The Girly Girl's Guide to DC
The Girly Girl's Guide to DC
Issue 2: How to forge a signature (style)
Welcome back to The Girly Girl’s Guide to DC! I’m just as surprised to be here as you are.
Before we get started, I wanted to make clear that this newsletter is “DMV inclusive.” If you’ve ever had to ride the metro to work, you are a part of the DC girl sisterhood. As a longtime Arlington girl, it’s always been easy to tell who the real ones are, because they’ll cross the river for you.
If you missed last week’s issue, find it here.
What They Don’t Tell You
The idea of having a signature style — a go-to fashion formula that makes you look and feel your best — has gone by the wayside.
French women are envied for their simple yet flattering style.
“Parisian women have a uniform and they rarely steer away from that," French fashionista Morgane Sezalory told Harper’s Bazaar. “Because they have such a controlled, well-cultivated look, French women don't tend to follow fashion trends. She knows herself and sticks to her signatures.”
I love what Sezalory says next about the most important thing she’s learned about style: “To know yourself - and to have less, but better products. So I go for perfect fabrics and perfect cuts. I don't have too many clothes in my dressing room, but the good ones I do have, I feel good in.”
“Also, I think it's important to smile and to not wear clothes when you don't feel free or yourself in them.”
In the age of Fast Fashion (I’ll spare you a lecture but link you to this great article from The Atlantic), we have more than five times the clothing that our grandmothers had but are less happy with them. It can be easier to follow trends instead of focus on what makes you feel confident.
There’s nothing more attractive than a woman who OWNS her style, whether it’s preppy, bohemian, or something completely unique to her.
One woman who comes to mind — although she’s fictional — is Midge Maisel from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” I make no secret of wanting to steal her vintage style, and I love her boast “I found my signature haircut at age 12.” Every woman should be able to have that confidence!
As the world begins to reopen, we’re all looking forward to reimagining our style and re-learning how to get ready to see people who aren’t our roommate, significant other or delivery guy.
I’d encourage you ladies to put quality over quantity, not be afraid to be an outfit repeater, and find a signature style that makes you happy.
One area in which we can all benefit from finding our “signature” is scent. Many of the older women in our lives — mothers, grandmothers, the lady you took piano lessons from for two years — probably have a signature scent that will always hold memories.
In stark contrast, I’ve hopped from one cheap Victoria’s Secret or Target perfume to another, rarely ever finishing an entire plastic bottle before a new one caught my attention.
I recently found the scent I want to be my signature for this stage of life, Twilly d’Hermes. Someone gave me a sample, and the first time I wore it around my boyfriend, he immediately noticed and loved it. I knew I had to get a bottle.
The online description says Twilly has notes of “sandalwood, tuberose and ginger,” but have no idea what most of those things are. All I know is it smells fun and bright, and I feel like I’m doing something special for myself every time I put it on.
Sadly, good perfume isn’t cheap. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good bargain, especially at the thrift store, but perfume is one thing I don’t recommend getting secondhand. If you have a specific perfume in mind, I recommend trying Walmart.com — Hermes lists Twilly at $82 and up, but I was able to find it on Walmart’s website for under $60.
In closing: I hope this encourages you to invest in what make you feel your best! Also, anybody want these old bottles of cheap perfume I’ve got lying around?
If you’re looking for some perfume inspiration, some amazing ladies dropped their favorites in the replies to this tweet:
My personal favorite response:
Interview with Audrey Conklin
Every issue, I plan to introduce you to a woman who knows the ins and outs of D.C. so that you can steal her ̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶i̶t̶y̶ tips.
Audrey Conklin is my coworker as well as an amazing friend. Going along with my earlier observations about knowing your style, she’s an avid vintage shopper who told me she’s keeping her eye out for some white go-go boots so she can try some mod sixties looks.
Did I mention she’s a proponent of having a signature scent? Audrey’s go-to is Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana.
Find Audrey on Twitter here!
What’s your occupation?
I'm a digital reporter for Fox News and Fox Business, where I get to work alongside my dear friend Evie Fordham.
What does your job look like during quarantine?
Work from home — I spend way too much time looking at my computer and phone when I should be making better use of the extra free time I have now that I'm not commuting to work.
Favorite current read and why?
Just finished "Hillbilly Elegy," and I'm glad I gave it a shot. It was a quick read, informative, and somehow relatable even though I have never lived a day in "the Holler" or anything like it. I appreciate when I can draw similarities between my life and the lives of others who seem so different on the surface.
What’s your quarantine beauty routine like?
Osea everything. I use their cleanser and moisturizer every day and their face mask every few days. The speaker at my high school graduation was the founder of a natural beauty company who reminded us that our skin is our biggest organ. We care what we put into our bodies; why don't we care about what we put on our skin? Osea uses minimal, organic ingredients, and it does wonders for my skin.
How would you describe your style?
My style is such a jumble but ultimately pretty classic, feminine, and obviously longing for earlier fashion eras. I derive a lot of my inspiration from movies and TV shows like "Coco Avant Chanel," "A Roman Holiday," "Rebecca," “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and "Brooklyn.” I love wearing tweed with tights sometimes and mom jeans with a white t-shirt other times — whatever fits the mood.
What advice would you have for your younger self?
Pick Arlington over Northeast D.C., stop buying so much coffee, keep your expectations high when it comes to men, and stop comparing D.C. to Boston.
Who should I interview next? Reply to this email!
The Haps
I let out a gasp when I read that J. Lo and A-Rod broke up. They were so perfect together! Well, more like she’s perfect and he’s tolerable, but isn’t that most so-called power couples?
But then I read that the tabloids jumped the gun! They are still together — although their relationship may be going through a “rough patch” due to a 31-year-old blonde named Madison LeCroy, who’s rumored to have come between them. She’s the face that launched a thousand clickbait stories — more like Madison of Troy, amirite?
Sources told TMZ and Page Six that J. Lo and A-Rod were done last week. Who are these “sources?” I just wanna talk. More evidence that my advice in a previous newsletter was timely: choose your friends wisely!
Here’s a few more links to what I’m reading these days:
Grace Olmstead, my fellow Patrick Henry College alum, writes about Americans who once had big city dreams moving back to their small towns to find something more meaningful here.
Audrey Conklin (profiled earlier!) writes about a Los Angeles diner on Skid Row donating meals to those in need as restaurants try to weather the coronavirus pandemic here.
White House staffers — they work from home just like us! “More than seven weeks after President Biden took office, White House staff members are working from California, Puerto Rico, Texas and elsewhere around the country, a striking indication of the strange reality of building a new administration during a pandemic,” The New York Times’ Annie Karni writes here.
From the Sketchbook:
