188: What springs from La Garçonne's well

At the epicenter of the vibe shift of 2024.

First off, thank you all for your lovely comments and messages following my last send about correcting course on personal style. It seems, as a culture, we’re confronting truths and changes in our individual aesthetics in tandem with one another.

Dorsey founder Megan Alida Strachan linked out to an Ezra Klein podcast with guest Kyle Chayka about personal style on her own fantastic Substack, and it was a really worthwhile listen (also, check out Kyle’s new book Filterworld, which I’m currently listening to on audiobook—it expands on aesthetics in the algorithmic world).

Meanwhile Lauren Sherman mused in her column on Puck whether “we have reached Peak Toteme: the height of Carolyn Bessette-referencing, Cabmate Instagram account-liking, ’90s minimalist throwback style.”

And, would you believe me if I said that when Rachel writes about the ladies-who-lunch look, and Em writes about the priesthood-ization of fashion, and Leandra writes about styling winter accessories, and I write about Period-Drama Dressing, we are all, actually, talking about the same thing?

We are, to borrow a phrase from the original coiner Sean Monahan (who is in fact back with more seer-like doomsdaying), entering a Vibe Shift. If what brought us into our last stylistic chapter was a race towards an ultimate yet finite “best,” timelessness from an unbudging POV, and sobriety, what’s drawing us out today is the search for roots.

When I got the email that La Garçonne had received its first spring deliveries, I knew that opening several dozen tabs would not be enough. I had to go there and become one with the new arrivals. It could be said that La Garçonne, in many ways, represents the epicenter of the vibe shift we’re experiencing, just by virtue of doing what it’s always done. (What’s happening at men’s week—via Lemaire, Auralee, Dries, Magliano—is also a bridge between where we’ve been and where we’re headed.)

This vibe shift can’t be defined in a single post or by a single entity (even Sean’s original warning of the Vibe Shift back in 2022—which manifested as TikTok, Gen Z politics, and war—was left open-ended), so I don’t expect to be able to capture it or relay it perfectly by the end of this email. Rather, we all have the season ahead of us to explore it in the ways that most relate to us and make our contributions in the great dialogue that is Fashion!

Issey Miyake Enveloping Jacket, $1,570 / Labo.Art Diana Pants, $275 / Issey Miyake Aerate Beanie, $395 / Marséll Ago Ballerina, $845 / Corali Breton Aventurine Earrings, $520 / Ayllón Sonia Ring (my own), $147

It’s not a coincidence that most of the pieces I paired together on this visit nestle neatly within the period-drama dressing scope I outlined last week. On my path to reconnecting with my personal style, I’ve identified an inner urgency behind its storytelling, like my aesthetic radar is blinking, “Aha! This is good, this is beautiful.” Many brands have the source code in their DNA—Jil, Comme, Ann, Yohji—and Issey is one of them, albeit always with a charming (and intentional) lopsided execution, like a child’s drawing.

This hat, for anyone wondering, is L-shaped with two open ends and can be styled and rolled and left lollygagging in more ways than meets the eye. It’s Pleats Please-y in its ribbing, but with a thicker, warmer material that makes it practical for these months. The earrings, Corali, have been on my wishlist for aeons, since well before founder Caroline Sillesen came on the newsletter to share her home purchases (she’s also a talented furniture designer). I love the rough, knottiness of her wearables.

The Row Viper Jacket, $3,450 / The Row Roan Pant, $1,390 / Dosa Surplice Vintage Lace, $665 / Lemaire Scarf Bag, $1,785 / The Row Harlow 35 Sandal, $990 / Sophie Buhai Everyday Hoops (my own), $182 $275 / Ayllón Sonia Ring (my own), $147

I don’t know the most about bespoke suiting, but I’ve clicked into enough Menswear Guy threads to think that, if you have nearly $5,000 to spend, you might be better served pursuing that avenue rather than investing in something off the rack, even if it is The Row. Still, it was legitimately pleasurable to indulge in the fantasy trying this one on.

I wore the smallest size trousers, which have inner hook-and-button adjustments and were still too large on me—I’m wearing them rolled at the waistband here. The jacket, though, was spectacular in the way that it pulled away from the body and cocooned it in all the right places. The fabric was perfectly matte yet perfectly sheeny, bouncing light like fondant icing on a goth wedding cake or like it was wearing Westman Atelier highlighter. I highly enjoyed pairing it with this priestly Dosa tunic that takes both brands off their set courses.

Lemaire’s Scarf Bag—a Burro Bag by my count—I dream of wearing over a big wool coat through the season. Coat bags are a thing I’m thinking about lately…a horseman of the vibe shift perhaps? More likely, it’s just coat season.

6397 Mac Coat, $750 / Lauren Manoogian Super Fine Tee, $310 / Lauren Manoogian Super Fine V Neck, $450 / The Row Ednah Pants, $2,350 / The Row Claudette Flat, $1,090 / Sophie Buhai Everyday Hoops (my own), $182 $275 / Ayllón Sonia Ring (my own), $147

I’ve had my eye on these 10-gallon The Row sweats for several weeks, and there is plenty to report! They are double-layered merino wool with an elastic waistband that flares out in a curved shape over your hips. The hourglass shape helps to hold up a half tuck, as with the Lauren Manoogian layers I have on top (spectacular paper thin alpaca knits). The pants are legitimately heavy—comfortingly, no risk of falling down while you walk—and they create the best pooling down by the ankle.

This is a version of the outfit you’ll find me wearing at home or running to the store during winter nine times out of ten, down to the pointy white shoes, which I’ve been known to slip into if I’m determined this is what I’m wearing out-out. It’s this Loro Piana look that’s haunted me for the better part of a year all over again.

Auralee Cashmere Wool Mosser Soutien Collar Coat, $1,975 / Auralee Brushed Alpaca Wool Melton Regular Stole, $465 / Toteme Belted Suede Tote, $1,150 / Jamie Haller Penny Loafer (my own), $565 / Sophie Buhai Everyday Hoops (my own), $182 $275 / Ayllón Sonia Ring (my own), $147

King Arthur’s court is in session, I know. It was a great omen that, only a day or two after I wore this Auralee coat in-store and decided it was the number-one thing I would like to buy from this entire try-on session, I took a meeting with a well-dressed woman named Susanna wearing the exact coat. It possesses a softness that could launch a thousand ships. Ships that set sail with the message: “You have untold navy trenches, but those navy trenches are not this navy trench,” and they would be right.

Extreme Cashmere n°317 Nisse Sweater, $1,000 / Extreme Cashmere n°313 Twirl Skirt, $1,000 / Extreme Cashmere n°35 Bandana Scarf, $200 / The Row Ava Bootie, $1,290 / Sophie Buhai Everyday Hoops (my own), $182 $275 / Ayllón Sonia Ring (my own), $147

I clearly took Extreme Cashmere’s NYC-based campaign to heart, projecting myself in these images over the course of weeks until their realization became inevitable. Through the enormous shawl I have from the brand, I knew Extreme Cashmere has a fantastic weight to it. Heavy and bouncy and unafraid of impractical bigness. The Twirl Skirt has these qualities, with a dense determination in its sway.

And, a cameo from the OG babouche boots—The Row’s Avas—which I don’t own but I’ve tried on in stores around the world, just to feel their familiar, glove-soft leather mold immediately to my feet. Hello again, old friends. Is it time I finally adopted you?

If you’ve made it to this point, congratulations! La Garçonne is also having a big sale right now, I thought you should know.

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