Issue Twenty-Seven

Pulling it Together

Hi everyone! Happy almost Fourth of July (and happy 250th birthday ‘Merica)! Silly season is officially here and this letter caters to the chaos: from the old-school cooler that’s bringing us joy to the party pant, shoe and shirt that will make your vacation look sing! We also have a wonderful recipe for a pink but bittersweet take on the classic G&T that you’ll want to mix for all your houseguests, plus the ultimate hostess gift (hint: it’s Hermès and under $400). There’s also a heavy dose of summer nostalgia, including the must-have item for every charmingly mildewed beach cottage and a special collaboration we’ve done inspired by the hippie top we all wore as teens to keg parties. This issue aims to help you pull it all together before the July madness hits. But most importantly, we hope it frees up time for you to breathe in the salt air, hug summer friends a little tighter and sunbathe and stargaze a little longer.

Driving on the beach at night, windows down, Cassidy blasting. Introducing the SZ BLOCKPRINTS x THE PERFECT TEE, inspired by the block-print shirts we wore on Nantucket as teens and the boxy slightly cropped style designed by Sarah Zellweger for her first-ever SZ Blockprints collection in 2016. We’ve selected a deadstock Nantucket red, ocean blue and coral marigold print from Kin in India, Jaipur’s most important workshop, founded by the late Kitty Rae. Rae introduced the art of block printing to the West in the 1960s, and her workshop and its artisans are now stewarded by Kitty’s niece, Manju Rae and granddaughter, Yuva Gurbaxani.

The sound of ice sloshing and waves crashing means summer is here. IGLOO’S BARREL OF FUN is back! The king of American coolers has revived its ‘90s classic, which is the same as it ever was, built at the Texan company’s factory right here in the USA (except now it’s BPA-free!) The insulated barrel, with its signature push-button spigot, will carry 2 gallons of water, lemonade or spicy margs and is as great for beach days and sports games as it is for lawn parties, especially with its ttly rad colorways. (Might we also suggest Igloo’s new giant Party Bar Cooler, which is on wheels and holds up to 158 cans of Super Seltzer!)

Barefoot on a freshly cut lawn, you sip and watch the sun sink low. It’s that time of year again! It’s PARTY PANTS season, and that means you’ll need a great pair (or four) of peacock-y trousers to wear to all of your leisure pursuits this summer. We love this multiflora pair from Maison Hotel (a great high-waist and a not-too-wide leg) along with High Sport’s new red seersucker flares, which are simply👌. Same with Frame’s anchor pants and, of course, our favorite Donni ribbed trousers in firecracker red, white or blue.

Bitter and sweet, it is as refreshing as a plunge in the Med. The Salmoncito—a pink-hued, grapefruit-y take on the G&T—took Mexico City by storm and is now our new favorite sundowner. Originally mixed with straight tonic and Campari, we have our own take that’s a little less likely to give you a headache: Simply fill a fabulous highball glass half way with ice, gin, a splash of Doladira (a less sugary rhubarb-based Campari alternative made in the Dolomites) and fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit juice. Top it off with Regatta’s Sō-Nic (their genius 50-50 mix of citrus tonic and Pacific sea salt club soda). Garnish with a fat grapefruit twist, and for extra credit, top it off with some microplaned grapefruit zest. And if you’re on the wagon, you’ve got to try this!

For a sporting and splendid July day. Christy, the Manchester-based company founded in 1850 has been making the OFFICIAL WIMBLEDON TOWEL since 1988. It’s a tradition that the Christy family has continued to this day. We’re big collectors of graphic beach towels, and this short-looped terry style with its classic grass-court design is one of the greats (we’re quite partial to the old school Beverly Hills Hotel towels, too.) And if it’s not a historically important towel, we’re in favor of the biggest plushest beach towel you can find. That means anything from Matouk, but especially this 40x70 Schumacher’s Big Cat Print Towel, and an Hermès one so choice you’ll want to make sure it’s designated as yours and only yours to lie on (hands off kids, this is MOM’S TOWEL!). We also love their Yachting Beach Towel, which is pretty much the ultimate summer hostess gift, and is only $340—expensive for a towel, cheap for Hermès!

Silky, swishy, sporty and spicy…’70S-STYLE RUNNING SHORTS are a classic staple that adds a singular and groovy magic to any look. We love them dressed down, slyly peeking out from under a great white shirt with sneakers for an early morning coffee run (try Bellini Bikini’s ribbed apricot-hued style or Suzi Kondi’s white twill pair). And for a beachy night out, we love Reformation’s powder blue collab with Umbro (!!!) and Donni’s fabulous silk taffeta racer-stripe style matched with their taffeta mini dress and some truly great flossy gold sandals.

On a rainy foggy Saturday, it feels soft and warm beneath your feet. A HOOKED RUG is one of those things a summer house shouldn’t be without. In our childhood memories, every wonderful, musty, tiny Nantucket cottage had one from Claire Murray. The late and legendary local artist died earlier this year after a career that spanned over three decades, beginning when Murray decided to pick up rug hooking to pass the time on the long winter ferry rides between Nantucket and the mainland. You can still find her handiwork—made to last 20-100 years with proper care—on her website, including charming scenes from Nantucket and all the flora (Morning Glories, New England wildflowers) and fauna (sea nymphs, whales) you’ll find there.

They are never too much and never not enough. BLOCK HEELS are the official soirée shoe of summer: they provide just enough lift for special occasions without being painfully high and are especially handy for grass, sand and cobblestones. They also feel un-slutty with short things and are down-to-earth enough to wear with long bohemian things. Our favorites at the moment? These lizard or gold Manolos, these woven rosé-hued Aquazzuras, these red Loeffler Randalls, and these Khaite heeled flip-flops.

When the early morning sun streams in, it’s your protection. We are an insomniac newsletter, so we’ve tried every sleep mask imaginable and DROWSY’S SLEEP MASK is best-in-class. Not only does it completely block out light, but it wraps around your ears, muffling sound and cocooning your head in a delightfully transportive manner. You’ll thank us in the morning!

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

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