Taste Log 003
My Brilliant Friend, Ingrid Sischy, and what's in my imaginary closet.
I’ve been taking a Modern Dance class for the past six weeks, and it’s made me realize how amazing getting older is—more confidence, better style, fewer hang-ups. I was inspired to take up dance again after interviewing two dancers for a magazine cover story that will be out sometime next year. When I was younger, I danced ballet, jazz, and pointe for years, but all I remember from that time is my chaotic anxiety. I was shy and unsure of myself, and I’m sure that showed in how I moved. In modern dance, freeform movement is essential. Now, when I go to class, I know my body and myself so much better, and I can move with that confidence, too. I’m hoping to incorporate some ballet back into my life as well.
Here’s everything I’ve worn, watched, read, bought, loved, and used over the past few weeks. Also, if you have any questions about recommendations or anything else, I’m happy to answer them here (just DM me, comment, or email me at tahairston24@gmail.com).
Some things I watched
Mati Diop is so talented. Her debut feature film, a gothic romance, Atlantics, blew me away. Recently, I saw her latest documentary, Dahomey, about the repatriation of 26 treasures looted by France in the 1890s from the Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin) and their journey from the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris to the Palais de la Marina in Cotonou. I loved Diop’s style: using surveillance footage and having the artifacts speak in their language, like ghosts, about returning to their homeland. I also loved the discussions among University of Abomey-Calavi students, with many viewpoints on what the return means for their future. Other filmmakers might have focused on the past, but Diop emphasizes the present, which made the film feel intimate—she’s not here to give us a history lesson. The students ask, “Why return only 26 of the thousands of looted treasure ?” “How will locals afford traveling to the museum?” “Should these artifacts even be in a museum if considered spiritual deities?” My favorite quote was “It was our ability to identify with our own essence that was looted.” Diop says in a lovely New Yorker profile, “I wanted to make a film that would restore our desire for ourselves.”
I didn’t read the Colson Whitehead book this film is based on, but I did see the director RaMell Ross’s first film, a documentary called Hale County This Morning, This Evening, which is one of my favorites. After watching Nickel Boys, I left the theater thinking, “This is why movies are made” and “Now this is cinema!” while also crying for several blocks. It was a film that I felt in my body, like after watching Passages last year. Nickel Boys is about two Black boys in a reformatory school in the Jim Crow South, their friendship, and their dreams. Ross is a director who finds beauty in the mundane, so every single thing in this film is quite beautiful, from the lights on a Christmas tree to a plate of spaghetti. But what I loved about the film the most is his approach. It’s a film that could have easily come off as treacly, but instead, because of Ross’s choices, like shifting between the characters' points of view for the entirety of the film, Nickel Boys stands on its own and makes the characters feel more real; any emotional resolve as a result is earned.
My Brilliant Friend
THIS SHOW!!! I didn’t leave my house for a week because it’s all I wanted to watch. My friend Michel Ganhem, who runs the newsletter TV Scholar, always raves about this being the best show on television, and he is correct. My Brilliant Friend, which is based on Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, is the first show that I’ve seen that explores the complexities of class, womanhood and friendship with nuance and humanity. It’s also just a gorgeous show, the cinematography, the accuracy of the costumes, the dialogue. But, my favorite part is how relevant it feels to today, especially the character Nino Sarratore, an awful narcissist which you can’t initially clock because he does things like “wash the dishes,” “has deep conversations” and pretends to support your art. If you are an Elena Ferrante fan, please tell me which novels I should read now that I’m a fan.Nobody Wants This
I think we’ve reached a point in binge watching where “easy-to-watch” has been mistaken for good television. It’s really easy to get caught up; spending the day scrolling Tiktok and texting friends, while also watching eight episodes of television can do that to you. Nobody Wants This almost got me…Seth Cohen and Veronica Mars, forever!! But, it was just…not good? Adam Brody’s character is so one dimensional, the show seems to confuse emotional intelligence with perfection. And, honestly, a man, or anyone, but especially a man, without problems is just not realistic. It also seems like the writers maybe hate women and think being crazy is their only character trait??? My friend and former boss (she literally taught me how to edit lol) Jess Grose wrote this piece about it that I loved.
Some things I bought and wore
I wear these Matteau pants almost everyday. I've wanted them since last year, but got frustrated with the sizing, and finally decided to buy them a few weeks ago. The sizing is tricky and confusing, I got a size 3 because I wanted them to be baggy and it ended up working out.
I loved the yellow parka (which I found an older version of that jacket here) over the silver sequinned dress at the Prada SS25 show earlier this month and I also love The Row’s current season Dune jacket, this 90s Eddie Bauer parka is essentially my version of the two, still thinking about looking for a size that a bit larger.
But, the best money I spent this month was on tailoring all my clothes. The feeling of getting back a perfectly tailored blazer is better than buying a new one. I realized that there were things I wanted to buy that I already had in my closet, but I didn’t wear them because I’d been prolonging taking them to the tailor.
Some things I read
Ingrid Sischy is making me a better writer, and I’m always trying to get better. I bought a book of her essays a few years ago, and now I’m finally getting around to reading it. Everything she writes is so considered, with her always making her points clear; she’s a sucker for details and complexity, and the sentences are all so beautiful. Every writer should read at least one of her essays or profiles, as well as this Janet Malcolm profile of her.
When I first got Viscose Journal in the mail I gasped. It’s this fashion criticism magazine, or maybe journal is the correct term, and the most current issue looks like a used book with markings. What I love about the journal is how it understands that fashion can be seen through many different perspectives, so they’ll feature an old Style.com runway review and then an essay by Jamaica Kincaid, that isn’t overtly about fashion, but it is. It reminds me of my other favorite fashion publication, Vestoj.
Hanif Abdurraqib is one of my favorite writers, and I loved his essay for Sotheby’s about his sneaker collection, “I wear all of my pairs, and if I don’t wear them, I pass them on. It is wise to not make a God of anything that can crumble in your hands.”
What I smelled like
Maya Nije is currently my favorite perfume house, literally every single fragrance eats, which is a rarity. Every fragrance is based on either a memory from Sweden or Gambia, where she’s from, or a photograph, or both, which she includes with each purchase. Some of my favorites are: Tobak, based on a photograph of her grandfather, which smells like a smoker’s cozy sweater. Syren, based on walking in a trail of Jasmine when it blooms at night, which smells like Jasmine, but airy and salty. And, my personal fragrance from the collection, I’ll keep to myself. :)
Some ridiculous little things
Bally is that girl. I’ve been obsessed with everything the brand is doing, including their most recent Spring 2025 show, since its new creative director Simone Belloti started last May. Belloti’s commitment to making understated clothing a little weird with an unexpected silhouette is right up my alley. It just seems like he’s having fun. Some pieces from this season I love:
This skirt that I love because of the v-shaped waist. I’d wear it with this chocolate brown jersey from Martine Rose and these vintage Prada heels.
The styling here doesn’t do this gorgeous shrunken blazer justice. The collar is so beautiful, I’d let it shine and wear it with a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and my new obsession, a vintage beaded bag.
These Mary Jane flats are so dainty and these ones are little witch shoes.
These bell fisherman shoes are so fun, the idea of jingling when I enter a room makes me giddy. I’d wear them with my balloon Comme des Garçons skirt and this wool semi-sheer black top from Arket. I’ve been buying this top in various colors for the past two years and they hold up great. (Tip: If you want to ship things from Arket to the US, use this shipping service).
I’m constantly looking at things, trying on things, and saving things to my wishlists. Here are some things that are in my imaginary shopping cart at the moment:
A fancy toothbrush and a vetiver body brush. I love a dumb little purchase that makes my day-to-day life more aesthetically pleasing.
These basic Jil Sander long-sleeve t-shirts. Listen, I know that I can likely get a long sleeve cotton top anywhere, but I love the cut of these ones with the slimmer arms and the boxy, slightly oversized body. The navy one is perfect.
This beautiful alpaca Max Mara coat with these striped sheer tights or a red little sock peaking out, stop!
This Comme des Garçons blazer. I recently bought a similar vintage one from Grailed that I haven’t worn yet, but I plan to wear it with my oversized cargo pants from Needles.
If you are a size 35.5 IT, get these vintage Prada mules.
If you are a size 38.5 IT, get these baby pink Prada heels.
If you are a size 37 IT, get these Miu Miu boots, or these freaky little Prada boots. I think the Miu Miu ones are a little too expensive, but if you got it, then get them please!!
This wool Comme des Garçons skirt. More proof that Junya and Comme make the best skirts!
Grey is my favorite color to wear in the fall. I love this cashmere hoodie or this little cardigan or this mohair polo or this cashmere t-shirt from Interior a la The Row.
Interior shut down earlier this year and there are lots of things on sale and on The Real Real right now, like this satin puffer coat or this cool striped top.
I love Judy Turner so much! I am not mentally prepared to spend over $500 on a sweater, like this one or this one. But, I do love this one on Grailed or this one on sale.
If you end up buying anything from my list, please send me a little note, I’d love to know what you guys loved. :)
NEXT TIME: An RLT Interview with writer Young Kim.
I thought I was missing something about Nobody Likes Me because I didn't like it, glad to see I wasn't the only one who thought it was a bit one-dimensional and off-putting (I only lasted one ep to be fair). Adore My Brilliant Friend! I've only read the Neapolitan Novels so unfortunately I have no other recs, but I quite enjoyed The Lost Daughter on Netflix, which is flawed but had wonderful casting and acting, and I liked the delicate yet unsentimental way it depicted motherhood.
My Brilliant Friend is one of all-time favourite books, the entire series is really! My heart hurts for all of the women who end up caught in the web of a piece of trash like Nino.