November 2023: Monthly Newsletter

0 - WELCOME

Wearing Nili Lotan Jacket (sold out - similar here), Margiela T-Shirt, Raey Jeans, The Row Shoes, Bottega Double Knot Bag

Welcome to November!

It’s hard to believe that the year will be over soon — it feels like yesterday that I was in Aspen celebrating the new year. Lately, I’ve been in NYC on a local project, which is nice as I’ve been able to sleep in my own bed… but I miss traveling! Unfortunately I won’t be going anywhere this month; however I was recently invited to a wedding in Hainan next year. This means a big Asia trip — I’ve never been to Hainan, and I’m also dying to get back to Japan. If you’ve been to Hainan and have recommendations, please share!

1 - FASHION

Roses are Red

Red is all the rage this season and I’m here for it. For the longest time, I shied away from red due to its boldness, but I stepped out of my comfort zone recently and wore a red Cecilie Bahnsen outfit to my friend’s wedding. I was pleasantly surprised by its wearability — I kind of see red now as a “bold neutral”. Here are my favourite red items for fall and winter:

Work Bags

I love my Celine Cabas Phantom Tote, but it’s time for a new work bag that can hold my laptop and daily essentials. Below are the ones that have passed my sniff test:

Sale Season

Sale season is fast approaching (Black Friday, anyone?), which is always a good time to revisit some of my tips for navigating sales:

Try not to impulse buy, but if you do, make sure you can return it. I tend to buy random things late at night when my inhibitions are low. Sometimes I end up regretting it, but there is always the option of returning the items
If something is on final sale, try the item on another website first. There’s nothing worse than buying something on final sale only to find out that it doesn’t fit. What I like to do (time-permitting) is to buy the same item on another website that is returnable in order to try for fit
If something is sold out, add it to a wishlist or sign up for back-in-stock notifications. If there’s something you want, but can’t seem to get a hold of in your size, many retailers provide back-in-stock notifications. I rely on them pretty often to snag a good deal
Sales usually get better. Don’t fall for “private” sales on products that end up being further discounted once the sale is released to the public. The waiting game is half the fun
Shop with intention. If you approach sale season with a game plan or an idea of what you’re looking for, it can save a lot of time and effort. For example, I use Black Friday to buy my holiday presents ahead of time. It’s kind of annoying to think about gifts this early in the season, but it saves a headache and rush later on
Always cross-shop, even for sales. I cross-shop for every purchase. When I buy something, I always know that I’m getting the best price. Don’t pay more than what you have to!

Five Things I Bought

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

1. Nili Lotan Romy Jacket: I’ve been eying this jacket since I featured it in my September newsletter. I finally bit the bullet and am obsessed. It’s a splurge, but I think it’s worth every penny

2. AGOLDE Leif Skirt: I’m still very much into the denim skirt trend, and doubled down on a long, black one from AGOLDE. I’ve been wearing this with cropped jackets, sweaters and everything in between

3. Naked Cashmere Vittoria Sweater: I’m a woman of my own words and bought this red v-neck sweater from Naked Cashmere. I love it — it’s a deeper red that is perfect for fall

4. Khaite Benny Belt: I bought another Khaite belt — this hasn’t arrived yet as it is on preorder, but I am obsessed with the studs!

5. Comme Si Tube Socks: Comme Si makes some of my favourite socks — I love their cashmere ones, but my favourite is hands down their Tube Socks. I restocked and bought a Tube Sock Trio

2 - HOW TO

How to Style… a Denim Skirt

Denim skirts may seem daunting to pull off, but in my opinion, they are quite approachable for work and on weekends — it just comes down to how you style them. Here’s how I would wear the black AGOLDE Leif Skirt that I bought last month:

Wear to work

Extreme Cashmere Vest, The Frankie Shop Shirt, Dolce & Gabbana Shoes

Double denim on the weekend

Wardrobe NYC Jacket, Leset T-shirt, Saint Laurent Boots

A night out (maybe to eat pasta)

J.Crew Turtleneck, Sacai Jacket, Jimmy Choo Boots

3 - BEAUTY

Hydration

Now that the weather is getting colder, my skin has become much drier. I (sorta) miss the teenage days when my skin would be oily all day long. Anyway, I’ve been amping up the hydration in my skincare routine — here’s what I’ve been relying on:

Hyaluronic acid: I have been applying hyaluronic acid after my toner and before applying face serums. My favourite is Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Acid. I also love her Super Anti-Aging Serum, which combines hyaluronic acid with antioxidants
Face mists: I used to be skeptical of face mists, but now I understand the appeal. I love spraying my face at work and on flights when my skin needs a little more moisture. I use Tata Harper’s Floral Essence
Thicker facial creams: La Mer always comes out in the fall — my favourite is obviously the classic Creme de La Mer Moisturizing Cream
Body oil: Body oil is a mainstay throughout the year for me. I like applying body cream followed by body oil to seal the moisture. My favourite is from Necessaire (use JAC10 for 10% off)

4 - OTHER

Stress Relief

I’ve been reading a lot lately to decompress. I have been enjoying more philosophical books, including Braiding Sweetgrass as well as The Art of Living. In the mornings, I read a page of the latter to set the tone for the day

Phoebe Philo

Well… did you buy anything from Phoebe Philo’s new collection?! I did not (at least not yet) — the price point was a little too high for me to justify Celine 2.0 (I’ll probably just buy @oldceline at this point). But if you did, let me know your thoughts!

5 - PARTING NOTE

October was a challenging month for me as I’m sure it was for many of you. It’s been hard to concentrate on anything other than the news. In these difficult times, it’s important to be patient and treat others with extra kindness and respect… we’re all in this together.

Until next month, friends.