You asked. Tory is answering.

We posted the first newsletter of What Should I Wear? three years ago, and quickly discovered a community that is as obsessed with fashion as we are, has excellent taste and many, many thoughts on personal style. Substack has turned out to be the perfect platform to talk to you about cool and interesting women, trends, culture, what’s on our runway and what Tory is wearing and doing. And so, we’re celebrating this mini milestone with a direct line to Tory herself. We had such an amazing response to this, we couldn’t fit all the questions in one letter — a second post is coming on September 9, the day before our SS27 show. Tory is answering everyone! Without further ado, take it away, Tory…

Hi Tory! I would love to know your go-to hostess gift… what do you bring to the friend who has everything? Something clever, useful, and not too expensive! Also: when you’re the host, what makes someone a great house guest? – Anny Choi

Hand-cut flowers in an antique vase. I love searching for the perfect, slightly unusual piece at flea markets or antique stores. I’ve also been gifting our new pickleball set. The perfect houseguest is someone who knows how to deliver a great one-liner and spice up the conversation. It helps if they can play tennis… and Scrabble in English and French.

Do you have a philosophy when it comes to collecting new jewelry, or even when it comes to designing? For example, where did you get the idea for the shell necklace from SS26 that you can’t seem to keep in stock!? – Jalil Johnson

I’d love to know your philosophy, Jalil, maybe we can compare notes? What I love about designing jewelry is that it’s all about creativity. It’s funny, our references rarely start with jewelry itself. It’s usually architecture, sculpture, nature. That Spring 2026 necklace was inspired by Victorian pendants, carved from natural shell with a mother-of-pearl top. [Editor’s Note: Jalil, it’s back in stock.]

Can you help me find a bag for summer? I’d like a roomy, comfortable, lightweight, but beautiful bag suitable for every day. What do you recommend? – Eva Cz

It’s hard to pick one, so I’ll give you two: our Charlie Shoulder Bag in the softest leather that gets better with wear, and our Handwoven Basket Tote, a take on woven bags I took to Grateful Dead concerts in high school.

We worked with this amazing entrepreneur Nidhi Garg Allen, the founder of Marasim, a New York studio that’s all about preserving heritage craft techniques. Nidhi collaborates directly with Indian artisans, and they’ve done such a beautiful job. I’ve been carrying my tote nonstop.

What’s your favorite non-Tory piece of clothing that you can’t live without? – Becky Malinsky

Something I would never wear: my mother’s suede hotpants from the ’70s. We keep them in our archives.

My question for Tory is if she had to choose one piece from her catalog what would it be? – Melissa McAlister

This is tough. I’m going to choose one shoe, a piece of clothing and a bag. First, the Pierced Mule, which has become a brand code; second, our antique rhinestone tunic, a deep-cut that we recently reissued; and our Lee Radziwill bag from the Spring ’26 runway. I’ve been carrying one that is hand-embroidered with seed beads in a bird motif inspired by an old tapestry chair at my parents’ house.

Tory, you have impeccable manners, move over Emily Post. I want to know…what sort of personal stationery do you use? Note: I need to invest in great, firm stationery! – Liana Satenstein

Happy to hear writing letters isn’t a dying art. I have always used custom engraved stationery from Terrapin. I have a thing about ivory and white; I prefer white. The engraving came from a pendant my father designed for my mother: a sunflower in periwinkle with the phrase ‘je t’aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément.” Fun fact: the sunflower was the inspiration for our Foundation logo.

Tory, you have built an incredible empire and I can only imagine the lessons learned along the way. I’d love to know about a belief you held early in your career that you’ve changed your mind about. What experience changed your mind?” – MO

One thing I’ve learned is that you can waste a lot of time caring about what other people think about you. It’s very freeing when you let go of that. Shortly after we launched in 2004, a New York Times journalist asked me if I was ambitious, and I really shied away from the word. I later realized it was a very harmful stereotype that women weren’t supposed to be openly ambitious. When a friend pointed that out, it’s something I knew I had to change.

I’ve needed that [pleated mini] dress for a long time! Are you ever going to remake it? I considered wearing it for my very untraditional wedding, but would wear it for a party now instead. – Jessica Schiffer

Yes, we are remaking it! Stay tuned.

Does Tory still wear designs from her previous collections? And if so, which style is still in frequent rotation? – E Sarah Ronnenberg

I’m constantly rediscovering things, which is either fun or questionable. This summer I’ve been wearing our block-heeled sandals with silver plates and rivets — a reissued 2010s style originally inspired by a pair my mom had made in Greece in the 1960s.

Is there one relatively simple change or addition that you think has the biggest impact on how a home feels?” – Taylor Barnett

It can be anything as long as it’s something you genuinely love. There’s an energy to a home that can speak of happiness and tell stories. I like when homes feel lived in; I don’t like when they look too pristine or precious. Stark, modern homes can be beautiful and still have a lived-in feeling.”

I saw Tory’s tour of her Paris home (DIVINE, SIMPLY DIVINE!!!!), and I was quite literally drooling over her dad’s lighter that she turned into a pendant, which got me thinking: what are some of the other treasured pieces of jewelry in your collection? – Jalil Johnson

I get my love of jewelry from my dad. He didn’t really wear it, but he loved objects and accessories; he had a lot of Fabergé, he had his gold lighter soldered with charms, he made a gold key engraved with ‘playhouse’... I’m not sure what to make of that… When he got his gold dental fillings taken out, he melted them into a nugget for my mother. He certainly had a great sense of humor.

My most treasured piece is my Toi et Moi ring by Suzanne Belperron. I have always loved her work and how eccentric and sculptural it is; she was a true original and an incredible entrepreneur. She never signed her pieces, she felt the design should speak for itself. I love that idea.

I also have several pieces by Kenneth Jay Lane; he was the king of costume jewelry and a good friend. He’s actually the reason our company is called Tory Burch. It was originally ‘Tory by TRB,’ but he took me out to lunch and essentially staged an intervention. He said it was the worst name he’d ever heard, and he was right.

I have a question for Tory. When will we see some menswear on that runway? – Derek C. Blasberg

Hey Derek, you don’t have to wait for a menswear collection. Plenty of men wear our designs… the secret’s been out for years.

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We got so many fabulous questions and couldn’t answer them all in a single newsletter. We’ll post more from Tory on the day of our Spring/Summer 2027 show.