2 for 1: what we wore this week
substack brought us together, ice cream sealed the deal
A very Traci introduction…
I have met so many amazing people on this platform. I had mentioned in a note last week that Sogole Kane’s (aka The Great Unifier) Spirit Week somehow stunned the algorithm in the best way. My feed was full of new, inspiring and incredible writers showing their red, denim, jammie-vibes, and silly socks (oh wait ignore that one, that was for the kids, not adults).
There are certain writers on Substack you immediately connect with. You can tell you both like similar things, appreciate specific looks, and sometimes even inadvertently end up matching. There’s something special about this platform and its ability to cultivate intense feelings of camaraderie and community.
And now, a drum roll please… introducing one of my favorite writers on this platform and in the entire universe… Libby McCurrach of You Look Great!
Libby and I share a mutual love for J.Crew, boxer shorts, the DÔEN “Abigail Top” (which she influenced me to purchase, and I am obsessed with), and cappuccino crunch ice cream.
We had been messaging back and forth for a few weeks on Substack DM’s before taking the next big step in our friendship. Libby suggested we exchange numbers since our connection had rapidly approached texting status. I gave her my personal IG to prove I am a human and not a bot. I have to assume this feels a lot like online dating. Thank you for swiping right, Libby!
Last week, I posted on Substack the night before my preview of the next day’s post, “Open this when you need a creative palate cleanser.” A few hours later, Libby shot me a text: “The name of my post is Palate Cleanser 😂… I put it to bed at noon 😂.”
Editor’s note from Libby: The lawyer in me insisted on sending the time stamped draft that I’d proofread to Traci in case she (or the internet writ large) thought I had been plagiarizing her - I was nervous!
Editor’s note (reply?) from Traci: I didn’t even notice. Which is very on brand lol.
We giggled at the overlap and realized we were both in the same headspace. We even wondered if we would be the next Substack plagiarism scandal: Team Libby v. Team Traci. Kidding.
We realized we were both completely overstimulated by all the things: fall fashion, shoppable links, J.Crew’s new drop, our kids, life, liberty, children, the pursuit of happiness and everything in between.
In that moment, we realized our friendship was fate, and we owed it to the entire Substack world to TELL OUR STORY with an epic 2-for-1 “What We Wore This Week” post!
I, personally, have always been the kid in class who struggled with group work. I was too afraid to be bossy, too hesitant to take charge, or too worried about feeling inadequate to really help the group. I would usually scoot my seat to the corner, work independently, and hope the teacher didn’t notice me.
I can honestly say that Libby has brought me out of my scared-in-the-corner, introverted shell, taught me that heavy cream is > half & half, and massively inspired my style choices! I’m so grateful she suggested this idea and can’t wat to show you what we cooked up this week.
Meet the Writers
As we enter September, the Back-to-School spirit truly takes over. Libby and I thought it would be fun to introduce ourselves—think Meet the Teachers, Substack writers edition.
Meet the Teachers always reminds me of that one night in September when I meet the teacher for five minutes and am expected to leave, but instead I linger, waiting to say hi, letting them know I’m ____’s mom and proving my worth as AN INVOLVED PARENT WHO CARES!
So here is our Meet the Writers - proving to our worth that we are INVOLVED & CARING SUBSTACK WRITERS!
Proof that Libby’s fun fact checks out. I guess I could’ve embedded an audio of me humming and whistling, but it’s nowhere near as cool.
Libby’s Look #1 - worn to work and the ER
This outfit should really be one of those split screens of expectations v. reality. I got up, motivated to wear something fun and red for spirit week. My office has been blissfully empty with people in and out on vacation throughout August so I was taking that opportunity to be a little bit more whimsical and looking forward to actually getting some things done.
And then my one year old who has a pretty severe peanut allergy accidentally ate part of a candy bar, leading to epi pens and a 4 hour stint at the ER for observation (she’s fine). Honestly, not my favorite day, but I DO think I was the most glamorous lady in the ER? It helped.
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Traci’s Look #1 - worn to a PD day at work
This week was back to school for the local teachers and myself. Enter feelings of excitement, summertime sadness, and overwhelm. While I can’t change those feelings, I can actively decide to wear cow print to work in order to feel better.
This outfit was my favorite from last week. At school we had low-key professional development days, which are nice to ease our way back into the workplace and into getting dressed profesh.
Enter: cow print + stripes! I would’ve never mixed prints like this in a gazillion years (S/O Sogole Spirit Week 2025). But I did, and loved it. I asked my husband if he liked my cow print shoes, and he replied, sarcastically in the voice of a valley girl, “They are so cute, it’s like they were made from cows.”1 I did not laugh.
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Libby’s Look #2 - worn to drive 8 hours to Cedar Point
Ordinarily, I would never wear jeans on a road trip like this but when both Hillary Kerr and Jane Herman tell you to check out Old Navy’s jeans (here & here), you do just that. These jeans are insanely comfortable, and they pool juuuuust right. For maybe the only time ever in my life, I’m going to disagree with Hillary Kerr and say get your normal size as they are pretty oversized.
This t-shirt from the Gap was a great workhorse for the trip that I knew I wouldn’t be overly precious about when a kid smeared ketchup on me so she came along for the ride. Maybe after my sartorial dominance at the ER, I was trying to chase that dragon at Cedar Point because I chose my favorite Loewe sunnies (a great birthday gift from my sisters last year) and Hermes Chypres for the drive. I felt great, and somehow this t-shirt survived both the drive and the amusement park with nary a ketchup stain.
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Traci’s Look #2 - worn to do “manual labor” at work
Today was all about classroom setup, so comfort was truly paramount. Picture me standing on desks, pulling 1,354 old staples from a wall, hanging borders (I teach high school, so there is really no need for this foolishness, but here we are), and testing out new tech.
This video can help you visualize the experience:
I spotted this tee while randomly browsing J.Crew and the stripe colors practically called out to me. Because of my dedication to tracking my wardrobe via Indyx, it was clear that a striped tee was actually a gap in my closet. So it became a new addition, and I think it will transition beautifully into fall. It’s a thicker material, which I love, and it crops right at my waist. I’m quite impressed that my favorite mesh ballet flats got the job done without me losing a toe.
Finally, I added my newest secondhand obsession: this croc-embossed Longchamp bag. It fits my laptop perfectly and, although it’s a nice medium size (as opposed to my XXL “into the abyss” work bags), it’s literally perfect. It even prevents me from adding nonsense to my bag (think Tupperware, forks, socks ??).2
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Libby’s Look #3 - worn to drive the 8 hours home from Cedar Point
Leaving any amusement park is kind of like leaving Vegas. Your body and soul are exhausted from the stimulation, the dehydration, the child wrangling, the G forces, and the sheer amount of fried food consumed. Even more than the drive to Cedar Point, I needed comfort to see me through leaving, a day that would include packing everything up and stints as both driver (over the GW Bridge no less, my personal scary place) and passenger princess. I wore all of my favorites: favorite boxers, favorite t-shirt, favorite sweatshirt. My wild card was my footwear.
After reading Evonne Sturm’s investigation into how Birkenstocks are the moment, I found myself newly intrigued by my Birkenstock clogs and exhumed them from the back of my closet. Turns out they were the hug my feet needed for the drive home, and I’m newly #TeamBoston.
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Traci’s Look #3 - worn to another PD day at work
In college, our team colors were red and white. When we used to compete during lacrosse practice, we would cheer, “DREAD THE RED.” I’m happy to say I no longer dread the red. This was a great look to wear to work on another casual professional development day. The red pointelle top was light, bright, and airy. These are the exact same shorts from look one in white—I wore them all summer. I’ve caught myself thinking about whether wearing linen trouser shorts like these can count as professional dress. Are they really that different from a skirt? (Context: I work in a school). Please vote below. My feminist friends—SHOW YOURSELF 😂.
Are linen trouser shorts secretly just skirts in disguise?
Here’s the look deconstructed:
Little Extras - what we’re currently loving rn
Traci: Yves Durif Brush - I didn’t believe any hairbrush could ever supersede my OG Wet Brush from Amazon. But when someone gifts you a very bougie brush and it actually lives up to the hype… it’s a keeper. The real test? I can brush through my daughter’s absolute lion’s mane with it, and she doesn’t scream or beg for her life.
Libby: Crown Affair Serum - Yes, every creator and their brother is telling you to buy this. But honestly, it is that good (and yes, I paid full price cash money for it). I put some in my hair after it lived Cedar Point, and trust me when I tell you that my strands were silky and beautiful when I woke up. High recommend.
Conclusion, Libby bringing us home…
Are you sick of us yet? But in all seriousness, it has been such a delight to work on this post with Traci, and I’m so glad we found each other. I think you hit a certain age and have this idea that life stays static and you have all of your friends. One of the greatest joys of my adult life (and Substack frankly) has been the delight of connecting with a new friend and realizing that there are still wonderful friendships in my life that I don’t even know about yet.
And I will give a very Libby conclusion, that Traci is the best! Her enthusiasm for not only her writing but this community knows no bounds, and I am so lucky to have had the Substack gods bring us together. Not least of which because she actually understands graphics and formatting. Thank you so much for following along on our meet-cute!
Twice as nice,
✨ Two writers, one post: We approve of all hearts, re-stacks, and shares! When you do this, it helps others find our work!
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Traci: For the record I love animals so much it hurts and could never do such a thing. I’m busy trying to free the lobsters from Red Lobster with my daughter.
Traci: Last year, I upgraded to a big-girl iPhone 16. My cow-print case arrived a week later, so like any normal person, I stored it in a CLEAN fuzzy sock in my work bag. My HS seniors were very concerned about my choices.
Libby and Traci together; two of the brightest and happiest faces on Substack right now! I love that you found each other. I have found a friend on Substack that feels like kismet too! Anyways, Libby no one else could but YOU DID influence me with the Old Navy jean! It looks so dang good on you!! Can you two make this a regular thing?!
I wish I could subscribe to you both a thousand times over - this was so delightful!!! Libby, coffee is my favorite food too. Traci, the cow shoes are chefs kiss. You guys are truly the best and having you combined in one post was everything I never knew I needed.