In My Cart/Heart
High maintenance to be low maintenance
Shitters. I need you to raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by the Toteme flip flop heels. I wore them out to dinner on Friday and now I can’t even take a shower without wincing, that’s how many open wounds there are on my feet! Why did no one warn me?!! Praying that a little moleskin under the straps will help because they really are a perfect-looking casual heel, but if that doesn’t work… straight to the curb (or perhaps the ER to get my feet amputated).
Those were not a new addition to the closet, though it was clearly my first time breaking them out! As I said in an earlier letter, there have been fewer new additions lately (minus a simple longsleeve from the J.Crew sale and this fun transitional sweater, aka my answer to dopamine dressing. PRIYANKA20 still works on all W&W, which we love!). Instead, my focus has shifted more towards purchases that make my life easier, better, or more comfortable. Call it high maintenance things to be low maintenance?
Think keratin to make my hair easier to wear down on a daily basis without having to blow it out or stress about preserving it. I feel more confident when my hair is down and done than when it’s up in a frizzy bun, and this is making it easier for me to do that (though I do have thoughts about the version I tried). Microneedling to improve my skin quality and texture instead of trying new skin products (not a knock on skincare—your home care routine is one of the most important things for your skin—but you have to be realistic about the results you’re looking for and whether you can actually get them from a bottle). Home upgrades that are way less fun in the moment than say a new pair of pants (bad example—more comfy casual pants actually would make my life easier!), but have a bigger payoff in the long run. I would argue that even The Row tote I scored during a recent TRR promo falls into the same category by giving me something a little more elevated than my go-to Boat and Tote when I want to cart my water bottle and other odds and ends around (I love the long strap version of the latter, but one of the two straps always falls down my shoulder without fail).
I saw Monique at Jenna Perry for a formaldehyde-free keratin (Cezanne). It tamed the frizz without changing my hair’s curl pattern, meaning it still dries wavy, but without any frizziness or sensitivity to rain or humidity. A couple initial downsides though—your hair smells funky when it’s wet for the first few weeks (no one warned me about that!) and I’m noticing more flakes than usual in my dark hair (residue?). Jury’s still out, we’ll see how the next few months go. And Sofie Pavitt is my go-to for skin always. Fair pricing, super knowledgeable staff, and they never upsell you on unnecessary things.
Similar themes are carrying through to my current obsessions. While they’re less treatment/ investment-oriented than the above, they all serve to make my day-to-day life a little easier and myself a little more comfortable in it. More below for your perusing pleasure!
In My Cart/Heart
Lacquer Box: This isn’t even jewelry, but it’s one of my favorite Fewer Finer pieces yet! This gorgeous lacquered box in two green tones makes for a perfect jewelry box, keep-all for your trinkets, accent piece, etc. I rarely get that “need to have it immediately” feeling, but this was one of those. I love that it’s something I want to have out in my space rather than stuffed into a closet or cabinet somewhere. That makes for a better jewelry box in my opinion—things that are out of sight also tend to be out of mind, and I think that having this out will inspire me to switch up my pieces more often (aka get better use out of investments I’ve already made. Girl math?!). P.S. FF’s jewelry is rarely ever on sale, but it will be later this week for anyone in the market!
The top of my jewelry wishlist on Alison Loehnis. One thing about me—there is no demo I get more style inspiration from than rail thin, wildly rich 50+ year old white women. Gucci. Suzie. Alison. Sorry, but there is no one doing it better.
Activewear Tops: I have to be honest, I need serious help in this department. I have a decent collection of leggings and sports bras, but one thing I don’t really have are things to wear on top of them during a workout. If I’m streaming a class at home, who cares—sports bra and sweats or bike shorts, easy. But for the most part, when I go to the gym or run outside, I don’t like being out in just a sports bra. Even on my best body image days, it just makes me feel exposed. These long sleeves are easy in colder weather, but once it warms up, I’m at a loss.