24 Hours in NYC – A Travel Diary

I spent 24 hours in New York City last week, primarily to attend a dinner with one of my favorite cozy loungewear brands, Kilte. I had never met their team before, and it was such a treat to sit down with the founder, Hannah, and everyone else behind this incredible brand.

The dress code may have been the best one I've ever received: wear your cozy Kilte favorites. I wore the cashmere cable-knit Colette set ($50 off with STACIE50) in mocha, which I had been lounging in just a few days earlier at a lakeside cabin in Maine. It worked equally well in the West Village with one of my favorite Blazé Milano blazers (mine is sold out, love this one) and a long pendant necklace to brighten up all of those dark chocolate hues.

Dinner was at the Waverly Inn, which made the evening feel especially nostalgic. David and I lived just down the street when we were first married in Greenwich Village, and it was one of our favorite neighborhood spots.

I also got to catch up with a number of girls I know and love who are fellow Kilte fans. The evening was hosted in partnership with Emese Gormley, one of my favorite Instagram follows. If you follow her, you know she just feels like a friend, so it was fun to finally meet her in person.

SHOPPING LIST:

I stayed one night at the Marlton Hotel and it was such a fun little getaway. I've been staying here for years and it's still one of my favorite downtown options. We stayed here regularly right after we moved out of the city, when David still had to come back for work every month. It's central and so charming, and while nothing in New York is exactly affordable, I think it's very well priced for how much style it offers. The rooms are petite but chic, and there's always a fire going in the lobby, which makes it so cozy and especially nice in fall and winter.

Their restaurant downstairs, Chez Nous, was recently redone and is beautiful. I didn't eat there because I was heading uptown for breakfast with a friend, but I did have coffee, and it's such a beautiful space.

For those of you who always ask whether I ever travel with just a carry-on: yes, but for a one-night trip I bring a carry-on and a tote. What can I say? I'm a girl who likes having options.

When you have a toddler, days you get to get ready on your own feel like such a treat, especially because I'm just so excited about the new foundation. It's by Gucci Westman (Westman Atelier), and the ingredients are really good (Yuka gives it an 83/100). It reminds me of Armani Luminous Silk, which I wore for years but stopped using once I looked at the ingredients, but this gives me a similarly beautiful finish with an ingredient list you can feel good about. (You can find my full daily makeup routine here.)

The Kilte dinner was Thursday night, which left me with all of Friday to myself in the city.

After getting ready at The Marlton and having some coffee, I headed uptown for a fancy hotel breakfast at Dowling's at The Carlyle with Sarah Flint. They tucked us into a cozy corner in the back room, and I just love the atmosphere there. Yes, you have to pay $50 for an omelet, but I have to admit, it was a very good omelet. Their coffee, however, could have been stronger! Of course Sarah and I were both wearing these ballet flats from her brand, the perfect, super-walkable yet stylish shoe for a day exploring the city. (And she had this cashmere-silk scarf with her, which I instantly ordered when she said they were running low! The colors are incredible.)

After breakfast, we exited through Gabriela Hearst, which is connected to The Carlyle, and I was reminded just how extraordinary their craftsmanship is. I’ve also been thinking more about “channel checks,” something Sarah Shapiro writes about in her Substack, Private Label. Essentially, it’s paying attention to how a brand manifests in person: the store design, the sales associates, how customers are interacting with the product, what’s given pride of place up front, and what seems to be tucked away in the back. It’s such an interesting way to understand what a brand is prioritizing and how it’s resonating in real time.

Gabriela Hearst was a particularly fun brand to look at through that lens. I have a sweater and shirt from the brand that I bought years ago, but hadn't thought about them much recently. After this visit, the brand is firmly back on my radar. I tried on the most incredible oatmeal-colored blazer with beautifully structured shoulders. It was a little more architectural than what I usually wear, but the shape made the waist look incredibly tapered, and they have an in-house seamstress at their Madison boutique who can subtly adjust shoulders, alter necklines, hem pieces, and make sure everything fits exactly as it should.

I also fell in love with this beautiful houndstooth bag in printed suede. (Photo below!) The craftsmanship is gorgeous, and it actually feels more reasonably priced than many other luxury bags. My only hesitation is the black trim paired with the brown houndstooth, since I would probably style it primarily with brown. I'm thinking it over!

Kallmeyer was high on my list for this trip because I've admired the brand's tailored approach to dressing and wanted to finally figure out my size. I've had this oatmeal blazer with a detachable scarf on my wish list for a while, and now I'm trying to decide between it and the Gabriela Hearst blazer. They're similar colors, but feel completely different.

I also tried on their new Magazine bag, which launched during Fashion Week in September. The patent leather is beautiful, and it comes in both black and mahogany. It feels very versatile: big enough for daytime use but still polished enough to carry to dinner. While I was in the store, another customer was buying several of their T-shirts. She told me she already owned four and was buying four more because they really are the best. Conveniently, it was an unseasonably hot 80-degree day and I had dressed for fall in a wool cardigan and tweed jacket, so I bought one myself out of necessity. The cut is really nice, so we'll see what all the fuss is about!

From there, I stopped into Ulla Johnson. I spotted a black dress that would be perfect for a special dinner or event (take your larger size), and I also loved a pair of blue-and-brown cap-toe mules. Sadly, they're sold out in my size, but if your size is still available, I say go for them. They look fantastic with light denim and just about anything chocolate brown.

I later made my way to Birley for a coffee and little pick-me-up. I had wanted to visit the original Birley in London while we were there a few weeks ago, but we couldn't quite fit it into the schedule. Since it was so hot, I ordered an iced coffee and a tarte tropézienne, a pastry I became borderline fanatical about after having one in Saint-Tropez two years ago. It was delicious, but truthfully it was so sweet I only took a few bites. I've been wearing a CGM from Levels again and didn't want to see the big blood sugar spike on my charts!

I also stopped into ME+EM to see their new collection. I've been loving their bright cashmere argyle sweaters, and I found the most gorgeous red trousers to pair with one of them. I can already imagine reaching for them throughout fall and into the holiday season. I popped into Toteme as well before eventually finding myself at Sotheby's, which is one of my favorite places to stop when I'm on the Upper East Side.

There are two things I especially love to do there. First, just off the main lobby on the left is a collection of Hermès and Chanel bags alongside beautiful fine jewelry. This is one of my favorite insider tips if you're considering an Hermès bag. There is no appointment, no waiting list, and usually hardly anyone there. You can simply ask to see the bags you're interested in and get a feel for the sizes, colors, and leathers in person. (They also have a large inventory of bags offsite. If you see something on their website that you would like to see in person, send the request ahead of time, and it will be waiting for you.) After looking at the bags, be sure to explore the other floors as well. I love seeing the collections that are about to come up for auction. They were showing a contemporary collection during my visit, and while I generally gravitate toward Old Masters, there were so many interesting pieces. It's free, rarely crowded, and such a lovely way to sneak a little art into an afternoon of shopping on Madison Avenue.