Hello! As I write this (Monday) it is pouring. Dumping rain. We are anticipating a scary amount of bad weather this week - I always get really anxious. We spent the better part of the day on Sunday cleaning and testing all of my various drains (we installed a ton when I put in the pool), and doing other tasks to ready the house for all. of. the. rain.
We are both presently camped out at my dining room table trying to get as much work done as possible in case we lose power. Fingers crossed.
(This letter gets a little long so you may need to click through to Substack to read the whole thing!)
I saw something on here recently (I cannot remember where) but the writer said something to the effect of, “I just can’t trust an influencer who gets equally excited about an Amazon find as they do some $900 expensive item.” (I’m paraphrasing!)
And I get that and also understand that trust in influencers is at an all time low (please don’t put us all into the same category!) but here is my counterpoint. I love love love a really well made expensive item that I’ll have and wear forever. At the same time, when I find a really good Amazon find (like this set above) and it is $20 and the fabric is nice, I genuinely really do get equally excited. They are just very different types of thrills. The kind that you save up for and the kind where you are like, “holy cr*p I cannot believe I only paid $20 for this really cute thing!).
My style is always going to be a mix. This roundup features pieces from Khaite and Alaia but also Amazon, The Gap, Sezane, and J.Crew. I’m an equal opportunity enthusiast, if you will. I’ve learned that you can’t please everyone but I just thought I’d throw that little explanation out there.
I have gone on and on about this button down (gifted, you can use code GRACE15) but it’s just a perfect shirt! I think the side view (below) is what I like about it most. The extra long back. It runs TTS (I mean it’s big but you want it that way!), I wear my usual medium. Also these are my favorite cut-offs. The Normandy Wash!
I had a friend’s birthday party and it was HOT. This Heidi Merrick shirt dress was perfect. It’s breezy, oversized, classic… does not touch the body.
Also I really love these slides and they are half off right now!
My mom came over and we lounged in the sunshine and read our books. A perfect day!
I wore this outfit to the movies. I built this look around my chartreuse ballet flats which I am obsessed with but don’t wear nearly enough. Inside the tote is water, contraband candy, and a big scarf that doubles as a blanket. Going to the movies is my most favorite summertime activity but now that I live in CHS I rely on the kindness of my friends to pick me up and give me a ride.
Also I have talked about how this La Ligne sweater (gifted, use code GRACE10) is the perfect “over the shoulders” sweater - you’ve seen it ON, now here is over the shoulders. The longer sleeves are so helpful!
Post highlights. The best feeling. And I love this dress. (Wearing the medium).
I wore this to family dinner. The shoes were a request from my 5 y/o niece. She got gold ballet flats, so naturally I needed to match her.
This blouse is on the more expensive side but it’s perfect. I think we are going to see more cropped blouses like this one this fall.
Hanging at home on a hot day. This Hill House dress did the trick. The sandals are Chanel, from 3 years ago.
What makes this shirt dress so perfect is the back. There is an adjustable button tab that you can cinch (if you want) to give it a little more shape.
I had dinner with a group of friends and was in one of those “I hate all my clothes” moments. I was bloated, the dress I wanted to wear was sticking to my stomach ,and it was just a really terrible body image day.
I was about to put on a kaftan and say f$#%$ everything when I remembered this J.Crew dress from last year (I have it in white too). It is the perfect dress, I feel really good in it and I will wear both dresses until they fall apart. I really wish they would make it an evergreen style!
Also these sandals were a best buy of summer. So elegant but also comfortable.
This outfit is unremarkable (I was just reading at home) but it is such a good set that I included a photo anyway. Carly sourced the shorts for this post about summer blues that we had for the blog and I ordered immediately. Plus the matching top. (I got a M in both!)
I had talked about my Hunza G thoughts below but I loved the first one so much that I got a second. This one has pretty tortoise details.
I so disagree with whoever that quote is attributed to! I like the mix from you and I think you have always done such a good job of balancing price points and quality and accessibility without diluting your style or your POV... I think so many of us are that way, investing in a quality sweater or pair of jeans or coat but also loving a score at Target!
I think it's totally relatable that you mix high end, quality pieces with more affordable high street brands and amazon finds! That's how all of my friends and I shop. We can afford to splurge on things here and there but don't have the budget to shop high end designer exclusively, especially these days when the cost of clothes, shoes, bags etc. can be downright offensive! Anyway...love that J.Crew dress! I am wearing the exact same one at work today. I wish I got it in white last year too!