LE CATCH

Mango's just-released riff on the coveted crystal-studded Alaia ballet flat is on the money--and will likely follow in Alaia's sold-out footsteps.

For me, September in LA is all about re-familiarizing myself with Sunset Boulevard traffic and toggling between chunky sweaters and sleeveless dresses. This year, I am facilitating the latter with Merlette's new fall collection, which nails both ends of the spectrum--and then some! Merlette's dresses are always feminine and flawless, and the embroidered puff-sleeve, above, executes with both summery open-toe sandals and winter knee-high boots, while the floral maxi, below, works now and later topped with an oversized turtleneck. I also love the one-button cardigan, below, because it's skin-revealing (and bare-leg friendly) but still chill-proof. See more of the range here!

New York Fashion Weekers (and Angelenos, too, last pic!) are stepping into fall in light, bright, spring-suitable shoes, and I want to follow along! Galvanizing this upbeat march is the OG/in-demand optic white pump from The Row, but rest assured there are plenty of other outfit-updating options, both heeled and flat, from Aeyde, Khaite, Schutz, Ashton, and Prada (second to last image) and Sam Edelman.

My older sister moved to Paris a year ago, and pretty much every day since then, I wake up to texts from her, teeming with FOMO-triggering snapshots. Think selfies at the Louvre, lunch at L'Avenue, and weekend getaways at Chateau La Coste. A recent one featured a drop-in at Sezanne in the Marais. She was asking for my opinion on new fall jackets, sweaters, blouses--and all I could muster in return was: get me one of everything! No, really, I want these three jackets--the camel flap pocket, above, the shawl-collar and striped, below--that scream, "I live in Paris!"

People call it the Le Catch effect. Hours after I post something on my fashion blog Le Catch, it sells out. While I determine this as a metric of success, others, from my closest friends to followers I've never met, find it frustrating at times. Since I launched Le Catch in 2011, while I was also working as the West Coast Bureau Chief at Lucky Magazine, I've been pressed/nudged/commanded to offer exclusive early access to my curation of catches. So, I'm finally going to do it on Substack: first dibs on my fashion finds to a select few, along with a personal invitation into my closet, on my adventures abroad, plus a more personal perspective on all things style (think aging gracefully, house-holding peacefully, life-seesawing, etc). I will aim to deliver a catch-packed newsletter once a week that's entirely different from lecatch.com. Think of it as a for-insiders-only, treasure-laden supplement. All you have to do is subscribe!

Labor Day has come and gone--but summertime whites are still omnipresent. At least, in New York City. Fashion show attendees (and the super style savvy) are wearing the cream of the crop but styled in ways that are more suitable for September rather than August despite the summer-like heat--i.e., with fall-ready knee-high boots, leather penny loafers and block-heeled pumps. Particularly popular: white maxi skirts, such as these from Toteme, Bardot, Jil Sander, and Mara Hoffman. I also love this head-to-toe, mix-it-with-boots Rohe, this wear-with-everything Still Here tailored vest, this Khaite denim skirt, and these denim Mango Bermuda shorts (similar to below).

In approximately two hours and 19 minutes I'm going to do my first-ever podcast. Which leaves me a bit of time to figure out what to wear! Granted, what I say will matter most but, for me, looking good makes me feel good--and more confident. Bits of the podcast will be filmed, so I do need to look camera-ready, but as I'll be sitting at a table, I'll just need to hone in on a strong statement top. Fortunately, I snapped up these options pictured here (KMJ, above, Veronica Beard, below and below) in anticipation of this momentous event--and to wear for further new ventures ahead. However, I could still use more work-appropriate but still feminine and chic standouts in my arsenal, like these from Rachel Comey, Zara, and Isabel Marant Etoile.

New York Fashion Week has only just begun and already we have a new IT bag on our hands! Meet Loewe's Squeeze Bag, above, decked out with a chain and leather shoulder strap (read: comfy to carry), butter-soft leather, and fits-everything freightage. Also red-hot: Vogue editor Madeline Fass' Proenza Schouler's crochet maxi, immediately below, on sale here, Lisa Aiken's loose-fitting, gold-buttoned Aje blazer and strapless print mini, plus Sea New York's lace skirt, all pictured below. Count on seeing more street style stars like this, this, this and this! Can't wait to see what's coming down the runways...

New York Fashion Week kicked off to a sequin-filled start last night thanks to Chanel, which feted the launch of its new Chance Eau Fraiche Fragrances in a retro-chic Brooklyn diner. While the servers sported yesteryear-looking pink aprons, the guests were decked out in the the latest and greatest boucle, leather, denim, and lace--all poised to be New York Fashion Week's leitmotifs. Also ubiquitous: ballet flats (like this, this, and this) and pointy-toe pumps (here, here and here). All the sumptuous bold textures and unabashed embellishment on display, however, can be replicated in less expensive ways, such as with this pearl-studded Cinq a Sept, this sequin Frankie Shop mini dress, and this Misook braided tweed cardigan (size up!).

The Moosegaard twins personify casual elegance, but they describe their style as simply "cool and chic even on a bike." The Danish models-turned-jewelry designing duo have a knack for elevating basic staples from oversized knit turtlenecks to corduroy pants to tank tops and tees, dignifying everyday dressing to an almost inimitable art. Enter Alex Mill, which has teamed up with the twins this fall with a just-launched collection very much rooted in their signature effortless, pared-back perfection. I want to be a triplet in these cozy knits, corduroy chinos, crisp button-downs, and pleated pants, all pictured below. And rotate in more of their go-to's from Barbour, Aeyde, Skall Studio, Lie Studio (their jewelry line!), Toteme, and The Row.