Tennis Bracelets, Gym Shorts & Tevin Campbell
Gym short summer has hit me hard.
When I unpacked my bags in Amagansett yesterday I had four pairs of gym shorts as if I was set to play Chris Evert at the 1981 French Open. I am still on a strict protocol of low impact activity and sneakers, so I am very far from any type of athletic pursuit. If you are new here I was hit by a car in January while walking my dog and wrote about it in my inaugural issue.
After I unpacked my bags I headed into Amagansett Square and ran into a very fashionable friend in, you guessed it, gym shorts. There are a few women in my life who I talk fashion with - and when one of them is wearing something that I seem to be wearing or gravitating to I know something is happening.
I was never the athletic type, so the inability to participate in high impact exercise is not a huge loss for me. I did love playing tennis but that was mostly for socializing and the clothing. Not to mention the incubator for the tennis label “Le Deuce” that I was hoping to launch by sewing vintage tennis patches on to vintage sweatshirts procured on ETSY during the 2020 pandemic. It never got off the ground (I still have the patches and sweatshirts) but the Pinterest board was phenomenal.
In my new uniform of gym shorts I have been wearing crew socks to cover my ankle brace, which makes me feel like I am cosplaying as a Gen Z hipster. I realize using the word hipster makes me actually a millennial, which is so damn cheugy. I have not completely abandoned my millennial no-show socks, they are just patiently waiting with my skinny jeans in my closet until it is safe to come out again.
Cheugy (pronounced chew-gee) is a new slang term I learned which is used by Gen Z to describe someone or something that is perceived as basic and out of date. Try it with your young friends this weekend. But before you get dressed to see them, make sure you read my substack post about all the other things that they cancelled, like the half tuck (RIP). Your welcome.
Earlier this week I was in Starbucks (yes I like boutique coffee shops too - but the ones in Tribeca do not open until 7am and my dog wakes up early - so chill) and they were playing Tevin Campbells “Can We Talk”. I was immediately transported to the Summer of 1993 when I was in sixth grade and thought that walking around my backyard pool with a discman and headphones playing Tevin Campbell was “fitness”. We did not have an Olympic size pool so the fact that I treated it like the local HS track is hilarious. I repeated the story to the barista at Starbucks and we sang to the rest of the song together, all before 7am.
Unlike the people who say they get all their endorphins from exercise, I get all of mine from human interactions, and Zoloft. Yipee!!
The one sport that I CAN still participate in is facing off with the other 38.5 (39s for whole sizes) at the extra 15% off shoe sale at BergdorfGoodman.com. My cat like reflexes have me checking the Manolo Blahnik filter box before they can even scroll to the end of page one.
Working in e-commerce has given me an insider's perspective on the intricate timing of sales cycles and promotional strategies that most consumers never see. The best deals often follow predictable patterns - clearance events typically hit right after major holidays when retailers need to move seasonal inventory. Sometimes it's worth waiting a few weeks for that perfect sale window, and other times you have to jump on something immediately before it sells out. It's like having insider knowledge of when stores are going to slash prices, which honestly makes shopping way more fun and way less expensive.
If you are on instagram you can follow me @thenostressclub which is where I often post products during sale time and my sale finds on my ShopMy. If you are looking for something in particular you can also always message me.
Below are some of my favorite things that I am wearing to compliment my endless collection of gym shorts this Summer.
I learned last summer that diamond line bracelets were referred to as “tennis bracelets” after Chris Evert’s diamond bracelet fell from her wrist at the 1978 US Open. It turns out it was a gift from Jimmy Connors who was also a professional tennis player at the time so the entire story was a human interest dream. British Vogue wrote about it here.
Dorsey has a beautiful collection of bracelets and necklaces combining paracord and lab grown diamonds. They are perfect for a sporty summer.
Courtney Grow who is my cool mom north star got me into these red firebird shorts which are unisex (FYI when considering sizing). If you want a more retro shape these sprinter shorts are it. Sporty & Rich did a navy version which sold out on their site but I found them here. All of my recommendations for sport shorts in this shop here! Do not sleep on the UMBROS!!
Ralph has thankfully guided me through this crew sock journey. My tween daughters wear the Polo bear ones, and Bombas are great for a solid white.
I love this indigo dyed polo shirt from my friends at Alex Mill. Ralph of course makes some good ones as well in SOLID or STRIPED.
I bought this poster for my husbands office and it is a perfect gift for any tennis lover born in the 80s. Spanish artist Eduardo Arroyo drew a portrait of Swedish player Bjorn Borg, who won the men's singles title that year.
All I am saying is if you wear them 30 times it is around $54 per wear and when you are done you can sell them to TheRealReal in a SECOND!
Button down shirts are my Roman Empire, so of course I have found a way to wear them with my collection of gym shorts. I prefer doing a blue stripe - this is a great one - but if you need a plain white button down I have not stopped wearing this Annie Bing one - and it is on sale! Shop full of my favorite ones here.
FRAME did a very fun collaboration with Sotheby’s Auction house which is probably the longest running brand to be mentioned in this sub. They have been around for 281 years and I am declaring this navy hat my morning dog walking hat.
East West Totes
"East-West" refers to the bag's elongated, horizontal shape extending both "east" and "west”. It is a fantastic option for a summer - you can fit a tennis racquet!
Staud Port Tote I love the natural color with the red straps
Studio Museum of Harlem Tote I received this bag at their Gala this year and I use it all the time. The museum has been under major renovations for the past year and the new building opens Fall of 2025.
Kallmeyer Cottage Tote comes in black and ivory.
The above is a collaboration with Sporty & Rich but I found these other great vintage Adidas T shirts here and here.
Emily Oberg who is the founder of S & R did an interview with The Business of Fashion Podcast about how she started her business during the pandemic on Pinterest.
My good friend was wearing these the other day at coffee and I was admiring the shape of the footbed which made them sporty yet feminine. Then, Jalil Johnson posted them and here we are. Jalil has an incredible point of view and I love everything he posts.
Lastly, when I was researching for this sub I found this fantastic website that sells vintage 70s and 80s running gear if you are interested in doing some fun soothe scrolling.
THANKS for listening and THANK YOU for subscribing. If you know anyone that may like my substack or instagram account please SHARE! I love hearing from you!
Xo
Omg I have not heard the name Tevin Campbell in decades. I'm off to add this song to my favorites. BRB. Please launch Le Deuce and/or The No Stress Club merch. I'm ready! Love your recos especially the ones on sale, you know I love a deal 😁
please send more gym short options for me! into this