The Bear – double trouble!
This week I have two requests for Ayo Edebiri, one from a magazine shoot and one from the show. I have good news and bad news: The vest she is wearing below is by Kai Koto, a custom knitwear line. That doesn’t help with buying it but the mystery is solved. (Thanks L!)
The second question comes from a duck sweater she wore on the show and I’m behind and haven’t watched that episode yet but I will watch it soon Ashley, I promise!
The other bit of good news is that we have a new fashion star in Ayo Edebiri. Her choices are fun and interesting and individualistic – she dresses like a real person and not an Instagram ad and I think we are at the beginning of a long, amazing rise for her.
Dead Ringers sculptural glasses
A few weeks back I wrote about the eyeglasses seen in Dead Ringers - this pair got a shoutout in a Vulture article but I couldn’t find the designer. As I’ve mentioned, glasses are by far the most highly requested item for me (followed by jeans) and when I can’t find a pair, it drives me nuts! I couldn’t find this pair so I put it out to the group and you know who found them? The person who was looking for them. She stuck with it. The brand popped up on Reddit (Anne et Valentine – style is Reline) and this is a great lesson in patience and perseverance. Sometimes, you have to give fashion a minute to find YOU. Amazing work Josephine.
Ciara's space-themed fit
I’m a real sucker for stars and planets on clothing (I have a pair of rocket ship pajamas) and I can’t figure out why – there’s something about the science project-meets-fashion aspect I like. Love this cardigan on Ciara and it looks like she has the matching pants as well. The clothes are not cheap as this is cashmere and slow(er) fashion with a philanthropic mission. But it’s also very fashion-y. The founder has worked for big labels like Helmut Lang, and Justin Bieber and Jay-Z have also worn this brand (which doesn’t happen by accident). Right now there’s a code needed to get into its summer sale.
Dua Lipa’s green button down
Button downs are everywhere and while the focus is often on crisp white, a stripe is underrated. It’s less “business casual” than a white shirt and has more styling options. I bring at least three when I travel because you can throw it on over a tank top, a bathing suit, bike shorts, jeans, a dress. Dua Lipa took hers to Greece and it’s the unisex Lacoste button down in green. I haven’t shopped Lacoste for a minute but noticed the sizing has expanded from XXS to 3XL – there’s fit notes on the site to keep in mind, too.
A note on summer beauty products
If you ever feel like the whole beauty industry is conspiring to sell you stuff that doesn’t work, I am here to validate that suspicion! I am a big beauty tester, I like to try as many things as possible, and you do not need to have all the things they tell you are must-haves. For example, Vitamin C isn’t for me but nearly every beauty routine you see will include it. My theory on this is that very few products take your environment and climate into consideration. As I’m traveling a lot this summer, I’ve started to put this theory to the test. Is it humid? Dry? Do I spend a lot of time in the sun or AC? These are all things to consider and for me, it’s made a huge difference when choosing products. When I’m in the desert I might need a face oil but if I’m in Florida, a light serum works better.
This also pertains to hair care. Around 40, I started to notice my always-easy-to-care-for hair had gone limp. Lifeless. Totally out of whack with an itchy scalp, greasy roots and brittle ends. Doesn’t hold colour. Weird waxy patches in the back that no rinse or clarifying shampoo can help. I have tried every shampoo and treatment you can think of (including those scammy custom shampoos) and nothing has helped until now. Instead of buying for my hair type, I’ve started buying shampoo depending on what kind of water I’m using. Right now I’m somewhere with hard water and I bought a special shampoo (under $20) at the drugstore. Not to sound hyperbolic but it’s kind of life changing.
A note on Big Shopping Days
Sales have been a blood sport for longer than we like to admit: I remember watching news reports of people lining up for stereo equipment on Boxing Day when I was a kid. It was a whole thing. Now, instead of pushing grandmothers over for wide screen TVs, those sales have gone online and are kind of overwhelming. If this is your time to get a new vacuum, great. If not, ignore the whole thing. Shopping JOMO is real and not only is it cost saving but also gives one the rush of being an outlier in this late-capitalism society. The real quiet luxury is being a little snobby about things (at least this week).
Attached - Ayo at Thom Browne in Paris earlier this month.
