A Very English Start to Summer

Dear Reader,

Hope you’ve been well. It’s so nice to sit down and write to you again after a few weeks away. I just returned from a long trip to England with my husband and am feeling refreshed and happy to be home. We spent most of our time in the English countryside, splitting our stay between the Cotswolds and Hampshire, before ending the trip in London to visit family and friends.

What can I say? Time in the English countryside is such a dream. Most days followed the same rhythm: coffee while planning our walk, a hearty breakfast (I’m partial to anything with baked beans or roasted tomatoes), and a long countryside walk ending with a pub lunch. Then it was back to the hotel for tea, cake, and a nap. After dinner, we’d stroll the grounds and end the day with one last cup of tea before bed. Rinse and repeat.

I packed light for this trip, knowing I’d rely on outerwear and wellies. Below, I’m sharing the pieces that got me through the trip, some IRL scroll-stopping inspiration, and a simplified list of where we stayed and what we did in case you’re planning a trip yourself.

Next week, I’ll send out June’s books and looks, featuring a few wonderful books I picked up on holiday and have already finished, along with other recent favorites. For now, I’m sending you a big hug and wishing you a wonderful summer.

All my best,
Natalia

I packed three layers of outerwear, which I used repeatedly. Starting with the DÔEN Pascual jacket in red.

Because this jacket isn’t waterproof, it was perfect for days when it was drizzling (not pouring). It kept me warm, and I appreciated having pockets for a snack, gum, and my phone.

I quickly realized my short Hunter boots would only get me so far, so I borrowed a taller pair, which proved perfect for muddier routes. I’m so glad I packed an old pair of skinny jeans at the last minute—they were ideal for tucking into boots.

A waterproof layer that worked wonders for country walks was the Jenni Kayne Leo trench coat. It’s long, lightweight, and so easy to wipe clean.

This was the layer I wore on the days it was actually raining, both in the countryside and in London.

The third and final coat I packed was the Rue Sophie Provenance jacket. You’ve seen me wear it over and over because I truly love how versatile it is. I wore it over a LESET set on the plane and mostly relied on it for outings and dinners throughout the trip.

For bottoms, I packed three pairs of jeans (a medium-wash pair of AGOLDE pinch-waist jeans + a cropped white jean, also from AGOLDE + an old pair of skinny jeans from Paige) and a pair of black satin trousers from Clyque.

I also packed two summer tops from DÔEN, which I, of course, wore a total of zero times. They never even left the suitcase. In terms of sweaters, I packed a grey cashmere sweater from Reformation, both the black and ivory RLT v-necks, a La Ligne black cardigan, and a La Ligne black cotton sweater. I wore all of them repeatedly.

Ok, that’s it for clothes. To be honest with you, after this trip, I feel ready for full-summer outfits. Bring on the cotton, linen, and light layers!!

Other important items I packed that were key to an easy trip:

• Two EBY bras (you know I love and use these year-round). I packed the pain-free tshirt bra and the relief bra. These are also so easy to wash.

• The cloud foaming bath oil from Oak Essentials. I knew I’d take at least three baths while in the countryside, so I schlepped this with me because it’s truly my favorite and leaves my skin feeling so soft. It’s my favorite Oak Essentials product, ever.

• For both flights there and back, I put everything in the overhead bin except for one of my Dairy Boy pouches, which I packed with essentials: a toothbrush and toothpaste, gum, hand sanitizer, deodorant, eye patches (I love the 111 cryo ones), the Emma Lewisham Face Elixir, and the cleansing face towelettes from Ursa Major. I threw in a handful of the towelettes, thinking I was overdoing it, but ended up using every single one.

IRL inspo spotting is unparalleled; this time, it was in the form of street style and items I saw in shops. I tried to take two street-style images very respectfully; I still feel a little weird doing this, but these outfits had to be documented.

Most of the women I saw in London were wearing sneakers. If you’ve read this letter for a while, you may have noticed that I almost never wear them. In my entire closet, you’ll find one beat-up pair of Golden Goose sneakers I purchased pre-pandemic (obviously, I have plenty of pairs for hiking and exercise). After a day of seeing so many well-dressed women in sneakers, I was intrigued. Last time I was in London, I tried on the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 and was almost convinced. This time, I was drawn to the Adidas Tokyo and, again, almost convinced.

A condensed list of where to visit in the English countryside, plus a few London recs.

Cotswolds

• We started the trip in the Cotswolds with a stay at The Bell in Charlbury, a pub-style hotel. It was our first time staying somewhere like this, and although the rooms were smaller than usual, they were cozy and perfect for the first couple of nights.

• We had dinner at The Bell and The Bull in Charlbury, both serving hearty, traditional pub fare (think pies, roasted vegetables, and all the comforting classics).

• Our favorite country walk was the Oxfordshire Circular, which we explored over multiple days. It stretches for miles, and each section offers something different, from sheep-filled pastures to beautiful meadows covered in tall grass and wildflowers.

Hampshire

• We stayed at Heckfield Place for the rest of the week. This property is stunning, perhaps one of my favorite stays ever. The attention to detail is unmatched, and the entire staff goes out of their way to accommodate any request. Much of what they serve and use is produced on the property itself—they have an extensive biodynamic farm growing everything from flowers to produce, along with pastures filled with livestock. They even produce their own dairy. It truly feels like the perfect countryside retreat.

• My favorite part of every day was the 3:30 p.m. cake-and-tea service, which was decadent and delicious. Whatever they’re doing in the pastry department is working.

• Heckfield Place has acres and acres to explore, which we did on our first day during a two-hour estate tour. Otherwise, we saved walks around the property for after dinner and spent our days exploring the surrounding area. Our favorite was the Middleton, Longparish Circular — an easy 3ish mile walk. My husband and I spent each walk talking about how our English Springer Spaniel would be delighted running around these trails. We missed her!

London

• The best meal in London was at Campania in Shoreditch. It’s a small, cozy Italian spot serving the best risotto I’ve ever had. Wish this place were in LA.

• Runner-up is a London classic: Dishoom. I know there are countless fabulous Indian restaurants in the city, but we didn’t plan many reservations and opted for an early walk-in dinner there to get our fix. So delicious.

• Selfridges is a must-visit for me, particularly the Chanel shoe department. I’ve been very lucky to find exactly the shoes I want in my size, and I’ve always found the staff to be friendly and accommodating. If you’re in London and need a pair of Chanel shoes, give them a try.

• I love a stationery shop, and I love Choosing Keeping so much that I’ll even ship their products to LA. But shopping there in person is even better. Since I only had ten minutes this time around, I skipped notebooks and pens and focused on wrapping paper, gift tags, and ribbons. I always come home from London with a giant roll of wrapping sheets, and this time I returned with more than 30 sheets. Lots to celebrate (and wrap) during the second half of the year, so I know they’ll fly.