January 2024: Monthly Newsletter

0 - WELCOME

Wearing a Toteme turtleneck (on sale!), Toteme jeans, and Toteme boots (all Toteme everything)

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2024, friends. How did you ring in the new year? My boyfriend and I had friends over last night and it was great to catch up with them. We also just got back yesterday from a trip to Jackson Hole. Unfortunately my dreams of fresh powder did not come true, but it was still a good time!

This month, I’m heading to Aspen as usual for more skiing and relaxing. I’m looking forward to going back to my favourite places and checking out new ones (like the FWRD pop up store). You can check out my Aspen travel guide from last year here.

Lastly, the new year is always a time to set and refresh goals. For 2024, I look forward to growing my newsletter, styling business and brand collaborations. I’ve said this before, but I will say it again: what started as a small hobby is blossoming into a rewarding and fun “side hustle” — so thank you for your support! Stay tuned for next month: it marks two years of my newsletter and I’ll be doing something special :)

1 - FASHION

Winter Boots

During my years in Toronto, it was critical to have functional winter boots for cold, snowy winters. The NYC climate is a little different (who knows if/when it will snow), but I’m still planning ahead and thinking about winter boots. For me, they can’t be too precious — winter boots have to be able to withstand snow, slush, and everything in between. They also must have a rugged sole for grip because I’ll be slipping and falling otherwise! Here are my picks:

Ski Outfits

As you know, I love a good ski outfit. I am a firm believer that if you feel good in what you’re wearing, you will perform better (whether it’s skiing or otherwise). Here’s what I would like to add to my alpine wardrobe:

Five Things I Bought

Below are five things that I bought and loved last month:

1. The Row Slouchy Banana Bag: I underestimated how much I would value being handsfree — this is a very chic bum/messenger bag if you will and pairs well with a lot of outfits. I don’t have anything similar and I’m really happy to add this to my bag collection!

2. Toteme Striped Shirt: Toteme shirts are rarely on sale, so I immediately snagged this during the Matches sale. It’s quite oversized (as are many Toteme pieces), so be sure to size down

3. Sacai Paneled Trench Coat: I’ve been on a Sacai kick lately. This asymmetric trench coat is very cool and features a different style on each side. This is a perfect example of “classic with a twist"

4. Valentino Tan-Go Flats: I don’t need more flats, but these were 70% off, so I couldn’t resist. They are incredibly comfortable with lots of support and padding. I envision these being a 10K steps kind of shoe

5. D.S. & Durga Wild Brooklyn Lavender Candles: This is one of my all-time favourite scents. It was our NYE party scent last night!

3 - TRAVEL

Travel Guide: Jackson Hole

As mentioned, I spent a few days in Jackson Hole, Wyoming last week. For those who haven’t been, Jackson Hole is a valley located in the Teton Mountains, comprised of a few towns including Jackson, Wilson and Teton Village. Here are my recommendations:

Do

Winter sports are the thing to do in Jackson Hole — skiing and snowboarding of course, but there are other activities like snowshoeing, snowmobiling, skating and taking sleigh rides. The ski resort is close to an elk refuge, so keep your eyes peeled for elk sightings!
The town of Jackson has a lot of history dating back to the late 1800s/early 1900s. Walking around parts of town felt like going back in time. The town also has a lot of smaller shops that are worth a visit

Eat / Drink

We spent every morning going to Persephone for baked goods. I loved their morning glory muffins (will recreate at home!) and ham/cheese croissants
Teton Thai is a restaurant located ~10 mins walk from the base of the resort. I thought it was comparable to Thai restaurants in NYC - really delicious!
Other places we enjoyed include Kampai, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Moo’s Ice Cream and Snake River Roasting Company

Stay

You can either stay in town or at the base of the mountain. We stayed in town, which was the better decision for us as we like to walk around and explore. Staying at the resort is obviously convenient, but I found it a little small and limiting
Some hotels to stay at include The Cloudveil (in town), Amangani (not in town), and Four Seasons (at the base)

General Advice

Jackson Hole is a more advanced mountain compared to other resorts — there are very few beginner/green runs. That being said, it has some of the best instructors, so it’s the perfect place to take a lesson
Without fresh powder, Jackson Hole felt a little small as a mountain, as only half of the trails were open when I was there. For me, a few days of skiing were more than enough as I had explored all of the mountain by the end of the trip
There is no Uber. If you’re staying in town, you’ll have to rent a car or take busses to get to the ski resort (~20 min drive). Hotels generally run frequent shuttles to the ski resort
The town itself is very walkable — everything was pretty much within a 10-15 min radius

4 - OTHER

Beauty

Last month I tried Ricari Studios in NYC for the first time — I had the Signature treatment and am obsessed. I can’t wait to go back later this month for a lymphatic drainage massage. I also just purchased a NuSkin Trinity — will keep you posted on how I like it!

Art

Leading up to the holidays, I was able to spend some time at my favourite art galleries. I particularly enjoyed Louise Bonnet at the Gagosian (her rather grotesque paintings are shown here), along with Tracey Emin at White Cube

Outfits

I used to link a lot of my outfits on LTK, but truthfully it’s not the easiest platform for creators. I’ve since switched to ShopMy — you can find links to my outfits and more here!

Personal Styling

The new year is the perfect time to re-evaluate your wardrobe. If you’re interested in personal styling services, shoot me a note! I don’t like to toot my own horn, but here’s some feedback from a recent client: “Thank you SO much for your patience and helping me find the right items, I learned so much from your process and rediscovered being excited to get dressed in the morning!”

5 - PARTING NOTE

Next month I am going on a three-week trip to Asia! If you have recommendations for Shanghai, Chengdu or Hainan, please let me know. It’s been 10 years since my summer internship in Shanghai and I’m looking forward to seeing how the city has changed.

Until next month, friends.