and loved Fantasy Life with Amanda Peet. It’s one of those cringey, offbeat indie movies I adore. Amazing cast. I also have tickets for What We Did Before Our Moth Days on its final day, May 24—super excited.
Elizabeth Strout is such a brilliant writer and The Things We Never Say is no exception—it’s excellent.
And on the shopping front: I ordered the Beare Park shorts (get on the waitlist, sizes are restocked constantly), started using the Augustinus Bader The Geranium Rose Body Cream (I was already devoted to the body oil), and bought another pair of Gabriela Hearst pumps in tan that were on my feet seconds after they landed on my doorstep.
Beauty
This image from the April issue of Vogue France stopped me in my tracks—I’m not a beauty person, yet I own—and have posted about—a number of the products shown here.
I’ll say it again: the Auteur line is transformative. And (not seen here) Jones Road products are pretty good—I popped into the Madison Avenue shop, which has loads of natural light, and left with six items for $200.
On My Inspiration Board
This image by Jonas Bresnan, from the recent issue of Elle France, is front and center on my desktop. I’m a skirt person, and I love everything about this look—especially the polo tucked in.
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