Even though I now save a lot of images on my phone or on Pinterest, I rarely put them together as a form of moodboard…Which is why it was so much fun to be asked to do this visual exercise. And because we are entering into a new season I thought I would share it with you in English, and maybe even inspire you to make one yourself.

Mikael Lo Presti is an artist I have followed for a long time. I love the way he gives everyday, almost mundane subjects depth and life through interesting compositions and beautiful use of colour. He is represented by STANDARD (OSLO), which recently opened the doors to its fantastic new gallery space in Frogner, Oslo.

Read more

I was very inspired this week by the New York Times piece on the brilliant stylist Charlotte Collet who I’ve admired for such a long time, and whose mantra is to not accept the garment’s instructions. So when trying on outfits yesterday evening I had this in mind, and the outfit planning quickly evolved into how many unconventional ways can I style this skirt…

As you know I love styling skirts - white for summer, denim earlier this spring - and this time the skirt in question is an old Mango favourite in brown leather.

Below are a few outfits where the purpose is not to make you desperately want a brown leather skirt, but rather show that we should all rethink the way we wear the pieces we already own.

I have been wearing plaid shirts around the waist for as long as you probably can remember, but have never really done so with the cotton shirt. It has always felt a bit too stiff. But with CC in mind I tried tying a pink dress shirt around my skirt with a matching pink T-shirt. The key I think is to fold the collar outwards, and tie it sharply and tightly around the waist - not to use a wrinkled shirt and tie it casually and loosely.

I added my slimy green Prada heels because I love them with pink and brown and often find wearing three colours is easier than wearing two (I think this has to be a separate Substack one day).

The pearl necklace as an anklet is something you’ve seen before, and CC styled the Auralee show with several anklets earlier this summer but over trousers and socks.

I wear my long pearl necklace almost daily and have done so for years, but now that everyone is getting on board with it (thanks to The Row and not me of course), it may be time to rethink how it’s worn. So I tried tying it around my waist as a belt. Fun, different and unexpected.

Read more

The combination of (way too) high temperatures, poor sleep and an endless to do list has been a speed bump for my creativity, so I have to confess…I’ve been outfit repeating. Which I don’t think is a bad thing, it just doesn’t give you the creativity boost wearing a new outfit does.

Either way I thought I might show you what my work outfits have looked like this past week. I have a corporate job, but our dress code is quite casual which you’ll see…

First day back I of course had to wear my elephant grey skirt from Zara as referenced last week. I love it with our noName pink Perfect Tee which is a cotton/cashmere blend and perfect for the aircon-climate at the office. The outfit needed a pop of white, hence my Khaite ballet flats and Phoebe Philo canvas cabas got themselves an outing.

On Tuesday the temperatures were still bearable so I wore a pair of The Row chinos I purchased off my mother, The Perfect Tee in grey and after realising the day before that the office was in fact freezing I pulled out an old noName striped sweater to wear over my shoulders. I don’t know if a mesh shoe really is office appropriate but my feet needed breathing and they added lightness and femininity to the outfit.

Read more

It is always bittersweet when a holiday comes to an end - the sweet part obviously being I can start to wear “real” clothes again.

I have been in the South of France for the past three weeks and can hardly remember what it is like to get dressed in anything other than these summer staples. So while mentally preparing myself for a full wardrobe of options, I have been scrolling through the AW 2026 collections on Vogue Runway, and here are some notes on how I want to dress for fall.

• I want to wear slouchy khakis and corduroys with oversized knits alla Tory Burch AW26

• I will definitely be mixing pinks, burgundy and grey as seen at Chanel AW26…

Read more

Sorry, I took a short break from my weekly newsletter. Not quite planned, but much needed. So this week I wanted to share with you a few things that have kept me occupied, stimulated and inspired over the past two weeks!

Mother Mary Comes To Me

I was at Waterstones stocking up on books for summer, and three people recommended this book to me so of course I had to buy it.

A beautiful memoir written by the author Arundhati Roy, chronicling her complex relationship with her mother Mary Roy. It is an intimate and vulnerable account of the circumstances that shaped the person and writer she has become, and I really enjoyed it.

I’m also halfway through The Finest Hotel in Kabul written by Lyse Doucet, the now Chief International Correspondent for the BBC. It is a beautiful book following the history of Afghanistan through the eyes and ears of the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul. Highly recommend!

Black leather cord necklace

Read more

Last year I wrote that summer was my least favourite season to dress for, and while it still probably is, I have started to enjoy the challenge of it more.

Sometimes it takes articulating why you gravitate towards something or what makes a look “work” to understand how you can riff off of that to create new looks. Which is what I tried doing in last week’s Substack on dressing for an effing heatwave. And I think it worked, getting dressed has felt easier with these tips in mind.

A common misconception is that the more options you have available in your closet the easier it is to get dressed. I firmly believe it is not, which is also why I haven’t attempted to shop my way out of my summer dressing conundrum.

I have rather tried (and sometimes failed of course) to follow my own purchasing principles. This has resulted in a relatively small but considered selection of summer pieces that I re-wear year after year. Every season I make a new purchase or two to spice up what I already own, but the fundamentals stay the same.

I thought I would share my essentials with you - some obvious, others maybe less - and show you why they hold a permanent place in my summer wardrobe. I will also give you my favourite alternatives to shop at the moment (most of my clothes are several seasons old) - not to tempt you, follow the rules!, but to prove that it is often more fun to find alternatives rather than directly copying something.

Shirts

Probably the most versatile item of clothing in my summer wardrobe and for summer I love to go for a pop of colour or a stripe for a more relaxed look. You can see all the ways I love to wear a shirt for summer here, but I especially love wearing one over a bathing suit as a beach cover up, or tied around the waist as a skirt. My favourites at the moment include:

• I’ve had this exact shirt from Yaitte for several seasons and I still love it

• I love the butter yellow colour of this shirt from The Anteros

• This pink striped shirt from The Frankie Shop is perfect to throw over anything

• You can never go wrong with a classic pink shirt - I especially love pink and black for summer

Pyjama set (not for sleeping)

I love a set and always bring one or two on holiday. They make you look chic with minimal effort and can easily be worn seperately to create other outfits.

• I have had this set from Nackiye on my wishlist for so long, but have not taken the plunge…yet

• This floral satin set is beautiful, and the pieces can easily be used separately as well

• My linen pyjamas from Schostal are always with me on holiday and I think this linen and green colour combination is especially chic

Silk nightgown (also not for sleeping)

Read more

There are very few instances where women have sartorial advantages over men, but I think heatwave-dressing is one of them. This may sound strict (and my opinion may have to change for health and safety purposes), but I do not want to see a man’s leg in the city - unless your name is Endrit Nurcaj and you style shorts perfectly.

Women however can show leg, the key though is context. It should not look as though we are on our way to the beach, when in fact we are stuck in the city - no matter how high the temperature. So after gaining first hand experience, I have a few tips that make an outfit both heatwave- and city-appropriate.

Tie something around your waist

This may sound counterintuitive because you will of course get especially warm in this area. However, it minimizes the stress of feeling and thinking you constantly have visible sweat marks and wet patches in places you do not wish to have them. A fear which often occurs when taking public transport for example.

The “something” around the waist also adds an additional styling layer that can make a dress generally worn to the beach (or in my case here, bed) more city-appropriate.

I loved my white nightgown from Faune so much that I had to buy a second one in burgundy on sale last August. The silk is light but still substantial, it’s flowy and pretty and the perfect summer dress.

The shirt around the waist is my preferred “something”. I think it toughens the look, and is a slightly masculine counterpart to the very feminine dress.

A gazillion other ways to wear a shirt

I did try tying a silk scarf around my waist as well, but it just felt too girly and a bit too trendy (even though I tried tying it in a different way than the classic triangle).

Read more

I thought I might show you how I followed my own tips in practice, and what was in my very compact and very heavy carry on over to New York last weekend.

Name it! How to pack for a weekend trip

Itinerary

Three days and three nights in New York. Saturday spent in Chelsea, Meatpacking, West Village and SoHo. Sunday spent on the Upper East Side. Monday with an exciting meeting in the Financial District and lunch before heading to the airport.

Weather forecast

Between 25 and 27 degrees celsius. Sunny on Saturday and Sunday, and torrential rain on Monday.

Packing list

Following my own advice, I packed in a specific colour palette of neutrals with pops of red and pink making it easy to improvise if something were to feel off.

As always I start by packing shoes, more on why here. The good thing about summer packing is that the shoes are substantially lighter and smaller, making it possible to double or even triple the number of shoes you can bring compared to winter.

I managed to sprain my toe the night before traveling, and even though I knew there was a slim chance I would be able to wear any of the shoes I had packed I left them all in.

So let’s get into it:

6x pairs of shoes, which sounds excessive but I actually managed to wear all but one pair

Read more

I’ve summarised them in five simple tips below, but if you want the detailed explanation behind the logic (and more tips) you can read it all here:

Name it! How to pack for a weekend trip

For another packing-related Substack you can read everything I packed for a two and a half week summer holiday last year. Which all miraculously fit into a carry-on (…and two tote bags and a garment bag).

Name it! The packing list

Now let’s get into the tips I followed late last night:

Read more

Jeanerica Men’s Jacket

While I love winter outerwear, I find spring outerwear very underwhelming. One spring jacket that has been on my mind ever since I first saw it however was the Jolene jacket from The Row a couple of seasons back, so when I found the perfect “affordable” substitute in the men’s section at Jeanerica I was thrilled.

I’ve been wearing it a ton already - with a white skirt as you may recall, but also with a pair of jeans or white trousers.

As mentioned in last week’s Substack I also bought these men’s khakis from Jeanerica and highly recommend!

My little black book of styling tips

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

I am coming to the end of Patrick Radden Keefe’s latest book London Falling and can’t recommend it enough. A true story of a troubled teenager’s tragic death, and the dangerous criminal underworld of London. The story in itself is fascinating, but Patrick Radden Keefe’s writing makes it all the more captivating.

As one Goodread’s review said “I would read Patrick Radden Keefe write about laundry.” I couldn’t agree more.

Zara skirt in "industrial grey"

I find “industrial grey” is the best way to describe this colour. It’s a flat, boring grey and reminds me of a factory-workers suit or the grey brutalist buildings of Milan. So naturally it’s giving Prada and Jil Sander.

Similar to khaki it’s also a colour that goes with absolutely everything and I especially can’t wait to style them with my Prada green satin mules in NYC next weekend.

Name it! Milan diaries

Prada SS07

On the topic of Prada - every spring I revisit my top designers’ past spring/summer collections in search for inspiration on how I would like to dress. Prada is of course always a favourite and the SS07 collection specifically.

Read more

Name it! Florence diaries

I think about Milan an unhealthy amount - it is hands down my favourite city. And even though far too many years have passed since I lived there (and I have spent far to little time there since to re-fill my address book), many of my favourites still hold.

Weather Report

32*C, aka as hot as London last week but with a much needed dose of aircon on the side

Itinerary

Friday 29th of May

I flew to Milan Friday evening after work. My travel outfit consisted of these new men’s trousers from Jeanerica (I wear size 30 for an oversized look) which I got in Stockholm after trying on these from The Row. The Row ones were mouthwateringly expensive so my girl math told me I earned money by not buying them - enough to get this jacket as well…

In the name of research I stopped by Chanel at Terminal 5 and was rather pleased to see Chanel is now onboard with the scuba boots. You may remember mine from The Row which I wore all around Japan.

Name it! Japan diaries

I also quickly popped on the lavender Chanel slingbacks, and they worked perfectly with my khaki trousers of course (read why here). I have not worn my own Chanel slingback flats in ages - oddly enough I find them more frumpy than the heeled ones. My mother thinks the opposite, so every time I am in Oslo I borrow hers. But here I’ve brought mine out again - I guess that’s what Matthieu Blazy does to you.

I’ve started reading London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe and it is brilliant! Highly recommend this and all his other books, especially Empire of Pain.

I landed too late to make time for any dinner, but had I arrived earlier I would have gone to Le Specialità and had my favourite pizza.

Saturday 30th of May

Read more

For me, a white skirt has become my summer equivalent of a pair of jeans. It can be dressed up for more polished occasions or styled down for casual everyday looks. Of course, there are some differences between the two. The most obvious is that a white skirt feels very feminine, while jeans tend to be more androgynous. Still, both are neutral items of clothing that can be used to explore other ideas in an outfit.

Summer is the season I find the hardest to dress for. The temperature means you have to rely on fewer pieces to create an interesting look, and if you are a regular here you know I believe it’s the contrasts within an outfit that really elevates it.

My little black book of styling tips

A white skirt is literally a blank canvas, which makes the styling possibilities countless. Additionally there are infinitely many versions of the white skirt — but here, I’ll focus on just three: the poplin skirt, the silk skirt, and the voluminous skirt.

Follow this link and I’ll show you

or continue reading in English below

White Poplin Skirt

As mentioned, a white skirt is inherently quite feminine, regardless of the fabric or silhouette. That’s why I prefer styling it with more masculine pieces, like an oversized graphic longsleeve.

Back in February, I wrote an article for Promenaden about simple ways to add personality to an outfit. One of them was to add a graphic T-shirt, and ever since, it has become a recurring element in my outfits. To emphasize the contrast between the masculine and feminine even more, I added a pearl necklace. It adds something sophisticated to the slightly playful silhouette.

We’ll get back to this jacket below, but safe to say I found my dream jacket in Stockholm last weekend and my husband can finally get his back (or borrow mine).

Read more

1. In-between casual and fancy (see this Substack)

2. Casual (see last week’s Substack)

3. Fancy

In London new restaurants pop up by the minute so my list was long overdue for an update. Keeping the categories the same as before, here is the first, updated instalment of my London favourites and what I’d wear to them.

Part 2.3 Fancy

London is not deprived of fancy restaurants, but yet there are few I really, really like and find worth the fancy-ness (read: money). And as mentioned last year, dressing up for these fancy restaurants is not always a favourite of mine either. The dress code can quickly become rather stiff, with limited room for contrasting.

I love dressing up denim. Not just for the “in-between” restaurants, but for the really fancy ones too. I showed you iterations of the below outfit two weeks ago. By changing out the grey t-shirt with a very fancy top the outfit instantly becomes elevated and more appropriate for the countless restaurants mentioned below.

• Sessions Arts Club (Clerkenwell) - firstly the restaurant in itself is absolutely stunning, but the food is also incredibly delicious and different. A special restaurant perfect for special occasions (lunch/dinner)

Read more

1. In-between casual and fancy (see last week’s Substack)

2. Casual

3. Fancy

In London new restaurants pop up by the minute so my list was long overdue for an update. Keeping the categories the same as before, here is the second, updated installment of my London favourites and what I’d wear to them.

Part 2.2 Casual

Luckily we have moved further into spring and while still very chilly I feel we have passed the awkward in-between phase that defines late March and early April.

The jacket I purchased in Marrakesh years ago has therefore made its comeback. I especially love wearing it with my black relaxed linen-ish trousers from Vince. And the noName Perfect Tee is perfect for these in-between temperatures - where it is too hot for a jumper and too cold for a t-shirt.

This is the perfect outfit for a Saturday wandering around, where the wandering around turns into a casual neighbourhood dinner.

• TAQ (Notting Hill) - Taqueria has revamped both their name and menu. Much improved and very delicious for a casual lunch or dinner (lunch/dinner)

Read more

1. In-between casual and fancy

2. Casual

3. Fancy

In London new restaurants pop up by the minute so my list was long overdue for an update. Keeping the categories the same as before, here is the first, updated installment of my London favourites and what I’d wear to them.

Part 2.1 In-between casual and fancy

What I wrote last year regarding “dresscode” still holds true - almost all restaurants can go under the “in-between” category. The same can be said for most of my outfits - as you know I love creating contrast in an outfit by wearing something dressy with something more casual.

My little black book of styling tips

And my first outfit follows this recipe. The dressy element being the most beautiful cream coat by my dear friend Nina Morris (which I wore to my wedding) paired with a casual t-shirt, jeans and ballet flats.

I think this would be the perfect outfit to wear to the delicious East London restaurant Café Cecilia.

• Café Cecilia (Hackney) - Max Rocha’s (Simone Rocha’s brother) incredibly cool restaurant has the most delicious menu of small dishes to share (lunch/dinner)

Eating in West London, Mayfair, however allows you to dress up a bit more. Replacing the baggy jeans and ballet flats, with a floor-scraping straight legged jean and heels elevates the look further, making it Mayfair-appropriate, yet cool.

Read more

Apart from a pair of white Khaite ballerinas from The Real Real to substitute the ones I had worn to death, and a graphic tee or two on Vinted, I have not bought anything new in the past three months. But with a new season upon us I have been itching to buy just something that will inject new life into my well-worn wardrobe (I’m only human).

The aforementioned genius Matthieu Blazy is five collections in at Chanel and just keeps delivering. A prominent piece in all collections has been the mid-length skirt, but in various silhouettes ranging from low-rise pencil skirts to flouncy, layered skirts.

On a mission, I scoured Zara’s website for a mid-length skirt that would (with the risk of sounding overly dramatic) change my life, without bankrupting me. I ended up with this:

In light of my financial situation, I am quite pleased with how many looks I was able to style with this 46 GBP skirt. The fresh silhouette made everything from my ASOS army jacket from 2018, to my The Row ballet flats purchased last year, feel worth wearing yet another season.

So let me show you eight looks with one skirt.

First up, the skirt worn with the aforementioned ASOS jacket I’ve had for years. I especially love wearing it with more feminine pieces (as I did here with my black Cecilie Bahnsen skirt). It toughens up the look, which I think is especially needed here when wearing a layered skirt and ballet flats.

I tried changing the ballet flats to heels, for an evening look. The pumps, which are vintage Miu Miu, make the look more bourgeois-esque and in this case the jacket didn’t manage to balance out the strand of pearls, heels and skirt.

Read more

I can’t really remember what propelled me, but I remember searching far and wide for the perfect pair and eventually found them at & Other Stories.

I still have and wear said boots (most recently seen here) and pray ever year that they will last another season.

The white boots were my first, but far from my last pair of white shoes. It only feels right to quote The Devil Wears Prada at this time…“they’re so different”

So why white?

At the end of this newsletter you will find my favourite white accessories - shoes and bags, new and secondhand - available to shop atm (it was hard to contain myself).

But first back to why I like a white accessory.

First off it gives intentionality to a look - meaning it looks like you made a deliberate decision to let the accessory stand out. Where as a neutral bag (e.g. black) would just feel like an after thought, or in worst case the best worst option.

Read more

Last year's spring outfit ideas

As we enter into a new season of dressing I would love to know if there are any topics you would like me to cover - comment below or send me a DM. I am also glad many of you especially liked last week’s newsletter!

Anyways, this week I thought I would let you in on my top obsessions lately:

Face Formula Nova Drops SPF 50+

I use sunscreen all year round, so I am lying when I say these Face Formula SPF drops are a current obsession of mine. However, the time of year makes them especially relevant.

If you, like me, do not like to wear sunscreen these drops are the answer. Instead of replacing your favourite moisturiser with sticky sunscreen you add just a few drops to your current routine.

Catharina Shortsleeve in purple

Yes, I know you know purple is on my mind, but we can finally say that we found the perfect shade of purple and I have not been able to take off The Catharina Shortsleeve in it.

I love the cropped sleeves and rounded body of this sweater. It feels effortless yet pulled together.

I have been pairing the purple with almost everything (except black!). Dark and light wash jeans, white denim, and khaki and grey trousers of course. I am also very happy to have my beige suede Canal slippers by The Row back on my feet.

My little black book of styling tips

JW Anderson’s Pimlico Store

Read more

I. Iron your clothes

You would think this was a no-brainer, but I still find that a shocking number of people are too lazy to iron their clothes. Yes, it is boring and time consuming, but a wrinkled pair of jeans, t-shirt, trousers, skirt, does not look effortless! Unless you bought it pre-wrinkled from Prada of course…

II. Make sure your trousers are the correct length

Trouser lengths and shoes deserve an entirely separate Substack, but in short I believe your trouser length will give it all away. Not all trousers can be worn with all shoes.

If you are wearing a pair of wide-legged trousers, make sure they not only graze the floor, but touch it. The trousers should be long enough to create a bend at the bottom before hitting the floor.

I break out in hives when there is a little gap between the shoe and the floor, a condition I inherited from my mother and am now passing on to you. But hopefully you’ll thank me.

Do you see how much better the right leg looks compared to the left here:

And the bend is equally important when wearing flats:

However, you do not want the fabric of the trouser to pool at your feet, only bend! If they pool, first stop should be your tailor.

And to further prove my point, have you ever seen the heels of Victoria Beckham’s shoes?

However, if you are wearing a straight leg trouser and loafers, make sure the trouser is no longer than ankle length, creating some air between the trouser and the shoe.

The ultimate loafer girl, Kendall Jenner’s jeans are always the perfect length. (And so are Harry Styles’ too, remember?)

On a separate note but potentially worth a mention: Wide legged trousers worn with loafers are generally a no-go.

Ballet flats and sandals however work with most trouser lengths because you show skin at the top of the foot.

III. Wear the wrong bag

Read more

We spent three days refining styles, looking through colours, making updates and being creative.

As we move into spring, there’s a natural need for newness. There’s a reason we call it “spring cleaning” — it’s about resetting, refining, and making room for what feels fresh and relevant.

So what’s new at noName? We used grey donegal cashmere for fall (coincidentally the exact same yarn The Row used in their collection), and to counteract donegal’s un-polished look we used crystal buttons on the cardigans.

For spring we therefore wanted to use denim blue donegal cashmere, which has been very popular because all except two cardigans have sold out in just days…Luckily I managed to get my hands on a Cora Cardigan!

In a day and age where everyone wants the same thing we try to keep stock of special items limited. So instead of just making more of the same cardigan the next drop of donegal jeans will be in The Ballerina Shortsleeve and The June Vest (I love mine in grey and wore it all around Japan, remember).

Read more