Long Live

The hunt extends beyond years-long eBay search alerts and a borderline obsessive relationship with live auctions. Shopping small brands is just as much a part of the process. Which is why today, I’ll be highlighting a handful of brands I adore with less than 10,000 followers on Instagram. You can say you got in on the ground floor AND support a small business. Win/win! My ask? Link your favs I missed in the comments so this can be a resource for all gifting/shopping needs in an ongoing capacity.

Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. There’s a hole in your content calendar. Then your pal Lena Dunham graces you with an assignment: what t-shirts are we wearing? Because it’s not as simple of a predicament as one might assume upon casual questioning. A t-shirt (a good one) is a steady companion. Washed, dried, worn, wept into, left at a hook up’s, borrowed from the love of your life, stained, dry cleaned, ripped, and stitched back up.

You know that dream—that aspiration—buried under responsibility and grown up “shoulds” that keeps knocking on your door? We all have one. And I’m going to share mine here; even though it terrifies me.

I’m a Sound of Music superfan. Do we have a name? The Marias? Label aside, I’m one of the millions of people on this planet who find the film to be a comforting salve, a perfect picture, and recently—a style inspiration?! Answering emails but this is where I want to be It could be the psychosis of playing the soundtrack on repeat for my daughter, but recently, I’m quite taken by the costuming in the film. If you’re looking for something extremely practical, this might be for you.

Everybody loves a good white t-shirt. It’s a truth as universal as any. Elegant, understated, downright sexy in my book—it’s the building block of any wardrobe. But how to maintain your ideal white tee after securing it? That, dear reader, is the problem I’m here to solve. A note: if you find a tee you LOVE, buy multiple and save them. Modern Citizen stopped making this exact shirt (similar) and I hate only having one.

Last week, I wrote about expensive things I love spending money on per the trend. Today, I’m sharing inexpensive things I wholeheartedly are worth their weight in gold. And have no interest in upgrading! This is the side of the conversation that can get a little lost in the endless plight for optimization. Enjoy some of my “good enough” picks. And I promise…you won’t guess number 4 :) They’re all under $50! This simple formula is a favorite summer ritual of mine.

Have you seen these videos? People are posting five-ish expensive things worth the money on social. I had to chime in. But if I’m encouraging you to spend your hard-earned money, I thought my suggestions at deserved sort of explanation. And ways to replicate on a budget, too! Trust me, I put off this purchase for over a month. These sunglasses haven’t left my face since I unwrapped them on Mother’s Day! Close to $400, they’re not exactly accessible, so here are a couple pairs from Warby I love.

I was graciously given an actual paper catalog from the 90s from a friend for my 30th. And now, I share its bounty with you. Expect vintage pieces from the brand, styling ideas, and a healthy heaping of nostalgia. If you can ignore the shockingly low prices, you’ll find some fundamental truths about sturdy summer dressing that still apply as much as they did thirty-three years ago. Cotton wins. Monograms are heartwarming. And solid colors really do last the test of time.

As someone who has long idolized the plight of the minimalist, but found herself pretty squarely in the maximalist camp, The Row can feel a little lost on me. Blame it on turning 30, befriending Sarah Kim Harned, or just getting sick of a “pop of color”—whatever it is, I’m a newfound fan without the gumption to spend $800 on a tshirt. And if I know you, Long Live reader, you’re on the same page.

Traveling has always been about the outfits for me. Not the outfits I’m wearing, which I usually keep quite simple for maximum shopping real estate on the way back, but about studying the way locals dress living their everyday lives. I wrote a letter about what I spied in Paris two years ago (linked below) and I still think about the basketball shorts the barista was wearing when I’m getting dressed. Long Live is a reader-supported publication.