Carly is back with the third installment of Carly’s Cut. If you missed it, you can read the first few installments here, here, and here. And if you are like, “Who is Carly!?,” she’s The Stripe’s Creative Projects Manager—she’s worked with me for quite a while now but in a more behind-the-scenes sort of way. She has such great taste that I wanted to give her a monthly column to tell us what’s up!
November. The most important month of the year. And no, I’m not talking about gratitude season. I’m talking about my season of birth. Scorpio season came and went with the force of a full-blown Wicked: For Good cyclone, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. My birthday month always sends me into a spiral of reflection, everything from the past year to the past version of myself to the past contents of my closet. The usual. This November brought a wave of newness that I’m still sorting through, and all I can say is that I feel more than ready for whatever comes next.
Carly’s Cut, Vol.4
Shopped //
I’ve been living under a rock in more ways than one for the past few years of my adult life. Things shifted into technicolor a few weeks ago when I added a pair of ankle boots to my wardrobe. Yes, ankle boots. I genuinely thought I had closed that chapter for good after donating my last pair years ago, but after a not-so-quick visit to Charleston’s Loeffler Randall storefront, I tried on a pair and immediately fell in love. If you’re not ready to click add to cart, consider this your exit cue. For everyone still here, welcome to the dark side (also known as the boot shop).
I walked out of Loeffler with a very large bag and their Marcella woven ankle boots in black. I hate to admit it, but if my willpower had been any weaker, I probably would have left with the Cleo mid-calf boots too. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but Loeffler really knows how to make a shoe. They have something for everyone, and I’ve had a hard time staying out of their store or avoiding their website. A few other styles haunting my brain include the Raina mesh flats, the Lucille leather loafers, and the Neive low pumps.
Honorable mention goes to the pairs that live rent free on my wishlist. I’m talking about the boots I will scoop up the minute I stumble into a life-changing windfall. When that day comes, my shoe shelf will absolutely give me away. At the top of the list are the suede collaboration boots by Alex Mill and Margaux, a dark chocolate leather pair from Bimba y Lola that feel unfairly chic, the glossed leather stunners from Khaite, and another square toe beauty from Khaite that I think about more often than I care to admit.
Watched //
Listen, everyone’s got their own opinions for a reason. You say tomato, I say potato! That’s exactly how it feels when chatting with friends about their take on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. As someone who has (gulp) never read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and walked into the theater blissfully free of expectations, I have to admit—I actually enjoyed it. And since seeing it, I’ve sifted through a whole labyrinth of discourse about the plot tweaks, character reshaping, and some of the more sacred, allegedly untouchable moments from the original novel.
All that aside, I’m genuinely glad I caught it on the big screen before its Netflix drop. It’s one of those movies that deserves the communal magic of a dark room full of strangers silently agreeing to share art, tension, and a bucket of buttery popcorn. Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of Victor Frankenstein was spectacular—he really leans into the mad-scientist spiral. And honestly? Who among us hasn’t had our own tiny existential unraveling. The costume design was unlike anything I’ve seen, Mia Goth playing both Victor’s mother and his love interest was unexpected in the best way, and Jacob Elordi as the creature was… tall. Very tall.
Read //
Believe it or not (and trust me, I normally wouldn’t), I actually read a coffee table book this month. If you know me, you know I have an unhealthy attachment to collecting chairs—like, emotionally and spatially unhealthy—and my coworker-turned-friend Maggie fully accepts this about me. As part of the most thoughtful birthday gift, she handed me this incredibly informative and deceptively massive Hans J. Wegner book. This one goes out to all the girls currently rocking a replica wishbone chair at their dining table… you can thank Wegner for that silhouette.
A master of Danish chair design, Wegner’s career reads like a greatest-hits album of iconic seating, and this book strolls through every era with museum-level detail. I rarely feel compelled to actually flip through a coffee table book after bringing it home, but with a pocket of unexpected free time recently, I figured why the hell not? I always say that if I could go back to school and start from scratch, I’d study art history and design, so this felt like the next best thing. Consider this your nudge to dig into your own “archives” (yes, the books currently serving as décor) and arm yourself with some fresh conversational ammo for your next party.
Saved //
I’ve officially entered that phase of my life (emphasis on phase) where I simply do not have the energy to overthink the art of getting dressed. As someone who works from home, it’s a miracle if I’m out of sweats before 5 PM—so why, exactly, would I complicate things when it’s time to look presentable? I’ve realized my wardrobe is built on the backs of really solid basics, so I’m doubling down on what I know: investing in interesting layers instead of chasing eccentric pieces. What once felt like a desire to lean into the unexpected has shifted into a love for the artfully understated (think: a really good jacket, a really chic purse, and a really hot pair of shoes).
Winter dressing has always been my personal Everest, so I’m grateful to have this mindset heading into the colder months. It means I get to have fun with top layers without spiraling about what’s underneath. The jacket above (and honestly the whole outfit) stopped me in my tracks because it’s exactly what I’ve been hunting for. The collar detail! The peplum shape! The pocket placement! I’m deeply, spiritually aligned with everything it has going on. And of course, it’s from one of my forever favorites: Jeanerica.
Ate //
Birthdays are sacred holidays in my world. Yes, I’m a Scorpio through and through and will proudly celebrate myself any chance I get, but I also love nothing more than spoiling someone else on their big day. We get one day a year to be delightfully self-indulgent, so why not lean into it with gusto?
I turned 28 at the start of November and somehow it ended up being one of my best birthdays yet. Usually I’m boarding a plane or orchestrating some sort of extravagant production, but this year I kept things quiet, simple, and rooted in the things that genuinely make me feel alive. The highlight was slipping into our neighborhood treasure Vern’s on the very evening they earned their first Michelin star. Vern’s is the kind of place where the food feels almost unfairly good and the energy inches toward magical. I meandered through the menu beginning with the brightest bite of scallop, followed by the dreamiest bone-in lamb with red wine jus and black truffle hollandaise, and wrapped things up with their famous granita. I’ve spent years insisting that fruit-forward desserts aren’t for me, but palates evolve and apparently so do I because that strawberry, vanilla, crème fraîche situation nearly brought a tear to my eye.
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