May comes with a kind of fervor this year—at least for me. A lull in brand work has opened into something quieter and far more generative: time spent honing my hobbies, writing, and seeing friends with real intention. It’s also created space to think through new ventures, and, unsurprisingly, the best ideas tend to arrive when you’re not buried deep in DeLiVeRaBlEs ‘n aSsEts!
So the fervor feels less like urgency, and more like clarity: who am I at my core and what do I want each newsletter issue to offer you guys? I loved writing the last one because it felt rooted in the kind of quiet observation that often shapes my days. Making connections and paying attention to raw, human moments—and translating them into something that might invite someone to live a more considered life offline, too.
And for my monthly “How to be devastatingly cool and hot” issues, I don’t think of Digestifs as a shopping newsletter so much as an editorial filter for people who already move through the world with a discerned point of view; who have an instinct for what feels right, but come for a more distilled, exacting way to sharpen and articulate that instinct.
Every year around this time, my inbox is inundated with keywords in the “Gifts For Her” category—thoughtful, desire, special, timeless, cherished—the usual language that tries to approximate your mother’s taste through vague key words. In actuality, you know your mama best. This issue touches on Mother’s Day, but mostly it lingers in the atmosphere of late spring—a soft color palette, longer days that stretch into more time for small pursuits (beauty! hobbies!), and happiness that comes from spending more hours outside. In the mood for socializing again and prioritizing textures and fabrics that won’t be ruined by that damn winter coat.
FASHION
The best way to introduce bare skin this season without full on warm weather mode is bermuda shorts. I’m into the slinky, breezy shorts that hit at the knee paired with a crewneck sweater or t shirt and a light jacket.
Chan Luu’s viral and cult-favorite techno taffeta pants comes in a shorts version and pretty much hits the mark on the fabric and silhouette I’m envisioning here.
Reformation has these that I saw on a girl at a dinner party last week, perfectly low slung and styled with a fitted long sleeve shirt.
I am also into these lace-trimmed ones from Artizia, that read like vintage lingerie at a fraction of the price.
The Khaite acid green obsession continues with these satin shorts. These might be my favorite iteration of this color…
Sheer baby blue is still on my mind. These lingerie-inspired culottes work just as well on the beach as they do in the city—for the kind of cool girl who is as easygoing as her wardrobe.
Crisp cotton poplin in oversized proportions is quintessentially DHC. It’s the fabric for the girl who cares as much about feel as she does about ease.
I saw this skirt on one of my favorite humans (and also one of the most stylish women I know) Larissa Mills last summer on a brand trip to Utah. There was just so. much. fabric. and I thought to myself: yeah this is the only poplin skirt I need to own. The oversized proportions give it body and a dramatic, graceful flow that stand out among the others.
The exact outfit in my moodboard of Elsa Hosk is from her brand Helsa. She really did something right with this brand, creating pieces with the specific, discerned silhouettes DHC girls seek out. The poplin skirt has a wrap tie and the shirt is rendered the perfect shade of blue with contrast cuffs.
COS always has good poplin shirts; H&M Studio (the brand’s higher tier, limited collection) makes a good butter yellow one under $100; Almina Concept with the pastel colors for every kind of spring outfit.
No better accessory to christen the season of going out more and being social than a beaded bag. They dress up an otherwise simple outfit or add to an already fun look where attitudes of pleasure and leisure are on full display.
Lizzie Fortunato’s sequined Gala bags feel romantic and singular. The pouch silhouette, finished with silk cord wristlets, keeps the sparkle playful rather than overly precious! Moda Operandi also has the sold out version in stock that’s currently in my cart.
There’s lots to peruse on The Real Real like this Paco Rabanne one that will fit exactly your phone, keys, and lip gloss. This rainbow one from The Attico. A vintage Valentino kind of reminiscent of the new Devain bags.
I’ve admired from afar the many iterations of the Dries Van Noten sequined clutch over the years, but this one might just take me over the edge.
This pistachio embellished Etsy pouch is ridiculously affordable and a damn good comp to the one on my moldboard.
I like to shop for bikinis in the spring because the best ones tend to sell out by the time summer actually comes around.
This reversible J.Crew plaid bikini is nostalgic and I just love when you get two products in one by way of flipping it over. Might as well get the matching sarong, too.
Two British greats, Hunza G and Burberry, join forces on a collection that feels genuinely timeless. Cut in Hunza G’s iconic crinkle fabric and signature silhouettes, finished with Burberry’s signature plaid trim. The black bikini is already sold out but the beige one feels the most Burberry to me. I also love the red one-piece that can be worn as a bodysuit too.
The JENNIE x Frankie’s Bikini collab is really cute and I’m shocked it hasn’t sold out yet. This animal print one reverses to a classic striped design that really does feel like a real 2-in-1.
DÔEN’s seaside capsule is filled with dreamy, nostalgic prints that make you want to plan a coastal escape before the calendar has even caught up. The almost-sold out foulard print bikini in navy is a favorite, as is the green sarong with the daintiest tassel detail.
Chunky jewelry is my go-to this spring, and the DHC girl wears a single piece less as a statement than as an antidote to excessive layering—the kind of tangled metal that reads more messy than cool (sorry, not sorry).
Dinosaur Design bangles are it. MANGO makes a good set where you can get three bangles for less than the price of 1 Dinosaur Design one (ooop).
Chan Luu’s many cascading earrings are to be dressed up, down, and for a multitude of occasions.
Single gemstone necklaces for a punch of color and cool-factor. At Present has one in a myriad of various stones. I’ve been introduced to Don’t Let Disco’s wild designs that are truly inimitable. As always, Etsy has really good finds like this chunky topaz one.
BEAUTY
A Mother’s Day fragrance launch is almost too easy—in the best way. I’ve always felt there are only two people you should buy perfume for: yourself and your mother (a sister, occasionally, earns an exception). Scent is still one of the most personal things we own, and there’s something quietly special about gifting it to the person who brought you into the world—something intimate, tied to memory, instinct, and the body.
AERIN Beauty’s latest, Mediterranean Honeysuckle Soleil, is a twist on the brand’s best-selling Mediterranean Honeysuckle with a warmer edge. The “Soleil” arrives through neroli, solar monoi flower, and coconut milk and plays up the perfect exactly as you’d hope for: a soft, sunlit warmth that feels like skin after long, languorous hours spent outside. It’s the kind of scent my mom would naturally gravitate toward, and one I’d inevitably end up borrowing. I’m writing this as I have a dozen tabs open of summer hotels destinations on my mind. The ideal place is always some convergence of salt, warmth, and ease. This fits neatly into that fantasy. The 50ml bottle is compact enough to travel with and, if looks matter at all, it will look right at home on a marble hotel vanity.
Perfume-scented tinted lip balms are also a thing.
Sofie Pavitt, the aesthetician who seemed to have simplified the internet it girl’s routine, released an oil-free moisturizer she calls a “skin jelly.” Suited to warmer months, but just as relevant for oily and combination skin types that still need hydration, regardless of season. It has zinc in the formula!!!
As we move into skin-baring season, I’m looking for exfoliating and brightening body products—formulas that treat the body with the same level of intention as the face. I’m currently testing the OSEA Body Retinol Serum, but keeping an eye out for others and will report back. I have too many pesky hyperpigmentation marks lingering that need to be addressed at once lol.
It’s might be the right time to try blue eyeshadow. I feel like Fara Homidi trail-blazed the trend with this eyeshadow compact but Victoria Beckham Beauty has been making this cornflower blue eyeshadow stick that is pretty much sold out everywhere except here. I’m trying to find more comps but I’m telling you… blue eyeshadow is sold out everywhere!!! I’m curious about this Clinique one and this Stila one for a more matte, bold look.
Happy May!!!!! Feels like it’ll move faster than April did.
x Laura
we love you!!