what I wore 025
velvet vest on repeat
Like everyone else, I’m watching the devastating and surreal news coming out of Los Angeles. My heart aches seeing yet another series of terrifying natural disasters, amplified by climate change, play out in real time. I’m following the lead of people I know and love who live in Los Angeles, and donating as intentionally and directly as possible, which usually means to Gofundmes and small, grassroots/on-the-ground organizations. My friend Sophie, a native Los Angeles resident, continues to share thoughtful and actionable suggestions on her styling Instagram, which you can follow here. My friend Aviel, also in Los Angeles, has shared an incredibly useful expansion of the @mutualaidla spreadsheet that includes geotags and ways to sort for volunteer opportunities, free prepared meals, and other services. And here is a spreadsheet of GoFundMes for displaced Black families from Pasadena and Altadena.
Another Florida outfit collection for you (this time including Miami)! I really did not pack well for Florida (somehow forgot it does get cold here, and truly did not bring any long-sleeve shirts or sweaters) so this is me making do with what I had.
I try to provide a secondhand option for every piece of clothing in these posts, whether it’s the exact item or an approximation. You can assume anything I link to is secondhand unless otherwise stated!
My friends were also home for the holidays, and I miss them all the time, so I spent a fair amount of time at their parents’ house around the corner. Wearing Levi’s x Karla western shirt (very similar here) DL1961 jeans (here in a 24—these run big, would order at least one size down), Dunst leather jacket (similar style in brown here), black Bass loafers (this Google search will turn up more options for you than just using Poshmark), thrifted black braided leather belt (similar here), and grandmother’s old chainmail purse (very similar, from same brand here).
More friend time! Wearing Agolde Luna jeans (multiple pairs here), Eric Javits bag (exact one here), Uniqlo linen t-shirt (exact one here for $7.50), Who? Weekly baseball cap (similar hat here), Melissa sandals (exact ones here), pearl pendant necklace (similar here).
Changed that evening and reunited with friends for dinner. Wearing Agolde jeans, pearl pendant necklace, and chainmail bag again, a vintage velvet vest (similar here), Maryam Nassir Zadeh patent leather sandals (exact ones here), and a pearl necklace I found in my childhood bedroom (similar here).
Spent Christmas Eve with family (did a Secret Santa, watched the kids hunt for pickles, etc.) and this was my outfit! Wearing the Maryam Nassir Zadeh sandals and velvet vest again, this time with a rented Sea skirt (vaguely similar here). It’s only been in the last couple years that I’ve truly ‘mastered’ the Christmas Eve outfit—something unfussy, dressy, that photographs well, and still feels like me.
This velvet vest is really earning its keep! This is what I wore for New Year’s Eve—everything here is a repeat from earlier in this post, save for the 01/01/2000 baseball cap. We had grand plans of meeting up with our friends for a sunset cruise, but missed it because of traffic, so we ended up waiting for them at a sports bar on the beach. Afterwards, they had us over for some twice-baked potatoes, steak, and banana splits. I’m now fixated on finding a cool vintage banana split dish (and trying to convince my friend she should start making them!)
Went to the aquarium with friends and then had some birria tacos nearby. (I think it was this place—so good.) We unintentionally dressed as though we were on the same page of a catalogue—I love when that happens =) Wearing a thrifted BDG shirt (exact one here), W’menswear pants (similar vibes here and here), Uniqlo crossbody (sooo many secondhand on Poshmark but don’t pay more than what they cost new!), Melissa sandals and Who? Weekly hat again.
Went to Miami for the first time ever! My husband had a job there so I decided to tag along while I could leave the dog with my parents for a few days. I spent a fair amount of time by the pool reading and catching up on some work. Wearing a Sandy Liang top (very similar here), and Agolde Luna jeans, Melissa sandals, Eric Javits bag, and Who? Weekly baseball cap again.
Had dinner at a new restaurant that was suggested by multiple people—Sunny’s Steakhouse. 10/10 would recommend! Wearing my velvet vest, which has been an unexpected workhorse this trip, silk Opening Ceremony bomber jacket (same one here) Apiece Apart linen pants (here in a 12 for $72, and here in an “XL” (this style has numbered sizes) in olive green for $72!) Melissa sandals again, rented Staud purse (in different color here), and a Roxanne Assoulin necklace (via the RealReal, similar here) as a makeshift belt to keep my pants up because they’d stretched out. Not the most elegant solution but looks better than a safety pin in a pinch!
It was a bit chillier this day, which is honestly my favorite kind of Florida weather. I spent the day poolside again (far fewer people around me than the day before, but I was impressed by the number of people still insisting it was laying out weather). Stumbled upon some post-5:00 PM free pastries and ate them while walking down the beach. Truly nothing tastes better than free food. Wearing Dunst leather jacket again, Nike Blazers (so many here), COS short-sleeved hoodie (very similar here), Needles pants (same ones here).
This was my last day in Miami. I was wearing my Miami Heat sweatshirt (similar here), a Mignonne Gavigan daisy chain necklace (similar here, but lots of handmade options on Etsy too!), the Dunst leather jacket, W’Menswear pants and Nike Blazers again. What an end to my trip! First I got to meet Rachel Solomon (!!!) for coffee at a coffee shop with a beautiful tree-covered patio, and she was just as warm and effervescent IRL as she seems online. Highly recommend meeting your online friends in person if you ever get the opportunity to! I haven’t been let down yet.
I told her I’d planned to visit Dale Zine Shop in the Design District1, and she told me I should stop by Jimmy Butler’s coffee shop, Bigface, because it was right next door to the zine shop. While I was waiting for my ube latte (also at Rachel’s recommendation), I saw out of the corner of my eye a very tall man walk behind the counter. I did a double take, then swallowed my pride and walked up to have a quick conversation before leaving him in peace. Guys. I met Jimmy Butler. And he said he “wouldn’t be mad” if he got traded to Brooklyn. You heard it here first—Stephen A. Smith, read it and weep! I didn’t ask for a selfie because I still have some dignity but it was very hard to resist. (Remember—I was also wearing my Miami Heat sweatshirt, which I can’t decide if it makes it better or more lame lol.)
Then I tried on some expensive red Saint Laurent sunglasses at the RealReal store, but couldn’t tell if it was the “just met Jimmy Butler” high or if my bangs just looked particularly good that day. I couldn’t trust myself to assess accurately! I had to head home after that, and I didn’t even mind the solo five-hour drive.
Back with my parents for my last week or so in Florida. Look how much better my hair looks in low humidity… will never understand you freaks who love summer! Wearing my new Christmas present belt that just arrived (from Madewell, here in brown, here on Depop but no photos of the actual belt so proceed at your own risk), a borrowed sweater of my mom’s (wool, from Anthropologie, exact one here), the W’Menswear pants and black Bass loafers again, and Le Bon Shoppe socks (another Christmas present). Loving the socks so far, but will report back in six months and let you know how they’re holding up.
If you missed the previous installments of weekly outfit posts, you can find them here!
A week of gorgeous styling, and meeting Rachel! Scream!!
I think your band name should be ‘Flo Babez’ 😀
Trade gossip with Jimmy Butler is almost better than a selfie though!