Rat Diet No. 16

What I wore, watched, read, and listened to in January.

Feb 02, 2025

There is a story my friends from high school like to tell about one of our peers who got stuck on an excruciatingly long subway ride. “Man, this shit is a trilogy,” he said, thinking the word ‘trilogy’ meant an arduous journey, not a series of three related things. The phrase tumbled around in my brain all January. That shit was a trilogy. Plus, Justin Bieber’s declaration that: “Shit is getting suss out here,” which he posted after someone allegedly “went on [his Instagram] account and unfollowed [his] wife.” Totally, Justin.

Below is everything I wore, watched, read, and listened to when I wasn’t sewing buttons and getting the pit stains out of my shirts.

What I Wore

Last month, I was generously gifted some really good sweaters. I got this style from COS in olive green and this one in a brighter green as well. (Hey, they’re different!) The cashmere is much higher quality than I thought it’d be. One/Of by Patricia Voto also bestowed upon me a beautiful cropped black brushed mohair sweater that I’ve been wearing to restaurants underneath my Kallmeyer scarf coat with my Auralee jeans and Emme Parsons boots.
I’ve been looking for a sheer-but-not-too-sheer turt to wear with skirts and dresses, and I found one from Vince that I like. I wear it with a Baserange triangle bra underneath.
My Veilance puffers keep me warm season after season. (Similiar here.) But there is nothing toastier than the vintage Armani coat I got from Consignment Brooklyn years ago that makes me feel like Gloria from the Sopranos. (Below.) I tried to find you a similar one but came across this one with green velvet pockets (!!) instead.

I’ve also turned my bathroom into a little mini spa. This Poetica hand soap smells nice, and I like the brand’s fabric spray better than The Fill. Ffern sent me its (now sold out) winter fragrance, and I’ve been spritzing on my wrists before leaving the house. (Ffern, Fforme… Are everyone’s keyboards stuck??) I’ve also kept my curls happy with the Crown Affair renewal mask.

What I Bookmarked

Will these Miu Miu “nipple heels,” as Liana calls them, ever go on sale in my size?? (I’m an IT40 please help me.)
I love these glass wall vases from Upstate. Founder Kalen Kaminski shared some dyeing tips a few letters ago.

What I Read

This NYMag feature by Bridget about a group of people left behind by a cruise ship was published in December, but it’s so wild I had to include it here.
Speaking of ships, having run out of David Grann books to devour, my “book club” is now onto The Snakehead by Patrick Radden Keefe, which opens with the true story of when a cargo ship carrying 286 undocumented Chinese immigrants ran aground at Fort Tilden in 1993. It’s an incredible story and, unfortunately, as relevant as ever.
On a lighter note, legendary Vogue It girl Plum Sykes has graced us with her presence on Substack. Thank G*d.
Get you a real-life man who speaks to you like this woman’s A.I. boyfriend.
Story in the NYTimes.
Jenna Lyons on getting custom shirts made at Ascot Chang.
Naomi Fry on Lauren Sanchez's cleavage and what she calls the “boob index.”
Mel’s insane chat with anti-aging freak Bryan Johnson for Interview made me laugh out loud and gasp. I think I need to watch his Netflix doc now.
This Cut article on the closet organizers of the ultrarich. I will happily FaceTime you and tell you to get rid of all your clothes for $1,500.
Embedded in this Grub Street article about how Prada might be replacing Lure with a Marchesi in Soho (a move I strongly support) is the detail that Vox CEO Jim Bankoff made the deal to buy NYMag over lunch there. I know this is how these things tend to go, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Don’t decide people’s fates over a shrimp tower!!
RIP Blue Man Group.

What I Wrote

For T, I got nine fashion designers to tell me about the movies they return to over and over again for inspiration. A good list that I’m slowly making my way through.

What I Watched

The only quality thing I watched this month was Babygirl. I just thought it captured so well how embarrassing it can be to say out loud what you really want. I also re-watched Once on the way back from Dublin for the first time since 2007, and, yup, I still know the words to every single song.

What I’m Listening To

The Babygirl soundtrack, of course. It makes a lot of sense to me that the guy who did it also did the White Lotus intro. Someone should profile him? Ven Space also shared another one of its store playlists.

What I Screenshot-ed

Vintage queen Alexis Novak shared photos from an auction of Karl Lagerfeld’s things, including his nightgown and massive collection of iPods. The man loved pop culture!

This beaded Mrs. Doubtfire bag is incredible.

Some nice colors at Paris Fashion Week. I found Couture Week mostly uninspiring!

NEXT TIME: This month, I plan to share with you how I spent a long weekend in Dublin, my studio visit with Cawley in London, where I got my hair cut for the first time in two years, dispatches from New York Fashion Week, and much more! Upgrade to a paid subscription to see it all.