What Made The Cut

Five outfits from an August week of denim, shine, soft bags, and summer worn a little less bare.

Affiliate links throughout. Taste decides what’s here, not commission.

A new weekly. An edit of what I actually wore, what worked, and what caught my eye along the way.

Every week I shoot in the studio, and most of what comes out of it never gets explained. This is where the explanation goes: the outfits I actually wore, the styling decisions behind them, and sometimes the pieces I’d buy.

Some weeks it will be a fuller edit. Some weeks it will just be the outfits. That is the point of a weekly.

This one comes from that strange August weather zone: cool mornings, hot days, and the first signs of fall planning happening in the background. I’m still dressing for summer, but the outfits are starting to ask for a little more structure, a little more texture, a little more weight.

What I Wore

1. Ripped denim, soft pieces

This is probably my most natural setting: jeans, something soft on top, one soft bag pulling it out of safe territory. The Moussy jeans were gifted, and I sized up from my usual 26 to a 28 because I wanted real ease, not a tight “relaxed” fit. Satin tank and ELY ELY crochet cardigan soften the denim, the DOEN metallic sandals (last season but similar here) make it more feminine, and the personality bags keep it playful. Relaxed, a little undone, still considered.

2. Long shorts, sharper

Windbreaker, long shorts or a great Zara version here , here and here, small heel. The heel is the thing keeping this from going too sporty, and the soft fringe bag gives the black base some texture.

Commando bodysuit as a base, different direction. The concho belt does the work here, so the sweatshirt stays cropped enough to leave it visible. I always wear this length with a heel. Even a kitten heel keeps the proportion sharp. For long shorts or bermudas, I would check ZW Collection for these or these.

3. Occasion skirt, off-duty

A so-called occasion skirt by Jacques Wei, taken out for lunch. The trick was not making it casual, but making it believable: COS boxy tee, Zara mesh bag, and old GIA satin mules (similar here) all in the same soft tonal lane. Enough to calm the shine down without making it disappear.

4. The resort robe, back in real life

This Zara jacquard coat came home from resort mode and is now being tested in the city. Worn over Acne Studios jeans, with DOEN metallic sandals and a soft pouch. The denim gives it enough weight, so it doesn’t drift too far into holiday fantasy. I haven’t found a good similar version yet, but I’ll link one when I do.

5. Fitted, then loose

Fitted on top, loose on the bottom, always an easy place to start. The Zara pants are from last year, worn with a Commando neoprene bodysuit, which is genuinely one of my favorites, an Etsy bolo tie vintage necklace(good selection also here),Alaïa mesh flats, and the same sparkly texture Zara mesh bag.

Open Tabs

Not a full shopping edit, more the things that crossed my screen while looking for links, sourcing for clients, and noticing the gaps.

I rarely shop fast fashion on impulse. When I do, it’s usually planned, specific, and because the piece fills an actual wardrobe gap. That said, I did order a few pieces from the Wardrobe.NYC x H&M Collection because Wardrobe.NYC basics are genuinely good, and at these prices it felt worth testing. I went for the T-shirts, bodysuits, plus the bomber and jeans. The package is still on the way, so I’ll report back once I’ve tried everything properly. One client already told me the quality is really nice, which made me even more curious. There are still pieces available, so I’m linking the edit here.

Also currently open in my tabs: Lexxola sunglasses. I only just discovered them, but several pairs went straight into the wish list. Sunglasses are one of the easiest ways to change the mood of an outfit, and I have a whole piece on that coming soon. For now, I’m looking at Dina, Orielle, and Carmen, especially in black or saffron yellow. I haven’t tested the quality yet, but the shapes look strong.

And still sitting in the “saving up” part of my brain: Christen shoes. The shapes are exactly where my head is right now, low, clean, slightly unusual, easy enough to wear but not basic. I’m especially drawn to the more sculptural pairs, but the slip-ons might be the ones I’d actually wear most.

Looking at the week, I clearly kept repeating the same ideas: soft bags, shine, loose shapes, fitted bases. That’s usually where the styling starts.

What made your cut this week?

Talk soon,