Gigi Hadid’s alien necklace 

Isn’t it funny that like 10 years ago, admitting to believing in aliens made you kind of a kook but now it’s like, meh. It’s not something people really debate as much, right? 

 

I have no idea if Gigi Hadid does or does not believe in them but her necklace, which she wears quite a bit, is probably the first piece of “alien chic” jewelry. It’s kitschy but also hella expensive (around $12k from Jacquie Aiche). There are a few alien pendants on Etsy and I also came across this UFO pendant. The truth is out there! 

Gigi Hadid wearing her alien necklace 
 

Underrated TV style: Shrinking 

I’ve had one request come up for Shrinking and it was for Christa Miller’s character’s sneakers. I’m way late watching this show but I really, really like the way the two of the main characters (nosy neighbour Liz and therapist Gabby) dress. 

Gabby’s wardrobe is bursting with verve, just like her. Lots of clashing print and pops of colours and confidence. Then there’s Liz, the well-to-do empty nester who wears a little Gucci, but never so much Gucci she looks like a Real Housewife. Both of their wardrobes are covered extensively on “worn on TV” sites and for Liz, it’s lots of La Ligne, La Double J, Aviator Nation, Suzie Kondi, Clare V, Frame, Mother, R13 - she is basically goop’s dream customer.

Gabby is cool as AF and professional - lots of Farm Rio, Maje, AFRM, Clare V, La Double J, Big Bud Press, Rachel Comey and L’Agence. My long-winded point is that next time you are stuck and need a fun dress or the best striped shirt or a great blazer for work, Google the Shrinking wardrobe for inspiration. 

 

How to shop for YOU (via something you saw a celebrity wear)

You know when someone comments “who cares” on a post about a celebrity? It’s so boring and reductive and that’s how I feel when people comment on celebrity and fashion - “who cares what XYZ is wearing” is like saying “I don’t watch TV.” Great, but I love TV!! 

And there a bunch of reasons to care - celebrities often have access to the brands that shape what we wear in a “cerulean blue” kind of way. It’s not that any given celebrity is better dressed or has more style than a person plucked off the street (not even close!) but costumes and street style are a way for us to examine what we want our individual style to reflect. Like all things celebrity and gossip, it’s not the story but how we interpret that story.

That extends to fashion. I LOVE the way Rihanna dresses but I don’t dress like Rihanna. I wouldn’t say my style is influenced by her actual pieces but the way I interpret her style, the way she dresses for herself, is something less tangible but still influential. 

 

Many of us have access to So. Much. Stuff. online and learning what works and what doesn’t and what we love and what we want to leave behind is a whole process. In that way, studying celebrity fashion can be useful as a conduit to shaping our own style.

I’ve been DM’ing with a reader who liked a jacket Kaley Cuoco wore on The Big Bang Theory (you weren’t expecting this plot twist, were you) and it got me thinking about how we shop and how we feel about where we shop, based on her comments.

Do I recommend Shein? No, never. But I also don’t recommend kicking puppies. Some things are unequivocally bad. BUT! There is room for affordability, access and fun without resorting to the worst case scenario (like Shein). There’s a big gap between not buying the custom made organic cotton $600 tees and buying literal garbage clothes. Most of us fall somewhere in between and that’s OK.

But what does this have to do with Kaley Cuoco’s jacket? It’s long sold out (the original was Free People) and available on a few resellers but this reader would prefer something new and that’s understandable. Resale is not always an option and my grand philosophy is that if you wear the hell out of your clothes - something I highly recommend - and then recycle the textiles when its time comes to an end, that piece has fulfilled its purpose. 

 

Being a reluctant shopper is a good thing. I am constantly browsing but I’m not constantly shopping. Succumbing to Instagram ads, influencers and the constant bombardment of the next fast fashion company is an easy fix for people who have not studied their own relationship to what they wear. It also tends to lead to a lot of wardrobe dissatisfaction. Seeking out a jacket you like from a sitcom rerun is not about what the algorithm wants you to buy, but it’s about how you want to dress. That’s a path to connecting to personal style. 

Onto the nuts and bolts: it’s a utility jacket with cloth sleeves and there’s not a lot of these showing this season. To get this look, I’m going to throw back to a recommendation Sasha made years ago. It was an A.L.C. utility vest that I bought and years later, still wear all the time. 

A utility vest is the way to go. There are a few options like AthletaCarhartt and Eddie Bauer (and I keep going back to this story in The Strategist about a literal fishing vest – I’m considering it!). If none of these float your boat, it’s worth a browse through the men’s section as well. Layer it over a patterned sweater, cardigan or long sleeve or long sleeve tee in any pattern you want – striped, ikat, floral. 

You get the contrasting look of the jacket but with pieces that can be worn alone or together for, hopefully, years and years.