One Day, Jenny

From my 4th grade yearbook to your inbox; breathing some life into blazers & denim

Hi! I hope this message finds you having the kind of weekend that nourishes your soul. Regarding the election, I left my heart on the dance floor of Instagram, and if we are not connected there or TLDR: I feel so much pride in my vote for Harris/Walz. It’s taken me a few rounds of watching over-qualified women lose to under-qualified men to really digest the dynamics BUT WHOOOO BOY I GET IT NOW. And as much as it would feel soothingly self-righteous to stew in bitterness or play the game of moral authority - that is a road to nowhere. Instead I’m going to see this as part of a much larger story. The one where strong, values-driven leaders of all kinds take 21st Century America by storm; the one where the glass ceiling becomes history.

First, we’ll have to endure this sh$% sandwich, but y’know what makes great fertilizer for new ideas, clear strategy and courageous optimism?

That’s right.

Onward.

this is not me in fourth grade, but it might as well have been. image via

One of my favorite childhood artifacts is my fourth grade yearbook. It’s thin and paper-bound, but nice paper, textured cardstock if you will. I went to a fancy school, and I’m sure their yearbooks are nicer now, but they were nice then too. My fourth grade English teacher was a man. It was the first time I had a man as a teacher. He was funny, laid back, and he didn’t play favorites except that he made everyone feel like a favorite. He told me often that my writing was good, and he blasted me when my assignments were late (also often).

He signed my yearbook with a sentiment that I’ve thought of a lot since that May of 1980-something. Maybe he uses this sentiment to wish all the creative-but-disorganized dreamers a fond farewell, or maybe it was just me. Anyway, in small neat cursive he wrote:

One day, Jenny, you’ll put it all together and be outstanding.

-Mr. A

I tucked that idea in my mind and carried it around like a prophecy. It made me feel seen when I felt that nobody understood me. It made me feel hopeful when the path I was on felt misguided. It made me feel excited, as if one day by magic things would snap into place, and I’d become this dazzling, best-in-class version of myself.

But then…it didn’t happen.

Like Emily Dickinson, I am out here with lanterns looking for my (outstanding) self and coming up empty.

I still am who I was in fourth grade. Better in some ways, worse in others.

I still badly need a hair brush. I will still show up to an event with enthusiasm but stand somewhat awkwardly around perimeter. I still have a Pig-Pen type aura of clutter around me. I still sometimes care too much about frivolous things and not enough about important things. I still cannot adhere to a dress code. I still don’t have it together.

One day, Jenny, you’ll put it all together and be outstanding.

Wish I knew when.

But while I wait, I know I am the best version of myself when I am creating something. Whether it’s this newsletter, a dinner for my family, making something with my hands or making someone laugh, my mind and all its dumb doubts shuts off. Interactions are easy and focused; wisdom flows freely, and I make something that’s usually pretty good. I put everything I’ve learned about words, composition, lightness, dark, timing, truth and love together.

Pretty outstanding.

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

Ok, let’s get frivolous. In talking to friends, reading Substacks and seeing what people are wearing in the wild, I predict that we are on the cusp of something new in terms of style. I don’t know what it is. I’m not Phoebe Philo nor am I

Leandra Medine Cohen

but I think we’re seeing the closing act of the ‘quiet luxury’ look, and I am SO ready for it to go. And if I could put in a request for it to not be any sort of ‘recycled decade’ vibe? No thank you “reimaged” eras. I’d really like to see what the mid-2020s have to offer. Everything old is not new again, it’s just old, and I would rather see us try and fail to the tune of being tacky vs. playing it safe in jeans and a grey cashmere sweater.

Egads - I am wearing a grey cashmere sweater as I write this BUT I am going to start collecting brooches. Ditto for hair bows. Crazy shoes? Yes. Color? Yeah, you c’mon. Texture? LFG. Unusual jewelry? Pattern? Velvet? Tulle? Allons-y!

Caution: if this sounds like merely a return to Carrie Bradshaw/Pat Fields ephemera: also no. That was an amazing moment, but that moment is not now. I think we are going to see something that is actually new, and I trust that we will know it when we see it. This and this (via

Lindsay Sword

) further support what I’m thinking.

In the meantime I’m leaning into a ‘minor system upgrade’ approach while I await an entirely new operating system. Here’s a hot-take on 2024.11.WTF:

I started with Clémence Poésy because of course a French actress can make something completely pedestrian like jeans with a tee + jacket look refreshingly cool. As is the reason why most outfits work (or don’t), it’s the proportions. There are oversized elements and delicate elements, refined details mixed with well-worn denim and a grey tee. I’m into it. The ginormous wiry earrings that you can barely see also matter in ways that I cannot articulate.

So in the spirit of awakening jeans & a blazer from their nap, here are some fun details that you may already have floating around your closet:

• Les Mis shirt (this is actually my favorite thing to wear under a blazer because it’s cool AND it’s a conversation starter. Any graphic shirt that you love will do)

• Bejeweled clutch (completely smitten)

• Knot heels (can’t stop, won’t stop with these, but here is a slightly less spendy and in-stock alternative)

• Lip compact (I have no reason for wanting this the way I do, I just do)

• Burgundy corduroy shirt/jacket (I snapped this up so fast)

• Gold bracelet ( I like that it kind of looks like an old phone cord)

• Fancy deodorant (I upgraded myself to this; it smells like an expensive hotel and looks nice in my bathroom)

• Blue satin jacket (so good with weathered denim, especially if you get the tone of the blues right)

• Organic hoops (these are from Embellish Asheville which remains a GREAT place to spend your money)

• Silver bag (mesmerized)

• Cologne (I hear Taylor Swift wears this)

• Boots (taupe suede 4-eva)

• Nail polish (perhaps not worth the price tag, but shhhhhh)

This update (via

Taylor Lorenz

) on Meat Loaf’s Wikipedia page made me laugh so hard I had to get up, walk around and fix my mascara

Voters as explained by their pants is also funny. The last one…not yet

Amy Odell

on rising apparel costs: Everything's going to be more expensive, which is a little crazy when you realize that a lot of the Trump appeal was with regard to the economy, and a lot of the reason that the people said they were voting Republican this year was concern about inflation. Doh!

If you are looking for a clear, no BS, action-oriented voice to listen to about climate change; consider following Nicole Loher (the first link is Instagram, here is her website)

The always wise, always fun to read

Bob Dunning

with a joyful perspective on things

Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style

with a wise and solid list of hopeful action items. Leaning into #4 #10 and #12

Grammy nominations are out; this is a good breakdown

Current workout: Tracy Anderson is polarizing, I get it. It’s the workout I keep coming back to, and she now has a very good ‘Starter” series

Thought I’m thinking: Emotional maturity is letting people be wrong about you. It’s understanding that their narrative has nothing to do with who you are.

Listening to: Gracie Abrams And it’s not because I’m a girl mom, but because I’m a girl, and a mom

Haircut I’m considering I probably won’t but who knows

Reading: Midnight Club Just started, will report back

Watching: The Diplomat Season 2 I stand united with other messy hair ladies

Making: Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup