what the cool girls probably won't be wearing this spring

not a newsletter telling you to buy a pair sambas

i fucking hate those videos that declare “this what the cool girls will be wearing this spring”.

i have been trying to get to the bottom of why i feel so irked by them, and i think more than anything what these trend recaps lack is a sense of articulating how an article of clothing or a specific trend makes them feel and why they are drawn to it. instead, these viral videos are so confidently clinging onto the insecurities of the viewers who desperately want to be perceived as cool trading off the mental space to reflect on what they actually like. perpetuating the narrative of what is In and what is Out in fashion through the lens of coolness inherently limits our ability to develop on own personal style which in my opinion correlates into a struggle to develop a unique personality. i know this may seem dramatic but i do believe in the power of clothing, it has such a vast impact on who we are: being someone who thoughtfully creates a style based on how they want to feel vs someone who buys in order to be perceived is reflective of how you approach relationships….do you enter a friendship/romantic partnership through the lens of learning more about yourself or are you looking for validation in the form of status or affirmation?

i do think analyzing and reporting out on trends is an important way to pulse check the culture and more importantly it is fun. however.. i urge the discourse to shift away from this weird coolness fear mongering and instead approach trends with curiosity and lightness. if you do not own the “it’ sneaker at the moment THAT IS OKAY! if you did not buy a pair of ballet flats because you hate the way they look on your feet that does not make you a social outcast. it is so much cooler to develop a thoughtful and proprietary perspective on not only who you are but the tangible objects that visually reflect who you are.

watching a few of the aforementioned trend videos paired with the 60 degree march weather in new york this week made me reflect on how i am feeling as we approach a new season. i, like the rest of the world, love spring. i crave the frantic energy of the first warm and sunny saturday where everyone decides to cancel whatever practical errand-centric plans they have for the day and do something slightly irresponsible. the silent shedding of winter layers rinses out your brain and leaves you feeling physically and mentally brighter, your shoulders relax a bit when you didn’t even realize you were tensing in the first place, you start running into more people you know on the street signaling the endless interconnections waiting just around the corner in this new season. the flowers planted months prior finally start blooming as a physicals reward for consciously creating a world filled with just a little bit more beauty.

i like to think i have the mental strength to not let seasonal shifts affect me so much, but like clockwork every time spring inches forward i immediately start texting friends if they want to get tattoos, i suddenly miss the tooth gem i hated in the winter when i was slightly more serious of a person, and i reach for my mini-est mini skirt just because i can. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN SPRING !!!!!!!!!!!!

clothes should be a reaction your current homeostasis state as reflected out on your body and i’ve noticed that this spring in particular i am drawn to feminine motifs/colors/textures but juxtaposed in a relaxed way. i think i am feeling this way because fashion lately has been pulled back to classic pieces whether that’s through the proliferation of pearls, lady jackets, cardigan sweater sets etc. while i am thrilled by this diversion to elevated lady-like pieces because it appears that we are all craving Really Good Clothes, the danger for these for me personally is that they could easily veer into feeling too serious. i hold the belief that life is really not that serious and the infusion of humor, casualness and warmth makes living infinitely better. i try to mirror my philosophy through to my clothes by ensuring what i wear has at least small touch of unexpected subversion whether that is through a casual shoe, oversized t-shirt, playful sock, pink hair, or an ill-advised tooth gem.

this what i’m wearing/into this spring and more importantly why <3

• chunky pearls - i really love a playful take on a classic piece. i’ve been wearing this necklace on repeat for weeks now which i have been enjoying due the subtle size diversion of the pearls which makes it feel more like my own necklace and not my mother’s (that being said.. mom if you are reading this i would still love to borrow your pearl necklace <3)

  

• EVERYTHING SHEER!!!!!!!!!!- sheerness/lingerie dressing has been a Thing for awhile now but i still love the unexpectedness of wearing a girly/poufy silhouette that is intentionally sheer styled with underwear underneath…... it also is just weirdly liberating to be out and outfit showing your frilly underwear….. someone please buy this shushu tong skirt off the real real i am begging you.

  

• huge floral appliques - the resurgence of the rosette was gladly welcomed by me with open arms last spring, but this spring i want to go even BIGGER and expand into different flowers such as orchids… this tube top from free people is quite good.

  

• bubble mini skirts- i LOVE A BUBBLE SKIRT!!!!!! i think there is something about the buoyancy of the hem that is just simply cute to me. as self-proclaimed mini skirt aficionado i want to refresh my assortment of pleated skirts with a more playful bubbly hem which i think looks quite nice paired with a thin strappy tank

  

• big poufy long skirts- i stopped into chickee’s vintage earlier today and was captivated by a perfect poufy black tulle skirt. i immediately had a vision of myself in a thin white ribbed tank + the tulle skirt + dainty black thong flip flops bouncing down the street.

  

• my favorite trench coat - reason 2429 why i love spring is because it is peak trench coat weather. i have waxed poetic about my favorite oversized embroidered coach trench coat and what i love more than anything is styling it over a short dress or boxer short and white t-shirt to capitalize on the brief awkward seasonal weather shift we are in

  

• mini skirts and t-shirts- loyal angel cakers know that a pleated mini skirt and big t-shirt is my go to spring/summer uniform, my friend chloe asked me the other day to give some recs for non-cheesy graphic t shirt.. ask and you shall receive. i am on a self-imposed t-shirt purchase ban this season but if i wasn’t i would buy this american ballet graphic t from chickee’s vintage, this simone rocha number, and this mj heaven tank top (not a t-shirt but i’m counting it)

  

• my pink hair- i ran into someone i knew from high school on the street the other day and they were starkly shocked by my hair’s light pink hue, they asked “what made you want to dye it PINK?” i laughed and said “it’s fun… i can’t really think of a reason why i wouldn’t want pink hair right now”. if you’re thinking about dying your hair a crazy color………. do it. take it from me, doing your taxes with pink hair makes the entire experience a lot sillier.

  

• no-mascara-spring - i was walking down the street with angelina and sydney the other week and heard myself saying, “my goal for this year is to not think about my face” and i stand by that. lately the beginnings of botox and filler strategies have snuck into the undercurrents of conversations with my female friends and while i fully support everyone’s right to do absolutely anything and everything to their face i can’t help but feel this pull in my stomach to yell “SLOW DOWN!” i’ve been extremely captivated and charmed by pamela anderson’s interview in the face where she reveals that she has no stylist, no glam team and hasn’t worn a stich of makeup in years. something about her raw rejection of the playboy-bunny-plastic-barbie persona that has been stamped onto her is just so chillingly refreshing to me. i was getting ready to go out the other night and thoughtlessly reached into my makeup bag for a tube of mascara, after applying a few swipes i looked in the mirror and noticed that i never really feel like myself with mascara on. it sounds silly but as a 26 year old woman (?) i have never thought that “going out” without mascara is an option for me despite the fact that i am more comfortable without it. i don’t think i am ready to go full-pam-anderson-no-makeup just yet, but this feels like a step toward becoming a more effortless version of myself.

  

reflecting on why you are drawn to wearing certain silhouettes, textures and sartorial sensibilities is a great way to articulate how you are really doing and there is no better time to do that then now. not to sound like an woo-woo yoga instructor but whether you like it or not, spring is the time for rebirth. you are forced to confront the items you stored away for winter and are reminded who you were this time last year, old flames suddenly resurface at the first sign of a 60 degree saturday, and you begin to move with the same sense of airy lightness as your cracked living room window.

HAPPY SPRING! get yourself an ice cream cone, a new tattoo and an aperol spritz (or whatever your self prescribed medicine for spring fever is <3)

XOXOXO

as always would love to know what are you are feeling for for spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!