What I'm Wearing Lately

outfit repeating from the city to the country

Dear Readers,

I’m bouncing around a bit throughout the Summer and my wardrobe is not-so-conveniently spread across 3 places at the moment. I’m somewhat of a creature of habit when it comes to wearing my reliable go-to’s so I purposely packed some of my lesser worn pieces just to switch it up a bit which has made it interesting (but fun!) to get dressed lately.

The weather has also impacted how I get dressed. We’ve gone from what felt like the 100th straight day of rain to a sudden shift of 80% humidity days and as a result, my outfits have also experienced some sharp pivots from day to day. Aside from my hair seeing much better days, I’ve either gone from wearing the same variation of an outfit for the third day in a row to throwing on something completely out of left field.

But like always, when I have less clothes to choose from, I always get the gentle reminder that I really don’t need a lot of things to feel inspired and excited to wear my wardrobe.

So here’s what I’ve been throwing on and repeating the past couple months and some tips that have been helping me get dressed these days.

*I’ve included links if still available, or provided similar options where I could find them. A lot of the pieces are repeated so I just linked options once - you can find them in the first outfit it appears in if you need to reference it!

THOSE PERFECT WASHED DOWN PANTS

For those days when you want to feel relaxed and chill but still have on an interesting element — my personal choice is a pair of olive cotton pants. Yours could be a vintage-inspired cargo, or the perfect Summer poplin. I prefer something with a bit of crispness vs something too soft and flowy, like linen, as it provides a bit of structure. (Nothing wrong with linen — just a different vibe!)

I shared a couple of these looks in this recent newsletter because I’ve always loved how Olive chills out dressier or bolder statement pieces.

Matteau fisherman pants taking me from the city to upstate. 1// very old Zara embellished jacket, old Posse tube top (similar here or this textured option) 2// old Bode silk shirt 3// Marine Layer rib tank, my trusty AYR Deep End shirt you’ve seen me wear all the time, The Row slides purchased secondhand after years of searching (similar here, or I’m kind of obsessed with these)

A TRENCH THAT DOES IT ALL

I traveled with limited outerwear so I wanted to pack something that could do the heavy lifting. Enter the trench (on sale here). I just think it’s one of those pieces that instantly makes you feel chic, no matter what you are wearing underneath. I wore it to elevate everyday basics, threw on over workout clothes to feel more put together, and layered over dressier pieces for some balance. I love that there are a lot of trench variations you can try that make sense for you and your style — laminated weatherproof, drapey viscose, suede, washed black, a cool beige, a pop of color.

Toteme trench coat paired with 1// Donni sweater*, Pistola jeans, Soeur flats* (an outfit and shoe I repeated a lot in May!) 2// old Target rib tank (similar), Donni poplin pants*, The Row slides 3// Tibi Crepe Dress, Zara heels from last year, Jujuvera necklace 4// same Target rib tank and Pistola jeans, Khaite belt, same Soeur flats, old Celine bag (secondhand here and I also kind of love this color)

THE SHOE WHEN YOUR OUTFIT FEELS BORING

I caved last Fall and got a pair of jelly shoes. After spending all Summer wearing variations of simple flip flops and sandals, I was craving something textured on my feet for my go-to outfits. And I never looked back. It continues to be one I reach for when I have trouble finding the right shoe, or when my outfit feels a bit boring or basic. It helps add that subtle tension and feeling of something being a bit unexpected and “off” with your look which I like. The open weave also creates a similar illusion to sandals in that it helps elongate and break up some of the weight around the hem of pants as your skin is able to peek out through the top of the shoe.

And they are surprisingly so comfortable. I was a bit skeptical but I wore them for the first time while traveling and walked 10K-15K steps a day with zero break-in required.

*Note: I don’t usually buy “dupes” but I would never pay a lot for something that is essentially plastic. Same goes for mesh. Same goes for this shoe from The Row that’s great in theory but it’s essentially poly elastic. Nothing wrong if you prefer to have the branded version - it’s just personally how I view quality.

Jelly Flats paired with: 1// old RL sweatshirt, same Pistola jeans 2// Donni tee*, Donni terry stripe sweatpants 3// COS linen cardigan, Frame low slung jean

DRESSES OVER PANTS

Taking a cute from my old The Row newsletter and re-interpreting it for this Summer. I love the proportion play of pairing dresses with pants and it’s a fun way to get more out of your dresses!

old Aritzia slip dress paired with: 1// old Quince cashmere sweater, same Pistola jeans, A. Emery sandals 2// Leset Niko pant, The Row slides 3// Attersee dress, same Pistola Jeans, Soeur flats, Zara bag (It’s a bit flimsy so I would probably get this one, or this)

AN EASY BREEZY PANT

I shared these light-as-air linen pants in June’s Monthly High-Five (currently sold out but you can add yourself to the waitlist here). They are a bit sheer so I pictured them with bathing suits and oversized button downs as a beach/pool/travel pant.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I’m reaching for them in city and everyday settings too — I like pairing it with seasonal pieces like a chunky cotton sweater to add a bit of textural contrast. I have a hard time finding good browns that work with my skin tone — this has a bit of dusty red undertone which I like and find it easier to style with.

Leset Niko pant paired with: 1// Donni Pop Shirt* 2// same Donni Sweater, Mesh Flats 3// Leset Niko tank, same Donni poplin shirt, The Row slides, Liffner Bag*

WHEN YOU’RE TOO HOT TO BOTHER - GO WITH A TANK

Summer is all about the ease of simplicity — less is more and nothing is too serious or precious! I pretty much wear these old Target tanks year round but they are on major repeat during the Summer. I never travel without them. I love the cut and it provides that “barely-there” element I love for warmer weather. It’s a great “in-between” piece to pair with shorts, bathing suits, and jeans but also provides the chill element to dressier pieces like trousers and fancy skirts. I luckily stocked up with two of each color as they don’t run this style anymore but this one is quite similar and I recently got these and like the quality as I was looking for one in a thicker fabric for a client.

If you feel a simple tank is too boring - head over to Kelly’s recent newsletter for some much needed inspiration!

Old Target tanks paired with: 1// vintage Levi’s, The Row slides, bead necklace from my travels (similar) 2// Attersee skirt (love the newer version), The Row slides, Etsy cuff (Jujuvera-coded option and I kind of love this one)

WHEN YOU CAN BOTHER, JUST ADD YOUR FAVORITE TOPPER

Yes, I still wear blazers in the Summer!

For days when I need to feel more put together, or for evenings out, I just add a blazer or jacket on top of my basic tank + jean. Little to no effort but instantly polishes up your daytime look.

Same Target tanks + Leset Niko tank paired with: 1// Zara blazer (I first saw this on Maria Hyde and it looked great. It’s lightweight and relaxed but not overwhelming. I don’t love the lining but love the fit and the color which I’ve been trying to hunt down forever), same slides from The Row and beaded necklace 2// old Zara embellished jacket, vintage Levi’s, same mesh flats and Etsy cuff 3// Wardrobe NYC blazer (on sale here and similar), Dehanche belt, vintage Levi’s, old Porte & Paire sandals (similar) 4// same Zara embellished jacket, Zara rope belt from last year (similar), same Frame jeans, old Celine heels

STACKED JEWELRY

Jewelry is a great lever for Summer to show your personality. I still love all the inspiration for hot weather jewelry ideas from this old newsletter!

I’ve been wrapping my necklaces to create makeshift anklets, layering lab diamonds and pearls, and mixing colors and materials as I feel like it. Don’t overthink it — just mix-n-match and have fun playing with colors, textures, and layers!

1// pearl necklace from Costa Rica, Dorsey Kate necklace 2// same beaded necklace from my travels, Dorsey paracord anklet worn as a bracelet 3// old gold beaded necklace worn as an anklet (similar) 4// old Missoma beaded necklace worn as an anklet

SUMMER LAYERS

As someone who loves to layer, it can be a bit trickier in warmer weather when you just need to be as cool as possible. Aside from using jewelry as layers as mentioned above, I tend to just tie something around my waist. It adds just a bit of texture/color/pattern/proportion play without a lot of extra weight!

1// same Leset tank, Donni shirt, The Row slides, Zara bag, COS cotton skirt, 2// same Marine Layer rib tank, same skirt, Donni sweater, Jelly flats, old Bode market bag

FAILSAFE DRESSES

You have heard me talk about “failsafe” dresses before in past newsletters - essentially, these are just easy versatile dresses that make you feel good and require zero effort. You can wear them during the day, dress them up at night, travel with them, WFH in them. They should feel a bit like second skin in that you just feel comfortable and like yourself in it!

1// J. Crew strapless dress (I like the smocked bodice which means I don’t have to wear a bra, the subtle drop waist, and the airy skirt and pockets…got in black so I don’t have to worry about sweating through it!), same Porte & Paire sandals, Liffner basket tote 2// old Faithfull The Brand dress (similar), same Porte & Paire sandals, old Celine bag

I wanted to show how you can keep and continue to refresh your favorite dresses in your wardrobe for years and use little styling tweaks to switch up the vibe or evolve with you over time. The left image is last week with sharp contrast black accessories. The right image is from 2022 - more relaxed, casual accessories. Same dress, different vibes, still me.

A moment for this gorgeous basket bag — the quality is so good and I love the subtle metal closure. It always feels unreal to me when brands I’ve admired for so long want to gift me anything. I only accept things I actually love and would buy on my own and I never share it with you unless I can stand behind it. I chose this color as I love browns paired with neutrals as it feels a bit softer and more interesting than Black or Tan.

WORKOUT WEAR

I’m not a big workout wear gear person — I stick to black and white, with the occasional grey or olive. Since I have really basic workout outfits, I style with the rest of my wardrobe to help me feel more put together. A couple things that help me are:

• Just adding a jacket - it helps elevate the look even though you are just wearing workout clothes underneath…I wore this shorter casual jacket but also my trench

• For lighter workout classes like pilates or yoga, I wear a refined shoe like a comfy flat vs a sneaker as I feel more comfortable running errands or meeting up with people before and after.

• I go monochrome - all black, grey/black, navy/black. Always easy and feels more chic!

1// very old cotton tee that I only wear for workouts and hiking, old ALO leggings (like the subtle sheen), Pixie Market jacket, same Soeur flats 2// Uniqlo windbreaker, same ALO leggings, trusty Sambas, Zara bag

A FUN AND AIRY SHORT

I don’t have my usual denim shorts or cotton boxers with me so I’ve been wearing these lace shorts I grabbed during the last restock. I’m not a huge shorts person so I prefer something either really basic or more special like these that for warmer days. Also love the bloomer look if it’s more your vibe. Looking forward to wearing them with non-winter legs!

Doen lace shorts paired with: 1// Asher Tee (great fabric, even better color), same Jelly flats and Zara bag 2// my husband’s J Crew linen shirt, The Row slides, Zara bag 3// same Wardrobe NYC blazer, Marine Layer tank, Jelly flats

I hope this can give you some new ideas to play with and help you restyle and mix-n-match within your own closet!

Thank you for being here, whether it’s your first time and 20th time — I know there’s a lot going on in the world right now and posting about style and clothes can feel a bit frivolous and silly but at the same time, I hope this newsletter can provide a bit of respite when you need it ❤️

Take care and see you next Sunday!

xx,

Angie