I’ve been missing the from my search bar segments on my Instagram story. The main reason I haven’t done them is because suddenly there are a lot of followers on there and I have a bit of stage fright. I work up the courage to do one and then I feel people are more annoyed by them than anything. I thought I might do a good old-fashioned search bar segment.
Around the end of the summer season, I take notes on the stuff I want for the following year. Mainly for the summer and fall seasons. I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the things I’m going to buy instead of purchasing them. I know exactly what my summer sandals will look like in September. I wait 6 months to start looking even if I have the complete vision. Even though I decline to call myself an influencer the main idea is that influencers are consumers, but I find myself searching and yearning more than anything.
I don’t want to do affiliate links or links at all. While I appreciate them in other people’s lives I find myself feeling like the world’s worst salesman in my own. So I am not a link person, unless asked. This is a warning for the next few paragraphs as I am going to be talking about the things that I want. The reason I don’t link is not some way to gatekeep, I just like influence to be broader. Give a man a fish or whatever the saying is.
My summer picks as of September 2023:
Short bathing suit bottoms:
Last summer as I sat on the beach with a Diet Coke and my friend Nessie, I said I wanted short bathing suits bottoms for the following season. To me, this piece on women feels classic but modern. Mostly because as someone who likes a lot of color, you can find some great patterns and stellar cuts. I am not talking about the 60s style look but a more modern take. I don’t like low rise and I sometimes value being less exposed on a personal level. The short silhouette in swimwear reminds me of being on a boat, the pinnacle of an East Coast American summer. It feels a bit preppy but with the right pattern and cut you have eclectic preppy, my favorite genre of clothing.
Ruby Red Sandals:
Every summer my dream sandal is ruby red. Although every summer I fail to find it. The issue is a lot of red sandals have an ankle strap. I prefer a sling back. Or they are stiletto and I prefer a block heel. A strappy sandal is something that can be so personal. The most important part of my summer sandals is the color. Bright colors in the summer are everything I live for. Spring is a more pastel palette which I despise* and winter is no color whatsoever which I somehow hate less than pastels. To me, it’s either do it all the way or not at all! But gosh nothing feels more exciting than a bright shoe that calls attention to itself. Shoes are so often overlooked but a great shoe takes an outfit all the way. A red summer sandal has been my dream purchase for years, and this year I am done waiting. There is nothing more inspiring than accomplishing a lifelong goal, even one surrounding fashion finds.
*I like pastel colors but I prefer them paired with bolder colors.
Gutter Glamour:
Not something to buy, but how our purchases further the vibe! I have this distinct need to be a little more messy. I don’t mean indie sleaze. I think it’s slightly more glamorous than that. My definition of it is the summer of 2020 when no one was in New York and my friends and I were drinking in parks, walking everywhere, having no plans, and living minute by minute. There’s something very sophisticated about a glass of red wine, and we weren’t drinking or pushing that narrative at all. We had to-go cocktails in hand and terrible walking shoes. It’s not that “I loved the covid era” mindset, or that we were drunk all the time. I just sort of miss the duality of having no place we could go, but finding ourselves everywhere. Laughing through rich neighborhoods where no one was staying. It was sweaty and messy. We could never find bathrooms. We were always on the last train back to Brooklyn. We were a mess but we looked good doing it. The photos I took that summer are my personal favorites. I think this summer I hope to be packed into whatever crowd is closest. I have always loved Ariel, the little mermaid, the most because I understand that need to be where the people are.
Daisy Dukes:
Not the ridiculous kind. Listen, I wanted to love the long short — actually, I didn’t want to love it. I don’t think anything shorter than pants qualifies as shorts you know? I acquired some longer shorts but they were by no means tugging the line between capries and Bermuda shorts. I know when I write daisy dukes we all get these barely there shorts in our heads but I don’t mean that. I am very specific in what I am looking for. In 2020 I borrowed a pair of shorts from my roommate and they were the most flattering shorts I’ve ever worn in my life. All I know is that they were Levi's shorts purchased at Free People. I have a feeling I will need to search high and low in store to find something that matches their energy. So if you see me rocking some great cut-offs, just know I found God in the denim department.
Olive Tights:
I mean we were always going to move on from the red tights right? I had said one of my personal ins was the color green. A while back I did a from my search bar story segment on colorful footwear. In the fall I usually stock up on colorful socks and in December I move onto tights. Uniqlo has the best socks, but Los Angeles Apparel and Target have the best tights. It’s just so chic I cite the photo above as proof. For me green is a very promising color. In the world of Ava, it means something like prosperity or growth. It’s something to do with green leaves which I talk a lot about. When I leave my apartment and the trees are back in bloom, I know that I’ve made it through my rest period. Green tights are a call home to that hope for me. Tights and socks are an underutilized accessory and so I am trying to wear enough to make up for the people who lack. I’ve been doing an exposed tights thing outfit-wise. I wear tights under my trousers and expose them both above my waistband and at my feet. It feels like something special I hope to do with my soon-to-be-acquired green tights. I am not doing it as a twee thing, I don’t plan on buying a ukulele. It just feels very 60s to me and I take my fashion inspo from that decade the most. What can I say I love a LBD with a pop of color. I’m posh spice with a little more…spice?
Structure:
Not necessarily in my life, though it would be lovely. I love a baggy look in the way that I sort of despise anything touching my body, but I don’t think loose has to essentially mean flowy. Lately, I’ve wanted to wear stiffer clothes that maintain a certain precise silhouette. I think we’re in a doll era, Polly Pocket clothing has taken over the runway. That’s where I cite my influence. I think a structured piece, or one that has a distinct shape, makes a look feel more put together. I think a good look requires a sort of balance with effortlessness, and well…effort. Pieces like a crisp suit or dress with an emphasized skirt, require the sort of look I want in my clothes. The tailoring is obvious and intentional but it doesn’t always call so much attention. When clothes fit right, when clothes look clean and sleek you don’t notice the small details that make one piece look better than another. It creates a certain air about the person wearing the clothes. An air I’d like to have.
Shift Dresses:
I mean this when I say they are my lifelong obsession. Something I always fall back on. The kind of micro dress that makes me feel like a million bucks. If you follow me on Instagram you may take note that most mini-dresses I post are shift dresses. Or shift adjacent. It’s a silhouette I think that looks great on everyone. I see someone wearing one and I instantly get jealous. I think most people think of Lily Pulitzer when they hear the style but there are so many other better brands to get our fix. No offense LP.
That’s what’s been rattling around my brain while I wear the same 4 navy sweaters consistently. I won’t be buying any of these items for a few more months and I encourage the same. People always want to talk smart shopping but no one ever wants to talk smart thinking. To me, the desire period of shopping is the most crucial and should always be months long. From my search bar was created in the interest of my yearning. My smartest purchases are made because I took the time to yearn for the piece. I am often swimming in a sort of desire. I value not having everything I want all the time. The more I window shop, the less I am consumed by the idea of new, and the more I focus on what it is I want out of my wardrobe. Everything I wear is born out of that sort of love I developed in waiting for it.
As a certified lover, I wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day. As the song says, love is strange, but I kinda like that we never quite know what to expect of it, until we have it. See you next time
Long live short bathing suit bottoms!
Love love love all of this. The idea of sharing generalities rather than specific “buy this here now” links and encouraging slow, thoughtful shopping is so lovely and something I think we need more of online! I also just loved the line “I am often swimming in a sort of desire. I value not having everything I want all the time.” Want to print it out and hang it on my wall as a reminder when I feel overwhelmed by my own search bar. Also, the red sandals reminded me of something I heard of a while ago called ‘serotonin dressing.’ I heard it from someone in a hot pink puffer coat in the dead of winter, when everyone else was in black parkas. Bold colors are exciting no matter the season!