LE CATCH

It feels like spring launched online today, with fresh pops of color, bold and sunny prints, and ankle-baring jeans set to be next season’s go-to silhouette. Suddenly, brighter days—and wardrobes—don’t feel so far away! At least, according to the fashion gods! Toteme’s new kick flare jeans, below, will soon be in my weekly rotation, along with these from Pistola and AGOLDE. And while black Chanel-spirited ballerinas are still very much in the picture (see above from The Reformation, and, wait, can we talk about those lace-trimmed linen shorts?!), there are some new bold flats to factor in to our warm and breezy future, from Jamie Haller (tawny brown!), Tony Bianco (baby blue!), and Favorite Daughter (yellow mesh!). Alex Mill debuts its compelling range, below, on 2/26! I also love the spring-ready deep scoop-neck knit, below, Farm Rio’s fringe bag, Kenneth Jay Lane’s fish necklace, Metier’s leather necklaces and Kule’s pop of citrusy yellow!

$178, everlane

Trading winter blues for blue-sky views.

1. TWP cropped shirt
2. Madewell barrel leg faded khaki jeans
3. Everlane short anorak
4. Penhaligon’s Liquid Love Parfum
5. Kule canvas bag
6. Le Monde Beryl flats

With New York Fashion Week on the horizon and the polar vortex doing its best impression of the Arctic, I’ve been treating every morning like a dress rehearsal: piling, wrapping, shrugging, and buttoning on everything within arm’s reach just to see what sticks. It helps too that my living room currently looks like a fashion stockroom thanks to Maison Mayle’s trunk show underway here. Racks of beautiful pieces, like my button-up coat, above, and Rue Sophie satin trench, below, within grabbing distance make it dangerously easy to keep adding just one more layer. But this is the moment for it. The city is bracing for heaping snow piles and wind-tunnel avenues, and I’m determined to meet them in outfits that feel intentional rather than purely survival-driven. The trick, I’m finding, is mixing textures and lengths so the layers look considered, not accidental, like, a vibrant zip-knit over an organic turtleneck, (lots of Kilte knit sets, pictured below, plus a tireless Tory Burch), funnel necks under jackets, a studded statement belt balancing a generous coat and scarves doubling as blankets when needed. Or, poof, pieces that do the layering for you! Consider this my official NYFW cold-weather prep: layer now, stay warm later!

The Mulberry serves up the kind of new-restaurant energy LA has been craving. That salivating buzz in the air, the gloat of actually getting a table, the room humming with people who all know they’re lucky to be there. The Korean food hits that (rare) sweet spot between comforting and exacting—kimchi pancakes, umami salads, crudo, all so good it makes you pause mid-conversation. Dinner al fresco last night was unseasonably warm, and everything felt spring-fresh: new place, new flavors, new short-sleeved outfits—including mine, above: red (!) Madewell jeans, a crisp white t-shirt ($15!!!!), this gleaming necklace and this long pendant statement, these TKEES flip flops, and this Isabel Marant blouse-meets-jacket, which I conveniently buttoned up later when the temperature cooled down. (This one by Banana Republic is similar and way less expensive). I’m ready to bust out more spring freshness, including the H&M lace blouse (I bought a large!), leather boat shoes, and zebra-print skirt ($59 for NYFW!), these sleek slides, this cropped cardigan in the most perfect hue, and this sparkly stunner!

New York Fashion Week is a week out from now, but I am already mentally layering up for it, psyching myself up to trek through slush, dodge dirty snow piles, and keep the complaining to a minimum. Good luck to me! One thing I hope to keep under my control: my wardrobe and keeping it easy. Simple layers, unfussy pieces, nothing that tries too hard — because the winter elements will be doing plenty of trying on their own. Comfort first, chic second, survival always. Here’s my mood board so far: J.Crew’s tuxedo blazer, above, the under-$350 leather jacket by Sezane, below, punchy purple, knit polos (this before it sells out!), merino wool t-shirts to layer over slightly oversized long-sleeve t-shirts (a real thing RN, esp these!), peplum jeans (yes, finessed below), everything leopard-wild and Ami Paris, a pencil necklace (to take runway notes!), the under-$200 zebra-print coat (vibing Alaia and Khaite), an eye-popping parka for extra layering, plus pre-layered knits (genius!), and the beaded St. Agni camisole (on pre-order for summer, but if I had it now, I’d layer it over this black knit turtleneck).

$125, miniyorker

Some stylish friends back east turned me on to this cute inexpensive cardigan!

1. Miniyorker cardigan, $125, miniyorker.com
2. Toteme jeans, $420, mytheresa.com
3. Clermonte faux fur peplum jacket, $519, clermonte.no
4. Bvulgari pre-loved watch, vestairecollective.com
5. Byredo Satin Lipstick in Flamboyant, $55, nordstrom.com
6. Maeve lace-up hiking boots, $220, anthropologie.com

Leandra Cohen wrote in her Substack this morning about the deep freeze in New York and how, when you don’t have a daily office destination, your coat becomes “your car”—the piece that carries you and does all the work while whatever’s underneath becomes almost beside the point. Deep freeze or not, one of the pieces I reach for almost as automatically as my actual car keys in L.A. is a CO denim jacket, below. It works while volunteering at school, it works at snobby fashion dinners, and it somehow always feels right. And it’s on sale at Shopbop today, along with other high-mileage essentials, including the under $100 barn jacket, above, these Mother jeans (50% off!), the Acne Studios layered shirt, this Isabel Marant shearling vest, and these 3.1 Phillip Lim boots (last pic). Shop the well-stocked sale here. P.S. If you’re not familiar with the LA and Paris-based line Co, I strongly recommend you check it out—the wardrobe equivalents of a great daily driver!

My twin sister stayed with me a few weeks ago while shooting the Dorsey campaign. When she showed me her favorite images post-shoot, it felt like an impossible task to narrow them down, every photo better than the next—but the graduated drop earring look, above, stopped me. Effortless, a little glamorous, and somehow wearable with literally everything from sweats to dinner. Now when I put them on, I secretly feel like I’m stepping into her shoot for the day—a little polished, a little camera-ready, even if I’m just running out for a cup of coffee or sitting at my laptop writing Le Catch. They have officially become part of my anatomy. Permanently affixed. I don’t even think to take them off anymore. And for those asking, the pear-shaped moissanite drops—brilliant, durable sparkle — available in gold vermeil or sterling silver, are light enough to wear all day (clearly). Hint: They make for a fantastic (under $200) Valentine’s Day gift.

February is on the calendar, but, for me, spring sprung this past weekend in with my sunshine-in-a-shirt moment from The Anteros. BTW: Alex Mill does a great version with cuffs that won’t knock over your coffee! I also love the asymmetric, wrap and tie-neck one-and-done blouses from Zara and Mango, immediately below. Now that Valentine’s Day is around the corner, I’m feeling justified in pulling out lightweight lace and other spring flings, including Sea’s new arrivals, below: the bloomer pants, the lace-trimmed blazer, and the ruffled camisole. Plus: a spot-on red trompe l’oeil layered knit, the big vintage-looking locket, this chunky pinkie ring, wrap-me-up sandals and all-my-loved-ones-intials around my neck.

My sister just touched down again—126 miles away in Palm Springs. The driving distance didn’t stop us from some arm-in-arm online shopping. I pointed out Zara’s new collection (hello, tie-neck trench!), which includes the teardrop necklace set, above, for $40, The Reformation’s satin-y (Prada-ish) mini skirts, and Chanel-like flats, below, Boden’s beaded cardigan and soft suede lace-up shoes, and H&M’s (Chloe-esque) lace statements (shorts too). I have yet to tell her about this tempting under-$200 edit!