In Communion with a Fated Sartorial Sister
This friendship and feature was nothing less than foreordained.
Friends, fanatics, and fiends, I present to you my dear, ever-stylish, friend
of Open Tab(!!!!) It’s been a long time coming. This newsletter. This collaboration.
While moving Hailey between apartments last month, during the crux of a NYC heatwave, we reflected on how long (or little) we’ve actually known each other and how naturally we’ve managed to intertwine our lives. Sometimes Hailey and I are so in sync, that it leaves me shaking in my booties. And it’s not just our thoughts or wardrobes that overlap—we’ve even got brothers who share the same birthday.
This joint letter has been floating around in our minds (and text threads) for months, so I’m beyond excited that it’s finally come together. I really hope you enjoy this one.
To make a long story (apologies in advance) somewhat short, I asked Hailey a series of questions that we both were tasked with answering. To my delight, we managed not to sound like an echo chamber of thought.
First, we had to start with the basics. Or rather, the baseline. It’s not a capsule wardrobe we’re after here, but it is our must-have pieces for any great closet. And the one non-negotiable piece that we’ll have to bring with us when they inevitably ship us off to the fashion gulags.
Hailey Ahn closet must-haves:
A button-up: One thing about me- I love a button-up. Could wear one every day. Want to buy every one I see. The key to a good button-up is when they’re thrifted, from the men’s section, and just 1-2x too big. Somehow they all maintain a beautiful structure and fall right where they need to without feeling like I‘m being swallowed by it. Dress them up or down, there are endless ways to style them.
Perfect white tee: I typically spend my money on shoes, pants, bags, and jackets so my tops are most likely basics or the aforementioned button-up <3. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect white tee to join my other 10 white tees that satisfy different needs. It’s the ultimate classic and will go with any piece, any vibe, any mood. The criteria is simple yet seemingly impossible to find: cotton, mid-length sleeve, not too long, the right amount of boxiness/shape. Substack community do your thing!!
Non-negotiable: I share a similar sentiment with loafers as Devi does to a black-heeled boot. There are so many different varieties to choose from (chunky, flat, mule, hardware, etc) but such an easy way to elevate any outfit. It’s a perfect to piece to fill my puzzle of dressing when I’m feeling too casual or sporty while also fulfilling the want to be more formal if necessary.
Devi Penny closet must-haves:
Grey knit sweater: There’s just something about a grey knit sweater that sings to my soul. It’s a little more nuanced than your classic black and leans a bit more playful than its dark blue counterpart. We’re having a total ‘Indian winter’ right now in NYC, and reaching for my grey sweater was a no-brainer.
Striped Button-up: The easiest way to get myself out of a fashion funk is to put on one of my manyyy striped button-ups. I feel the most me, with one hanging off my shoulders. I never leave a Good Will without one. My favorite are styles with contrast collars and cuffs, but I love playing with the varied sizes and cuts.
A good black leather jacket: One that’s preferably broken in and doesn’t squeak with every step (baby powder is a good fix if yours does). Thrift one and you’re likely to find cigarette butts of the man that probably rides a motorcycle and wore it and smoked Marlboro reds.
Non-negotiable: Definitely a black heeled boot, which I think is maybe kind of cheating because the style of the boots can sort of switch up along the years, but I think a pair that’s easily wearable, can be walked in for a full day, can take a look from day to night, or dressed causally to semi-formal.
If haters and money were no object, what would your aspirational piece be right now?
HA :
The Soft Margaux 17 Bag in Brown Suede from The Row. A “ludicrously capacious bag” (IYKYK) that’s the perfect mix of structure and worn-in with the little peep of hardware.
DP :
A Taupe East West Birkin from Hermés with pebbled leather and silver hardware and drop shoulder handle a la this. I mean, what would be more fitting for a girl emotionally codependent with her passport, than a bag that was dreamt up on a plane and sketched out on one of those airsick baggies?
Until we can turn those aspirations into reality (watch this space), we’ve scoured the web for alternate picks to fill the Margaux & Birkin shaped holes in our hearts (and closets).
HA: Monorow Blanc Bag from an independent Korean brand that uses recycled leather or this bowling bag from COS
DP: This Travertine tone Top Handbag from Prada’s latest collection in a size medium gets cuter the more I look at it. No, it’s no birkin, but she scratches the itch.
If you take a trip through our closets and hampers, you might be able to decipher our current style inspirations.
HA :
I really admire Reese & Molly’s ability to dress in a way that feels approachable and accessible. Despite their shared closet being filled with designer labels, I say accessible in the way that the outfit recipes are easy to replicate- usually simple shapes and silhouettes with the right amount of texture and accessory, each detail intentional. I appreciate the way they create outfits that can be worn every day, nothing is too extreme but still have that charm that would make me do a double take. They have their own takes on different pieces which is nice to reference when there are 2 of them!
Amy Pham Thi, the founder of Nhogirl, has that level of elevated basic style that I aspire to be able to dress to. It’s kind of like an “organized chaos” aesthetic in the way an outfit might feel like it was thrown together yet it’s chic and effortlessly cool. Her ability to layer, pair silhouettes, color palettes, and matching of accessories might feel obvious but it’s really a formula that can only be put together with a trained eye.
DP:
I feel very kindred in style and spirit with Ayo Edebiri. Her looks are effortless yet playful, sophisticated yet relaxed. That’s the kind of duality I try to embody.
In this same vein, one of my favorite dressers is the stylist of supermodels and influencers alike, Natasha Colvin, whose understanding of proportions and mixing of textures is unmatched. While her client base doesn’t necessarily reflect any bodies that look like mine, I am particularly interested in when she dresses Irina Shayk and Jordan Daniels. They both have totally different sensibilities and lifestyles, which I think is a testament to just how great of a stylist she is and how right the pieces look and fit into their respective lives.
My last pick isn’t so much inspirational as it is aspirational, and it lies at the intersection of Phoebe, Piper, and Paige (with honorable mention of Prue) from my favorite show growing up: Charmed.
Describe Your Personal Style in 3 WordsHA: classic, elevated, boyish
DP: vintage, flirty, grown-up grunge
Taking our cue from the television drama CHOPPED, we used matching pieces from our closets to put together four looks (within the parameters of spring/summer).
☆ Button-ups: If you haven’t already been able to discern, our preferred love language is a photo of a really good, and hopefully cheap men’s button-up. The more oversized, the better. We have yet to own the same exact piece, but we come close in stripes often.
HA: This outfit is absolutely not appropriate for a NY summer, but I can't count how many times I wish I could've worn it when I couldn't pull something together. My go-to way to dress!
Also can't count how many times Devi and I have met up and accidentally been wearing the same outfit, but especially with button ups!
☆ COS leather boots: We both had our eyes on these sold-out boots from Cos, and Hailey managed to find her size in store (it was the last one, literally on display). I had all but given up, until Hailey sent me the link one day, and they had restocked one pair in MY size. Thank you fashion fairies for the plug. We’re 99.989% sure they took direct inspiration from these Khaite Arizonas. Here’s a similar style from Totême.
HA: The perfect boots to click clack along to as "One Step at a Time" by Jordyn Sparks plays in the background.
☆ COS Wide leg shorts: I really love this outfit diptych featuring these super breezy COS shorts. I feel like it truly embodies the 3-word-descriptors we mentioned for our respective styles. Very demure. Very Considerate. Very Cutesy. Very Mindful. Here’s a great similar from COS, and look at that, it already comes pre-crinkled!
☆ Lacoste Harrington jacket: We scored this vert khaki Lacoste Jacket together with a deep discount at the Woodbury Commons mall (I think it’s on sale for even cheaper here now!!) It’s so easy to lean into the boyish, sporty look with this piece, but don’t be afraid to tap into the feminine, because it’s truly got the range. These Harrington style jackets are perfect for transitional months and are totally coming back in a big way. Just look at this Loewe one.
HA: I'm running to Soho and bringing Devi with me this weekend to try on this Mango version as well.
Substacks warning me that I’m reaching the email limit (!), so we’ll wrap this letter up here. Know that this one was created with love and the utmost coordination.
Hailey and I will be curating a shop-able wishlist from our favorite shops, so keep an eye out for the next newsletter! Drop a comment with your style inspiration below!
And until the next time, happy dressing (with friends!!)
-DP & HA
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