Mending is essential to that “timeless” wardrobe so many people are after. Soles get worn down, seams fall out, that steal from the sample sale fits a little funny. Even if I didn’t pay a lot for it upfront, I consider every piece in my closet an investment piece because I know that if I expect my clothes and shoes to last, I’m going to have to continuously invest some time and/or money into their upkeep. And that often means calling upon experts for their help. Having a cobbler, tailor, and jeweler who you trust will change your relationship to your wardrobe.

Below, you’ll find my rolodex of vetted menders. They are—with one exception—a walkable distance from my current apartment because the real answer to where to find “the best” tailor/cobbler/jeweler is probably the one that is most convenient to you. However, if you’re looking for expert referrals or you happen to live on the Upper West Side, then this list is gold. If you don’t, I think you’ll still find some good tips to take to your own menders.

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tailor: MCMB cleaners

West 112th St. & Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem

If you know me personally, there is a good chance you’ve heard me wax poetic about my tailor. I LOVE them. Their tailoring work is every bit as artful as their dressing room, which the manager has decorated with his black-lit pointillism designs. MCMB was only a few blocks away from my first apartment in New York, but I’ve remained loyal even though it’s now a 25-minute walk away. They have made pants bigger when I couldn’t return a slightly too small pair to Australia from whence they came, they took in my beloved suede trench for only $75 (a steal for leather work), they relined my mom’s houndstooth coat from the ‘80s, etc, etc. If you live anywhere along the B/C lines, you need to go here (they’re right off the 110th street stop). While you’re up there, stop for the best bagels in NYC at Bo’s.

cobbler: toscana shoe repair

Broadway between West 85th and 86th St., Upper West Side

I’ve had a few pairs of shoes repaired at Toscana, and I’m always impressed. But they truly blew my mind earlier this week when I picked up my eight-year-old pair of No.6 Store clogs that needed new sole. I wish I had taken a before picture of these because I genuinely thought these were toast. After eight years of trudging through Philadelphia and New York winters in these, the rubber sole was crumbling and the leather looked more grey than black. But the magicians at Toscana made them look BRAND NEW! I’m still in awe. Total: $80. Much better than spending $420 to replace them.

jewelry repair: ernesto’s jewelry

Broadway between West 85th and 86th St., Upper West Side

Right next door to Toscana is Ernesto’s. I first came here to repair my grandma’s opal ring that had a crack in the band. I returned to have my vintage engagement ring resized. The service is friendly and the turnaround is quick. With my engagement ring, they gave me the tiny piece of gold they took out to use “when my fingers get bigger after I have a baby.” Presumptuous, but thoughtful.

dry cleaner: symphony cleaners

West 95th St. amd Broadway, Upper West Side

Not mending per se, but a trustworthy dry cleaner is a must because it’s likely where you are sending your most special and/or expensive pieces. But dry cleaning is definitely something I don’t want to go remotely out of my way for, so I tried a few places nearby when we moved to this apartment. Symphony is my favorite. I actually don’t do a ton of dry cleaning because most things that call for dry cleaning can or should be hand washed. Shoutout to Soak Laundry Soap for all my hand-washing needs. However, I have this one silk shirt that looks simply stunning having returned from a trip to the dry cleaner, and I do like to have my sweaters professionally cleaned before I store them away for winter.

specialty tailor: shopboy

Walker St. between Broadway and Church St., Tribeca

Caveat: This is a recent discovery, and I admittedly don’t have the finished product yet. The backstory is that I got this amazing chunky cashmere and leather sweater at a Michael Kors sample sale years ago. It’s such a special piece, but I rarely wear it because it’s an awkward length—too short to be a dress, too long as a sweater. And if I’m not wearing something because it’s imperfect in some way, then it’s just taking up valuable space in my small closet. The reason it’s taken me so long to do something about this particular piece is that haven’t been able to find a place that can alter knits. It’s a completely different skill set than what a normal tailor offers. BUT, my recent search turned up Shopboy in Tribeca or Greenpoint. I dropped in the other day, and this is the chicest tailor I’ve ever seen with gorgeous employees to match the vibey interiors. I spoke to one of those employees about what I was looking for, and she agreed that it was possible. It was $85 and will take about three weeks, which seemed fair for the kind of specialty work the sweater needs. I also made an appointment to bring in my wedding dress in a few weeks.

small fixes: myself!

I have a few pieces with missing buttons that need to be replaced. This weekend’s project will be to actually do that.

in search of: handbag hardware repair

The final piece on my to-fix list is the Prada bag I got at the outlet in Tuscany in 2019. I packed it for a recent trip in between a cushy layer of sweaters, and I unpacked it to find a piece of the hardware had snapped en route. A lot of handbag fixes can be made at your cobbler, but mine said that because of the nature of the break, they’d need a new piece. I contacted Prada to see if they had a replacement and found out that they only keep specific hardware on hand for two years after a piece is made. So, back to the drawing board. I’m thinking I’ll take it to my jewelry spot to see if they can solder it, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I’m all ears.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I’m seeing this bag shape everywhere right now and like this silk dupion take (on sale!) from Hai.

• There’s also a smaller version in navy.

• My closet clean-out revealed a distinct lack of tops that aren’t basic tees, sweaters, or button-ups. I like what I like! But I could stand to inject some fun into this category. Some I have my eye on:

• Open-back silk from Baserange via the Ssense sale

• A slightly sheer polo from Cos

• Or is it time for baby’s first Pleats Please?

• But the thing is I am always more drawn to bottoms and what I really want to spend my shirt budget on is more long shorts

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

Something you may be surprised to know about me is that I love a spy show. The best is Slow Horses, obviously. And we’re on the final season of Homeland. I truly believe that I would make an excellent spy—so long as I didn’t have to handle a gun or be in any actual danger. But I walk very quietly, have a trustworthy demeanor, and could probably pass as Russian if I needed to go undercover. If anyone reading this is in the CIA (or better yet, MI6), call me!

However, I’ve read shockingly few spy books. So when Tim bought Berlin Game by Len Deighton for us to read after hearing about it on Bill Nighy’s advice podcast (as delightful as it sounds), it immediately went to the top of my TBR pile. I’m about a third of the way through, and it’s about my favorite kind of spy: British. The spy in question here, Bernard Samson, is retired from the field, but he’s also the only one who can retrieve an agent code named “Brahms Four” from East Germany. The thing is that a lot of people don’t actually want Brahms Four retrieved, and Samson’s wife, who is also in the service, is acting kind of shady. So far, so good—though I’m not sure anything can fill the Slow Horses-shaped hole in my life. The return of Rivals (definitely not a spy show, but British) in two weeks should help.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

Tim and I started Sunday with pancakes at Good Enough to Eat on the UWS. They’re the best pancakes in the city, and the strawberry butter they’re served with is so good that I don’t even use syrup. This was my first time going there since they started sharing the space with a Jamaican restaurant at night, and the formerly quaint decor has taken a turn for the tropical. As we were walking through the farmer’s market behind the Museum of Natural History afterwards, Tim suggested we dip into the museum for a bit. Reminder: It’s pay what you can for New York residents.

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Now that I’m back in “office,” I thought it would be a good time to take a closer look at my “office.” My job is fully remote, so that means a desk tucked into a corner of our living room. There is a lot I miss about going into a physical office: the coworker friends, putting on a real outfit, and even the commute (time to read!). But then I sit at the office I made for myself, literally surrounded by books all day, and I’m grateful I don’t have to go to a sterile office. Plus, when I’m craving a tuna sandwich, I can walk two steps into the kitchen and make one from scratch and eat it at my desk. You can’t do that at an office! And if you do, you really shouldn’t.

I started my current fully remote job only a few weeks after Tim and I first moved in together. He started his own fully remote new job a few weeks after that. Had we known when apartment hunting that this would be the dynamic, we likely would have prioritized finding a two bedroom, so that at least one of us would have a dedicated office. Instead, we had one bedroom, a giant roof deck, and room for a single desk. The idea was that we would share this desk and take turns working from it or from the dining table.

I had the idea to leave a nook for the future desk in the bookshelves we were installing. Once those were up, it took me about two months of stalking Facebook Marketplace to find something both Tim and I approved of. It was antique, which I liked, but not too fussy, which Tim liked. That the top opened up to reveal a large storage compartment was a major selling point. We desperately needed any storage we could get to organize our newly combined stuff.

I negotiated the seller to $120, and we made a plan to pick it up from her apartment in Sunnyside. We looked it over, chatted with the seller for a few minutes, and decided it lived up to our exceptions. Then we got it home and… Tim’s legs couldn’t fit under it. Mine only barely do. I had failed to realize that the all-important storage compartment was built into the opening where one’s legs would normally go.

An important lesson: Remember to sit at a desk or table before you buy!

So our desk became my desk, and Tim was relegated full time to the dining table. He insisted he liked the background better for his video calls anyway. Left to make the space my own, I slowly made it one of my favorite corners of the apartment. Besides being surrounded by books and two steps from the kitchen, it’s an accumulation of knickknacks and art and book and notebooks that inspire me or just make me smile.

On the left: A vase/pencil holder a friend brought me back from Copenhagen, a love note from Tim, a lemon painting from Marrakech, a painting of a lady by my friend Emily, a newly acquired cicada magnet (they’re a symbol of Provence), a vintage glass tomato, a dish of odds and ends, and some Caudalie face mist. On the right: The signed title page of a David Sedaris book with the wise advice “write why don’t you” tucked behind books and notebooks that are research for the novel I had the idea for years ago and maybe, someday, will actually write.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• In Paris, I finally caved and got an agnes b. snap cardigan, opting for tomato red. I’ve long avoided the IYKYK staple because it felt like too much to spend on something that was frankly kind of boring. But, I work from home, and I had to admit it’s exactly the kind of think I want to work from home in. Comfy yet put-together. Plus, they are much cheaper when you buy them in France.

• I also picked up what might be the most perfect tank top.

• And I continued my tradition of bringing home a hyper-specific kitchen tool as a souvenir with a baguette knife from Landline.

• When I got back, I cleaned out my closet and switched it from fall/winter to spring/summer. In the process, I identified a few worn-out essentials that needed replacing and felt like I was in middle school again with purchases from the trifecta of Gap, Old Navy, and J.Crew.

• A version of these Gap bras were some of the first bras I ever owned. They stopped making them at one point, which forced me to wear mine until they were literally falling apart. I was thrilled to see them back.

• I needed some new bottoms for yoga and workouts, and I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on sweaty clothes, so this three-pack of leggings from Old Navy called my name. I like that they’re mostly cotton, and I’m hoping that they hold up in workouts and the wash.

• One of my white button-ups was long past it’s prime, and because I need at least three in the rotation at all times, I decided to replace it with the Étienne from J.Crew (30% off!) that my friend Nicole from Double Dutch raves about.

• And finally, some very good long shorts from Loulou de Saison via The Outnet.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I picked up the new Maria Semple book, Go Gentle, at Barnes and Noble over the weekend. Her second novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, is such a favorite that I even broke my own habit of waiting for the paperback to come out before buying the latest. I have admittedly not gotten very far into it, but I am obviously taken by one piece of the plot: Divorcee on the Upper West Side assembles a “coven” of like-minded women of a certain age to take over a floor of the Ansonia building. An early scene has Adora, the protagonist, and a friend go to the grocery store together lamenting that they hate the amount of food they waste cooking for one. They hatch plan to share groceries. Genius! I needed this when I was single and would avoid cooking anything with celery in it because I always had so much extra celery. The cover flap promises both romance and international intrigue. If you’re wondering what I’m doing this weekend, it’s reading this.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

My company has a monthly “mental health” Friday off, and April’s was this past Friday. I used mine to treat myself to a mani/pedi and one of my favorite affordable facials in the city at Buttercup Skincare. The only review you need: Tim walked in the door after work, looked at me with concern, and asked if I was okay because I “looked wet.” “It’s called ‘dewy,’ and that means it worked!” I said. I also got my first Mister Softee chocolate dip of the season .

Charlotte here. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a friend of Bailey’s from college. After 10 years working in restaurants, I just quit my job as a chef and am now trying to find some zen. Bailey is away this week on Official Wedding Business so she graciously offered me a guest spot here to get some of my thoughts out of my head and onto paper--or your phone screens, I guess. First and foremost, I’m here to share some springy recipes with you all, but I’m going to begin with some musings on my favorite person and the origin of our love affair (sorry, Tim).

Bailey and I were *GASP* sorority sisters. I, too, ran for AOII President. Unsuccessfully, but we don’t have to talk about it. The Rhodes College housing process was more russian roulette than lottery, so, in the fall of 2013 we found ourselves, along with a third roommate who we’ll call “Claire,” renting a house off campus. Evidently sharing a common enemy *is* the fastest way to make friends. Though we’d only known each other socially before, Bailey and I soon dubbed ourselves Truemates™. Claire was pretty bad, but blessedly started living with her creepy older boyfriend in October--though she returned for sporadic midnight cooking visits that set off the smoke alarm more often than not. Our new roommate was our very own DJ Roomba who roamed the dingy halls blasting Icona Pop, Drake, or Arctic Monkeys (it was 2013, after all). We also spent a lot of time binging Parks and Rec in bed (Claire had taken the couch).

Bailey and I both relinquished our dining hall meal plans when we moved off campus. The budding chef in me was eager to have both a real kitchen for creating elaborate meals as well as space to host grown-up dinner parties. In reality we subsisted on frozen Kroger brand tortellini and the occasional Panera Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich and chocolate chip cookie treat. Our first dinner party took place at a beer pong table, legs folded in, on our dining room floor (Claire took the table and chairs too), and all but two of my ~fancy~ new Crate & Barrel wine glasses ended up in pieces in the trash.

The rest of that first year was a slew of underfunded but occasionally scrumptious moments. We opted out of dollar store frozen burger patties at tailgates, instead commandeering the grill at Kappa Sig to make burger bun grilled cheese sandwiches. I worked on perfecting my now-famous Bolognese. Bailey shared her mom’s clam spaghetti recipe, and I became obsessed with her grandmother’s rum cake. Thank god we always had at least a little bit of Captain Morgan in the house. Formal pregames featured my “mystery bucket” concoction, which Bailey was wise not to imbibe. Bailey spent more time on campus than I did (she did her homework, I did not) so not all of our meals were shared, but whenever they were, they were memorable.

Anyway, in the spring of 2014 Bailey and I self-diagnosed ourselves with scurvy. It had been a rough winter: our pipes froze over Christmas break, leaving us the delightful choice of cold shower or no shower; we convinced each other that we both had tapeworms; Bailey’s temperamental doorknob left her locked inside her bedroom and forced to jump out of the window in the middle of the night (more than once); and it turned out Claire had been pocketing our utility money, which we discovered one evening upon returning to a house with no lights (and no internet to watch Parks & Rec!). After the tumult of the colder season, scurvy was oddly unremarkable and easily remedied. I pilfered some oranges from the dining hall and we ate them on the kitchen floor.

Look how far we’ve come.

Now on to those recipes I promised. As the farmer’s market gets more and more neon, I get more and more excited about entertaining with colorful spreads that count as vegetables AND table decor. Here are two of my favorite dips for entertaining and some ways you can make them into a full dish. They may or may not cure scurvy.

English Pea Hummus

Boil a can of chickpeas with 2-3 cups of water, one garlic clove, a spoonful of salt, and a pinch of baking soda until they are super soft and you can crush them between your fingers. Strain the liquid off, making sure to dispose of any floating chickpea skins in the process. Use the same pot to bring 3-4 cups of salted water to a boil and add 1-2 cups of shelled english peas. Prepare a bowl of ice water. As soon as the peas have turned a vibrant green (30 seconds-1 minute), drain the boiling water and put the peas quickly into the ice water to stop them cooking and preserve their bright color. If you have any basil, parsley, or soft-stemmed green herbs, throw the leaves in at the last second with the peas and chill them all down together. Drain and set aside. Blend the chickpeas with 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of tahini, the zest and juice of one lemon, two roughly chopped cloves of garlic, salt, and plenty of olive oil. Once the hummus is smooth, add the blanched peas and herbs and give it another good blitz until everything is combined. It can be a little chunky- some texture is better than overblending the peas, which will dull their color and make the dip less sexy. Season to your liking with more salt and lemon juice. Serve with toast points and cut radishes, or whatever crunchy vegetables you prefer.

To make a dish:

Hard boil 6 eggs: Bring a pot of water with a sprinkle of baking soda to a boil, once boiling gently add eggs and cook for 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath, when your timer goes off, remove eggs directly into ice bath and let cool. Peel the eggs and split in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and smash them in a bowl with a teaspoon of dijon mustard and two spoonfuls of the english pea hummus. Put the yolk mix in a zip top bag and cut the corner off to pipe the filling back into the eggs (or spoon it in if you aren’t as precious) and garnish with an english pea, torn herbs, and fresh cracked pepper.

Beet Tzatziki

Rub 2-3 trimmed red beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap them individually in foil and place in a baking dish with an inch or two of water. Bake them at 375F until you can pierce them with a fork (40 minutes to an hour). When they’re cool, use a towel or paper towel to rub the skins off, then grate them in a food processor or with a box grater. Squeeze out some of the extra liquid from the grated beets. Pro tip: drink the beet juice with fresh squeezed lemon for a vitamin boost, or do as I do and make neon pink beet margaritas. Mix the grated beets with greek yogurt, sour cream, or labneh to make the dip. Add Lemon Zest (orange zest would be good, too), grated garlic, and chopped dill or whatever fresh herbs you prefer (basil, parsley, or mint would be delish), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crudites and pita bread (Angel Pita from Whole Foods is my favorite) and let your guests ooh-and-ahh at your colorful culinary abilities.

To make a dish:

Roast rainbow carrots with olive oil, salt, and za’atar on 350F for 15-20 minutes until tender but not squishy. Drape the carrots over a bed of Beet Tzatziki and drizzle with pesto, and top with something crunchy. I love sesame seeds and crushed pistachios with this combo, but use what you have! Pepitas, sunflower seeds, or any other nuts in your cabinet would also be delicious.

shop talk

My favorite pastime lately is judging people’s wedding registries. Most couples tying the knot are living together and already have homes decently stocked with kitchen accoutrements, linens, and decor. I hate to see registries packed with random single-purpose kitchen tools (i.e. turkey roasting pan), expensive versions of inexpensive things ($40 vegetable peelers when these are the best), and novel appliances that gobble up valuable counter real estate and will not get used more than a couple of times. If you don’t already bake enough to justify buying yourself a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, you do not need to register for one. Whether you are building a registry, or just updating your home, here are some picks you will not be judged for.

• You need good knives! Even if you order dinner four times a week (no shame). these are a no-brainer for when you do decide to channel your inner Julia Child. This Misen set is great as a starter set and they come with lifetime sharpening.

• My go-to knives are my Nakiri and Santoku blades. These are light in your hand, do-it-all knives that you can use for anything. This and this are two great options. For the love of all that is holy, do not try to sharpen them yourself. Take them to a local kitchen store or even an Ace Hardware a couple times a year and let a professional take care of it.

• Upgrade your at-home coffee bar with this espresso machine.

• There is a reason I no longer have a roomba…I actually enjoy having a clean home! I have thrown away two(!) broken Dyson vacuums and have come to accept that trendy is not always best. I recommend this one.

• If you don’t *need* anything, register for some indulgent treats.

• Or start a honeymoon fund, making sure to leave a space for recommendations in your desired destination from your well-traveled friends.

book talk

My favorite cook books are the ones that tell the story behind the food. I’ve been ripping through Why I Cook by Tom Colicchio. When people ask where I learned to cook, my honest-to-god answer is from watching and re-watching Top Chef. Though we have yet to meet, Tom Colicchio, the show’s head judge, is a mentor and idol of mine.

real talk

I attended a wedding in Kentucky this weekend with my boyfriend’s family. We met working for a high-end catering company and cannot help but to dissect the details and decisions of other people’s events. The bride’s family made all of the food: traditional Puerto Rican tostones, pernil, arroz con gandules, and pollo asado. My future sister-in-law made the stunning wedding cake. We danced all night and somehow still had room for midnight Cane’s on the way back to the hotel.

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Next week, my dear friend and chef extraordinaire Charlotte is stepping in for the latest edition of friend of a friend of a friend. You’re in for a treat. But in the meantime, I thought I’d reshare some of my old favorites for any new friends around here.

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First up is obviously my guide to Paris. My parents are coming with me on this trip, and my dad is celebrating a big birthday while we’re here. I can’t wait to take them to some of my favorite spots. It’s going to be warm and sunny, so a trip to Fruttini is a must. I’ve only made one dinner reservation at Les Papilles—the first restaurant I fell in love with in Paris.

I’ve also been glad to see my Laurie Colwin piece get a new life recently, partly from sharing it in her Easter supplement last week. I wrote it a year ago, and my prediction seems to be finally coming to fruition. I’ve seen Colwin mentions popping up all over Substack, notably in this excellent roundup of literary romance by . Let this be your sign to go read everything Colwin has ever written! I brought Happy All The Time with me on this trip.

And no friend of a friend best-of roundup would be complete without my semi-viral ode to oatmeal. I’ve been experimenting with some new techniques lately, so it might be about time for a part two to this.

shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• My aunt has requested French sunscreen, and it’s time for me to restock too. In case you didn’t know, European standards require a higher level of protection than anything you can get in the US, and the ingredients include newer and better formulations that are not yet FDA approved.

• I’m writing this from JFK terminal 4 in my beloved Donni Kick Flares AKA my go-to travel pant. They’re comfy for a long-haul flight, but they make me feel at least slightly put together.

• In my carry-on is this very silly looking mask. My dad is a sleep-mask collector, and this is his favorite, so it’s my favorite too.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

Like Colwin, Grace Paley is one of those your-favorite-writer’s-favorite-writer types. So I’d seen her name for years and knew she was considered a master of the short story, a New Yorker, and a noted activist. But I’d never read anything of hers! When I saw a copy of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute at a used bookstore last weekend, I decided it was time to change that. I’ve only read the first three stories, but each one is a jewel. I like short stories for traveling because of the stop-and-go nature of airports. I don’t want to be sucked into a juicy novel and be interrupted by boarding announcement, but a short story is the perfect length to read in those in-between moments.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I went to the recently reopened New Museum with my friend on Saturday. The exhibition was called New Humans: Memories of the Future, and it featured many robots. I would say more, but my flight is boarding!

HOWEVER, because of the aforementioned brand dilution, some really excellent, pre-diffusion-line vintage pieces can be had for some really excellent prices. People aren’t clamoring for it the way they are for vintage Prada, though the quality is on par. Kors was using similar Italian factories for much of his production that wasn’t happening in the US. Trust me, this stuff is seriously well made. Think: Heavy wool coats, buttery leather pieces, and impeccably tailored sets. The skirt below is covered in wooden beads. The pictures are a little fuzzy, but I guarantee you it’s stunning in person. And that $870 Rohé frog-closure jacket the cool girls are wearing? I counter with a never-worn vintage Michael Kors version for $173.

Before we get too deep in, a brief history: Michael Kors was working at Lothar’s boutique as an in-house designer when he was discovered by the fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman across the street. She encouraged him to start his own line, which he did in 1981. The line was sold at Bergdorf and got Kors noticed by the capital-F fashion world. In 1990, he launched his first diffusion (fashion speak for lower-priced) line, KORS Michael Kors, which went on hiatus following a 1993 bankruptcy filing. Kors rebuilt his luxury line throughout the 90s, while also serving as the first women’s ready-to-wear designer at Celine from 1997 to 2004. KORS Michael Kors came back for a while during that period before it was eventually replaced with MICHAEL Michael Kors, the current diffusion line you probably think of when you think of Michael Kors. At some point after that, the brand began differentiating the high-end runway label as “Michael Kors Collection.”

It’s important to know all this because, unsurprisingly, there is an endless scroll of tossed-off MICHAEL Michael Kors on the various resale sites. Finding the good stuff does take some digging, and an item’s tags are going to be the best way to suss out its quality and value. Here’s a closer look:

Michael Kors Collection

This is the tag for the current runway line, the source of most of my own Michael Kors pieces. Anything with this tag will be from the last 15 or so years, so not technically vintage, but guaranteed excellent quality. It’s easy to search for on the various resale sites, and it’s usually priced well. Again, brand dilution has affected the whole MK ecosystem.

Vintage Michael Kors “Collection”

I put “collection” in quotes here because, as I mentioned above, the brand didn’t start to use that as a differentiator for its luxury line until sometime after 2004. Any tag that simply says “Michael Kors,” or is co-branded with Bergdorf Goodman or Saks, indicates the brand’s highest end pieces from the ‘80s to the early 2000s.1 And THAT is the sweet spot, the designer at his very best. ‘90s fashion is all anyone is talking about right now, and Kors was one of the best of the decade—winning CFDA awards, making his own label while also resurrecting Celine, designing Renee Russo’s wardrobe for The Thomas Crown Affair.

This is also key to getting the right search term. Sellers list designer by what’s on the tag, which for the best pieces is just “Michael Kors.” On all the various resale sites, I’ve had the best luck searching “vintage Michael Kors”and “90s Michael Kors.” Adding “collection” is a detriment to your search because it only brings up more recent releases if any. It also helps to filter by category. There’s still a lot of lower-quality MICHAEL Michael Kors to sort through, so take a careful look at the tags!

KORS Michael Kors

Searches for KORS Michael Kors will also uncover some gems. Anything with these tags will be from 1990-93 or 1997-2004. Yes, it was the original diffusion line, but it’s from a time when even mass-market clothes were well made with quality materials. Real silk, wool, and leather were not always reserved for luxury! And much of it was still being made in Italy or the US. See also: vintage Ann Taylor.

MICHAEL Michael Kors

Now, these are the tags I suggest you skip. And note, it’s very similar to some of the good vintage “Michael Kors” tags! There are of course exceptions—my most-complimented pair of shoes is MMK—but there is a sharp drop in quality from everything I’ve mentioned above to here. It’s not technically fast fashion, but it’s not much better.

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Now, on to the fruits of my labor.

I did some digging for you and found so! much! good! shit! I’ve sorted it all by source. The best selection is on eBay with Poshmark not far behind. I would wear anything I’ve linked below, and I’m seriously tempted by a lot of it, so please help my wallet and snap it up before I do.

A note on sizing: Kors has long been better than other designers when it comes to inclusive(ish) sizing. I found pieces from size 2 to 14 in this search, though because they are vintage, they will run a size or two smaller than modern sizing.

eBay

I put it in a $60 offer on the leather dress listed at $130 on the far left, for research purposes of course. I got it, so know that prices . The suede trench above is stunning, and the closest thing I’ve found to mine. Some of my other favorite finds were a sweet cotton gingham dress, a Western-ish suede jacket, a black cotton skirt suit, a denim duffle coat, a suede button-up, a wool-cashmere houndstooth skirt suit, a classic black wool coat, a perfect black linen shift, and leather pants listed at $25. I promise this dress will make you look soooo good.

Bonus: A yellow Celine jacket for under $200.

Poshmark

I need the calf-hair skirt above badly, and I might try a low-ball offer. But keeping in mind that a similar style from Toteme is $2,400 new right now, the asking doesn’t seem so steep. Poshmark had a trove of good skirts: butter yellow silk, pink suede fringe, wool-silk midi, pleated leather, preppy grey wool, genuine camel hair, and that wooden-bead number from above. There’s also this cool suede shirt, a perfect spring chore jacket, a tuxedo dress, a silk floral slip dress, and a mod wool shift. This tuxedo dress is from Kors’ Celine era.

Vestiare Collective & Etsy

Vestiare Collective and Etsy have less than some of the other sites, but what they do have is good. I mean, that canvas trench above!!! Looks straight out of Elizabeth James’ closet in The Parent Trap. And I’m drooling over the woven leather skirt!!! Guaranteed conversation starter. Both are on Vestiare along with that frog-closure jacket from the top. On Etsy, there’s also a fun asymmetrical silk skirt from the ‘80s, a suede pencil skirt, an orange wool duster, a wool skirt with leather buckles, a leather blazer, a preppy pearl-trimmed set, and a pricey-but-pretty taffeta skirt.

Bonus: On Vestiare, a search for “Michael Kors Celine” also turned up a plaid silk mini dress, a playful linen floral dress, a tie-dyed denim set, a shiny military-style jacket, a pretty silk shift, and a drapey jersey dress I imagine will look great on.

The RealReal

The RealReal is better for more recent Michael Kors Collection pieces at good prices, like the red sequin mini above from the 40th anniversary collection in 2021 or this less flashy red wool shift. but I also found some vintage gems like the very chic green silk parka above, this red cotton trench, or this white silk duster for just $72.50.

shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• While I was adding all this vintage MK to my watchlists, our outdoor umbrella broke. I feel like it’s a sign to replace it with something cuter like this striped one.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I first heard about Rosemary Tonks in this fascinating New Yorker profile. The TLDR is that she wrote five novels and two books of poetry in the ‘60s and ‘70s and was a central figure in London’s bohemian literary scene at the time. Later, she converted to fundamentalist Christianity, became a recluse, and set about destroying any copies of her books she could find. She considered them all “sinful.”

Indie publisher New Directions has been reissuing her books over the past few years, and Businessmen as Lovers is the latest. In it, two best friends, Mimi and Caroline, take a trip to an Italian island where their partners, fellow vacationers, and local expats provide plenty of entertainment. I hate to sound like a grump and say, “they just don’t publish books like this anymore!,” but they really don’t publish books like this anymore. It’s silly and fun! But it’s also smartly observed with its satirical take on love, sex, and relationships that doesn’t feel out of place nearly 60 years after it was originally published. Take this advice that a character called the Prostitutess gives to Caroline on how to deal with her inattentive, spoiled finance husband: “‘You must have an affair! Straight away! He is using you as a therapy, he has forgotten you are a woman.' Shrieks!” Imagine White Lotus with all of the larger-than-life characters and none of the murder.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

This cake. It’s the yellow cake with chocolate frosting from Bar Bête in Carroll Gardens, and it’s been on my list to try for a while. Tim and I found ourselves nearby on Saturday evening, and they happened to have two bar seats available. It lived up to all the hype! I’m not a big frosting person, but I would hardly consider the decadent topper to this cake frosting. It reminded me of the “Fantasy Fudge” recipe on the jar of marshmallow cream, another nostalgic childhood favorite, albeit a little fancier and less cloyingly sweet. And the flaky salt on top!!! So many times I go out to dinner in New York and am left disappointed by the dessert menu. Everything is either too fussy, too boring, or too bite-sized. When I want dessert, I want something like this cake. Simple but delicious. Familiar but distinctive. I can’t wait to go back and try more of the menu.

And my weekend involved all kinds of unlayering. I spent four hours on Friday in an EMDR-therapy intensive. I went hoping for a shift in my brain, and I got it, but I also felt a decade of bodily tension melt away. Tension that had come to feel normal, protective even. It was like a sweater I carried with me “just in case.” I didn’t intentionally schedule the session on the first day of spring, but oh boy was it apt. It was the start of a new season in more ways than one, and I didn’t need that sweater anymore.

After the session, I was drained. But, I thought as I rode the bus back into Manhattan, being drained also means you’re lighter. I wanted to hold on to this newfound lightness, the novel feeling of a body completely at ease. The only thing I could think to do was go straight to the Korean Spa and book a scrub. Fully unlayered (i.e. nude), I soaked in the hot pool and steam room until a tiny Korean woman called my name to vigorously relieved me of a winter’s worth of dead skin. I’ve gotten scrubs before, and they always feel nice. I leave the spa with skin like newborn seal. But this one was symbolic, too. I would be carrying no unnecessary layers with me into spring.

I’m oversimplifying here, but the goal of EMDR is to reconstitute the brain—clear out the big, bad memory (or memories) and make room for the positive. To mix my metaphors, I’d spent the day spring cleaning my mind and body. As the woman scrubbed me from head to toe, I wondered, “What kinds of thoughts will I think now that my brain has made room for them?”

Saturday was my first day with this new brain, and it was perfect. There was a chill in the air, but the sun was bright and warm on my back. I still needed a layer, but it was my favorite layer: A buttery suede Michael Kors Collection trench with an exaggerated collar and leather buckles. A legendary sample sale find from when I worked there, and something I can only wear a few days of the year. The kind of layer that’s meant to be seen, not to hide behind. Tim and I walked 20,000+ steps around lower Manhattan, stopping to check out a sample of our wedding invitations, share a dozen oysters, and sip a glass or two of natural wine at Wildair.

I’m generally allergic to getting so personal in this space. I called this newsletter “friend of a friend” for several reasons, one of which was that it was the level of closeness I wanted to strike. Not too close. No conversation too deep. A comfortable layer between you and me. I don’t plan to change that, but this weekend was more transformative than any “life-changing” links I’ve shared. If something I’ve said here helps you, then I’ve been a good friend.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I’m working on something fun for next week. Here’s a hint.

• My search for a new water bottle that would be easy to clean, wasn’t too heavy, and had a non-straw option ushered me into the cult of Owala. It’s worth the hype.

• I’ve become reliant on a desktop planner I found in the sale bin at Goods for The Study last year. It’s from French brand Le Typographe, and I’m on the last page of it. I plan to stop by this weekend to see if they still carry it. If not, Le Typographe also ships worldwide and has a shop-in-shop at Le Bon Marche that I might have to pop into in Paris in a few weeks.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

A month or two ago, we went to a Q&A with George Saunders at Symphony Space, and I’m just now getting around to reading the novel that begat the event. Vigil takes place at the deathbed of J.K. Boone, an oil company executive with a Napoleon complex. Jill “Doll” Blaine is the ghost/angel tasked with guiding him from life to afterlife amid intrusions from more of “her ilk” and Boone’s living family members. Boone is a pretty bad guy, and even the endlessly patient, empathetic, and evolved Jill nearly gives up on him. This is a book overtly, perhaps heavy handedly, about atonement and redemption. But I think the more interesting passages, and what I wish Saunders had spent more time exploring, hinted at the discomfort in changing one’s mind. People don’t do it often enough! Anyway, I thought this book was okay. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think it will end up being memorable for me. Maybe I’ll change my mind though.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

Before all of the above, I was on a career panel at the high school where my friend teaches. It was humbling to have to explain the “brand strategy” part of my job, especially sitting next to an ER doctor, an art restorer, and a well-known couples therapist. The hard-hitting questions lobbed at me were if I got free stuff and what I thought about Crocs. The answers are yes, and I’m not a fan.

Butttt, the week before that, we had a few new and old friends over for dinner. It’s been a while since we’ve had a dinner party because of wedding planning, New York’s arctic winter, getting The Bowery Review’s latest issue to the printer, and just general life getting in the way.

As usual, I had no idea what I was going to make, but for the first time maybe ever the only dietary restriction was my own: pescatarian. How freeing! Maybe too freeing? I procrastinated on work scrolling through recipes online and pouring through every cookbook I own. It was going to be cold and rainy, so I wanted something cozy. I landed on bouillabaisse. I’d never made it before, but that’s never stopped me before. I’m not scared to make a dish for the first time for company. The worst that can happen is that I mess something up, it’s inedible, and we have to order pizza. At that point, I’ve already lured you over to hang out with me, and I don’t think anyone has ever complained about pizza.

But back to the bouillabaisse. I’d never thought to make it before because I assumed it was very difficult and needed a lot of expensive ingredients (it’s so expensive at restaurants!). But neither of those things turned out to be true. You can of course use more expensive types fish, but I used mussels, cod, and shrimp—all affordable. Saffron is notoriously expensive, but you just need a little. It’s certainly not the cheapest meal I’ve ever made, but I was able to feed six people for the same cost as Tim and I going out to dinner at a reasonably nice New York restaurant. I used this recipe and this recipe as loose guides, but took a lot of liberties. Perhaps the most shocking thing to me was that everything up to adding the fish could be done a few hours ahead of time. So I was ready to greet guests when they arrived and just pop the fish in when we were almost ready to eat.

I made a bitter greens salad for some crunch, and Tim picked up some great bread from the farmer’s market. Et voila! A fancy-feeling dinner. For dessert, Tim made is signature posset—grapefruit this time. Someday I will remember to take a picture of this because it really is a showstopper.

Topics of conversation included “what do you cook to tell someone you love them?”, a certain philanthropic celebrity’s open marriage, the thrill of low-stakes gossip, and my impassioned argument that Before Sunrise is a boy movie and Before Sunset is a girl movie.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• My continued hunt for the perfect spring-weight cashmere sweater turned up this very good leather shirt from Malo. It looks so buttery! I’m playing chicken with The RealReal to see if the price goes down.

• I had too much time for random scrolling while under the weather and fear I almost bought this Lymphatic Brush despite the fact that I have several rarely used gua shas and jade rollers floating around my apartment. If anyone decides to give it a try, I’m ready to be convinced.

• Speaking of skin care, I religiously used Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum for a decade. The last time I ran out—maybe a year ago—I just didn’t buy it again. My dermatologist friend, Rachel, told me that Vitamin C serums don’t really work, so I thought I should probably save the money. But I swear this one worked! I never received so many compliments on my skin as I did in the months after I added it into my routine, so I know there was a noticeable difference. I just re-upped.

• And FYI if you’re in New York, Mario Badescu offers a $65 facial. I’ve had one, and it was great!

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I wanted so badly to love The Telling Room, and I think it could have been a really amazing New Yorker piece. But there was simply not enough there there to make an entire book. The subtitle that got me so excited, “A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge & the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese,” was overblown to say the least. The cheese in question is mostly relegated to the first and last quarters of the book. In between, the author spends more time talking about all the questions he has yet to ask about the cheese than actually talking about the cheese itself. Endless footnotes are clearly meant to replicate the feeling of the meandering stories told by the cheesemaker, but I just found them annoying.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I didn’t leave the couch much the past week! After days of little appetite and a diet of various store-bought soups, I woke up Sunday knowing exactly what I wanted: matzo ball soup, of course. As a pescatarian, I don’t often come across matzo ball soup that I can eat, relying as it does on chicken fat for flavor. If I want it, I have to make it myself. And this is the recipe I use. It’s based on NYT Cooking’s Vegan Matzo Ball Soup, but I’ve de-fussed it to be something a sick person could actually make for themself with a couple of shortcuts: matzo ball mix and Better than Bouillon “Vegetarian No-Chicken Base.” If you can muster the energy to chop a few vegetables, you can make this, and it will put you on a path to healing. The ginger and dill are key! As is the “Vegetarian No-Chicken Base”—no other Better than Bouillon flavors will do here.

I’m not surprised that I found my dress so easily and unceremoniously. I know what I like. And I’ve known for a long time that if I were to ever find myself engaged, I wouldn’t step foot in a bridal salon. I don’t say this to knock my fellow brides-to-bed who go this more traditional route. Besides being a modern lady with complicated feelings about marriage, weddings, and being a ~bride~, I’d had an internship at Southern Bride magazine, and my first writing job was at BHLDN (now called Anthropologie Weddings). I’d seen behind the curtain. Bridal was a business like any other. And the business of bridal doesn’t exactly incentivize boundary-pushing design. It’s a lazy and lucrative playbook for the C-suites. It’s a sea of sameness for customers.

One of my responsibilities at BHLDN was writing the bios for the brands we carried. Most founder/designer’s origin stories went something like this, “I couldn’t find anything that felt like me for my wedding, so I made my own dress and then decided I could turn it into a brand.” The thing was, this brand that was so them looked pretty similar to all the other brands I was writing about. That’s because bridal “fashion” has very little to do with personal style or taste. People have a picture in their heads of what a bride looks like, and no matter how many designers start out with an intention to do things differently, few are veering far from that picture.

Knowing that brides-to-be are stressed, emotional, and plagued with decision fatigue, the Bridal Industrial Complex has created an illusion of choice in place of actual choice. The dress options might seem limitless to an overwhelmed bride, but it really comes down to subtle variations on a few key silhouettes (ballgown, A-line, mermaid, column). Nowhere is this more clear than inside a bridal boutique. They sell the experience of being pampered, fussed over, and dressed by a professional. There will be oohs and aahs and happy tears and champagne. The reality is that only a handful of the hundreds of dresses will be within your budget. The most expensive dresses will be on gorgeous display, mocking you, though they’re really not so different from the ones you’re trying on. And you will have a strict one-hour time slot. That’s time to try on maybe five dresses. The illusion of choice, not actual choice. And this is not even getting into how effed up and limiting bridal sizing is.

I do want to give credit to one true bridal designer who has managed to carve out a niche for beautiful, artful work is Danielle Frankel. Frankel is the only bridal designer to ever participate in or win a prize from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Her collections are decidedly bridal, but they are clearly aimed at a discerning, fashion-fluent customer. Frankel prioritizes using real silk and other natural fibers, makes every piece in New York, and retires a style once a certain number of brides have worn it. But the least expensive piece in the collection is a $1,500 silk camisole, with gowns starting at around $4,500 and going up to $25,000 for a hand-painted silk stunner.

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You may be saying, “I don’t want to be a victim of this nonsense, and I can’t afford Danielle Frankel. So what’s the solution?” I do have one! It’s to not shop for bridal. You’ve probably heard that as soon as venues and vendors hear the word “wedding,” the price goes up. Likewise, slap the word “bridal” on any fancy white dress, and you can charge double. This is partly because wedding dresses require a lot of fabric, and fabric is expensive. Even polyester, which almost any “affordable” dress will be. However, the real culprit here is that bridal brands don’t sell as much product as regular fashion brands because they have a far more limited customer base who’s only going to shop with them once. They have to mark up their prices to make a profit. And they know they can because that limited customer base has been told that brides shop at bridal boutiques.

But you can find gorgeous white dresses with a lot more personality everywhere! And it doesn’t even need to be white! For most people, even a relatively affordable wedding dress is going to be the most expensive and special piece of clothing you ever buy. So why not see if your favorite designer has something that excites you? Big budget? You could be wearing Prada or Saint Laurent on your wedding day. Smaller budget? Rohè has some stunners. Or you could have real silk The Row for less than Anthropolgie polyester. Yes, really.

For my own search, real silk was a non-negotiable. I avoid polyester in my real-life wardrobe, so why make an exception for my wedding dress? I knew I didn’t want a ballgown or anything too fitted, but the length didn’t matter to me. I was pretty sure I wanted white, because I like wearing the color white, but I could have been persuaded otherwise by something spectacular. I also knew that if I didn’t find anything I loved, I would simply wear the Dior caftan I found for $57 a few years ago at a vintage store in Tulsa.

But I did find a dress I loved. It’s not from a bridal designer/brand, but it feels just the right amount of bridal while staying true to my personal style. After taxes and shipping, it was $750. I certainly didn’t have an unlimited budget, but I would have spent more. I’m glad I didn’t.

One last thing…

Social media is the worst thing to happen to brides. It tells us that we need more. More outfits, more skin-prepping goops and pokes, more workouts, more photos. It all costs money, and it all seems to be saying that we can (and perhaps should) look like someone other than ourselves for our big day. I obviously disagree and was hesitant to add to the noise. But to prove just how many great options there are out there for non-bridal bridal options, I’ve linked to a bunch of them below. It’s a mashup of new, resale, vintage, accessories, etc. I mostly limited it to silk and other natural fibers because that’s important to me. If it’s not important to you, then know that your options are even more limitless! I’ve included a range of price points because your budget is none of my business.

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shop talk

A big non-bridal bridal roundup with some things old, some things new, and some things blue.

• If I had booked an appointment anywhere, it would have been at Studio Dorothy.

• I mentioned this sub-$1,000 minimalist dream from All Three a few weeks ago, and it’s worth linking to again. See also.

• A similar price point and vibe, Beare Park has this, this, or this if you like a little more structure.

• One of my favorite French brands, Loulou De Saison has some great City Hall options: Long sleeves or sleeveless.

• MyTheresa has a bridal category, but I found more interesting results filtering the “Dresses” category to “White” and “Silk.” From most-expensive to least: An Oscar de la Renta caftan, City Hall-coded Valentino, on-sale Max Mara, and a romantic Doên midi that’s not my style but maybe it’s yours.

• At Net-a-Porter, go straight to the sale section for The Row (more formal) and The Row (more casual), winter-wedding Gabriela Hearst, a slinky strapless number, and reversible Bode all under $1,500. This one is just slightly more than that, while Tom Ford with tasteful side-boob is much more than that (but still nearly half off). Not on sale, this Wales Bonner set is super fun.

• Nili Lotan has some items of interest. This one is my favorite.

• And I’m intrigued by Attersee’s “Evening Shirt.” I’d wear a mini skirt like this vintage Oscar de la Renta underneath.

• For current-season Prada, I like this with the subtle sparkle, though I hate that it’s acetate. This gossamer gown is silk, and it says it comes with a slip. I think wearing a turtleneck dress to your wedding would be chic. There’s someone out there who can pull off this pop of lime green. Wish this jacket came with a matching skirt.

• Obsessed with this glamorous tent-dress from Celine.

• And this is technically bridal, but Cawley Studios is doing some fun, non-traditional things.

• And that’s just the new shit! I have lots of resale/vintage up my sleeve.

  

• Starting with The RealReal: Valentino silk caftan under $500, Valentino mini, Brunello Cucinelli with some kind of sparkly deep-V situation, Rodarte in size XL, pristine Alexander McQueen, and goddess-like YSL.

• I found probably the best selection on Vestiare Collective: Ethereal vintage Prada, a great Gucci suit, three-piece Magda Burtym, ruffly Dior mini, YSL suit under $1,000, a badly photographed Gucci dress that I think could be fabulous, and a long-sleeve Lanvin caftan.

• I might actually try sending a lowball offer on this perfect Vivienne Westwood silk skirt suit for my City Hall ceremony. Or maybe just pull the trigger on this $174 Prada mini.

• I also found these outfit-making Gucci lace gloves and a satin Prada pair in an interesting shade of green (maybe for an after-party addition)?

• Etsy has a cool Celine mini, 90s Armani, a silk halter dress, and a Pleats Please-esque number.

• I haven’t thought so much about jewelry yet, but the Cala Lily Collar necklace on Lucia Zola is a showstopper.

• I spotted these Lanvin heels on Laura Reilly, and they are stuck in brain. Found this while I was on their site.

• Whew, I think that’s all!

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I’m about three chapters into The Telling Room per a recommendation from Tim. I mean, a subtitle like “A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese” had to be enough for me to give him a second chance after his last (bad) recommendation. Will give you a full review next week. All my non-bridal bridal research cut into my reading time this week.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I had an appointment in Midtown East last Saturday and decided to make the most of it with a visit to The Morgan Library and Museum. I hadn’t been since 2015. I thought the main exhibit, Come Together: 3,000 Years of Stories & Storytelling, was too broad to be very thought provoking, but the original study and rotunda are as jaw-dropping as I remembered. It’s a gem to stop in if you’re local and haven’t been in a while or if you’re a tourist on a quick trip and no time for the Met. I spotted quite a few people having a fancy tea in the cafe, which I filed away for a future visit.

If you, like me, are also a lover of curb furniture, then you know that the thrill is just as much about the story as it is about the furniture itself. The rush of getting something for FREE!!! Imagining the life this furniture lived before you found it and why someone is getting rid of it. Then, the dread of how you’re going to move this perfect piece that is somehow just exactly what you needed from the curb to your home. You just don’t get that from West Elm.

The first thing I ever found on the curb in New York was an old, partially rusted floor lamp that I took to be rewired in 2020. I called the repair shop every other week for three months, and they kept telling me that they were still waiting on a part. I eventually stopped calling and never saw the lamp again. My suspicion: I had unknowingly picked up something rare or valuable that they recognized.

I had a more successful curb-furniture find not long after we moved into our current apartment. I was strolling through the West Village with a friend from out of town when we came upon a trove of curb furniture. Three men were piling it all into a van, and one of them encouraged us to take whatever we could. “I try to save what I can, but we end up having to destroy most of it,” he said. My guess is that someone died, and the junk removal company had gotten a call to clear out the apartment ASAP. I wanted to save all of it but realistically had the space and use for the bench and a tall, narrow cabinet. Tim had been needing somewhere to store his sweaters.

And I had a built-in helper in my friend who was kind enough to spend an hour of her vacation helping me schlep furniture uptown and up six flights of stairs. Tim’s not a fan of the bench, but I think it was just what we needed for the dining table. He was grateful for the cabinet, which turned out to be the perfect home for his robust sweater collection.

I’ve been on the other side of curb furniture too. When I moved into my studio, I had to let go of a beloved coffee table. I snapped a pic for @stoopingnyc and watched as, within minutes, a couple excitedly took it away. The woman commented on the post about her find, and it led to a brief Instagram exchange where I told her that table had been from Arkansas to Oklahoma to Tennessee to Pennsylvania to New York, and I was glad it found a new home with someone who would appreciate it. The woman told me she was from the Netherlands and perhaps it would one day make a trans-Atlantic trip.

Used furniture—whether it’s from the curb, a thrift store, or Facebook Marketplace—is inherently about connection. Who had a piece before you and who might have it after you. How they use it, how you’ll use it. And getting rid of furniture can be really emotional. Maybe someone is stressed to be moving to a smaller space, or they just broke up with someone, or they need the money. Last night, we had a few friends over for dinner and the topic of Facebook Marketplace came up. One friend said she made a friend through the purchase of a coffee table. The buyer messaged her after the purchase that she didn’t know a lot of people in the city yet, and did she want to go on a walk some time? They still meet up for drinks every now and then. It was also brought up as a potential source of dates. Hot tip for the single ladies: there are a lot of men selling guitars. Some of them are attractive.

So be like David Sedaris and help someone carry a cabinet (or dresser or table) down the street! Spend a few extra minutes chatting with the seller from Facebook Marketplace who wants to make sure you’ll love her desk as much as she did! Let the old man in the thrift store tell you the long story about the lamp you’re buying! A little kindness and connection often leads to the better story.

PS if you wonder where I get it from, this picture of my grandma carrying curbed deck chairs down the street to my aunt’s house should clear things up.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• With spring in spitting distance, I gave into a craving for something fresh and new when I spotted this green silk skirt in the Tibi outlet.

• It’s sold out now, but this, this, and this might scratch the same itch for you.

• To go with it, I’m picturing a featherweight (almost sheer) cashmere sweater in a warm white. Crewneck or maybe a polo. I have something so particular in mind but can’t quite find it. This is close. Or maybe this one sized up for a roomier fit.

• Not what I was linking for, but wondering if I will regret not snapping this cashmere polo up. I love the seller’s thoughtful descriptions of every sweater.

• A friend gifted us a bottle of Cocchi Americano a few months ago. It ended up hidden at the back of the bar cart, but I pulled it out last week to try. With seltzer, it’s a refreshing low-ABV sipper for when I want a little something other than the jug of water I’ve been guzzling at my desk all day.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I reserve a healthy dose of skepticism for buzzy books, especially because so many of them over the past few years have been similar in topic and tone (Sally Rooney has been a blessing and a curse to contemporary literary fiction). But Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash deserves its buzz. If I were to describe it in one word: rollicking. The dysfunctional family at its center is rather Sedaris-like come to think of it. The Flynn parents are recently in a not-quite-consensual open marriage, and their three daughters are taking advantage of the lapse in supervision to get into various kinds of trouble. Abigail, the eldest at 17, is secretly dating an older guy (normal enough teen rebellion) who goes by War Crimes Wes (maybe not so normal). Louise, in the middle at 15, has an online boyfriend who fulfills a parent’s worst nightmare of what an online boyfriend might be (namely, a terrorist). And Harper, the youngest at 12, is brilliant and bored and the first to suspect that local billionaire Paul Alabaster is up to something seriously weird and probably illegal (a very timely plotline). It’s a genuinely funny novel, which is rare and hard to do. I’m already excited by what’s ahead for Cash.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I’ve spent the past two weekends on the Amtrak Northeast Regional, and it’s been a good reminder that a front-facing seat in the quiet car of an Amtrak train is one of my happy places. Hours of uninterrupted reading time combined with some of the best naps of my life—what’s not to love? Your ticket gets you where you need to go and also buys you the gift of time. Time to be productive or time to rest. On the way to and from Baltimore for a baby shower on Saturday, I alternately read most of Lost Lambs, caught up on texts to friends, let myself be rocked into a deep sleep, and bought that green Tibi skirt. In case you want to schedule some me-time on the tracks: If you book far enough in advance and are flexible on departure time, roundtrip from New York to DC can be like $50.

Of course, we all want to eat fresh, organic vegetables and proteins of choice as much as possible. But, in a pinch, cans are your friend. Cans of tomatoes, beans, tuna, etc. have saved me from an overpriced takeout order more times than I can count. And these are not sad, bland meals! They’re flavorful and usually better than whatever takeout I would have ordered. Though having a very good Indian place downstairs is also one of my favorite things about this apartment.

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I do not have a Costco membership or a lot of cabinet space, but I tend to keep the following essentials on hand at all times: cans of whole peeled tomatoes and tomato paste; a jar of Better than Bouillon; a couple cans each of black, cannellini, pinto, and garbanzo beans; a box or two of pasta; red and green lentils; rice; a variety of nuts; tinned fish; onions and garlic; parmesan and at least one other type of cheese; miso; milk; butter; and english muffins.

If you have any of the above plus olive oil and a reasonable spice collection, you can make a good meal. Need proof? I have it in spades. The six recipes below are all on heavy rotation in our house.

Do you have a can of whole peeled tomatoes, a yellow onion, butter, and a box of pasta?

You can make Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce! Classic, comforting, and just four ingredients. Proof that complicated doesn’t always mean better. This is what I made on Sunday night. I would usually serve a salad or something green to go with it, but there was a blizzard, and I was not going to the store for salad ingredients.

Do you have one pound of dried black beans, a yellow onion, garlic, and a can of chilis in adobo?

Turn that into a very good Black Bean Soup. I often make this, as I did yesterday, to have around the rest of the week for lunches. You do not need to soak the beans, the hands-on cooking time is about 10 minutes, and then you just let it simmer for two hours. Prep it in the morning, and it’s ready by lunch. The recipes calls for a carrot, but I didn’t have one and it was still great! I ignore the special lime/yogurt topping in the recipe, but a squeeze of lime and a dollop of yogurt in your bowl are nice. Note, chilis in adobo are not one of my “essentials” above, but they probably should be.

Do you have garlic, milk, a can of cannellini beans, and a can of chickpeas?

I must admit that I was skeptical of beans braised in milk, when I first read this recipe. But at some point during COVID lockdown, I realized I had all the ingredients and decided to give it a try. WOW. I am obsessed with this recipe. So cozy, so rich, so simple. The nutmeg, I feel, is essential and gives it such a unique flavor. One of the best parts of winter is being able to make this. Please try it and tell me what you think!

Do you have dried red lentils, ghee, and rice?

Ghee is another ingredient I don’t always have on hand because I forget to buy it when I run out. I run out because I go through phases of making Priya Krishna’s Everyday Dal so often that I use it up. Then, I forget about it for a while until I have a craving and find myself ghee-less. The rice here takes longer to cook than the dal, which feels so much more decadent than lentils have a right to be. The word I always think of as I eat this is “nourishing.”

Do you have sardines, english muffins, mustard, and some spinach about to wilt?

These sardine sandwiches do require spinach, but I often have some leftover from a different recipe. With the english muffins I always have in the freezer, a can of sardines, and a generous slather of mustard. The intro to the recipe suggests taking them as an airport snack, which is crazy talk if you’ve ever smelled sardines, but they are an excellent WFH lunch.

Do you have walnuts, parsley, garlic, and a box of pasta?

This is another one that calls for a single fresh ingredient, parsley, that I’d bet you find in your fridge often—or maybe in the summer you have in your garden. The below pesto recipe is from my Blue Zones cookbook, and is always the recipe I make when I don’t know what else to make.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I cleaned out some old workout clothes and now don’t have enough to get me through a week without laundry, which is…a problem. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on things I sweat in, and of course I would like to find non-polyester options. These leggings from Los Angeles Apparel might be my best option.

• The subject of surprisingly useful kitchen tools came up over the weekend. You know, those things you don’t need but are so glad to have. Mine was a good zester.

• My friend’s was her Souper Cubes.

• Next on my list: a good potato peeler. I have knives from this brand that I love.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I just finished the book I was reading last week, Two People, and haven’t started anything new yet. In keeping with today’s theme, I will recommend a cookbook full of recipes that rely heavily on pantry essentials. Hence the title, Something from Nothing. Because I often cook from Alison Roman’s previous cookbook and wax poetic about her stuffing recipe so often, Tim got me her latest for Christmas. A two-portion, helthy-ish eggplant parm and a tomato-poached fish have already secured a place in our dinner rotation.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

One of my best friends from college is pregnant and about to move halfway across the country, so she and I and another friend squeezed in some together time before the baby is born with two nights at Beach Plum Farm in Cape May, New Jersey. As another friend said when I told her what I did over the weekend: “Let’s normalize friend babymoons because a baby changes all relationships!” I concur and highly recommend doing a girls’ getaway with your pregnant friends. It’s like a super chill bachelorette party where you eat a lot (because one of you is eating for two), go to bed early, and just focus on spending quality time together. The cottages at Beach Plum farm are dreamy, and the off-season prices are quite reasonable. It was exactly the kind of place you want to cozy up with girlfriends for a few days. I’m sure it’s even lovelier in summer, but I liked the quiet and crowd-free vibes of a beach town in February. Plus, the weather was nice enough on Saturday to take a walk on the beach and explore Cape May’s historic downtown.

When we built our bookshelves, we were left with a 76” X 12” X 19” space beneath them. That’s valuable real estate! I don’t do math, but that’s probably like $30 of my rent per square foot. I couldn’t just let it sit empty! Not in this economy.

My first thought was that I’d just stack more books under there. We certainly didn’t stop accumulating those when we moved in. But I also needed somewhere to put the exercise equipment, the tote bags that seemingly propagate themselves every few days, the beach towels, the random electronics, etc. Those things we don’t necessarily use every single day but still need somewhat close at hand. I settled on getting four soft-sided jute storage bins from Ikea (no longer available) that fit the space nicely, set on top of stacks of books, of course.

This made me feel slightly more organized and made efficient use of the space, but it also gave me kid’s-playroom vibes. And the baskets eventually started to become overstuffed (those damn tote bags!) and lose their shape. It looked messy, out of place, and not me. It was driving me bonkers. Then, I made new curtains for our bedroom storage loft and lo and behold the old curtains were just the right length for that sneaky space underneath bookshelf.

I found these no-drilll curtain rods on Amazon (sorry, I really hate to link there), which I won’t pretend are excellent quality, but they are perfect for a spur-of-the-moment project like this. I would 10/10 buy them again. You just stick on little 3M-like hooks to whatever surface you’re working with and slip the rod onto them. Easy peasy.

And ta-da! The finished product. Mess hidden, curtains repurposed, a little less kid’s playroom, a little more British country. Almost two years into living in this place, and I’m still figuring out new ways to use its nooks and crannies. So consider this your sign to use curtains for anything but your windows.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• If you’re feeling compelled by curtains but don’t know how to sew, there are a lot of Etsy shops making custom curtain panels. Here is one.

• Relinking the curtain rods.

• Speaking of Etsy, I was telling someone the other day that I’ve had great luck finding beautiful rugs for good prices on Etsy. Specifically this shop.

• Just restocked this underrated skincare/makeup gem that gets me through winter dryness.

• I already bought I wedding dress that I adore and have zero second thoughts about, but if I were still on the hunt, this dress would be a high contender. The raw-edge sleeves are very cool.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

Did you know about A.A. Milne’s career beyond Winnie the Pooh? I did not! Pre Pooh, Milne was a successful comedy writer, playwright, and early screenwriter. Post Pooh, he wrote Two People, one of six novels in his wide-ranging ouevre. I got it for Tim for Christmas, knowing that I would read it after him, so it was kind of a gift to me too. And what a gift it is! I’m only about halfway through, but I’m surprised at how of-the-moment this 1930 novel of manners/romantic comedy feels. Take this, which the protagonist Reginald thinks to himself as he looks at a rack of women’s magazines: “How to look Beautiful—How to keep Beautiful. How to get thinner—How to get plumper. How to remove hair—How to make it grow. What nonsense was talked about women’s craving for beauty!” The witty, generous peek inside the marriage of an ordinary couple reminds me of Laurie Colwin. I’m only halfway through, and I’m already sad to finish it.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

Last night, we launched the third issue of Tim’s comedy magazine, The Bowery Review, with a reading and party at Nightclub 101. Laura Fabius of Fun by Design fame wrote one of my favorite pieces, and Lanier Hicks of Dado Line contributed the cover design. It’s full of many, many more funny pieces from Tim and the rest of the creative, comedic minds behind “New York’s best and only humor magazine.” There was laughing, there was mingling, there was drinking, and there was one couple smooching in the corner for quite a long time. It was a blast! Issues will be on newsstands soon at McNally Jackson and some of the city’s finest magazine bodegas.

I grew up in Oklahoma, where it can get quite cold, but trips outside can be reduced to the steps from your car to your indoor location of choice. When I moved to walkable Philadelphia in January 2018, I was spending a lot more time out in the elements. Relying on a waist-length puffer, seemingly the warmest coat in my arsenal, I was always cold. And since I was going to be cold anyway, I figured I might as well wear my more fashionable coat—a knee-length, burnt-orange wool and faux-fur number I’d snapped up with my Anthropologie employee discount. To my surprise, I wasn’t as miserably cold as I’d been in the puffer. Fashion was triumphing over function! Or, I was defining function by the wrong metrics.

Winter was almost over by the time I had the lightbulb moment that a faux-fur-covered butt was a better shield to the wind chill than a The North Face down puffer—the kind designed and marketed to me for arctic temps—that only skimmed my waist. Though this formula might prompt a “duh” from anyone who grew up in colder climates, it was truly groundbreaking to me. By the following December, I’d procured the best of both worlds: a knee-length, posterior-protecting puffer.

I don’t know what the science says about losing more heat from your butt than other body parts, but it feels true. Though I could also make an argument for ears. And whenever I talk to someone looking for a new winter coat or meet someone moving to the northeast from somewhere warmer, my top piece of advice is to get a coat that covers their butt. Simple, a little silly, memorable.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• Though we’re already in the midst of our winter weather, now is the time to stock up on things that keep you warm because a lot of it is on sale.

• I got a new puffer this season because I wanted something slightly more stylish—specifically something with a shawl collar. My exact coat is sold out, but there are a few sizes left of the white version.

• For chicer, bum-covering options, I’m really impressed by the price for quality at Rue Sophie. This, this, and this all look like they’d be very warm.

• This Babaà sweater is the warmest thing in my closet, which means I’ve been wearing it almost every day.

• I also have a version of this that’s seven-ish years old and has help up extremely well.

• My dad gifted everyone in the family this alpaca scarf for Christmas a few years ago. It’s super warm without being bulky. I wear it often.

• A weird color, but they’re for wearing underneath your regular pants, so it doesn’t matter—merino wool leggings are a lifesaver. Merino wool is a natural fiber that’s moisture wicking and odor resistant, so it keeps you warm without risk of sweat or overheating.

• Comes as a shirt too.

• Uniqlo HeatTech is more affordable and also works well, but it’s polyester, so not my favorite.

• I’m also a fan of Everlane’s ribbed turtlenecks as a base layer, but the price has crept up over the years.

• J.Crew’s feather jersey turtlenecks are an on-sale option I also have a few of.

• I wear these mittens, this beanie, and these boots.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

On Tim’s recommendation, I’ve been reading A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter. It’s under 200 pages, and I’m still not done with it after almost two weeks, which is to say, I don’t love this book. It’s such a boy book. See also: A Confederacy of Dunces, Bright Lights, Big City, The Last Picture Show, anything by Phillip Roth, etc. A boy book does not mean a bad book. I love Roth, for example. But, it does mean that it usually involves a main character with “problems” that I—as an independent, modern woman—simply cannot muster any sympathy for. Or, it’s just an excuse for the author to vicariously live his every sexual fantasy through his characters. A Sport and a Pastime is both. The unnamed narrator has a weird obsession with the sex life of a guy named Phillip Dean, who is exactly the kind of aimless, entitled, whiny boy I can’t stand to read about. Tim thought I would like it because it takes place in the French countryside. But being stuck in the French countryside with two insufferable boys and a caricature of a French girl is not my idea of a good time.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

On Sunday, we needed to get out of the house, so we took advantage of Tim’s Film Forum membership to see The Kid with Charlie Chaplin. It was part of the Film Forum Jr. series, which is aimed at children. I was surprised and delighted to see so many little ones enraptured by a silent, black-and-white movie! I might have enjoyed their fake-whispered reactions to the movie more then the movie itself. After, we went to Gem Home for lunch, and three different people commented on my Babaà sweater.

Last year I decided to do something about it and asked for a gift card to the New York Sewing Center for Christmas. I did the 12-hour Sewing 101 class, going for three hours every Wednesday for four weeks. In the first session, we made a little tote bag, and I put the handles on sideways. Then we each picked a vintage pattern to work on for the next three weeks. I chose a little, knee-length skirt.

The class was fun, but I was ready to move on to my real priority: Making curtains to hide the storage loft above our closet. Armed with an old sewing machine my stepmom shipped me from Oklahoma and some fabric I found on sale, I did it! I no longer had to look at the scuffed suitcases, plastic bins, and other crap we shove up there.

That was last April, and I’ve been itching for another project to keep practicing, but fabric is expensive! I needed to think carefully about a project that was worth the expense, especially considering that I am still a beginner and very prone to mistakes. I bought a dress pattern in London, but it’s too summery to entice me to make it during this arctic snap. I’ve had on my mind to make new curtains for our bedroom window, but I couldn’t find fabric I liked that wasn’t $$$$.

But then a few weeks ago, I saw Tim’s old duvet cover buried underneath our other linens and the wheels started turning. I always liked the blue-and-white striped linen, but it’s Australian dimensions and fits awkwardly on a US queen bed. I asked him for permission to cut it up and repurpose it as curtains—a reverse Fräulein Maria situation. He agreed to my proposal, and I used the recent snow day to make curtains.

Above, Tim captured me getting into a fight with the bobbin. IYKYK. But many deep breaths and a few hours later, I had made two curtain panels. Much more productive than my usual snow day agenda of lying on the couch and watching movies (though that is also nice). I love how the blue looks with the terra cotta walls. It’s a softer, cozier contrast than the bright-white curtain we had before. And before you say anything, I know it’s a design no-no to have short curtains. I know that longer curtains make your ceilings look taller and blah blah blah. But we have an AC unit right beneath our window that I can’t block, so this is a case of function over form. Sometimes rules must be broken!

There’s enough leftover fabric that I’m to going to make matching curtains for the storage loft this weekend, and I’ll be one step closer to a bedroom that finally feels complete.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I stopped by Goods for the Study yesterday to buy a fountain pen I thought I’d use for DIY save the dates before deciding that timing necessitates a digital version. The pen is fun though.

• I’ve heard good things about Guest in Residence cashmere, and they’re having a sale right now. This lightweight button-down is enticing.

• As is this cardigan.

• It’s also about time to restock my go-to mascara.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

Last night, I went with Tim and a couple of friends to see George Saunders at Symphony Space. Saunders is a bit of a gap for me. I’ve only read Lincoln in the Bardo, which I thought was lovely and moving, but I never sought out anything else. His new book— the reason for the talk—is Vigil. Like Lincoln in the Bardo, it explores a liminal space between our world and the afterlife. It sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to read it.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

See above… If you, like me, are not so familiar with Saunders, this New York Times interview is a good introduction. Out of all the wise, thought-provoking, funny things he said last night, the one I wrote down is: “This ambient feeling of doom is negotiable.” It was part of a larger comment on not allowing an endless scroll to let you forget real community. He meant something as simple as putting down your phone for a while, but it was impossible for me not think about Minneapolis. I am in awe of that city for not letting “an ambient feeling of doom” get in the way of action. For those of us not in Minneapolis, city-native Becky Malinsky shared this link to vetted mutual aid funds seeking donations.

If you haven’t been to Symphony Space, you should really check out their calendar. Your favorite writer/actor/artist/talent is likely doing some kind of Q&A or performance soon. I feel very lucky to have this place in my (almost literal) backyard.

This was my third trip to London. The first was a weekend during my study abroad program in college when I went to the Tower of London, rode the London Eye, and ate at Chipotle. I obviously wanted a bit of a do-over from that, so I went again in February 2023 with my friend Bri. That was a very type-B trip with any reservations made owed to Bri. I’m still grateful to her for introducing me to Dishoom, which really is worth the hype IMO. The lentils are life-changing. Other fond memories of that trip include a long walk along Regent’s Canal and hours spent at Portobello Road Market.

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This latest trip was planned as an addendum to a Scottish destination wedding/road trip. We rented an Airbnb in Notting Hill and worked remotely for a week. We worked East Coast hours, so we had until about 2:00 to explore the city. After 2:00 there was a lot of working in coffee shops…and pubs.

what we did

London is very spread out. It’s twice the size of the five boroughs of New York City! So each day we chose a different neighborhood to explore and work from. We ended up having a snafu with our Airbnb and had one night at a hotel in Shoreditch. We chose it because it was right around the corner from the Columbia Road Flower Market, so we could wake up the next morning (Sunday) and go.

From there, we hopped on a bus over to the V&A Storehouse, which is what it sounds like: a storehouse for the museum’s collections. It’s amazing how much museums have that we don’t see, and this was a really special way to give the public access to that. I mean, it’s mind-blowing to think that Frank Lloyd Wright’s office—rebuilt in full from it’s originally location in Pittsburgh—would otherwise just be sitting in storage.

My favorite museum experience, though, was the Lee Miller exhibit at the Tate Britain. Though museums in London are free, special exhibits like this one are ticketed for a fee, and it’s the one thing I booked several weeks in advance. Neither Tim or I took any pictures of it, I suppose because we were too enthralled. Miller herself is fascinating, and the exhibit showcases the full breadth of her working life, from her start as a Vogue model to her overlooked contributions to Man Ray’s work to her war photography. It’s on until February 15th if you happen to be in the city…or feel like booking a last-minute trip.

Another day, we took a long walk through Hampstead Heath and came across the John Keats House. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is one of my favorite poems, and Bright Star is one of my favorite movies, so of course I dragged Tim in there with me. I recommend a stop if you’re in the area and a fan!

what we ate

I’ll start with the showstopper. Tim worked his magic to get us a seat at Tuna Fight Club, where a massive Spanish tuna is butchered in front of you before you’re served a several-course menu of tuna. Yes, it is a little gruesome. Though the chefs are careful to point out that every part of the process is done as humanely and ethically as possible. At one point, fatty tuna is scraped directly from the ribcage onto a scoop of rice and nori you’re holding in an outstretched hand.

To continue the raw seafood theme, Tim’s editor at CN Traveler insisted we go to The Cow for their special: a dozen oysters and Guinness. I love both of those things, so this was not a hard sell. The banoffee pie is also not to be missed. Other pubs we loved were The Hillgate and Ladbroke Arms.

And, of course, there was oatmeal. I got up earlier than Tim one day and went to Dishoom Permit Room for date and banana porridge. It’s a bottomless portion, so I could have stayed and had my bowl refilled all day. Alas, I stuck to one bowl to save room for other delicious things. We also ordered takeout from Dishoom one night in between work calls at our Airbnb. It really is very good.

Other favorite spots were Straker’s and St. John Bakery at the London Review Bookshop—my favorite of London’s many cute bookstores.

where we shopped

Tim has an umbrella he is obsessed with, and it is an excellent umbrella, that he had custom made at James Smith & Sons. We stopped by and ended up getting one for my dad for Christmas. This is also where I got my porridge spoon. Nearby, we made the requisite stops at Liberty and Choosing Keeping.

My favorite discover, which I’ve mentioned a few times was Colenimo. It’s on Columbia Road, so we popped in while at the flower market. I splurged on this jacket, but everything in this tiny shop is so well made and special and British (with a twist). I also chatted with the owner and designer while I shopped, which always makes a purchase feel more meaningful. Gentlewench in Marylebone was another spot with a very unique, well-curate assortment. I didn’t buy anything, but I liked these scarves.

In a slight bit of poor planning, the time we had planned to go to Portobello Road Market cut a bit too close to our time slot at the Lee Miller exhibit. Friday is the best day for vintage clothing and antiques, and we got there at 8:30, but most of the booths hadn’t finished unpacking yet. So I’d say not to go any earlier than 10:00. I did manage to snag a little jade lapel pin for £5. At the north end of the market, Golborne Road has several good vintage and antique shops that are open most days. I like Phoenix on Golborne best.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

I haven’t been doing much shopping lately, real or aspirational, but…

• Look at this bathtub on Facebook Marketplace!!! It has a canopy!!! If you have an $18k bathroom-reno budget, you know what to do.

• I got this Chan Luu pinch-waist cardigan for Christmas, and I finally wore it for the first time last week. It feels a little more polished than a sweater for meeting a friend for drinks in the bitter cold. To use term I hate, it’s a going-out top for grownups.

• This is a fun little bag.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

Is there a better feeling than discovering that an author you love has a book you haven’t read? I stopped into McNally Jackson in SoHo to kill ten minutes on my way to meet Tim for dinner last week and happened across Like Life by Lorrie Moore. Somehow I had missed its existence as I greedily plowed my way through the rest of her oeuvre in 2024. I’ve only read the first two stories, but they are quintessential Moore: full of perfect sentences, wordplay, and hope.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

As Tim mentioned last week, we went to the Wall Street Baths for his birthday. Last time we were there, I saw these felt hats for sale and said, “Is it just me or are those kind of chic?” Like, if Cawley Studio made these, the fashion insiders would be clamoring! He surprised me with one for Christmas. I surprised him with one for his birthday. After we saunaed and cold plunged and swam for a few hours, we wore our new hats to dinner at Cocoron for the vegan Mera Mera Soba.

As an early ramping up to birthday festivities, I went to Metrograph with our friends David and Laura to see 1976’s Solaris—a three-hour Polish sci-fi movie with no instrumental soundtrack for the slow parts. It was a real endurance test. (Bailey, it should be noted, correctly opted to skip the movie to watch Emily in Paris and eat a baked potato for dinner.)

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Living at the intersection of film school nerds and comedy nerds, Jules et Jim was the movie that really flipped a switch in my brain that art-forward films could be done for cheap and still be really funny. One of my favorite lines in the movie is in an early scene after Jules gets shot down by a woman in a restaurant and the narrator says:

“Jules sketched a woman’s face in bold strokes on the round table. Jim wanted to buy the table, but the owner would only sell all twelve tables as a set.”

Another favorite to check out is the 1965 classic Loves of a Blonde. It’s a Czechoslovakian film about a town where women outnumber men 16 to 1, so they build an Army base there. The best part of the film is the theme song during the opening credits called “Hooligan,” which doesn’t seem to be on Spotify or Apple Music, but is available here:

Bailey and I have naturally been talking about the wedding a lot, and I’ve been looking back through photos from our engagement in Provence. Basically, any time I go to the South of France, my style icon is Jérôme from Claire’s Knee. I’m a big Eric Rohmer guy, and I suggest you spend the next cold January night watching some of his best ones like Chloe in the Afternoon, Le Collectioneusse, and Boyfriends and Girlfriends.

On Bailey’s birthday, she asked me to cancel the romantic dinner reservation I had planned and instead go to the Russian Baths on Wall Street for a night of sauna, cold plunges, and then chinese food and beer. We ended up having so much fun that I asked to do the same for my birthday, swapping out Chinese food for ramen—which brings me to my next go-to film rec for you: the 1985 Japanese “Ramen Comedy” Tampopo. It’s about two trucker cowboys who train a shy woman named Tampopo to be an expert ramen chef. It’s also one of Andrew Garfield’s favorites in the Criterion Closet. It’s spliced too with other funny-but-weird food scenes that I regularly reference. Like this one:

I’ll end on one American film. I don’t believe in having only one “favorite” movie, but this one is always somewhere in my top three. It’s called A Thousand Clowns. There’s an original poster from it above our dining table that Bailey’s showed you in previous newsletters. It’s packed tightly with jokes and while it’s not considered American “New Wave,” it has a lot of the same simple, paired down approaches to storytelling and joke writing that I love. My favorite line in the movie comes in one of the main character’s big monologues:

“Practical, that’s right. If most things aren’t funny, Arn, then they’re exactly what they are. Then it’s all just one long dental appointment interrupted occasionally by something exciting like waiting or falling asleep.”

If you’ve got time this week, the whole movie is actually on Youtube for free. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

shop talk

There’s a bunch of stuff from some of my favorite movies that you can actually find too.

Solaris wasn’t great, IMO. But the blue jacket he wears is very cool and looks kind of like this one from Le Laboureur.

La Piscine is one of my favorites too. It’s proving hard to find the iconic yellow outdoor set online but this one is kind of close.

A very good foreign movie I saw in the last year or so was Holy Cow! It’s about a sort of derelict kid trying to make money by making the best Comté in all of Jura. So I’m hoping someone gets me some very good Comté like this for my birthday.

book talk

I read mostly fiction, and my dad reads mostly non-fiction, so for Christmas he got me this massive oral history of the Village Voice called, The Freaks Came Out To Write. It’s the perfect kind of nonfiction book because you can sort of spend thirty minutes a night flipping it open at random and reading sections of it at a time. I particularly love it because when I was first getting started as a professional writer the Village Voice was one of the first places to publish me—this was back in the halcyon days of 2014 when they were still putting them out pretty regularly in the boxes spread across town. I did manage to find a link to an article I wrote back then. I wouldn’t call it the best journalism, but I would probably call it some of the weirdest.

real talk

Bail and I went to see our friend David’s end-of-year sketch show at UCB for his group called 11:11 on Monday. Everyone was terrific and very funny. If you already know and like David’s work, you can check it out in the new issue of The Bowery Review, which will be hitting newsstands in just a few weeks. (Stay tuned to this newsletter for more information on the launch party for the print issue or go follow us all on social for more.)

Like, I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets in preparation for a big pantry-staples restock to come later this week. I started compiling a list of my go-to recipes from across the internet and favorite cookbooks into one easily perusable Google Doc. And, in more fun tasks, we have officially started wedding research. One of the many reasons I’m happy to be marrying Tim is that he is good at spreadsheets, so I don’t have to be.

There was also a lot of sitting around and staring at the apartment, which had me ruminating on all the things I want/need to do to it. Like getting a desk lamp, mending the holes in the throw pillow we got in Marrakech, reframing the poster in our kitchen, rearranging the art above our couch, and maybe putting up another bookshelf. Where? I’m not sure.

Mostly, though, I’m ready for the bedroom to actually feel finished.

The living room came together quickly when we moved in, and the space feels like a good balance of Tim’s and my styles. The bedroom, a year and a half later, still hasn’t quite come together in a way that feels cohesive or reflective of either of our styles. The checkered blanket is new, and it’s helping. It’s giving me a vision of what the room could look like. Cozier, more considered. It also has me rethinking the assortment of throw pillows I’ve collected for various bedrooms past but that aren’t really doing what I want them to do in the current space. I’m not a matchy-matchy kind of person, but maybe I want my bed to be a little more matchy-matchy.

And then there’s the big empty wall above the bed. Any art we’ve tried to hang up there looks a little off. The proportions not quite right. I think it’s because, though the room is small, the ceilings are tall. With nothing else to draw the eye up, every piece has looked too small or too something. I think putting a tall, slender lamp on Tim’s side of the bed will help with that. I keeping coming back to this one, but I also feel like I can find something more interesting.

I might eventually make a new curtain for the window (directly across from the bed). The one we have was purchased in a move-in-day panic of realizing a neighbor’s window looked directly into ours, and I have since learned to sew. That was last year’s New Year’s resolution. I wish I’d gotten more of the fabric I used to make curtains for our storage loft. Though now I’m questioning if I even like that fabric. Perhaps there will be new curtains all around in 2026. I do need an excuse to practice my sewing.

I’ll send an update whenever it all comes together. Hopefully sometime this calendar year.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• One little, almost-instant-gratification upgrade I’m making while I figure out the bedroom is swapping my plain white shower curtain for this striped one. I’ve been wanting something different/warmer for a while now, but shower curtains are a very boring category.

• A custom mat to finally properly frame the watercolor we bought at an estate sale a few months ago.

• Returning this duvet cover (didn’t like the eyelash trim) and going to try this one instead.

• On the hunt for: Art. See my above-the-bed dilemma above.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I’m about halfway through my first book of the year: The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers. I don’t love it. The two main characters—Cora and Sam—meet at a parents’ group in the Hudson Valley town they’ve moved to from New York City. They’re both happily married, but they have instant chemistry and share a fairly chaste kiss early on and decide to not let the feelings go further. But Cora imagines an alternate reality where they enter a sultry affair. The lines between the real world where she and Sam maintain a charged friendship and the imagined world where they’re having an affair blur. The story jumps between these two realities from sentence to sentence, which can be confusing and which makes it difficult for me to buy into either one of them fully. I like it enough to stick with it to the end, but I’m also looking forward to moving on to the next book.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I did manage to get out of the apartment to see Marty Supreme with my friend Jordan on New Year’s Day. It was good. I’m glad I saw it in theaters. It was also stressful. The first line of Vulture’s review is: “Timothée Chalamet is so electric in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme that it takes a while before you realize that he’s playing a total shit.” And that about sums it up. Nobody in this movie makes a single good or logical decision. But, I suppose, good and logical decisions make for boring movies.

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I joked to Tim the other day that living with him really gets in the way of my reading time. In 2020, the first year I kept track and when there wasn’t much else to do, I read 63 books. I read 53 in 2021, 44 in 2022, and 53 in 2023. Then, in 2024 I moved in with Tim and read only 37 books. This year, I just barely beat that with 39. “You’re distracting me!” I told him. “I had so much more time to read when I lived alone.” I suppose the love and support of a living, breathing human is better than any book—but I do really love to read.

I have a loose goal of reading 52 books a year, or a book a week. I obviously wasn’t even close to that the past two years, but I still read a lot. Out of the 39 total books I read, 34 were fiction and four were nonfiction. My favorite books I read this year were Heart the Lover and The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother). The book I liked the least was Maggie; or, A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar. The longest book I read was Middlemarch, and the shortest was Perfection. I re-read six books, mostly Laurie Colwins, which I like to pack on vacations. Those were part of the year’s bent towards comfort reading that also included authors like Lily King, Ann Patchett, and Penelope Lively. If you’re looking to start off 2026 with a good book, I hope something on this list inspires you!

1. More Home Cooking - Laurie Colwin

2. Andromeda - Therese Bohman

3. Birds of America - Lorrie Moore

4. In the Woods - Tana French

5. James - Percival Everett

6. Another Marvelous Thing - Laurie Colwin

7. The Wedding People - Alison Espach

8. The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus - Emma Knight

9. Lifeform - Jenny Slate

10. Liquid - Mariam Rahmani

11. The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank

12. Notes to John - Joan Didion

13. Middlemarch - George Eliot

14. Euphoria - Lily King

15. Don’t Look At Me Like That - Diana Athill

16. Perfection - Vincenzo Latronico

17. Family Happiness - Laurie Colwin

18. Long Island Compromise - Taffy Brodesser Akner

19. Maggie; or, A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar - Katie Yee

20. Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively

21. The English Teacher - Lily King

22. Big Swiss - Jen Beagin

23. A Big Storm Knocked it Over - Laurie Colwin

24. Seduction Theory - Emily Adrian

25. Ladies’ Lunch - Lore Segal

26. Consequences - Penelope Lively

27. The Patron Saint of Liars - Ann Patchett

28. Martyr! - Kaveh Akbar

29. Little Lazarus - Michael Bible

30. Where It All Began - Penelope Lively

31. Heart the Lover - Lily King

32. I Who Have Never Known Men - Jaqueline Harpman

33. Writers & Lovers - Lily King

34. Practice - Rosalind Brown

35. The Correspondent - Virginia Evans

36. You Are Here - David Nicholls

37. Buckeye - Patrick Ryan

38. Joyride - Susan Orlean

39. The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) - Rabih Almeddine

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I got these J.Crew poplin pajamas for Christmas and love them so much, I already ordered another pair. Everything in J.Crew’s sale section is an extra 70% off when you buy 3+ items, so even though I generally avoid buying things just because they’re on sale, I added a sweatshirt and a leopard-print turtleneck to cart. The total for all three was less than $80.

• I finally ordered a duvet cover for the new insert I got a few weeks ago.

• Have been trying to thing of the best new thing I bought all year, and I think it’s a tie between the Sofie Pavitt Serum and the jacket I got in London.

• The best vintage thing I bought all year is a pair of grey wool menswear-ish pants. Similar here, here, or here.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

The last book I read in 2025 is also one of my favorites. The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Almeddine. It’s about Raja, a sixty-something high-school teacher and accidental best-selling author, who lives with his nosy and domineering mother in a small apartment in Beirut, Lebanon. Raja likes reading, long walks alone, Japanese minimalism, and firm work-life boundaries. His mother likes chatting to anyone who will listen, getting high now and again, and bulldozing through boundaries. They’re bickering conversations are the highlight of the novel, which opens in 2023 and then jumps back in time to periods from 1960 to 2021. As he did so well in An Unnecessary Woman (another book I adore), Almeddine does an excellent job of capturing the way people maintain a sense of normalcy and humor amid unrest and war.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

It’s the week between Christmas and New Year, so I am doing NOT MUCH. I hope you’re doing the same. Don’t forget to eat your black-eyed peas, and have a very happy new year!

A few years ago, I took over the cooking for Christmas Eve dinner. I spend the evening with my dad’s side of the family, and nobody else particularly likes to cook. And I felt that after [redacted] years of spending the holidays next to the stove, my grandma deserved a break. Because I don’t eat/cook meat, my dad handles that part (beef tenderloin), but I plan and cook the rest of the menu. The sides are the best part anyway IMHO. In case you’re looking for any last-minute ideas, here’s what I’m making:

Little Gem Salad - I like to include a crisp and bright to balance out the heavier holiday foods. This was a hit at our most recent dinner party, so here it is.

The Best-Ever Stuffing - As soon as I took my last bite of this stuffing on Thanksgiving, I decided to make it again for Christmas Eve.

Caramelized Squash with Cinnamon Toasted Nuts - My friend Jordan brought this to a little Friendsgiving we had last year, and I proceeded to make it for Christmas Eve. Even my notoriously vegetable-averse grandpa loved it, so I think it might have earned a permanent spot on the menu.

Melting Potatoes - My friend Nicole gave me this recipe like seven years ago, and I never made it. Christmas Eve is a good excuse to try a new-to-you recipe, so this will be mine.

Dilly Rolls - I wasn’t going to make any kind of bread because of the stuffing, but these are pretty easy to throw together in the morning ahead of the serious cooking later in the day.

Rum Cake - My maternal grandma made a rum cake very similar to this recipe (her glaze uses less sugar and no water) every year. I’ve continued the tradition. Note: Leftovers make a decadent Christmas-morning breakfast.

That’s all for today! I just finished Buckeye by Patrick Ryan and am in the early pages of Joyride by Susan Orlean. Would recommend both! Next week, I’m sharing a list if every book I read in 2025. Oh, and I put blueberries in my oatmeal this morning if you’re curious. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

But I only learned all of this after I saw the term being applied to interiors this week. In House & Garden, Fiona McKenzie Johnson explains, “A ‘frazzled Englishwoman interior’ owes to the faded comfort of country house style and, if we continue to employ the locution of internet subculture, the nostalgia of cottagecore.” But, she goes on, what sets it apart is the lived-in quality, the little messes, the “half-drunk cups of coffee on the table.” Kate Winslet’s house in The Holiday is the obvious aspiration here.

I read the piece with alarm. When my studio was featured in Apartment Therapy, I mentioned English country decor as a major influence. I talked about the “lived-in” and “sightly cluttered look,” the “heirloom pieces layered with modern finds.” I’m not even on TikTok, and yet my home was/is a TikTok cliché? I didn’t realize the extent to which I was feeding the algorithm exactly what it wanted. Three years later, it’s still AT’s most-watched TikTok.

I never thought I was so original in the way I decorate, mostly because it’s a reflection of the way the homes I grew up in and around were decorate. Half my furniture is hand-me-downs from the last time English country was trending! There are still STACKS of my grandma’s British home design magazines from the 90s in the bathroom at our family’s lake house in Oklahoma. And, of course, I was raised on The Holiday and all the rest of Nancy Meyers’ and Nora Ephron’s oeuvres. But it was still humbling to be so targeted by a social-media trend. “I absorbed my design sense by osmosis not by algorithm!” I wanted to shout.

There’s a recent tendency to label (or re-label) every “aesthetic” that much more eloquent people than I have unpacked. I find it insufferable. But, if my design style must be put into a neat little box, there are worse things to be than a “frazzled Englishwoman.”

shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• After a week or so sleeping with this lightweight down comforter, I can confirm it is exactly the weight I wanted.

• It snowed on Sunday in New York, and I pulled out these shearling clogs that I’ve had for going on eight years. File these under: How to look cute in the cold.

• I desperately want to be someone who wears a hat like this.

• Or maybe this one that looks extra cozy (and is on sale).

• I came across this book/pamphlet somewhere and immediately texted Tim, “This seems like a Tim thing, but I already bought you presents.” He ordered it for himself immediately.

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I read You Are Here by David Nicholls over the weekend and loved it! It was just the kind of cozy, non-cheesy romance I want to read over a frigid couple of days. Two divorcées—Marnie and Michael—end up on the same walking holiday in the English countryside. It’s not not a setup, but the friend who organized the trip had intended each of them for someone else. Michael is a high-school teacher and seasoned hiker who has been taking treks like the one they’re on to avoid being in the empty house he shared with the wife who left him. Marnie is a freelance copyeditor and Londoner (probably a frazzled Englishwoman) who hasn’t dated since her divorce six years ago. Not the outdoorsy type, she surprises herself by staying on the coast-to-coast hike with Michael for days longer than she intended. There’s a classic meet-cute, lots of snappy back-and-forths, and an inevitable happy ending.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

I took the Amtrak train down to Philly for the day on Saturday. Yes, the day! It’s only an hour and a half—it takes longer to get to some parts of Brooklyn from the UWS—and I think New Yorkers should do it more often. There are great restaurants! World-class museums! Quaint little streets! If you book your train ticket far enough out, you can get it for $15 each way. I left at 8:50am and was back in the city at 7:30pm. I even went to a Christmas party in Manhattan that night! Anyway, the reason for the trip was to get together with the friends I met when I lived there in seven years ago. It was a rare chance for us all to be in the same place at the same time. We got brunch at La Jefa and then took a nice walk around the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. I also picked up some addictive Black Lava Cashews from DiBruno Bros.

It’s fun to decorate for the holidays. Even when I lived in a 200-square-foot, I gave up valuable storage real estate to a few decorations. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, working in corporate retail can turn me into a bit of a grinch some years, and Christmas decorations are one way that I get into the festive spirit and remind myself that it’s not all about SALES.

So this week, a look at how I’ve decorated Christmases past and present in small apartments and with a small budget. I’ll start with our current tree:

After last year’s tree ended up way too fat for the space and half smushed against the bookcase, we aimed for something slightly slimmer. If you’re in the city, know that that the trees at Whole Foods are $89, which is a STEAL compared to the $300ish we were quoted for the same size or smaller trees at the pop-up stands scattered every few blocks.

I decorated it with some classic red balls I got at a dollar store years ago and a smattering of more personal ornaments we’ve collected. I wrapped some satin ribbon I had on hand around it and used an old olive green sheet as a “skirt.” We don’t have a topper, but Tim does have this Sappho bust lamp. The bust part had become detached from the base a while ago, so I stuck that on there. I think it’s kind of funny.

Our too-big tree last year was decorated much the same way with the addition of DIY strands of cranberry and popcorn. This is something my mom and used to do when I was a kid, and I have such good memories of watching Christmas movies and stringing them together. They’re great for your budget because a bag or two of fresh cranberries, popcorn, and some strong thread or fishing line will probably run you less than $15. And they’re great for small spaces because you’ll throw the strands away at the end of the season. I bought cranberries last week and simply have not had time to make any this year.

Last year, we also had some extra greenery from trimming the bottom of the tree. I made a garland with some eucalyptus and red berries from Trader’s Joes. I wove some of these lights through it. My grandma was a fabulous needle-pointer and made me my stocking when I was a baby (there are better views of it below). It’s one of my most treasured possessions. I bought Tim’s stocking at Target last year and badly embroidered his name and a snowflake on it freehand. I tried to get him a new one this year, and he wouldn’t let me!

This is my first apartment in New York that hasn’t had a decorative fireplace and mantel to play with. Below is my Harlem apartment in 2020. It had the prettiest fireplace with blue-green tiles, and I put up a wreath AND garland. This is the year I bought those red ball ornaments that have served me so well. I put the extras in my bust vase. Didn’t realize until now that busts have played such a prominent role in my Christmas decorating! The vintage brass candlesticks are a nice touch… I might have to bring those back out.

The first year in my studio (2021), I got a garland for my slightly less picturesque brick mantel. It was much longer than I expected, so I draped the excess around my window. It looked so cozy!

The next year, I went for a wreath. Both wreaths and garland are a much more affordable alternative to a real tree. I think I spent around $30 on each, but I’m sure that cost has gone up. And all real greenery is messy with pine needles getting everywhere, but wreaths are probably the least messy option. You don’t have to fuss with them like you do a garland, and they’re easy to slip into a garbage bag when you’re ready to get rid of them.

In 2023, I went back to garland. There’s not much else to say because there’s not a lot of differentiation year to year. Again, I don’t have room to store endless holiday decorations! And if it works, it works.

I’ll end by stating that I’m a staunch post-Thanksgiving decorator. This is in part because that’s how my mom was when I was growing up, and in part because a real tree or greenery will dry to a crisp before Christmas if you get it much earlier.

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shop talk

Things I’m buying. Things I’m eyeing. Things I have and love.

• I went to the Not-A-Normal Holiday Show on Saturday and highly recommend getting tickets for this coming weekend if you’re in town. There’s a ton of amazing vintage, though be warned much of it is $$$, and small brands to peruse.

• I came out with these ultra-plush, double-layer, reversible cashmere mittens. My old gloves had holes in them, I needed something for the morning temps in the teens this week.

• I also got a fun vintage bangle (above) for $40.

• Jimmy Fairly has opened a New York store. This is Paris’s chicer answer to Warby Parker, whose frames I find all kinda look the same. I picked up a pair to similar to these on vacation in 2023 and had my prescription lenses added when I got back to NYC.

• My aunt was in town and complimented this Damson Madder tote I got when I went to their fashion week event that Tim was writing about. I’ve used it almost daily since.

• She said she loves the brand’s boxer shorts for the Dallas summer heat, and I’ll be following her lead next summer.

• And how cute are these PJs???? Or THESE!

• I was cleaning out my closet last week and realized I haven’t bought new workout clothes since, like, 2020. What is everyone wearing these days?

book talk

I read a lot. Here’s what I’m reading right now—or think you should read.

I read The Correspondent by Virginia Evans per the recommendation of several people whose taste in books I trust endlessly (AKA my old team at Michael Kors). Overall, I liked it, and I can see why people are recommending it. It’s a comforting read, and the epistolary format also makes it a quick one. But I found some of the writing cheesy, and it was hard to get to know the characters other than the narrator with the brief snapshots she gives of them.

In other reading news, my favorite end-of-year “Best Of” list came out yesterday! Literary Hub puts out a list of every year of the best old books their staff read in a year. I always find more interesting picks in it than the “Best Books Published in 202_!” lists elsewhere. This year, I was unsurprised to see Laurie Colwin make an appearance, and I’ve added The End of Vandalism and North Woods to my need-to-read list.

real talk

One thing I did IRL this week. Because Substack is great, but it’s still screen time.

Until Sunday, I had never stepped foot inside Bergdorf Goodman. I thought, why go into a store where I can’t afford anything? But that was the wrong way to look at it because, as I learned, Bergdorf is less about buying and more about the experience. I mean look at those Christmas decorations! My out-of-town visitors had snagged a reservation in the restaurant for lunch, and it was the perfect girls’ day activity. After the meal, we stopped by the shoe sale, which was still out of budget, but fun to look through. I was shocked by how hard these The Row slides were. I don’t know how somebody could walk in them—or pay $900 for such little (seemingly low quality) material. The Prada loafers seemed similarly blister-inducing. I’ve gotten spoiled by my current place of work when it comes to soft leather, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to buy into designer-shoe hype. Except for maybe these Jil Sander mules…