Fervent fixations: acrylic bangles, piano shawls, & lantern hats
7 things refusing to leave my brain
I bought a black felt pillbox hat this week, emphatically exclaiming to my best friend that after months of searching online, in thrift and vintage stores and haberdasheries, I had finally found the perfect one. “This is the kind of weird niche stuff you’re always looking for,” was her response, because she knows I have a running list in my head of highly specific things I covet.1
This list is always churning and morphing in my brain. The pillbox hat is one example of many, and in that spirit, I’m sharing my other current fixations with you here. Depending on who you are, they’re either obvious closet needs or strange and superfluous. And, to note, I’m a true “fall/winter” gal when it comes to what I wear. So while we inch toward summer literally, stylistically I still favor the second half of the year. This usually works for me since I live in San Francisco, but every now and then, a pop of turquoise is needed. With that…
This specific shade of blue
Femme Y2K fashion references seem to be all over my feed these days, from 13 Going on 30 inspired dresses to stills of Sara Paxton shimmering as a mermaid in Aquamarine. Katherine Heigel’s character in Wish Upon a Star isn’t referenced enough, IMO, but that’s neither here nor there. While I love the nostalgia and whimsy of this resurgence, I can’t quite get on board with my own personal style. I am, however, hunting down bright aqua pieces with a ferocity akin to finding Britney Spears’s exact Juicy Couture sweatsuit in 2004 on eBay (something I definitely did as a 13 year-old).
The fixation began when coming across Khaite’s now sold-out ostrich ballet flats, a piece of footwear priced at more than my month’s rent and in a color and material so outlandish I thought, maybe, they were an April Fool’s joke on Net-A-Porter. Wrong. Not only are they not a joke, they’ve taken up a very serious amount of my brain space. Occupying similar real estate is a top I can’t track down to save my life, a ¾ length sleeve boatneck tee that I swear someone on Substack did as part of a collab (Harling Ross Anton was it you?!). 2025 me thought it looked like something out of a Land’s End 2005 catalog. 2026 me is clearly still thinking about it. The problem is that only designer brands seem to be offering this color in any earnest (men’s Prada, Celine, Khaite) and resale options are often of the stretchy workout clothing variety. Maybe this color will trend next year, but right now, I’m eagerly searching for that piece in this specific shade of blue that’ll scratch the itch.
This J.Crew cashmere sweater is close, but I’d prefer it in cotton or a v-neck. Banana Republic has two skirt options, one a printed mesh and the other a classic slip from their Factory line, but neither are perfect (for me). Tory Burch seems to be picking up on this most of all, highlighting “marine blues” on their new arrivals page, but I’m looking for something less overly summer/resort wear. (This sequin skirt, though, is what warm weather dreams are made of.) A silk shirt option here for $6, a long sleeve courtesy of L.L. Bean here for $15 (I’m very much considering this one), and a bright chore coat for $46, all from the ocean depths of eBay. Lastly, I’m rounding out my “not quite right for me but so close” selects with these Simon Miller pants on TRR.
Party pants
There’s a bit of discourse around the return of the “going out top,” and while I do think it’s on the come up, I’m all about “going out pants” (except the pants can be for worn at any time of day). A pair of loud, printed or colorful pants is sartorially interesting in this post-Quiet Luxury world,2 especially when paired with a graphic tee, leather fringe jacket, a cape (another Blanca special), a well-loved sweatshirt, or an opera coat. The styling possibilities are endless. Chan Luu’s techno taffeta pants and Donni’s silk gingham pair have essentially broken the fashion internet. I don’t think one can own too many pairs of party pants, so I recently picked up a deep olive green silk shantung to make my own. Do I still want these from La Veste?3 Absolutely.
Clear acrylic bangles
I’m not a bracelet wearer, save for my daily watch and tennis bracelet combo, but I think big, acrylic bangles are on the path to resurgence and I have a deep desire to own one in clear. I’m genuinely considering one from Lizzie Fortunato, which feels modern because it’s more of a cuff than a bangle. However, I can’t quite pull the trigger, since I’m convinced I’ll find one for a fraction of the price if I troll the internet long enough. Like the pillbox hat, though, I may end up buying the contemporary version of a trend that existed many moons ago.
Fringe on everything
Enter the year-round fall/winter vibes. Tassels are having a moment and are seriously everywhere, much to my dismay, because that means that sooner rather than later they’ll be overplayed. I believe in always wearing what you want, but when Zara starts glomming on to a trend, you know the end is near.
That being said, I absolutely love the idea of a silk scarf with fringe (à la Merci, c'est vintage) and an evening bag with the same swishy trim. Le Nodo’s beaded version is becoming a fan favorite, and while I think it’s important to support independent designers, I also know I can make my own. This past week, I pulled dozens of fabric bolts at Mood and various stores around the Garment District of Manhattan, finally landing on a dusty blue satin for a soft little bag and an eggshell silk jacquard for the scarf. I got the most unique ombre fringe at Mood for the bag. I asked the trims guy why they didn’t have more on offer when it’s “definitely trending.” He said, like me, three other people had bought the same trim in the last hour, getting two yards each, and yet they won’t be carrying it anymore once the bolt is sold through. Missed opportunity! At Hai Trim & Feathers on W 38th, I looked at 6, 12, and 24 inch ivory trim, landing on 12” because while I love drama, I’d probably be tripping on 24 inches of fringe.
Another fringe vehicle: the piano shawl
Piano shawls, originally designed as literal garments for pianos, are having a moment. I saw two gorgeous vintage ones this past week while shopping and didn’t pull the trigger, for whatever reason, and of course, can’t stop thinking about them. They can be styled so many ways: as a top when worn over a base layer, draped around the shoulders of a trench coat, tied at the hips like a pareo, etc. I’ve seen a few outerwear pieces and dresses fashioned after the piano shawl, too, like Bee Carrozzini’s look at this year’s Met Gala. The style has had many moments in the sun, most recently in the 2010s, but this go-round exudes history, mystery, and elegance in a way that one from Free People just can’t land. To visually pull this post together, I’ve searched the interwebs and have, I think, come up with some true gems. Get one before I collect them all.
Opera coats
As we’ve learned, nothing haunts me like the vintage I didn’t buy. About a year ago, I came across the most intricately pleated black I. Magnin opera coat. I had popped into a vintage store on a whim with a group of friends, and felt self-conscious about making a $285 impulse purchase. Mistakes were made, regrets have been had, and I think of that coat more often than I’d like to admit. I’m trying to fill the void by finding it’s perfect replacer and so far, haven’t come across The One, but these options are pretty stellar (this $5000 Bode number is a dream). What I do love about this particular hunt is that once dowdy brands like Chico’s are suddenly chic and honestly, that sits right with me. My 2025 Spotify Wrapped age was, after all, 86.
This Max Mara hat
Similar to the bright aqua long sleeve, I can’t remember who originally posted this incredible straw Max Mara hat in an edit, but I both simultaneously thank them and curse the day they were born. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were having sushi and I pointed to the ceiling lamps. “Oh my god. These look just like this hat I can’t stop thinking about.” To prove my point, I whipped out my Soortd app and showed him then and there while we waited for our next red crab handroll. I have very few occasions for which I need a straw hat, much less one that’s $600, but damn, she’s pretty.
This is less a shopping list and more of a rotating archive of highly specific wants: some practical (most not) and all taking up an unreasonable amount of my brain space. From elusive shades of aqua to fringe-trimmed everything, they’re the pieces I’m chasing, rationalizing, and occasionally attempting to make myself. What’s on your “weird niche list”?
A black pillbox hat may feel more mainstream to fashion Substack
Thank god, I’m so over flowy beige
Lucky NYC gals: La Veste is having a pop-up at 262 Mott St. from May 20th-24th