Long Live A City-Approved Bag

On Jess Graves's iconic handbag.

Happy new year, Long Live readers! I’ve been working on a styling series over on Vogue, and the last story came out last week. I’ll be writing way less stories this year, but whatever I do write, I’ll be sure to share here.

Back to business! You might have heard, I’m setting a pretty lofty goal for myself this year, alongside my best friend. I’m not going to buy any new clothes. I’m lucky because I get gifted a lot for work and secondhand clothes are still in the running (more on that next newsletters), but it’ll still be a challenge.

Self-inflicted shopping woes aside, this week, I’m excited to have Jess Graves on Long Live. She writes an incredibly well curated Substacked called The Long List that everyone reading this would adore. And today, she’s here to talk about the kind of bag I dream of being chic enough to carry someday.

The piece in question: Margaux 17 Suede Tote Bag in Orange - The Row.

How long have you had this piece?

Just a few months, I got her in September after thinking about it since the December prior -- almost a year of pondering.

jessnellgraves

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Where did it come from?

MyTheresa, my personal shopper Peter Cline is the absolute best and has revolutionized the way I shop online.

How much did you pay for it?

I got it for 30% off, plus an additional 40% off during a flash sale.

jessnellgraves

A post shared by @jessnellgraves

How do you wear it?

Honestly? With everything. I have such a neutral wardrobe that even though the bag matches nothing, it goes with everything.

What does it represent?

Moving to New York. It was right around when I relocated from Atlanta, and I needed a bigger bag to schlep my stuff after going from a driving city to a walking one. I used to carry everything around in my car! Now, this is my car.

Archived Outfit

Well, it turns out there’s kind of a shortage of orange The Row bags on the secondhand market.

Ok $650 is not bad for this red bag from The Row on eBay.

Gorgeous black leather tote from The Row somewhere in the $800 range.

If you’re a bucket bag girl, this is a great option for $750, also from The Row.

My favorite for $650 on The RealReal!

Honorable Mentions

I’ve been reminded, and I hope this happens a lot in my no new clothes year, of pieces I’m so glad I’ve purchased. This lululemon tshirt is still a standby. I wear it under a blazer, under wool sweaters, even to Pilates.

Zero At The Bone—I love Christian Wiman and this is his greatest book yet.

The Red Car—A rec from Ruby! Such a fast read and I love anything involving a road trip.

Quiet Street—Rubes again here. Slim, fascinating, all about privilege in NYC.

Before I Let Go—I stay on my romance journey! This is a recent favorite recommended by Emily Henry.

You, Again—Quite long for a romance book, but enjoyed it over the holidays, nonetheless.

Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x