About fifteen years ago, I told my agent that I wanted to launch a style blog. I started out as a fashion and beauty editor when I was in my 20s and I missed it a lot. He said “That’s a great idea, devote zero amount of time to it.” LOLOLOL!
To be fair, Richard knows how much work is on my plate and how many books I have to write, so I get it.
But sometimes I don’t want to just figure out a new way to hype my books or figure out the dreaded Instagram algorithm or learn BookTok and sometimes I just need a break from THINKING ABOUT NARRATIVE or PLOT or REVISIONS or COPYEDITS or CHARACTER or ADAPTATIONS or PITCHES or PROPOSALS or DEADLINES that make up my job.
Sometimes I just want to write about cool French girl dresses. I follow a lot of style blogs on here, and it’s funny… they all kind of sell us the same things, you can tell the PR people are sending the same free shit to the same style influencers. When I worked in magazines there were the clothes we pushed to our readers and then the clothes fashion editors ACTUALLY wore. I like it when the influencer I follow actually wears the clothes they are promoting in their daily life. I think I discovered Rouge from some Substack I follow. Or maybe I just happened to walk by their store in Soho and liked it.
Anyway! The dresses! Are from Rogue! They fit well, and kind of remind me of Sezane but somehow more special? I dunno? But I am obsessed. You throw them on, you can wash them (remember I AM NOW ON A BUDGET!!! Mike was appalled at our five figure dry cleaning bill last year so I AM TRYING!!!) and they still look great. In my 20s we would buy Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs and they were priced around $300 and now Miu Liu is like, $7,000. Like seriously, WTF. That’s 70 percent of a Birkin BWHAHAHAHA.
I bought this dress and it costs less than Miu Miu flats from the 90s. I’ve been wearing it non-stop and I put it in the washer and hang dry and it’s great!
I also like the wrap dresses, they are so flattering even for those of us with “ruler bodies.” (A stylist told me that’s what they call us girls who have no waist as in my waist and my hips are about the same size, which is great coz I have no hips but then you’re like a 34-26-28, kind of boyish and dresses are all about WAISTS and I have none but it’s okay, this still looks flattering.)
I thought I would post more stuff but I’m tired now and my friend Sarah A. said everyone needs a jobby, it’s like a hobby that’s like a job but you don’t make any money from it. I don’t get anything from these links! Maybe I should but I don’t! LOL!
Anyway, WHEN STARS ALIGN is out now and is a great beach read!!! There you go, book promo time, or you know, my real job, not jobby. My agent would be proud!
XOXO
Mel
I remember you once wrote that you liked my style and I was SO flattered. I consider you a style guru