Why I chopped my hair
Notes on styling for the end of summer
It’s always a toggle of growing the hair and cutting the hair, and let’s be honest, nothing like having your third child to make you go for the chop. Plus, I can’t see another adorable woman with the classic bob pass me by without feeling the urge (and maybe even the need) to get rid of the dead weight that comes with longer locks. Also, I really love my hair girl, Rae, who, along with her razor, has changed the way I regard a haircut. I was initially intimidated to get my hair chopped and vowed never to get a mullet, but isn’t it often the things that we are slightly scared of that we also secretly want? Anyhow, I am happy with the fresh do and curious to go even shorter. August already feels lighter.
I’ve always found this month to be rather challenging when it comes to getting dressed. Even the lightest materials feel heavy in the heat. Really, we are all meant to be at the beach or in dark movie theaters with AC pumping. August also happens to be the time when we receive all of our fall deliveries. Unpacking mohair sweaters and wool coats in the dead of summer is such an oddity, but it’s a hallmark of the retail industry. When people need lightweight dresses, we offer wool.
I am ready for the shift in seasons. Even though I covet these summer nights with my kids, staying up late, eating junk food, and watching some of my favorite old movies (hello, Bring it On and Dumb and Dumber), I also want to return to school routines, sweaters, and get a break from the glaring sun.
This Cecilie Bahnsen dress is the perfect transitional piece. The open back detail! Plus, it can be paired with socks and loafers, or these Adidas I got in Paris at a cute shop called Naked Copenhagen.
Maybe it was my recent trip to London, or maybe it is just me finally falling hard for this style of dressing. Either way, Simone Rocha is also vying for my attention. This is a brand I have quite a bit of in my own personal closet. It’s fem, fun, and grungy all at the same time.
People in London were romping around in these dresses with Docs (or something akin), and I absolutely LOVED it. I won’t lie, the price point is up there. She’s a coveted designer, and I think of these as heirloom pieces to hang beside the other keepsakes in your closet.
I don’t go to many fashion shows, mostly because I am not that cool, but also because the buying schedule opens up after the shows, and while I would love to live in Paris for a month at a time, four times a year, I have kids and school lunches to pack. That said, I caught Simone’s show in London in March, and left inspired.
Here’s a clip of the show:
And a snap of me in the same outfit. Who wore it best? ;)
Speaking of travel, I came home from Paris earlier this summer feeling the need for more cafe time. The cafe culture of Europe makes me crave time with my friends, with nothing to do but sit, talk, and enjoy the moment. I’m loving how social my daughter has become and noticing that even she, as a one-year-old, has the desire to sit and connect with a buddy. “Sit” is also one of her favorite words. Maybe because I’m buzzing so quickly around her, trying to accomplish so many things in such a short time, or perhaps she’s just inherited her dad’s calm personality. Either way, I am zoning in on this energy for fall.
I’m also very excited to welcome to the shop: Sandy Liang. I’ve been watching for a while as both young and older people flock to the brand. A few seasons ago, Darcy and I went to her shop on Orchard Street in New York, only to find 40 to 50-year-old women oohing and ahhing. It made me wonder if I had stayed in New York, would I be wearing Sandy to pick up my kids? Does the environment we live in change how we dress or do we get dressed regardless of the environment?
Don’t get me wrong, I love my California life and I am not sure that I would live anywhere else domestically. But I do wonder what I would be like had I not left New York. I always pictured myself pushing a stroller in Tribeca, slinging a slice of pizza while attempting to stop my mittens from falling on the absolutely disgusting ground…
As my New York friend once very poignantly said about us California people: “You dress like at any moment you could go to yoga, or the beach, yet you’re also appropriately dressed to show up somewhere for a cocktail.”
There is something both flirty and earthy about how we dress and the environments we are in. This date night outfit was an easy mix of a vintage top I found in Paris and MM6 jeans I have owned for years. I threw on a Celine bag and these Suzanne Rae shoes that so easily dress up any look. My husband is wearing an incredible Auralee sweatshirt, orSlow denim (105 fit, my favorite), and some Vejas.
Here I am wearing the same 105 orSlow denim, eating my usual Chicken Salad from The Daisy and Baba’s Pita Chips from The Eddy (wildly addicting).
Another simple recipe for dressing up without too much effort is to throw a Pleats Please top over denim — but opt for a denim that has structure and shape. Also love these Mary Jane’s from Lemaire; they will be back in stock next spring in black and ivory (I’m going to snag a pair). And if you have carpal tunnel like most women in their 40s, I recommend wearing one of these bad boys on your wrist :)
I recently got a message from a friend asking if she could wear a boot with a dress, and it made me so happy. Most of the time, my advice returns to this one little truth: It’s less about what you wear and more about how you wear it. If you ever get time to watch how kids dress, there’s so little back and forth over what they are wearing (until they’re older, and then there’s a ton of conversation and weird social pressures). But watch the young ones who don’t know that stuff yet — they’re completely intuitive.
I think my most favorite moments are just like that — when I am quiet enough to wear things and play with my clothes in a way I did when I was a kid — before the talk of “am I too old for this?” or “is Santa Barbara too casual for that?” snuck in. Maybe your 40’s are for just unapologetically getting dressed.
Until next time — hope you’re up to something absolutely amazing.
XO,
Jen
Bite-Size Advice
“Can you reflect on the line between being inspired by others’ fashion choices verses imitating them exactly?” - Annie Kahane
I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately, particularly when I see old photos where my outfit just feels off. What’s going on there? I think often it’s because I was trying to imitate someone I’m not. Like the classic Dôen girl — the one wearing a long cotton dress and ballet flats — she looks so nice at the farmers market! And yet, she’s too girly for me, I always feel like I’m wearing a costume. To avoid this pitfall, I’ve been trying to notice what exactly I like about an outfit when I see something pleasing. Is it the mix of high-low? The boyish shoes matched with the girly skirt? Taking the time to clock what we like, and why, is the first step to making it our own.
-Zoë
***
This is such a great question and one I think about often not just with getting dressed, but in so many other areas of life as well: Choosing where we vacation, how we parent, who we partner with, where we send our kids to school, what we eat, what house we buy. I think comparison is so much more in our face because of social media. But on the other hand, I love having so much inspiration all the time, and eye candy to get my own creative juices flowing.
In my opinion, there is rather big line between the two (copying someone vs. getting inspiration from them). You can see someone wearing something and take that item, image, or feeling and translate it into your own style. I have always found it odd when people completely copy something, though I have that urge as well. Usually when I act on it I don’t feel myself and it comes off weird, or flat. When I was in high school, everyone wore J Crew. I tried so hard to copy everyone. I wore the shorts, the polos, the bows, and it all felt so weird and not me. When I moved to NYC and saw so many people not fitting in, wearing color and crazy silhouettes, I felt alive and it gave me permission to stop copying others. Even in the shop, I can put the same outfit on two different people and the way they wear it and style it changes dramatically. That’s the fun — we each interpret things differently. I think from time to time we need a little self pep talk — a cheer of courage to be ourselves, to make decisions that truly reflect our insides and not others’ outsides. Anyhow, I hope that helps!
- Jen
Let’s chat
Have a style question you want us to answer next week? A thought sparked by this week’s column? Feedback about what you want to read next? Email zoe@jakeandjones.com.
Next Thursday: Styling short shorts by our very own Cami Garcia. Plus, we answer your style conundrums.
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What a great way to kick off Picnic... this is fab! And the photo of Noa and her bestie is so sweet. Love it all. X-D
Beautiful musings, Jen. Especially this bit: "It’s less about what you wear and more about how you wear it."