CONSIDER YOURSELF A SHOPPER #23: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEEL LIKE AN ADULT?
Does it involve oyster plates and capri pants?
Adulthood has been on my mind a great deal lately, and it appears I’m not alone in my contemplation. Recently, a colleague and I found ourselves discussing how Coachella felt a little passé, and we both agreed that the real places to be are now Milan for Salone del Mobile or Geneva for Watches and Wonders. (Despite missing out on both this year, I'm manifesting my presence at both of them next year - universe, are you listening?)
Nevertheless, while this year seems to feel more and more like the “year of the adult,”I also recognize that my current inclination towards it may have something to do with the fact that I’m approaching an age that feels symbolically significant in American culture. I’ll finally be able to rent a car without any limitations or extra fees, and the world will forever be my oyster because of it—hooray! Setting aside oysters for now (we'll circle back to them later), despite being recognized as an official adult by the government and Avis Car Rental, I couldn’t help but wonder: when would I truly feel like an adult? (That was my best shot at a Carrie Bradshaw line – how did I do?)
Instead of waiting for the universe to enlighten me on a feeling, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Perhaps, I thought, feeling like an adult begins by dressing the part. For me that meant slipping into a Zoran jacket that I wore over my Chava Studio tuxedo shirt, all under my VTG J.Crew barn jacket, paired with a pair of Pleats Please trousers (hiked up slightly to reveal a hint of ankle), The Row heels (look at these also from The Row and on sale), diamonds, and a new-to-me Chanel bag.
Dressed for the role of an "adult," I made my way to the store frequented by the "ladies-who-lunch" crowd for shopping. Though I would not be partaking in that holy sacrament, instead, I was meeting a friend for afternoon tea. Before our rendezvous, I took the opportunity to peruse the Phoebe Philo collection, and found myself in a daze rubbing the sumptuous velvet of a Schiaparelli jacket.
After our tea, my friend and I treated ourselves to some window shopping before saying our so longs. As I made my way home, I couldn’t help but muse, "This whole adulting gig isn’t too shabby, is it?" I found myself reflecting on other possible markers of adulthood. I recently splurged on shaving cream, I got a monthly subscription to the Criterion Collection (I couldn’t quite commit to an annual membership, though I know it would've been the more mature thing to do.), and I finally addressed my chronic cough with a doctor (which turned out to be allergies all along!).
I was feeling rather satisfied with my newfound sense of adulthood. That is, until I got home, opened the mailbox, and was greeted by an outstanding bill from a doctor's appointment that lasted all of five minutes. Holding that bill, I reconsidered my recent embrace of being a grown-up and concluded that perhaps I'll remain suspended between adolescence and adulthood a while longer.
Though I may not have figured out what it means to feel like and an adult, I must say that compiling a somewhat nonsensical list of things that could pass for adult pursuits was rather funny and enjoyable. It got me thinking that adding a few more items to that list could be a fun endeavor for today's letter.
So without a further ado here are the things that I have bought, that are in my cart, or simply on my mind….
Auctions
has an excellent newsletter (and a great sense of humor!) dedicated to auctions, and he has single-handedly made the idea of participating in an auction less intimidating for me. In fact, in his most recent newsletter, there is a piece that I am seriously considering bidding on!Oyster Plates
I feel like a certain echelon of adults, those with a refined and elegant lifestyle, have homes full of single-purpose (perhaps somewhat obsolete) items (like a letter opener, how luxurious!). This, of course, made me think of an oyster plate (oysters are timeless, but I feel an oyster plate is not as common in households), whose purpose, as the name implies, is to be the vessel for one’s oysters. I'm struggling to recall where I first encountered it (I firmly believe in giving credit where it's due, so if you're the one who introduced me to oyster plate please jog my memory,
was it you?). In the meantime, I've scoured Etsy and stumbled upon this one, this one, and could someone please snap up this one before I'm tempted to make an impulsive decision!Capri Pants
In my opinion, the carpi pant is the big sister of the kick flares, which is why they are on my “adult list.” High Sport’s kick flare (aka the “newsletter pants” as
referred to them as) feel like they were the gateway drug for this collective journey to capri pants, and though they are seemingly “trending,” I’ve been contemplating showing off the calf muscle for a while now. What I have noticed about the capri pant is that it can go one of two ways usually: sporty or retro, which I feel the latter summarizes where we are in this day and age. I feel like I have circled around this idea in a previous letter, but I think in terms of fashion, there is a certain level of conservatism seeping through. I'm not necessarily referring to politics, but rather to sartorial choices.(above Marc Jacobs
During the FW24 collections, many designers seemed to have been inspired by the swans, as well as the ever present tailoring to feed into the corporate fetish look, a term coined by
. Moreover, I believe many people are fatiguedKeep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Consider Yourself Cultured to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.