A little rant to start off the letter this week:
There’s a huge stigma around affiliate linking at the moment, and I keep seeing people react to it as if it’s inherently disingenuous. I’m seeing people talking about actively avoiding purchasing through affiliate links, even when they found a product through a personal recommendation in the first place, and I have…thoughts.
There is a part of it that I think (and know) to be disingenuous, and a part of it that I think is misunderstood. If you are asking someone for recommendations - to help find you a dress for a wedding, the perfect pair of jeans, a hotel, a gift, whatever - and then go out of your way to make sure they don’t make a commission when you buy it - I’m don’t really understand the logic. First off, using an affiliate link doesn’t cost you anything. If finding the great gems were that easy, you wouldn’t be seeking someone else’s advice. Taste is a currency. The value is in the time/taste/ expertise that got you to the right thing in the first place.
And in my case, shopping and curation have quite literally been my job for my entire adult life. I started working in fashion when I was 18, studied at FIT and held internships every single semester I was studying, worked in the buying office at Barneys, and spent the past 9 years building & buying for my own multi-brand retailer. For 14+ years, I’ve been paid to look at product, decide what’s great and worth the $, what people actually want to and should be buying. I’ve looked at thousands and thousands (and thooooousands) of products at this point. My brain is basically permanently wired to shop.
So I consider my eye for product, and my taste, a valuable skill. It’s one I’ve spent well over a decade developing professionally. Instead of doing it on behalf of a retailer like I used to do, now I can do it independently and share it directly with you - which gives me so much more freedom. I’m not tied to one retailer, one brand/set of brands, or even one price point.
Where I think it starts to get shady is recomending something just because you can make money from it. Influencers & creators promoting brands and products that, let’s be so fucking for real, they would never actually use/buy themselves. There are even highly trusted fashion writers on here who I can tell are, on occasion, promoting products this way. I get many of the same gifting offers from brands and messages through ShopMy, so I can see when something is part of a broader marketing push vs something someone organically discovered and loves. And while I understand at the end of the day this is a business, there’s a difference between monetizing your taste and allowing the monetization to dictate your taste.
TLDR, I just want to be real with you about where I stand and where I’m coming from: if I’m recommending something here, it’s because I genuinely think it’s great. You guys know I have no problem telling you when I think something sucks, or is ugly, or isn’t worth your time or money.
I take it really seriously that so many people in my life trust me for shopping recommendations. It started with friends & family, then friends of friends, and at this point I get messages from people I barely know asking me to help them find things. The people who know me personally know I’m never going to tell them to buy something I don’t actually think is good. And as this newsletter grows and more people are finding me who don’t know me personally, I want you to know that too.
Rant over. Now enjoy some things that are (and a warning on some things that are not) worth your time below:
Shopping
The chill in the air right now is giving me life - fall is undoubtedly my favorite season. I’ve been compiling my favorite finds the past few weeks that I’d love to add to my wardrobe (saving everything here), so I thought I’d put some perfect outfits together for you to help inspire you during this beautiful transition:
For pretending 72 degrees means it’s sweater weather: I’m obsessed with these purple jeans right now. They’re colorful without screaming colored jeans, and somehow come across more like an interesting neutral. And I regret to inform you that The Cool Jean is, in fact, worth the hype:
For looking put together with minimal effort: the layered tee is doing a lot of styling work for us here. And yes, we can absolutely pair a Mango skirt with Phoebe Philo shoes — high/low forever:
Summer clothes, fall styling: I adored Nicole Kidman’s wardrobe in Practical Magic 2, and there’s a plaid maxi skirt she wears that I’ve been thinking about since. This is my version of that outfit for fall:
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
Milkweed Studio: I had a really wonderful coffee here the other day! Worth checking out if you’re in the LES/Chinatown area. I had the Magic with cashew milk
Somssi: The service started out a little rocky here, but everything quickly turned around and it was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. All of the food was amazing, but don’t skip the mushrooms + curried rice, grilled shrimp, and the potato, potato, potato & caviar.
Titán: Perhaps it was an off day, but this was hands down the worst/slowest service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. At least it was a gorgeous day and we were sitting in their lovely backyard patio - and the food was genuinely delicious - but given the painfully slow service, I don’t think I’d return or recommend.
Floradora: One of my dining companions said the martini was one of the best she’s ever had in NYC, which is a very high praise coming from her. The food was very solid, but not terribly memorable. The mozzarella sticks were a highlight, so I’d suggest grabbing a seat at the bar for a martini & some mozzarella sticks rather than enjoying a full meal here.
Wild Cherry: My second time here, after being thoroughly unimpressed the first time, it was (somewhat) redeemed on my 2nd visit. The crab & artichoke dip, though wildly overpriced, was delicious - but at $55, I wouldn’t order it again unless someone else was picking up the tab tbh. The caesar salad & cheeseburger were excellent, and I thought the steak was honestly terrible. The frozen custard dessert is top tier, as is a beautiful, massive Scorpion Bowl cocktail, complete with 4 straws and fresh flowers, which should absolutely be shared between your entire table. Their other cocktails were solid as well. If I were to go back, I’d stick with only ordering the caesar salad & cheeseburger. And dessert, obvi.
Movies
Is Practical Magic 2 technically a good film? No, of course not. But did I have fun watching it? Yeah, I did - and sometimes that’s really all that matters. Keep your expectations low, and you should have some fun too.
On My Radar
The Sound of Music at Lincoln Center beginning in March; tickets just went on sale, and it’s 17 weeks only
Bar Leone, a new two story martini bar & ‘italo-disco den’ in Soho
Passerine, an Indian restaurant in Flatiron, where the former head chef at Ambassadors Clubhouse is running the kitchen
H Valley, a new gourmet grocery store in the West Village
The Astor, a new tavern within the Public Theater
Clio Peppiatt’s NYC pop up, Sept 24-Oct 25 at 74 Grand Street
Until next week -
xo
Lo
Snaps. Claps. Take a bow. I agree 1,000,000%. Taste is currency!! And I also would like to taste that burger and scorpion bowl. Looks unreal! 🤤
Always the honest taste and recommendation!! Mmm Passerine, let’s go!!! They have revamped their outside and it’s getting a bit more vibey