0 - WELCOME

Benvenuti/Willkommen

Welcome to September! Hope you are all doing well. Last month was a flurry of activity and I’m happy to be staying put in NYC this month. It’s been a while since I’ve explored the city — one of my favourite things to do is just walking around for a couple hours through different neighbourhoods and soaking it in. Also, I’ve been learning Italian and German for fun (on top of my regular Chinese and French), hence the title.

Anyway, this month’s newsletter is a bit more fashion-focused thanks to suggestions from you, my dear readers! As always, if you want me to cover specific topics, please let me know.

1 - FASHION

Fall Staples & Wishlist

It’s still hot in NYC (25-30 degrees), but all I’m thinking about are sweaters, closed toe shoes and jackets. My favourite temperature to dress for is probably 10-15 degrees because it’s cold enough to layer, but not enough that my fingers freeze/fall off. For fall, I am looking forward to wearing oversized blazers as jackets and layering vests over shirts. Below is a combination of items already in my closet, as well as those on my wishlist:

Where to Shop

A reader asked for me to write about the places where I shop! I wish it was super interesting, but you can be the judge of that. I only shop online; I prefer to take my time at home (in my PJs and without any nagging sales associates). Also, I don’t buy things that often — I tend to mull things over and over (sometimes for years). I am certainly a fan of quality over quantity. Here’s where I shop:

• Matches: I probably shop here the most, thanks to their packaging (my places in NYC and Toronto are full of colourful Matches boxes) and product imagery. Matches also has really great sales (you know I love a good sale)

• SSENSE: I enjoy SSENSE because they have a great curation and merchandise mix. They also carry fashion-forward designers that I often see here first before other retailers

• The Frankie Shop: I like shopping at Frankie Shop because their clothes are fashion forward and relatively more affordable than other brands

• Mytheresa: I’ve started shopping on Mytheresa because the same products are sometimes cheaper here than on other websites for whatever reason. I’m not sure why, but I sure am not complaining about saving money!

• Saks, Moda Operandi and Net-a-Porter: I don’t shop at these places too much, but they have really good sales every now and then. I’ve scored a pair of Prada shorts for $150 on Moda Operandi, Lauren Manoogian sweaters for $120 on NAP, and a lot of other great deals

Five Things I Bought

Here are some things I bought and loved last month.

2 - WELLNESS

Morning Routines

I never used to be a morning person. Growing up, I always woke up at the last second and rushed to school after my dad nagged me a million times. Even when I started my first job, I always ran out the door with my hair wet and barely made the train. Now, I definitely relish easing into my day. I love waking up early and having some me-time. Here’s what my mornings look like:

• Drink 1L of lemon water

  • I drink about a gallon (3-4 litres) of water every day, but I can only do it if it has lemon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

• Workout

  • I work out every day for 45-60 mins before eating (I prefer exercising on an empty stomach). I take rest days here and there, but for me, working out is non-negotiable because it helps me mentally. I used to have bad anxiety attacks, which went away after doing yoga and focusing on breath work

  • In terms of workouts, I do pilates (both reformer and mat) and bootcamp classes. For reformer, I like going to Fort Pilates and New York Pilates in NYC. For mat, I do online classes from Pilates by Amanda and B the Method. I also do Barry’s Bootcamp in person 1-2x a week (sometimes 3x if I’m feeling spicy)

• Walk 2.5 miles/5000 steps

  • I like to put on a podcast or some jams and walk around NYC before everyone else really wakes up

  • Sometimes I do Duolingo while walking — it’s the easiest way for me get in a lesson

• Read a few pages of my latest book

  • If I’m feeling ambitious, I read a few pages of a book (right now it’s Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner)

I read somewhere that the key to life is in your morning routine. Having one really helps me to set the day right!

3 - DESIGN

Drinkware

I am a sucker for cups, mugs, glasses, and everything drinkware. Come over to my apartment and you’ll see the plethora that we have in the kitchen. I always want more! I find that using a nice drinking vessel can really lift my day — if I’m drinking litres of lemon water every day, why not use something that enhances my drinking experience? Here are some that I quite enjoy and/or have at home:

4 - OTHER

5 - PARTING NOTE

Next month, I will be heading to Sicily! If you have recommendations on places to go or things to check out, I would love to hear them.

Until next month, friends.