i check the secondhand sites daily for silk slips from this cult designer
and they come in the richest jewel-like colors.
Greetings from the Sonoran desert.
I’ve been in Tucson for the past few days on a creative retreat of sorts with an old friend from college. We’ve been waking up early to write outdoors. The morning air is crisp and the world is silent, save for the gentle hoo, hoo, HOO of birdsong and the faint flickering of lizards underfoot.
The desert landscape is the closest thing to outer space on Earth. It has a mystical kind of beauty that only speaks to those who are open to receiving it. Where some may see a dusty dry wasteland, I see reminders of nature’s perfect design—adaptation to an extreme environment. Nothing captures this sentiment better than the ubiquitous saguaro cactus. Pay enough attention and you will notice that each one has its own personality. Some are solemn and dignified. Some are goofy, with arms posed like Gumby. Some are girls wearing crowns of fuchsia flowers.
More to come re: what I did and ate and wore etc etc
Today’s newsletter is about a green silk slip dress I packed for the trip.
If you’ve been reading my work for a bit, you know I loooooooove pretty much anything that is green and 100% silk. That specific combo is my secondhand/vintage kryptonite.
I knew I wanted to pack this slip dress for Tucson because:
the glossy, slightly iridescent green pops against the matte grainy-ness of the desert in a way I find deeply satisfying
it’s lightweight, but not see-through—very important when dressing for 90+ degrees
you can style it as a skirt with open-weave tops layered over it, which is how I wore it most of the time
And beyond my personal bias, I think green silk will be big this summer.
J.Crew posted this very Molehill color combo image on Instagram, and people are digging the zesty color pairings. I’ve also seen screenshots of this photo circulated in various Substack fashion chats, so clearly it broke through the Instagram noise to reach “moodboard material.”
I have to give it to them—these colors are gorgeous together. “Rich pear” is a pretty name for that shade of green. It even convinced me to browse the website, which I rarely do. I was curious if it was actually silk, or just the enhancement of vibey flash photography that made it look so…glossy. The Gwen slip skirt ($118, XXS-3X) is made of viscose, which is considered a semi-synthetic.
Now, I do think it is a lovely color and versatile cut for spring/summer outfits, but for that price I much prefer shopping for high quality secondhand silk.
I found my green one for $100 on Poshmark, made by an if you know you know cult designer who is a true materials nerd. The quality is apparent when you touch and feel the fabric; all her slips and camis have a simple 90s cut reminiscent of the famous Kate Moss look.
Silk is a staple fabric in my wardrobe. When I find a brand that is high quality but not hyped to the point that you can’t find a bargain, I hit the “save search” on TRR/Gem and check for new listings every day.
The designer/brand to know is