LE CATCH

I don’t know about you, but for me, May feels a lot like December: a highly social blur of beginnings and endings, filled with school events, summer kickoffs, family gatherings, dinners that multiply, weekends that disappear, and the growing sense that everyone is either packing a suitcase or planning to. The ideal wardrobe right now is therefore ready for anything from a graduation bleacher to an impromptu spritz that turns into three. Think a blazer that can finesse a board meeting and a backyard brunch (see below) or a sandal that can pound the pavement or sift through the sand. A powder blue trench that says “I’m relaxed,” but also “I mean business.” I stretched a striped L’Agence cover-up (yes, cover-up, last pic) from my son’s volleyball sidelines to dinner at RVR. A vintage looking t-shirt could sub in just as well. Out of the ordinary jeans are critical too—embellished, striped, embroidered—along with wear-with-everything cap-toe ballerinas (that look like Blazy’s Chanel, no less), and a sleek ($139) black linen dress that can open (and close) any doors.

Yesterday at my son’s volleyball game, a woman stopped me to ask if my old Zara pullover was Chanel. No, it’s just the kind of “Le Catch” that still holds its shape a decade later and somehow reads “chic” from across a gymnasium. The magic is in the choosing, and fortunately, there’s no shortage of inexpensive luxuries to choose from today, including more from Zara: the tiered patchwork skirt, above (I also bought the layered tank to go with), the polka dot jeans, the crochet bag bag, the beach-bound ME + EM print dress (immediately below), the H&M crochet maxi, Steve Madden’s (Gucci-spirited) bamboo sandals, the $44 Loewe-like straw bag, the knotted print Camilla bikini top (hello, Dolce!), Clare V’s straw rattan hat, Mango’s perforated leather ballerinas, the fish comb charm necklace by Madewell (save 25% site-wide with the code SUNNY), Quince’s $84 soft leather (summer-perfect) loafers, a ruffled statement top from Anthropologie (use the code MARLIEN20 to save 20% off $100+ purchase), and my radiant-cut Electric Picks bracelet ($70!) that literally sparks daily compliments.

White jeans will always have their place. Crisp. Classic. Year-round versatile. But this summer? Pale yellow denim—butter, custard, lemon chiffon, call it what you want—feels infinitely fresher. The reason is simple: they’re also neutral yet they’re different. Very Carolyn Bessette if she summered in Provence instead of Cape Cod. Proof in the pics here, thanks to Paris-based Sara Ramen in flared Vanessa Bruno. My other favorite options include a dusty yellow barrel-cut H&M, cropped and relaxed Paige, and utility-style Frame jeans. If yellow is a stretch, try a creamy white jeans instead—also so chic!

$39, h&m

Tie it on and go!

1. H&M (detachable) scarf shirt
2. Cos linen shorts
3. Madewell wire-frame sunglasses
4. Mejrui mixed metal ring
5. Olaplex Brow Building Serum (my sister is raving about this)
6. Mango natural fiber tote
7. Reformation thong sandals

I’m not usually one to judge red carpet events but the Met Gala is almost designed for exactly that. The theme this year centered on the body as canvas—structure, form, the idea of clothing shaping and framing the body. Plenty of room for interpretation. And yet so many landed in the same place: naked dressing. Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Hailey, Lauren, etc…turned up in variations of corseted/sculpted silhouettes. Not surprising, I guess, but still a bit of a letdown, considering the opportunity to do something truly original. Which is why I want to call attention to everyday dressing here, because the goal isn’t spectacle, but rather small, interesting choices to take it out of the ordinary. A detail, a proportion, something that yields personality. Some ideas to scroll through: Christopher Esber’s asymmetric halter top, Essential Antwerp’s embellished scarf top and collared shirt (looks very Miu Miu), my floral print Paige jeans (currently on repeat), the blue back-baring Aflalo mini dress, Norma Kamali’s lace romper, Marlies Grace’s halter top, Mansur Gavriel’s (on-sale) leather tote bag, Rag & Bone’s grommet studded dress, and Blanca Miro’s above fringed Mango skirt (I’m a proud owner of it too)!

christopher esber

Summer beach uniform officially covered. Love it in orange too!

1. Christopher Esber bandana t-shirt dress
2. Madewell trucker hat
3. Electric Picks ring, $88
4. Urban Expressions floral raffia tote, $74
5. Ancient Greek Sandals lace-up rubber sandals, $150

ICYMI, yesterday’s Substack dabbled in the art of not dying (light reading!), which feels ambitious for a Monday morning. More immediately useful: clothes that stand the test of time—easy, enduring pieces that will help us thrive this summer without trying too hard. And there’s no time like the present to act: Shopbop’s 40% off sale is on for just three days, rife with closet lifers like the red jacket, below, the below striped blouse ($70!), these forever jeans, this Alemais mini dress, and this Anine Bing jacket, and this Shop it all here!

$198, reformation

My red pair caused drama last summer: attempted theft by my sister, raving compliments. These are next!

1. Proenza Schouler top
2. Doen shorts
3. Electric Picks drop pearl hoops
4. Counter Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream (20% off!)
5. Sonya Dakar Barrier Bliss
6. Merlette beaded bag
7. Reformation sandals

I seem to have reached peak handbag abundance: three new options are currently perched on an ottoman in my closet, each convinced it deserves its inaugural outing today. And that’s before even considering the others still calling me from the open tabs in my browser P.S. The tote I posted earlier this week and bought is now sold out, so perhaps I am not the only one bingeing on bags around here. Might as well share the surplus! Here are some more summer contenders (for every whim) to consider, most of them well under $500: the Guanabana macrame, immediately, below, the woven leather Vipera, the Bobo Choses canvas bucket, the gold framed Marc Jacobs (en route in port, but comes in black too), the beaded Asos bucket bag, the cotton embroidered tote, the navy/red Mulberry clutch, the blue-on-blue Zara, the striped crochet Miu Miu, the button-trimmed natural fiber Mango, the large top handle Gucci tote (or the black buckled Borsetto, above), and the Ann Taylor pearl raffia clutch.

dorothee schumacher

Stripes and feathers? Why not!

1. Dorothee Schumacher striped t-shirt
2. Loewe skirt
3. Ralph Lauren sunglasses
4. Ian Charms bracelet
5. Hermes Nail Polish in Brun Helios
6. Ancient Greek Sandals jelly flip flops