Pass Me a Cigarette

The chic, comfortable and quietly life improving things I can’t stop buying

Something is happening.

I can feel it every time I open my closet, every time I get dressed for dinner, every time one of you sends me a DM saying “Wait… do I need drawstring pants now?” The answer, unfortunately for all of us and our credit cards, is yes.

We are entering a very specific elevated era. An effortless-but-expensive looking one. Rich mom on the French Riviera. Carolyn Bessette in the Hamptons. Jackie Kennedy carrying vegetables home from the market on Capri while somehow still looking pressed and unbothered.

And the best part? Comfortable clothes are finally participating!

These are the things I cannot stop wearing, ordering, repurchasing, talking about, forcing onto friends, and accidentally building entire outfits around lately. Some are practical. Some are wildly unnecessary. All are elite.

The Drawstring Pants That Started a Movement

You know that feeling when you put something on and suddenly your entire closet starts making sense again?

That was me in New York in March when I bought the Kyoto pants. Cotton. Loose flattering leg. Slightly cropped. Drawstring waist. The kind of pants that make people stop you on the street and ask where they’re from while pretending they’re not asking where they’re from.

I shared them once and my DMs immediately became a support group.

The problem? They are selling out quickly.

The solution? I found an almost identical pair at J.Crew for under $100 and honestly they may be even more practical because they come in classic, petite, and tall lengths. We love inclusivity for our ankles. Don’t sleep on this polka dot pair (on sale) that I packed for Paris and Round Hill. Makes you look tan and chic. Pair with this perfect never out of style white linen button down (holley-15).

I’m deeply interested in the peppermint ice color which is this soft pinky-white that looks like summer in Italy. But the others are equally chic. They have that impossible combination of polished and relaxed, which is really all any of us are chasing at this point.

Wear them with a white tee and sandals. Or take a tip from the cool girls and wear them with the viral huaraches. Designer option here (in almost sold out metallic here) or a great pair for a lot less here (I have these). Wear them with the everything shirt or a quintessential button down and chic woven ballet flats. Wear them while holding an iced coffee and pretending you summer in the South of France.

No notes.

The Taffeta Pants That Make You Look Like You Own a Villa Somewhere

The original silk taffeta pair I shared sold out in record time because apparently we all collectively decided we wanted to look like glamorous women escaping to the Amalfi Coast.

Reasonable.

But I found another taffeta version and I fear they may actually be better. 15% off ‘golden”.

Seven colors. SAGE GREEN. Bath blue. A rose pink that made me immediately add to cart with zero thought. They run roomy (size down for a tailored fit imo). I take the xs but would love a xxs.

Some colors are already backordered but let me tell you something: future you will not care. Future you will be drinking champagne outside somewhere warm wearing these pants with oversized sunglasses and saying things like “we should really come here every July.”

That woman deserves happiness and these pants!

They are dramatic in the best way. Crisp but airy. Expensive looking without trying too hard. Very “my husband owns a boat but I read French novels” energy.

Pass me a cigarette.

Blush Has Become a Personality Trait

I don’t know when this happened exactly but I’ve become deeply committed to blush.

Maybe it’s because we all want to look alive and rested. Maybe it’s because a good blush makes you look like you spent the weekend at a wellness resort instead of answering emails in your kitchen. Maybe it’s because I am in my 40s. Either way, here we are.

Toasted Teddy remains one of the great loves of my life. I packed her for Paris. NYC. Jamaica. Every trip lately. She somehow works with everything and gives that warm, healthy glow without looking overly “done.”

But I also fell in love with a newer blush that I cannot stop talking about.

It’s a hydro-powder formula which sounds confusing until you put it on and realize it’s cloud like, impossible-to-mess-up blush of your dreams. The color is this innocent Bermuda rose pink that makes you look fresh and expensive and emotionally stable.

It melts into the skin. It builds beautifully. It’s subte without looking shiny. It’s the kind of product that makes you walk past mirrors more often. Oh hello you! I shopped this lip to cheek color (demure) right off of the sales girl.

And yes, the refillable compact scratches the tiny environmentally conscious corner of my brain while I continue ordering belts I absolutely do not need. Holleyn20 20% off sitewide.

Speaking of beautiful makeup…

Westman Atelier Finally Got Me

One of my former coworkers, who is so smart and chic it’s honestly offensive, told me I needed the Westman Atelier blushes in Petal and Chouchette.

To be honest, this brand always intiidated me. But because I trust stylish women with my life, I bought both immediately.

They are STUNNING.

Creamy, blendable, effortless. The kind of blush that makes people ask if you just got back from vacation. I wore them in Jamaica and fully understood the hype. They just give that rich-girl flush that somehow looks natural and intentional at the same time.

Very “I drink green juice and don’t stress about anything.” Could not be me, but at least now I look like her.

The Button Down Era I Never Saw Coming

Somewhere between Love Story and the Carolyn Bessette renaissance and my trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea last year coupled with my growing exhaustion with overthinking outfits, I accidentally became a button-down person. I literally thought I was too short for them and that they were SO unflattering. Turns out they have come a long way since my prep school uniform.

And honestly? It has changed my life.

You know those mornings where you stand in front of your closet convinced you own nothing despite clear evidence to the contrary? A good button-down fixes that.

Jeans and a button-down ( this color is so unique). Skirt and a button-down. Trousers and a button-down. Suddenly you look polished, intentional, vaguely successful.

I wear the stand-up collar CBK-inspired button-downs in French blue and white constantly. CONSTANTLY. One color just got restocked after being sold out forever and if you’ve been waiting, run.

There’s a designer version that costs around $500 and these are under $200 which feels like information women should share with each other immediately.

I wash them at home, steam them quickly, and wear them weekly. They make every outfit feel smarter. More expensive. More East Coast in summer.

Very “there’s chilled Sancerre in the fridge.”

Belts Are the Difference Between Dressed and Styled

This is my newest theory. A good belt changes everything.

You can wear the most basic outfit imaginable, jeans and a shirt, but add a belt and suddenly you look like you belong on a yacht somewhere discussing real estate casually over lunch.

I’m obsessed with this lock belt lately (code holley15). Also a shell buckle belt that feels incredibly Palm Beach grandmother in the chicest possible way. And I’ve become deeply interested in white belts for spring and summer because they somehow make every outfit look richer.

There’s also a fringe belt I’m trying VERY hard not to order but I fear resistance is futile.

If you see me wearing it in two weeks mind your business.

The Bag That Looks Like Quiet Luxury Without the Waitlist

I discovered these bags from Colores Collective and immediately spiraled.

They remind me of the Hermès Garden Party tote but honestly I may prefer the proportions on these even more. They have little feet on the bottom, adjustable side panels, and this beautiful leather-and-canvas combination that somehow works for literally everything. And she has a crossbody strap for all our handsfree moments.

Pool. Beach. Work. Airplane. Farmer’s market. Diaper bag. Rich lady grocery run. Nancy Meyer’s would adore this bag. Ina too!

I ended up getting the olive sage green and I’m obsessed. But the coral was tempting. The Hamptons blue was tempting. I am only one woman.

The Ballet Flats Vogue and I Agree On

I had a revelation recently.

Apparently if ballet flats don’t fit correctly, you tighten the string.

I KNOW. Well, at least this brand.

How many pairs have I returned unnecessarily over the years? We may never know.

But these ecru Margaux ballet flats are genuinely one of the best shoe purchases I’ve made in years. I walked over 10,000 steps in them the first day without a blister which honestly deserves national news coverage.

They are buttery soft, flexible, elegant, and this perfect soft off-white color that somehow makes your legs look tanner.

They add texture and softness to every outfit. Great with jeans. Great with shorts. Great with skirts. Great for pretending you live in Paris and carry baguettes home daily.

Vogue loves them. I love them. We are aligned.

The Dress I Cannot Stop Thinking About

I’m attending an event for Louise New York, a brand I’ve admired forever, and there is one dress that has completely taken over my brain.

It’s this incredible floral print with fringe at the sleeves and hem and it just MOVES beautifully. The kind of dress that makes you want to hold a coupe glass dramatically while someone plays jazz nearby. Also available in this blue print with fringe.

It feels breezy and effortless but still like a statement. I think it would be incredible for vacation, summer dinners, weddings, all of it.

You know when a dress feels like an entire personality? That’s this dress.

here warm with oversized sunglasses and absolutely no responsibilities.

The Vitamin C That Has My Attention

I have worked in dermatology for over a decade and I will tell you forever: if you are not using a prescription retinoid and vitamin C consistently, nothing else matters as much.

That’s the foundation. It’s easy and basic. Start there.

I remain loyal to SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic because it works. It just does. But I know many people dislike the smell, the texture, or the price. I have been using it for 20 years.

But lately I’ve been testing alternatives. It is my job.

The new Goop 20% Vitamin C is fascinating to me because it starts as a powder that activates when mixed with the liquid component. Which means it stays fresher longer and oxidizes less quickly.

And I have to say… my skin has been unbelievably soft using it.

Like noticeably soft. And it has 20% Vitamin C. More is more.

I also really like the YSE Beauty vitamin C holley15, the Trinny London version, and Dr. Whitney Bowe’s formula if you want alternatives at or under $100 and without the hotdog water smell.

But this Goop one? She has my attention for real…try here here. She’s different.

AG1 and My Ongoing Battle With Vegetables

I need someone to explain how I went from eating two Sweetgreen salads a day in DC to surviving primarily on protein shakes and string cheese in Charleston. I kid. Sort of.

There is simply no Sweetgreen equivalent here and frankly I’ve been suffering.

So after talking with my nutritionist, I finally started using AG1 Next Gen because my vegetable intake lately has been quite concerning.

And honestly? It’s been shockingly easy.

The new citrus and berry flavors actually taste good. I put it in water, stir aggressively, chug it, and move on with my life. Wellness but efficient. I feel better. Different.

It has greens, vitamins, probiotics, superfoods, all the things I should probably be consuming intentionally instead of accidentally.

And I do feel better when I’m consistent with it. More energy. Less brain fog. Slightly more functional human behavior.

Growth. This is my new habit. Real vegetables with dinner each night though.

The T-Shirt That Makes Every Outfit Look Expensive

Anna Wintour loves this Sold Out NYC tee and unfortunately she is correct.

It immediately reminded me of that iconic Jackie Kennedy photo in white jeans and a navy tee where she somehow looks more elegant than everyone else alive doing absolutely nothing special in Greece.

That’s this shirt.

Higher neckline. Perfect sleeve length. Soft organic cotton. Slightly relaxed fit without looking sloppy. Perfect weight so you don’t see your bra outline.

I bought the white and chocolate immediately and now I’m stalking the navy color like a woman unwell. The azur is sold out hence the name of the brand. Their pieces are all that good and are always SOLD OUT!

The brand intentionally makes very limited quantities of everything which is stressful but also why everything feels special.

The RSVP Dress That Solves Every Event Panic

Sold Out NYC also made this dress called the RSVP Dress and honestly the name alone deserves an award. As seen here.

It’s basically the answer to every “what am I wearing to this thing?” meltdown.

Apparently they combined their bestselling tank silhouette with a skirt and somehow created the perfect easy day or night dress. Chic enough for dinners and weddings but relaxed enough that you don’t feel overdone.

The kind of dress that makes you actually WANT plans.

The face Cleanser I Bought in Paris

I discovered Wonder Valley while shopping in Paris after a chic French woman working in a store told me I needed it.

That was enough for me.

This cleanser is unlike anything I’ve used before. Thick like honey when it comes out, then milky when you add water. It melts away makeup, SPF, oil, all of it, but somehow leaves your skin feeling hydrated instead of stripped.

Like genuinely moisturized. Swear!

I’ve used every cleanser imaginable from my dermatology years and this one feels different. Especially if you have sensitive skin or live somewhere humid like Charleston where your skin starts acting emotionally by June. I don’t typically spend a lot on cleansers but this one is different and my skin is loving it.

Washable Rugs Have Changed My Personality

I have officially become a washable rug evangelist.

Between Gigi, high traffic areas, humidity, and life in general, I’m deeply into Ruggable right now, especially the newer jute-inspired performance weave rugs.

They look elevated and expensive but they’re washable, UV-resistant, and don’t require a separate rug pad which honestly feels revolutionary. Do you know how many porch rugs from Amazon I toss because of fade and lack of washability?

And yes, Kathy Hilton has a collaboration with them because of course she does. There’s one blue chambray rug from the collection I cannot stop thinking about. I have nowhere to put it. This has not stopped me from wanting it desperately. holley15 15% off sitewide

And honestly, this entire list feels very representative of where I am right now. Blush. Drawstring pants. Comfortable luxury. White button-downs. Greens I can chug quickly. A woman evolving.

Tell me which one pulled you in first because I already know half of you are adding the taffeta pants to cart as we speak.

And honestly? I support us.

If you enjoyed this post, tap the heart, forward it to your shopping soulmate, and tell me what YOU are obsessed with lately because my favorite thing is when one of you sends me something and suddenly we all spiral together.

Merci!

xo, Holley