July Favorites '26

Is it a requirement for every July to fly on by at lightning speed? I recall uttering the words “july-ing” last year while July zipped on by at a ferocious pace and here I am one year later saying the same thing. I hope July was sweet to you and you’ve gotten to enjoy some lovely moments with loved ones.

ps — there are a lot of photos included in this one, I would recommend viewing in browser! Click on the title to be redirected.

Traci Landy reminds us to be kind to ourselves as we navigate through daily life. I highly recommend you give this one a read.

Alice Betts raises the question if the European summers that people once escaped to are over with rising temperatures across Europe. Is the idea of summer being rewritten at an alarming rate?

Lynette Nylander asks us how we combat the sameness of our feeds and offers a diverse range of voices to consider for your weekly reads. She also asks us to spend time outside of our area of expertise learning and indulging in other topics that we might not be familiar with.

There isn’t one thing I’ve been eating repeatedly but I must tell you about this panna cotta I had at a restaurant the other night. Whenever there’s a panna cotta on the menu, I’m going to order it. This one had raspberry syrup — the perfect blend of tart and sweetness.

Lee Miller Exhibition

There are still a few days to experience this exhibition at Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris. Lee Miller was a model, artist, portraitist, fashion photographer and eventually became a war correspondent. She started modeling before willing her way to being behind the camera. The exhibition showcases her career from start to finish and it was one that had me stopping at every picture to thoroughly take in each scene.

She was one the first people to have a color image published in Vogue. What stayed with me the most was the photography work she made after the war was over. She’d moved back to Paris and was asked to continue photographing fashion but instead showcased fashion alongside the war torn city. For anyone curious, she mostly photographed the war with a Rolleiflex, meaning she had to be at arms length of her subjects to photograph them. During the war, she often stood next to soldiers in the front lines.

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Memory Cushioned Flats

I typically like to wait a few months to share any gifted items to fully stress test them, and while I’ve only had these flats for a short time, they’ve already passed the test — they’re truly incredible. They have a memory foam insert, giving them a soft and subtle cushion with every step. The small two inch heel also helps take pressure off your lower back. These required minimal to almost no break in. On the second wear, I ran around across town and clocked in over 13,000 steps. Safe to say these are Paris walking approved. I will say, if I know I’ll be walking over 10k steps I’ll always opt for tennis shoes, but these were a nice surprise!

The founders previously worked at luxury fashion houses before deciding to create their own brand together. I had the pleasure of trying more of their shoes and with every pair I slid into, I could tell they were all well crafted.

ps — if you’re in Paris, they have a showroom you can pop on by to try their styles!

Just Do The Task

You know how the tasks that often take no more than a few minutes often seem the hardest? I had these jeans (a few colors on sale here) sitting on my dresser for months waiting to get hemmed. Once I finally decided to walk over to the tailor, it took no more than 5 minutes to get measured for the perfect length. I picked them up a few days later and have been reaching for them non-stop. Why do we do this to ourselves?!

I had a busier work month which meant I was behind a computer editing most of the month. One of my favorite breaks was leaving the house to enjoy some time in a park. On one of our afternoons at the park, my husband and I stopped by an Italian specialty store and picked up drinks. I picked up this melon and peach drink that was the perfect mix of sweet and refreshing. When I reflect back on this summer, I’ll think of these moments.

Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Clearing Serum

I’ve talked about this magical bottle before and it’s one serum I’m buying every time I go back to the US. It’s done wonders for my skin and it’s been a staple in my routine ever since I purchased it for the first time last year.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid

One product I was able to quickly replace in France was my hyaluronic acid. This one from Isntree is exactly what I want in a hyaluronic acid. It’s the perfect consistency and helps lock in moisturize. If you’re looking for a US option, I really loved this one from La Roche Posay.

Dieux Deliverance

Another place I order from when I’m in the US without fail is Dieux. Apart from making incredible skincare, I love their transparency and how they will pass any savings to the customer whenever they can. Deliverance is their hero product for me. I also use the air angel and their under eye serum is the best I’ve tried. I regret not buying this tube wringer when I had the chance. They’re also coming out with a retinal serum next week !!

Multipurpose Dust Bag

In the summer, I reach for my straw and raffia bags almost exclusively. Since these are wide open with no inside pockets, I like to use a dust bag from my purses or shoes to put my loose belongings inside. It’s also an easy way to transfer what I need into a new purse and get out the door.

Leather Pouch

In the same vein, to keep myself organized a bit more, I’ve been throwing any “nice to haves” into a zippered pouch — think chapstick, bandaids, Doliprane (French acetaminophen), sunscreen sticks, etc. Similarly to my dust bags, they make switching from one purse to another seamless. I use this one as an organizer and the dust bag as a catch all.

Buck Mason Halter Tank

After the scorching heat finally dissipated, all I wanted to wear was tanks and jeans. I wanted something easy to slip on and not think twice about. One of my go to tanks was this halter tank — I couldn’t wash it fast enough before I wanted to wear it again! It has a bit of spandex, so wearing this without a bra is my go to. I also have a dress in this fabric (halter version) and it’s my favorite knit dress!

ps — if you’re looking for a 100% cotton version, this is the similar silhouette.

Baggy Straight Jeans

There are few times where I try something on and I immediately know I have to have it. I tried these on thinking I’d jot down my preferred size and look for it in the future, but when I initially tried them on, I immediately fell in love with the fit. My friend also gasped at the sight of them. Once I tried on the blue denim version (alt | color more true to this one), I twirled in the mirror endlessly. I’d usually think about a purchase like this, but knowing my size was sold out online pushed me over the edge. I’ve been wearing them whenever it’s cool enough for jeans. They’re a perfect baggy straight leg jean and quite frankly, I never thought I’d find a silhouette like this as someone with a curvier figure. I’m eyeing the short version next!

ps — in the white, I went down 1 size and in the blue I went with my regular size but could have totally sized down as well.

Cotton Sweaters

After three heatwaves, I cannot express how elated I was to feel a little chilly and put on a cotton sweater (gifted over a year ago) over a tank. I’d love to add another cotton sweater to my repertoire and am hoping for something drapey like this one (alt | alt | alt).

Specifically with little to no context!

All featured items mentioned here.

Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more snippets of daily life in Paris. You can also find me on Indyx if you’d like to take a peek at what I’m wearing.

I hope July was great to you! I’m looking forward to more relaxation next month and time with family.

xx Ofelia

Disclosure: This newsletter contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. Not all links are monetized — I only share brands whose quality and design focus I admire. Some pieces were gifted from prior years and their reappearance in current newsletters reflects my confidence in that brand’s products . Everything featured reflects items I genuinely love, would buy and wear myself.

If you liked this, you might also like the following:

5 Things Parisians Are Wearing This Summer

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Jul 25

Due to the record heat in Europe this summer, recording meticulous notes of everything I saw on the streets of Paris was challenging. Half of the time I was trying not to fade into delirium and the other half I was reminding myself to jot down notes and take a few photos of repeated themes I saw on the sidewalk runway! If you’re curious how this compares to last year, you see last year’s version

Outfits Inspired by Film Photographs

Jul 18

Outfits Inspired By Film Photographs is an ongoing series where I transport you through the moments that happen between the shutter clicks with imagery, styling and storytelling.

Keeping Tabs — Vol 2

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Jul 10

Keeping Tabs is an ongoing series on my admiration for brands doing cool things. Stay until the end to vote for your favorite! If you missed it, you can read the first installment here.