It was a bit of week for me, work-wise. Last year, I left the full-time fashion world because of some toxic and pretty alarming trends that kept repeating. Surprising? Not really. Enraging and motivating? For sure.

The themes were not entirely different to what we’re seeing in the larger political environment. What I’ve learned over and over is that power and approval are motivating tools to so many, often more than money. More on that another time.

This is my mantra for right now. This made me (un) reasonably happy this week, as did the return of @jackuno, as did seeing Mary Beth at The Bell House last weekend. Governor Pritzker gave some excellent closing remarks.

I hope you’re well and hanging in.

What I’m wearing and why:

I love the simplicity of a mini skirt, always have, probably always will. New York is frigid, the news is frightening, but this silhouette gave me comfort. I paired it with the Norma Kamali Sleeping Bag coat—warm, comfortable, makes you look like you have your life together. I get asked about this coat at least once a week by someone I don’t know, either at Pilates or on the street. My only disclaimer is that it does *not* translate in the ‘burbs—I have the quilted version and if you wear it while walking your dog, you literally look like you’re in a fancy bathrobe, lol.

This comforting silhouette with my blanket of a coat made me feel fresh in this increasingly f*scist February.

Adding my grandmother’s beret made it better, bringing both literal and figurative warm, and always needed perspective.

Norma Kamali Sleeping Bag Coat ($475), Alex Mill Camden Skirt ($135), Gap Zip-Up Jacket (vintage from STRESSED), Maximum Henry Wide Standard Belt ($145), Miu Miu Bag (vintage from The Real Real—this one and this one are similar)

Three beauty products I’m using right now:

Can I tell you something? Skipping mascara is the best. It’s so freeing to rub your eyes which is pathetic but true! It’s sort of been changing my life lately. Without mascara, I’ve been cleaning up my brows with MAKE’s brow pencil and keeping my skin hydrated in the “Feels like 2 degrees” NYC weather with Circumference’s pillow-soft mask. This week, Versed was kind enough to send me some of their new makeup, and I really love Brownstone—both the color, and the name.

MAKE Beauty Infinite Brown Pencil ($20), Circumference In-Depth Hydration Mask ($65), Versed Swipe Blush Stick in Brownstone ($14.99)

One organization to focus on this week:

The Brennan Center: A non-partisan law and policy institute focused on upholding and protecting democracy. They do wonderful work, as does Erin, my friend and an author in her own right, who just happens to work for them.

Thanks for being here,

Robin

P.S. If you purchase something from one of the links in this email, I may earn money. And that’s showbiz, kids.