LE CATCH

I ran away. Fled from the stubborn stench of smoke, the tangled logistics of temporary housing, the relentless churn of grief, stress and problem solving. I needed to come up for air--space to breathe (without hearing about debris or the DWP), even if just for 36 hours. So I boarded a 90-minute United flight to Costa Palmas, where my twin sister is shooting. At the hotel, I recognized a couple from my flight. We exchanged glances, polite nods. "Escaping the cold in LA," they said. They must be from another part of LA, because I wasn't running from 55-degree weather. Now I'm here, sharing a king sized bed with my sis, stretching out on a chaise lounge, waiting for her to wrap up a work, trying to feel normal. Which will mean taking a long bike ride, reading my book, shopping in the hotel's gift shop (I already spied the made-in-Mexico CUCA shell-trimmed bags below), and, yes, scrolling for sun-kissed styles that whisper of brighter days ahead. Because even in the midst of uncertainty, some things remain constant: the pursuit of comfort, a sense of ease, and of course, the perfect dress(es) that make me feel a little lighter. Soon, I hope to slip into these by Diotima, Soeur, Staud, Free People, Wayf, Ulla Johnson, and Tory Burch. P.S. I'm wearing a new heart pendant from Thatch and never-take-off Adina Reyter beads, this Hunza G suit, and a beloved Zara.

My friend and fellow Palisadian Noora Raj Brown captured the current ground-zero zeitgeist in her latest Substack, writing, "There's buying for a fantasy life, buying for the life you have, and buying for the life you are trying on." Remarkably, the clothes, all new from Banana Republic (!) pictured here tick all three lives! There's the under $100 striped and belted blouse, above, along with the puff-sleeve top, the camel wool shirt jacket (on sale), and the poplin tie dress, Plus, they're pretty affordable.

Once considered too casual for Paris Couture Week, denim has not only become acceptable but preferable for show-goers and runway models. This season, however, there's a twist: the denim du jour is crisp, dark indigo--sleek, polished and decidedly elevated. Like the key looks parading down the runways--puffed sleeves, pastels, above-the-knee skirts--dark denim is poised to become a staple of our everyday wardrobes. I want to slip into these perfectly-cut styles from Citizens of Humanity, Toteme (the soon-to-be cult pair), Levi's, AGOLDE, J.Crew, and Slvrlake.

Photos: Sandra Semburg

I'll tell you what will make the days ahead a little bit easier to get through: effortlessly stylish clothes! I don't have many places to wear the above $49(!) clasp-adorned one-and-done Zara right now, but the $49 basic chunky v-neck definitely works for the current spin cycle! So do these updates from Bally, Ganni, 3.1 Phillip Lim, H&M, and Veronica Beard. P.S: Planning for warm and sunny and zero stress in this new J.Crew!

$86, marks and spencer

Poised for carefree days ahead...

1. Zimmermann dress, $1100, netaporter.com

2. Maison Mayle twin set of hoops*, $415, netaporter.com

3. Marks and Spencer straw tote bag, $86, marksandspencer.com

4. Aldo sandals, $80, nordstrom. com

As I scour West Los Angeles for the perfect storage unit, I'm balancing out the mundane with a bit of whimsy--eyeing some delightfully frivolous things I don't need right now but can't resist, including the And Other Stories fringe, above, the trench, below, and these most excellent Dries Van Noten dupes from Jeffrey Campbell. May this weekend be mellow!

Now that I am officially that person camped out at a coffee shop with a laptop every day, I might as well embrace the vibe and dress the (effortlessly cool girl) part. I'd start with the pinstriped Zara blazer (no need to wear anything underneath), the throw-it-on-top-of-everything cape, cuffs and a camel crewneck from Cos, satin slippers by Loulou de Saison, the perfectly cut suede Soeur jacket, comfy slip on boat shoes by Vince and some fringe from Tuckernuck.

As I've been replacing clothes for my kids--heaps and heaps of t-shirts, sweatpants and sweatshirts swallowed up in the fire--I've been thinking about what wardrobe staples really mean. For my boys, it's simple: comfy, practical, no-brainer styles that they'll tire of before they wear out! For us grown-ups, it's a tad more complicated. We want the building blocks of a functional, versatile wardrobe, but with a touch of refinement that makes them feel purposeful and effortlessly stylish. It would be a luxury to have a clear and current edit of these elevated essentials, especially right now! Net-a-Porter's Wardrobe Edit comes in with the win, featuring pieces that work every day (NOT clothes you may wear some day). It ranges from Nili Lotan cotton twill barrel leg pants (in six must-have colors!) to the one and only AGOLDE ($300) leather jeans, along with a not-too-pricey but perfectly-cut Theory cashmere sweater, the everyday elegant Maria McManus button-down shirt, a boxy Staud t-shirt (yes, in outfit-updating chocolate brown), Bally boat shoes, and Adidas Sambas (also on my kids' restock list). In other words, it's got us covered from every angle. Replenish here.

$59, h&m

Looking forward to brighter days in this cotton classic.

1. Jacquemus sweater, $750, mytheresa.com

2. AGOLDE jeans, $220, netaporter.com

3. H&M twill jacket, $59, hm.com

4. Altuzarra bag, $895, shopbop.com

5. Aeyde leather boat shoes, $435, netaporter.com

Allow me to indulge myself this Monday and pretend I am anywhere but here. Square Diner in Tribeca would be a good place to land, especially in a cozy faux fur jacket by Malene Birger. I hear it's super cold in NYC today, but I would weather the chill just fine, like Michal Kurtis, pictured here. I love her shearling trimmed TWP jacket, below, the Banana Republic fringed oversized scarf, the Prada barn jacket (sigh, love the idea of this $180 long version and this leather trimmed Isabel Marant and this denim Madewell), this Monse carwash dress, a faux leather Frankie Shop trench coat, a chic pillbox hat, plus this hybrid denim 3.1 Phillip Lim trench, this Mango wrap jacket, and these Dries Van Noten sneakers. Add to the fantasy some Miu Miu boat shoes (or these dupes). If you haven't read my latest post-fire Substack, published yesterday, please do here. Okay, that's all I got today.