Here’s what you can expect from this issue:
the leather jacket we’re all praying will be restocked
Red jeans, finally! How long have I been waiting for them
A watch that’s been on my wish list for decades
Jewelry that somehow looks like summer and sunscreen
Two black bags that might break my black bag curse (more on that inside)
and so many more good pieces
Lately, it has felt a little strange to write about harmless wishlists and fashion. A loss in our close family has unsettled everything – I suddenly spent a week solo parenting my son, and then packed two outfits into a suitcase and flew to the south of Germany to be with my family, to offer support in the only ways you really can: encouragement, cooking, and simply showing up.
And still, I catch myself slipping onto my phone or laptop, briefly disappearing into online shops – sometimes for my son, sometimes for myself. Fashion has always been a gentle escape for me. A distraction. A small, almost meditative pause from reality. It’s the very reason this wishlist section exists in the newsletter.
So if you, too, could use a little everyday escapism right now, consider this yours.
Red alert: the jeans that refuse to be subtle
Red jeans have been the main character on my Pinterest mood boards for ages – starring in both breezy summer looks and smug, layered winter outfits – and yet, every time I went hunting for an affordable pair online, it felt like they were playing hard to get.
Because let’s be honest: before committing €400 to a pair of statement trousers, I’d quite like to know whether I’ll wear them weekly … or admire them solemnly from my closet twice a year. Consider this a trial run, not a lifelong vow. Which is why I was disproportionately thrilled to finally spot a promising pair at & Other Stories. Victory!
I’d recommend going up one or even two sizes for that effortless, slightly slouchy fit. You’ll find my styling ideas and outfit inspiration here:
The one that got away (until it restocks, hopefully)
I did find the perfect brown leather jacket in a vintage store in New York – the kind of once-in-a-lifetime piece that makes your heart race slightly at the checkout. But, in full honesty, she’s not exactly in pristine condition. In some places, the leather is beginning to give up on me.
So naturally, I’ve been keeping one eye open for a worthy successor. And when Arket released what can only be described as a near-perfect brown leather jacket, I hesitated for approximately one fatal moment too long. Gone. Vanished. Sold out. Now I’m manifesting a return or a restock with the focus of a woman who has learned from her mistakes. And should it reappear, I will not hesitate for a single minute.
A brooch with main-character energy
Brooches are here to stay. And my own collection? Practically non-existent – which feels like a personal oversight I need to correct immediately.
A visit to my trusted vintage jewelry dealer is long overdue, but this brooch by Justine Menard has been quietly haunting me for a while and has now officially earned its place on my wishlist. There’s something about the almost oceanic motif that draws me in – fluid, a little mysterious – and the glass detail that makes it so special. It’s neither silver nor gold, not loud, not overly polished, but undeniably present.
I can already picture it elevating at least a hundred different outfits. And if a single piece of jewelry can promise that kind of versatility, who am I to resist?
Breaking the black bag curse, one shoulder at a time
Handbags are my weak spot. I have exquisite taste – tragically, not the budget to casually acquire a brand-new Chanel by Mathieu Blazy (not yet, anyway). Which is why mid-price brands are very much my sweet spot.
Freja New York only recently appeared on my radar, and I’ve fallen hard for their shoulder bags. They’re structured, beautifully minimal, and free of heavy hardware – which, for me, makes them endlessly versatile. They slip seamlessly into almost any outfit. In fact, they fill a gap in my wardrobe I’ve been trying – and failing – to address for years.
And perhaps, finally, they will break my infamous black bag curse. For reasons unknown, I either never truly like the black bags I buy – or something goes spectacularly wrong. Case in point: Zalando recently sent me a counterfeit (black!) Dragon Diffusion bag. Yes. I’m still in the process of sorting that out with customer service. It’s time to overwrite that unfortunate chapter.
Not a blazer. Not tweed. Finally.
Another gap in my wardrobe I suddenly feel very motivated to fill: a black jacket that is neither tweed (I already own two – one of them from the iconic Chanel Dallas collection, still one of my greatest secondhand triumphs) nor a blazer.
This particular beauty sits somewhere in the same universe as the Aligne blazers – sharp, clean, quietly confident – but, I hope, a little less ubiquitous and far less trend-bound. I’ve long been a devoted admirer of Almada (you can read my interview with the two founders here), so I have a strong suspicion this might be another very satisfying hit.
High vamp, higher standards
High-cut ballerinas. Not their first appearance on this wish list, I should add. Just last month, I featured a glossy black pair by By Far as an alternative to the high-vamp Chanel patent flats. And now? I’ve discovered an even more affordable option at Arket. They may not come in that mirror-like patent finish, but they do arrive in three very convincing shades. Black, white, and brown – each with its own compelling argument.
Black is timeless. White feels sharp and slightly fashion-forward. Brown, of course, is warm and quietly sophisticated. And now comes the existential question: which one actually makes the most sense for me? Instinctively – and perhaps predictably – I reached for brown first.
And … this is your stop. Paywall ahead!
Become a paid subscriber – it costs no more than a single coffee for a full month of content – and you’ll unlock the Sézane necklaces currently living rent-free in my mind, the Cartier watch that has had me swooning for over a decade, and the flip-flops I’m eyeing as a very justified replacement for my tragically glass-shard-destroyed pair. Trust me — it’s worth it.
