Weekender #257

🦴 Pet plans from $10/month that include hereditary and chronic conditions.

🕯 Two types of libido explain why you and your partner keep missing each other.

🎯 Teaching kids ambition means praising effort and purpose over report cards.

🎙 Dozens of women felt everything during egg retrievals at Yale, and nobody believed them.

Every September the same thing happens on our team Slack. Somebody posts a boot. Somebody else asks where it’s from. Four messages later we’re all deep in each other’s carts.

So we’re sharing what’s actually coming for fall 2026, plus what three of us are actually wearing.

What’s in for fall 2026

Cherry red is the fresher red. Deep reds have carried the last few fall seasons and burgundy isn’t going anywhere, but cherry red is the update. The move is one pop against neutrals, a bag or a sneaker or a scarf, especially against chocolate brown and cream.

Jackets got their waists back. After several years of boxy and oversized, outerwear is taking shape again: funnel necks, high collars, curved seams, cropped lengths, softly cinched middles. The same thinking is showing up in tops, with cummerbund belts and waist-tied shirts all over the fall runways.

Satin and silk stopped being special-occasion. Silky button-downs, camis, and relaxed trousers are everyday basics now. The styling trick is contrast: a satin skirt under an oversized knit, a silk button-down with denim, satin pants with a suede jacket.

Knits got loud. The neutral-biscuit sweater era is taking a break. Bold color, all-over prints, and exaggerated necklines are the fall knitwear story, alongside thicker rugby stripes and higher-contrast combinations.

Buttoned-up is back. Collars and cuffs are doing real work this season, worn oversized, tie-necked, or peeking out from under a sweater. The top button is meant to be done up, which is convenient, since it’s also the easiest office outfit there is.

What’s in our shopping carts for fall

Kristel

Open my closet right now and it’s a wall of brown, camel, cream, and burgundy, nothing that would shock anyone who’s seen me in the last three Octobers.

The corduroy mini is the piece I reach for most, worn over tights the second it dips below 60, with the ankle boots or these doing the rest of the work. A dress shirt with a sweater layered on top gets the same treatment, tights and boots underneath, when I want to look like I tried without actually trying.

On no-effort days it’s good jeans, a plain top, and cute sneakers instead, skirts and boots both off duty.

A sweater dress is the move when I want the whole outfit to be one decision instead of three, still finished with tights and boots so the formula never really changes.

Gucci Guilty going on means it’s officially fall in my house, and my nails are staying some version of espresso straight through the season.

Cameron

Fall in California doesn’t really commit until November, and that works out fine for me. My rule is comfort first, looks second.

Early on, when it’s still warm enough to leave a jacket at home, I reach for a lighter sweater with a fun printed jean or a flowy skirt. My go-to heeled boots do the heavy lifting, turning “still 75 degrees out” into an actual fall look.

Most days, though? It’s my Abercrombie jeans, a sneaker, and my baggiest, comfiest sweater, hair thrown up in a slick back bun and out the door. That’s the real uniform, the one that gets me through back-to-back meetings without a single wardrobe thought. Oh, and I cannot live without my giant shoulder bags. My fall favorite bag from Madewell was discontinued, but here is something similar.

Comfort and style were never actually competing. Pick pieces that can keep up with your day, and the “put together” part takes care of itself.

Thania

I’m really into my girly fall aesthetic right now. Plaid skirts, corduroy skirts, and leather ones, paired with leggings or stockings. For work, this velvet midi is the one I reach for. I’m also dying to invest in some quality cashmere pieces like the ones from Jenni Kayne.

Then either a knee-high boot or an ankle boot. These brown Anne Klein ones are fancy enough for any occasion and these black Dolce Vita boots have a cute gold accent to spice up any outfit. I honestly don’t know if ankle boots are in or out right now, but it’s what I love. (Checked: they’re in.)

Oh, and a dark lip liner. I love MAC’s lipliner in Spice.

Quick note on this dinner experiment series: I’m testing meal delivery services one box at a time to sort out which one fits which kind of week. I shared test number 1 this past Thurs (Green Chef).

Here’s what I didn’t expect to find in this experiment: the meal that keeps getting skipped in this house is mine. I feed everyone, I clean up, and at eight I eat whatever’s closest, standing at the counter.

Factor sits at the other end of the spectrum from a meal kit. Nothing to cook, nothing to decide, about two minutes from fridge to plate. The butter chicken was incredible, and I cook all the time, so I don’t say that lightly.

👉 Read my full Factor review, including 50% off your first box plus free Daily Greens with code ASSIST50FG.

📚 Read: What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

Two families become intertwined after a North Carolina school integration plan brings their children together, setting off consequences that follow them for decades. Coster moves across generations, cities, and complicated family ties to explore race, identity, motherhood, and all the ways the past has a habit of showing back up.

📺 Watch: Dutton Ranch (Paramount+)

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler leave Montana behind to build a ranch and a new life in South Texas, with Carter along for the ride. Starting over doesn’t mean starting easy, and brutal conditions plus a rival ranch owner put their version of the Dutton legacy to the test fast.

🎧 Listen: “Witch Doctor” by Erykah Badu & The Alchemist

Badu and The Alchemist lean into a smoky, slow-moving blend of soul, funk, jazz, and hip-hop, pairing her unmistakable delivery with his hazy production.

Three bags of trail mix and a shrinking pile of Kind Bars. That’s what the snack drawer says about how much the team matters. You want it to say something else, but sourcing anything better means a big-box run you don’t have time for.

Simpalo Snacks delivers curated boxes of better-for-you, name-brand snacks straight to your office or your team’s homes. No store run, no contract.

You pick what goes in, or let your team choose their own favorites. Boxes ship within one business day, and gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free options mean nobody’s stuck with the same tired bag twice. Add a handwritten note or your branding, and the box reads as real appreciation.

Over 5,137 companies have switched.

👉 Build your first snack box (and score up to $200 in Amazon Gift Cards).

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* Smart Girl Society is our private community for women who want deeper conversations, accountability, and tools that actually make life easier. Join the waitlist to get in the next round.

Gold Rush, Goldie for short, is our adventure kitty. She has been on a few hikes, loves to spend time outside, and has gone camping up at Bear Lake, where she frolics around chasing bugs and watching other cats. She does not like her harness but deems it tolerable when her humans make her choose between the harness and staying inside. She has an old man for a brother, and they secretly like having the other around but will never show it.

Pssst…Lemonade Pet starts at $10/month and settles around half of eligible claims on the spot, right in the app. Add the wellness plan and vaccines, checkups, and dental cleanings come along too. Whatever’s left over from claims at the end of the year goes to a cause you pick.

👉 See your pet’s price in under a minute.

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