A Love Letter to My New Jeans

I think Simone de Beauvoir might have liked them, too.

Two weeks ago, I received a gift from the team at Rachel Comey…a pair of jeans that I chose from a selection of their new fall collection. Other than being grateful, I didn’t think much of it at the time, choosing them, thinking about how I might wear them or what might happen if I really fell in love with them.

Which, to be fair, doesn’t happen very often.

If you’ve read/followed along w/me for some time, you know that my allegiance to Rachel Comey goes way, way back. We came of age in NYC around the same time (early aughts), and along with the rest of her many devoted fans/aficionados/MANIACS, we’ve bore witness to her evolution not only as a designer but as a sort of translator of the modern woman, particularly as she finds her own voice in places where art and beauty and history always seem to converge. Rachel—the person and the brand—gets great shapes (sometimes weird shapes), custom artist-made prints, not to mention the infinite pleasure of a silk-cotton voile against the skin. She knows a lot about how we feel about clothes.

How we really feel.

Why we save up for things. Have photographic memories of certain pieces or collections. Or why a fitting room can bring us to tears for a million different reasons. I like that each of us interprets a Rachel Comey piece in a singular way…no two people can wear it the same, like a fingerprint or name-plate. Over the years/decades(!!) her clothes have become like memories to me. And like a mashup of art + good prose…something that allows us to see the rest of the world in higher definition. As I was just writing this, I suddenly thought of Simone de Beauvoir…and that it’s not so crazy to think that if she were here today, she would very much want to wear these jeans, too.

Simone de Beauvoir in 1957…w/Sartre’s hands.

Three looks from the recent Rachel Comey s/s 2026 show in New York City.

Okay, but about these jeans. Today’s tiny edition is an unexpected Love Letter to the Rachel Comey jeans I never expected to love so much. Jeans rarely look great on me, and to be honest, I don’t generally love how they feel either (too stiff, too heavy, too binding, too trendy:(). But these, which are called the Dottir pant are kind of a jean/khaki/trouser hybrid that I am very much onboard with. I’ve worn them every single day since I busted them out of the cardboard box, and they’ve been lots of fun to experiment with as I build the edited list for this fall’s Micro Wardrobe story (coming SOON).

(Do I want this Rachel Comey zebra Altrezzo bag? Why YES, I do.)

The Non-Jean Jeans. With a DVF sheer/wonderful t-neck top (that sort of feels like I’m naked) and my new favorite Nomasei boots, which are like walking on silver ☁️☁️.

Jeans w/a tuxedo-style coat. Here they are for yesterday’s errands with my trusty Birkenstock Arizona sandals, Theo shirt, and the new C Collection trench I picked up at the Uniqlo preview I dropped in at earlier this week. It’s a wonderful lightweight top coat that almost doubles like a roomy-but-crisp tuxedo jacket. For under $200, it’s a winner. (Shades are Cutler & Gross o/c:).

PS: Can’t wait to wear this Donna Wilson wool neckerchief every cool day this fall and into winter. (ATA SUBSCRIBER NOTE: We’ll be giving two of these away—one in yellow like mine and one in blue—in our upcoming Fall Micro Wardrobe story (reminder, giveaways are a perk for paid A Tiny Apt. subscribers, so here’s a link if you’d like to upgrade.)

Jeans with a vintage YSL blazer I thrifted in Florida. Wore this out for dinner the other night with a silk camisole and my Jamie Haller Archive heels, which, she’s assured me, will be restocked soon. Highly recommend w/a sensible + chic little square heel (a few more denim looks down below).

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P.S.—I did a fun thing with Jones Road—and we’ve got a rosy little treat for you, too:).

As a world-class simplifier, I go kind of crazy for any beautiful well-made thing that ticks a lot of boxes with minimal effort (case in point: this newsletter:). And as someone who notoriously loathes wearing foundation (finding the match/weight/wearability, never not a circus 🎪) Jones Road's What The Foundation has been nothing short of a revelation. First, it's super hydrating, allowing me to skip morning moisturizer before application (WIN). Lately w/the seasons changing, I've been mixing a tiny bit of the shades Fair and Porcelain together to get my own custom warm skin glow. Paired with a smidge of my favorite Miracle Balm in the best pinky-peach Flushed shade, the two JR heroes have become my favorite new ritual for feeling fresh + rested in three minutes flat. (Bonus points for their chicly portable packaging and minis...nothing worse than a mess in your bag). AND! Be sure to use my code CHRISTENEGLOSS to score a FREE Cool Gloss on all Jones Road orders of $85+. #jrbpartner Jones Road Beauty.

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Jeans w/a corset. I’ve been into corsets lately. Some leather, some softer fabrics like this cotton one that I got from Zara a good decade ago (so old their logo was different). Rest assured, I’m researching new ones you could sub in, especially if they’re not too stiff and easily expandable so you can wear them really cinched high up or a little looser down low like a proper belt.

I do think the best thing these jeans have done for me, other than giving me much less to think about when getting dressed every morning this week, is that they reminded me (yet again) how depending on a few EXCELLENT things is a lot better than having too many sub par ones.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been helping an ATA subscriber named Meghan overhaul her wardrobe. Like a lot of us, she’s been going through a major mid-life shift—not just what she’s yearning to wear but ALL the pieces sitting in her closet that are now part of an old story/chapter she’s closing. We’ve had so much fun brainstorming and researching new pieces for her, and just yesterday—me in Brooklyn and her in New Mexico—we cleaned her closet over Zoom. Our call was so energizing, she inspired me, (along with my new Rachel Comey jeans) to do a quick speed gut of my closet. And, I managed to edit out 15 or so wonderful things, including a handful of much loved Rachel Comey pieces, too. It’ll all be in our next ATA subscriber Flash Sale—NEXT WEEK. Here’s a tiny snapshot at what will be included…

Vintage Gucci, Rachel Comey, and more, at your service. Next week, real cheap, in our A Tiny Apt. FLASH SALE:)))

See you all there…and if you missed Tuesday’s recent ATA, I included a link to our latest/greatest A Tiny Apt. playlist…give it a listen and lmk what you think. ALL THE LOVE…xxCb