Dreaming of Spring
Buying for Fall
Spring may be just around the corner (we hope!) but we are fresh off a few days in New York and knee deep in buying for Fall ‘25.
Buying ahead always plays tricks on your mind. You’re gearing up for one season but buying for a completely different one. I do appreciate the fact that when a season closes out, you jump right into thinking about that same season, only for a year later. Your perspective on what worked well, and what didn’t, is still so fresh in your mind and makes curating your buy all that more meaningful.
This was Abby’s first buying trip post maternity leave and it was SO FUN to be back in action together. Pre-covid, we would have spent 3-days at the Javits Center shopping all of our brands at Coterie. If you aren’t familiar, Coterie is a twice yearly trade show for the women's apparel market. During COVID, all of our key brands moved from showing at Coterie to showing in their own showrooms. This trend seems to be sticking around - so, instead of walking the aisles at the Javits Center, we Uber all around NYC hopping from one showroom to the next.
Here are a few highlights and takeaways from our trip…
Brown is the color of the season. From denim, to suede, to knits - we saw the hue in nearly every showroom we visited. Most iterations were a rich, chocolatey version that felt super wearable.
Abby and I both loooove a good coat. And, this season is full of some really good ones. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but The Great had us ooo-ing and ahhh-ing and omg-ing for 30 minutes straight. Pretty sure every coat they offered made it onto our pull rack. Nobody does elevated yet casual, classic yet on trend quite like them. The standouts? An updated spin on the barn jacket - made infinitely better with a faux fur collar and bright red liner. It’s a piece we’re still thinking about. The camo fleece with red piping details will most certainly make its way into my closet.
Apparis, a longtime favorite of ours, revisited many of their best selling classic styles but in updated colors and fabrications. Abby nearly keeled over when she saw their full length fur. It was spectacular in person.
A standout at BA&SH was the Milas jacket - a brown suede cropped jacket with feminine details. Paired back to denim, Fall dresses or a great black pant - this jacket was absolute perfection.
Also, suede - and lots of it.
Major denim callouts were minimal…but just know that the barrel is here to stay. We love the more subtle, wearable variations of this style. The Miro from Citizens was back on our order as well as new versions from both AGOLDE and MOTHER. Wide legs, both cropped and full length and subtle flares are styles that continue to drive many of the collections.
Donni is a brand we’ve had our eyes on for a while - we were thrilled to finally see the line in person and write it for all stores. They may be known for their Rib Kick Flare (a super stretchy, ultra-flattering, rib knit pant that can be dressed-up or dressed down) but what stole our hearts was their Silk Stripe Crop pant.
As per usual, Frank & Eileen did not disappoint. Many of their e-comm only sweater knit styles are making their way to wholesale - an indication that they are proven winners. We loved their new Mini Cotswolds cardigan, offered in several new colors for next Fall and both added personals in the Rory in an all new black corduroy to the order.
Season after season, Rails continues to evolve in the best way and, once again, made it nearly impossible to scale back on our favorites. From early Fall dresses to super soft and easy to layer sweaters, we loved what we saw.
Where we ate…
After a long day of travel, showroom visits and snacking on next to nothing - we always crave one thing: pasta. La Pecora Bianca - a great spot, right near our hotel fits the bill perfectly. We split the arugula salad, bolognese and cacio e pepe every time. Bonus, they do gluten free pasta!
While at Donni, they served us the MOST delicious chilled red wine. Imagine your favorite rosé meeting your favorite dry, light pinot noir - this was it. So good.
What we wore…
While it always feels like we should be going all out on these trips, what we’ve found works best are classic combos we reach for in our everyday lives. We both packed Wolford bodysuits (so excited to add some new versions from new brands to all stores next year!) and our favorite denim - the SLVRLAKE Grace for me & the AGOLDE 90’s crop for Abby. Pairing a bodysuit back to a favorite blazer, like this one or this one, allows us to easily try on everything and anything - which we have found to be a necessity. Sometimes you think something is so good only to find out that once you have it on, it’s so not.
What else we packed…
I’m a longtime fan of Necessaire and have used this body wash and this lotion for a few years now and love them for both their simplicity and effectiveness. Speaking of effective…their new deodorant! I’ve been on the hunt for an all-natural deodorant for years but have never found one that actually works. Until now. Trust me ladies, this is it. It’s only been a week but I’m sold. So sold, that I’ve already thrown out my secret stash of Dove that I just couldn’t quit.
Until next time!