Long Live A Bag That Fits A Paperback

On giving it time, a gift from a grandmother, and gentle skincare

It turns out, everyone who told me to “give it time” re: the new job was onto something. Things feel much more manageable nearly a month in. Slack continues to terrify me. I check my email when I should be reading. Sometimes I wake up with a tagline that I scribble in my notebook. But other than that, we’re cruising along.

I made huge promises about keeping my shopping reigned in this year, and to be honest, most of that’s gone to the wayside. But fear not, I’m planning on taking things back into my own hands by instating a rule. If I make a clothing purchase, I must outline it to you, Long Live readers. That way, you’ll learn more about my shopping strategies, and I’ll, theoretically, shop more consciously. This segment, The LL Log, will live after Archived Outfit and before Honorable Mentions.

Other happenings: our car broke down, we got it fixed, we spent a weekend in nature, we wondered why we don’t do more nature stuff, attended an amazing bach/bday party, went to Jersey, felt emotional, slept in, kept the windows open, started drinking more ginger tea.

Me (in my Rothy’s) at the bday/bach party

I’m very excited to feature this week’s guest—Elissa Suh—a new friend of mine with a truly lovely newsletter of her own called MOVIEPUDDING. It’s smart, thoughtful, and always interesting. And, even if you aren’t the movie-type, her food content is just as wonderful.

How long have you had this piece?

Six or seven years.

Where did it come from?

My grandmother, who got it from my aunt as a present, in the mid 90s at the latest. The strap was pretty worn down when I received it, and when I brought it to the Gucci store I learned they longer make this model and thus could not fix it. A leather repair shop in the garment district eventually fused it together and extended its lease on life. 

How much did you pay for it?

$0. Grandma got tired of seeing me cycle through tote bags one summer and thought I needed an upgrade.

How do you wear it?

Most frequently cross-body and occasionally like a clutch, as my grandmother sometimes did according to old photos. The navy+grey has an understated neutralizing effect I hadn't expected so it goes with pretty much anything. 

It’s also pretty roomy (large enough to fit a paperback, notebook, or copy of The New Yorker with its head poking out) and weather-proof (the magic of coated canvas), which makes it excellent for travel situations. It's more than likely that the bag is slightly too big for my frame—the strap is rather long— but I’ve chosen to ignore this. Recently I had an extra hole punched for two bucks, so a simple over-the-shoulder look assuages my worry.

 
What does it represent? 

Old-fashioned immigrant dreams, and family. A logo-emblazoned bag isn’t really my thing, and I probably wouldn’t buy this of my own accord, but for immigrants like my grandmother, who is no longer with us and came to the U.S. in the 70s with very little, such a commodity was a sign that you’d made it. It’s special to me for those reasons; a reminder of their struggle and striving, attendant materialism and all. 

Archived Outfit

I know, Elissa is so great. So, let’s shop for some vintage Gucci in her honor. I bought a nylon Gucci Jackie earlier this year to celebrate a freelance milestone. The funny part was, the contract I was celebrating ending up falling through, but the payout was still more than I expected, even for a week of work. That’s my way of saying bags can be strange little reminders of how little control we have, the importance of caring for people around us, and places we go.

$350 for this stunning red horsebit number. I love this shape!

$123 for this subtle croc number from Gucci.

Something easy for under $200.

Something special for the Gucci fan and it’s $250!

I just adore the horsebit. This is under $200.

Honorable Mentions

I’m going through a bit of a switch up with skincare—stripping things back, avoiding anything too harsh, etc. These two products (which happen to be super affordable) have been key.

This rosehip oil goes on top of my hyaluronic acid moisturizer every morning and night. As a person with redness, I find the products calms things down and offers a smooth base for sunscreen. Plus, it’s $12.

I wrote about the second product for The Cut a while back + still can’t get enough. The Tower 28 SOS Rescue Spray is my must-have for hot weather. It’s refreshing, like any mist, but actually active. Experiment with a small size + see what a difference it makes.

Also, I’m calling it: this is my swimsuit of the summer. I’m manic about SPF and this one does the trick, while feeling a little, dare I say, chic?

Said swimsuit

Lessons and Carols: A Meditation on Recovery—Bennington grad alert! This is a perfect book if you like On Being or read David Whyte poems.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful—If you’re into divorce memoirs, this is a great one.

Happy Place—Buy this book. Cancel your Saturday plans. And really indulge in the Emily Henry of it all.

Coventry—I loved the essay about Francis of Assisi.

Flux—Read if you loved the show Severance or reluctantly work in tech.

This week, I wrote a story for WSJ on beach bags and Strat on Rothy’s. Thank you so much for reading x