Allow me to distract you from your anxiety.
Let's spiral about a jacket instead because that seems logical.
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I am fullllll of nerves and anxiety and it seems unfair that we’re expect to just go about our week normally when everything is on the line.1 To give my nerves some focus, I’m spiraling about a jacket instead because that’s how it goes around here. But, it’s not just any jacket, it’s this one:
This jacket is by Nili Lotan and it’s $1,150 American dollars and that is not happening, obviously. But I love the whole outfit so I started looking for something similar. First, I bought the Quince version which sort of similar but more of lady jacket:
This is a terrible photo, but this jacket is nice! It’s wool, fully lined and beautifully made (seriously, for $89 this is a bargain) but it just didn’t really work on me2. Too boxy, too lady-ish. Next, I ordered this Boden military jacket which seemed basically perfect except it was blue:
Listen, this is a nice jacket. The quality you’d expect from Boden but something about the color and the standup collar just skewed a little too preppy, which is not what I wanted. As my friend Ashley so rightly stated, “It’s giving you a congress vibe.” I returned it. (It’s currently sold out but there’s a size 10 on the way back!) My jeans are Everlane.
Next, I bought this Ruti jacket, which was on sale at the time but still more than I wanted to spend. I’d never tried this brand but the jacket was the closest dupe I’d seen so I thought I’d give it a shot:
Okay, yes. I bought the weird Nili Lotan Shon jeans. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I have worn the everloving shit out of these man-repelling jeans. The denim is sublime and they’re oddly flattering? The coolest jeans ever. (The RealReal is great for stuff like this, btw.)
Anyway, the Ruti jacket. It’s… fine? But this is when I really came to terms with this shape not being for me. It’s not hanging right at all and it’s too cropped. Also, this jacket, which retails for $279, is polyester and felt like it. I mean, come on. I am returning it.
Finally, I went OUT INTO THE WORLD last weekend and tried on some things in person. I tried on this Madewell jacket which has a real leather collar and is way cuter IRL but was more than I wanted to spend and the epaulettes felt kind of aggressive. Then I went across the way to Evereve and tried on this cropped bomber jacket from Kut from the Kloth and whoop, there it is:
This is the actual cropped jacket shape that works on me. This little jacket is nicely made, has a bit of weight to it and is satisfyingly minimal while still being interesting. The pics on Nordstrom are better, if you’re into it. I obviously bought it and now my spiral is over and I can go back to worrying about, like, everything else. Help.
I don’t generally write about politics online because there are much more intelligent, qualified people who can do that but y’all know where I stand. 💙
THIS IS FORESHADOWING.
Thank you for the distraction! Love the jacket you ended up with. It’s perfect on you. I would get one too but I’ll need to wait until the impact of eating my feelings as a way of coping with election anxiety kicks in. Ugh.
In the vein of black humor, I woke up to three different "can I distract you" Substacks! They know their audience. Yours, honestly, is my favorite. I plan to put on the Lucky Brand military jacket that you "helped" me buy a couple of years ago, go look at beautiful things , and say a little prayer for the election.
Years ago, a good friend told me, "I will not live in fear". That is my objective, no matter what the election outcome is. We will continue to protect and support those we love, and those we have never met.