Carly is back with the tenth installment of Carly’s Cut. You can read her last one here. If you are new here, Carly is The Stripe’s Creative Projects Manager. She has such great taste that I wanted to give her a monthly column. Think of her as our younger buddy, telling us what we should know about.
May—you gave, you took, and then you gave some more. This month left me with new bookmarks in my shopping folder, new perspectives on life and work, and a deeper desire to read more books and sit among strangers in theaters more often. May also marks the time of year in Charleston when life simultaneously speeds up and slows down, forcing you to linger in the density of the heat just a bit longer to soak in those extra minutes of daylight.
Admittedly, May was not my best month, but certainly not my worst. This year has been an absolute whirlwind, and I can’t believe we’re nearly halfway through already!
Carly’s Cut, Vol. 10
Shopped //
This month I was struck by something major—a hunger for wide-ranging window shopping. If it caught my attention, it made its way into my cart. Very few things actually made it through checkout, but the summer has only just begun… There wasn’t much rhyme or reason to these May clicks, which makes it all the more amusing to look at the pieces collectively. They lack cohesion in the best way—some more aligned with the season than others, given the Charleston heat we’re working with.
Starting with shoes, I was especially drawn to the TKEES x J.Crew collaboration flip-flops. There’s something so unserious about them in a way I really love, evoking a bit of nostalgia for the sandals I used to throw on in classic New England summer fashion. They’ve been sitting in my cart for weeks, and it feels like it might finally be time to commit before they disappear.
Staying in the footwear category, I’ve also been intrigued by the slightly offbeat nature of these Jamie Haller leather sandals. The shape is unconventional in a way that might read as unappealing to some, but to me feels like a clean intersection of fashion and function. I’ve been admiring the Tory Burch Mary Janes from afar for quite some time as well, and I’m honestly pleased with my restraint in consistently avoiding the checkout button. Last but not least, I’ve fully fallen for the Seavees slip-ons—saved away in my bookmarks for a future need of elevated house shoes.
In the accessories department, I’ve been circling the urge to splurge on an Emily Dawn Long crochet hat, along with this oblong tote from COS. This cowhide hair belt was a discovery via Kelly Klein, and something I feel surprisingly committed to, even though I haven’t owned anything purple since the 8th grade. To close out my ongoing search, I’ve been drawn to lighter knitwear and recently came across J.Crew’s summer iteration of their classic rollneck sweater. The weave looks just open enough to breathe while still offering structure. I’m also considering a Flore Flore cami and a Jamie Haller button-down, which would pair effortlessly together.
Watched //
Horror films are back! I went with a friend to a very late-night screening of Obsession, which was simultaneously the best and worst idea we’ve ever had. I’ve expressed this sentiment before, but Obsession belongs to a category of films that seem to metabolize after the credits roll. The longer I sit with it, the more enamored I become. The viewing experience felt strikingly similar to Weapons in that I swept through a majority of the jump scares with my eyes covered. While that admittedly defeats the purpose of seeing the film at all, it introduces an unexpected layer of comedy into the theater-going experience. Rather than subjecting myself to the inevitable adrenaline spike, I instead watched my friend’s reaction unfold beside me—clenched fists, furrowed brows, shoulders tensed in anticipation before the scare had even fully landed.
At its core, Obsession explores themes of consent, communication, emotional longing, and desire without reciprocation. Creator Curry Barker—a 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker—allows the film’s discomfort to simmer rather than explode outright. What unfolds is a surprisingly sharp examination of how quickly fantasy curdles when reality strikes. The film does veer heavily into gore, so if that’s not your speed, consider this your warning. But if you’re looking for a movie capable of keeping your Oura ring aglow (which happened to my friend Skye for nearly the entire runtime), this one’s for you.
Read //
Exit Lane had been at the top of my reading list for quite some time, and as I’ve made abundantly clear, I tend to struggle with extended seasons of reading drought. It takes a very particular book to get me back into the swing of things, and I couldn’t imagine a more fitting one for the job. After meeting author Erika Veurink a few weeks ago—and being a longtime fan of her Substack Long Live—I felt even more eager to linger in the world of her writing.
As described on the cover, Exit Lane contains the best parts of When Harry Met Sally, Normal People, and Lady Bird, all wrapped in a Midwestern bow. Reading the first few chapters brought back the same feeling I had when I first picked up a Sally Rooney novel in 2019. Teddy and Marin, the two main characters, feel familiar enough that you want to root for them, but fictional in a way that keeps you suspended just outside their reach—watching their “will they, won’t they” from close enough to care, but far enough to never fully intervene.
In an article written by Elle, Veurink was described as a modern-day Meyers (Nancy, of course), and I’m curious to see how she continues to evolve while carving out her own space as both a fashion writer by day and romance novelist by night.
Saved //
The summer months in Charleston are dreadful for a reason. The dense humidity and already-climbing temperatures by early morning create the ultimate challenge for anyone looking to express themselves through fashion. How are we meant to feel inspired to explore our closets when the weather practically demands the thinnest tee and loosest pair of shorts available, solely in the name of sweat prevention? For all of those reasons, I find myself spending hours sifting through the internet in search of a plan for cooler weather that still feels impossibly far away.
While doom-scrolling Instagram at an ungodly hour of the night, I came across this canvas jacket on Molly Blutstein’s profile. It stopped me in my tracks so abruptly that I felt momentarily transported to the crisp air of a Charleston fall day—which, admittedly, still hovers around 80 degrees at its peak. I loved the way the canvas had been intentionally distressed, giving the jacket a lived-in quality that feels especially coveted right now; it’s the very reason people remain so drawn to vintage outerwear in the first place. The slightly oversized, rigid silhouette also lends the piece a more masculine energy, something I find myself gravitating toward time and time again.
Ate //
One of the many perks of working with Grace is the shared community we’ve built around her. She has a way about her that seems to encourage the very best kind of people to drift into her orbit. One of those people is stylist Kelly Klein, who recently swung through Charleston for a brief trip to collaborate with Grace. Kelly is someone I admire for a multitude of reasons, her incredible taste in clothing being just one of many. As an end cap to an extremely productive afternoon working together, the three of us celebrated over a delicious bottle of wine and shared plates at Chez Nous.
I think Grace and I would collectively agree that Chez Nous is one of—if not the—best restaurants in Charleston. If you’ve never been, or simply haven’t yet been introduced to it, you’re surely missing out. Their daily menu is released each morning, built around ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors throughout the Charleston area. I’ve never had a bad meal there, and tend to reserve it for special occasions: anniversaries, birthdays, and other meaningful milestones. Whether you’re seated inside or out, the atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between inviting and intimate. The service is exceptional, and the food—well, the food speaks for itself. Pictured above is their braised fennel with parmesan and bottarga alongside a mushroom conserva tartine. Compliments to the chef!
Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.
