I dream in double denim. So, ever since thrifting an indigo denim jacket last year, I’ve been on the hunt for some low-rise jeans to match it. When I was a teenager, Topshop would always be the first port of call when it was time for a pair of new jeans — there’s regrettably a few pairs of Jonie jeans still knocking about at my parents house — but since ASOS bought them, they sort of lost their touch. It is my distinct pleasure, however, to report that Topshop has rediscovered its mojo. Their jeans have ticked all my boxes: baggy but not gargantuan, deep indigo color, a built-in cincher that means you can eliminate any unsightly gaping. They’ve officially usurped the pair from Zara that have been my go-to all year, and as for the shade match with my jacket? It’s so perfect, it looks like a co-ord.
Everything else I’ve seen …
I went to Peckham Carboot in south London over the weekend. It takes an hour for me to get there, but it’s worth the trip just to go outfit spotting (I did get lucky this week, though: Coach loafers and a cashmere jumper for £30). I spotted handsome brown suede and corduroy coats on at least half-a-dozen shoppers, which inspired me to double down on the casual searching I’ve been doing for one of my own since summer. So far the only one that’s really taking my fancy is out of my price range at $400; if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears.
My boyfriend has to wear a suit to work, and he is very serious about his tie collection. The excitement that most men gain from showing you silly pictures in their camera roll, he reserves only for presenting his collection of vintage Hermès and Ferragamo ties. I knew I wanted to add to his stash for Christmas, and after exhausting Vestiaire, my friend who lives in Tokyo tipped me off to far better (and far cheaper) options on Mercari, a Japanese reselling site. She’s offered to bring the gift back for me, but if you’re not lucky enough to have the free real estate of a friend’s luggage, you can use Buyee, a Japanese proxy service. The Ferragamo tie I went for is, naturally, not listed anymore, so here are some Hermès options that didn’t make the cut.
I’m currently cheating on my go-to blush (NARS liquid in Torrid) with this Tower 28 balm. The NARS is all well and good, but the ease of this balm means I’m reaching for it far more during my daily rapid ten-minute makeup. I also find that I’m less prone to blush blindness as not only is it a really buildable product, it’s easy to blend out if I take it a bit too far.
I really want a big, fluffy, stripey sweater. The prettiest ones I’ve seen are hand knitted by Molly O’Halloran, but they’re expensive, and I’ve found myself tempted by cheaper options from Topshop and ASOS. The compositions of those latter options are kind of appalling, though: Neither one lists even a 10 percent blend of wool (O’Halloran’s have a very healthy 30 to 40 percent blend of mohair). I was on the fence until recently — my friend got a navy O’Halloran, and it’s so vibrant and soft in person I think it’s pretty much convinced me to go for it. I’d go for baby blue and khaki, it feels very me (and it reminds me of a classic British Twister lolly ice).
[Editor’s note: This shop lists items in pounds, so this price is an approximation in dollars.]
Since reading my first Edith Wharton novel this year (The Age of Innocence), I’m trying to read as much of her work as I can. I’ve currently got a collection of her short stories on the go, and I read The House of Mirth over the summer in one weekend. I’m a library card girl, but when I really love a book I’ll order a copy to add to my collection, and both of those Whartons have made the cut. Elsewhere, I just upgraded my subscription to Viv Chen and Rayne Fisher-Quann’s substacks, and subscribed for a year to The Fence magazine. The Fence is very U.K.- and Ireland-centric, but there are stories and essays in there that anyone can (and should!) enjoy.
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