234: The Thing Itself
Plus Ana Kras reintroduces Teget, Net-A-Porter's Spring Sale, and every other still-happening MDW sale we care about.
It’s been unusually easy to get dressed lately, which I credit to a few new purchases whose shared quality is being The Thing Itself.
Having owned and regularly worn several great elastic-waist bias pants over the course of the last six months—from Silk Laundry, A.Emery, Enza Costa—I allowed myself to buy The Row’s Gala pants (here in navy) in a fluid triacetate cady as a final upgrade. Once I picked them up from the tailor for hemming, with whom regular visits makes up the crucial other half of my dressing ease, a custom-made pair couldn’t have fit me better or felt more natural.
Ironically, Neous’ Pherka sandals, another Thing Itself that I identified as my “shoe of the summer” back in March, finally came into my life after a failed attempt with a pair of on-sale The Row sandals that I thought could satisfy that desire. Wrong! While I’ve had luck with The Row shoes previously, I’m hearing the department is in crisis and the quality of its footwear reflects that—my pair of graphic thong heels snapping at the toe post on their second wear was a horn in my ear to accept no substitutes, even if those substitutes are The Row.
The Pherkas are aptly mind-blowing…I won’t say they couldn’t use a break-in period, but I stay so impressed with everything Neous is putting out. To me, it’s emerging as a front-runner among an already-impressive cohort of “middle luxury “ leather goods brands like Aeyde, Le Monde Beryl, Low Classic.
The essence of The Thing Itself is about more than just being anti-dupe. With Attersee, for example, I like to buy something from each new collection knowing that I’ll wear it plenty and that it’ll last. At the top of the spring collections, instead of acting on the twisted-back knit tank I had great chemistry with at the brand’s by-appointment showroom uptown, I defaulted to its sculpted vest (which I already own) in a new shade. Still great, but as I learned in the months leading up to me eventually going back for the tank, it wasn’t The Thing Itself. (Side note: The Negative racerback bra I wrote about in my intimates overhaul turned out to be the perfect underpinning for this tank.)
Other items have trickled into my wardrobe since my last update, some Things Themselves, some Things In The Making. A pair of Helmut Lang jeans I was skeptical of until I had them hemmed (there’s that magic again), now they’re unimprovable. Maryam Nassir Zadeh ballet wedges I never saw coming. The Comme Si button-up that casually rendered an entire collection of button-ups moot.
Anyway, let’s get on with it—lots of sales carrying over from MDW, so don’t be afraid to click to read more when you hit the end of the email. I promise we edited it down to only the good stuff :)
With News Editor
What’s new
Those among us who’ve been following Ana Kras from one collaboration to the next to appreciate how her eye lends itself to lamps, curtains, t-shirts, and other objects can rest our feet a bit. The artist has launched a platform of her own under the familiar moniker Teget, where she and parter Ruben Moreira introduce a series of soft and hard goods. Highlights count a couch cover in a pensive black-blue, a paper panel lamp with a “duvet” print, and waste-free jeans made in collaboration with Unspun.
La Garçonne’s new cache of Wales Bonner x Adidas pieces puts a fine point on the boutique’s gameness of late in breaking through its proclivity toward Manoogian-ian neutrals—in this sporty lot, the iconic collaboration asserts its dominance over Onitsuka Tigers with a fluorescent yellow version of its signature sneaker and marries the past two “colors of the summer” with racing stripe t-shirts and track jackets in vibratory tomato and cobalt hues.
In its newly out PF24 collection, Christopher Esber bucks the autumnal tradition of sober neutrals: crinkly, saffron-colored button-downs interpolated with strips of lace that look watercolored; rolled-hem mini dresses dotted with honey-gold floral beads; and paper-white maxi dresses that shoot upward like arrows from knife-pleat skirts into bodices like jasmine petals all feel like signs that this summer’s energy won’t instantly dissipate on the first of September.
It feels illegal to associate the buttoned-up-till-now brand with any intimation of smuttiness, but Uniqlo knows what it’s doing with its latest Roger Federer collection by JW Anderson. It’d be genuinely difficult to drop the ball (so to speak) after the label’s heavy-handed logo placement in Challengers, but still, it’s impressive that the no-nonsense collection of stripy polos, featherweight anoraks, and sporty-trimmed stretch shorts manages to further this summer’s “tennis nerds are sexy” propagandizing.
A proper swimwear discussion is coming soon, but in the meantime, the Lido x Soeur launch is important and actionable intel for those as eager for fresh vacation wear as I am. A bikini, one-piece, dress, skirt, tote, and swim cap rendered in a brilliantly brown palette are an apt wardrobe for the dark summer romance of a movie we all secretly hope our season will be.
Brazilian It Girl Renata Quaglia has launched her debut jewelry line, Renata.q, at Moda Operandi, starting out with nine iterations of a simple but powerful formula: skillful crochet + huge, poignant seashells = summer-defining statement necklace. Thick cotton-yarn “lace” frames veiny scallop shells, mathematically-significant spirals, and pointy, striped ocean-made pendants to make the naturally-hardy necklaces.
In a very different take on jewelry inspired by seashells, Shima (“island” in Japanese) by Charlotte Chesnais iterates on a shape that evokes marine land masses, ear canals, Abstract Expressionist sculpture, and more, carving the soft swoop into crystal pendants, layered hoop earrings, chunky silver rings, and more.
Tekla’s summer collection adds a host of fresh hues to the roster of familiarly airy shapes that define the brand’s moody-beachy M.O.: a new shade of misty cerulean is interpreted into the family of percale duvet covers; mature faded grape (“Port”) makes appearances in knit jersey t-shirts, striped beach towels, and garment-dyed canvas beach bags; and tangerine stripes are the latest addition to the beloved suite of poplin pajama sets.
Sézane’s Italian aspirations have collided with Momonì’s bonafide Italian cred in a capsule that feels like a Vera Bradley girl discovering herself in a summer spent au pair-ing in Florence, and that’s a good thing—mature but not at all dowdy floral sundresses, one-shoulder blouses printed like a porcelain fountain, and cool-toned platform heeled sandals are going as quickly as the commensurate one-way tickets to the Mediterranean coast.
Onea Clare’s Silphium Studio is already known to those smartly plugged into the Cafe Forgot universe. But her finesse with workwear textiles like Japanese denim and waxed canvas set her apart from many of her knitwear peers in the space. A really strong just-launched SS24 collection—and LES’ next anti-It bag in the making—suggests she’s about to cross over into a tier of her own.
Also on the Euro Summer front is Positano hotel boutique Emporio Sirenuse’s collaboration with multidisciplinary artist Louis Barthélemy, a capsule of silk twill camp shirt and short sets, quick-dry swim trunks, and matching scarves, all illustrated with Barthélemy’s romantic graphics depicting mythological cityscapes inspired by his love of Egypt and the Amalfi Coast.
Not our usual beat, but why be the only ones left not talking about Ozempic? The drugs-to-your-door brands Hims and Hers recently began offering the weight-loss peptide semaglutide on their platforms, making it more affordable and available than it’s ever been before. According to
’s coverage, it’s apparently “ridiculously easy” to get, and I just don’t see how this isn’t a major turning point for use of the drug at mass.There’s also: I spy a few Carven bags in stock at Net-A-Porter after they sold out almost instantly on the site a month back; Urban Outfitters releases an exclusive vintage-inspired Kate Spade baguette bag in black, polka-dot, and rainbow stripe canvas for under $200 a pop; Issimo and Métier collaborate on a capsule of silver and gold metallic-coated calfskin purses and wallets—a little Christmassy for this time of year, but gorgeous enough to transcend temporality; La Garçonne presents a Casey Casey x Guidi collaboration, no-frills sabot clogs in black or crimson leather with special touches like visible hardware; Extreme Cashmere’s edition 28 features summer knits like diaphanous tanks, structured halters, and failsafe t-shirts; Yohji Yamamoto’s Wildside collaborates with God's True Cashmere on darkly western-styled shirts cut in, of course, cashmere; the newest Altuzarra x Larroudé drop features seven shades of a classic, imposing pump designed with memory foam and a structure intended not to cause any undue foot anguish;the On x Loewe duo releases a new capsule featuring, beyond the obvious footwear, a slew of performance-oriented, elevated athleisure; and The North Face unveils Lightrange, a line of warm-weather performance gear designed to prioritize breathability and quick-dry technology.
What’s on sale
Net-A-Porter’s sale, which started last week as an invite-only event, has rolled out to all and reaches up to 80% off (despite advertising only 50%), and a few sure-to-sell-out tabs are burning a hole in my browser: one left of this open-back Givenchy gown for your best Mireille Darc approximation (if I had anything coming up to wear this to, I swear…); a 60% off ruffled floral Dries skirt; an under-$300 mini bag from Destree, a favorite new-to-Net brand of mine; my very own Jacquemus Ovalo blazer for 40% off; the devastating Tove gown I never thought I’d see on sale; and a crocheted Elder Statesman dress for under $350, somehow.
It’s the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale, and this season the SPACE section’s discount tides coalesce around a specific summer vibe—wistfully futuristic, like a Wong Kar-wai film published entirely on TikTok. Paolina Russo’s pixelated bike shorts are $129 down from $215 (and match this tank top); a genderless, asymmetrical camisole by K.NGSLEY, a label that’s bound to get its flowers soon, is $108; lace boxers via Collina Strada are 40% off, and much more.
The Row may be marked down everywhere that’s having a sale this week, but its own site guards the best finds—namely, its Nymph booties (which I’ve handled and can give a pass to amid current Row shoe skepticism). They are heartbreakingly dreamed up and gorgeously made, and I never understood why The Row bothered to knock itself off with this lesser version. The Nymphs are down to $1,260 (from $2,100), alongside a bunch of other deals on accessories and RTW.
It’s always worth waiting for a rare Maimoun sale—a strapped-up, plum-colored MNZ bikini top brushes shoulders with a piecemeal SC103 halter top (a deep cut from many seasons past), a stoner Montessori mama’s bead-fringed hoodie courtesy of J.Kim, Mozhdeh Matin’s most compelling crocheted dresses (this black one down to $570 from $950)—even the unhinged Super Yaya gown we shouted out in our first AMA is 20% off.
Lots of temptation at Moda’s Designer Sale right now, especially given their reign over the current season. Those cutout Alaia mules are down to $810; a Simuero choker I deeply adore for $214; Siedres made an exceptionally hot dress that’s now $294; a very elegant Anna October draped top for under $300; and The Row Thilde pants—a Thing Itself for some of you—down to $330.
Going for 70% off at La Garçonne’s Spring Sale are this Loulou Studio coat (now $164), a La Collection strapless top I buy instantly if it were in my size (now $156), and these Toogood cords that seem like they’d look good on anyone (now $251). The caliber of deals remains high across the sale’s trailing pages.
The Saks designer sale has upped the ante, now up to 75% off more than 28k styles like an intricate, crochet-edged Zimmerman one-piece; a very Challengers stretchy Staud polo tee (just over $100); tons of Dôen, like this slippy silk top; and a surprising trove of Eileen Fisher under $200—this netted sweater is the platonic ideal of a beach cover-up.
The Co seasonal sale takes up to 40% off an alluringly odd lot of last season’s styles: a day dress seemingly pieced together with self-ties in blush-colored coated linen, offering sly glimpses of skin at the sternum; a slouchy bustier top gathered into a chilled-out interpretation of a sweetheart neckline; and lambskin ballet flats given a ruched treatment that makes them stand out in a sea of the overplayed style are a few standouts.
Like a general store for people whose flour is Flore Flore and whose powdered sugar is Cecilie Bahnsen, Outline Brooklyn is having a flash sale, with low-waisted MM6 jeans down to $276 from $460, square-toed Jil Sander flats for $612, another Super Yaya shoutout, this time for a golden sailor top, and more delightful finds.
Maria McManus’ summer sale covers all the given bases: recycled nylon bike shorts and knit cropped bralettes for the pragmatists, crepe one-shoulder tops and hand-beaded racer tanks for the partiers, v-neck mesh dresses and plunging bodysuits for the perverts. There is no wrong choice.
Emme Parsons’ mid-season sale offers 25% off sparsely strung, cream-corded sandals; v-vamped kitten heels; loafers in the snake print that seems to be popping up in every sale section these days; and more such forward-thinking footwear.
In Sapir Bachar’s summer sale, each 30% off adornment has such a vibrant life force, scrolling through the selection is like seeking a new pet. Three different styles of chain slither into each other in the Bone Snake Choker, the Wreath Ring seems as if it could bite down at any time with ever-gentle silver teeth, and if you make eye contact with the Dome Hoop Earrings, you won’t be able to break it.
Rachel Comey’s summer sale is sheer fun—plum-colored babydoll dresses with huge ruffles for necklines meet highlighter yellow wide-legged trousers and furry, block-heeled mules among a larger convergence of color and texture that feels exploratory and inviting.
Take up to 50% off Mansur Gavriel’s summer sale selection of its signature leather accessories in gelato-shop hues: a creamy pistachio tote, bubblegum blue purse with an envelope-like structural base, and banana-colored ballet flats are three of many luscious pieces at steep discounts.
There’s also: Gemsun’s iconic Korb bag and more are down 20% ahead of summer in a rare archive sale; Matches’ march to the edge of the earth heralds new 70% off lows—for those waiting for the big and final blowout, this may be nearly it; a very unexpected private sale from Fforme is underway—these pull-on pants and this tank have my attention; Bally takes half off a sprawling selection of sunglasses, espadrilles, totes, and more quintessential summer supplies; Guest in Residence’s newest styles are up to 30% off—plenty of layerable vests, lightweight crewnecks, and more; add a bra and matching underwear from Kiki De Montparnasse’s selected lingerie to your cart and receive an automatic 20% discount; Shaina Mote’s spring sale takes 20% off a curation of knit tanks, linen wrap tops, iridescent scrunchies, and more; Eckhaus Latta’s private sale is replete with quirked-up denim and summer accessories like heirloom-quality sunglasses; Simon Miller’s online sample sale cuts up to 80% off the prices of its signature bubble clogs, knit dresses, and more—this ruched skirt literally costs $39 down from $198; Ciao Lucia’s Memorial Day Weekend sale takes 40% off a selection of bow-laden, linen-forward, pop-punk romantic outfit centerpieces; and Credo offers up to 50% off a bunch of beauty favorites from labels like Kjaer Weis and Abbott.
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Fabulous finds as always. Loved seeing the pants on your Instagram and immediately identified as my summer uniform wish list. Love the look. xx
question for you, Laura. On the elastic-waist bias pants, do you typically wear them at your waist? Or your hips?