The Staple, September 27th
The thrill of the hunt edit, why don't I have an old-school Volvo?, and more
From the Editor
Whew! What a week. It’s been busy but productive. Some of the highlights included finagling a router install for my new office within an HOUR (thank you, UWS Spectrum office!), which honestly was so surprising I’m still talking about it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about new spaces and places as we finalize aspects of our move for work. It’s been incredible to decorate from scratch—designing built-ins, picking paint colors, buying furniture. But the best and most surprising part has been the thrill of the hunt. I’ve been collecting furnishings for months now (I started in December) and things are coming together at last. Most pieces, besides our desks and desk chairs, have been tracked down at antique stores and opportunity shops.
The Volvo I needed during this entire moving process. This looks exactly like my childhood car, including most of the paraphenalia in the back (except the polo equipment, which was more my uncle’s domain)
It’s been a process. It’s been difficult at times, frustrating at others, and annoying for the bulk of it (finding space in my garage for storage! organizing movers! trying to figure out how to fold down the backseat of my Volvo to cart furniture home while desperately wishing I had the wildly impractical-for-modern-life Volvo I wanted to buy from the beginning!). But it’s also been a joyous lesson in taking things s l o w.
I’ve found gems among a lot of rubble. (I shared some of them last week.) I’ve been delighted to see a vision I had exclusively in my mind and on my Pinterest boards come to life based on my hard work. I may be the daughter of an interior designer, and the granddaughter of a decorator, but I’ve never before had the unfettered time and space to make what I will.
I have, of course, had limitations (a slender budget as we’re a non-profit, a Manhattan-sized office, and the demand for a space that could fulfill multiple functions without having room to store furniture). But the limitations helped shape my plan in a way that wouldn’t have happened with no restrictions.
It’s a lesson that can and should apply in all aspects of life that require curation. I’m particularly thinking of my wardrobe. There’s this great pressure to have your “perfect” pieces now, to have a closet full out outfits that will make you feel chic, elegant, ready to be snapped by a street style photographer. Maybe you have some of those pieces. Maybe you don’t. But what I learned during this process is that the hunt to attain your vision is always worthwhile.
The Thrill of the Hunt Edit
I’m pulling together an in-depth post for paid subscribers on my wardrobe staples: the hunt for the right piece, where I’ve found them, and what else I tried. Hoping that will go live next week! In the meantime, here are five practically-perfect pieces I’ve tracked down over the years.
Slim-fit chinos: These chinos have been such an incredible find—I never would have picked them up if we didn’t have an hour to kill at the J. Crew Factory in Pasadena this summer. I’ve since ordered two additional colors. They fit incredibly well and the fabric is substantial. I’m extremely happy with them—and happier with the price, $47.50! (I will note that there are slight size discrepancies between the pairs: I’ve noticed the camel color was a little more trim than navy and stone.)
A delicate watch: I have been thinking about wearing a watch for years, as part of my deliberate shift towards a more analog life. I’ve thought about finding a great vintage tank watch, but came to the conclusion the shape wasn’t the best on my narrow wrist. I stumbled across March Hare shortly after they launched, and reached out to them earlier this year to see if I could test out the Harriet. They generously gifted me the watch, which I’ve worn every day since. It’s so easy to swap out the bands (this is particularly important to me as I really try not to wear black accessories with brown shoes, and vice-versa). You can read my full review here, and use FEWERBETTER20 for 20% off your purchase.
Loafers: My hunt for the perfect loafers should have started here, because I never would have needed to try another pair. Belgian Shoes hand makes every pair to fit your foot and they are the comfiest shoes I’ve ever worn—including sneakers. I wear these all over Manhattan and I’ve never had a single blister from them, including on the first day of wear. Do yourself a favor and consider them—if you’re not local to their one and only store (the sole place you can purchase these), you can send in a tracing of your foot in the mail to ensure the perfect fit.
Kitten heels: Everyone says that Sarah Flint makes incredible shoes and I’m here to add my voice to the chorus: Sarah Flint makes incredible shoes! I literally wear heels five times a year, but with a return to in-person work and meetings, that number has risen exponentially. I work in Manhattan so I demand comfortable yet stylish shoes I can wear to walk for miles, and I’m here to tell you that these kitten heels are IT (kindly gifted by the Sarah Flint team). It’s such a shift for me to wear heels during the day that aren’t block heels, but I feel so elegant in these. They’re extremely comfortable (I love the padded insole) and easy to walk in. SF-FEWER&BETTER-15 gets you 15% off your purchase.
The best women’s blazer: When I was in my early twenties and the Ann Mashburn store opened in Georgetown (and I mean just opened the day before), I made an appointment with the manager, a woman who became a dear friend, and went to town. I’d wanted to invest in forever pieces and one of those was an extremely well-made blazer. It’s been going strong for a decade now, and while it’s a little too large now, I still wear it over sweaters. I have my eye on this version of the blazer going forward—it is exactly the cut and fabric that I need for the rest of my life.
Five Things
What I’m wearing, wishlisting, and loving.
I’ve started to pull together my holiday gift guide (here is last year’s gift guide) and I have SO many things I’m eyeing, either for myself or others! I know this is super early, but I love to get a start on shopping now, when I have a little bit of time on my hands. Please let me know who you are shopping for this season so I can tweak my guide to accommodate!
Now that I’m commuting regularly, my day often requires lots of technology and different clothes. I’ve been using these pouches (c/o; 20% off with FEWERBETTER20) from Rifle Paper Co. to keep my devices and assorted paraphernalia organized, and I have my eye on this bag from Mark & Graham to keep any outfit changes I require in tip-top shape.
Commuting also means LOTS of walking, and my poor brown Belgians have seen better days. I brought them into the cobbler for a fresh polish and some TLC and they are as good as new. A friendly reminder that when you take care of your clothes, they take care of you! You can see all my tips below.
How to Ensure Your Investment Pieces Actually Last a Lifetime
I’m sharing all my tips, passed down to me by the women who left me their beautiful wardrobes, today.
Liz Williams from
sent me the most gorgeous wool coat—I can’t wait to share more about it in an upcoming post. I love the quality of the piece, which is frankly equal to some of the great vintage pieces I own: a rarity in this day and age. I love supporting a small business and LOVE when people connect in a deep, meaningful way with their clothes. As I’ve written before, so much of my wardrobe holds meaning for me because pieces belonged to women I loved: my mother, grandmother, and my grandmother’s best friend. Liz learned how to sew from her mother, and I love that this connection is present in every stitch of these beautiful coats. Try them out for yourself! She’s generously offering $100 off your purchase with FEWERBETTER100.I mentioned Pinterest in my essay above, but I’ve been so happy to be back on the site! I find their algorithm less frustrating and more unique than those of other social medial networks. If you’re interested in following along, you can find me here.
Current Discount Codes
I have a bunch of new discount codes, which you can always find here. For convenience, I’m adding them below! The big one right now is my code for Frame, which can be combined with their Friends & Family sale!!
15% off non-sale items with FEWER15
My pick: great denim! I particularly love these jeans.
20% off through October 31st with FEWERBETTER20
Excludes bedding, loungewear, books, samples and gift cards
My pick: their amazing desk supplies (see how I use mine here!)
15% off your purchase with SF-FEWER&BETTER-15
My pick: the beautiful handmade Italian shoes!
20% off your purchase with FEWERBETTER20
My pick: the Harriet watch (full review here)
20% off your purchase with SARAHMATERIAL
My pick: the salt sphere and cutting boards: kitchen basics that work really, really well and look great too.
20% off non-sale items with SARAH20
My pick: any of her beautiful scarves!
10% off your purchase with SARAHC
My pick: Personalized engraved stationery
$100 off your purchase with FEWERBETTER100
My pick: the Southport overcoat! Every wool coat Liz makes is 100% made in America, from the wool to the finished product.
15% off with SARAHC15
My pick: the Kylie bag, one of the most versatile pieces in my closet! (Read more here)
Where to Find Me
I post a weekly newsletter, The Staple, which you’re reading now! In between, you can find daily outfit and home posts on my LTK page, pieces I’m loving here on ShopMy, and I have a large archive here on my blog. I’m also on Instagram here!