Welcome to the VB Guest Edit, where each month, we tap the most inspiring friends, experts and muses in our orbit to share their own need-to-knows. This July, we’re passing the mic to Alexa Brazilian, Courtney Broadwater, and Aaron Millhiser of The Perfect, who curated a special edit of vintage finds exclusively available this week in our Nantucket store.
Hi! We’re The Perfect, a lifestyle newsletter on Substack created by three old friends who are obsessed with finding only the most perfect things for ourselves and, most importantly, our readers. We met long ago on the island of Nantucket, where we all grew up spending our summers. This week, our Island Edit—a curation of vintage pieces inspired by Nantucket summers past and present—debuts at the Veronica Beard shop in town! In celebration of this collaboration, we thought it might be fun to share some of the stories behind what we sourced...
But first, a little bit about us: Aaron Millhiser is a creative consultant and in her past life was head of design at J. Crew for many years. Courtney Broadwater started her career as a graphic designer for brands such as Vera Wang and Devi Kroell and is now a full-time artist and illustrates our newsletter with her beautiful ink drawings. Alexa Brazilian McLaughlin writes the newsletter and spent two decades in the magazine world as an editor at ELLE, The Wall Street Journal and T: The New York Times Style Magazine, where she is still a contributing editor. Four years ago, we launched The Perfect with a simple mission: to share a painstakingly edited list of items each month that have made our lives more simple, joyful and beautiful—along with weekly deep dives into our obsessions for our paid subscribers (here’s a little treat for those of you who want to join us!).
Our Island Edit is a tribute to the way one’s personal style can be influenced by a place and the friendships you make there, inspired by the things we loved wearing in the ’80s, ‘90s and early aughts on Nantucket. Wild bellbottom pants were a must-have for beach parties amongst our friend group (we used to sew triangles into the side seams of our Nantucket reds to make them flare!), so we couldn’t resist sourcing some fabulous printed trousers from the ’60s and ’70s. We would cinch them with a needlepoint belt (we liked stitching our own from Erica Wilson) and a beat-up souvenir or concert tee and layers of long beaded necklaces. That’s why we sourced a slew of hand-stitched belts, Nantucket T-shirts from the ‘80s and ‘90s and some extra-special Grateful Dead tees—a band we loved and blasted on Nobadeer beach, back in the days when it wasn’t so crowded and there were no cars allowed.
We loved donning men’s golf Shetlands from Murray’s Toggery Shop with our vintage Levi’s, so we culled a colorful selection of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘ 80s V-necks from Lacoste. And in honor of our love of vintage tennis gear, which we still sport for friendly post-beach doubles matches, we’ve sourced some rare ‘70s tennis cardigans from Chrissie Everet and Rod Laver’s lines for the defunct American sportswear brand, Puritan (They’re good, we debated keeping them for ourselves!)
It’s always a quick turnaround to get from the tennis court to town for a special summer dinner, so we favor throwing on an easy bohemian caftan with hair slicked back still wet from the outdoor shower (we have a strict no-hair-styling rule in summer!) Our grouping of ’70s jet set-style tunics from Pucci, the British designer Treacy Lowe and the highly collectible American couturier Ramona Rull is a nod to the pieces we have always gravitated to in summer: they need to be comfortable and not require too much time or thought to put on—which leaves more time for fun, the most important thing!
If you’re on Nantucket this week, come see the collection at Veronica Beard and don’t forget to check us out at The Perfect xo
VINTAGE-HUNTING TIPS
For sweatshirts and T-shirts, always inspect the labels, which are a good telltale of the era they were produced. For example, vintage Champion and Hanes labels are easy to spot!
Finding a dealer that you like, whether it’s in-person or online, and buying multiple pieces from them is a good idea. You can always negotiate a better price for a bundle of things rather than one piece.
When searching online (we love using eBay and Etsy) be as specific as possible, including the era you’re looking for in addition to the designer.
Always double check measurements online and try pieces on in person if you can. A 1950s size 8 can often be a size 2 in 2026.
When inspecting a piece for quality, always check that the zipper and buttons are functioning and look carefully for stains, holes and other defects. When shopping online, use the magnifier glass feature to zoom in on imperfections.
A PERFECT DAY ON NANTUCKET: There are so many new places on the island, but we have our cherished routines which have remained virtually unchanged since the ‘90s.
Wake-up, get coffee and a breakfast sandwich (secretly the best on-island) or cinnamon twist at Claudette’s in charming ‘Sconset village. Please stop and admire the portrait of the founder, Claudette Pearl, painted by Courtney’s grandmother Sybil Goldsmith.
Walk (preferably with dogs) to the Sankaty Lighthouse and back.
Now you’ve earned a proper breakfast in town at Black Eyed Susan’s (order the Dutch cakes or the Thai scramble with tofu).
If it’s open, check out the Hospital Thrift Shop across the street for donated China sets and beautifully broken-in Shetlands and reds from Murray’s Toggery Shop.
Pack your cooler for the beach: Order a sandwich from Fresh online and pick it up. Or just snag a loaf of Portuguese bread from Nantucket Bake Shop, some peanut butter and jelly, and make your own!
Hit Ladies beach (once on the beach path, keep bearing right until you reach the water). Bring a needlepoint project from Erica Wilson, our friend Brett Cameron’s new beach mahjong set ((need link!)) or a Pro-Kadima paddles. Stay until happy hour. Stop at Cisco Brewers on your way back from the beach and do a sampler of all their special seasonal brews, available only on-island (we love the Puckernuck Kettle Sour) and order a dozen oysters from the Devil’s Creek stand (the best we’ve ever tasted).
Move on for an early dinner just down the road. Get tacos at 167 Raw food truck and sit in their relaxed backyard.
Go home, outdoor shower, dress-up (we love this white linen dress with these jelly wedges) and head to The Summer House piano bar for cocktails and a singalong with Jamie, our favorite local musician, who we’ve been belting out (the wrong) lyrics with for decades (he even played Alexa’s wedding).
A PERFECT DAY IN NEWPORT: Five years ago, Alexa decamped from NYC to live year-round in this historic seaside town. Here’s her favorite way to spend a summer day, local style.
Stop for bottomless filter coffee and eggs at Franklin Spa, the ultimate greasy spoon that’s been around for over 180 years.
Wander down Franklin, one of the secret best shopping streets in Newport. Pop into Meeka for truly special handmade jewelry from American artisans; Zurner Oceanic, for hand-stitched bags made from recycled sailing materials (including our favorite backpack); and Lorelei’s for Littles for excellent clothing, toys and accessories for kids.
Book a grass court at The Newport Casino inside the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a beautiful, shingled tennis club founded in 1881that was the original home to the US Open. There is no better feeling (or smell) in the world than playing tennis on fresh cut grass in the summer. Walk through the club’s museum after, which has a beautiful exhibition on the history of tennis including some amazing vintage tennis gear. Don’t forget to stop by Newport Lamp & Shade next door for very chic lighting and décor.
Beaches in Newport can get very crowded and you generally need a resident sticker to access the best ones. That’s why staying at the Castle Hill Inn is so smart—they have seaside cottages you can rent that have their own beautiful, secluded beach. Have lunch at the hotel on the lawn and retreat back to your cottage for a swim after. (Another way to get out on the water is to charter a boat. We love Eleanor, a 48’ sloop sailboat, or the more intimate Tabasco, a 32’ Wasque powerboat.)
Shower up and head back downtown. Get dropped off in the charming Historic Point neighborhood at Cottage & Garden, an exquisite antique and garden shop. Pop into the contemporary art gallery next door, Jessica Hagen Fine Art (buying a painting on vacation is always a good idea!).
Head south along the water to Bannister’s Wharf and down to The Black Pearl patio, a Newport institution since 1967. Try and snag a seat at the bar and order the Commodore’s Platter and a mudslide (if you dare) and watch the sun go down on the harbor.
Walk off your cocktail and head further south on Thames Street and sit outside at TSK quietly Newport’s best restaurant. Order the Caesar salad, the escargots with bone marrow and the halibut porterhouse.
If you get a rainy day, go directly to the Jane Pickens Theater for a movie night. It’s a classic latticed summer theater with a full bar, good snacks and movies that range from new releases to Jaws, which plays twice a summer with a live band to much fanfare.
A PERFECT DAY IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY: Courtney has been escaping from Brooklyn to this beautiful and bucolic part of Connecticut for years. Her list focuses on New Preston, Litchfield and Washington, charming neighboring towns that have some of the best restaurants and shopping in the area.
Get coffee and breakfast a sandwich at The Smithy Café at 9 Main in New Preston.
While in New Preston, stop into Plain Goods and Gevaudan for small European and American designers and antique and contemporary home décor. Check out their sweaters and exclusive shades of E. Porcelli ballet flats.
Also in New Preston, starting July 18th, Object & Thing will have an outpost and a solo exhibition of Ariel Dearie’s sculptural metal flowers.
Park a few minutes down the road and do the Pinnacle hike at the Macricostas Preserve.
Grab a sandwich to-go nearby in Washington at the new Hidden Valley Market.
Head to the town of Litchfield for some more shopping at Littleish, a perfect children’s shop and pop into The Fabric Studio for a great selection of fabric by the yard. If you’re lucky you can take a peek at the owner’s birds in the back of the shop.
Walk across the street to Belden House—a new hotel from the owners of Troutbeck in Amenia, N.Y.—for homemade strawberry-rhubarb popsicles on their porch, followed by a game of croquet on the west lawn with their resident croquet pro. This is also a wonderful place for a delicious dinner or overnight stay.
Have dinner at Community Table in Washington, a beloved local spot with fabulous seasonal farm-to-table food and the best cocktails.
If you happen to be in the area on a Thursday evening this summer, go to South Farms for live music on the lawn and local food trucks. A truly magical evening.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to summer in some of our favorite places! If you happen to be on Nantucket this week, please come by and see us at the Veronica Beard store in town this Wednesday, July 15th. We’ll be there from 1pm to 3pm to chat and style you in all of our favorite vintage pieces.
Xo Alexa, Aaron & Courtney
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