Put Her in Chanel

Wearing: The Line by K Aletti Bandeau Top + The Line by K Sander Skirt + Chanel 2018/2019 Mixed Metal Chain Around Minaudière (similar) + Tony Bianco Daisy Kitten Heels

Is it obvious yet that I’m a bag lady who lives in The Line by K? I like what I like, and I can’t help but be steadfast in my affinities for particular cuts and aesthetics. (Or fixations, if we’re being honest here). This two-piece set, however beautifully draped, veers off course from my usual silhouette—which is why it remained untouched in my closet until more recently. At the time, I’d fallen in love with the idea of it—the fantasy of being confident enough to bare my entire midsection, then wearing this to dinner in the heart of Old San Juan (or a comparable city). I had bought into its potential instead of considering my life and body as it was—an ill-advised justification in most scenarios.

Luckily, I’ve reached a state where I’m content with how I look, and am in a city (and current trend cycle) where tiny tops and even tinier bottoms have become socially acceptable—especially in the height of summer, in the midst of a heatwave. Is this the most flattering ensemble for my body? No, but I did enjoy dressing up in what would’ve otherwise become a Neverworn™. What fun—and relief—it was, giving this balloon skirt a spin along with one of my favorite bags of all time: a rather rare Chanel clutch, which I believe is from Karl Lagerfeld’s Fall-Winter 2016/2017 collection.

Aside from my mini Chanel 25 (a rich espresso hobo that I haven’t seen on anyone else, much less found online—except in the small size, here), my other Chanel bags are exclusively from Karl Lagerfeld’s time at the French house. (This being the oldest in my personal archive, from Lagerfeld’s earlier years.) I love all of them equally, but I’m especially enamored with the details on the minaudière. It’s logomania done with taste. To have every brand hallmark present—quilting, the double CC emblem, chains, mixed metal hardware—could’ve easily tipped the scale to tacky territory. But because the design is so daintily scaled, the effect is rather refined. I’m smitten with how the petite double Cs catch the light, and how they punctuate like tiny tufted buttons in silver, ruthenium, and gold. Moreover, the clutch fits a phone and then some! I love an impractical bag, but I adore when something so seemingly precious is crafted with functionality in mind, too.

Chanel 2018/2019 Chain Around Minaudière + Chanel Beige Eau de Parfum + Chanel Rouge Coco Hydra Gloss, No. 458 Éclectique + Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres Longwear Lip Pencil, 162 Nude Brun

Everything else was kept prim and proper. There’s almost too much skin on show for personal comfort, but in L.A.—surrounded by gorgeous girls in microscopic ensembles and boys who love a cropped top and don little shorts—all is well. Hair was swept up in a messy, but still austere twist fastened in a claw clip. (I like the unfussiness of it, especially with a look and bag like this.) For makeup, just a swipe of gloss over lined lips; the same principle of hair-to-outfit juxtaposition also applies.

To finish, exactly three spitzes of Chanel Beige from the Les Exclusifs fragrance collection: one at the nape of the neck, another shared between inner elbows, and the final behind the knees. If you smell this on paper or on your wrists within the first few minutes, Beige seems just, well, beige. But give it time to develop, and it evolves into a gossamer veil of hawthorn and aldehydes. A hint of honey warms with skin and time, sweetening frangipani’s natural sunshine.

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