018: TASNIM AHMED
lives in cape-like cotton and Prada shell earrings.
It’s been more than a decade since I moved to New York and started working in magazines, but I’ve loved fashion for longer than that. I’ve cared about the clothes I put on since I was a little kid - refusing to wear certain things, gravitating towards others. That care and discernment has stayed with me for 30 years. Sometimes I ask myself why.
One thing I know is that I am attracted to the communicative power of getting dressed. This piece in Vogue, by Tasnim Ahmed, illustrates it really well. You should read the whole thing, but I love this line:
“This is what I love most about fashion: its ability to elicit connection and communicate a culture, a feeling or a thought without the use of words and purely through its form.”
Tasnim is a Bangladeshi-American writer living in Brooklyn. Her work, which has appeared in publications like Vogue, i-D, and The Cut, covers topics of culture, identity, and diasporic people in fashion and beauty. Tasnim is super chic, and she’s the subject of this week’s Habiter. I loved hearing about the clothes she’s living in right now.
The second the weather starts to warm up in New York, 90% of my closet is chock full of dresses and skirts. I need pants that fit just right and make me feel secure (both emotionally and physically, I know I'm asking a lot from pants!), so I have very few pairs but wear them a lot. Most of the clothes I buy are secondhand. It can take me months of searching to finally find something that's just right, so a lot of thought goes into how it fits into my life.
Currently, I'm living in cotton mid-length dresses, A-line skirts, and roomy button-downs. I spent my formative years living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where there should be a new word for the kind of hot it gets. From an early age I learned that cotton was for peak comfort, so it’s what I look for first when buying clothes. However, I’m not opposed to a top or dress that should require a map to get into – I have a fair amount of cape-like pieces. I guess you could say I like feeling like a very comfortable peacock.
Lately I've been wearing a gold bangle my mum gave me as a gift when I got married every single day. It reminds me of where I come from and the lives my family and I have lived.
TASNIM’S MOST WORN:
Sara Lanzi black cotton dress. I had the immense privilege of meeting Sara Lanzi, who is based in Perugia, while I was in Milan earlier this year. I'd been following her work for some time, and being able to see her works both past and present was a real treat. Before parting, she gifted me a beautiful long black cotton dress I'd tried on at her pop-up. There are two ties in the back that can be fashioned into a bow, and a full pleated skirt. The instant I tried it on it made me feel special, and now I wear it at least twice a week. The dress looks perfect on its own or with some baubles, and I always receive compliments from women I pass on the street, which is the demographic I dress for.
Ed note: Tasnim’s exact dress is no longer online but I love the long sleeved option (image below) for going into fall. And, of course, I found you some similar styles.
Sara Lanzi dress, Prada earrings Sara Lanzi (€ 392,00 € 783,00), Ninety Percent ($215), Merlette ($580), Everlane ($51$128), COS ($135)Prada shell drop earrings. These earrings cost a pretty penny, so the second I saw them on The RealReal, I scooped them up. I love pearl and shell jewelry, but a lot of it can look a bit too mature or too costume-y on me. These earrings find the right balance, like an elegant Frankenstein. There's nothing they don't go with, and I particularly enjoy wearing them in the cooler months – it feels like I have a small piece of summer with me.
Ed note: The Pradas are long gone but they do pop up on resale sometimes. I’ve linked to Prada’s current shell offering and lots of great options in this world. Someone please buy the Sophie Buhai pair before me!
Clockwise from top left: Santangelo ($372), Sophie Buhai ($438 $625), Lili Claspe ($330), Chan Luu ($125), Mateo ($575), Jil Sander ($503$654), Prada ($675)JW Anderson Bumper bag. I use this bag so much I'm terrified it's going to fall apart one day. The colorway I have resembles a perfect confection: buttercream and hot pink, with a thin black strap, something you might find at a very old and beloved bakery. It accommodates an astounding amount of things, including but not limited to sunglasses, comb, wallet, hand lotion and sanitizer, 4 lipsticks, a slim book, a reusable bag, and a small umbrella.
Bumper bags galore, and all on sale! Don’t ask me about all these different prices, just go with it… green ($453 $825), pink and blue ($371$790), white and orange ($298$850), blue ($391$678)Loewe black pant. (Seen on Tasnim in opening photo) It's rare to find clothes that make one feel beautiful at whatever stage in life they may be in, and this pant does just that. It drapes beautifully and tapers just past the ankle, and despite being loose and flowy, it manages to smarten up anything I wear with it.
Toteme ($324 $540), Cos ($135), Loewe ($990), The Row ($1029) (these are pricey but probably one of my best investments ever), Nili Lotan ($363$725)Dries Van Noten dresses and tops. I find that a lot of designer clothing isn't conducive to wearing in extreme heat, but Dries Van Noten is one of the few designers who thinks about the life one might live in his clothes. I have a few Dries pieces, new and pre-loved, that are easy enough to carry me all through summer.
Clockwise from top left: purple button down ($639 $1065), black dress ($545), green button down ($420$1050), orange blouse ($125), orange dress ($355), red tank ($180$225)
Thank you for reading and I hope this letter brought a bit of joy to your week. Until next week! xx
P.S. This post includes affiliate links, which means if you buy something, I may make a small commission (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support!