Hi! and happy September. My birthday falls on Labor Day weekend more often than not, and some of my happiest memories involve straining the seams of my beach bag with the September issues of InStyle, YM, Sassy, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Allure, W, Lucky, Domino, Bazaar and Vogue. A Laspadas sub, a Big Gulp and in SPF 4 completed the scene.

This newsletter is already long and link-y enough, so I’ll spare you the full ode to magazines of old. I do intend to clock some time this weekend slathered in this mask (just bought my eighth jar), while reading many of my favorite Substacks and a more modest stack of print magazines.

A Very Pretty Set

It seems like overnight, I feel less enthused by sportier, androgynous looks and more captivated by feminine pieces that just look really…pretty? Not a puff sleeve, not a Yesteryear-inspired getup. More NYC Ballet, off duty. An elegance that isn’t refined to within an inch of its existence, preferably a hint of patina by way of an heirloom or two. I’m probably waxing too poetic for a mere deadstock chiffon set, but vibe shifts excite me. I’d wear this as a set for an event (I like how they’ve styled the brown with a patent leather mule, I’d probably do an interesting sandal. Separated, I like the skirt with a simple tee and mesh ballet flat. The top was made for good, sexy denim, a great trouser or peeking out from under a fun blazer. For the holidays, a 70s fur stole and show-stopping clutch.

Dated Staples

I liked this reframe from Who What Wear, “how a dated staple can make black pants feel fresh for 2026.” WWW is referring to Hailey’s zip up jacket, but there are so so so many micro trends happening on such a quick timeline. Can you keep up? I cannot. Dated staples can be their own, casual, screw-you to the mind-numbing speed of the fashion industry. Examples: the sneakers that have been waxing and waning since the 70s, this now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t pendant, the cocoon sweater, the OG barrel leg pant, the bitchy leather slippers of old, snobby merch or the pants that put Substack on the map1. Wear with your latest cigarette denim, satin pull-on pants, a black midi skirt, a strapless top and Zero Effs. I actually think one of the chicest (yes, still using this word) things you can do for your closet is to invest in a trend you love and wear it well beyond its moment in time.

Something Just Came Across my Desk, John

As I slowlyyy but surely begin to expand my freelance writing work, a friend told me I needed to order business cards. I’ve predictably over-rotated and am now deep in the business cards, matchbooks and general ephemera of icons. Do I borrow from a swanky New York address? A Paris institution? Andy Warhol? Matisse???

I was just supposed to order business cards.

Thank you, Pinterest, maybe I will frame some of my Aunt Marge’s best index card recipes. The rum cream pie one for sure. This frame would work. This option would be more affordable for an en masse display.

I recently just bought this velveteen journal as a gift that I will wrap up with some of these labels labels and maybe these calendar tabs.

Pink Skies

Pink velour is not necessarily having a moment, but Suzie Kondi’s use of it has completely captivated me. I covet these pink balloon pants to wear with jelly flip flops or flats, a thin grey tee or full-strength lounge with its matching sweatshirt. And then the sweatshirt I would wear with my new cargos, constantly.

If you love the shimmery pink vibe but desire less of a full-bodied commitment, there’s: this magical new nail shade*, this baguette tennis bracelet*, this pillow, this sexy-but-cool PJ set (oooh or these satin shorts) and this candle. The candle is not pink, but it smells pink. I know you know.

Items that Look Well-Preserved from the Twentieth Century

I’m finally watching Oppenheimer, but in 40 minute increments, as if it’s a series. I’m re-reading Rules of Civility and having a Frank Lloyd Wright moment. You see where this is going, what with the business cards and all.

Wellness-y Things

I never thought I could be a bone-broth in the morning person, but alas here we are. I’ve been totally -pilled and since Brodo kindly sent me some, on a morning that I was out of lemons, I poured some into a mug and, well: I LOVED it. I tend to wake up a little anxious and it soooothed me and my belly. I felt nourished but light and it did not feel icky at all to be drinking something savory and brothy in the morning. It was delightful. Later in the morning I had my on-repeat breakfast of fat-free (bought by mistake, now love) plain Chobani with granola and coffee.

Probiotics make such a difference in my overall immunity to school and seasonal germs. When I saw this rotating symbiotic come across my internet, you can bet I bought a three month supply in advance of (stomach) flu season. I’m only on week two of these, so I will report back— but so far between this, the bone broth and my beloved tea: I feel well.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something. Anything given to me by a brand is indicated or marked with an *.

If you haven’t read the first part of this saga, the skinny is that I had been finding my closet yet again harboring a few too many “eh” pieces. I am not as tough on things I order online and wind up keeping things that earn a grade of B-, when I want a closet full of A+ clothes. I am developing a framework called R.E.P.S.™ (Requirements Examples Play Select) in real-time, and I used cargo pants as my test subject. When I left you I was deep in the Play phase.

I took a field trip to the mall, and did not have much luck on the cargo front, but I wound up buying (at last!) a pair of black pull on drawstring pants and a very very good pink button up. I sized down to a small in the pants and up to a large for the button up. The only remotely cargo-pants adjacent pair of pants I tried were these, which were good but they had no actual cargo pocket, also I threw a small tantrum about the closure. More on that, below.

My whole thesis is that the road to a closet filled with just a few lovely things is paved with trying many things, and being extremely choosy with what we allow in. But you cannot start by simply being discerning. You have to do the work. You have to do the R.E.P.S.™ if you will.

I also ordered four pairs of pants online, so I knew I didn’t have to take the mall’s best offer. Here’s how that panned out:

The Biggest Losers

In hindsight these were a bit too Phyllis Nefler to ever be the ones. The styling in this marketing image had a stranglehold on me, though, and I wondered “if most cargo pants are in the $100- $300 range, what sort of magic could a pair of $560 cargo pants contain?” Well, they were way too small in my usual size (med) and I couldn’t get them up past my hips. They were also really long, and they had the same hook closure I complained about above. They were not meant to be. PS. If you love the acrylic bangle as much as I do, this one might be it. Python flip flops? Here you go.

The Ones That Arrived First and Were Fine

Here is where my method shined. These arrived and I put them on and they fit fine. They were a little tight, but I kinda liked them! I had the familiar rush of “new pants” excitement. If I didn’t have three more pairs on the way, I might have shrugged my shoulders, ripped off the tags and kept them. I repeat: they were fine! Maybe a size larger would have been more interesting, but I also generally don’t find that sizing up in thick fabrics works out well. They were tight around the waist, but not impossibly so. The color was darker than my vision; the length was a bit awkward. So on. So forth.

But Then These Arrived

…and I liked them much, much better. They fit perfectly around the waist (I took my normal denim size). The color was my exact army green ideal. I liked the subtle barrel shape. I tried them on with what I presume will be my primary-use-case partners:

• blue button up (love)

• black tank (love)

• black flip flops (love)

• slim profile sneakers (like)

• chunky sneakers (don’t like, but it’s ok)

These were keepers. They DO have a hook-eye closure, about which I gave myself a stern talking to: are you just ok with these because they’re already in your home? Are you settling? And after some debate, I decided to be fine with it. The material is a twill on the lighter side and they fit very comfortably. This type of tab really annoys me on a heavier fabric or tight fit. The tags came off. Then I saw them (in a different color) on the very next day and felt even more validated in my decision. Whooooooo!

Wait— Mayday

I was dismissive of these when I first tried them. Too baggy, too long, too not me. But because I could photograph them for you without showing my undies, I figured it was worthwhile to show you everything that I didn’t like about them. But when I started Playing (R.E.P.S™), I started to really like them. My teens said they were cool (!!). They passed the blue button up and black tank test with flying colors. But they’ll be frumpy with a sweater, right? No, they look cute with a sweater! But surely they’re not-office appropriate. Well they are baggy and have a bit of a technical material, but could I make them work with a cutaway jacket? Um, yes. And this might be my favorite look. Perhaps not every office, but I could absolutely make them work in a more polished way. They even worked with Salomon’s whereas the other pair did not. They made me feel like my 5th grade ballet & jazz teacher, Miss Angela, whose it-girl cool factor still haunts me.

Soooo…I don’t know! On the one hand, I don’t need both. On the other hand they’re fairly different as far as pants go. The CoH version is a modern chino, and a very good denim alternative. They are the platonic ideal of what I wanted: cargo pants. The James Perse would be a new silhouette entirely to my closet. But I just added the black pull-on drawstring pants AND earlier this summer a (the) pair of purple Donni pants. For someone who likes to keep a very pared-down closet, this is a lot of new members to my pants lineup. Probably three workhorses and one show pony (the purple).

And this is where things got tricky. I know which cargo pants won. What I don't know is if the unexpected wildcard pair has earned a completely different spot?. Paid subscribers, deliberate with me below.

A couple last things:

• This post should be sponsored by this new dry shampoo that Living Proof sent me. My hair was a catastrophe, and I nearly put off taking these photos. Three spritzes saved this newsletter.

• sent me her namesake fragrance Jordan’s Perfume and I REALLY love it. It starts off with a very luxurious “leather” note (which I understand to be sandalwood) and a few hours later mellows into something slightly more floral. It’s sophisticated and generates quite a bit of “you smell good” commentary. No surprise that I love it because Jordan and I wind up writing about the exact same oddly specific items, so of course I am thrilled to be wearing (and writing about) her fragrance. 👯

• There is nothing cuter than a peek of these colorful yellow bra straps* from under a dark-colored tank. I also feel invincible lately when I wear a matching set, so I obviously need these.

• Carline saviors: tea (in this cute tumbler) eye patches, sunscreen with light coverage, Gracie Abrams / Olivia Rodrigo on repeat, a fancy new car diffuser scent.

• is my current stop-what-I’m-doing-and-read Substack. Manet has just set a new rule. A painter can paint his own time. No ancient costume. No biblical mask. Just what is happening right now, outside, in the street.

• If you enjoyed this post, you’ll probably enjoy my thoughts on inaction or this one on Ladies’ Fine Things. also wrote THE definitive last word on pull-on pants.

The Final Outcome:

Initially, I planned to keep Playing with the James Perse pair.

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One of my favorite chapters of Atomic Habits is the story about photography professor Jerry Uelsmann at the University of Florida (ahem 🐊) who assigns half his class to go shoot one “perfect” photo. This group would be graded on the quality of one photo. The other half would be the quantity group. They’d be graded on the number of photos they took.

Guess which group took the “best” photos?

At the end of the term, he was surprised to find that all the best photos were produced by the quantity group. During the semester, these students were busy taking photos, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing out various methods in the darkroom, and learning from their mistakes. In the process of creating hundreds of photos, they honed their skills. Meanwhile, the quality group sat around speculating about perfection. In the end, they had little to show for their efforts other than unverified theories and one medioc…

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Hellos! For those of you whose kids are headed back to school this week, may your socks be plentiful and your paperwork be minimal. I have a senior in high school starting on Monday and trying not to think about how different my life will look a year from now. Gulp.

Let’s move on to happier thoughts like dinner. In case you missed it, I’ve repurposed the chat to be devoted to what I’ve coined “Top Five” meals. My family jokes any time I make something that’s a big hit, “this is in the top five!” So I will be sharing meals that felt victorious, and I invite you to do the same. This week I know I’ll be making these Japanese chicken meatballs, and smoky roasted carrots (with buttered noodles so everyone’s happy). I will also be doing a panini night, probably with peaches snuck in since we have to make the most of the season before it slips away, right? For pasta night (there’s always a pasta night) maybe Alison Roman’s caramelized shallot versi…

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Hi! I’m writing this after just the third night in my own bed in a row pretty much since summer started. We’ve been on the road, on vacation, displaced by a broken air conditioner and now finally home and unpacked(ish). I feel bloated, disorganized and just kinda cranky if I’m being honest. I am a homebody and a creature of habit and while it’s been a wonderful summer, I thrive amidst structure not chaos. I still haven’t really done a big grocery shop because we’re headed out of town again later this week, but when I’m finally ready, I’ll be heavily referencing ’s Kitchen Infrastructure post to restock my fridge.

I’ve managed to hold on to a few routines all summer, and some I implemented immediately upon my return. Routines can impart that same smug satisfaction of coloring neatly within the lines. They make harder things feel more manageable because $hi# may be hitting the fan, but I am hydrated and my laundry is done, so I’ll probably handle it. There is a space and…

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Hi. How are you? The month before I launched this Substack (May 2024) I did an enlightening session with the incredible astrologer . I was hemming and hawing over wanting to start something creative, and she noted that whatever seeds I plant now would become a very important thing in my life for the next 14 years. 14 years! As in 2038? Feels unfathomable but also highly expansive, right? The idea that I can luxuriously take 5K+ days to really sink my teeth into something. Something that my 59 (!!) year old self will be grateful for.

I’m trying to take this approach to fitness / wellness too. As a child of the 80s/90s, I am hard-wired to to favor a 21 Day Transformation, or a Six Week Fat Blaster or whatever, and I’m trying to gently coach myself out of the mindset that fitness and nutrition are something with a finish line, and more just a part of my everyday. More on this in a future letter.

So, if you're struggling with any sort of cre…

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Well, I am writing this at 11:42pm which is unheard of for me because I like to be asleep by 10:30 and I am pretty regimented about screens at night. But there are words marching through my brain in a way that keeps getting louder, and I would like to get to sleep at some point tonight so here goes.

Something you should do this summer is connect with an old friend.

Here’s why. My brother in law (whose ALS diagnosis story you can read about here) and I were friends well before I started dating my husband (his older brother). Joe (brother in law) and I went to the same high school, then the same college. For a spell, we worked at the same extremely popular bar/restaurant. I was an inept hostess, and he worked in the kitchen. I think his girlfriend at the time (a server) used to complain that I was bad at my job, and she was honestly right. We weren’t close fri…

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Glamour is very often nothing more than a willingness to take up space. It’s posture, and maybe a little old-world formality. It’s knowing that just because you can buy the thing doesn’t mean you should. It’s the riotous beauty that blooms from restraint.

Nonchalance. I keep bumping up against nonchalance. OED says things like ‘casual indifference’ and ‘a calm relaxed demeanor that shows a lack of worry, anxiety or excitement.’ Well, yes and no because excitement is absolutely allowed by me. There’s a Jordan Baker / Margo Tenenbaum air that draws me in, but a Jo March…

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Yesterday, and pretty much the whole week— I’ve wondered if I’d unwittingly stepped into some sort of astrological or karmic quicksand. It’s been one of those stretches where every.single.thing feels 10x harder than it should be. In the grand scheme of thing, nothing worth sweatin, just numbingly annoying.

Something that I’ve been working on is noticing how frequently I hand over my power to nuisances and situations beyond my control. A perfectly OK day is suddenly derailed by dumb circumstances or the mindless actions of someone else and: poof! Now …

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Hi and thank you again for the heartfelt welcome back after my brief hiatus. The reason for my heavy heart is this post is still awful to type out: my husband’s little brother Joe (and one of THE BEST people I know) was diagnosed with ALS in May. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. This is a terminal diagnosis with no known cure. If you’d like to support Joe, his wife and their four children, you can read his story and donate here. Also, half of my affiliate income through the end of the year will go to them, so if you’re thinking of adding anything below to your cart, please pile it on.

And now, because life IS measured in summers, here are some of my favorite summer things.

Food Things

Pan con Tomate with summer tomatoes that actually, finally, magically taste like tomatoes: drizzle sourd…

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Hello and welcome to “Season 2” of Some Such Whatnot. My friend, the wise-beyond-her-years, pointed out to me that all the best shows and podcasts take breaks and maybe newsletters should too.

I started writing this newsletter over Memorial Day of 2024 without any of the following: a focused “beat” or list of topics, a plan, an editorial calendar (lol), or a long term vision.

I just knew I’d spent long enough watching other writers do what I wanted to do, until I finally felt brave enough (or dumb enough) to jump in. The only loosely held vision I held was that I wanted to write consistently for a year, and I made it nearly two! But, in late April of this year, I was scraping what felt like the bottom of the barrel in terms of interesting stuff to say.

One time my daughter was goofing around, pretending to have her own YouTube/TikTok account and mimicked that (awful) parlance of the chronically online, “hey guys, welcome back to my channel! Today I’m go…

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My oldest daughter has decided to become a Plant Person, and she’s done a gorgeous job of keeping all the plants in our house looking good. She’s also planted some seeds which she’s nurtured, and she’s even propagated some clippings: first they go in a jar with water and a few rocks to keep them stable, then they go in soil, set outside where they can face the sun and grow green and wild and lush.

To pass by her tidy little plant shelf is to marvel at how well-cared-for these plants are. It made me realize that there are a few things in my own life that I’d like to extend this level of care to: I’d like to get more fresh air, spend some afternoons coloring before my kids become firmly too old for crayons. I want to bake a few things and maybe order some curtains. And would you believe I’ve never seen Amelie? Nothing I can’t do alongside writing a weekly newsletter, but I like the idea of doing them without a care as to what might later say about them y’know?

So! I’m taking a short bre…

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Come gather ‘round people / Wherever you roam / And admit that the waters / Around you have grown / And accept it that soon / You’ll be drenched to the bone / If your time to you is worth savin’ / And you better start swimmin’ / Or you’ll sink like a stone / For the times they are a-changin’

— Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin’

Man, Dylan saw stuff.

A common theme that keeps hitting me this week (month? year?) is uncertainty. There’s the expected kind that comes with having teenagers: which college will we be putting down a housing deposit for this time next year? One already on our radar? Or one we keep saying “Well, I don’t know anything about Arizona… but sure, apply!” There’s also the uncertainty I feel every time I open my news app, not to mention perimenopause, gas prices, and AI — which I’ve started referring to as AI AYE AI.

But, driving to an appointment this week, I heard a DJ talking about the music industry’s shift from cassette tapes to CDs in the mid-80s. The artists w…

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Hi! Today marks the start of Taurus season. AKA Live Like You’re on Vacation Season AKA Brunch Season. My proof of concept was walking into Trader Joe’s and being greeted by a sign that told me so. November held some serious table fries energy, here in April, we have brunch energy.

A real ‘brunch’ perk is it automatically positions you for just a two-meal-a-day setup. And might I suggest that the second meal be a simple sandwich? I recall reading 20th Century Southern doyenne Emily Whaley’s entertaining manifesto years ago and recall her advice that a grand mid-day meal (likely called dinner) was best followed by a very simple late-day meal (likely called supper). Genius.

Supper Sandwich Rotation

• Ripe tomato on white with (Duke’s) mayonnaise, no crusts, flaky salt

• Leftover protein on sourdough, blanketed in provolone, under the broiler until it’s bubbly. Dip in a vinaigrette or Dijon mustard

• Smashed white beans on whole grain toast — olive oil, lemon, flaky salt—anchovy or capers if you …

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Hi! How are you doing? I hope your coffee is still warm and you’re making something yummy for dinner tonight. I spent my second Spring Break (my kids go to different schools with different calendars) in Colorado visiting family. It was glorious, but I truly don’t know how to operate in a dry climate. My hair is back to looking a little nutso, but I can smile without my whole face cracking. I watched Materialists and Eternity on the plane, and I give them both three stars in real life but five stars as in-flight movies. You know exactly what I mean, right?

My cousin told me that the secret to upgrading my ‘panini burritos’ is to follow the New York Times Crunchy Queso Wrap recipe to the letter. She also says to make a bunch at a time, so I will be doing that later today while cheering for Rory McIlroy to make it a double in Augusta. Maybe I’ll also make a batch of egg salad, and enjoy my once-a-year giant glass of sweet tea. This article gets the best fast-food sweet tea exactly right,…

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Happy Easter and Chag Pesach Sameach to all who celebrate.

In Charleston I de-influenced myself and left these beauties at the Loeffler Randall boutique…

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Did you think I was emailing from a school? Consider this an early April Fools wink from me, to you. ;-)

But in all unseriousness, spring energy is Dress Down Day energy. Fall carries some major uniform energy, winter and summer both have a lot of do what the weather tells you to energy. This just is how it is. Spring is all, you all aced your 12s tables, you read 40,000 books and behaved in Music, so tomorrow is a Dress Down Day plus a pizza party! Dress Down Day energy is also Anything Goes energy. And that sentiment seems to be dialed way up this particular 2026 spring. It’s a little show-boat-y, a lot of self-expression and all-in on “what if we just decided that getting dressed should be a total blast?”

LOOKBOOK 1

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Hi! I hope your weekend’s been relaxing, productive, and maybe a little magical. I got back late Friday night from a zig-zag trip all over the Southeast to look at colleges with my oldest. Five nights, five different beds! I had big plans to have a “get s#it done” weekend, but by 2 p.m. on Saturday, I took to my bed with a Beatrix Potter–influenced plate of blackberries, tea, and toast (plus Love Story).

Parents with little ones, believe me, I know how annoying it can be to hear “it goes fast!” It’s a conversational crutch when someone’s making googly eyes at your baby or asking your toddler where her nose is, but man, once kids hit ten, final warning, it does go so fast.

I exited our week on the road, a high-low mix of sliced brisket sandwiches from Buc-ee’s and turn-down service at a fancy ho…

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Hi and welcome to the fifth volume of Casual Viewing. I hope you enjoy reading these half as much as I enjoy writing them. When I wrote the first one, I had no idea they would become an ongoing story, and I certainly didn’t imagine that story would involve a criminal or mysterious plotline. One of the gifts of doing something creative with consistency is how often we surprise ourselves with what comes to the surface.

If you’re new to Casual Viewing, it’s a series of snapshots of shoppable fiction. You can jump in here or start with the archive. I’ve removed all paywalls. If you’d like to support my work and help keep projects like Casual Viewing going, please like, share, comment, and consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you <3

Volume 1 - Volume 2 - Volume 3 - Volume 4

REBECCA

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