Lots of people had opinions about Rep. Nancy Mace’s new tattoos. I, meanwhile, had an existential crisis.
I was already deep in it a few months ago when I realized looking in the mirror at my pretty standard weekend outfit, “Shit. Do I look like Kristi Noem?” We both have super-long, possibly age-inappropriate brown hair and like baseball hats. When she was in the news a lot last March, I sort of stopped wearing hats with my hair down — and mind you this is not a political blog. So when Nancy Mace came out of nowhere last week with a bunch of tattoos, I basically melted down.
I know she said why she got them and what they mean to her (honestly those conversations should always be inside-voice) but I couldn’t get past another politics-y/headline brunette of similar age merging into my lane, and via shortcut. Also, I realize this isn’t about me, but here we are.
I got my first tattoo when I was 16 years old (and seriously that person should be arrested because wtf I was 16.) My second at 17. And so on, here and there, up until my most recent, which I got last year.
Sir, it’s an addiction.
(If you’d like to get a tattoo and will be in Europe anytime I highly, HIGHLY recommend Paula, who is based in Northern Spain but does frequent guest spots in London and Paris, where I traveled to get my newest from her in December.)
I digress. I’m sure I will move past this new avenue of self-hate I seem to have unlocked courtesy of Mses. Noem and Mace, but the evidence is there and it landed.
Some “Other” Thoughts:
Can we talk about Tom Brady’s new campaign for Gucci for a second? I don’t want to pile on but it’s giving SNL parody. He just … looks different.
I am here for the current 90s nostalgia shopping trend. The Gap, Banana Republic, and J. Crew are all brands from the glory days, when I stopped being dressed by my mom and dad and started dressing myself. I remember when J.Crew was only a paper catalog. At boarding school, we would dog ear pages and then call the 1-800 number from the one pay phone in the dorm to place orders at night, passing the receiver from girl to girl so everyone could do it in one fell swoop. Related, I am 105-years-old.
Here’s ONE THING I’d buy right now from each:
For guys, J. Crew cotton linen twill in the olive color, which will take you well into fall. Get the full set so you can do a suit or separates. Totally fine/hot to wear the green jacket with dark denim and a (good!) white or navy t-shirt underneath.
Ladies, why pay $400 for the Donnis when you can get the Gap version for $89? I literally just bought these brown ones with the red stripe today. Again, multi-season, do an oversized sweater with a button-down underneath. Slouch it up.
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard but apparently it’s okay for all of us to carry bags during the day now. Thank you, Jacob Elordi. This one from Banana is super-classic for men, but also has that chocolate brown suede vibe that will still be in for women’s accessories this year.
All of these are linked here in my ShopMy if you’re interested …
I have given an inordinate amount of thought to this … So I was grateful to Anthony Scaramucci (what a time to be alive!) for reviving the conversation around Donald Trump’s makeup routine, which allegedly includes lathering on a deep orange shade of foundation from this Swiss brand. (A quote from Scaramucci in the Times of London piece this week: “I’ve seen Donald Trump without makeup. He looks like SPAM.”) The Instagram aesthetic of Bronx Colors actually tracks in that it seems inspired by the 80s, aka peak Trump years.
I thought friends sending me memes and lols this week about “rabid beavers” was a new way to talk about single women, but turns out, our region is actually plagued by rabid beavers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This reminds me I promised last time examples of why you should be super-mindful of the 4th pic in every dating app profile. It’s usually the one where something red-flaggy (i.e. a hobby like stand-up comedy/singer in a band/participant in a Ted Talk OR so recently single or so questionably single the ex’s red fingernails didn’t make the crop) pops up. Study that 4th pic, my friends.
As for this week in my dating: 1 in-person, 4 in the texting/chatting stage. All pretty meh.
My old Washingtonian editor and current forever friend Michael Schaffer has started this insanely good Instagram account called DCTAB, which mocks up daily tabloid covers (a la the New York Post) around local DC stories we should all be discussing. I’m a huge fan of the tabloid newspaper and I hope it makes a return into the media vernacular but until that time, this is the version we deserve. I’m constantly wishing it into existence. In the meantime, catch Schaffer hosting his great podcast at City Cast DC, where he serves as executive editor.
Three more things I bought this week were these Nikes for fall because again brown suede (see above) and they’re on sale for $70; tickets to Blu DeTiger in DC on 11/5 (who’s coming with me?) because there are few things hotter than a hot chick bass player — and her version of “Murder on the Dancefloor” is my favorite; and my Louise Carmen customized leather journal arrived from Paris and I have nothing else to say except it’s perfect.
In my CNN newsletter, I used to do a semi-regular feature called “Our Daily Melania,” where I would break down what the former/current First Lady Melania Trump was up to, doing, and most importantly, wearing. Many (literally, so many) people still DM or text me asking what she’s wearing now, even though I haven’t had the newsletter in years and rarely post on X anymore. So, not sure if I should resurrect it here when applicable? For example, this week she made an appearance (“Here I am!”, iykyk) at the White House to pose with a race car (please direct your questions elsewhere because I have no idea) wearing a previously worn Christian Dior red pencil skirt and blue button down shirt.
It was the shirt that grabbed my attention because I was like, ok, that’s a ginormous popped collar, maybe the biggest ever, and what are those red cufflinks? I found the shirt; it’s $1,190 from the new season Michael Kors Collection — and sorry but she’s already sold out — and the cufflinks you can buy right in our own backyard at the White House Historical Association shop. They’re these Red and Gold Truman Seal ones for $88 bucks.
To close, a little light housekeeping … Again, I am very open to comments and suggestions and questions you want answered, so please don’t be shy. I think I said this last time and then didn’t turn comments on. Hi, I’m Kate.
Also, in the semi-near future I am going to start putting a bunch of these links and more frequent posts of both thoughts and things only for subscribers. I’d love it if you found that $6-7/month in you so you can stay up to date and get the truly best intel a girl can find around DC as a middle-aged single person trying to live her best fashion and gossip life. For instance, I’m getting micro-needled this weekend and don’t you want to know how that goes?? And work is starting on painting my living room and my kitchen next week, so we can dip into some home design stuff.
Thanks for READING!
… and remember, there are worse things to catch in Washington …