Where to Find Vintage Burberry in London and Perfect Pasta in NYC
Plus, a surprise '00s teen heartthrob tribute!
Hi! It’s us again! For issue 2, we’re focused on accessories, contemplating (cute) bugs as signs from the universe, sharing some truly excellent meals from the UK, Chicago and NYC, and manifesting our vision for Sofia Coppola’s next project.
Happy shopping/eating/reading!
Rach + Cait
Open Tabs
CP: I have been eyeing the Danish jewelry company Ragbagstudio since Jessie Bush posted about them during Copenhagen Fashion Week. I am compelled by the hoops she wore (I DMed the brand and they confirmed they are style #12070) or their more delicate, stone-based hoops. Most likely need will order both!
RKH: Those are both gorgeous and I fully support purchasing a set of each - they’re totally different! I love a bezel setting … you may also be influencing me to order those!! I feel like you can’t go wrong. I’m also focused on jewelry and accessories right now … I feel like I spent the past few summers wearing different shades of plastic heart glasses at bachelorette parties, birthdays and honestly sometimes Just For Fun. I can genuinely say I have a whole new mindset with a pair of heart-shaped glasses on - like I’m more fun, prettier, see the world more lovingly, perhaps? Have been very seriously contemplating making it a permanent part of my identity with these Gucci heart glasses … they’re sooooo cute.
Years ago, I was eating a piece of buttered toast on a family trip, and my aunt walked by and said “you come from a long line of toast eaters.” I have not been able to get that phrase out of my head and truly think about my toast eating elders every time I slather a piece of sourdough in salty butter. The algorithm was algorithm-ing and showed me this toast with butter charm from Mociun, and now I feel like my life will be incomplete until I have it. In general, I have been very drawn to food-centric accessories lately, and Panache does this especially well … the pasta purse strap on the baguette bag is a truly perfect detail! And speaking of baguettes, I’m also in love with this Dauphinette baguette bag for NYFW. A work of art!!!
CP: Sounds like we are making a pilgrimage to the Dauphinette West Village store when you are here this fall! Or, maybe we need to get you one of Apt 2 Bread’s glossy bread mirrors?
RKH: Um yes we do! Immediately adding to my list. Also in my cart - an Herbs for Relaxation shirt I’ve been debating all summer, but now that we’re heading into fall I’m thinking a jacket might be the move. The horse suede patch jacket is speaking to me, fingers crossed for a restock! Hand-painted clothing in general is interesting to me right now - I love keely.llc’s work. The kiss Levi’s she did for Courtney Crews recently are on my mood board for fall!
Interiors-wise, I have this idea in my head that I want to commission a custom toile and then have it printed on fabric … I’ve had on my to do list forever to reupholster our dining room chairs, and it could be so special for that? I also kind of hate the current curtains in our dining room so could be fun there too. Envisioning an assortment of some of our favorite places and/or foods, etc., and printing in black and white. In most of my research I feel like the drawings come out feeling too modern and “computer rendered” and I want them to feel more vintage … I found these two shops on Etsy that I feel like could work … just need to decide what to include!
And lastly! On my to do list - book myself a spa day for my birthday coming up! Knot Springs is my typical go to (how can you resist the hot/cold situation?!) but I’ve also been looking forward to the opening of the new The NOW Massage off of Hawthorne in SE Portland! Also on the agenda - omakase at Nimblefish, seeing Local Natives, and a little get together at Dogwood Wine + Flowers off of Alberta.
Closed Tabs
CP: As a certified Nightgown Girl™️, I can’t stop singing the praises of my new coucou slip! It’s already pulling its weight in the Summer 2 heat wave we’re having in NYC.
RKH: CUTE! I feel like this is so generally wearable, if you ever decide to take her out of the apartment!
CP: Absolutely! Keeping with that effort to stay cool, we walked the dog over to Biddrina Gelato the other day. It’s the sweetest, pint-sized (🙃) stand in Clinton Hill from the Locanda Vini e Olii team. Mike and I both had the orange peel + crema flavor and I have no notes!
As for other recent perfect foods, I finally made it to Forsythia and can confirm it is the platonic ideal of a NYC restaurant. The service — relaxed, the short rib agnolotti — incredible, as advertised. When asked where to go for pasta in Manhattan, I normally don’t hesitate to suggest Altro (admittedly biased) or King but I think this may take the cake now!
Further uptown, I recently decided to eventize a dentist appointment (fun fact, my dentist is/was also Busy Philipps’ dentist!) by crossing the park afterwards to go to the new Gilder Center in the Museum of Natural History. Architecturally, it’s kind of Flintstones-y, but in a chic way?
AMNH isn’t my favorite museum in the city (the taxidermy animals make me sad!) but I had my sights set on the butterfly exhibit. Turns out, it’s a bad idea to go when kids are on summer vacation, crowd-wise. However! The butterflies are surprisingly chill and willingly land on you, which feels like it shouldn’t be allowed because humans can’t be trusted.
Of course, after I went I saw Samantha Irby post this meme. And honestly, not no!
RKH: I’m obsessed with this butterfly update! This makes me think of a really nice day we had a few weeks ago at the Chicago Botanic Garden - taking notes for my future garden dreams with this Maison Rouge sunflower - where at one point we were surrounded by butterflies, hummingbirds, dragonflies and even a lady bug … all four of which are on my list of “things that are messages from the universe” (along with angel numbers, a rainbow, 11:11, consistent yellow traffic lights, finding a whole sand dollar, seeing ski chair #1, and hearing the same song playing at the same time on more than one radio station. My list is long and specific!). The fact that you had a butterfly land on your hand absolutely has to be good luck, IMO!
CP: Super in support of the specificity of this list! Hearing the same song on multiple stations feels “very sim” (ding ding ding for the Armcherries!) to me too.
After meeting the butterflies, the last big thing on my NYC Summer Bucket List was attending the US Open Women’s Finals. This Sporty Spice pivot was… very off-brand, as a Posh sun/moon, Ginger rising. I attribute it to the Drive to Survive producers being so dang good at their jobs! But, truthfully, it was more than 50% motivated by wanting to drink a Honey Deuce and buy a hat at the merch stand. Joke’s on me though, because watching Coco crush it ended up being in my top 5 New York days, hands down!
RKH: I do feel like there’s something to be said for Posh’s specific brand of WAG energy - I think you can embrace watching sports in a chic way, you know?
We visited the home of the Spice Girls at the end of August, with a few days in Chicago on the way over. A great mix of quality family time and exploring in both places! In Chicago, we had a very special meal at Boka to celebrate our anniversary, preceded by a cocktail and a caviar cone at Bar Mar. The margarita with salt air foam continues to live rent free in my mind. Honorable mention also goes to the serrano ham and little gem salad at Publican.
While in London, a major highlight was visiting Check It - a vintage shop wholly dedicated to authenticated vintage Burberry. I am still way too excited about the Burberry for Harrod’s coat I snagged! I’ve always found trenches difficult to wear when it starts to get colder just because I feel like a stuffed sausage with too many layers underneath. This one has a wool lining that buttons in and out - very versatile and chic! I’m prepared to make this jacket my entire personality this fall … sorry in advance.
Some UK shopping highlights … finding some special mother of pearl drawer pulls at Chloe Alberry in Notting Hill. I was honestly overwhelmed by the “jewelry of the house,” options, as she says! Bookmarking her as a resource for our future home. Gaw’s aunt took me to a car boot sale in a nearby neighborhood where I found some special souvenirs - a little carved horse head (currently functioning as a paper weight), tiny seafood forks with shells on them, and a few other treasures I could easily justify slipping into the CalPak compakt duffel mentioned in our first issue (can confirm - was a great call to bring and will be using again!). Too large to come home with me were a pair of Birmingham Hallmark silver collared crystal decanters - similar here - and a gorgeous rosewood chess table (like this). Do I play chess? No. Do I intend to enter my Queen’s Gambit era? Absolutely not. But it’s all about the vibes, ok!! Will admit I’m extra disappointed after looking both up afterward and realizing I would have gotten both for a steal at Antiques No.12 in Arundel . Nothing haunts you like the vintage you didn’t buy!! We can file this tab as closed but not forgotten. 🥲
We wrapped up our visit with a trip to Cliveden (a country estate turned luxury hotel!), what is allegedly the oldest pub in Britain (apparently many compete for this designation), and a proper Sunday roast lunch to send us off.
CP: You had me at car boot sale (cute) and then again at aesthetic chess sets!
Open Books
CP: I, like everyone, had to binge-read The Guest by Emma Cline before summer was over to see what all the hype was about. Without spoilers, I can see how the ending would be polarizing. But, I read it cover-to-cover in less than 48 hours, so the storytelling was gripping at the very least!
In terms of non-fiction, I also breezed through a collection of short stories about a summer trip to Greece in the 70’s called Mermaids and Ikons, a gift/rec from my Mom. Pretty sure I lowered my cortisol levels just by reading about the Greek pace of life! It also feels like something that should be on the shelves at Cafe Lyria, right above their tiny TV that I think just plays Disney’s Hercules on loop — simply love to see it.
Next up on my want to read list is The Rachel Incident (is it even a newsletter if I don’t find some way to shout out Caroline? Who I am delighted now shares my anniversary!) and Bourdain’s World Travel, the collection of tips written after his passing by his assistant, Laurie Woolever. I loved her episode of the Cherry Bombe podcast and have had it on my mental and then literal shelf ever since!
RKH: I’m very excited about the recent arrival of my copy of Archive, Sofia Coppola’s new book. It really is so special - looking at all of her personal photos and memories of filming some of the most nostalgic movies for me is so fun. I went through a major obsession with Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides in high school, and getting that BTS content is making me feel teleported mentally back to my teenage bedroom! Side note that I feel like Sofia and Emma Cline would be great collaborators, if they’re not already talking!
CP: Strong agree. Reserve my ticket now!
Open Obsessions
CP: 🚨Potentially hot take alert! 🚨 Genuinely one of my greatest joys this summer has been completing a full Fast and the Furious series re-watch. I earnestly cannot recommend this enough. The movies are, obviously, capital C camp. Howeverrrrr — isn’t it such a balm to be able to turn off your brain for 90 minutes and just trust that Vin Diesel will take care of everything? Even if it means sending Ludacris and Tyrese to literal space (a real plot line) to save his “family”? 14/10, they’re good dogs, Brent recommend. Pour a Corona out for Paul!
As for other *cinema*, a teaser trailer dropped for the latest Emerald Fennell movie, Saltburn. The Gatsby meets Secret History of it all — you have my attention, Camilla!
RKH: Fast and Furious!! You’re having a moment with extremely fast cars. Have I ever told you that Paul Walker is the only celebrity I’ve ever really had a crush on? I had a full collage shrine to him on my closet door growing up (with this poster as the anchor, obvi) … never moved on when he passed away (RIP!).
CP: A closet door/ binder insert dedicated to Paul was for sure part of the starter pack of that era. Which also should include the black and white Josh Hartnett Teen People poster (RIP Teen People!).
RKH: They just don’t make heartthrobs worthy of a CosmoGirl spread like they used to. Same, same but different re: cars as a lifestyle … I’ve started a little collection of photos of vanity license plates that speak to me and have become low key obsessed with them in general. As a Libra with anxiety, how would you choose what to write in such a permanent way? How do you decide how you want to be perceived by everyone else on the road? How do you navigate character count constraints? Upon further research it also only costs $50/year additionally. Somehow this feels too low?!
Also, I’m obsessed with the bra Drake photo. Particularly the making of the photo. Whose job was it to line up the bras?!
CP: You have to imagine it’s an underpaid social media manager (bless!) who started from the bottom… now they’re here…
That’s all for issue #2! If you want to see more vanity plates and vintage finds, follow us at @opentabsletter!
