Casual Viewing - Vol. 1
Shorts + Sweaters
Welcome to Casual Viewing, a new series with a people-watching take on things that might seem ordinary at first glance but are, in fact, pretty iconic! From classic wardrobe pairings to cultural quirks that may go unnoticed, these are details that I delight in observing in the wild. They're familiar, often overlooked, but endlessly fascinating once you pay attention.
Casual Viewing may also include bite-sized fictional characters. Maybe they’ll be one offs; maybe they’ll pop up again. This was FUN to put together and I hope you like it. Have a great weekend.
Shorts and a Sweater is what I imagine Jackie and Lee wore when the cameras weren’t around. It carries that nonchalant air of “I put this on because of weather—and I also have great taste.” It’s never been an on-trend look, which means it’s also never gone out of style.
For most, it requires buying nothing. The only true requirements are comfort and fabrics that aren’t too precious. It should be something you can wear to the beach, toss in a bag, or sit on the grass in.
Personally, I like both the sweater and the shorts to be a bit oversized—but I’m not opposed to one or the other being more fitted. The vibe is ease, not perfection.
Additional notes:
This is my current favorite sweater, it’s cotton, loose and well-priced (probably because it’s men’s).
I would not weigh down the effortlessness of this outfit with a lot of accessories.
Sweatshirts or soft shorts are good, but keep the accompanying sweater or shorts more polished to avoid an (undesirable) P.E. look.
- is a must-read.
I’m not opposed to socks per se, but I do prefer the no-sock expanse of skin since this is mostly a pretty covered-up look.
Ed Note: There are many links below (in the caption). Because I am not affiliated with affiliate links, they’re all direct. If these are helpful to you, which I hope they are, please like or comment on this post. Thank you <3
Rebecca got to the beach around four, once the baby was up from her nap. She brought a sack of cheeseburgers—a splurge-y upgrade from her usual PB&Js—for the older kids and their friends. Her straw hat and French pharmacy sunscreen protected the fresh results of a recent laser treatment. She played Aerobie until someone changed the rules and allowed tackling, at which point she migrated to the circle of grownups while the baby fell asleep in her lap. Her husband’s sweater came in handy once the sun went down. She’d brought an identical backup for him— cute. One of her Rainbow flip-flops was nowhere to be found during cleanup. Would you believe she found it the next morning during her 6 a.m. jog?
Molly had brunch with a questionable mix of friends and frenemies. Her MO in these settings is to underdress—just slightly. At a table full of logos and filler, it always feels chicest to be the relaxed, devil-may-care one wearing cute shorts with a gold chain-link belt. She’s the type who shows up a little late and catches the bartender’s eye. She’d meant to order an egg-white veggie omelet and a Pellegrino, but at the last minute, veered toward croissant French toast and an Irish coffee. She enjoyed herself up to a point, but headed out early to read trashy novels by the pool, alone. She left a generous cash tip and muted the group text.
As a Chief Legal Officer of a Fortune 100 company, Coco spends her weekdays in bitchy low heels (copyright infringement not intended,
) and fitted blazers. On Saturdays, she covers her silver hair—kept cool with purple shampoo and a bi-monthly gloss—with a hat to drop off two bags of clothing at a local women’s charity and take her dogs to the park. Not everyone can wear bright orange, but she can.She forgot she’d scheduled an emergency Saturday therapy session, so the dogs come along. Her therapist raises an eyebrow but, mercifully, says nothing. Afterward, Coco drops the dogs at home, swaps sneakers for flats, and heads out for coffee with a man who lied about his height on Tinder.
My friend (hi Liz) tells me Ransom Canyon featuring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly is five stars.
The perfect roast kitchen (grab a brick).
Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 trailer features multiple Taylor Swift songs, as it should.
The President’s Wife staring Catherine Deneuve looks magnifique.
I also love this cute box bag (in stock, under $100).
Regarding Etoile a new show from Amy Sherman Palladino: Yanic Truesdale, once Gilmore’s sarcastic French concierge, is now a sarcastic French ballet administrator.
The pros and cons of being polite AI. (I stand firm on being nice until I see strong evidence that this is not tip-of-the-iceberg in terms of energy usage).
Tim Ferris frequently circulates such wonderful advice (this is from Grateful Dead lyricist and JFK Jr. confidante John Perry Barlow)
Big hell yes / + immediate preorder for this new book on Jane Birkin by
Recently Enjoyed Substacks
has all the good and fun mesh items you could ever want.
This post has so many gems on how to make weeknight dinners better. #12 is genius, and I’m implementing immediately. Via
.
There is SO much good advice for anyone whose work requires even a smidge of creativity
.
I am CACKLING over the tinder date with the guy who lied about his height 😂 it immediately brought me back to my dating days!!! Jen this was such a delight. I am a HUGE shorts and sweaters gal bc no matter how hot it gets here during the summer days, it’s always chilly at night. This is my go-to summer evening formula and I’m loving your characters!!!
thanks for the shout!