Spring outfit makers

6 impulses, 2 questions

I get the feeling that the upcoming summer is going to be about bringing the spirit of a laid back beach (more surf adjacent than like, south of France) to a metropolis, mostly because of the impulses moving me — low rise, roomy pants (and shorts), bodysuits or full on one-piece swimsuits, shrunken tees, shields, etc.

I could be wrong, but last summer’s aspirational boredom did start to hit with silk shirts and slips and airy, cotton-voile nightgowns and insowhat as I’ve been wearing beneath the trench/leather coat, it’s mostly been about the following —

1. Low rise beach pants (for the city)

Balenciaga ‘Planet Earth’ tee (I don’t know what came over me, it went to 40% off and I was like, “ok.” You should get the gator tee I highlighted a couple letters ago), J. Crew pants (I love these too. And they’re on sale.)

I guess they don’t technically have to be low rise, you’ll probably get better wear in fact if they’re regular rise and you just roll them down to the desired point when it appeals to you, but as far as material, you can either go cotton voile or try something less conventional/more casual like a simple jersey cotton. Re the cotton voile —

House of Dagmar sunglasses, and I will always have an alt for you re: mixed metal collar necklace. The satin clutch is from Hunting Season

And the simple black nappa leather flats, feeling fresh as ever, are Manolo Blahnik

This pair is from J. Crew. They are an easier to wear (because lighter) alternative to the white ones from The Garment seen in this post. This is also an instance where re initial point, I roll down pants to let the baby tee really live its purpose out. Closed, structured shoes anchor the look in a city, I went with a ballet flat, specifically in black, to add a layer of sophisticated femininity.

Obviously have to get a genie (more popularly called balloon) pant in here too for when the freak need shake down its tree —

A shrunken tee by The Row, Zara pants (Aflalo’s ‘Lolana’ comes in beige now), Etro sandals; Miu Miu’s regard is the right sunglasses alt

And there’s Marisa Klass’ healing sphere, and a new take on the tennis bracelet by ~YOURS TRULY!!!~

So here you have them. File this one under another idea for the next time you’re in the coven.

A vintage-ish tee/something shrunken

Per the last maker, I really am hot on vintage t-shirts and baby tees lately. They don’t always have to be shrunken though, especially because I’m committed to making a skirt like this/this central to my summer look. Here’s a variation on what this looks like in practice —

Maison Krasnova hat, Zusha tee, some festive hotpants for you here, Gianvito Rossi sandals (they come in thong-form too, or do you like the gold ones? Kind of into the heels)

Into Toteme’s lampshade hat too. A more traditional bucket here

While with something more shrunken, you can go the beach pants route, or if you’ve consumed some of Philo kool-aid and found yourself a way towards silk with a lace hem, here is this —

Staud hat (she also comes ombre), Madesome.world tee, Loulou de Saison lace trim skirt, Zara sandals (the particular shade of tan suede makes them so good) and yes, that sure is a gold bangle around my upper arm

Onwards.

A little Italian tacky

It happens every summer that I lean 20 degrees closer to the tacky Tiff who lives inside of me. I mean, she’s always there but where I usually let the tacky out via shoes or jewelry in the winter, she emerges Pucci-a-blazing once the weather gets warm.

Example —

Greetings from the selfie mirror with this Pucci top, a pair of low rise surf shorts (Eliou’s are the most festive) and patent leather moccasins; there is no obvious alt but I do like the idea of a pair like this (so refined and formal in the context), or this

House of Dagmar sunglasses again

So much more character for the jeans and simple sandals. And an unlikely contrast for my southwestern gemstones. If you have a big printed scarf, you can turn it into a halter top and pair it with ripped jeans to feign something like this —

Pucci halter top (one on Poshmark here, you can use a big silk scarf to do this), ripped jeans (try Moussy’s new low rise ‘Odessa’), Jamie Haller big ass buckle sandals; this style of sandal could be its own spring outfit maker.

Re: halter, originally had my heart set on her. In hindsight, size probably doesn’t matter because it’s adjustable. And dropping in these sandals from Maje’s collab with K. Jacques as an alt — they’ve become an instant wardrobe hero. You can try the original ‘Homere’ or ‘Dolon’ too

But then if you wanted to try this in such a way that you are really challenging what is appropriate to wear while in a city vs on a beach/by the pool, I offer this —

TWP shirt (this one great too), Pucci bathing suit (I am also very into this one with the floral applique from Doen but I guess you could theoretically also just get the barrette and clip it on to something), Madesome.world shorts

And plain black ballet flats would work. The key is to anchor all the whimsy with a city shoe and bag (this counts!)

The bag and the sandals anchor it, but the colors implied by suit/shorts are the main event here. Sheer over-shirt is kind of like a manicure’s top coat.

Ideal segue because…

It may be the spring that bathing suits become body suits

They’re everywhere! You don’t have to buy one defacto. Just have a look in your bathig suit pouch to see what can be repurposed —

Staud hat, Soeur x Lido swimsuit, Aureum belt, Massimo Dutti pants (could try these in their place, the waist line is right), Soeur sandals (the K. Jacques above serve same purpose)

Suede reflects off the silk pants nicely and the black bolts within the gold frames tie back to the pants

As a rule, Lido’s swimsuits are absolutely the ideal pool-to-party piece because the material doesn’t read too swim but again, doesn’t matter what suit you choose. It’s more about how you style it. And I will say you have to kind of exaggerate your visual projecting of the fact that you’re not by the pool to get this one right. That’s why the belt, that’s why the side-zip pants, etc., etc.

She contains multitudes!!! Here are the Moussy jeans, and The Row’s ‘Emi’ clog

The bathing suit (my recommendation for alt; I have the pareo it makes everything more fun) and necklaces are Chanel. Into a pearl choker lately — always have an eye on Vivienne Westwood’s; could be a main event too

Layers in sheer and opaque

Also tangentially related to the Pucci suit look on account of the sheer shirt styled over, this one is all about the new dynamics that combining something sheer with something opaque can bring to your look —

Chan Luu jacket, All Three tank, J. Crew zebra print cardigan, Levi’s jeans

Hunting Season silver satin trunk bag thing, The Row’s ‘Emi’ clog again (they are light, they are comfortable but they are also very HARD and FLAT). Do you like these from Tory? I’m bought in on these too

You don’t even have to play/try so hard with color. Just let the layers convey your multiplicities.

The below are more like notes from the margins, starting with how:

I figured out how to feel Prada on my terms:

Fall 2025 vibes,

but for spring —

From Aflalo’s June collection drop styled by moi (coat, tank, shorts)

To wear black on black

I cannot believe how stimulated I’ve become by trying to wear all black without compromising the freak within. Figuring out how to wear black without looking boring is a great year round exercise that is probably more fun this time of year when the accents can be straw/raffia/open toe/wood.

The neutral tones in traditional materials give so much without too drastic an exertion of effort.

Lastly now —

Are shields becoming a thing?

Shields! Shields! Shields.

Matteau button down shirt, Pucci beach cover up as skirt, Gianvito Rossi boat shoes

They are intriguing me in that way uncomfortable things do. I got at this a bit in Friday’s Letter of Rec, crediting Alaia and Bottega and Phoebe Philo for really anchoring this one — mentioning that the trend is one you have to be super intentional about because the sunglasses balance so delicately on the beam of outfit maker and breaker. It’s like, one wrong earring and you’re done. But with the right rest-of-look?

Lauren Rubinski beads (I absolutely love this one. Or Milne Watson strings some great strands; in the fine realm, does Carolina Bucci), Khaite suede clutch

Chefs kiss.

And it’s always cool to take a trend to its source, so try yourself

Unleash your inner four-year-old boy on the playground, amen.

That’s it from me this week, hope you’re having a great one.

Also: Sun!!!

Signing off yours,

Leandra Shot on an iPhone by Charlie Rosen