A Love Letter to Khaki
Hello! My first Substack... and an ode to the color I can't stop wearing
I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a Substack for a while now, and here I am, finally getting around to it. Better late than never, I suppose. If you follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you know I love clothes and enjoy sharing what I wear. So that’s what this will be. An extension of my existing platforms, and a place for me to dive deeper into what I’m wearing, loving, and eyeing.
So, here’s a recent outfit roundup tied together by a color I always seem to lean on when dressing for spring (or any season for that matter): khaki. I love it because it’s softer than black, but less expected than white, it goes with everything, and still feels intentional. Its quiet, classic, and always in rotation.
If I had to pick my #1 most-worn piece in my closet, it’d probably be my trench coat. That may be boring and basic, but it’s honest! And yes, it’s khaki, which is probably why I keep coming back to it. It’s a piece I heavily rely on when I’m hating everything I put on, or simply feeling lazy, but still want to look put together. It’s one of those things you can throw over pretty much anything and look chic. Who wouldn’t want the ease of that? Mine is from Buck Mason from a few seasons ago (they seem to only have it in black now), but this Rue Sophie one, this Jenni Kayne one, this L’Academie one, and this Kule one all look great as well.
Similar to a trench in that it’s khaki and long, I’ve been living in this vintage YSL coat I bought on my recent trip to Paris. It’s from Marie Olive, a vintage store that I had never heard of, but now will absolutely visit every time I go back. I love the silhouette, the padded shoulders, the length, the color, and most importantly, the subtle red pinstripes. I’m a sucker for red (Substack on this coming soon), especially in an understated way like this.
Moving away from coats and onto jackets…! There’s truly nothing better than a matching set. First, for ease and looking put together, and second, for price-per-wear. It’s basically three outfits in one. Take this one, for example, which is also seasons old from Buck Mason. The top is still available, but the pants sadly aren’t (these are almost identical though).
Here’s one way I’ve styled the shirt/jacket without the pants. I usually wear it the same way I’d wear my trench, just on days when I want something shorter.
This one’s a great Donni chore coat (a few seasons old), but this Alex Mill, this Sezane, and this Nili Lotan one are good alternatives. I love how chore coats give that boxy, borrowed-from-him shape, but still feel tailored.
The same jacket styled a bit more polished:
And last but not least… This one is Khaite (similar one from Ref here), borrowed from my best friend (hi Bella) for dinner on the night before I got engaged (I was clueless… maybe I’ll do a Substack on this too?). The shape is so good - cropped, boxy, easy, and pairs perfectly with my Donni silk pants (yet again) and Matisse thong heels (coming soon!).
So that’s my love letter to khaki…quiet, classic, and always in heavy rotation. Happy spring dressing!