ISSUE Twenty-Eight
Time to Stand Still
Hi, everyone! It’s officially our favorite month, and one we wish could last forever. Why? Because things slow down to a lovely, languid halt in August. It’s a time to take stock of what you want out of the rest of your summer. To think about the things you want to do before fall arrives: read a book all day on the beach alone, make simple dinners from farm stand bounty, surf, take an evening stroll for ice cream. Issue Twenty-Eight is here to help you live your best life this month, to help you savor every last minute, and allow you to take a big, long, deep breath.
Are you having a hard time holding on to your sunglasses this summer? We too suffer from LAOYSS (losing all of your sunglasses syndrome). That’s why we’ve decided to never spend real money on specs again. We’re not sure we can keep this promise—expensive eyewear is our one true love—but we’re sure gonna try. To help us stay the course, we’ve asked some friends who secretly only buy DISPOSABLE UNDER $100 SUNGLASSES for their favorites: ZENOTTIC (Comes in pairs! Thank you Lia!); WMP EYEWEAR (They do prescription and are polarized! Thank you Joanna!); SUNSKI (They come with a lifetime warranty. Thank you Hortensia!); Amazing Amazon Aviators: HEXAGONAL, 70s TRANSPARENT, TORTOISE (All under $20. Thank you queen ML!); and our OG favorite MACH Gs from GOODR (the new light-lensed colors are amaze!). Whether they’re cheap and cheerful or expensive and excellent, hold on to your specs with THE PERFECT CROAKIES, our latest and greatest invention.
As golden hour casts its spell, you sit and listen to the fog horns blow. Have we entered our Bermuda shorts era? Yes, we have! Supremely comfortable and chic, they are more sophisticated than a short chino and oddly easy to dress up with a high-necked tank and some heels. They’re best in linen, and no one does that particular thing better than Frank and Eileen, whose WATERFORD SHORT is 7.5 inches long and tailored from Italian performance linen that feels ever so luxe to swish around in. And if you’re in need of some expert advice in trying this demurely daring style, look no further than the genius Alison Loehnis, who models all the wonderful ways you can wear ‘em.
On the grill, they sizzle and sing! We’re of the mind that you can never really have too many hot dogs come summer, carcinogens be damned! However, the frankfurter is often short-changed when it comes to fixins—there are so many ways to zhuzh up your sausage besides ketchup and mustard. Enter Schaller & Weber’s CURRYWURST KETCHUP, a German-style sauce that’s customary in Berlin infused with curry, turmeric and paprika. Top that with some Grillo’s Hot Pickle de Gallo, some Sport Peppers and Celery Salt and you’re in the major weenie business. And to make sure your table is as delicious as your dog, snap up these bun-cradling melamine holders and throw your currywurst in Theo Fennell’s epic holder (or something less lavish).
Summer’s beautiful swan song is strong surf and golden sun. The season’s best waves are ahead of us! And for after a long day of wave-riding, there’s BEACH SOUL, the hand-pump battery-free beach shower that gives you six minutes of glorious high-pressure shower time. And for drying off and packing up, pls enjoy this exceptional towel and Clean Ocean Designs’ Surf Knit board covers, which are like a durable, sleek sock for your board, made from 100% ocean-bound post-consumer recycled plastic. Each Surf Knit purchase helps plant a mangrove tree in Baja, Mexico.
You pedal fast down beach roads, fragrant hedgerows and fluffy hydrangea blooms hanging hot and heavy. French designer Sophie Bouilhet-Dumas started her jewelry line, Mira Stella, after she revived her wild garden in Normandy with the help of English master botanist Mark Brown. Descended from a long line of silversmiths, she began to see jewelry in every delicate flower she grew. Bouilhet-Dumas’ 18-karat recycled gold HYDRANGEA PETAL RING is made from four different casts of a Japanese variety and hinges around a pivot—a lovely gift for anyone who believes in endless summers. (And if you’re on Nantucket today or tomorrow, catch her at Patina!)
It is splendor in the grass defined. We’re big fans of giant lounge pillows that can be thrown anywhere from a great grassy lawn to a TV room, allowing everyone to watch, write, read or snooze exactly where they want to. That’s why we love the BENI BED, which is made from OEKO-TEX bamboo stuffing, comes in an array of 240 thread count organic cotton covers that are machine washable, fits persons up to 6’2”, and can be rolled out just about anywhere.
The fresh scent of laurel and tomato flowers fills the cool evening air. These are the nights to spend al fresco with a good cold bottle of wine, a tomato corn and peach salad and glowing candlelight. We’re all about streamlining this summer, and that’s where a battery-powered pillar candle comes in. There’s no waxy mess, no replacements needed and no firepower required. But if you’re going to go faux, you must go with the very, very best. The Porsche of pillars? The LUMINARA OUTDOOR FLAMELESS CANDLE. It’s coated in real ivory-hued paraffin, has a realistic “melted top” and flickers like the real thing. It also settles into fabulous rattan hurricane lanterns swimmingly. And if you really want to go F1, get the GRAND PILLAR which is super-sized and comes with a remote control for ambiance on demand.
It is as crisp and breezy as a freshly hoisted sail. PARIS EM LISBOA’s pajama shirts have been made in Lisbon, Portugal for over 130 years. Using the finest cottons from Paris, their fabulous oversized pajama shirt is our new go-to for just about every activity from beach days (over a suit of with cut-offs and a vintage needlepoint belt) to cocktails (with a sheer lace pant and a metallic wedge). Please email info@parisemlisboa.pt to place your order. We’re also majorly into Dior Homme’s PJ style shirts, which we’ll be wearing with white (or black) jeans and some easy Venetian slippers come fall. And whenever James Marsden’s Dior shirt hits stores, we’ll be wearing that, too.
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As always, all of our illustrations are original and hand-drawn in ink by Courtney Broadwater.
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