Discover more from All's Well by Nadine Zylberberg
Hi! It’s been a minute. We traveled to England with our kids and friends and their kids for two weeks. We stayed at a house in the countryside, complete with a trampoline (a gamechanger for four kids ages three and under), before heading into London, where we clocked 30,000 steps a day for five days. We also got to celebrate a dear friend’s wedding. It was the best time! I’m just getting back into the swing of things, but before I root into back-to-school life in New York, here are a few good things from the other side of the pond:
Well Read
This is amazing. Two moms in Bristol, England, decided one day to apply to shut down their street for a couple of hours. No event, no party, no plan—just space without cars for their kids to play. Shockingly (but not really), the kids just played, and played and played. The adults got something out of it, too:
“The dominance of cars has turned children’s play into work for parents, who are left coordinating and supervising their children’s time and ferrying kids to playgrounds and play dates. But it has also deprived adults of something more profound. Over the years, as Rose and Ferguson have expanded their experiment to other parts of the United Kingdom, neighborhoods across the country have discovered that allowing kids to play out in the open has helped residents reclaim something they didn’t know they were missing: the ability to connect with the people living closest to them.”
Here’s the piece (paywalled) in The Atlantic.
Well Watched
I went to two concerts while in London that couldn’t have been more different. The first, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, was a thing of my high school dreams. I didn’t dress according to one of Swift’s eras and, frankly, I felt left out. But we did make friendship bracelets during a quiet night at our Airbnb in Somerset earlier that week. The power of 92,000 Swift fans is strong. I won’t soon forget the image of teenage girls passionately singing lyrics at each other in a circle. Sisterhood in its purest form. Swift was at her best; she’s clearly perfected this show over the last nearly two years. I don’t have to tell you that. Everyone knows. But now I know, too. Bonus: Ed Sheeran came out to sing a few songs with Swift, which felt fitting for the first night of her last European stop of the tour. Now, real talk, who has a Miami ticket to spare?!
The second, ABBA Voyage, was different altogether, perhaps most significantly in that the performers were digitally rendered; “ABBAtars,” if you will. ABBA came together for the reunion that never was, playing their greatest hits in the closest approximation to a live concert. The crowd, however, was very real and very into it. The cheers when “Dancing Queen” came on could not be faked. (I should mention there was a live band performing alongside the digital singers, which helped with the vibe). The performers’ digital outfits were impeccable and the screens were dynamic. A weird experience, to be sure, but has anyone ever had a bad time listening to ABBA in surround sound for 90 minutes? No. Also, did I mention the costumes?
Well Fed
If you find yourself in Somerset, two hours southwest of London, don’t overlook the cheese scene. Cheddar was invented not too far away! We made a memorable stop at the Westcombe Dairy and also had a sampling from the Cheese Lord at the Frome train station.
In London, we played the touristy move of taking the kids to high tea. But how worth it! This one, at the Ampersand Hotel, is dino-themed, complete with a mango-flavored volcanic eruption and a series of chocolate dinosaurs to unearth in a box of cookie-crumble dirt. The kids loved it so much, they managed to sit in their seats for a full hour.
The few (but wonderful) London recommendations I leave you with for the moment: Gymkhana for a truly excellent Indian dinner, Fortitude Bakehouse for the best pastries, and Kappacasein Dairy for a cheese sandwich that has become a tradition in my family. No trip to London is complete without one (except for ours, which occurred on their one vacation week of the year, sigh).
Well Worn
You’d think five days with two kids under three in London would mean little time for shopping. Dear reader, I always make time! We missed many of the stops on my list, but I’ll take what I can get. Here are a few of my favorites:
Egg Trading: This gem of a shop in Knightsbridge sells frocks I can only describe as “crispy,” which might be my new favorite adjective when it comes to clothing. It’s the kind of place where you want to touch every single thing. And I did! I left with a silky pink tank top on sale, but I’m still thinking about the checkered scarf that got away.
Toast: I’ve seen more of this brand stateside lately, but there seem to be outposts sprinkled all over London, so it’s hard to avoid. I love the cuts of Toast’s simpler pieces and I love the details of everything else: the sleeves on this top, the embroidery, the stripes on this sweater collar, and the sleeve length on this shirt.
Margaret Howell: At first glance, Margaret Howell’s pieces don’t look particularly unique, but take a closer look and they’re something special. The length and color of this jacket, the contrasting colors and big pocket on this quarter-zip, the neckline on this cashmere sweater… I’ve become a big Margaret Howell fan to my wallet’s detriment.
Me+Em: Their fall collection is getting me excited for lower temperatures—like these bronze green jeans and this lace maxi dress—but while we hold on to the last days of summer, I like this shirt jacket, these balloon pants, and these pearled sandals, all on sale. New Yorkers, they recently opened their first U.S. store on the Upper East Side.
Studio Nicholson: I was surprised to learn that Studio Nicholson isn’t Scandinavian, but indeed British. The minimalist designs suggest otherwise. I love the pants, specifically, but have also been compelled lately by their coats and denim and shoes.
Alex Eagle: I don’t know what word to use to describe Alex Eagle but “cool.” The simple canvas sneakers, the cashmere hoodie, the cheeky tees. Also a fan of this cap lately.
With Nothing Underneath: I love when a brand finds its niche and does it so well—in this case, button-up shirts. I discovered WNU way back in 2020 when it had very few styles, and I’ve been excited to see its continual growth. The brushed cotton shirts are perfect heading into fall and I like how the weekend shape drapes. Plus, given the quality here, the price point is good. These chocolate brown and gingham patterned shirts are next on my list.
Charity Shops: These abound in London, and beyond, and I can’t point to a specific one, but they are filled with wonderful pieces (and a lot of Issey Miyake Pleats Please) if you have the time and patience to dig. I found a blue-and-white striped summer linen Courreges set that I left without, but still think about.
Lest we forget to mention the Taylor Swift-inspired fashion throughout London during her Eras tour dates. Sequins filled the tube en route to Wembley as well as every morning throughout the city as concertgoers prepared for their big night out. You could tell someone had come to London especially for the concert when they would be standing outside of a hotel early the next morning, luggage in tow, wearing an unmistakable Eras merch tee. Selfridges even had a space dedicated to outfits for the show, in case you were leaving things to the very last minute. (Guilty.)
Well Drawn
Signing off with a fitting painting by Ian Hamilton Finlay from the Tate Modern, a must-visit—especially with kids. While we were there, the turbine hall featured a massive canvas and an invitation for kids to throw on a smock and paint all over it:
Happy to be home for now. More soon!