What I Wore, Skincare-d, and Snacked on Most in September

Layering stripes, ortho chic footwear, the sunscreen I order in bulk, and more

Oct 16, 2025

Hello! I’ve been OOO in Australia for the last two weeks and it’s the longest break I’ve taken from writing in over a year. Oh, how I’ve missed you.

It’s drizzly skies and brisk mornings now in NYC and I’m feeling seasonal whiplash. It was still technically summer when I left the city a month ago, and as it cooled down here, I enjoyed a hot early spring in the southern hemisphere. These past couple of weeks have been a salty sandy blur.

Now, back in my red-brick apartment, it’s already too dark in the mornings to even think about getting out of bed on the first alarm. Time to unpack my wool sweaters. But first… everything I had on repeat in September!

I rewore a vintage ‘60s varsity jacket, a striped Rolla’s tee, and my auburn Blundstones like it was my job. We discussed my vacation outfit repeating ad nauseam in the last letter so I’ll spare you a recount. Read more about my holiday uniform philosophy here:

Why I Wear the Same Outfit Every Day on Vacation

MacKinley Jade

Sep 30

Read full story

Before heading out of town mid-month, I was reaching for my Merrell Jungle Mocs quite a bit in the transitional later summer weather. The very best thing about wearing these — arch support being a close second — is matching with every elderly man on my block. My real fashion heroes.

I got mine secondhand on eBay, but I love them so much I’d happily pay full price for a new pair. This design reminds me of butterfly wings: adorable and podiatrist-approved.

I’ve seen a lot of chatter about these especially in the last few weeks (Merrell seems to be smartly recruiting new ortho footwear baddies with some effective PR packages), but when I slip on mine, I always think of how

Liana Satenstein

called them a “hot busted shoe.” Still mourning those woven slides that haven’t come back in my size since last year!

NEVERWORNS

I Need This Hot Busted Shoe

The ultimate seasonless item is an ugly shoe. Every month, one of these foul pieces of footwear—whether bulbous, soleless, or a big-toe coddler—rears its heinous head. Why are we seeking out these busted, demented shoes? I’d like to say it's because we are both perturbed and titillated, which means we are all a bit perverted. Anyway, here’s the latest one…cheers…

7 months ago · 42 likes · 9 comments · Liana Satenstein

I’ve also had this double stripe moment on repeat as of late thanks to

Tara Maria Gonzalez

’s journey finding the perfect striped shirt in Copenhagen. After watching her layer a striped tank over a striped long sleeve on TikTok, that image was burned in my brain when I got dressed the next morning.

I love a good pattern mix and it’s the best feeling to find new ways to style clothing after years of wear. Like seeing an optical illusion a new way: this striped tee was always a duck, and after that video, it became a rabbit.

I opened and drained two bottles of sunscreen this month trying to protect myself from the harsh Sydney sun (I swear it’s stronger there…). My favorite body sunscreen is actually the Banana Boat Light as Air, but this was the best alternative I could find at Woolworth’s — and in a deliciously insane size for a sunscreen-insane girl like me.

I stuck to my ride-or-die face SPF that I order in bulk from Stylevana. You can also usually find it at oo35mm in Chinatown (now called Senti Senti) if you’re local to NYC or order from their online store. I’ve gone through countless tubes over the years and no other has even come close to replacing this one.

I love gummies. I love chocolate. I love jamming fistfuls of these in my mouth while The Best of Both Worlds blares through my earbuds.

Can’t not mention the staggering number of hand rolls I consumed in Sydney. There’s nothing I’d rather have for lunch tbh — it’s cheap, it’s fresh, and it’s on every corner. Cute as a button soy sauce fishies don’t hurt either.

In September, I hoped for “chilly mornings and sunny afternoons, long dinners with loved ones, and fewer blisters because I have important autumnal shoes to wear.” I’d say those were delightfully ticked off (the blister gods have been mostly on my side).

Given we’re already halfway through October… I hope I can make it through as many Halloween movies as possible (watched Practical Magic and Lisa Frankenstein1 on the plane to get a head start) and I hope the leaves in Central Park put on a nice show.

While I’m thrilled to be back in NYC, my bodega guy broke the unspoken local rule and actually enforced the ‘cash only under $10’ policy yesterday. How quickly we’re forgotten…