On My Mind: Custom Ralph Lauren Caps and Little Red Scarves
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“Strategist Brain” is a series where staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.
I joined the Strategist as an updates coordinator in June after several years at the magazine’s fact-checking desk, and I’ve been up to a lot since then. I turned 26, traveled to Italy for the first time (and almost got stranded in Capri), took up oil pasteling, scored my first vintage Chanel bag, and doubled down on wardrobe tweaks that took cues from my yearslong love affair with Jennifer Lawrence’s Row-, red-, and sheer-addled street style.
As part of the latter, I’ve spent a fair amount of time — likely too much time — trying to emulate what’s been loosely dubbedmomboy dressing. I subjected colleagues to weeks’ worth of pitches on the allure of the see-through and the plain crewneck (for this, I formally apologize). I’m neither a mom nor a boy mom, yet my affection for statement pieces, primary colors, and all things baggy has found a perfect home under that umbrella. And while, in the name of an increasingly fleeting sense of originality, I still won’t cave in on everything Miss Lawrence sports (ahem, Salomons, a.k.a. the new Sambas), I’ve never felt more in tune with my sense of style than I do now that I’m dressing like a (what some may call boring or predictable) Tribeca mother of two. Here are several of the tried and true — plus a few new — pieces I’ve kept in rotation lately.
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It’s my belief there’s nothing a good coat or shoe can’t change. For me, more often than not, that’s something one-off and vintage, like this by Dutch designer Koos Van Den Akker — the most stunning coat I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I found it for just under $200 at an estate sale in August, whenthe worth and rarity of Akker’s pieces were as yet unknown to me. This coat carries every outfit I’ve worn it atop (which nine times out of ten is some variation of a baggy top and baggy pants), and it simplybecomesthe outfit when fully buttoned. It’s never failed to garner a slew of compliments from strangers. In a sea of black trenches and peacoats, its incredible asymmetry, patchwork, and stitching in all sequences of red, blue, and yellow couldn’t feel more me. While I can’t track down my exact coat online, there areplentyofother stunnersinvarying stylesand budget ranges floating through the secondhand ether.
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The jury’s still out on balaclavas for me, but I’m all in on acashmere neck scrap. I instantly said “yes” to this scarf at Aritzia’s recent Flatiron flagship preview. It’s the perfect size, shape, and shade of red to aid in covering up any bad hair day while being functionally warm (100 percent cashmere) and cozy, making me feel like Little Red Riding Hood on her way to an iced coffee — especially when paired with a high funnel-neck coat like my Van Den Akker. Plus, it’s been just as cute when tied around my waist as a belt.
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On the topic of red headwear, I’d be remiss not to spotlight my very favorite cap and my very favorite way to purchase it: customized. While this hat on its own doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, I find much glee in personalizing it, which I’ve already done twice (in classic Ralph blues). But for my third, in Park Avenue Red, I’m planning on making the Classic Pony emblem nearly the same shade as the cap and finishing things off with my initials on the back in the same colored thread for an understated look.
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I spent the better part of the summer and early fall shouting my sneakerina agenda (it’s the emerging shoe of the fall!) from the rooftops, all thanks to an obsession witha pair by Dries Van Notenthat seemed to haunt me everywhere I stepped. While I ultimately couldn’t justify spending almost $600 on a pair of sneakers with nary a sole, I discoveredan equally slim pairthat blended all the things I loved about the concept of a sneaker–ballet flat, with subtle nods to details seen on other designer pairs by Loewe and Miu Miu. From the vague-enough abstracted logo to cap-toe suede touches and red cord laces, these sate my craving for an extremely low-profile, versatile non-Samba flat.And they’re properly downtown: I’ve since spotted the pair at the end of many a Wall Street ankle.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently:
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While not seasonally appropriate in the slightest, these mules were simply too stunning to pass up. I spotted them in a lonely corner of the very lowest shoe-rack shelf at Other People’s Clothes on Marcy Avenue. The designer is new to me — though her other styles,though not always available, have enchanted me too. I’m most excited about their potential as a new dye project for my cobbler, though I’m just as tempted to keep the marigold yellow as is. (Veteran shoppers knownow’sreally the time to start thinking about spring and summer.)
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My love for a primary color extends well beyond my closet; shades of red and blue define my cupboards, too. On a recent day trip to Beacon, I was reminded of how exceptional the Hudson Valley’s selection of vintage china is — namely pieces by potter Homer Laughlin and his brother, whose family legacy lives on throughFiestaware. I’d picked up one of theircircular pitchers, pictured below, in Catskill around a year ago (it’s my go-to vase for weekly flowers) and foundfour of the chili bowlsat an estate sale over the summer, but I’m always on the hunt for pieces in the brand’s just-right cobalt blue. This bowl would be the perfect backdrop for the hues of lemons and limes.
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It’s never fully a trip to Beacon without stopping byLittle King, where I discovered and quickly grew intoxicated with this scent. I thought I’d had my signature scent —Chanel’s Sycomore— locked in by now, but I’ve found myself craving a warmer, amber-leaning option for the colder months. This chocolatey pick, inspired by the year 1969, shares cardamom notes with another strong contender,Aesop’s Above Us, Steorra. It lingered on my coat collar days after spritzing.
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A return to some form of creative expression not involving a keyboard or screen was long overdue for me. My one true love will always be oil paint, but without a studiolike space or easel access, it’s too much of a hassle. With these pastels, I get the same chance to use my fingers for blending as I would with paint — no dry time or gessoing needed. So as not to daunt myself, I went for the smallest sketch pad available, which is the perfect size for small primary color-oriented still life drawings or free-form coloring.
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