Here’s one that’s both appealingly faded and sharply tailored.

A super-polished option from Cos.

And here’s a pretty classic choice.

I like that this looks like it’s been broken in already, but not in a shabby way.

And finally, here’s one with chore jacket details.

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I dig the lines on this fun pink confection, and appreciate the strategically flattering ruching.

A sweet, kind of Liberty-ish print on an otherwise pretty straightforward button-down.

This Marimekko jacket is pretty darned loud, but so darned cute, and I’m not sure I could pull it off, but maybe one of you could?

A sweet painterly print in easy-to-wear jersey.

Here is Sezane, doing that thing where you can’t totally see what the clothing item in question is like, but what I see here I dig.

A sweet print with pops of lace at the neckline and sleeves.

I’m showing a zoomed-in picture of this because the print is so gorgeous, and it’s against a black background, which my favorite florals always are.

What a happy, bright button-down—it’d be great peeking out from under a blazer.

The print here is so appealingly graphic.

This is so nicely feminine, but doesn’t come off as prissy, even with those slightly puffy shoulders (which here I don’t mind).

An easy shirt for throwing on all summer long.

The post A cache of pretty spring florals appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

Increasingly, I like the idea of these for travel—they’re more comfortable to carry than the hulking tote I usually fly with, and they keep your hands free, which is always a plus. This one from Ganni is annoyingly branded, but I’m really digging the leopard print and ample exterior pockets.

The hardware details here are pretty good, and I usually like only the most minimal hardware.

I like that this camo option has a shoulder strap.

From Longchamp, a nicely minimal offering.

This leather number also comes in black and a sort of cappuccino brown, but this taupe is calling to me.

A nicely streamlined option.

Here’s one that’s pretty well-priced for leather, and it resembles a handbag more than a backpack.

Here’s one that folds up quite small, making it ideal for popping in your suitcase.

A canvas Marimekko choice that’s pretty chic in a classic way.

I love Fjallraven backpacks—they’re lightweight, cool, and thoughtfully designed. This has suitcase compartments on the inside and could easily work as a weekender.

And finally, a conveniently waterproof backpack from Rains.

The post 11 stellar backpacks appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

• These candid shots from inside Monday’s Met gala are deeply enjoyable. (Vogue)
• Relatedly, these party shots by British society photographer Dafydd Jones are fantastic. (New Yorker)
• This profile of actress Minka Kelly—and her seriously challenging beginnings—is pretty interesting. (The Cut)
• Likewise, I enjoyerd this piece about legendary groupie Bebe Buell. (NY Times, gifted link)
• On Everything is Fine this week we’re talking grief with memoirist Nicole Chung, which sounds like a drag but is actually pretty enlightening. Also! We have exclusive content and a brand new episode on our Patreon! Don’t miss out!
• All of your questions about the WGA writer’s strike, answered. (Vulture)
• For those of you who with a taste for it, here’s how to watch the coronation tomorrow. (Town & Country)
• This is kind of fascinating: there was an interracial couple on the Titanic. (Messy Nessy Chic)
• Emily Flake is so funny, and I cracked up at this piece. (McSweeney’s)

The post Friday links appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

Ever since I moved into my current home a couple of years ago, I’ve employed my dining room table as my desk. I did the same thing in the place I lived before here, and it worked out fine. But now I share that table during work hours with Paul, and sometimes that’s an awful lot of togetherness. Also it doesn’t work out well when it’s time to record the podcast. Fortunately, my place has an extra bedroom—a super-teeny one that’s really more of an exalted closet, and that’s what we’ve been using it as. But now I want to make it my office, which is going to require some serious excavation, and a new desk—which I’d prefer not to spend a fortune on. This snappy red one rings in under $350 and definitely looks pricier.

This Eames desk is the priciest of the bunch, but it’s such a classic.

This is appealingly minimal, and I like that the legs come in several colors.

Here’s an under $150 option that would be good if space is a consideration, which in my case it is.

I like the glass top here.

This is like a mini-version of the desk I had at Lucky, which was essentially a long table. My desk is always a mess, so it helps that it has such clean lines.

Another rather diminutive choice that I think is kind of elegant.

The post Join me as I shop for a desk appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

I pretty much always gravitate to this aesthetic, but especially right about now: I’m always on the lookout for simple, clean shapes and some hits of happy color. Like on this adorable crochet cotton cardi from Kule.

These chinos are from fusty old L.L. Bean, but the wide-leg shape is actually kind of right on trend.

A nicely tailored striped shirt will never let you down.

And I think this twill blazer is a good weight for right about now.

Such a cute and easy shirt dress that comes in a few good colorways in addition to this one.

I like the drop shoulders and boat neckline on this striped tee from Allsaints.

The barely-there stripes on this under-$100 chore jacket make it standout.

I think I might go for this striped polo shirt—it just looks so excellently sportif.

A good denim skirt is an important component of the prep aesthetic, and this one has a great wash and an excellent length.

A sweater made to look like a rugby shirt: genius.

These classic Tretorns are super-appealing—I love the pop of red—and I usually never gravitate to white sneakers.

And finally, when I’m not wearing a lot of color, I love to cinch my chinos with a bright woven belt like this one, which immediately brightens things up.

The post It’s spring, so naturally I’m in a preppy mood appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

First up, we’ve got Everlane, where I found this cool trench, which I like because it doesn’t have that shoulder flap thing going on that lots of trenches have.

A cashmere polo sweater in such a good army green.

I also like this oversized polo shirt, for throwing on whenever.

A cute poplin popover for pairing with chinos.

Next, we’re looking at Brooklinen, where they’re offering 25% off sitewide (but only until tomorrow). I’m a sucker for decorating with stripes, hence my attraction to this linen quilt.

Relatedly, I own this duvet cover, and love the way it looks when I do a kind of matchy-clashy thing with pillowcases.

Brooklinen also offers loungewear, and I think these joggers look pretty perfect.

I might also just go for a new down comforter while I’m at it. I like that it comes in three iterations: lightweight, all-season, and ultra-warm.

J. Crew is such a mess right now—a friend thinks it’s because they’re going for Gen Z dollars. All I know is that a visit to this once-beloved destination for classic pieces is now bound to be riddled with disappointment. They still do button-downs well though, and I might go for this easy chambray shirt.

And a girl can never have too many white cotton poplin shirts, truly.

I might go for this tuxedo shirt, which would look so great layered under a blazer.

The Crew also still does swimwear reasonably well, and this one-piece, which comes in several colors, looks comfortable and easy.

And finally, Urban Stems has marked down many of their flower arrangements, including this one, which I love because it’s so excellently yellow.

The post Sale picks of the week appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

My lips used to only be chapped in the winter—all winter—but now they appear to be dry and flaky on a somewhat permanent basis, and the only thing that seems to move the needle is this tinted balm from Laneige, if I use it religiously enough. I have one in my bag and another on my bedside table.

My galley kitchen is a pretty tight squeeze, and has so little counter space that if I need to use my (rather large) cutting board, it takes up all of the available room, making the prep work bit of cooking a bit of a challenge. This board is pretty small, as you can see from the orange perched on it for scale, but it’s the perfect size for so many things, like slicing bagels, or chopping smaller quantities of vegetables, or using as a base when I’m grating cheese.

I cook with a lot of garlic, and find peeling and chopping it to be especially tedious, so I was thrilled to find this stuff. Jarred chopped garlic loses most of its flavor—don’t ask me how, but it was explained to me once—but this frozen garlic is very nearly indistinguishable from the real, unfrozen thing, and is especially good for salad dressings.

Reader, I married a snorer. He starts off every night kind of quietly, but as the evening progresses he gets increasingly loud, until I am woken by a buzzsaw din at some cruel hour of the morning. Standard-issue earplugs don’t help much and I find them uncomfortable. These do a much better job, and you can hardly tell you’re wearing them.

The post What improves your life for under $25? appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

• An appreciation of British designer Mary Quant, who died this month. (Elle)
• Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Met Gala, which is coming up soon. (The Cut)
• Your rabbit hole of the day: a compendium of secret passages. (Messy Nessy Chic)
• And here’s another, slightly more mindless rabbit hole: a look at New York it girls through the years. (New York)
• On Everything is Fine this week we’re debriefing on the topics of my wedding and the live episode, and also discussing Jenn’s week in New York, the importance of friends in midlife, and lots more, so please do tune in.
• On that note, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t share this lovely piece about the wedding with those of you who haven’t seen it yet and care to. (NY Times; gifted link)
• Sotheby’s will be auctioning off 1500 of Freddie Mercury’s possessions this fall, to benefit AIDS charities.
• All the texts Fox News didn’t want you to read. (Intelligencer)
• A great profile of the great Judy Blume. (New Yorker)
• The fascinating story of the Battle of Versailles, an epic 1973 fashion show that “pitted” top French and American fashion designers against each other and was organized by the legendary American PR woman Eleanor Lambert. (Town & Country)

The post Friday links appeared first on Girls of a Certain Age.

Kosas, one of my favorite beauty brands, is changing their packaging, and is therefore offering a whopping 50% off several products with their current packaging*—among them this tinted face oil that I use every morning; it’s like a lighter, more sheer foundation that still provides nice coverage.

This shade of lipstick, called Royal, is the perfect berryish tint. I stocked up on several.

*Thanks to beloved commenter Mamavalveeta for the tip.

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