023: JESS HANNAH

lives in pinky rings and vests.

If you’ve glanced at social media recently, you’re probably aware that it was fashion week in New York City. I have mixed feelings about the whole affair and I don’t have much to say about the collections (yet), but I do enjoy getting out and seeing what the kids are wearing. I bumped into a few Habiter ladies - Neada at the Maria McManus presentation, and Emilia at a dinner for the French brand Rouje. Everyone looked chic!

Even for fashion shows, I never stray far from my usual uniform, but lately I have been in the mood to dress up - just a little. I treated myself to these shoes from Aeyde last week and I’ve already worn them 4 times. They feel very 90s Prada to me - girlish and a bit off. And speaking of 90s Prada, ask me about the skirt set I got at James Veloria, pics to come.

But enough prattling on Prada, this week I spoke to the brilliant Jess Hannah about her current wardrobe rotation. Read on!

Jess Hannah is the founder and designer of J.Hannah fine jewelry. She makes the kind of pieces that you’ll want to wear forever - classic, but somehow sculptural, with rich historical references. Jess also creates nail polishes in subtle, esoteric shades. She has collaborated with LACMA on limited edition colors, and has an ongoing partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Recently, Jess added customizable lighting to her offering - her first foray into objects for the home. Her modern, elegant, and highly-covetable lamps will be on view at Sized in Los Angeles this weekend. A little peek below - so good!

J. Hannah table lamp 01

I spoke to Jess about what she’s living in right now.

I’ll first admit that I sometimes look…elf-ish. My strategy for getting dressed (whilst not looking like a tween) is to find balance through more masculine pieces like button-up shirting, or vests, or both. It’s my interpretation of ‘business casual,’ if you will. 

I spend a sinful amount of time scouring second-hand clothing websites like goodwillfinds.com, the RealReal, eBay, Depop, et. al. I’m amazed that more people aren't turned onto Goodwill Finds—it’s where I’ve sourced some of my most prized possessions, including a perfect L.L. Bean cashmere sweater and a minimalist 90s Ann Taylor leather jacket. And while I equally lust after my favorite curated vintage purveyors (like RLT, Moth Food, Ending Soon…), there’s something about the thrill of the chase (and the elation of discovery) that feels better than the fruitless mindless scroll on Instagram. I’m addicted…don't even get me started on Craigslist. Search terms are your BFF if you know what you like (avoid synthetic materials and cheap-o brands), so you can hunt within guardrails.

I think my biggest guiding principles for putting together one’s wardrobe—or constructing looks that you feel good in–is to be both discerning in your buying and unafraid in altering something to fit you. There are so many highly beautiful, extremely ill-fitting garments out there! Get yourself a good tailor (paramount if you’re buying secondhand). I used to have a collection of mediocre-fitting pants until I invested in tailoring several of them for the perfect fit…and purging the rest. I’m lucky to have a friend that makes beautiful one of a kind pieces and who also does all of my tailoring—a worthy investment and in the long run, better for your wallet and the planet. While on the topic, another favorite hack is to buy oversized men’s button-downs, then crop them to hip length, keeping the original baggy sleeves intact but shortening it for a bit more polish. 

JESS’S MOST WORN:

1. Button downs

   

   Christian Dior via Goodwill Finds ($40), Khaite ($680), Lemaire ($540), Chelsea Mak ($375)

2. Vests

   

   Kule ($298), Our Legacy ($290), Matteau ($390), Alex Mill ($155), Loulou Studio ($270)

   

3. Pinky rings

   

   J.Hannah ($940), J.Hannah ($1890), J.Hannah ($295), Rebecca Mapes ($375)

4. Tissue thin vintage tees. ED NOTE: These vintage tees were not lending themselves to a collage, but I’ve linked them below!

   Moth Food ($68)

   Scout LA ($42)

   Etsy has tons of great vintage tees as well. I like this one ($24), this ($34), and this ($17).

5. Sensible, black shoes

   

   Dries Van Noten ($718), Labucq ($560), Maryam Nassir Zadeh ($390), Repetto ($335)

   

6. A not-so-girly bag

   

   Lemaire ($1205), Prada ($457), COS ($150), Uniqlo ($20), Il Bussetto (€330)

7. Adult shorts

   

   Studio Nicholson ($325), Toteme ($320), Shaina Mote ($248 $99), Joseph ($475), Lemaire ($448), Everlane ($78)

8. Leather jackets

   

   Donna Karan ($335), Bally ($378), Ann Taylor ($35), Vince ($650) also here for $510

Thanks for reading this week! I’ll be celebrating my birthday this weekend, so share this with a friend as my gift. See you next Thursday. xxx

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 supporting Habiter!