036: MARIA DUEÑAS JACOBS

lives in sneakers, cozy sweaters, and lots of jewelry.

Hi, and welcome to this week’s Habiter. I am gently emerging from a Covid-induced hibernation and writing to you on the Winter Solstice, watching a 4:30pm sunset from my apartment window. Forced-rest feels good right now as 2023 comes to a close. This year has been a helluva ride, for the world and for me personally. I’ll reflect on it more when I can breathe through my nose again, but for now I feel gratitude, especially for the community that has emerged through this newsletter. Thank you so much for being here. (I’m in a sentimental mood, let’s blame the lingering fever.)

So, I’m keeping my intro short and sweet this week. Let’s dive right in with Maria Dueñas Jacobs, a mentor and dear friend of mine. Read on!

I frequently refer to Maria as “my mom” though she is, obviously, not my actual mom (I know my actual mom is reading this. Hello, mother!). Maria is my work mom. I met her when I was a 22-year-old assistant at Glamour Magazine. Back in the good old days, when Conde Nast was nestled in Times Square and my desk was nestled in a windowless fashion closet, Maria took me under her wing. I followed her to Elle Magazine, where she became the Accessories Director and the undisputed queen of jewelry. 

Maria has a uniquely positive energy. It’s cliché to say, but her humor and enthusiasm are actually contagious. She can make anyone smile. In 2019, she channeled that skill, combined it with her editor’s expertise, and started Super Smalls, an accessories brand for kids, and kids at heart. If you haven’t already bought Super Smalls for every kid you know, get your credit card ready. The products are whimsical and pure fun. I am partial to the jeweled gloves and the mermaid goggles, which I would like for myself. I’m so happy to have Maria on Habiter this week. Here’s what she’s been living in lately.

MDJ: I love fashion. I like looking neat. However, I subscribe to a Spanish saying, “ande yo caliente ríase la gente”. It means as long as I'm warm, I don't care if people laugh at me. I grew up with it and I say it to my kids all the time. I just want to be comfortable and I want to be warm in the winter. I’m a creature that needs warmth at all times. I'm always drinking tea. But I also want fashion to fit into my life. I'm not the person who wears stiletto heels just because I think they’re beautiful. That's not who I am. 

So I wear sneakers because I walk to and from work every single day and that's important to me. I like the New Balance Aimé Leon Dore sneakers – they make me smile every time I look at them. But they’re always sold out, so I’ve had to hunt them down in different colors. I add my Super Smalls shoe clips to them, and I love cool socks. La Ligne just launched new cashmere stripe socks, which I really love because I like a little peek coming out of my sneakers. Little winks are fun to me.

I like boots but for me it's a combat boot. Again, warm and easy to wear. And some pants just don't work with certain shoes. If it's a high-waisted pant and it has a bit of a crop or a wide leg, then it sits nice with a sneaker. But for my body type, I'm 5 '3 and I'm petite, a skinny jean with sneakers doesn't look great on me, so I’ll wear a boot. 

CH: What brands do you like for boots?

MDJ: My favorites are from Prada.

CH: Since you’re petite, do you have to get a lot of things tailored?

MDJ: Sometimes. I get things hemmed. But I have a hack, if a pant is too long or too big on me I just cinch it up around my waist with a belt. I love a cinched waist and paper bag shape to pants. I have these leather pants from Brunello Cuccinelli. They're a size 48 or something, something bigger than my size. I got them at a sample sale and the way I wear them is not how they're meant to be worn, but I love them so much. The leather is like butter. Another fashion hack is a monochromatic look, head-to-toe. No matter the color, you always look neat and put together. 

CH: What about jewelry? Do you wear the same things everyday?

MDJ: I really do wear my Super Smalls earrings every single day, the little hoop ones. They're so wearable, but they still feel playful. You just forget that you have them on because they don't weigh anything. If I'm wearing sneakers, I'm wearing those earrings. If I'm going out somewhere, then I'll switch up my earrings. Changing my earrings is like putting on red lipstick for me. I do like to change my jewels, especially when I get more dressed up. I usually get obsessed with one or two necklaces that I keep on for weeks or months and I layer longer necklaces on top of them. I have a bowl of rings that I keep by my makeup in my bathroom, and I just put on a bunch of rings every day.

CH: How often do you shop? Do you like to shop in person or online?

MDJ: Both. I do love to shop and I’ll shop in all different ways, online and in stores. I know my style really well and I hate returning things. I keep things for a really long time. And the nice thing now is that I have a 10-year-old daughter, and she's almost my height, so I give her things too. I give her more of the fast fashion. She doesn't know what name brands are yet, thank goodness.

CH: What are some of your go-to brands?

MDJ: I love Miu Miu and Valentino. I wear a lot of vintage Levis. I wear a lot of sweaters. I like Alex Mill, La Linge, Kule. I do love Zara, I have to say. Not for sweaters particularly, but sometimes they style their site so nicely that I'm like, okay, I'll try that. I like nice cashmere for sure. I have some splurges. Loro Piana makes the best cashmere sweater ever. I have a yellow one I wear all the time. I just want that sweater in every color, but they're a bajillion dollars.

MARIA’S MOST WORN

1. Trousers. High waisted, paper-bag waist, and wide leg.

   

   Loulou Studio $300, Alex Mill $155, Acne $500 $300, Valentino $1900, Staud $345, Proenza Schouler $1095 $547

2. Cozy Sweaters.

   

   La Ligne $325, Kule $298, Doen $300, Miu Miu $1390, Alex Mill $195

3. New Balance Sneakers. As Maria said, the Aimé Leon Dores are frequently sold out, but you can buy them on the resale market here and some here. Below are a few others I like.

   

   New Balance $150, New Balance $220, New Balance $220, New Balance $170

4. And lots of cheerful jewelry!

   

   Necklaces from left to right: Super Smalls (set) $39, Dezsos $3303, Sapir Bachar $698, Ben Amun $245, Completedworks $771; Rings clockwise from top: Meuchner $4500, Brent Neale $5614, Louis Abel $316, Mondo Mondo $250, Estelle Galerie $530; Earrings clockwise from top left: Prounis $3380, Sophie Buhai $525, Jil Sander $580 $377, Presley Oldham $210, Super Smalls $35

Thanks for reading this week! Happy holidays! xx