003: What Chic Girls Wear
Happy spring shopping (and wishlist adding).
The response to Things Niche Luxury Chic Girls Are Obsessed With Pt 1 (and Pt 2) has confirmed what I hope will become a long-term, ongoing series on Driving Shoes. I’ve been eager to credit Caroline Stern’s Things Niche Luxury Hot Girls Are Obsessed With series on TikTok as naming inspiration, but I also want to be mindful not to overuse her branding as this series continues to grow into its own.
Going forward, you’ll find these pieces under the new name and tag: What Chic Girls Wear.
x
Taylor
Puerta Negra Manuela Top
While these posts are typically reserved for item-specific ID’s, the Venezuelan brand Puerta Negra has been having a major moment amongst my Following list. I was fortunate enough to see (and try on) Puerta Negra’s genius in-person at the most recent Le Pop Up hosted by Merci, c’est vintage in New York. The hotel suite trunk show attracted some of the most effortlessly chic women I have ever seen in one room, and almost all were wearing Puerta Negra. In addition to the Manuela top (my personal favorite), some of her other standouts include the Luna shirt, Coromoto dress, and the Asymmetric shirt.
Shop here, $350 USD
DESTREE Amoako Jacket
I stopped in DESTREE’s Madison Ave store to try on the Amoako jacket a few months ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. The brand makes for the perfect packing list when heading home to Palm Beach, which I think is becoming more and more of a cool NYCer destination after Sarah Hoover’s book tour stop and (ex-resident)
’ ongoing Palm Beach coverage despite its sleepy, conservative reputation. The girlish puff sleeve is as perfectly preppy as I can go, making for an elegant two piece set that my mother approves of.Shop here, $610 USD
LAGANINI Shanghai Jacket
In an unfortunate trial and error run where I bought a fabulous coat from this brand that ended up not fitting (my size was sold out, not a brand sizing issue!), I was able to vouch for the quality and craftsmanship of LAGANINI in-person. Frog closures were the top feature on my 2025 “In’s” list, and this jacket is the perfect answer.
If you're like me and already eyeing the Amoako jacket mentioned above but want something a bit different, LAGANINI makes a similar style called the Goa, seen on
here (slide 7).Shop here, $230 USD
The Row Mesh Knee-High Boots
This one’s so new, it’s still only available for pre-order online, but I had the chance to see them in person at The Row’s NYC store last weekend. As a general rule of thumb, anything I’ve seen
lust over more than three times in a single week on her IG Stories is destined for style stardom. I expect to see these well integrated into key players closets over the next few months.Shop here, $1,700 USD
Dorsey Paracord Necklace
Like The Row boots, Dorsey just launched their newest design: the Paracord. Like my last statement asserting my faith in Olivia, I feel the same about
, who has been very excited about the launch. Options start at $350 for White Sapphire.Shop here, $350+ USD
Marlies Grace Ocean Dress
As someone who is like a moth toward the long, flowy clothing flame, the sexiness of Marlies Grace’s ocean dress cutout is a welcome reprieve from my otherwise conservative wardrobe. Florida girls everywhere rejoice at the opportunity to weave seashell themes into their summer wardrobe, and I am not exempt.
Shop here, $450 USD
Róhe Marie Jacket
One more for the frog closure (sense a theme???), Róhe’s double-faced wool jacket is the finishing touch to my pankou knot wishlist. I am a huge proponent for winter whites and have been dying to add this to my closet.
Shop here, $860 USD
Casa Allyón Casati Necklace
A repeat hitter from the inaugural edition for their Casilda pouch, Casa Allyón has another home run with the luxury fashion obsessed in their Casati necklace—making up for much of their tagged photos on Instagram and my Pinterest explore page.
Shop here, $164 USD
Lemaire Octopus Bag
I remember seeing
mention her love for this bag on Substack recently, and I completely co-sign it. Coming out of a very east/west leather handle bag winter, it’s refreshing to see something embrace a unique shape. It helps that Lemaire is a sound wardrobe investment.Shop here, $590 USD
ART OF THE WEEK
As a fellow FL girl, I love that you feature pieces that lean into this aesthetic. I feel like I wasn't interested in bringing FL-inspired anything back into my wardrobe now that I live in NYC but your posts are inspiring me to add it back in.
Currently adding more white into my closet - loved the round up and discovered a new brand🤍