Great outfit weather

A meditation on getting dressed

To view the complete e-mail, you will probably need to open this in your browser. There are like 40 looks in here! 🫠

The task of getting an outfit right is about finding the overlap on the Venn diagram of your taste and style. The difference between one’s taste and style is that the former doesn’t concern the physical form that is you — it’s a pure expression of what you like.

Your style on the other hand takes into consideration the practical conditions and limitations of your person — what you like about your body, what you don’t like about it, where you live, what the weather is like there, what you spend most of your days doing and frankly, who you spend those days with.

Maybe style is actually what erupts as a result of the overlap you find between your taste and the practical conditions. For the purpose of this post, it doesn’t matter.

Solid & Striped x Sofia Richie Grainge top, By Liv Handmade crochet skirt (this one from Diotima is really something too — also check out this), Soeur sandals, Mana by Ezgi shell necklace

You can get to the overlap in so many ways but I think it’s best to start with your body. The physical form that will wear the clothes, which are foremostly supposed to cover you, yes, but also accentuate you. Then you consider taste (the fun part) then flop back around to the technical style: what are you doing, where are you going, how do you want to feel?

Through the changes we face at various life junctures, there is usually some consistent kernel of truth that is woven through the choices we make, this kernel is what becomes your signature, the anchor that brings all your furthest-reaching experimentation back around to what feels (and often looks) most like you.

Kalmanovich embroidered top, Teira 1996 tank top, Citizens of Humanity jeans (these are THE alt for a baggier, longer pair and these from Levi’s look SO GOOD too), Soeur sandals, By Malene Birger belt (similar) and sunglasses (sim sim)

I live for these first stretches of bright, warm weather, when you walk outside and it finally feels like the day wants to embrace, not reject you. They carry with them so much natural momentum. And they remind me that life’s simplest pleasures are also its greatest: the sight of tulips budding on every corner, a walk down the block on a 65-degree morning. The heat from the sun beating down on my face as I watch my kids twirl ‘round the tire swing. The smell of my skin from bed at night, after a day spent entirely outdoors.

And it’s great outfit weather too. Not hot, not cold — the layers don’t overwhelm you.

Splendid turtleneck, Soeur x Cafe Leandra dress, Khaite suede overshirt (the blue version is majestic, but in terms of alt options: here is the Toteme one in a buttery shade of yellow or worn brown, then this denim-ish, blue one which is a bit more western in conceit looks good too, and this is a good alt from the men’s side of Massimo Dutti), Prada heels, The Row pouch (could be an alt…)

Or have to make much sense!

They could be convenient though. Toteme leather jacket and Splits 59 leggings shown in both looks, with Soeur sandals and a Polo cable-knit sweater (recently very into Soft Goat too) styled over my shoulders in the left rendering and a pair of Rosetta Getty clogs (they pop up second hand occasionally — here’s a black pair in a size 8 from Poshmark, or this good snakeprint in a 5.5; these are a little different but great) and a By Malene Birger straw hat in the second

Because I’m pregnant, it takes more work to find the overlap on the Venn diagram, but when I find it, it’s almost more rewarding than it would be — the blessing of pregnancy is the overarching purpose that halos around you in every waking moment: you are in complete service and surrender to the life being generated by your body. The ostensible curse — or let’s call it the halo’s shadow, is that you are completely surrendered, out of control and often as a result, may not feel like yourself.

I don’t think when the latter feeling plagues you it’s as conscious as, “I’m building a baby and don’t feel like myself.” Actually when you remember, it doesn’t matter as much. It’s really within the moments you forget there’s an increased vulnerability about how you’re moving through the world that you’re caught off guard by what can feel like the physical impediment of a slower pace you can’t speed up.

Pure Cashmere NYC wrap sweater, Soeur x Cafe Leandra sheer skirt, Soeur sandals, here’s a navy blue Herve Chapelier tote and some opals for you here (fire opals) and here (blueish opals). Also, these are so cool on the rainbow strand

Bag personalization inspired by Miu Miu, who was inspired by Jane Birkin — it’s bascially a bunch of necklaces I wrapped around the bag handle, with a real keychain thrown in from Timeless Pearly

Superficial as it may seem to some, it’s a blessing to have this release. To take pleasure in the process of getting dressed. It’s such a low lift and quick way to lock into yourself when you find you’ve been someplace else.

As far as the actual clothes go: first thing I’ll say is that you’d be surprised at what a simple tissue turtleneck can do to make more elegant an outfit comprised of mostly not elegant things.

Same turtleneck in black, Bode jacket (here’s a good one from Etsy), Jeanerica shorts, The Row sandals — and some wayfarers for you too

Delarge sunglasses, Vince sleeveless t-neck, Maria McManus bike shorts (these fit well too), Wardrobe.nyc ivory blazer (good shape in a linen cotton blend from Filipa K here, but might wrinkle easily; I really like The Quinn from Anine Bing too) and here’s a good strand of beads; different vibe here but I love it for summer with a plain white tank top and no other jewelry

Splendid t-neck, Khaite shirt (see a few pics above for the bounty of market alts), Massimo Dutti pants (and choice high waist shorts for the non-pregnant among us), Miu Miu sandals

Great with a personality jacket, teeny tiny shorts, under a blazer or with floppy pants.

I’ve been wearing mine most prominently with these rigid white shorts from Jeanerica, another hero of the 5th season —

Here’s a nice yellow cableknit for you, with the Jeanerica shorts, By Malene Birger belt and Prada heels (a similar concept is these from D’Accori)

St. John jacket, Polo Ralph Lauren sweater (I got mine from TRR), same shorts, Beaufille belt, Soeur sandals, Delarge sunglasses and a gorgeous strand of opals

Soeur x Cafe Leandra polo, Jeanerica shorts, Saint Laurent platforms, Savette bag (like this vintage LV number for $545 if you’re looking for something red)

Generally, I think rigid white pants/a bottom are the right idea this time of year — they lift the look instead of grounding it.

The Row top, Leset pants, Jamie Haller bit loafers, your best bet for bag alt

Salon Reading tank, Amen Style red clutch, Soeur x Cafe Leandra pants, The Row ‘Tyler’ moccasins

Skall Studios yellow cotton bandana, Rodebjer crochet top (I really like this in the blue from Naked Cashmere. This is an alt from Mango, which I’d size up x 2 in), Solid and Striped knit pants (pretty good in black too), Louboutin loafers (the driving alt! the stick a penny in alt! the kill all your other loafers Manolo alt, and Miu Miu’s boat shoes in blue) and Delvaux bag (one of us needs this, an A.P.C. navy alt)

Khaite suede shirt, vintage top, Soeur x Cafe Leandra pants, Massimo Dutti fisherman shoes (and they’re on sale)

Creatures of the Wind blazer (RIP! Never forget!), Salon Reading tank, Donni cotton pants, Tod’s loafers

And make for a better foil with color — sort of neutralizing it instead of making it look more extreme. But if you’re looking for grounding, a jacket will help.

This pistachio green satin coat is still in stock, Splendid white turtleneck, Jeanerica shorts, Beaufille belt, Miu Miu sandals (a mule alt; or a practical flat summer sandal)

And this great shell comb is from a small Ukrainian brand called Shtor, Delarge sunglasses

All you need to recreate this: bucket hat, crew neck knit, button down shirt, breathable white cotton pants, trench coat, straw tote (thank you for your service!) and wood-sole French sandals

Khaite fringe jacket and cycling shorts (there’s one pair left on sale here; I got mine on Vestiaire), Flore Flore boat neck shirt, Tod’s loafers

Antivol jacket, Leset t-shirt, Charvet chiffon scarf styled as skirt (the fabric vibe is kind of like this) with a red floral brooch clipping it together, Louboutin loafers and you know what? If those sock imprints indicate much, I think I am at the very beginning of what will become swollen anklegate 2024

One of the better ideas I’ve had lately — remember, the price on this fleur is in DK, it comes out to about $45 USD.

So could a pair of boots —

Vince cropped cardigan (this one from Babaa is nice too; I like the contrast buttons - or so is this from Noname; but this from Boden for $145 might be the closest), If Only If nightgown, Toteme boots

Recently, my mind has been on crochet and light shades of the color yellow.

Delfina button down shirt (on the fancy scale, this is an option, more realistically though, I might suggest you opt for this — a silk men’s shirt from Banana Republic. Not no to this blend from Auralee either), Donni pants (wish I got them one size smaller; these are a small), Massimo Dutti sandals

Jenna Blake beads, Renato Cipullo pendants on an Adina Reyter gold chain

Chambre de Fan mini dress (kind of unrelated, but also not: I just bought this skirt from Mango which can be used to recreate a similar separates look), The Row mules, straw tote from Etsy — and those darling butterflies around my neck belong to Marisa Klass!

La Collection dress, By Malene Birger belt (I like how it created this “loop effect” for the hem of the dress), Doen x K. Jacques flip flops (my advice is to size up x 1)

Chambre de Fan dress, Solid and Striped pants, and a nice turquoise strand of beads you can double wrap here. As far as shoes, you can go any which way — loafers, glove flats, flip flops — you’ll just want them to have a soft and close-to-the-ground sole to compliment the slight puddle hem

Solid and Striped button down (I pinned it in the back to give it this vague peplum affect), Hai yellow dress (its net, and looks great with full coverage white underwear), Khaite sandals

Gimaguas headband, a crochet boob dress I found on The Real Real a couple weeks ago from Miu Miu; similar vibe from Prada for $430 here and this one by Miu Miu is totally different but absolutely beautiful and $347), Vince pants (I love this color too), Manolo Blahnik sandals (the white stitching is key). Then this is my fav cat eye

Maybe it’s just color more generally.

LMND shirt (it’s the ‘cornflower’), Prada skirt - here’s a fun alt, Gabriela Hearst sandals, market tote

Here’s a good knit, here are the jeans, here are the loafers, a $200 red clutch for for you too, and if you wait until July, you will be able to get a pair of these frames (red! With blue lenses! To as a special edition collab from Cafe Leandra x Delarge

Michael Kors dress (bought second hand in a size 8 and like 5 inches longer — turned it into a micro mini) — you should try this TRR find or this jersey alt from Ciao Lucia for $120 with the Gimaguas shorts or this more subdued alt from Live the Process (lest you are feeling watermelon bold), Gucci sandals - try these, and an old Proenza Schouler clutch (the bag version is going for $101 on TRR

The Row top (same vibe with a fussier neck line here) and mules, Palomo Spain silk pants

Par for the course after a season spent in heavyweight dark knits, and mostly from bed.

The final batch of looks here are no more impressive than they are don’t-have-to-think, easy-to-wear. We still get errant stretches of wet cold, but they seem more manageable, even nice to dress for because they are always buttressed by some sun.

Toteme dickie scarf thing, ribbed crew neck here, Levi’s mens 501s (they’re a size 29 waist, 32 length and will probably fit me another 2-3 weeks — have had them since last summer after I bought from a tip in Becky’s newsletter and they make me feel so normal. For context, I wear a size women’s 25 typically), Soeur sandals, market tote

By Malene Birger leather top, Lululemon leggings (they’re on sale for $59 - I wear a sz 2 or 4 but I’m also rly into Alo Yoga these days; material is thicker and a little more flattering), Gabriela Hearst sandals, Mana by Ezgi necklace to break up all the black

Delarge sunglasses, a polo cardi for you here, Massimo Dutti pants — they’re a good compromise between expansive and rigid for when I want to feel dressed, but also…free, The Row sandals (the shape of these, barring the lace up, is pretty similar), Amen red satin clutch

Here’s a good summer crew neck from Kule, here are some stretchy hot pants, and here are structured boat shoes for you

The trick here to not looking like you’re Wearing A Blazer And Jeans is to consider the proportions — as wide on top as you’re comfortable going (without the jacket getting so long it falls too far below your butt) with straight, but not skinny and slightly slouchy jeans. These are the same 501s. The boots are about ten years old from Pierre Hardy; these are a good alt and the cableknit sweater makes for a good scarf because the sleeves are narrow and longer. I’m also wearing two layers of white t-shirt — one short, one long. The gold jewelry gives it a feminine touch

Khaite jacket, Kule ‘Wynn’ tee, Doen skirt, Gabriela Hearst sandals and the cat eyes I was telling you about a few pictures ago

So that’s where I’ve been at. How about you?

Hope you’re having a great week,

Leandra