The Curated List: Women-Led, Design-Focused, and Worth the Wait

I’m a firm believer that if you’re still thinking about an item a month later, it belongs in your closet. Usually, my ‘want’ list is less of a shopping cart and more of a long-term stakeout - waiting for the right size, the right price, or the right friend to literally fly across an ocean to get it for me.

Lately, my wardrobe has been a series of these slow wins. No dupes, no ‘second-best’ versions to fill a void, and definitely no impulsive buys that lose their spark after one wear. From the French leather jacket I’ve been lusting after since last fall to a DIY pouch hack that actually worked, here are the brands and design centric pieces that finally made the cut.

I have been lusting after this jacket since last fall. Soeur1 is a French brand that makes incredible timeless pieces. I don’t have a proper leather jacket and have been wanting one for a long time now, but most leather jackets I’ve seen on the market haven’t fit my specific style profile.

Here is what I was looking for:

• Oversized but not too big to drown my height.

• No visible hardware (this knocks out all moto leather jackets).

• No elastic waistband (this knocks out all bomber jackets).

I looked for months and nothing came close to my love for the Soeur Gamma Jacket. But it was insanely expensive to ship from France (when I first started lusting after it, it was 2x in USD vs. Euro, though now that’s come down), and even then it wasn’t available in my size online (funnily, it’s been restocked now). I know myself and my shopping habits enough to realize that buying a second-best version wasn’t going to cut it. And honestly, there was no other second best. I looked at so many during the post-holiday sales in the hopes of finding something I loved equally, and I never came across it.

During my meet-up with Jennifer Cook last fall, I mentioned the jacket I was lusting after. A few months later, she messaged me saying she could try to get it for me when she visited Paris in January. I couldn’t believe that she was willing to do that!! And just a couple of weeks ago, she mailed my jacket to me.

You know how sometimes you build something up so much in your head that when you see it, it barely delivers? Well, thankfully that wasn’t the case, but could you IMAGINE if it was!?! I was so beyond happy with how incredible and perfect the fit was. This is it. My one and only leather jacket for the next many, many decades. I am so happy I didn’t buy a dupe or settle for something else. But until Jen confirmed she found it for me, I had alerts set up on secondhand sites and weekly scoured the internet looking for a secondhand sale of the jacket. It is an expensive item, and one I will be wearing for a long time and hopefully passing on.

Ok, here is a windy story that I will try to keep short. I have been loving the balloon pant look with heeled sandals. It’s fun and trendy! There are lots of great high-street options, but I try not to do trendy for the sake of trendy and then have a piece sit in my closet without wear.

Then I came across a piece by Tove. I love that the pant leg hem could be cinched in to create the bubble effect or worn open like wide-leg pants. But unfortunately, it was way out of my budget and also sold out in my size. So then I tried different search terms to see if I could find a decent alternative. Again, like I mentioned before, I either want to get something that fits my exact bill or just move on.

Then I stumbled across the Still Here Sport Jeans. It ticked my box of having an adjustable hem, which means when the trend wears out, I can still wear the pants like they are just wide-leg jeans. BONUS points: while I was looking up more images of them, I came across an image of Zoë Kravitz wearing them. Anything that gets me closer to her is a win in my books.

I decided to test them out, though I have to admit I was really stressing about the lack of a waistband. They are listed as low-rise, and I’ve been a high-rise-only girl for a hot minute. This also means the jeans either fit you or they don’t, since they not only have no waistband, they also have no loops for a belt to tighten if needed.

When they came, I took them out and was first so surprised by how soft they were. The material isn’t thin, but they feel very comfortable against the skin. They also weren’t as low-rise as I feared; they hit me right at the belly button, which is more of a mid-rise in my books. And the size? They fit exactly around my waist, with about 1/2 an inch of looseness for breathing. The shade is a perfect blue that I don’t have in my closet and the hem is really fun to play around with. I cinch them in with the adjuster provided and then actually loop the excess elastic around my ankle so it’s not scraping around. When I wear heels, I can also open them up and they look like denim trousers-ish. Very cool and different from anything else I have in my wardrobe. I do have to say these are a tricky pair of pants, to be honest, and if you are considering them, pay attention to the size chart!

PS - if you are also eyeing this trend, these new ones from Jamie Haller are SO GOOD as well! If you are wanting to play with your pants, this feels like a fun trend to try now and then later, you can easily ask a tailor to take out the bubble hem to make them wide leg pants. I did that with my Doen jump suit back in 2021.

I think I have been staring at these Porto pouches for actual years. I LOVE the simple design. I love the clean logo and aesthetic. It’s very iykyk and I’m here for that always.

But I didn’t want to cinch the pouch as it reduces the surface area inside I can use to keep things. Usually, when I leave the house and it isn’t just for errands, I have a few things to take along (especially a Kindle) and the cinched version might not work for that without the opening being wide enough that things fall out. So I stared at it longingly and avoided getting it for basically the last couple of years.

Then, in the most random scroll on YouTube, I came across Facile Hexagonal Frames for purses. What that says about my algorithm, I do not want to know. But I watched a few videos about these and then something clicked. I COULD POTENTIALLY FIND ONE THAT FITS THE PORTO POUCH AND MY DREAM COULD COME TRUE!

So I wasted spent over an hour trying to find all the various sizes a Facile Hexagonal Frame comes in, then went on the Porto site to look at their pouch measurements and ordered both (I went with the Novella size). When the pouch arrived, I first made sure it was something I really wanted. And I really did want it. It was so soft to the touch. The deep burgundy wine color spoke to me. So once I knew it was a piece I wanted to keep, I took the leather threaders out of the loops and replaced them with the Facile Hexagonal Frame.

And it is PERFECT. I am so glad it worked out the way I had imagined it in my head. Now it lives in my work bag with my daily essentials and allows me to leave the house with just the pouch when I don’t need to be schlepping my kitchen sink along. LOVE!

I bought a pair of Luna flats in suede last year and I loved wearing them. The color was a blend of chartreuse and olive and kinda just worked across a plethora of outfits. They pack flat, so it was easy to travel with them. It instantly became a brand I wanted to keep an eye on.

I am constantly setting up reminders for anything that goes on sale. Then I saw a pair of Mica Glove boots (currently on sale) on sale on Net-A-Porter (NAP is sold out). There was only one pair left and it was half a size smaller than my usual shoe size, but I said, “You know what? I NEED these.”

But even though there was only one left, I didn’t buy it right away. I went to bed and scrolled on my Indyx app to see if I had anything similar that would allow me to get away without spending the money. There wasn’t. So the next day at lunch, I checked, hoping it would be available, and when it was, I hit buy. I’ve been wearing them non-stop.

Here are the things that make them a great buy for me:

• Unique heel shape.

• Super soft, snug ankle fit.

• Gives me some height but isn’t so ridiculous that I’m in pain.

Then I also saw that a local boutique had the Luna flats (similar style but mine appear to be sold out) on sale, somehow magically it was in my size and in a patent burgundy shade. Thought about it for a day and then hit buy. Seriously, I can’t stop wearing the boots and the flats. I find myself making changes to my outfit just to make the shoes du jour work. I find all the shoes from this brand are well constructed, easy way to add interest to an outfit, and never too trendy. They fall somewhere between classic and edgy.

A note on sizing: I size down at least a half size from what I usually wear.

If you are new here, please note I have an obsession with slow fashion brands, and I LOVE Chava Studio and the founder Olivia Villanti (you can read my interview with her here).

I have been staring at the Tuxedo shirt on her site for a LONG LONG LONG time. Then last year, the Matteau Blazy Chanel show happened and I fell in love with the style all over again. Like many of you, I take inspiration from the runway and make it work for my strut down the roadways as I commute to work, the grocery store, etc., and I really wanted this shirt.

After I landed something I had been working hard on for a long while, I decided to commemorate the moment with this shirt. I ordered it and decided to get it monogrammed below the bib part. I don’t have it yet - again, slow fashion, so it is only made to order - but I am hoping it arrives soon so I can wear it to an upcoming event. Even without having it in my hand, I am 1,000,000% confident I will love it.

Here how I plan to pair all these pieces together for an upcoming event. Haven’t decided which route I will be going tho! Do I go with the flats or the heel boot? Do you have a fave? Also this image of Nicole Kidman (source Pinterest) at the Chanel show is the INSPO!

Here’s the deal: every newsletter takes me hours to write and edit. It’s a true labor of love and something I look forward to, even if it takes way more time (and tea ☕️🫖) than I care to admit. If you enjoy reading Brands and Bobs, I’d be so grateful for your support.