Why Not Swathe Yourself in Silk as a Nod to the Divine Feminine?
Your windows, too!
The trend cycle is so wildly reactive right now. Whether or not this is evident in real life is hard to say (like are people buying things and switching up their looks as quickly as TikTok suggests?), but there are a bunch of fashion data accounts now that argue that shopping search volume does correlate to shifts in trend content online (and that side parts are back! but I digress). So here’s my main 2024 prediction. Silhouettes won’t change extensively, but fabrics are going to become richer and more textural—most notably in silk. Whether you’re talking about the recent “trends” of coquette or mob wives, the through line is an emphasis on the feminine. After a long stretch of strong shoulder outerwear and blazers and oversized silhouettes that signify a more masculine energy, the pendulum is swinging to a divine feminine mode—whether that’s in the outsized powerful and bold mob wife, or the soft and girlish coquette with her bows and more playful approach. We are thankfully free of the boss bitch era, god that was exhausting and felt a lot like telling women to act like men in order to achieve “success”. Everything in life is about balance, of course we all have masculine and feminine energy, and at different points in our lives we will exhibit each more strongly. But if the Alaia show with its intricate silk skirts, and restrained girlie newcomers Nicklas Skovgaard out of Copenhagen and Marlies Grace, the beautifully dramatic Maison Margiela by Galliano show, and Schiaparelli’s moment with that hardware baby are any indication, we’re exploring what it means to be feminine now. This is not a gendered thing, it’s an energetic thing. I’m interpreting it as particularly textural and luxurious silks from a purely aesthetic standpoint. It harks back to some 90s moments (what doesn’t!), most notably an epic Christie Turlington look at Isaac Mizrahi in 1993 and Miu Miu Spring ‘99 ad nauseum. There’s also an emphasis on home with silk dupioni curtains popping up in vintage images on my Insta grid—maybe it’s because I like every pic that includes them. It’s just SO pretty.
Below are some ways I’m wearing this now. I also ordered a silk curtain to cover a funny space that I’m storing books in. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes, but this etsy shop sells these pricey babies at a very good rate.
Why not enter your silk era?
This can mean very extra faille pieces, or mixing in some beautiful, but just shiny enough silk pieces into your day looks.
This is a vintage silk faille skirt I bought recently, worn with a Frankie Shop cropped sweater (here’s similar from Gauge81), Nomasei shoes, and a Prada bag. It’s feminine but not girlie!
These are the same Magda Butrym silk pants styled for work (if you’re still an office girlie) with a gray Aritzia blazer and for a casual day look with a Babaa sweater, both with Jamie Haller shiny penny loafer shoes. It creates interest and makes pretty straightforward looks a little more unexpected.
Some silky more ideas:
Alexander Wang boxer trousers.
Donni pants (a steal)
Marlies Grace dress, which I think you can style with a sweater over it too.
And for an accessory moment, why not go more wife of a drug lord?
There’s no denying the insane chic-ness and innate hotness of Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp in Blow. I’m honing in on these bling-y earrings in particular. To note, the wife of a drug lord differs from a mob wife in subtlety. She’s a little more refined tbh.
And why not a quick why not beauty note?
I’m also loving Penelope’s super subtle cat eye here. I used to go a touch overboard like everyone else when cat eyes were all the rage, but I want to dip a toe back in and this Cle liquid liner is super easy to use.
Why not stop pretending that we’re not in the depths of winter?
I live in blizzard territory, it’s grey and cold. So, it’s the time for infrared saunas, PEMF mats (I’m obsessed), and super moisturizing—basically channel your inner Scandi and eat warming foods with some extra spice. I’m obsessed with this Obakki hand cream, it smells delish, is super clean and works like a dream. I’ve also been dipping into my Augustinus Bader body cream aka the good stuff.
Take a deep breath, journal freely for ten minutes and dance in your living room to your favorite song from high school. Why not? Also leave any questions in the comments and I’ll answer in the next newsletter. xx