Long Live Taking A Walk

On the art of strolling

Nine years ago, I stepped out into the early September heat in a cotton tiered dress from Topshop and Nike sneakers with pushed down crew socks. I wore Target sunglasses meant to look like Dior sunglasses. My FIT ID and dorm key were tucked away in a Derek Lam wristlet. Corded headphones. Lana Del Rey. A walk to Whole Foods for a vegan chocolate chip cookie and nothing else on my agenda until a group project meetup in Feldman.

My love of walking was born out of my insatiable, deeply universal desire to immerse myself in New York the second I landed. I wanted to memorize every street corner, to be able to confidently deliver directions to tourists, even to edge my way into the crosswalk like the real residents.

Of course, my walking habit has evolved over the near decade I’ve been here. When I lived in Park Slope, I looped around Prospect Park most mornings. Now, I favor a path that leads me to the Brooklyn Bridge Piers. Just this morning, meeting a friend a neighborhood over, I caught a glimpse of multiple parents on multiple stoops staging first-day-of-school pictures. I love the way walking opens itself up to you. In a workout class, I often find myself staring at the cracks in the exposed brick or wondering about the instructor’s love life. When I’m walking, all the white noise fades. I’m a person. In New York. Walking.

What does this have to do with a fashion substack? Well, you know I have some gear to recommend. And when I set out to invest in my hobby/lifeline/religion of walking this summer, I knew there would be a few essentials.

The first is a place to keep my phone and keys. Sure, walking without a phone sounds idyllic, but maybe when I decamp to rural Minnesota. For now, I love having mine for long calls and podcasts. The best solution, so good my husband has usurped mine, is this Patagonia fanny pack. It’s easy to wash, affordable, and boring. A real trifecta, if you ask me.

cool look

Second is the outfit itself. I lean on the trusted Patagonia once again for the brand’s iconic Baggies. I love the pockets, the lining, and knowing that even if I accidently dry them, they’re not shrinking. As for tops, you know it’s my favorite lululemon tshirt on heavy rotation.

baggies all dressed up

And shoes! I would have LOLed if you would have told me I would be wearing Keens at the start of this year. But the brand’s walking shoes have been a delightful companion for hundreds of miles. They’re very cushioned, much like Hokas, but with better grip, built for the dusty dog runs of Fort Greene Park.

me + my keens vs. the world

Archived Outfit

Baggies are particularly fun to shop for online. Here’s a buffet of sporty shorts to get you in the mood for walking!

This blue is next on my wish list. These are an XL + $20!

This lavender story is so cute! $35 + size large

Another XL in the color I’ve been living in this summer for $45.

Pretty blue in XXS for $25!

Honorable Mentions

So I thrifted in Delaware, but other than that, no clothing was purchased.

Running In The Family—A family memoir of epic proportions—travel, landscapes, messy relationships.

Liking Myself Back—I adored Jacey Duprie growing up. This was an honest portrait of life as a fashion blogger.

The Rabbit Hutch—Midwest rec from my dear friend Tori. Some beautiful sentences in this novel!

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