Welcome to another edition of WIWTW! But first, hear-ye hear-ye! A new installment!

A quick news bulletin of what’s new in the world of the fashion/function:

• Cawley Studio and stylist Melissa Jane Tarling continue to blow me away. I can hardly look at these photos of the new collection without my face melting off. The hats. The shapes. The proportions. The materials. Good god, Cawley Studio I can’t take it!!

  

• Raide made a water flask holster. Founder Kyle Siegle writes that he was conflicted about coming out with this product because he doesn’t believe in attaching things to his packs—the anti-Christmas tree design philosophy, but believed this still served a purpose. As someone who’s gotten comments for trying to jerry rig a similar apparatus (or god forbid use a camelback hose) on my ski pack, I’m thrilled to see this. To the comments of “but what if it freezes”… I say, put a bottle in your pack on those days, but on other days, if this allows for drinking water while ski touring without expending energy taking your pack on and off, I’m psyched.

  

  North points out that you can also keep your nozzle on the water flask from freezing by blowing air into the flask, which clears the nozzle of standing water. I can vouch for this technique!

• Woolrich Outdoor Label released their SS ’26 look book:

  

• Ossou debuted their FW26 collection at a presentation at NYFW. I’m into the interesting belting, the layering, the pins, and these draped scarves.

  

• One of my favorite brands, (for the products and the people behind the label) Purple Mountain Observatory, dropped their SS26 collection When The Earth Looked Up:

  

• In the world of BIG PREP, J. Press had a show in NY that was oozing old money and prestige—as they do. If you’ve been cheering for the US in the olympics and watching new JFK jr show, you may be preppy-curious. If so, enjoy these runway photos. Look #1 here must gotten some inspo from Hadley’s CPHFW outfit!

And now, here’s what I wore this week:

Sunday

I truly wait all year for the few socked-in stormy days that we might get here in sunny Colorado. So to celebrate, I decided to go on a wintry hike. And I wanted to explore the idea that I can take my “everyday” wool garments outside in the elements, put them through real movement, and they can indeed perform well. I think that we all have more technical clothing than we realize, in our wool, cashmere, silk and breathable cottons. (More on that in an upcoming letter)

I wore a pair of wool (blend..sorry) trousers, a wool sweater, a tightly woven wool coat from Dunst that is exceptionally resistant to water due to its material and how tightly it is woven, and belted it with a rope, carabiner, and Scottish sporran. I also have a Klättermusen pack and brimmed Klättermusen cap— I love a brim on “big snowflake” days as it helps keep falling snow from my eyes. I have on my trusty Sorel boots, Hestra mittens, and warm wool socks.

Shout out to IG friend who gave me a very kind compliment and correctly clocked ‘the sporran’, this little waist belt bag—

Scots, please weigh in if this gets an OK from you all. When I saw this reindeer hide mini sporran at a thrift store in Edinburgh, I was enamored and immediately envisioned it in the outdoors—it’s just a marvel. Inside held one single dog bag and a mini chapstick. Good thing I had those at the ready and need not dig through my nearly empty backpack!

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Kellyn here :)

Can you believe we’ve written 100 TOGS letters? I know Hadley mentioned it on Tuesday, but holy mackerel. THANK YOU. I’ll say it a million more times—this community and our readers are more wonderful than we ever could have imagined. We’re so grateful to each and every one of you for subscribing, reading, contributing, and sharing these letters. They’re a lot of work, but it’s such enjoyable work. The kind of work I feel so lucky to do. I’m thankful every single day that Hadley called me with this great idea and we committed to this project. Here’s to the next 100!!

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This week, I challenged myself to wear pieces I really love, while still dressing practically, comfortably, and functionally for the work week here during the off-season in my mountain town. I could have easily worn any old thing this week (the leaves have all fallen, it’s kind of freezing, I’m still recovering from Halloween…classic first week of November low vibrations), and for that exact reason, I gave myself this little assignment.

I have a lot to get done this week, and I’m always more productive when I start my day—from task number 1—with intention.

Getting dressed is so much less about vanity and more about the positive momentum that comes from a series of intentional decisions, like making your bed, taking your vitamins, and all that jazz. It reminds me that I’m a person moving through the world on purpose. So here’s my fairly uneventful, real-life week in outfits:

Monday:

A comfortable outfit for a crisp November day. I wanted to keep some October Whimsy alive, but not too whimsical, out of respect for the passing of my favorite month —RIP. A little pattern mixing, some leathery touches on the shoes, coat, and bag, and some various shades of blue.

Starting from the top: A very good hat from Brother Brother, scarf from a trip to Wales, long sleeve from Mont-Bell, Rome leather coat from No. 6 Store (sold out but available on Poshmark here), socks from Free People, my favorite loafers from Vagabond, bag from Madewell (on a big sale)!

Afternoon:

An outfit for pilates—sunglasses from Ridar, layered old tanks, a long sleeve from FP Movement, zip-off pants in their shorts form from Peak Performance, over a pair of bike shorts from Aritzia.

Tuesday:

An outfit for working from home, leaving the house only to walk the dog, run some errands, and drop off my ballot! I just wanted a cozy, loose-fitting outfit for sitting at the desk that didn’t make me feel like a schlub.

Hat from Fielder Films, sweater from James Street Co. (on sale!), long sleeve from American Vintage, denim from Citizens of Humanity, shoes from Rothy’s, bag from Monty.

I was recently sent these Rothy’s shoes, which I was so excited to try. I’ve found that the hype around them is warranted! These are so comfortable and feel a bit like barefoot-style shoes in that they are extremely minimal and lightweight. I think these will be a pair I always throw in a bag for traveling. Bonus points for being machine washable.

Wednesday:

I’ve had 10 million things to do today as I’m prepping to leave town tomorrow, so I needed to be agile and ready to run in different directions. My 10 half-finished tasks will get done, inefficiently, bit by bit, and not one by one…

But this joyful cardigan, which is basically a street-legal robe, makes me feel downright fanciful about it all.

I’ve had my eye on these pants from Ruti for years. Between the wrinkle-free stretchy material and the nearly 900 5-star reviews, I had a feeling they’d be good. And I was thrilled to discover that they have the petite length!! Ruti very kindly sent me a pair, and I have been wearing and testing them out a lot this fall. I give them my whole-hearted endorsement. They are a bit pricey, but luckily, they are on sale at the time of writing this.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t love to travel in sweatpants. Of course, I want to be comfortable on long flights or car rides, but I reserve sweatpants for home lounging. These have all the comfort of sweatpants, but unlike sweats, they retain their structured shape, brush off well, and don’t get too hot. Plus, they take up virtually no room in a bag, can be dressed up, and are flattering on the behind!

Other outfit notes: Henley from REI, vest from street shop Japan, cardigan from Farm Rio, shoes from New Balance (ALD collab, used pair here), glasses from Akila LA.

Evening:

Vegan silk men’s top from 18 East, puffy from Nanga, older pants from Banana Republic (similar pair from COS here) same loafers from Vagabond.

On this very exciting evening, I went down to our historic opera house theater to watch the new Faction Ski films. One of which features and was created in part by my partner, Cody! He’s so talented and humble and deserves all the praise in the world. The film is called 150 Hours From Home: A Mongolian Ski Film, and it’s soon to be announced to the world through Faction Skis (insider early information for TOGS readers), so keep your eyes peeled for this one!

Thursday:

An early morning drive for me, going from the Western Slope to the Front Range. Here I am at a picturesque dog walk pit stop.

Wearing the same Ruti pants, and an old Target hoodie under an oversized zip-up cardigan from James St Co. I recently saw my chic buddy Becca wearing a hoodie under this same sweater, and I had to recreate her look. (Thanks B Marks!) This is a great reminder to sometimes opt for an extra oversized cardigan for this layering purpose—especially for slightly itchier wools.

To me, the real stars of this otherwise monochrome outfit are these vintage Salewa shoes from Ebay—

(Similar vintage options here: 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9.5)

You all know I love a chartreuse pop.

Thanks, readers, for letting me balance out longer think pieces like my last letter with light outfit letters like this one.

Next up:

I’ve been noticing over the past few years that a lot of brands from my childhood have had a resurgence and are proving the ~30-year trend cycle theory to be true.

Here are 5 shoe brands from my late 90’s childhood that are cool and thriving in 2025

Merrell:

If you’re anything like me, a good chunk of your childhood was spent wearing Jungle Mocs.

The way I remember it, mid-playground sprint, I could slip that shoe off, shake a rock out from under my foot, and slip back on like a one-man NASCAR pit crew, not skipping a single stride. The perfect childhood shoe. Thank you to the good people at Merrell for still making the Jungle Moc the same, perfect way. While still making these classics, they’ve got some really rad new models in the 1TRL collection, some fun collabs like the ones above with Gramicci or côte&ciel, and some extra sporty Gore-Tex models.

Sperry:

Sperry was a brand that my friends' dads had on throughout my childhood, and then it was the shoe of choice for some boys in college. A good chunk of time went by where they weren’t on my radar, but hello 2025 Sperry—I see you. They have all the classic models for the boat shoe purists, but if you’re more yacht-adjacent like me, you might fancy these current collabs:

This collaboration with Colour Companie has me screaming and kicking my cursed little feet that I don’t fit into the sizes available. Someone needs this Vibram sole fawn print shoe:

Also in the Sperry collab world—and consider this an ultra–sneak peek for TOGS readers— an insane link up with L.A. brand Pleasures brings us this phenomenal boa loafer and shoe.

This collection will be released on pleasuresnow.com on November 18th. There will be two other models in this collaboration, and I just know the creative direction in this campaign will be delicious. Set your alarms!

Keen:

I specifically remember getting some grief for wearing KEEN’s water shoes in the summer of ‘06. God forbid a girl wears a functional sandal to a middle school girl meet-up. Who’s laughing now?! I wore my Shanti Clog (top middle) all summer long and I was happy as a clam at high tide.

The KEEN collaboration world is truly firing— some of my favorites include the model made with Japanese brand HYKE, (bottom right) and Copenhagen designer Skall Studio (bottom middle.) KEENs are always comfortable and always transparent about production, sourcing, and how they recycle for their materials.

Puma:

I’m really loving the Mostro collection at Puma, identifiable by these brain-ticklingly pointy rubber soles. There seems to be a model for everyone in this line— from metal hardwear Mary Janes, to cinch-able Gore-Tex versions. The Speedcat (above middle) was everywhere on the runways this past year and are a fun slim silhouette alternative to Sambas or Onisuka Tigers.

Clarks:

Hadley has reopened my eyes to how great a classic pair of Clarks can look—she styles hers up and down so well. Clark’s latest collab with Topologie is a really fun blending of the two brands: the Wallabee’s heritage silhouette and Topologie’s climbing rope inspired details. The brand is celebrating 200 years of shoe-making, which is downright mind-blowing!

That’s all for me this week. Thank you for reading and for all your support over these last 100 letters.

Don’t forget to drop your halloween costume in the chat—a 1 year subscription to the best costume!

xx

Kellyn

Greetings TOGS fam!

Kellyn here. I’m not sure what it’s like where you live, but fall has one foot in the door here in Southwestern Colorado.

I don’t need to tell you how perfect fall is for our outdoor togs and sporty kits. We all know that sweet spot when it’s cool enough to start layering, but not so cold that you have to hide all your hard work under a giant parka. Sweaters with shorts suddenly make sense! And somehow, that combo feels infinitely better in the fall than it does in the spring, even at the exact same temperature. Don’t worry, summer lovers, it’s still summer until September 22nd. I’m just getting excited for my favorite sartorial season. (maybe Hadley and I should do a pushup every time we refer to fall this way)

First, as we mentioned last letter, Telluride Film Fest descended from the Hollywood heavens into my little mountain town last weekend. It was the most star studded film fest in anyone’s recent memory—Jodie Foster and I said hello, Adam Sandler played basketball with the townspeople, Josh O’Connor and I made eye contact, I happily walked through second-hand smoke straight from Harris Dickenson’s mouth, Jeremy Allan White bought flowers from my friends and it went viral, I walked behind Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams as they lovingly held one another, and I saw Colin Farrell suavely enter an Italian restaurant. I’ve seen celebrities before, of course, but something about seeing them in mountain casual clothes in our little storybook town really made my brain do gymnastics. You? Here? Wearing a fleece vest and hiking shoes?! And you’re my height?! The internet had a heyday with the ‘fits of the fest—

People seemed refreshed to see stars dressed down and appropriately for a mountain town…in looks that didn’t rely on cowboy hats or fur coats.

You all know I have a soft spot for a tonal green outfit, so, Jeremy Scott: I’ll happily take that look off your hands if you’re all done with it.

I’m also a fan of all the various caps and Jesse Plemons’ adorable workwear get up!

I love Harry Melling’s (Dudley Dursley actor, bottom left) peter pan collar french workwear-esque jacket and Arc’teryx cap. Josh O’Connor may have had some of my favorite ultra-wearable looks from the week. The sneakers! He was also in my favorite film I saw, The History of Sound. Highly recommend it to you all when it comes out.

And now on to my fall outdoor look books and what I’m keen on this fall:

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UTMB is over, Hollywood stars are wearing suede shirts to Telluride Film Festival, and the blues of the sky have gone from bright and crisp to rich and deeply hued…IS IT FINALLY FALL?!

Sartorially speaking, there’s no season I love more. The layers, the fabrics, the colors…the temperature drops and my excitement to get dressed soars.

This week I’ve compiled an autumn themed what I’m wearing and what’s on my wishlist. But first a live-from-the-trail TOGS recap of the fashion found at UTMB.

From the Field

UTMB felt “quieter” this year—if you can call having 50,000 people descend into a small narrow valley whose population is normally around 9000 “quiet”. Maybe it was the weather (biblical), or the state of the outdoor industry (adjusting?), but it felt there was less in your face brand activations than previous years. I could go to my local coffee shop without waiting in line for too long. And even managed to find parking on days I braved the crowds to cheer on friends and strangers alike. I’m sure other valley residents had different experiences, and I’m sure anyone in the hospitality industry is thankful for this week which has been quiet, quiet, quiet since the race infrastructure and tourists have all packed up and traveled home. Whatever each person experienced, there’s no doubt that UTMB is a spectacular experience.

Looking back at my reporting from UTMB last year, not too much has changed. Boys are still crushing the running inspired lifestyle game. This time it was Nike ACG that was winning the style race. Brown is still a color I’m drawn to more and more for on and off the trails (more on this below). And TNF won again for the best team kit with their Flora Alpina print that looks great in person and is very commercially viable (so much so that it’s pretty much sold out). I’m wondering, A.) why the internal buyers didn’t purchase more and B.) what took any brand so long to utilize one of the best parts of mountain wandering—alpine flowers! Hats off to the print team at TNF for this one.

Other trends to note…

• Based on my very non-scientific observational data, the most used trail running vest is Salomon for both amateur and pro runners.

• Norda’s trail running shoes score highest on the TOGS approval rate running based purely on looks. Multiple toggsers applaud the shoe for it’s functional use too. I hope to test them out soon before giving the final stamp of approval. Their collab with @yaboyscottjurek meme account was the most visible brand activation, or at least the most fun looking, and I was digging the humor behind their ironic Power Hiker hat even if camo is not for me.

• Hoka’s blue Mafate 5’s were everywhere, which makes sense given they are the title sponsor. The blue was too reminiscent of the app button on an apple product and don’t get me started on the pink female version, but overall a brand marketing win.

• Satisfy is a vibe. You could spot an athlete or devotee a mile kilometer away. In many ways the brand is a welcomed contradiction to the normal running attire and in many ways is becoming a caricature of itself. I love their colorways, but after trying some pieces on specifically for running vs lifestyle, it’s fit for a straight framed man not a short, curvy, athletic woman. I’m curious to see their upcoming women’s line, particularly the lace, as lace is a fabric I’ve tried a million times to push on outdoor designers to utilize for ski touring, particularly bras and tanks. Their cool-kids-only vibe is so intense that it made me cautious to even go to their pop up store. When brands are “cool”, I find it’s a fine line to walk (or in this case run) between creating a culture and alienating potential customers.

TFF—

I’m sure Kellyn will have more a better report from her home town, but the fashion scene at Telluride Film Festival is the perfect transition from UTMB to what I’m wearing and dreaming of wearing this fall. Lots of brown, lots of layers, and lots of textures. These days my excitement for the day is fueled by a combination of getting to wear my favorite clothes, a new episode of the ridiculously bad/good The Summer I Turned Pretty, a new book to curl up with, or cooking a new recipe. All hail the Autumn!

What I’m Wearing This Fall

• Short Sleeved Sweaters (this, this, or this) because late summer is often the only time they make sense.

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The field stretched from my bedroom window, a level surface of wild grasses extending till they reached the triangular mountain on the horizon line. On a winter day, white would color the grasslands, turning the view into a blinding, liminal space. Elk frequented the fields, their presence known through sound. The cottonwood trees stood watch, their limbs mingling with both the clouds above and the river rocks below.

I spent 18 years of my life with that view. 18 years of the rocks and rivers, the mountains and the planes, the snow and the winds of Wyoming authoring my life. The landscape, the wildlife, and the community who inhabited the town of the Tetons shaping my interests, carving my personality.

Now that my clothes have been unearthed from storage, the full collection in view, I’m realizing how much my upbringing shaped my style. For Copenhagen, I didn’t have the time nor the space to test run outfits as our new apartment still lacks certain necessities like doors, eliminating the possibility of trying things on. Instead, I overpacked handfuls of my favorite clothes into a XL duffle. In went the brown boots, the color mimicking the old oiled log cabins I spent summers washing down for a job. The suede cape, a nod to the cows whom outnumber people in Wyoming. My dad’s bolo and the turquoise jewelry my mom gave me mingled with the eight button downs—shirts and silver reminding me of my parents. I packed the dress whose color approximates twilight in the mountains-a blue “carrying in its consonants the images of houses shuttering, gardens darkening, grass-lined rivers slipping through the shadows” (Joan Didion, Blue Nights).

Copenhagen and Jackson share little in common. The former full of islands and harbors, water and cobblestones. The latter dry, rocky, and mountainous. Skiing and fashion week don’t have much in common either. But between all of them-Denmark and Wyoming, adventuring and fashion week, there are through lines. Flat expanses evoking a sense of never ending horizon lines. Slopes that are in lines sight of a chairlift aren’t too different from a runway. And whether I’m adventuring or attending a fashion show, I obviously need to wear clothes.

Partaking in the streetstyle game required a new conversation with my clothes. It asked a new set of questions like for what and for whom am I dressing for? At times, there was an internal breakdown in communication. This resulted in some tension on the days where what my insides were feeling (tiredness) didn’t match my attire (floor length fitted dress). Yet there were other moments where I wanted to display an air of coolness (a cropped shirt and tie)because I internally felt confident and I wanted my clothes to shout that.

In culling streetstyle photos from Kellyn and I’s cameras and across the internet, the same people popped up again and again. It’s not necessarily their exact style that gravitates me towards them-but a recognition of themself, as a human, typified by their outfit choices. No matter the day, or the weather, or the designer who was gifting them clothing, you could see their own through-lines. You could see the way their clothes spoke to and for them. Be it the layering of shirts of my favorite dressed man, or the expert tailoring of the Japanese trio. I adored the woman who always embraced patterns and colors in her distinct way or the couple that have mastered both small hats and big pants. And of course, you always knew it was Kellyn when something was oversized or chartreuse!

Fredric Jameson writes in The Years of Theory—“and we ask: Why is it that my relationship to these ontic things is the way it is? Why do I like certain kinds of things, certain tastes, certain temperatures? Well, [Satre] says, because they are all ontological. They are all relationships to being” (Jameson, 2024, pg 33). The streetstyle that grabbed me was the one where I felt like I was saying ooh hey, hey YOU person who I could recognize from any angle. The person whose clothes were shaped by their own story, history, and landscape.

There’s a saying in french—avoir l’air emprunté. It can be loosely translated to looking awkward, or borrowing a look that is not your own. Of course this letter could have been a simple lists of trends to borrow from Copenhagen Fashion Week (polka dots, small hats, flip flops). But for me, the best kind of style and the best learning on how to do it—be it outside of a fashion show or underneath a tree in a snowy forest—is dressing in a way where you relate to your being. Where your stories tell a story of your life. Where you’re in conversation with your clothes. Where you own your looks, because you know yourself. And if you borrow, it is because the borrowed look speaks loudly to your experience. Where your body, in the form of goosebumps or a simple smile, says hey that’s me too! The borrowing becomes quickly owned.

To me, great style is when what is seen is not the clothes but instead is the person wearing them.

Kellyn and I’s clothing stories from fashion week…

Day 1:

Outfit Notes:

Shoes: Village PM

Skirt: Wawwa

Sweater: Mom’s Pearl Izumi cycling top

Tank top/belt bag: Hyein Seo

Hat: Hiking Patrol

Sunglasses: Ridar

Bag: Packbags

Outfit Notes:

Top: Marie Marot Shirts buttoned together ala Issey Miyake

Bottom: Thrifted Toteme Pants (a challenge second-hand as their sizing is all over the place)

Shoes: Jamie Haller sample sale

Bag: Grandma’s beaded hand-me-down

Day 2

Outfit Notes:

Top: St Agni tube top (similar)

Coat: Thrifted suede cape

Bottom: Studio Nicholson Shorts (sold out but worth waiting for next year)

Shoes: Mom’s boots

Sunglasses: Smith Venture glacier glasses

Outfit Notes:

Shoes: Maryam Nassir Zadeh via Depop

Pants: Roucha

Shirt: Mystery tagless thrifted shirt, my theory is that it was once a pillowcase

Hat: So random but linked here

Bag: Anthropologie

Sunglasses: Poppy Lissiman

Day 3:

Outfit Notes:

Shirt: 18 East Vegan Silk

Pants: Carhartt WIP, sale khaki color linked here

Shoes: BCBGeneration

Sunglasses: Akila

Outfit Notes

Dress: old Malene Birger (so old I couldn’t find it anywhere on the internet)

Scarf: My grandma’s silk scarf

Shoes: Jamie Haller

Day 4:

Outfit Notes

Shirt: Officine Générale (similar in white, inexpensive option here)

Tie: My dad’s

Belt: My mom’s Justin’s Boots from the 90’s.

Bag: TNF verto

Shoes: Aeyde boots (a steal on the Real Real!)

Sunglasses: Smith Capers

Outfit Notes:

Dress: Baserange (sold out, but page linked here)

Hat: By Far (sold out, other color linked here)

Bag: Monty

Shoes: Vintage Prada via Vestaire Collective

We aren’t done with Copenhagen yet. Kellyn will be back next week to bring Copenhagen into both hers and your closets.

Tak!

-Hadley

Hello everyone!

Kellyn here.

TOGS took a little field trip to the magical land of Copenhagen. Where bikes outnumber cars, rubber flip flops have replaced heels, and fashion is found on every single street corner. The people watching game of ‘are they here for fashion week or are they just fashionable’ is always in motion and the attempt to document every effortless bikeable outfit quickly fills up my iPhone storage. The coffee is some of the best I’ve ever had and there are too many amazing bakeries and natural wine bars to ever fit into one week. There are plenty of parks and swimming spots so you never feel like you’re in a concrete jungle. If I had a cardamom bun for every adorable well-behaved well-dressed baby I saw, you’d have to roll me onto my flight home. Copenhagen life is pretty perfect.

Hadley and I were there for Fashion Week to cover the shows, trends, and street style and write about it here for you! It was my second year going, and Hadley’s first time in Copenhagen. You can read about last years’ SS25 show here and here!

If you’re reading this, you probably care about fashion. You also probably care about how fashion plays a functional role in your life, whether that be through sportswear, self expression, or specialized gear. Maybe the idea of a sceney fashion week feels too far removed from your day to day life to bother reading about, but I promise it’s not. The inspiration from these shows—the creative direction, the styling, the music—it’s endless. And it’s fascinating to look at these trends on the runway and distill them down into new ways to look at your own closet and implement that inspiration. It’s really cool to see how technical wear and the worlds of sports and the outdoors are melding into high fashion and what that means for the functional fashion and gear design landscape. And I think that seeing these designers craft an immersive, self-contained world for the length of a single show feels like a creative spark we can all borrow.

And why Copenhagen of all the Fashion Weeks? Besides being in the such a great city, this event has such a high standard for sustainability, circularity, and working conditions for the designers and their brands—which really matter to me, and I know matter to you.

They also feature smaller labels that I wouldn’t have necessarily known about before following the event. This adds to the relaxed and laid back feel, which brings an element of fun and casualty to both the events and the fashion. I’m able to find so much to relate to here, even living far away in the mountains. So that’s why Copenhagen Fashion Week.

My friend Simbarashe Cha from the New York Times writes about CPHFW here, in a way that sums it all up—

And, lest we forget, it’s in the TOGS tagline—mountain peaks and fashion weeks. We’re doin it all, baby!

Our coverage of CPHFW will be broken up into 3 letters. This first one will cover the shows we attended, the next will focus on the street style, and the third will be some examples of how to shop your own closet and take this inspiration and work it into your day to day life. They will feature men’s and women’s fashion and we’ll also include an updated Copenhagen travel guide! Skål!!

THE SHOWS: (in order of attendance)

RANRA

Ranra was a show that I was absolutely giddy to see on the schedule when it came out. I’ve been swooning over their approach-style shoes for a few seasons now, and their more recent apparel has been equally as interesting. Based between Reykjavík and London, the label draws clear inspiration from these contrasting landscapes.

This collection, RHUBARB, takes its name from the hardy plant that appears in Iceland’s gardens at the start of spring. The show took place in a photo studio in an unsuspecting part of town where we were brought into a large airy room with propane tanks and boiling liquid in the center. A team dressed in Icelandic wool sweaters offered us a bright pink Icelandic beverage that tasted a bit like a natural electrolyte drink (which I can only assume was rhubarb based) and had us stand around the perimeter of the room.

(click on photos to enlarge)

peaks & valleys:

KW: I just love Ranra’s sneakers and think the new colors and silhouettes of these slim lace up shoes are so fun. I also love the layering of multiple jackets and the mix of suiting and more technical coats. This is where seeing these pieces in person is important: you can’t quite tell from photos, but a lot of the materials on the shorts and pants are a subtly gridded ripstop-esque material that adds a fun technical element. Such a good Iceland x UK mix in every look!

HH: Being the first show of our week, and the first fashion show of my life, Ranra set the bar high. I’m certain I let out a few audible gasps during the show. The layering, as Kellyn mentions above, was done with such care. Click on any of the above images to see the detail of the fabrics-how the layering works because of the weight and texture of each. For me, brown is a color I find myself gravitating towards for the first time in my life and Ranra’s browns were all spot on-from the espresso toned leather jackets to the chocolatey technical shorts and every nutty toned shirt and trench displayed. Each day since the show I keep saying a small prayer in the hopes the brand will start to design womenswear. But at least now I know a great brand for gifts for the men I love in my life. (spoiler alert for all future Christmas presents for Pierre and my brothers, and a small warning that I’ll probably then “borrow” said gifts)

SKALL STUDIO

A favorite Danish brand founded by sisters Julie and Marie Skall, this label often has a lot of natural fibers, neutral colors, and heritage pieces that look like the could be family heirlooms. I’m most fond of their fall winter collections for their oversized coats and jackets. This show was held in the courtyard of the Design Museum accompanied by live classical music—it was as picturesque as it sounds. I love when the location, music, and collection fit so intentionally.

The brand describes this collection, La Danse – Act II, as a tribute to that calm space where beginnings take shape and presence is everything. Each piece is designed to move with the body, not against it — like a dancer guided by instinct rather than form.

peaks & valleys:

KW: I’m less drawn to this collection’s tunic/kaftan style tops, but I’ve included some other looks that I enjoyed in the gallery above. The layered creams and butter yellows were lovely and texturally interesting, and I liked the socks and flats! Most models had gorgeous low loose pony tails which really felt effortless and elegant. Overall, I’m feel myself leaning away from anything too cottagey, as it’s been so overdone in the past few years, so the ultra feminine frilly pieces paired with bonnets weren’t my favorite from the collection. The single red coat was so fun!

HH: As I enter the final year of my 30’s this week (yes Togs is run by two headstrong Leos!), my desire to dress like an older woman, which has probably existed since I was 8, is peaking. For that reason, the three looks I loved from Skall gave off the vibe of I’m a dynamic, creative, have my shit together woman. As we arrived a bit early to enjoy the grounds of the museum, we got a sneak peak of the models walking about in the garden and the ease in which they moved and lived in the clothes off the runway prove Skall’s reputation of making value based, easy to live in and keep forever clothes.

KW: I fan girled hard over seeing Sissi and Pat from Tables and Food at the show, my fashion gods

ROLF EKROTH

One of my favorite shows from last year, I’ve become enamored with this brand for its boundary pushing silhouettes and attention to detail. Last year, the models had fake tear makeup that completely blew my mind, repurposed lifejackets, big patterns, and some sporty shorts and running jacket looks that were phenomenal. For this SS26 show, 189 DAYS LATER — ENCORE, the brand collaborated with Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, a Finnish municipal waste management company to use vintage Finnish fabrics and discarded denim to create their own “encore” through this partnership. The Finnish brand describes itself as built upon observations of youth and life in Finland, and harnessing the subtle nuances of its roots, but applies freedom to reimagining history and old crafting traditions.

peaks & valleys:

KW: Once again, Rolf Ekroth really stood out for me. This location was absolutely spectacular, tucked away in the woods. They were one of many designers this year to use a windowpane/plaid pattern but it was done on some really interesting silhouettes and paired with other patterns.. The pleated skirt look on the bottom right moved so beautifully in person, and the genderless styling and designs were really done well. Big big fan of this collection.

HH: If Ranra and Skall are both visually wearable collections, Rolf Ekroth changed the vibe with creative silhouettes and styling that, when broken down into pieces, is somehow still very…wearable! This show put a flutter in my heart and a beat in my step. Even the often straight faced Vogue Fashion Director Tonne Goodman exclaimed how “fun” the collection was as she walked past us. For me, it was the experience I was hoping for. A playful take on clothes that is approachable for even me who loves more neutral colors and patterns. I wish the brand was more readily available in stores outside of Japan.

ALIS

A local brand from the Christiania area of Copenhagen, Alis describes themselves as a voice for youth culture, skateboarding, and streetwear. The brand says they purposely maintain an air of mystery, committed to staying authentic and underground - built upon pillars of community and a raw desire to create. The setting of the show was a perfect urban runway next to the water with loud music and bright stadium lighting.

peaks & valleys:

KW: We saw some more traditional plaid in this collection, as well as a few really lovely longer short silhouettes. I feel like this was a very wearable, style-able collection that clearly drew of inspiration from sports and everyday street style. The energy of the crowd and audience here was palpable and you could really feel the hometown support, which is always fun to be around.

HH: This collection was a pass for me but the crowd and music was a blast to be in and around. What’s cool about the Copenhagen fashion week, is how public many of the venues end up being. I like that it lowers the barriers to entry a bit, and this show proved how fun the energy can be when fashion insiders meet a random passerby.

66°North

The Icelandic outdoor brand that’s been in business since 1926, celebrated its centennial year with this collection. “Our journey over the last hundred years has been marked by innovation, without compromising on the core values built into the company since its inception. This Copenhagen Fashion Week exhibition reflects our unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, durability, and purposeful design, and offers up guests an insight into the inner workings of our factories and repair shops”

peaks & valleys:

KW: This was the only show included in this letter that we didn’t get to see in person, but worth including as a technical brand from the nordics! I’m particularly fond of the women’s look on the top left—that jacket’s design is gorgeous and I love the pieces it’s styled with.

HH: Sadly we overestimated our ability to bike to every show and missed seeing the display in person. Kellyn and I would need to share the top left jacket-I can imagine throwing some skinny ski pants underneath and having a ball riding a ski hill with such a playful silhouette.

MKDT

MKDT Studio’s collection, Echoes of the Known, took inspiration from two artists: “The painter Kay Sage, with her still, surreal spaces, where presence and absence seem to blur, devoid of people, yet filled with the traces of human presence. And Jean Jacques Balzac — himself a constructed persona — whose AI-generated ‘wrong architecture’ imagines buildings that almost make sense.” Wild. It was set next to a church and massive fountain that blew mist into the crowd with the wind.

peaks & valleys:

KW: I am obsessssed with these angular possibly wired head and neck scarves. MKDT always nails neutrals and somehow still makes them interesting to look at. The intentionally loose threads in the suiting make me pleasantly uncomfortable and the androgynous styling made my heart skip a beat. I love their unique take on structured suit silhouettes, the juxtaposition of a floppy slipper and bulbous pair of sunglasses, and the wonderfully weird Salem witch trial/Alfred Hitchcock/chic pilgrim vibe they’ve created. The music was a brooding remix of songs that, as much as I tried, I wasn’t able to shazam. But it was as elegant as it was weird and funky. A perfect fit.

HH: This was a brand I was really excited to see as I have enjoyed their previous collections yet his year’s runway failed to excite me. In some ways it had too may nods to Prada’s recent fall and spring runway shows but without the execution. Throughout the week, I felt far more inspired by the men’s collections than the women’s and this one was no different. Their fall/winter collection however-great stuff. All to say, I think I’m harder to please in the summer than the winter.

KW: I second that sentiment!

HENRIK VISBKOV

Henrik Visbkov’s show, Everything cracks eventually - I’ll be gentle, was a journey in every way. It was a far bike ride from the city, in the rain, near the fishing harbor in an industrial part of town. We noted that the crowd outside had some of the chicest older men and women we’ve ever seen and this show brought out a really cool artsy crowd. The brand describes the show here:

“The runway is transformed into a surreal tableau: a strange landscape scattered with mysterious black eggs from another world. These eggs - symbols of both fragility and latent power - are farmed by towering yellow structures somewhere between futuristic eggshells and portable shelters that glide across the stage like a nurturing vehicle. Within this surreal landscape, mystical caretakers perform a slow-motion ritual: they guide their mobile cradles, gently inspecting, adjusting, and safeguarding the fragile orbs. The choreography transforms into a living metaphor for protection - observing vulnerability, sustaining it with care, and staying close until the fragile shell finally cracks, unleashing transformation and growth. The installation intends to invite the viewer to witness a poetic ritual of care and transformation, echoing the collection's vision of softness as strength.”

peaks & valleys:

KW: This show was so wonderfully theatrical—a full performance that took the audience on a winding and wonderful journey that left you trying to piece together what it all meant. It was captivating from the start. So much of this show really lit me up—the big patterns, the pattern mixing, the styling, the casting, the shoes, the colors! There were so many patterns and yet it all came together and felt like a cohesive story, arc and all. It would be easy to skip over the more subdued looks in favor of the prints, but upon further review of the collection, they have really become some of my favorites. The tonal cream look, second row on the right is so good.

HH: Vibskov is a new brand for me. With the combination of the well dressed guests, the captivating music and presentation and most importantly the swoon worthy clothes, it took all of 30 minutes to turn me into a super fan. There’s a sophistication in Vibskov’s playfulness that I appreciate and adore. Out of the 31 looks, there were only 4 I wouldn’t wear which I think says it all. I went to check out the store in person, and it was a challenge to keep my money in my pocket. A brand to add to your radar for both men and women.

BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN

Baum’s SS26 show, Notes from the Grandstand, took place at the oldest horse racing track in the nordics. When we arrived, a sea of white umbrellas sheltered the audience from a light mist, while the glowy post rain sun made the track look entirely cinematic. In true sporting event fashion, Tuborg beers were passed out to the audience before a horse drawn carriage raced out from behind a row of stables to kick off the show.

peaks & valleys:

KW: I always deeply appreciate the grandeur that goes into a Baum und Pferdgarten show—the music was an upbeat remix with pounding bass, a segway camera man filmed the show in real time while the footage was projected on a screen like an actual race, and the smell and sights of these gorgeous old horse stables and cold European beer created a full sensory experience.

This collection however, for me, had a lot of pieces that didn’t resonate from a material and fit standpoint. I didn’t love the styling of many of the socks and shoes, as it felt a little dated or misdirected with the clothing. There is a bit of campiness to this collection that I can appreciate, whether it was intended or not. Like a 90’s sitcom. I did like this green suede look, above, and the hats and hair scarves.

HH: If Vibskov was the peak of the day, Baum und Pferdgarten was my valley. What stood out was the lacking quality of the fabrics. Different strokes for different folks…

MARIMEKKO

Oh Marimekko! A Scandinavian favorite. This Finnish design house was founded in 1950 as a hand printed textile company and has stayed true to their colorful prints and patterns since, anchored by their iconic 1964 Unikko poppy print.

peaks & valleys:

KW: While Marimekko will always hold a special place in my heart, and last year’s show will live fondly in my memory bank forever, this collection and show felt just a bit underwhelming to me. The location and music didn’t feel like it fit the collection, and there wasn’t enough specificity to make it feel intentionally juxtaposed. I think the patterns this year weren’t my favorite, but I recognize that the prints themselves can be so subjective, so it’s not worth dwelling there. I had hoped to see more of the Jokapoika shirt, (the longest standing product that has been in continuous production since 1956) as it was specifically mentioned for it’s 70th anniversary. I guess the stripes were the brand’s way of paying homage, but it left me wanting for a bit more. Interestingly, I loved what the brand dressed certain attending guests in more! We’ll include photos of that in the next letter. I can’t wait to see the AW26 collection and see how it may balance out this one!

HH: Another change I’ve noticed with age, is my relationship to critique. This year I’ve been asked for my opinion a lot more than usual-be it judging or offering feedback on films, to editing other writer’s work. Togs itself is also in many ways an opinion. I’m trying to learn an active balance between discernment and kindness. Finding a balance between negativity and constructive criticism.

Copenhagen offered yet another opportunity to walk the delicate line of critique. There were certain shows that thrilled me and many, including Marimekko, that left me disappointed. I didn’t like the show nor the clothes and I’m realizing a week out, that it’s okay that it didn’t stir any excitement or want in me. Fashion, like art, is subjective after all.

CECILIE BAHNSEN

HANA-BI, Japanese for flower and fire, is Cecilie Bahnsen’s 10 year anniversary show and return to her hometown of Copenhagen. This duality of delicacy and disruption is a fitting metaphor for her own sculptural silhouettes formed in softness. Couture-level techniques worn with ease. Like fireworks, the collection opens in white, pure and luminous, before shifting into silver. It was set in a sprawling concrete lot, with white smoke, daytime exploding fireworks, and suspenseful music that built tension and dropped into a moody melodic runway soundtrack.

peaks & valleys:

KW: This was our last show and was, to me, the perfect way to close it all out. It was grand and bold and delivered what the show set out to do—blending delicacy and disruption. It left me inspired about the sport/fashion crossover world that we love to write and think about. Seeing these fabrics up close and watch them move was so thrilling because it adds so much information to each piece. I adore the running vest style bungees against ultra delicate fabrics, the sheer, and the shoes! Ugh the shoes!! Cecilie Bahnsen really knows herself and what she likes to design, and it’s so special to see these works of art in person.

HH: The women’s collections in Copenhagen left me wanting, until Cecilie Bahnsen restored my spirits. I remember first seeing a Bahnsen skirt on the now defunct Man Repeller website many a year ago and have been enthusiastically following the brand since. If you have followed Togs, you know we adore the Bahnsen x North Face collab. So getting an up close runway view of the collection was truly a dream come true. I think a lot about what it means to show strength as a woman. I find it interesting that often when wanting to display “power” or “success” women are dressed in more manly garments like suits. What I love about Cecilie Bahnsen, is how she embraces the feminine side of strength. That strength was on display on the runway, in each of the guests’ outfits, and in Bahnsen herself who drifted around the party with a quiet, stylish, confident aura.

That’s a wrap on the shows! Stay tuned for the next two Copenhagen Fashion Week letters.

Send us a message if you have any questions you would like us to answer in the upcoming coverage!

Lots of love & salty licorice,

Kellyn

How do we get dressed?

Over the last week, Kellyn and I have weaved through the city of Copenhagen connecting fashions shows and coffee shops by bike—a constellation of the capital’s greatest clothing and light roasts.

At the end of each night I’d lie in bed, my body buzzing from the excitement and chaos and caffeine of Copenhagen Fashion Week. Five hours later I’d get up, go over the schedule with Kellyn and do it all again.

The experience involved so much newness. New city. New industry. New people. And in many ways it was the same as other industry experiences I’ve had. There were the cool kids. The people there to work. People there to be seen. And everything in between. I really wonder if the range of human emotions and behaviors really isn’t all that wide…

I felt my own personal judgments of those vying for attention in concomitant with my own ego boost from landing two photos in Vogue’s online coverage.

One minute I’d feel pretty dope in my outfit, only to show up at a show and immediately feel very much not dope.

I’d feel uncomfortable and silly posing for photos and then I’d take a photo of someone else and all the cynicism of the charade would evaporate as the woman or man would pose, embracing and celebrating their own style and presence.

My emotions took turns on their own catwalk.

Then, then, the shows would start. Models would weave through a building, or a forest. They’d strut down a street or along the waters edge. My heart would flutter. It would all make sense. The art of it. The care of it. The beauty of it. The clothes themselves-the creations of artists and teams that toil and dream all year. That was the point. The point of fashion week. The point of designers. The point of us, Togs, being there.

Those clothes…

Some of them were so good. And that, dear Toggsers is what we want to share with you over the next weeks. It’s why we went. To discover the garments that had us audibly gasping and swooning. To be inspired by the styling-both in the streets and on the runway. To get up close with the clothes to see the draping, the construction, the details that make a a piece worth buying.

We are digesting and deciding on the best way to cover the week in order for you to get the most out of it. Our minds are a flurry of inspiration—we’ve got a lot coming to you.

Exciting is the word I’d use to describe the week. I felt a sense of holy-moly-what-is-life the entire week. Awe of the ways my life has transported from lift lines to front rows. I’m looking forward to sharing that with each of you. So that we can all get dressed—confidently and with contentment. So that we can call feel proud to do our little or big strut down the streets of Telluride or New York or the slopes of Chamonix or Alpine Valley.

-Hadley

(make sure to click on the title above to read on substack or the app- it’s way better!)

If you you haven’t read last week’s letter from Hadley yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a good precursor to my own Mountainfilm-centered letter today.

Mountainfilm is such an interesting and inspiring weekend for so many different reasons—let me set the scene for you all.

Telluride, the location of Mountainfilm (and my home!), is a little village at the end of a box canyon, meaning there is one way in and one way out. A wee cluster of victorian homes, the bank Butch Cassidy robbed in 1889, one very picturesque cemetery, and a winding river flowing from the back wall of the canyon, all cradled in the palm of a three-walled valley.

Like a small iridescent bubble, or a single snowflake held in the palm of weathered hands, Telluride sometimes feels as similarly delicate—as if the whole place could just pop or melt and blow away in the wind. Too lovely, too simple to exist in 2025. It often feels like we could be in a Horton Hears a Who situation, especially because you often see the town from above in its entirety from any wall of the canyon, and its easy to imagine that it’s all just existing on a speck of dust.

Of course, real life finds its way onto our secluded bubble through our phones and our taxes and the lack of affordable housing and career options, but still, people often describe Telluride as magical. And, I think, it’s because it feels both like a step back in time and yet also home to a thoughtful, progressive, and creative community. Like there must have been a little magic at play for that to be able to exist. (Spoiler alert, the magic is the people.)

And that magic gives way to really special events like Mountainfilm Festival!

May in the mountains is reliably unpredictable, but Mountainfilm usually coincides with the brief tulip blooming window and the return of a sea of green aspen leaves. Peaks are usually still snowy and the river is full, baby birds are chirping, and everyone is returning to town from their offseason with renewed energy and fresh eyes for our glorious little town. It is magic!

Mountainfilm hold discussions, panels, feature film screenings, blocks of short films and events which, in their words, “inspire audiences to create a better world. The festival brings together a community of filmmakers and change makers, showcasing documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment and indomitable spirit.”

And that it does. But another part that I love about the festival is the fashion. It’s kind of a fashion week for elevated mountain casual looks.

What’s so compelling about what filmmakers, speakers, and artists wear is that they’re always telling a story through their clothing choices. These are storytellers at heart, and their clothing becomes another medium for expression—a visual narrative. Even when the message is, ‘I don’t care about fashion; I’m not superficial or vain,’ that too is a deliberate choice, a curated statement.

You see it in the filmmaker who wears the same worn-in jacket every day. The one that’s creased at the elbows and fraying at the cuffs—it holds history, routine, and probably a story or two. Or in the speaker who pairs old hiking gear with a hand-me-down fleece, projecting humility, groundedness…a quiet defiance of fashion norms. These choices aren’t accidental; they’re declarations of values.

Our outfits becomes part of our performance, our story that we’re telling, and the message we’re projecting.

And modern mountainwear can also be expressive and loud and a combination of a million different styles. Blazers and trousers, feminine dresses, button-downs all belong in mountain towns because creative communities celebrate originality and nothing you wear (or do) should ever be limited by the status quo. The beauty is in the juxtaposition—high with low, rugged with refined, humble1 old victorian houses with Rivians parked out front… you know the balance.

Here is what’s on my moodboard for outfits that belong in mountain casual settings, whether traditionally mountainy or not—

You’ll notice that I tend to gravitate away from outfits that are head-to-toe one style, like a cowboy hat, western jeans, and cowboy boots. This is a common look for people to adopt when visiting a mountain town (as ALWAYS to each their own! Wear what you love!) but this can read a bit costumey unless it is authentic to you. It can sometimes give beret and baguette at the Eiffel Tower…non?

Below, Julie Ashwood wears a brimmed hat and gorgeous layers here in Telluride, and I think this is an effective mix of different styles that brings balance and stays away from looking like a costume in a mountain town:

This year at Mountainfilm, there were so many good outfits. I tried put on my fashion week photographer hat and get shots of everyone’s outfits, but I underestimated 1. how scary that is and 2. how unbelievably packed your schedule gets during the week. I was banking on the awards picnic to go full on, but then it was pouring rain and everyone cloned into a sea of matching merch rain jackets. But! here is a sampling of some great outfits from the fest. Some photos I took in between the chaos, and a couple I snagged from the internets—

Ian- Fimmaker/Designer, Documentary Talk Producer

Pants- Vintage Carhartt, Shirt- Everybody World, Sunglasses- Raen, Tote- Silverton Dirtbags made from upcycled ski fences

Trysten, From Rodeo to Polo Producer

Overalls- Carhartt, Boots- Fishscale unknown brand, Shirt- Carhartt, Necklace- #8 Fraternity chain

Aubrey, Musician, LVDY

Pants- Donni, Shoes- AllSaints via Nordstrom Rack, Shirt- TOGETHXR via wife’s closet (shoutout Jules)

Guest director Sophia Bush and crew.

Ashlyn, Athlete & Podcast host

One of the best dressed all weekend! Shirt- Dickies cropped work shirt

Babsi (left)

Shoes- Blundstone, Jacket- Barbour, Scarf- Barbour, Sunglasses- Oliver Peoples, Bag- Mulberry, Hat- Italian cashmere

Caroline (right)

Jacket- Parajumpers, Jeans- American Vintage, Boots- Ganni

Gabe

Shoes- Laceless Adidas Samabas, Jeans- Levis 501, Sweater- APC, Hat- The Telluride Company, Jacket- President’s

Derya

Pants- Everlane, Shoes- Aime Leon Dore New Balance, Vest- Mountain Hardwear via Poshmark, Jacket- North Face

Wiley, And Again, Filmmaker

Shoes- Vans, Pants- Carhart WIP, Shirt- Former, Hat- Dasoro

Hadley!

Shoes- Birkenstock, Pants- B Sides Quinn jeans, Belt-stolen from her mom, Purse- thrifted/unlabeled, Sweater- Roberto Collino (the best quality cashmere she says!)

Kasen, Filmmaker

Shoes- Solomon, Pants- Carhart WIP, T-shirt- Dasoro, Overshirt- Vintage Field and Stream, Sunglasses- Ray Ban, Hat- Dasoro

And for good measure, here some things that I wore-

Sweater- Bobo Choses, Pants- Gramicci, Scarf- Free People

Hat- Fielder Films, Pants- COS, (currently sold out but they come back!) Sunglasses- Ridar (I really wanted to gatekeep this little brand, but never for you TOGS readers! They look like the old Oakley eyejackets but are actually comfortable and have incredible optics) Shirt- Men’s Old Navy, Socks- Le Bon Shoppe, Shoes- Vintage Salewa via Ebay, very similar linked

Shirt- Djerf Avenue, Vest- Coldbreaker, Jeans- Vintage Levis (most similar linked), Shoes- ALD New Balance, Sunglasses- Poppy Lissiman, Hat- 1-of-1 CPR hat

Shorts- Damson Madder, Overshirt- Damson Madder, Shirt- Frankie Shop, Shoes- Vagabond, Socks- Le Bon Shoppe (can you tell I just made a big sock order)

Shirt- Nudie Jeans (also comes in a long sleeve!), Jeans- Very old Zara kids.. much better pair linked from Agolde, Sunglasses- Akila, Necklace- Chikahisa Studio, Hat- Vintage Cooperstown Ballcaps, Shoes- Plasticana

I’m such a fan of pairing cream and white together in the summer and a textured off-white shirt like this one here adds so much visual interest to a similar color palette.

That’s a snippet of the Mountainfilm fits! I hope you can all watch some amazing documentaries this year—there are such talented people working hard to tell such important stories. Through films, discussions, & yes even what they wear!

xoxo

Kellyn

And another thing~

(a place for random things I liked this week, thoughts, and musings)

-In honor of pride month and celebrating Telluride local artisans, I have to shoutout my neighbor Colleen and Moon Bear Jewels! Her newest Rainbow Collection is just beautiful.

-Wanderlands sent me some of their snacks to try and they are phenomenal trail snacks. Finally some FLAVOR.

-This J.Crew cashmere oversized tee shirt has been changing my life. Dramatic, but I’m really nothing but.

-I’m just starting to read My Oceans by Christina Rivera and already mesmerized.

-Cawley Studio has been my favorite designer to watch for a while now, and we’re getting sneak peeks of SS26 on the brand’s Instagram Stories. OOOooh!

-Filmmaker Ben Christensen made a music video with his daughter and her friends and its the best thing. Watch here.

-The film Sally, which played at Mountainfilm, will be available to stream on disney/hulu on June 16th!

-I’m headed out to Bellingham/Whidbey Island this week- any PNW readers have some favorite small business to check out in that area?!

Spring in mountain towns invokes images of plodding through mud, nostalgia over the last resort laps, and confusion over what to wear. Here in Chamonix, it feels like spring comes by February. The valley tends to rid itself of snow-giving us an early mud season by March. By April it’s often pretty darn green, floral, and sunny. But like every other mountain town, we also get the random April snowstorm, and this year’s was no joke. I live in a village lower down from the main town of Chamonix. Normally we stop getting snowfall this low in January-so you can imagine my surprise when we had what looked like 2 feet of snow in our yard…

In reaction to the spring, my thoughts drifted to the south of France. The south of France is to the French that Moab is to the American Westeners. A relatively easy spring escape to warmer weather and non-winter activities. Cassis/Marseille has become a yearly pilgrimage for me here in France. It’s the perfect time to go climb above the sea and eat the best strawberries on earth.

It took little convincing for Pierre and my friends, both new and old, to plan a last minute southern trip. The two new friends, Harry and Jerry, were coming to Chamonix to snowboard. While they’re used to wintry trips and long bouts in tents, they quickly acclimatized to slow mornings, meandering quaint villages, taste testing different strawberries from the farmers, and drinking cappuccinos amongst locals-all in the blissful sun and far away from snow and snowboards. This is my new strategy for getting friends to move to France and I think it’s working.

We decided on Tuesday to leave on Thursday, which gave me enough time to rummage through the storage unit and reunite with most of my closet. While I made do this winter with most of my clothes in storage, I learned I am not a capsule, minimal wardrober (wardrobest?). I love my clothes…it was pure bliss to have so many more options to play with.

Here is a selection looks and books worn and read from the week (the timeline isn’t pure, but you get the idea!)

Monday-computer

Doing: Working from home

Wearing: My mom’s vintage blouse, Mother jeans (a gift from my mother), my mom’s vintage watch, house slippers (because ya know it’s still work from home)

Reading: The fine print of doing both French and American taxes…

I’ve been working this year on a big copy writing project for The North Face. I’ll be moving into a real office in June (yay!), but for now I’m working from home. Like 100,000 people before me have said, it helps if I get out of my pajamas and into an outfit for better productivity.

I now realize that almost all of this outfit comes from my mom. The blouse is part of her vintage skirt set. Red is a go-to color for me.

I couldn’t find much info on the designer-Christyne Forti, but based on these images she made clothes for strong women! There’s some Forti gems out there on ebay-here and here. The quality is incredible-the way the shirt drapes and pleats feels like nothing I’ve seen on the internet in a long time.

Tuesday

Doing: Working from home

Wearing: Old Zara khakis, Everlane Tshirt and V-Neck Sweater, Dad’s bolo, vintage belt, thrifted Officine Creative Derby shoes.

Reading: Dad’s copy of John McPhee’s-The Control of Nature.

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Kellyn here. I hope you’re all doing well in these first weeks of spring. I want to give everyone a squeeze for reading each week, and for understanding when life takes unexpected turns. If your heart feels tight from the weight of the world, loss—whether in the mountains or otherwise—or just the general *trickiness* that comes with being human, I feel ya. I know we write a functional fashion newsletter and we aren’t exactly changing the world when we ramble on about the ‘best barrel leg pants for spring,’ but since we are all out here experiencing life at the same time together, these pockets of community feel really nice. And maybe they are a bit more rich and resonant than what they appear to be on the surface. Connection is connection. And unfortunately, because we don’t all live on the same street of a chic walkable village on a safe little rocky TOGS island somewhere out at sea, at least we can find each other here and talk about hiking shoes and feel like we are escaping whatever it may be, a little bit, all together.

I’m back home in Telluride after being gone for a month (!) and in true Colorado spring fashion, we’ve had every possible weather event. I wore both my shorts and my expedition parka last week.

Clothing is so funny because, at it’s core, it is just a layer of fabric to protect you against the elements (and fit into society I guess.) But we could all just have two gray jumpsuits that we alternate between when one is being washed, and yet we don’t. We chose to wear things that mean something to us and fit into our lives and what we like to do. Things that make us go “ooooh that’s cuuute” and help give the world a glimpse of our souls.

We develop deep relationships and make memories with these garments. Your puffy jacket that you’ve patched on various ski trips is a wearable stamped passport and your lucky socks are only lucky because you’ve worn them through enough of life’s ups and downs.

Your mom’s sweater is the closest thing to a hug from her, herself.

And while, yes, most people would see that t-shirt from a run you did for only what it technically is; a cheap poorly screen printed boxy tee, you see it for what it feels like. It’s a cotton trophy of your hard work, a t-shirt shaped Polaroid of that moment in time. That, and it’s what your fat nonrefundable sign-up fee got you, so damn it it’s gonna mean something.

Hadley muses about this more, beautifully, in her past letter:

And I ramble about how we all actually do care about our style and what it says about us, in my past letter where I’ll take this except from:

“We are all presenting ourselves to the world through the choices that we make. From what we wear to if you have a reusable water bottle or not, to your perfume or the book you’re reading. For good or for bad, these are some of things that the world around us picks up on.

I was musing recently about how someone who said “I don’t care at all about fashion” was participating in such a fashion choice. The casual worn in pieces were so intentional and exactly what this person was wanting to project to the world. Love! Lame metaphor warning, but if you were a book, you’d want your cover to project a very specific feeling, indicative of what the story inside holds. Before anyone can take the time to know what you’re like on the inside, we all look at each other’s cover. It sounds very superficial, but hopefully the people you’re keeping around take the time to open up and delve deeper. It also doesn’t have to be so heavy- think of the amount of times you’ve struck up a conversation because you liked someones shoes or you recognized their Moe’s Bagel Shop hat. We buy things we like, we wear things we love, and we’re all just out here searching for a little human connection.”

And sometimes clothing can be purely functional, and we love it for that too.

For me, springtime tips the scales swiftly in the favor of function. Mountain town dwellers, you know what I mean when I say mud season does a number to our wardrobe rotations. Light colored pants? Out. Shoes that can’t handle a good hosing? No chance. Dry clean only? Do you know how far away the nearest dry cleaner is?! Will not be touching until the roads are dry. And don’t anyone dare put those wool sweaters away because behind every 60 degree day is a storm bringing three feet of snow.

SO this week I documented what a wore living in Telluride; a little mountain town in southwestern Colorado that fluctuates weather and temperature drastically this time of year. With every outfit I put together, I tried to remember to bring in elements of fashion/funk/personality while having to choose something functional. Here’s what I wore this week:

Sunday

Doing: Walking the dog

Wearing: Ulu Outdoor snow boots, Purple Mountain Observatory pants, Knit for Fire sweater, Hestra mittens, Dasoro hat, Vinco Performance sunnies

These boots were kindly sent to me from the brand Ulu Outdoors. This structural heel is truly a work of art. It also has a cinch-able snow gator top and Vibram sole! This is the intersection of funk and function, baby! This brand first caught my eye when they were recognized at IPSO for innovation in extreme cold weather performance with their winter trail running shoe.

But the pièce de résistance is this hand knit sweater from a fiber artist I discovered in Copenhagen, Knit 4 Fire. I commissioned her to make this hooded bell sleeve sweater and I can confidently say it’s one of the best purchases of the year. The year is young but I’m already locking it in! It’s so cool to support artists who are so talented in their craft. Thank you K4F!

Monday

Doing (morning): Running errands in a blizzard

Wearing (morning): Rudy Jude pants, Ulu Outdoors snow boots, Peak Performance puffy, Mom’s vintage Jagged Edge vest, old cheap sunglasses, James Street Co hat

Doing (afternoon): Getting coffee

Wearing (afternoon): Same as above, but swapped for the Soeur Paris Jacket and LL Bean tote.

In between doing some work from home, I had to walk down to town to run a few errands, and later go grab a coffee. This base outfit functioned well for me as a comfy casual outfit that I could sit at the computer in, but then be layered up for these two different purposes. I’ve become a big fan of wearing a non technical coat over a down jacket. It’s all the function of just wearing the puffy, but with a little pizzaz. And then, once you’re inside, you can take off the down jacket and put your other one back on. This puffy from Peak Performance is not only a phenomenal jacket on its own, but this cream color is so versatile and chic for this layering purpose.

Because the algorithm is getting eerily knowledgable, on this same day I saw a photo of this cute gal pop up on my feed- she has it layered under a trench. Big fan.

Tuesday

Doing: Working from home, going to the post office, cooking

Wearing: Uniqlo x JW Anderson jeans, James Street Co. sweater, Xtratuf x Salmon Sisters boots, Chillbies clogs, Mairin baselayer, vintage hat, Akila sunglasses

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Before I jump into this letter, I need to say how absolutely full-on heart hurting squirmy smushy bursting happy it makes me to see our chat becoming a place for TOGS readers to connect and talk fashion or otherwise! The community side of this whole thing is all I want and it makes me sosooosoo happy. Love this crew. If you’re new, we have a great little substack chat feature going- hop in! Say hi! Keep it up while I melt and explode at the same time.

Ok for one last time, let’s go back into the world of fashion in Copenhagen-

Like many TOGS readers, I have a harder time dressing in the summer. I find it tricky sometimes to fully express my personal style when I’m working with as little fabric as possible in the heat. The effortless vibes of Scandinavian street style is often where I go to look for examples of light layers, subtle summer motifs, and chic but casual elements.

Because this was the Spring/Summer 2025 fashion week, I was immersed in inspiration for summer, warm weather, and transitional season outfitting. The street style on any given day in this city is a wealth of inspiration, but during this week, sheesh it’s a sight to behold. The best part is that it’s not just any one style, and it’s certainly not the Pinterest “Copenhagen aesthetic” search results. It’s everyone’s personal style, all across the spectrum, but tailored for a sunny 70 degrees in a bikeable city.

I had a thought, when I was with a group of people absolutely nerding out over some specific fabric, that while some may think of the fashion world as pretentious and shallow (and I know that it does exist in some facets) it’s really more just like any likeminded group of people coming together and getting stoked on whatever random interest they may have in common. Comic Con for fashion, if you will. Sure there’s some ego outliers, but for the most part, it’s just really so cute and fun.

In this letter I’m going to share some my favorite photos from a handful of trends seen on the street and the runway, and some ways to incorporate these styles into everyday looks in the mountains and beyond. And a couple quick Q&A’s that were sent in-

And even though this was the Spring/Summer show, these trends will trickle down and ripple into the upcoming seasons, so I’m going to frame these things for late summer/fall into winter.

Photo credits: Getty Images, StyleDu Monde, Angelina Ilmast, Francesca Babbi, Eseniia Araslanova, Darrel Hunter, Maria Rogersdotter, Romina Introini, Russh Magazine, Nika Gunchak.

How did I get invitations to shows?

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I’m gearing up for some summer traveling and I couldn’t be more excited. I can’t wait to share with you all what I’ve packed for these trips and the fashion I’ll bear witness to!

Today, the 26th, I’m headed to the East Coast for a family trip to Cape Cod- truly my favorite place on earth. Every summer as a kid we would go to The Cape with my Massachusetts family and stay in the same house, eat the same things, play the same games- it was everything that good family traditions should be. If you’ve been to Cape Cod, maybe you understand the magic. The dunes along the sand with tall grasses and hilly bluffs hold back a very alive ocean- it’s salty and briny and cradle creatures big and small. Four seas swirl around this little swath of land that’s dotted with freshwater ponds and nature reserves, raw bars, and weathered shingle clad shacks all claiming to have the best lobster roll in New England.

When I was little, there was no cell phone service out there, so we relayed our lunch orders via walkie talkie from the beach to my mom and auntie up at the house, they were/are so good to us. In the mornings, my dad would go pick up Dunkin’ Donuts and everyone got their favorite. I liked maple, my brother would get the pinky. We waited out any rainy days by watching Rocket Power under a big blue afghan or using our imagination to craft the most elaborate of worlds to play make believe in. We’d collect hermit crabs in red pails and try not to cut our feet on razor clams- after enough stitches I succumbed to water shoes around the summer of ’07. My Uncle would talk about the Red Sox with his perfect Boston accent- a sound paired best with seagulls in the distance and crashing waves below the bluff. When my grammy got too old to walk down the dunes to the ocean, she would sit with the legs dangling over the deck and wave to us. We would walk out as far as we could during low tide and wave back. And then we would eat dinner as fast as we could so we could get back outside and keep playing. It was only a couple weeks of each summer, but it was my whole childhood.

My dad had this incredible move where he would order (from a catalog over the phone) a week’s worth of new clothes for the trip and just have it sent out there. He would hardly pack anything and have his new Cape Cod persona waiting for him upon his arrival.

I’m definitely my parents’ daughter.

As a kid, this was my fashion Super Bowl. For those short few weeks when I wasn’t in Colorado, I could take on a whole new style, become a whole new girl. I would lay out every combination of possible outfits in the “Staging Area” aka the hallway outside my room, and plan every day down to the outfit and accessories. I dressed up nice for the airport because that’s what my parents did and felt like a fancy and mysterious child sashaying through the airport- who is she? Where is she going? What is she feverishly scribbling in that travel journal?

Time moves impossibly slow when you’re a kid and I waited all year long for that moment we were finally in my Uncle’s car, positively bursting with excitement to be on our way to The Cape. Over the bridge into the most magical place I had ever been. And when I say this car was packed, I mean this car was packed. To the absolute gills. Beach accoutrements like you wouldn’t believe. Boogie boards, skim boards, balls of every kind and sport, pool toys, buckets on buckets, sunscreen that was unknowably open and covering the whole back seat, umbrellas, baseball gloves, the perfect beach read I had picked out months prior and read the first few chapters just to confirm it was indeed perfect, and a bunch of giddy cousins squeezed in-between, picking up right where we left off the summer before. As the kid who was nostalgic for moments before they were even over, the exact moment of the start of the vacation was in every way perfect to me.

While I could wax poetic about the splendors of The Cape for -literally- ever, I’ll get to the point. And that point is, as I get older and smarter, I realize how much better it feels when/if you buy new things for a vacation, that you stay cognizant about it’s wearability after the trip. It is possible to dress for the environment you’ll be in on your vacation, but not fall victim to buying new things that you can ONLY wear in that place.

Pilgrimage to the ocean is sacred to us land locked mountain dwellers. All of us who live in mountain towns know that primal call to submerge our dry dry bones in salt water for a good few weeks a year, if we can be so lucky.

A lot of my dirtbag buddies (men and women) have one uniform for summer and one for winter, no matter where they are. To each their own always and forever, but the plaid Kühl shirt and Bedrock sandals look better in Bozeman than Sicily, they just do.

My TOGS readers, if you’re like me (which I know you are) you also love to nail the role.

I see you guys nailing your roles as skiers and hikers and climbers. While it may feel more second nature now, a lot of thought has gone into those uniforms and into deciding what we wear and how we present ourselves to the world. We want to come across as capable but not cocky, in the know of industry trends, and up to date on the latest equipment. Nailing the role.

So it only makes sense that we want to nail our roles on vacation and in different settings as well! We know how good it feels to be well dressed for the environment we are in.

Blah blah blah ok get to the point, Wilson, how do we do that without buying a whole new wardrobe of seersucker and polo shirts? (remember we’re using Cape Cod as our vacation spot example for this letter) And why would I want to wear something that’s not my style or true to my personality?

Hey Devil’s Advocate, that’s not what I’m saying! I agree that that you should never wear anything to “fit in” and you should always stay true to your style in any locale- but there’s a way to both be you and buy vacation clothes that you’ll wear again. Oh and NAIL THE ROLE.

If you too were a theater kid or perhaps born a Leo, maybe start with a vacation mood board. Here’s mine for the Cape-

What it is: Nostalgic, peaceful, classic, soft. It smells like hot coffee, used books, salt, damp wood, a freshly struck matchbook. It feels like cotton, terry cloth, the back on an oyster shell, the thin stem of a wine glass, a chipped porcelain plate. It sounds like a radio, ice cream truck chimes, creaky floorboards, the call for dinner from downstairs, and a hot outdoor shower.

What it’s not: stereotypically east coasty. No cheesy old money ‘costumes’, single aesthetics, or stiff inorganic fabrics.

I’m looking for casual, easy breezy, pieces that can be worn again in the mountains.

So here’s what I’m packing-

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Happy official summer to you all! I hope everyone had lovely strawberry moon/summer solstice week and are feeling excited for the long warm days ahead.

Summer comes and goes so fast in the mountains, it’s really a practice in staying present to not miss these exceptionally ephemeral but magical months.

This past weekend I was Aspen for a wedding. It was such a lovely celebration. Here’s what I wore and where things are from-

Absolutely loved this asymmetric open back dress from Spanish label Laagam. Heels with this unique (and sorta functional for grass!) little stiletto are the Firenze pump from Schutz.

Speaking of marriage… massive congratulations to Hadley and her partner Pierre for getting engaged!! I can’t wait to get little peeks into what’s inspiring her in the wedding world and bridal fashion. So happy for those two!! TOGS gets married!

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This week I decided to explore some outfit combinations based off of pairing two materials together- denim and linen. Just like prompts help you get past writer’s block, giving yourself an outfit prompt might bring you some new inspiration in your own closet. A good outfit prompt can be anything from a simple concept to narrow your scope, to outlandish and hyper specific niche guides pulled from the far corners of your imagination. It’s always a good idea to exercise that imagination muscle as an adult.

Some notable outfit prompts I’ve used recently include: a color palette inspired by your breakfast, what would your favorite literary character wear, pick two items from some of your different “aesthetics” and mix them together, what would my elementary school art teacher wear, have only your accessories tell the story, and what would the stylist on a 1992 J.Crew catalog shoot dress me in?

Don’t be surprised if you soon see a letter centered around one of these prompts!

Back to this week’s prompt- denim and linen. I love the combination of denim and linen. I think that it’s a perfect pairing for summer evenings in the mountains when it gets chilly but you still want to be in an outfit that feels summer.

Most of these upcoming outfits are put together with the idea of being worn in the afternoon/happy hour/evening for something a little nicer in the mountains or wherever you might be that gets cool enough for denim in the summer.

Denim & Linen Outfit #1

I’d wear this out to dinner, getting drinks with girlfriends, or a date night. Functional enough for walking around and casual enough for the mountains. The unique denim and asymmetrical linen blend top make it feel dressy but still light and airy for summertime.

These COH jeans (in color Skylights) were one of my splurgier purchases this spring, but I can honestly say they are worth it. These have such a specific baggy shape that still has a hint of a barrel silhouette. They run big, but I didn’t want to loose bagginess in the leg, so I kept the size that’s slightly too large in the waist. I just added one these handy dandy button pins that I talked about in a previous letter. I got my normal size 24 for reference, but 23 would fit more accurately.

This top is nearly sold out, but there’s so many similar ones out there this summer. I like it because it’s just as easy as a tank top but with more pizzaz. Some similar ones from Mango here and here, love this one from Banana Republic, one from Anthropologie, and a loose knit one from Free People.

For a layer, I’d bring this soft cotton twill over shirt from Buck Mason. This piece has become such a staple for me, it goes with everything, it’s light but not thin- I can’t recommend it enough.

#2

For extra warm summer days/evenings, a loose linen tank is such a staple. I’ve been loving this one from J.Crew for the oyster shell button details down the back and perfect waist-hitting length.

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