The Weekly, 09.13.21
It’s officially back to school! Tomorrow is the first day of my tenth year of teaching, which is hard to believe, yet not at all. I am beyond excited, and equally as anxious, to welcome back my students after almost a year and a half without them in the building. While many other areas of our country welcomed back students in various capacities last year, New York City’s schools remained remote for most of the year, last year. So to see students’ faces and welcome new small humans to our community gives me so much joy, and is really fueling my eagerness to jump in to Fall.
It’s been a week of prepping to get ready for the students, building bulletin boards, cleaning out a school stuck in a time capsule from March 2020, and ensuring that it’s a warm and welcoming environment for students who are probably even more anxious than the adults about returning to social settings. Thankfully, we have had some lower temperatures than the rest of the summer, so the level of sweat in a school building that isn’t centrally air conditioned is less than it could be. That being said, I’m looking forward to some Fall fashion, and getting dressed for the workday every day.
Today’s Weekly is chock-full of good stuff – some comfy must-haves for the weekends, some of the new pieces I bought for back-to-school, a new favorite bra for those going back to the office and, and therefore, underwire, and some recent beauty favorites to top it off. Small plug- if you haven’t signed up my email newsletter yet, do! I am working to share more favorites, from books to recipes, in those newsletters! Let’s jump in…
01 Ⅰ If you’re heading back to work for the first time after a year and a half of bralettes, I’ve got a new bra for you. Personally, I am not comfortable wearing a bralette at work a lot of the time, unless it’s under a looser fitting dress or sweater. So it’s underwire for me, and if you’ve been following along, I have been hunting for an underwire bra I like for, honestly, years. After a breast reduction surgery a few years ago, finding underwire bras that fit my shape and don’t slip up my boobs or dig into my wider shape has proven to be tricky business. During a recent sale, I decided to finally try ThirdLove, a brand that is built around fitting even the half sizes or different shapes. And I have to say, this bra does not disappoint. I am not sure any underwire will be as comfortable after a year plus of none, but this comes close. It’s not a hard, stiff wire – it’s much more flexible. The straps are comfortable, and ultimately, the wire fits all around the base of my wider chest. This is an excellent every-day bra, and I will definitely be buying a second. A personal plug? Please get fitted for bras. Most people are wearing the wrong size for themselves, and I just recently got refitted, and it made a huge difference in the level of comfort. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to get this game-changing errand done so your bras fit.
02 Ⅰ I cannot wrap up my summer, or talk about Fall fashion without an honorable mention for these bike shorts that are my #1 favorite thing I bought this summer. I have now purchased in three other colors, because they are just that good. These Align bike shorts from lululemon are like wearing nothing at all. Amazing for working out, lounging around, or running errands, I absolutely love these shorts in the 8 inch, and see myself wearing them as much as possible before it gets too chilly, and then I’ll switch to at-home-only for the winter, with a cozy sweatshirt and some thick socks. I am not a sweatpants person, so these are my chicer alternative. Absolutely worth the investment from someone who doesn’t love to spend a lot on workout wear.
03 Ⅰ Let’s jump further into fall fashion, please…I was planning to chat more about this in my newsletter, but I recently decided to try a subscription to nuuly, a clothing rental company that sends you six clothing items of your choice every month. I did this for a couple of reasons, but mostly, I’m looking for more sustainable ways to try trendier pieces than fast fashion. My favorite item from my first box is this adorable baby-doll-collar blouse from ASTR the label. It fits perfectly, and is going to look adorable with jeans and loafers for work. This is probably one of the fall fashion trends I am most excited about, and am looking forward to wearing this throughout the month.
04 Ⅰ Another big trend I’m into for fall? Trouser-style, wide-leg pants. I got these from Levi’s, and I am absolutely in love with them. I did size up in them, and went for the longer inseam which I hemmed to the length I wanted, and I think that was the right move. With a trouser or wider-leg pant, I like to wear a very fitted and even cropped length top, as it will balance out my curves a little bit more. I am so excited to style these with sandals, loafers, or even a pair of chunky sneakers like the Gen-Z kids do. Maybe my students will be impressed? Anyways, love these, and can’t wait to wear. A good reminder to buy the size that fits, regardless of number, and to find a local tailor to make your clothes fit your shape when you really love something.
05 Ⅰ I am also very excited for blazers this season. I have always loved a good blazer from afar, but I want to start wearing them more. I do wear jeans a lot to work, and I feel like that’s the perfect opportunity to pair it with a blazer and easily elevate the professionalism in my style. I grabbed this adorable, oversized lilac linen blazer from ASOS recently, and I am in love with the material and the fit. I did size up for the comfort in my arm area, and I am glad I did. Last night, I paired it with some longer denim cutoffs, a bodysuit, and some heeled sandals, but for work, I’ll wear it with black or light-wash denim and a tee with my white loafers. ASOS and H&M have tons of great blazers right now…thinking I might put together a little post coming soon.
06 Ⅰ Last on my fashion list right now is babydoll dresses. These are such great transitional pieces for me, and I have too many in my closet, but this one from Madewell is on my wishlist. The red and white gingham is just adorable, and would be super darling with a jean jacket and boots as it gets cooler, or with sandals while it stays warmer this month. I love how it’s styled here with sneakers and a sweater. It just seems like such a versatile piece that could go with so much in various seasons. If you’re asking for what to shop for this season, this dress is on my list for sure.
07 Ⅰ What I am ready to see go is humidity. It is truly the root of all evil – from my headaches to my hair, I just hate it. We have had a few weddings in the last few weeks, and the best product for combatting humidity with my hair is this spray from amika. Spray it onto wet hair, and it really does keep frizz from overtaking your hair. If you have finer hair that is prone to frizziness, I cannot recommend this product enough. I just bought a new bottle, and it’s a staple in my hair care routine to prevent having to wash and style so often. Bonus? It’s also a heat protectant.
08 Ⅰ A few weeks ago, I decided to chop off about 5 inches of my hair in preparation for back to school. We spent a few hours on a windy rooftop and honestly, I was just swimming in my knotted hair the whole time – it was a wrap for me on the longest hair I’ve probably ever had. The best part of cutting off so much hair? Fresh ends. I definitely get split ends pretty easily with a lot of heat styling and coloring my hair, so my job now is to prevent these fresh ends from splitting. I’ve used this split-end serum from Oribe for years, and it’s truly the only product that I think works to keep hair healthy. I will die by Oribe products (they are worth their weight in gold), and this one is no exception.
09 Ⅰ A things.i.bought.and.liked purchase, this eye cream is so so good I had to share. I’ve been testing it since the start of the summer to see how it compared to my two favorites, and I have to say, it’s on their level. If you are looking for brightening and some illuminating, this is such a great eye cream that leaves you with a subtle glow. I don’t know why this eye cream isn’t being buzzed about more – it’s a great, hydrating consistency that sits well under makeup, lifts dark circles, and just leaves your under-eyes glowing, kind of similar to the Becca cosmetics color-corrector that everyone loved but is being discontinued. Definitely get this on your list!
10 Ⅰ If you have dry skin like me, this next product is a bit luxurious, but definitely makes a huge difference in my skincare game. I grabbed a TATCHA travel set when we went to Italy a few weeks ago, and the product I loved the most that I hadn’t tried before? This hydrating essence. Similar to a toner or a hydrating spray, you put some of this in your hands and pat it on right after the shower to really lock in hydration. It’s got lots of great ingredients that keep skin hydrated and visibly plump it up. This is definitely more of a splurge, but right now I am out, and I definitely miss it in my routine. A little goes a long way, but for anyone with tight or dry skin, this product is excellent.
11 Ⅰ A moment of appreciation for some drugstore staples…this concealer is the shit. Being back to work and wearing masks, I try to wear less makeup underneath to try and ease the amount of breakouts I am having in the mask zones. Instead of a foundation, I like to wear a full-coverage concealer as my base, putting it only in the areas where I need. I love a glowy complexion, which can be challenging to achieve with a fuller coverage concealer, but this one is just something I can rely on and go back to again and again for wearing as a base. I love the doe foot application that makes placing it easy, and I love the consistency on the product that covers without leaving my skin tight. I’ve been using this for a few years, and there’s definitely a reason why I’ve repurchased time and time again.
12 Ⅰ I couldn’t write a back-to-school post without mentioning planners. I love all of the back-to-school shopping, not excluding notebooks, planners and pens. Last year, I tried out Appointed planners, and I really loved the format and the weight/thinness of the planner, so I stuck with that. I love their monogrammed linen covers, and this year, I went for a pretty denim blue. These are great quality for a great price, and they make academic years – win, win!
That’s a wrap on this week! Wishing all of my teacher friends a happy first week back – take it day by day, and be flexible. The best thing we can do is to take care of ourselves, and be the best versions of ourselves for our students every day. Beyond that, things are going to shift and change beyond our control, so take time to set boundaries, appreciate yourself, and show yourself some love, whether that is winding down with your skincare routine or a good glass of wine. Whatever works!
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