#080: How to be devastatingly hot and cool, July '25
Basically a big roundup of outfits that never made it onto Substack.
The sungolds at the farmer’s market are now finally tasting good and I’m naturally waking up between 6-7am because my apartment is hot and I don’t sleep with the air conditioner on. This is how I know summer is going by way too fast and I’m already anxious about holding onto what’s left of the best season of the year.
A wedding in Italy in late September solidified my decision to have a shoulder season European summer so July has been all local. I’ve been going upstate a ton and falling in love with New York City again. Nantucket and Cape Cod will round out my July and I’m hoping to have a summer that will more or less look like TSITP! August is, well, still up in the air and I like that I’m just going with the flow this year.
July’s edition of “How to be devastatingly hot and cool” kind of rejects the idea that you must be in Europe to have a hot and cool summer. Peak summer can look like bopping around your town/city/locale and looking good while doing it. I spent all day on the Upper East Side the other day going from the MET to cafes to shops and reveled in how beautiful and leisurely and sumptuous a New York summer can be.
I’m going to try out this thing where I show you what I’ve been wearing this summer and some inspired pieces that are currently shoppable. I feel a little regretful that these outfits only make it to Instagram and I’ve been receiving comments that I should share them to Substack so here we are.
And as always, I’m inspired by the person who is:
Devastatingly hot but doesn’t try too hard. She just is in her confidence, her aura, her brains, her style, her taste and her well-travelledness
Elusively everywhere but nowhere. Her most frequently asked question is “Wait, are you in town?” But she doesn’t travel for the sake of tourism or filling up free time, she is just ~vibing~ and being a citizen of the world
Effortless ease in which she lives her life and achieves her goals, also known as “lucky girl syndrome”. But! She doesn’t just manifest things to happen, she lives and breathes knowing exactly who she is and what she wants even though she doesn’t have it *all* figured out yet
A true citizen of the world, has worldly observations and has a foot in various corners of the world because this is how she stays plugged in and connected
Into very specific hobbies and meticulously cultivates them to her perfection, enjoyment and self-elevating aura
This was from my 30th birthday trip upstate!!! The Oscar de la Renta gown was the dress of my dreams and exactly what I imagined when I told my friends I wanted a garden party for my 30th. Unfortunately, this exact dress isn’t available anymore but this one is near-identical in silhouette and this one is next on my radar… 
Ray Ban Wayfarers are the only pair of sunglasses I keep reaching for, year after year. Carhartt WIP overalls are a summer staple - I sized up and wearing a M for extra inseam. I love the raffia version of the Polene bag that was all over my feed at one point. Birkenstocks that are actually very chic (they’re dusty here). Brandy Melville striped tank. 
A summer outfit I’ve been wearing on repeat. A silk slip skirt (forgive the wrinkles!!!!) and a delicate top. Lots of different iterations for this skirt available, I love this red one, and I can attest that this one from Uniqlo (though not silk) is very good. Sunglasses are Akila and such a classic shape. For similar tops, I love anything pointelle for the summer or tanks like this that are just devastatingly CUTE. 
I wore this perfect silk twill dress in St. Barth, an island I thought I would hate but unfortunately loved. I imagine wearing this dress for a dinner out in the city with heels and a tiny purse. The low back makes the dress. This one from Khaite is a near-identical silhouette with the cutest raspberry print. Some sizes left in this Kallmeyer number in a mesmerizing color. This one is a much more palatable price point and fabric and this one isn’t too far off… 
Polo Ralph Lauren is sooo hot right now. They keep coming out with pieces that hit the mark on material, silhouette, proportions, color… The curve on these barrel leg cargo pants are subtle and very flattering. The linen shirt is in the perfect shade of pink. This canvas Polo Play bag is perfect for every summer adventure or outing — I particularly like this white one with navy trim but also this leather version! And are you even a hot and cool girl without a Polo Ralph Lauren cap? 
A favorite fit from my trip to Palm Heights with Chan Luu!! Chan Luu makes beautiful jewelry that always makes me feel both regal and fun at the same time. Like a quirky, stylish girl who is also impossibly chic. Chan Luu also makes the dreamy ready to wear pieces I want to live in. Silks and cottons and prints that feel like neutrals. Chan Luu bandana, bag, top, anklet, and Doen crochet shorts. 
Sidewalk wine and great phone camera lens are signifiers of a perfect summer. Anyways, the perfect poplin skirt is so necessary for the summer. This one is from Aligne and two years old but still in heavy rotation. Here’s a drawstring version that’s good or this one for all the Jenni Kayne loyalists (I just know the cotton on this one is going to be high quality!). Tank is Brandy Melville again (stepping into a store makes me feel ancient but I just can’t resist). Sunglasses are Akila. Necklace is Chan Luu.
See you all in New England!!! I’m channeling the correct vibe to eat oysters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
xxxx
im obsessed!!
Every time I open your Substack I have at least 4 items added to my wishlist.