23 Things I Find Impossibly Chic
...according to my Screenshots folder
A pretty sundress with wet hair. Preferably straight from the ocean or after a dip in the pool, but a shower can work in a pinch. For dresses, I like this smocked, strapless dress from Faithfull, this lemon-colored, gauzy option from J.Crew, and this Banana Republic open-back linen dress.
Hand-painted or hand-written anything. It adds such a nice, personal touch, whether it’s on a menu, card, or invitation. I like to do it anytime we host special occasions like holidays, and enjoy pulling out old menus to relive those memories.
Left: Also a great way to commemorate your typos. | Right: Summer dining at its best. Credit @camillestyles When someone has the perfect music for every occasion. A summer playlist to listen to in the car with the windows down or to play throughout the different stages of a dinner party.
Baby’s breath in a vintage vessel. Baby’s Breath has gotten a bad rep for years, but I love how it looks when several bunches are placed together in a vintage ceramic vessel.
Subtle monogramming. I’m not one to monogram larger things like welcome mats, towels, and bedding, but I love a subtle moment that sort of suggests you have your life together. When you catch a glimpse of someone’s initials on their shirt cuff, receive personalized stationery in the mail (I have a set from here), or spot someone’s monogrammed cosmetic case (I own these leather cases in red), it’s a humble brag in the best way.
Perfectly imperfect vintage-inspired serving dishes that coordinate but don’t look matchy-matchy. I have dozens of pictures saved of dreamy, outdoor European tablescapes with air-dried linens and a plethora of platters that all look like they’ve been plucked from various flea markets and estate sales. I typically like sticking to one general color palette, and this platter from Crate & Barrel would look cute paired with this scalloped one from Williams-Sonoma and this ticking striped tray from Juliska.
Canvas totes from coffee shops/farmers’ markets/restaurants, etc. I’m a sucker for good merch, and sometimes all a precious outfit needs is to be offset by something casual with a IYKYK vibe.
White t-shirt and vintage Levis. Nothing groundbreaking here, but anytime I see a girl in this uniform, I immediately assume she’s equal parts chic and unpretentious. It’s the ideal base that I often use as a starting point anytime I’m feeling stuck and then add just a few touches - a strawberry tinted lip, black sunglasses, a stack of bracelets, a straw bag, and a spritz of perfume.
Floral wallpaper in a small, sunlit bedroom. Bed & breakfast vibes will forever have my heart.
Left: Such a sweet room. Credit: @elizabethhaydesign | Right: Simple & chic 🎀 Wine served in casual drinking glasses. I always feel like an imposter anytime I have wine in a fancy glass that I’m expected to swirl around, sniff, and do that weird little puckering thing to taste. I always appreciate when people have stemless options (that look like they also may double as juice glasses come morning) to offset some of the ostentatiousness that comes with wine. My favorites, which we sell in our shop, have sold out more times than I can count.
Restaurants that have custom matches. I wish there were a way to grab matches from the front of a restaurant without feeling like I’m stealing them, but it’s honestly one of my favorite things to collect. I keep mine in a large vintage ashtray on our coffee table, so I always have matches nearby to light candles.
Girls who have a sheer nail polish combo they swear by. I never remember writing down nail polish combinations that work, but I have a soft spot for girls who do and request it every time they go in for a mani/pedi. I screenshotted a picture of barely-there polish that looks clean and simple, and apparently, it’s “Put It In Neutral” + “Baby Take a Vow,” both by OPI.
Leaning art (on bookcases, mantles, kitchen counters, etc). My first job out of college was at Condé Nast, and I still remember the moment I first saw the office of Lisa Love, the then-West Coast editor of Vogue. A thin, black floating shelf ran around the entire room, holding up dozens of gorgeous photographs in black frames and large white mattes, all leaning against the wall.
Understated wrapping. I have a large collection of wrapping paper filled with the brightest, sparkliest patterns, with bows and ribbons to match. But if you’re someone who uses butcher paper with twine and a dried flower to wrap, just know I think you’re infinitely cooler.
Large wooden bowls with lemons.
Super-organized travelers at the airport. I always feel like a mess when I’m traveling. Not just in my state of mind (when I’m most stressed) but also in how I look. Sure, I no longer show up in sweats after my best friend intervened with me, but most of my belongings are half-haphazardly tossed everywhere, spilling out of bags if they’ve gotten packed at all. With this in mind, I’m always quick to spot that girl - who has everything neatly organized - pouches within pouches in her monogrammed tote (this one, in Extra-Large, gives old money energy).
Seagrass/sisal rugs + white furniture. I’ve always dreamed of having sunlit rooms with wall-to-wall seagrass rugs and white linen furniture. That will never be a reality for me, thanks to my cats, who’d use the said rug as their scratching pad, and an unwillingness, on my part, to stop eating dessert on the couch.
The combo of a newspaper, a cup of coffee, and a croissant. Extra points if enjoyed on a balcony overlooking a quaint European city.
Signature pens. I find it appealing whenever someone has a go-to item - perfume, nail polish, white T-shirt, etc. and the same goes for pens. I always keep a large stash on my desk (mine is the black Muji .05).
Left: Bedside table goals. Credit: @amberinteriors | Right: Forever my favorite ponytail! A nice bedside table setup. In the same way I like to see what’s in someone’s grocery cart, I’m fascinated by how people keep their bedside tables. Mine is a hodgepodge of random things - discarded earplugs, mismatched phone cords, and old cards from Sloan. But I’m a sucker for one in which everything has a place - a ceramic-painted dish for jewelry, a tray to corral hand lotion, a candle, a vase with flowers, a small stack of books, and a carafe of water.
Silver serverware with unfancy snacks. I appreciate a high/low approach towards everything in life - fashion, interior design, and even my beauty routine (my entire skincare regimen is here, and it’s all very reasonable). There’s nothing better than a dinner party that doesn’t take itself too seriously with things like antique silver bowls filled with grocery store chips (we’re talking Ruffles, not like, truffle chips).
Swingy Meredith Grey ponytails. I have thick, coarse, unruly hair, so this is never really an option for me, but I find them so sweet and appealing.
Stained pages in a cookbook or notes written in a margin. Though I do most of my reading via the Kindle app on my iPad, I still have a fondness for actual books, mainly ones passed between friends, with notes in the margins. Similarly, cookbooks, with go-to recipes that have stains and spills on the pages, feel particularly nostalgic.
"I love a subtle moment that sort of suggests you have your life together."
You have perfectly encapsulated how I feel about monogramming! It does feel like I have it together. I went to a fancy private school in New Jersey with a lot of old money and that's where I caught the monogramming bug (my mother personally hates it)
the sheer nail polish combo is so clutch.