Trying on Brooke Callahan

I first became aware of Brooke Callahan’s brand via Outfit Notes - my gateway to small batch designers. Molly has such a sense of style and when I’ve purchased something she recommends, I have not been disappointed. Everyone thinks they have good taste, but she Really Does.

I love this brand’s minimalist ‘90s cool girl aesthetic, and my wasted heart will forever yearn for Ring 4 colors - but now, thanks to Tibi, I know to pair them with Ring 3 colors.

Filled with doubt about sizing and whether the styles were too young, and discouraged about not being able to see, feel, and try on the items in person, I put this brand on my Under Consideration shelf until I see it in person. In the meantime, I clocked every instance of stylish women (Becky Malinsky and Ritika, for example) wearing her pieces.

Not to mention the buzzy press:

NYT: These Are Basically the Only Pants I’ll Wear This Summer

Substack Chatter - here and here

Imagine my delight, therefore, at wandering into Ron Herman Waikiki and discovering the clothes in real life. I tried on two sizes ( 1 and 2, which I will refer to as small and medium) in every single piece of inventory the boutique had in stock. Before I post the try ons, I will shamefully warn you that you are about to see a scary sunburn. An aside: I was in my early teens when I felt seen by a beloved Sassy magazine article that referred to sunburns as “daggy.” I wish I could source the article (Jane Pratt, can you help us?). I read this takedown of sun worship while holed up in my South Florida bedroom like a hostage because my paler than pale, freckled, sensitive dermis did not and still does not play nicely with the sun. It was terribly unfortunate, ( or was it ironic? I’m always afraid to use this word incorrectly after Alanis Morisette got so much grief for it.) therefore, that I grew up surrounded by girls who looked like Malibu Barbie dolls and sat at the beach all summer long coated in baby oil. I credit my love of reading to having literally nothing else to do all summer.

Anyway! I have always been a girl who knows better than to try to get a tan and, with a few grave exceptions, I’ve managed to avoid a Daggy Sunburn. Hawaii got me, though. Somehow the sun crept underneath my umbrella like a ghost and penetrated both the beach dress and the crappy U.S. sunscreen, and the bottoms of my legs nearly caught fire.

Ugh.

The day after the sunburn, I had to avoid the beach and spent the entire day shopping indoors. Which led me to Ron Herman and Brooke Callahan! It was….bashert (another word I’m not entirely sure how to use).

Tie Pants - No photo editing on this; the color really is this bright and vibrant! The side tie is so cute, the poplin is so crisp, the color is so divine. The low rise is….not the best for me so I won’t be wearing them in a way that shows the cute side tie. Does this defeat the point? Maybe, but when I tried them on, they really did feel superior to all other pants. I loved the pink, but then I remembered I already have two pairs of pink pants, so I chose the orange. Take your pick of the rainbow of colors - Love! I am wearing a medium (size 2 in this brand).

Straight skirt - Hmm, I’m realizing this doesn’t look as “straight” on me as it does on the model. Whatevs, I loved this too. Again wearing the medium, and while it seems like the most basic design in the world, I’ve looked and looked, and have yet to find a good alt. I loved the green, but I have a J.Crew pencil skirt this color so, with the pink pants still on my mind, I ordered the pink version of this skirt. PS - Holy Sunburn.

Bow dress - Isn’t this the cutest little beach dress you’ve ever seen?! I like how the website styles the dress with the pants (below). I took home the dress in turquoise, and damn if I don’t wish I had the matching pants. I’m in a small (size 1).

Tie shorts - These are winners as well. I didn’t buy them because my shorts collection is a bit out of hand at the moment, but if you are in the market, I authorize this purchase 😂

Brooke Callahan, where have you been all my life?

• Who else is watching Dutton Ranch? Lordy, if it didn’t start out veerrrry slow and grim, but it has gotten so good. I will never tire of the chemistry between Beth and Rip ❤️, and I have been inspired to create a Lookbook of imaginary Beth outfits. Please enjoy!

Channeling Beth Dutton

• I feel I may be risking cancellation by even mentioning Prime Day but I feel justified in occasionally choosing the easiest purchasing option for a practical and inexpensive object without feeling I’ve fallen into a full blown ethical collapse. This week, that has included the following purchases:

  1) A tag/thread refill for the gadget that has saved me a million times when I am trying to get out the door in the morning.

  2) I’ve put it off for a full year, but I finally bought myself a new Kindle after my old one died. I had a stern talk with myself after weighing down my Hawaii luggage with six library books.

  3) I don’t iron, like, as a rule. I don’t think Oprah does either. My hotel in Hawaii had a handheld steamer and it changed my life. Tidy clothes without feeling like I need to be a Tradwife to achieve them? To that end, I have ordered this gizmo for use at home. Let’s see how it goes.

• A FULL TIBI STYLE CLASS RECAP IS COMING ON SUNDAY! See you then!

Thank you so much for reading!

Notes:

1. I’m using occasional affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something through a link I share. Thank you for your support!