0 - WELCOME

Happy New Year :)

Welcome t0 2023! I hope you all had a fantastic New Year celebration, whether it meant partying with friends or going to bed early. For me, I celebrated with my boyfriend and friends in Aspen. I’ve been here for the past few week skiing and enjoying the beautiful town. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend visiting!

January is always a time to reflect on the past year, so I’d like to thank all of you again for subscribing to and reading my newsletter. What started 11 months ago as a fun hobby has grown way beyond my expectations. For 2023, my goal is to continue writing about interesting topics in fashion, beauty, travel, and design — I take suggestions as always! This month’s newsletter features two reader ideas: Travel Outfits and Undergarments.

1 - FASHION

Travel Outfits

I’ve been flying a lot lately, and one of the things that I always think about is how to look stylish while traveling. I’ll be honest — I wear my fair share of sweatshirts and leggings, but I try to look put together, while being cozy. Pockets are non-negotiable for me — I’m always fumbling around for my phone, lip balm, hand cream, airpods and hand sanitizer. For that reason, I love wearing an oversized blazer or jacket when I travel. My necessities are easily accessible, and I look more put together. For longer flights, I like wearing a knitwear set — it’s more elevated than leggings, and still comfortable. Below are some of my picks for travel days:

Underthings

Underwear makes such a difference between feeling confident and uncomfortable in your clothes. There have been times when I want to wear a certain outfit, but don’t have the right undergarments to pull it off. Other times, I wear the wrong underwear and feel awkward for the entire night. I’m still learning and discovering, but here are my go-to brands:

• Bras

  • Baserange: I am almost always in a Baserange bralette. They’re comfortable, well-made and use materials like organic cotton, bamboo and recycled fabrics. I have the Triangle and Mississippi bras in many colours

  • Lively: When I have to wear a strapless, seamless, t-shirt bra (e.g., under a tank top), this one from Lively is my go-to. I’ve tried so many bras and this is the only one that actually does the job

  • NuBra: For backless tops, I love NuBra, which are pretty much sticky boobs that last for many hours. I like their 3D bra

  • Skims: I was pleasantly surprised when I tried Skims for the first time. The product is great and comparable to higher-end brands. I love their Scoop Neck Bra

  • La Perla, Agent Provocateur: Wearing Baserange bralettes all the time can be a bit boring, so I like to mix in La Perla and Agent Provocateur

• Briefs

  • Hanky Panky: I’ve been wearing Hanky Panky for over 10 years. Their underwear is “one size fits all”, and is equally comfortable as it is pretty

  • Commando: Commando is my holy grail of seamless underwear. Nothing shows — it’s my go-to when I wear something more form fitting or sheer

Five Things I Bought

Here are some goodies that I bought and loved last month.

2 - TRAVEL

Aspen

Aspen is my happy place. It’s a beautiful spot that retains its small-town feel, despite being a tourist destination. Here are some of my recommendations:

Things to Do

• Ski/Snowboard: If you’re an avid skier or snowboarder, you will not be disappointed with the options at Aspen Snowmass. There are 4 mountains with differing terrains and characteristics: Snowmass, Buttermilk, Highlands and Ajax. Snowmass is the largest with all types of runs — you won’t be bored. Buttermilk is geared towards beginners, but it’s fun even for advanced skiers. Highlands and Ajax are more challenging and rewarding. My favourite is Ajax — it’s located in downtown Aspen and offers beautiful views of the town

• Shop: Aspen has everything you could want. Luxury brands are always opening pop-ups here (last year it was Chanel, this year it’s Saks, Balmain and Toteme). Local shops that I like include Max, Pitkin County Dry Goods, and Kemo Sabe.

• Après: Après is a big thing in Aspen. Cloud Nine on Highlands has some of the best vibes (think champagne… everywhere)

• Art: Aspen Art Museum has wonderful exhibitions (Andy Warhol, Gaetano Pesce and Yayoi Kusama to name a few), and it’s free!

• See a DJ: Belly Up is a very cool musical venue that attracts major artists. Its capacity is only 450, which makes for an intimate setting

Where to Stay

• I recommend staying in downtown Aspen for convenience. The best hotels are Hotel Jerome, The Little Nell, and The St. Regis

What to Eat/Drink

• Bad Harriet: Bad Harriet is a speakeasy at Hotel Jerome with great cocktails. They also have an omakase pop-up until April, which I absolutely loved

• Clark’s: Clark’s has the best happy hour, including delicious, half-priced burgers and martinis

• Jus: I come here often for green smoothies — my favourite is the Georges with spinach, banana, almond butter, and homemade almond milk

• Paradise Bakery: Paradise has delicious baked goods. I love the cookies here

• Most restaurants are overpriced and not that great — I haven’t found too many places that I enjoy and would strongly recommend

General Advice

• If you’re skiing/snowboarding in Aspen for several days, I recommend getting a multi-resort/season pass. Lift tickets are $200+/day, so it quickly pays for itself. I have the Ikon pass, which is geared more towards ski resorts in the US and Canada

• A car is not necessary if you’re staying downtown. Buses are free and can take you from downtown Aspen to all of the ski resorts

• Aspen is beautiful in the summer too. I haven’t been in the warmer months, but there’s plenty of hiking and summer activities

3 - MENSWEAR (AS TOLD BY MY BOYFRIEND)

What to think about when shopping and getting dressed

It’s a common misconception that there are stylish guys and schlubs, and that nothing can be done to cross from one to the other. Throughout my childhood, adolescence and college life, I had no idea how to dress well. Ill-fitting and poorly matched clothes were the norm; I was comfortable in the way I dressed, but that’s about it. After graduation at my first job at Brooks Brothers, I decided that I needed to do better. Since then, I have spent many hours studying what looks good and why. It’s a journey, and I’m always learning, but here are a few things that I think about when buying clothes and putting together an outfit. I don’t always get it right, but that’s part of the process!

• Fit, above all else. If clothes don’t fit the way you like, you won’t wear them. I always buy clothes with fit and drape in mind. This doesn’t mean that every piece of clothing has to fit your muscles and curves, just that it fits in a way that feels good. It’s helpful to measure a few items that you like, and save the measurements as reference when shopping online. Fit is not something that is dependent on price (unlike quality)

• Brown, blue, grey. Keep colours simple and compatible! I’m colourblind, so sticking to a few basic colour rules has helped me to make more use of my wardrobe. Brown (any shade), blue (light for shirts, darker for layers) and grey (any shade) tend to work well in almost any combination. Not every combination will match, and there are certainly other colours that work too, but I find these provide a safe sandbox to learn and play around

• Make sure all your clothes are going to the same party. I stole this phrase a coworker years ago. The idea is that your clothes should all serve the same purpose and have the same intent behind them. Material, texture and fit play a big role in how your clothes interact with each other and your environment. Shiny polyesters should not go with nubby tweeds and a slim sweater likely won’t go with wide-legged jeans (for me, at least)

4 - PARTING NOTE

As you may know, I love to read! For 2023, I have a reading goal of 18 books. If you have a book recommendation (any genre is fine), please send it my way. My favourite of all time is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara — I was inconsolable after reading it, but it was worth every tear.

Until next month, friends.