Why not? Wear Diaphanous Dresses and Drink Lavender Sprinkled Champagne?
Make everything a little sweeter for no reason at all.
It’s been a week. One of those weeks when you feel like the universe is testing you. I’m displeased! But my nervous system is regulated! I even laughed a few times at how absurdly awful the comings and goings were going and coming. When I tell you to make your days sweeter it’s not because I’m spiritually bypassing you. I recognize when I’m getting life slapped, but I also recognize that the devil is in the details. Making things nice (as the iconic Dorinda says) makes me feel calm. Something lovely can make the not so lovely moments not feel so bad. I watched what was happening with curiosity and controlled what was within my realm and scrubbed my bathrooms with baking soda. And in between I took evening swims at the beach with my family, I made sure I didn’t stay in my pjs on my laptop all day, I painted, and I tied my napkins in a ribbon. Why not see if any of the below sweeten the deal for you?
Why not make this your diaphanous dress season?
I bought this Chloe dress in April in Paris for a steal at one of the vintage shops that sells anything but steals, which just makes me feel like we’re meant to be. Some clothes just do that for you. When sheer dresses started making the rounds they were often also bodycon and mesh. Get it girls, if that’s your thing, but I want sheer dresses that inspire mellifluous words like the aforementioned diaphanous or ethereal, like you’re a ballerina drifting through an English garden at twilight. These do that for me:
Pastel Mango dress $128, Sir dress, $540, Dries dress, $1080, Acne Studios dress $750 (above). All so nice for a wedding too.
Why not tie your napkins with a grosgrain bow?
I saw this one on Louise Roe’s Instagram (an absolute icon) and I just love it. I save all of the ribbons that come on my packages. I just think it’s cute and kind of funny to tie a gift with a Prada bow (even if the gift isn’t Prada), but I save the plain black ones too. This is a perfect use for all of those ribbons languishing in a basket I bought when I thought I might be Jane Birkin. It’s a little romantic but also casual enough.
Why not add a sprig of lavender or small flowers to your champagne coups?
I entertain sort of rarely but I’d like to more. My life changed a lot in recent years and in some ways I’m still finding my bearings, but I do entertain sometimes and I love the little touches that make people feel special when they come into your home. I also don’t drink very often but when I do I love a chilled glass of champagne, so why not make it extra pretty?
I love these champagne coups by Ferm Living. Mine are Lalique.
Why not get behind Abercrombie and Fitch bodysuits?
I’ve purchased a few bodysuits from A&F and they’re very good—stretchy and comfortable. They’re absolutely great basics to have around in the summer, and some are even more of a statement like this off-the-shoulder number. They’re obviously priced super well. I wear mine with jeans and white skirts and baggy chinos. The irony isn’t lost on me that I was never an Abercrombie girl in its heyday but now I like it for minimal basics.
Here is mine ($45) and I love these square neck tanks ($45).
Why not buy a fantastic old mirror?
I am an absolute fan girl of Rose Uniacke, an architectural designer out of London. She also sells antiques on Pimlico Road because maybe she didn’t think she was charming enough already. Her rooms give me that feeling that I get sometimes when I watch very good fashion shows and I little want to tackle the model on the runway and take that look right from her right now and wear it out of the venue (no models have actually been harmed). Except in this case I’m moving into someone’s lovely estate right under their noses. She uses the sort of antiques I talk about when I talk about Emily Gilmore but she places them in white plastered rooms, often with white tablecloths, chandeliers, and you guessed it, fantastic vintage mirrors. I’m sure hers have major pedigree but I found some enchanting ones for you.
This little cutie ($40).
This five foot tall baby. The little angels. ($1890)
Why not learn from my mistakes?
I sell a lot of things on places like The Real Real - being a fashion editor and person-on-Instagram amasses a lot of stuff. In all of these years of selling, I have one single regret and it happened early on. I was gifted the Elsa Peretti large bottle necklace in probably 2012 (it wasn’t meant for me, it was sort of a raffle). I wasn’t ready for it. At the time, it felt really big and like I didn’t know what to do with it. I waited a year or two of not wearing it and then sent it off. Ever since I announced this failing on Insta stories the algorithm has done its thing and literally haunted me with images of people wearing it in the absolute chicest of ways. I’ve been redoing my kitchen so now is not the time for me to purchase it again but by all means you should! It’s so special and cool and can be worn with simple ribbed dresses like this from Sir and this by The Row. Anyway here is one resale and another. Think of me fondly when everyone compliments you on it.
I also love it styled like this for fall from Sandra Semberg’s insta.
❤️🥰🤗