A Thing Or Two We’re Doing Besides Memorializing What We Wore—Or Aspired To—In 2021
Last year, we remembered what a joy it was to get dressed...at least some of the time. These are the 29 things that made us feel compelled to put on leaving-the-house clothes. Also: a podcast discussion of online shopping tips and a Secret Menu installment on the versatility of oversize men’s shirts.
our things
Flagging a first “we can go places now?” purchase for when that time comes: a Flat Fifteen bag.
Amassing a collection of perfect lil tanks that cut a cute figure under a sweater (they do that neckline-peeking-out thing) and are primed to take center stage come summer.
Tying on this wee scarf, which warms your neck without needing to be squished into a coat and never gets caught in a gust. A dream!!
Snoozing in a cheeky number.
Swooning over the perfect bridal looks at Kamperett.
Stocking up on Deiji Studios for summer.
Lighting up over Rachel Antonoff’s prints—the food ones specifically. Olives on a skirt, prawns on PJs!
Experiencing a sudden yearning for colored-glass jewelry and blaming these clear earrings, this amber pendant, and this color-shifting ring.
Noticing the lampshade trends—patterns, pleats!—coming for hats...and liking that far more than anticipated.
Committing to little bags and eyeing these. And, ok, these, too.
Having more FUN with a robe than previously thought possible.
Finding a perfect jean short after years of trial and error—size up once or twice, unless you’re doing hot pants summer.
Rocking an anklet with those denim shorts.
Pondering whether matching sandals are over now. These! These!
Landing on a signature sunglass frame...if that’s a thing? Sure, it’s a thing.
Nodding, nodding: Yes, Ring Pop jewelry is a natural extension of the color-happy look happening just about everywhere else.
Wearing these three days in one week and planning to repeat as necessary for as long as this humidity sticks around.
Resenting the look of the Apple Watch slightly less thanks to the best band around.
Deciding it might finally be time to become a house-shoe person.
Wondering if this is when it’s time to succumb to the penny loafer trend.
Feeling like you could plan everything you wear for the rest of the year around these earrings.
Apologizing to everyone who hoped the tie-dye trend was done because these strongly suggest otherwise.
Stocking up on a very good tee.
Trusting these geniuses to make some magic out of jewelry collecting dust.
Wrapping up an extended search for cozy boots that aren’t Uggs with a shearling-lined Wallabee.
Finding a regular degular pair of jeans that look and feel good. No small miracle.
Adding to the very short list of appealing lingerie lines.
Discovering the unmatched luxury of a cashmere socks. These are great and are regularly on sale.
Applauding all the colorful and FUN beaded jewelry that’s happening—some highlights here, here, and here.
podcast
Online Shopping Tricks ‘n Tips...and Ending Vacation Early
How do we wrap up vacation? How do we shop for clothes on the internet? Well!.
secret menu
It’s Really So Good: Oversize Men’s Shirts
The return of in-person interactions has brought about less social dread than I anticipated but way more Kilimanjaro-size piles of clothes on the bed. It’s hard remembering how to get dressed. What I would do well to remember before dismantling my closet as a daily practice is that oversize men’s-style shirts—sleeves rolled, collar splayed, tuck frenched—are a consistently correct answer, one that solves for what has quickly become my chief fashion anxiety of late: feeling overdressed. Big button-downs are a safe haven, trusty fallbacks that have served me in nearly every stage of my personal style (including and especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding). They look great with jean shorts, gold hoops, and ballet flats, all staples of my summer wardrobe. They work in fabrics for every season and occasion—silk, oxford cotton, flannel, linen! And between Kahlana Barfield’s truly inspired take on the theme, Lucy Chadwick’s long-running dominance of the sport, and Phoebe Philo’s imminent return (what cuffs!), they feel very fashion right now. Some of my current favorites are from the shirting experts at Alex Mill; this particular style is begging to be thrown over your bikini for Italian Riviera vibes. So’s this one from AYR, in a cut people swear by. If you aren’t already in possession of a perfect denim or chambray version, that’s a problem worth rectifying. And for those with a knack for thrifting and vintage, the category is downright rife. Perhaps you could set an alert for Tom Ford tuxedo shirts on The RealReal, peruse Charvet on Ebay, or cruise Etsy for some classic Ralph Lauren? If the hunt is not your thing, keep an eye on the picks from the experts at Na Nin and Desert Vintage. Have fun. Go big—as in, a size or two bigger than you think, even. And direct your post-pandemic angst somewhere other than your outfit. —Claire
There’s more where this came from in our Thursday Secret Menu emails—join the fun.
