The Weekly Edit // No. 63

What I wore, styled, and sprayed this week.

Hey y’all! Last week was a lot. I had a ton of reports to do at work, and I started sharing more snippets of my day on Instagram again, so it was busy to say the least. Honestly, I didn’t want to get back on Instagram. It’s too easy to fall into the comparison trap and start to think that I’m not doing enough, so I’ve deleted and redownloaded the app multiple times over the past few years. I most recently deleted it about a day after I told you guys I was getting back on a couple of weeks ago.

What made me ease back in this time was a random shower thought: what if the very thing I’m avoiding and don’t want to do is keeping me from getting getting where I want to go? I sat with that for about a week and decided I’d start posting there, but with a few rules of engagement to maintain my most prized possession—my sanity. Shoutout to SZA.

We’ll see how my activity over there evolves, but I’m a little excited to make my little corner of the world over there a nice place to be. I think setting some personal boundaries for how I’ll use it helped. Yet again, there is beauty in restraint.

This week, I’ve got even more reports to wrap up at work, and I need to begrudgingly pay my taxes. I’m grateful that I’m overprepared for this, but I’m pissed that my money is going toward war and genocide instead of healthcare and student loan forgiveness.

Anyway…here’s what I wore this week, the fragrances I reached for, and a few things I’d send to the group chat.

glasses // cropped button down // wide leg jeans // sandals (similar) // bag (old Kate Spade - similar)

I found this top at The RealReal in Houston and instantly loved it. It’s an XS/S and very roomy. I linked where you can get it at retail price, but paid subscribers already have a few links to other versions I’ve found on TRR. I’ll keep including it in Hidden Gems when I find it.

I should really get these jeans with a longer inseam to wear with heels. I keep reaching for these over my straight legs, but I look like I’m preparing for a flood when I wear anything with even the smallest lift.

This would be a good wedding perfume, but I think it’s too on-the-nose and expected for that. I mean, it’s in the name. It smells like a celebration with a sparkly champagne opening quickly followed by freesia. The top notes are gone in less than 5 minutes, so the jasmine and peachy notes come in pretty fast. I also smell something heartier, like praline. It’s very sweet and sugary, but not juvenile. The base notes are heavily vanilla, sandalwood, and sugar, which will always be a winning combination in my book.

top (similar - I tied it in the back to make it cropped) // pants (Nike Tech Fleece - similar) // arch support socks

I chose this outfit because I was tired and my feet hurt. I wasn’t feeling inspired to get dressed, but I forced myself to at least try. Overall, it’s a fail, but not a horrible one. I prefer to be a little more dressed up than this nowadays.

One of the joys of working from home is that you’re allowed to have days when you don’t have to put on an outfit you’d go outside in. That’s why I got these pants. I wanted the comfort of sweatpants, but I also wanted them to have an interesting design elelement. That way, I can still feel like I tried a little bit on days when I’m not feeling it. So maybe this look wasn’t a fail afterall.

glasses // mock neck top // wide leg pants

I donated this top after I washed it. It’s too big now, and I’m not excited to wear it. If I’m not excited to wear it and it doesn’t need to stay put as a basic it exits my wardrobe immediately. I want to love my closet so I can’t keep letting things that are mid at best continute to take up space.

These pants are a little too big now, too, but I’m probably going to take them to get tailored again. I really like them and have found ways to wear them in any season. The only reason I don’t wear them more often now is the way they fit. I was trying to convince myself the fit wasn’t that bad, but I think that picture is proving otherwise. This is a good problem that has come from being a 4am gym girlie four times per week. I hate getting up but my mental health is more resilient, my mood is better, and I love feeling strong.

Congratulations to Perfumerism for Milk Orchid becoming part of the permanent Commodity Fragrances collection! The new bottle is black and white to match the others now, but the scent is the same. I sprayed this on the day after the announcement to be cloaked in milky, woody, floral goodness.

silk top (old Quince - similar)// straight leg jeans (old Madewell - similar) // bag (old Kate Spade - similar) // sling back flats (old Badgley Mischka - similar)

I wanted to sparkle at the grocery store again, so I did. This is pretty much the same outfit as last week, but with a silk top instead. I wore a black bralette that you could kind of see through the top to see how I liked that. I did, but I think it’ll work better with a cotton or linen button down. I need to add that to mu summer wishlist.

I wanted to smell grounded in spring, but give a nod to warmer weather. This fragrance accomplishes that. It leads with bergamot and lemon, but the woody base comes out very fast. It’s light enough for daytime wear and sits pretty close to the skin. If you haven’t smelled this please go to your nearest Byredo store, Nordstrom, Neimans, or Saks to get your nose on it.

Become a paid subscriber to get access to Hidden Gems—my curated treasure hunt of the best secondhand and deeply discounted fashion finds. Last week I found a Tory Burch for $245! (It’s dropped to $220 now.)

What To Wear To…

I came a cross a really cute asymetrical top and thought I’d style three outfits with it to see how versatile it could be. I realized I kind of did that last week with the green cargo pants so this might become a thing. I’m all for having an item that only works well with one outfit, but as I’m building my wardrobe I’m looking for more verastility at the moment.

The Office

earrings // top // tote bag // dress pants // heels

Dinner

earrings // top // metallic clutch // dress pants // heeled sandals

Brunch or a School Event

earrings // top // bracelet // wide leg jeans // handbag // slingback pump

What I’d Send in the Group Chat

• This article about Coco Gauff’s Miu Miu campaign perfectly articulates why I’m tired of talking about Black women’s hair. Just do whatever you want and let the next lady do what she wants. Period. Case closed.

• I don’t need another show to watch since Euphoria is back tonight, but Margo’s Got Money Troubles looks like it might be good.

• If you’re on social media, everybody is screaming about the Sephora sale, but for a good reason. If you’ve been eyeing something new or need to restock, now is the time.

• Stuart Weitzman is having a 25% off sale with code SPRING25.

Further Reading

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