Week in Review #29: Some February outfits, and my two favorite rainy day playlists
Plus an exclusive IG Live with a favorite brand that I don't want you to miss, and some really, really good reads on Substack recently.
Happy Valentine’s Day :) Do you celebrate? What are your plans? (Fun fact: one year ago I was spending a week in Kenya for work and I learned that it’s a HUGE holiday over there!)
It’s been rainy this week, which means I’m listening to two playlists on repeat — The Garden State Soundtrack and The Tortured Poets Department. Both are perfectly moody and dramatic for the weather. So good.
At the studio we have a lot of exciting things happening, including our February Drop (more details on that below), new designs I can’t wait to start sharing with you, and planning for our store opening on March 8th.
I also have something fun coming up for you next week with one of my all-time favorite brands, Sold Out NYC. MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Monday, 12pm PT
IG Live on my account (@natalieborton)
Exclusive discount code!
I hope you’ll be able to join! This will be a private code that will only be shared on the live and valid for 24 hours, so you won’t want to miss it.
Thought of the Week
The caption is just as good, too:
“The hard truth is that we are often softened, and deepened, by the moments life doesn’t turn out the way we anticipated, the way we hoped, the way we planned. The truth is that we learn more from what we do not receive than what we do. The truth is that the contrasts make us more whole than we were before. The heaviness sensitizes us in such a way that we come to comprehend the light.
The valleys in our lives can either be a waiting room, a suffering, or a preparation period. We get to choose what we do with defeat. We get to decide whether or not what hurts will simply burden and then jade us, or if it will catalyze us — if we will alchemize a sometimes brutal reality into an appreciation of our temporary, stinging, gorgeous, fleeting, surreal, confusing, perfect, chaotic, ecstatic time alive.
What ails us gives us a chance to better understand, and empathize, with what it really means to be human. And though none of us will ever meet a day in which the pain is dissolved forever, we can arrive at one where the ease arises more often. Where we channel what hurts into what heals. Where we become more of who we intend to be, and not less. Where we are not dissuaded by what has not gone our way, but inspired by the spirit inside us still fighting, still nudging, still pushing us to realize — there is so much more than this. There is so much more to see.”
Some February Outfits
Just Dropped
Colette Hoops in 14k Gold and 925 Silver
Japanese Pearl Bracelet (100% of profits will be donated to GenerateHope)
14k Fine Amour Diamond Heart — available directly from THATCH Jewelry
Save the Date (Let’s Hang IRL!)
Our grand opening party at our Solana Beach studio will be on Saturday, March 8th from 10am-2pm and I would love to get a chance to see you! You can get all the details & RSVP here.
Great Reads on Substack
THE BEST DRESSED WOMEN YOU SEE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS ONE THING (& IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SHOPPING) | “Brand codes are the distinctive elements that make a brand instantly recognizable: the colors, symbols, sounds, and aesthetics that create an emotional and visual imprint. Think of Tiffany’s blue box, Chanel’s tweed, or Nike’s swoosh. You don’t need to see a logo to know exactly who they are. Style codes work the same way, but on a personal level. They are the visual language of your identity, the details that communicate who you are before you even speak.”
WHY PEOPLE WHO OVERCONSUME HAVE NO SENSE OF STYLE | “Take Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, for example. Whether or not her personal style aligns with yours, there’s no denying that she had a distinct style. Decades after her passing, people are still trying to emulate it. The reason? She didn’t follow trends. She was a true icon because her wardrobe was consistent and purposeful.”
ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE | “Like ultra-processed foods rely on cheap base ingredients enhanced with artificial flavours, what we’re seeing in the infinite scroll often starts with AI-generated templates, enhanced with trending sounds, thirst trap formats. And just like hyper-processed foods now dominate our food system, hyper-processed culture is becoming our primary diet.”
LET THEM WONDER ABOUT YOU | “Remember when celebrities were illusive and mysterious? All we had were ‘90s, grainy paparazzi shots in People magazine. Now, celebrity culture is so omnipresent and meticulously curated by stylists, publicists, and managers that it feels sterile. It’s an illusion — one we’re constantly fed, leaving no room for genuine intrigue.”
Hope you have a great weekend — until next time!
xx
Natalie
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Thank you Natalie!! such a lovely read love your style
Thank you Natalie for including my essay here! What a lovely surprise. This is a v inspiring read from you!