The Lo Down: 9/18/25

Horizontal lines & main character delusions...

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Fashion

Sitting on an idyllic West Village corner the other day, I noticed dozens (not exaggerating) of women wearing horizontal stripes. Some just strolling by; others, thinking they are the main character in their fashion week-fantasy, with a hired photographer or dedicated friend snapping street style ‘candids’ of them as they cross West 4th Street back and forth. While it’s not exactly a groundbreaking trend for fall, it’s not something that I have in my closet, save for an old Barneys-era CDG Play Striped Tee. It did inspire me to want to add some stripes to my closet, though, so I rounded up the best styles out there right now. Here’s a sneak peek at the edit:

For more of what’s in my closet, what I’m currently obsessing over, shopping guides & more, check out my ShopMy. Looking for some personal style advice? Whether it’s for curating a flawless vacation wardrobe, hunting down the perfect shoes, or finding the best basics for your closet, I’m here to help—just reach out!

Food & Drink

Wallsé is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Austrian spot on a quiet corner of the West Village. I’ve walked by approximately 5000 times, and finally just tried it. Very civilized, lowkey restaurant with a calm energy, good food & service. A nice place to take parents or for a classy & quiet meal.

I’d never actually had the food at The Nines before last weekend - strictly cocktails - and hadn’t been in general in years. And I was pleasantly surprised with the food! The order: mushroom terrine; gnudi with sweet corn, beurre blanc, truffle; wood roasted salmon with heirloom carrots & harissa; side of fries, of course; and a deliciously divine chocolate mousse with whipped cream and cherries for dessert. The live music was spectacular, and the vibes remain great here.

In ‘tales of trying to cook at home more,’ I made this recipe this week. It is a bit tedious, but it’s a great hearty and healthy grain salad to keep in the fridge all week. I mixed in a shredded rotisserie chicken this time, which was an excellent choice.

TV

Spoiler alert for the TSITP finale if you haven’t already watched!

Let’s start with Conrad, because…yikes. Showing up at Belly’s Paris apartment like some kind of serial killer stalker? Not romantic. And then standing there creepily watching her (seemingly romantically) embrace with Benito instead of walking away unnoticed? Pathetic. Your dozens of messages and packages have largely gone unanswered. She almost just married your brother. You dated her briefly YEARS ago, when she was in high school, and now she’s turning 22. Limerence, delusion, whatever you want to call it, it’s not love. Move on. I know this is made for hopeful teens, but watching as an adult, what’s supposed to be this “meant to be” storyline reads borderline psychotic.

The birthday party sealed it. Conrad clinging to Belly, glaring across the room at Benito, refusing to mingle - major ick. And that recycled line “I’ll always be the boy who taught you how to ride a bike” trying to one-up Benito? Vomit.

And Belly…oh, Isabel. What made her Paris era so refreshing was that she was finally finding her sense of self and self-worth outside the context of these two brothers. For the first time in her life, she was building real autonomy - confident, comfortable, independent. Her deciding to kiss - and then sleep with - and then run after - Conrad, really unraveled all of that personal growth with one sloppy romantic cliché. She was so close to standing her ground and saying “this was always my dream, but it’s not my reality anymore” and instead, we got “I choose you,” as if he’s a fucking Pokemon. I was rooting for you, Isabel. Shame on you for folding so easily. She’s truly always been the worst, tbh.

The only one who came out of this trio looking remotely good? That would be Jeremiah. His arc actually felt grounded - stable, happy, moving forward. Sure, the forced Denise subplot was unnecessary (apparently single men and women can’t just be friends), but at least his story didn’t make me want to throw my TV out the window. Obviously I ship Steven & Taylor and think those two have a lovely, bright future ahead of them.

Bottom line: I get it, it’s a show, based on a YA book, written for teenagers who live for optimistic “meant to be” romances. But from an adult perspective, watching Belly give up her newfound independence for a guy who hasn’t evolved since high school was painful to watch. I guess we’ll just have to see what the forthcoming movie has in store for us.

I know I am definitely reading into this all wayyyy too much and it’s not that serious, but I did binge this show in a relatively short period of time and didn’t stretch it out over the past however many years it was running, and perhaps that’s given me a different perspective (because I was never Team Conrad for one second of this show, and I know that is the most unpopular opinion and I’ve not met a single person who agrees with me). Anyway, on that note, I’ll get outside today and touch some grass.

Current Obsession

The Crown Affair Dry Shampoo. I usually never use dry shampoo - I despise the way it makes my hair feel - but can honestly say this one has converted me. The packaging & application is a little awkward, but it’s kind of luxurious to apply with the little brush, and it smells so divine. No gross feeling of buildup or starchiness that I feel with quite literally any other dry shampoo I’ve ever tried.

On My Radar

The Affordable Art Fair is on thru Sunday. Always a favorite weekend activity when it’s running!

Birds, a new West Village jazz bar from some of the people behind Sip & Guzzle (so I assume both the cocktails & food are pretty great for a jazz club)

Slicehaus, yet another West Village pizza joint (from a former L’industrie pizzamaker - a little close to home, but we love some healthy competition) sidenote: are we getting pizza fatigue?

The C Cafe, a new French cafe by day, wine bar by night in the WV

Sorate, the beloved matcha spot, just opened a new location in Flatiron

Until next week -

xo

Lo