Issue Eleven

Slow August

It feels like summer has absolutely flown by, which is why we’re really trying to enjoy every last moment of what we have left. We’re holding on to each long ocean swim and ripe peach. We’re sitting on the beach reading a good book till the sun sets. We’re spending less time thinking about what to wear so that we have more time for bike rides, cocktails and big laughs with old friends.

This issue is meant to help you slow down and enjoy these sacred days, whether it’s by way of a special farm stand salad or the best bug spray. We also have style ideas—like party pants and outfit-making sunglasses— that are so simple but so stunning. And before we all cry, just remember, there are technically still 38 days of summer left.

Alexa, Aaron & Courtney

After you zip them up, there’s a spring in your step and drink in your hand. When all of your favorite summer dresses feel tired, it’s party pants to the rescue! LA VESTE’S PIPPI PANTS are festive, flattering and throw off major Wooderson vibes (check out McConaughey’s amaze Dazed and Confused audition). The Spanish label offers these high-waisted trousers in eight striped colors including this Indian pink pair, which we love wearing with Dr. Scholl’s sandals and a barely-buttoned Oxford, ala our co-founder Aaron who sported this very outfit at our one year anniversary party (yay) last month!

It provides a special kind of shade for those long melancholy August beach walks—wind blowing, sun shining, feet in the sand. THE PERFECT LIFEGUARD HAT is hand-painted by our in-house artist and co-founder Courtney Broadwater. Each is one-of-a-kind and adorned with acrylic-painted stars or polka-dots. Lovely for the dog days…and all the sun-baked holidays to come.

They chase lightning bugs and catch crickets in open fields. Running wild is good for the summer soul and NANTUCKET SPIDER'S EXTRA STRENGTH TICK REPELLENT is a potent DEET-free concoction that we East Coasters think works well against our number one outdoor enemy, The Tick. We like to keep one at home and one in the car, which has the unintended bonus of making your interior smell like the spray’s lovely essential oil blend of clove, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, cedar wood, spearmint and cinnamon.

While the dew still clings to grass and glossy privet leaves, you throw it over your shoulder, hop on your bike and go. A good looking backpack is very, very hard to find. Especially one that’s practical and unfussy (and not an actual nylon hiking pack). ZÜERNER OCEANIC’S YACHTSMAN BACKPACK, which is constructed from reclaimed yacht fabrics such as sails, sail bags and flags, is just the ticket. Handmade in Newport, Rhode Island—America’s sailing capitol—the bag is cut from heavy-duty cotton duck canvas sailcloth with straps made from repurposed yacht lines and heavy-duty harness leather. If you’re able to visit their charming little shop in person, you can create a custom style (they make awesome totes, too!) with the owners Jennifer and John Zuerner.

You twist your wet hair in a bun, throw on something long and linen, and head out into the sunset. Dressing in August should be quick—thoughtless even. That’s why we love AUGUSTINUS BADER’S TINTED LIP BALM SHADE 2, made in collaboration with Sofia Coppola, which we have been wearing non-stop all summer long, whether it’s in the evenings or with a T-shirt, shorts and ballet flats for lunch. A colored version of the German skincare line’s beloved curative lip balm, it gives a wash of sheer coral color that looks particularly stunning with a late summer tan.

As slide open your top drawer, a delicate fragrance from the sachets you keep there fills the air. NEGATIVE UNDERWEAR’S GLACE BRA is a feat of engineering that somehow smooths and lifts (cleavage!) with no underwire. In a flattering triangle shape cut from a silky-but-scuba-like Belgian stretch nylon, this bra will ruin all other bras for you..we’ve actually thrown all of our other ones out! Good thing they’re machine washable and come in lots of colors. We also love the brand’s new T-strap style and their tissue thin ribbed undershirts.

In those glorious hours after the beach but before sunset, you slide them on. There are cocktail napkins, cocktail dresses, cocktail rings and cocktail glasses…and then there are cocktail sunglasses! Yes, sunnies just for occasions, when you want to dress up and be your most elegant self. These KREWE MARGARET SUNGLASSES, which also come in an excellent tomato red, are a touch of 90s Winona, a touch of 60s Lee and truly make any outfit. We’ve been rocking these New Orleans-made shades with all white all summer plus tequila and this miracle mixture on ice.

A foggy night, a breezy beach day, a cozy dinner à deux…it’s somehow always just-right. The NANTUCKET LOOMS BOATNECK SWEATER is made from a perfectly chunky cotton knit (not too thick, not too thin) that just gets more supple, soft and wearable with time. We love wearing it with nothing underneath and a long summer skirt or rolled up khakis and a fishing pole. P.S. it looks great on guys too. Please use the code ‘PERFECT’ on the Looms website for a special 10% discount on your sweater!

It tastes of sweetness and dirt, of summer rain and sun. There is a small and magical window of time in August when corn, cucumbers, peaches and tomatoes peak all at once. That time is now. And that’s when we make this salad, which needs little more than raw veggies and fruit picked from your nearest local farm.

Invite family members to help shuck corn. Once the husks are removed, stand your ear of corn up vertically, peduncle side down, resting inside your salad bowl. Carefully shave kernels off with a large sharp knife directly into your bowl. Once you’ve shaved all your corn, add thickly cut tomatoes of as many varieties and colors as you can find. Peel cucumbers and cut them in thick rounds and then in halves and add to your bowl. Add your peaches in thick segment slices. Rip apart fresh basil leaves and distribute them evenly. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil and finish with a generous amount of fleur de sel and fresh cracked black pepper. (If you love truffles, this excellent truffle vinegar can be substituted.) Toss lightly, avoiding bruising the peaches and tomatoes. Enjoy outside by candlelight to the sound of swing and waves.

If you love what you’ve just read, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support the work we do and get extra special posts in between our monthly newsletter.

Feel free to share this issue with friends via Substack or take a screenshot of something you love and post it on Instagram. You can tag us @theperfectshoppe !

As always, all of our illustrations are original and hand-drawn in ink by Courtney Broadwater

Visit us at our shop www.thisistheperfect.com for our collections of vintage clothing and antique treasures for the home!

BTW: we may get a small commission from some of the things you buy here. No extra cost to you! Thank you so much for supporting our work.