106: Wedding guest dresses, optical glasses, and double-wide belts
A Charlotte Chesnais ear cuff sets today's mood.
Named for the large, vertical newspaper format, think of this weekly supplement as a shopping cheat sheet cribbed from far-reaching corners of the internet.
An item to set today’s mood: A Charlotte Chesnais Initial Cuff.
Not that this space has ever heeded or even wasted any characters on fashion “rules,” but the alleged don’t-mix-silver-and-gold principle is so misinformed it’s actually tragic to think of all the times the two could have elevated a look (or even improved one at the heinous mercy of other diktats) but didn’t, no thanks to some bossy no-no blog post from the women’s media fourth stomach.
This Charlotte Chesnais Initial Cuff in silver (on sale at LN-CC) now rarely leaves my ear, especially when accompanied by my stalwart Missoma gold hoops, which together make me a more interesting person, or so I feel—which is all that matters anyway.
You’re asking about…
wedding guest dresses that aren’t Reformation
A handmade-in-India Tigra Tigra silk-cotton dress that’s well-traveled and sexy in an unforgettable green (like the Atonement dress for the multidisciplinary Lower Manhattanite); a punchy Conner Ives scarf dress at The RealReal for about half what they go for at retail; Paloma Wool’s Yausi dress for more evening-leaning functions, forgivingly priced under $200; even better, this Norma Kamali dress (the most democratic wedding guest dress-maker) is on sale for $120; Mila Sullivan’s one-of-one Marionette Dress, made of hand-dyed vintage lace for just $325, is for the girls in the know; and this prompt came to me with a budget of $700 or under, so forgive me when I toe the line of “affordable,” as with this Saks Potts dress that scrapes the upper limit at $645 but hints at a sensible CPU as a good LFG piece anytime you need serotonin in sequin form.
optical glasses that aren’t Warby Parker
One of the hardest things to buy because it means committing to a new face for the next two to five years (or at least that’s how I eyeglass), a few pairs to personality-shop for… These first ones from a collaboration between Jins and French design brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec give a swoopy lilt to the classic blocky frame; zig-zaggig down, these ones from Garret Leight’s premium brand Mr. Leight, the Bristol C frame, made this list possible, giving me renewed fuel for category research after trying them on at an amazing London shop called Mouki Mou; over to the left, a pair of cateye-ish acrylic frames from Kirk&Kirk, designed in the UK and manufactured in France; zagging back to the right, a pair of Cartier frames that doesn’t cost a whole $1,000, this under-$200 half-rimless gold-plated pair with wooden temples features the brand’s signature screws at the hinges and bridge; and lastly, the closest model I could find the the defunct Marc Jacobs specs Gisele wore her The Devil Wears Prada cameo are these thin-framed Ralph Laurens in gunmetal.
and wide belts.
I’m not gonna lie, it isn’t difficult to find wide belts these days, but in an effort to stop myself from buying them all, I’m just dropping a few good ones, like this vintage double-hole one from Maj Kiosk, here; Paloma Wool is also obviously the king of today’s tall-belt bend, as evidenced in this restrained-in-all-the-right-places Morris belt; Gabriel for Sach also demonstrates excellent minimalism in a category that could easily tip over to too much; and, Yes! Two MNZ belts—one Saharan sand Auric Vetiver Belt and one Abalone Lynx Belt—because my recent purchase of her now sold-out-everywhere Calf Arrow Belt has made me voracious for more more moarrr.
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tank tops that are supportive enough for no bras! bras are my summer enemy and i’m trying to avoid them at all costs
You've probably already discussed what I'm about to suggest, but here's what I'd love help on! Summer denim, bodysuits and other layering options, walkable sandals (do Haviananas cut it?), lightweight over-shirts. I'm beginning to wonder if cotton poplin is where it's at! Thank you so much - love your newsletter.