You may be thinking, wow, she’s been in New York a LOT recently. And you wouldn’t be wrong!! I’ve been able to connect with old and new friends and attend a few fashion events, all of which I’m really, really grateful for. My postpartum self had no idea how much joy this newsletter would bring into my life when I started it roughly eight months ago. I still massively struggle with mom guilt anytime I leave my daughter (have never been away from her for more than four nights and even that feels like an eternity), but I want her to see me build something I’m proud of. So, thank you for reading and subscribing. Anyway…….!!!
I got a call last Thursday afternoon that made me cry happy tears. A last minute invite to Monday’s Oscar De La Renta show. What a treat! I had already planned on flying to Florida Thursday for Father’s Day so I headed east early for this very special event (shoutout to my husband for solo parenting the last few nights) Here’s what I wore and packed.
My method: I packed two small suitcases: one to carry on with my valuables and my full look for the Oscar show, and another filled mostly with basics and stuff I wouldn’t touch until I got to FL (bikinis, etc.). I prefer to be a carry on only girl but with three cities in 10 days that just wasn’t realistic.
I really aim for versatile, easy pieces when I travel (and in my everyday), but obviously an event like this calls for a special look. I found my dress on TheRealReal Friday (picked it up a the Melrose location, which, btw, is not closing! just consolidated the mens & womens into one space) took it to my tailor (the real MVP), and carefully packed it into my carry-on. I aimed to create a sort of capsule wardrobe for my travels (besides my look for Oscar bc, duh!), and would say I was semi-successful. Here’s a look at all my shoes and hanging pieces.
Here’s a breakdown of everything hanging up, because I don’t know how helpful this pic is.
Red prada shorts (remember when I wore this in last week’s post?, almost identical non prada here).
Tunic tank (actually a brilliant, versatile piece. happily surprised with this purchase). convinced this is one of my better buys so far this year.
J.Crew dress (similar but different than the tunic tank because it covers my butt, okay? also great for family events).
vintage Alaïa jacket. - purchased at A Current Affair, if you don’t know what that is more on that here.
my favorite pants of all time (don’t wrinkle, easy to clean).
vintage leather jacket (via iamthatshop, she has great stuff!)
So, as you can see, these pieces are all pretty different! In summary…..bottoms in the form of nylon shorts and nylon pants (in red and black, respectively, plus some denim shorts I didn't hang. Outerwear consisting of a blazer and leather jacket. Third piece (stole this term from my friend
) in the form of a Dries silk coat (which will be worn on the Florida leg of my trip).shoes- boots, embroidered heels for the show, sambas, my fave flats, platform sandals…then.. can you spot the additions in the second pic? I took advantage of the Net same day delivery service and got these stunners. I had been debating getting them for months, and just did a major shoe clean-out. Sometimes waiting and wishing makes the purchase even more exciting. Plus, I feel validated having created so many fits in the last two months thinking these would look so great with them. I also found The Row flip-flops at BG in my size. I am hoping they’re a more promising purchase than the jellies everyone’s been having issues with.
Now for the part where I think I overdid it…. are you ready?
I own a lot of tanks and tees. They’re part of my daily uniform (fave brand is Leset, I find the quality unmatched) But I don’t think I needed to pack every single one of my favorites. Ugh. Looking back I definitely could have removed at least two of these, maybe even three (specifically grey and black, I think it’s better safe than sorry with white to have an extra if you can fit it).
The two pieces on the end are part of a fit pulled for last week’s newsletter, as you might recall. I plan on wearing this in Florida.
Everything I wore for 48 hours in the city.
Day 1- long plane ride. flight at 6am. Tibi set. This sweater (great sale buy but if I had looked more closely at the weather I would have left it at home). leather jacket. vintage sweater tied over shoulders to slip on during the flight. LV speedy and Loewe bag strap (purchased on TRR, found one here). The best carry-on roller (not cheap but great wheels, lightweight and it expands!!)
Been ‘saving’ this dress for a few months. Kinda hate when I do that (as discussed here) but it really worked for a fancy French dinner with my Dad.
dress and jacket are vintage. bag. shoes.
For the Oscar show- I didn’t know what to expect but I’m glad I dressed up, not down. The event was giving ladies who lunch/garden party with a youthful, happy energy so I think this dress ended up being spot on. I shared more of the show on my stories, but definitely peep the Oscar IG if you want to see some of the stunning pieces up close (and, you know, professionally photographed versus my iPhone zoom). We toured the botanical garden on a tram, which led us to a rose garden where everyone mingled and took photos and then went to a reception filled with drinks, gelato and pizza before being seated for the show. Truly an unforgettable experience!
Now, we shop! I had two hours to kill after returning from the show (held at the New York Botanical Garden, so gorgeous! More pics on my IG here) so I walked to TheRealReal store on Madison (very small with a limited selection, wouldn’t recommend unless you need a used Chanel suit or Birkin), then onward to Bergdorf’s, aka the holy grail. Wore my Tibi pants, Def Leppard crewneck (purchased at Current Affair), Alaïa flats- which I actually got questioned about by a few women in the Bergdorf Shoe department. Found a few sizes here.
Dinner with my friend Taylor- we were going to a fairly casual spot downtown, so I opted for comfort. Wore my Row flip-flops (a few sizes here), vintage shorts, the aforementioned tunic tank, and forever fave belt. Simple but effective!
The next morning I went to breakfast with my dad (he happened to be in the city at the same time, so it really became a father daughter trip minus our respective work obligations) and wore the same thing I had to drinks at the hotel the night before. Black cashmere crewneck. Tibi nylon pants. Celine platform sandals.
We had a later flight so decided to walk to the Met but quit halfway and walked the park which I was not prepared for! This outfit would have looked different had I known but I think my Dad got a pretty decent pic!
Flight home! Hair is a bit of a mess, what else is new? Leset red pants, similar here, vintage jacket, white tank, black crewneck. Outfits like this are becoming my travel uniform and I’m okay with that. Easy, comfortable and chic is my goal.
Takeaways - fewer basics, the same travel ‘uniform’ on both departing and returning flight isn’t a bad idea (preferable to be able to wash between wears, though), plan bags with outfits in advance, accept the fact that you may have to check a bag if the trip is longer than a week.
okay, talk soon! thank you for reading. as always, please tap the heart below and forward to a fellow fashion lover if you think this didn’t suck.
xo, Liz
Oddly, my overwhelming reaction: would be so proud to be your dad! 😂 also running to look at Leset tanks. And so excited to see you Tuesday! ♥️ 💜 ❤️
Red pants!!! I love spotting them everywhere and they look so so good. What a dream trip to NYC!