May Hot Thoughts
A Before Sunrise summer, all-cotton workout gear, snacky color combos, and more!
Hot thoughts is here — a collection of mini essays and abridged ideas including shopping recs, personal updates, and more.
If I had to rank them, May is the fastest month of 2025 to date. It wooshed by in all its rainy glory and now I find myself squarely looking at summer and realizing that I don’t actually have a whole lot figured out yet. No plane tickets are bought, no hotels booked, no parties planned — and you know what, I feel relieved. Besides a bit of camping, this summer might just consist of soaking up the city and finally getting around to the New York bucket list I’ve spent over a decade claiming I’ll get around to. Think: going to a Cyclones game, getting tickets to Shakespeare in the park, visiting Ellis Island etcetera (have your own? Share them in the comments!)
If you want to catch up a bit on my writing, I took a trip to Palm Springs for I-d to interview Vans skater Curren Caples about internet dread and the surfing-to-golf pipeline. I also chatted to Olympia Gayot of J.Crew for Refinery29 about the brand’s unique (and in my view wildly successful) approach to collabs, and ahead of the Met Gala, I wrote a piece for Marie Claire about the women shaking up suiting. Now, on to a whole load of wistful summer thoughts to gnaw on before we all turn into sweaty messes.
1. A Richard Linklater Summer
Dylan and I spent last weekend binging all three of Linklater’s “before” series last weekend, and there are so many heartbreaking but also beautiful little moments throughout that made me so nostalgic for the days in my early 20s when it felt like I had no obligations, and I just existed in the present – getting lost, staying out late with friends, getting drunk and talking about silly things that felt profound. This summer, it feels very aspirational not to dine at the coolest restaurant or travel somewhere fancy, but to have the time and freedom to live in a very present way.
2. My IYKYK Cocktail Order
Since I went on my little jaunt to Italy, I’ve been turned onto a new cocktail: The M&M. It’s simple — one shot mezcal, one shot Montenegro — but according to the PR on my trip, it’s the under-the-radar favorite of NYC bartenders. Yes, I know it’s a PR person’s job to say such things, but since I’ve had this corroborated by independent friends (Hi Jess!). It’s earthy yet sweet, with a light smoky touch. As a negroni gal, it’s similar but with an herbier twist. Enjoy!
3. All-Cotton Workout Gear
My friend (and former Taeste Buddy) Sue Williamson launched H-O-R-S-E, all cotton workout gear that’s light and breezy, just in time for summer when things are about to get a whole lot sweatier. This is an overshare, but as someone who is prone to getting pimples on the spots where my spandex sits against my skin, I’m all for something breathable (and chic!) to get me through the boiling months as I jog and play tennis. As my friend
wrote recently, sweat stains are sexy.Almost a decade ago, someone at Nike told me that they actually wanted their clothes to show sweat and not hide it because the wearer felt like they had worked out harder when they could see the direct result. Sneaky sneaky!
Personally I’m springing for The Long Short ($125) as I tennis-to-coffee-hang essential.
4. Thoughts On Texting
I’ve noticed over the last year or so that text etiquette has shifted and we’re all leaving each other on read. It must stop! I’ve found that I’m usually guilty of this when I either 1. do not have an immediate answer or 2. I’m avoiding something I don’t really want to do, but feel bad about saying no to.
These days we’re all a little stretched thin, and I really do just forget to reply sometimes. But, there’s no excuse to straight up ghost a good friend for weeks at a time. As someone trying to practice what they preach, despite my never-disappoint-anyone disposition, in situations where I can, I’m trying to just be honest about what I’m capable of instead of leaving people hanging. Because I’ve realized that ultimately, it’s more disappointing to be left in limbo than to just get a disappointing but clear answer.
5. Light Jacket Season
Yes people, we’re smack dab in the middle of those few sweet weeks a year when we can wear a delightful little light jacket. Make the most of it!!
recently described it as “tiny leather jacket season,” which is true! But it’s also cropped denim season and silk overcoat season too. I am light jacket agnostic.While I still love the easy, oversized look of the barn jacket for day-to-day layering, over this past weekend I was busy hitting up yard sales in the Hudson Valley, keeping an eye out for a more fitted early aughts zip-up silhouette. While I struck out IRL, I’ve been perusing online and think this one from Tory Burch ($75 on TRR) or denim Cavalli ($165) would do the trick.
6. Fortuny Favors The Bold
While I was in Venice, I had the chance to stop into the Fortuny store. I’ve spent years obsessed with the Delphos gown which was first created around 1907 (and currently available price-upon-request on First Dibs) and has been worn by Peggy Guggenheim, Gloria Vanderbilt, Lauren Bacall etc. etc..
In the store, I tried on the modern iterations of the brand’s signature pleating via a little tank reminiscent of the Issey Miyake pieces I spot all over Brooklyn these days. But, since coming home from Italy, I’m having a bit of a Baader-Meinhof moment — suddenly noticing the luscious silk light shades in the home of my friend
and just days later shared on Instagram by another friend Kat Collings (there was also one in the Friends apartment, go figure).
Here’s one of the shades in Karl Lagerfeld’s house.
7. The Luxury Of Staying Put
After weighing a move to a bigger apartment and visiting a few two bedrooms to see what we were working with, Dylan and I decided to stick it out for another year in our current spot. It turns out our area code is the hottest real estate market in the country (go figure) and according to Curbed the search for two-bedroom spots in NYC is worse than ever. So, on the agenda is a mix of spring cleaning, new storage solutions, and lots of compromise. Luckily, there’s lots to love about our little home with lots of light and a leaky ceiling, so I look forward to year five (the longest I’ve lived in any of my NYC apartments to date).
8. The Intersection Of Fashion and Food
Before there was Pantone Color of the Year, there was Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, first published in 1814 as a way to name and categorize the rainbow around us.
Lately, I can’t help but notice that every colorful piece of clothing seems to be named after a closely-aligned item of food: butter yellow, coconut white, pistachio green. But, look back on good ‘ol Werner’s work, and the food-color connection is a longstanding one.
It’s a silly little idea, but I’ve been thinking about my outfits in terms of actual edible recipes (stick with me here), mixing colors as you would ingredients. The influencer Molly Blutstein did something similar last year, styling outfits inspired by interiors she loved. Perhaps I’ll make a post later of myself in some of my outfit recipes with color palettes inspired by a summer salad (asparagus, avocado, and cabbage) or a strawberry shortcake (whipped cream, strawberry, and biscuit) and it will all make a little more sense. But, for now, I like the idea of approaching getting dressed in a way that feels like a fresh challenge — a way to see clothes through new eyes.
That’s all until next time!
love that jacket
point #1 so relatable! leaning into having people over this summer for small hangs (and now m&ms!) and breaking out the “kiddie pool” I bought on amazon for hot days — love the h-o-r-s-e concept and hadn’t heard of, thanks for sharing! also need to know your go to everyday shoe this summer, over sambas and onisuka is everywhere too…puma speedcat?