Gisele’s Gym Staples
While Tom Brady sits on a windowsill watching the rain fall, Gisele Bundchen is out doing her usual routine. Because of the Big News she’s obviously getting more attention, which led to a question about her bag and sweater seen in this set of photos.
The bag is definitely Naghedi’s St. Bart’s woven tote (it comes in different sizes); she uses it a lot. Gisele often wears her outfits over and over like a normal person and I suspect this ties into her care for the environment. Rampant consumerism fuels the fashion industry and it is extremely harmful to the environment (but, my theory doesn’t really hold water if we consider her current Zara campaign). Anyway, I don’t know exactly her reason for doing anything because I don’t know her, but the sweater is Sweaty Betty.
There’s no picture of her in this outfit on Instagram, so here’s a classic Gisele photo instead.
Alexa Chung, the forever influencer
Alexa Chung’s style has been dissected for over a decade, part of a fashionable set of women (like Jenna Lyons and Leandra Medine Cohen) who turned away from the bodycon/self-tanner/extensions of the early aughts and really revelled in eclectic homegrown style. They were more likely to wear a chunky loafer than a YSL peep-toe pump and so many of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them trends on TikTok (like cottage core, Coastal Grandma, mob wife) and before TikTok (“festival style” used to a whole genre) is about trying to manufacture an ounce of the lived-in style people like Alexa have.
Does it help that she is pretty, thin, and can afford designer clothes? YES. When looking at a piece of clothing on a celebrity or online shopping, the first thing I ask myself is: is this a great piece, or does it look great on a thin body? And that’s a whole big discussion of who is deemed “stylish” and why.
I bet the person who asked me about Alexa’s duffel coat didn’t want this tangent but here we are. The coat is vintage Dior Homme (I found one on Etsy here). It’s a great coat – she calls it a duffel, I’d call it a toggle but either way. It’s a winter staple. As a jacket, it’s very sturdy and durable but also has a bit of Wes Anderson whimsy. My favourites from this season are Uniqlo, and this men’s coat (like Alexa’s) from Simons.
Angel Reese outdoes Victoria’s Secret
Stephanie wrote about Angel Reese’s podcast Unapologetically Angel and Shaq’s uncomfortable appearance (read it in full here). On a much less serious note, I was asked about her dress in the photos, which a reader is trying to find for an important event.
The brand is Diotama World and I couldn’t find this exact colour (maybe it’s custom made?) but there is the same dress, the Gala Gown, in black.
These pieces are very special, particularly the way the textiles are manufactured and tailored; the crochet is handmade in Jamaica and the brand’s signature open mesh knit is embellished with crystals.
Just this week, founder and creative director Rachel Scott won American Womenswear Designer of the Year at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards.. That makes a piece from this line an investment.
