On my Mind
I spent the summer reading. No Paris from mid-April until Labor Day, so I stayed home and read. It was wonderful. One of my favorite books is Julie Orringer’s Luna, Phoenix, Queen, which will be out October 13.
Repurposing an item from my closet and falling in love with it all over again is the best feeling. This The Row skirt was floor-length, and thus I rarely wore it. Now I reach for it all the time.
Duffle and pea coats are my thing. When I spied this Gloverall for J. Press collab, I could not click fast enough. I have never seen a duffle coat in this color.
When the bob became the haircut du jour, I let my hair grow. To keep it in good shape, I’ve started to pre-condition, and it works like a charm! Conditioner, shampoo, mask.
Most oversized sunglasses look silly on my narrow face, so I was overjoyed to find this pair at Jimmy Fairly in Edinburgh. The French brand makes excellent products at a friendly price.
A Prada show of just skirts! It’s no secret that I am a skirt fanatic.
Happiness is having a dear friend I can text and ask “which shoe?” and she doesn’t think I’m a twit.
Finally, having a horse (preferably a few) makes me happier than I can even explain. Apollo is so sweet and a great addition to the family.
Earlier this month, I went to lovely Edinburgh for the weekend. I had never been and assumed I would never go again. While there, I was invited to a literary conference next April at Edinburgh University and I cannot wait to return. The universe really does work in mysterious ways.
On My Inspiration Board
The sum total of my fall purchases is 4 pairs of shoes: 3 The Row pumps, 1 pair of Belgian shoes in brown suede. The Belgians are replacing an old, battered pair, so they don’t really count as “new.” I’m still searching for a car coat, and The Row’s culottes were enormous, so I took a similar floor-length skirt of theirs from a few years back to be shortened. It will look almost identical. Of course, I gave both of my Hermès Collier de Chien cuffs to my girls and am thinking of getting a new one. I have a ‘no backsies’ policy.
What’s on your fall list?
On My Mind
Despite it being cooler and darker in the mornings, I don’t think we are going to have true fall weather anytime soon. So, even though summer is winding down, I am not storing my sandals just yet.
We stayed close to home the last few months. Unfortunately, we did not get as much work done on the house and gardens as I would’ve liked due to materials delays, but long lazy days by the pool and at the barn were lovely. Three things I put on a list in late May and stuck to were: reading old and new titles, wearing older beloved items, and having a jigsaw puzzle out at all times. We had more heartfelt conversations around those puzzles, similar to the ones we have on a long car trip, than we’ve had in ages. It was really nice.
Bags are Celine 2014, Tom Ford’s Jennifer sunglasses debuted in 2005, the Celine letter pendant from 2017.
It Item
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.
It Item
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.
It Item
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.
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