summer shopping Laura deCarufel
Photography by Erin Leydon for The Kit

What Made Our Editor-in-Chief’s Summer Shopping List?

Heels you can dance in, a Top Gun-inspired sweater, the world's greatest dress

Hi! Welcome to this new Friday series featuring our Kit editors’ absolute favourite things, a mix of everything we swear by in everything we love: beauty, books, fashion, tea, podcasts and much more. More than anything, it’s a personal recommendation series that isn’t tied to trends or seasonality—a discovery series, if you will. Sometimes, it will be themed and beautiful, but most of the time, it will be a little bit random. Always, it will feature our picks of what we’re most excited to share with you. 

Here’s my current top 10! If I had a few more picks, I’d add in the joyful & hilarious podcast Las Culturistas, this Le Creuset French press I use every morning and the Balenciaga couture collection, which I’m still thinking about. Thanks for reading, friends, and happy summer shopping!

 

1. The Top Gun: Maverick sweater! 

Top Gun sweater LL Bean
L.L. Bean Mixed Cable Sweater, $79, llbean.ca. Photo: L.L.Bean

Shop Now

Have you seen Top Gun: Maverick yet? If you did and love it, email me ([email protected])—I could talk about it for 58 minutes, minimum. I found a lot to love in that movie—thrilling flight scenes! jeans on the beach!—but the sublime Jennifer Connelly and her equally sublime wardrobe were my ultimate highlights. That sailing outfit? Navy fisherman sweater and white jeans—perennial. You can kind of see it here, post-sail, on the motorcycle ride home. But, as Tom Cruise would tell you, you should really see it on the big screen.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by MovieHero (@moviehero_id)

If you’re going to buy a Top Gun–inspired sweater, look to L.L.Bean, a brand freshly claimed by the style set for its preppy perfection and prairie-adjacent vibes. It makes the very best fisherman’s sweaters in the world. They would look right at home on the Hard Deck (if you know, you know).

 

2. The best unexpected beach read

Talented Mr. Ripley book
The Talented Mr. Ripley, $15, amazon.com. Photo: Amazon

Shop Now

This spring, after our beauty and lifestyle director Katherine made a convincing case for a Guerlain fragrance embodying the Italy-in-the-’50s splendour of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the movie, I brought a copy of the book with me on vacation. You know how you always want to read something that will actually grip you to your pool chair? This book did—to the extent that I chose that pool chair over a snorkelling expedition. The tension is intense, the writing is excellent, the scenes are drenched in sun and Campari—this is the perfect summer read.

My love of the novel inspired me to look up the author, Patricia Highsmith, an eccentric, rather terrible person who, fascinatingly, loved snails (yes, snails) to the extent that, before cocktail parties, she would add a handful of snails and a full cabbage to her handbag, so the snails could graze on cabbage as she did on canapés. 

 

3. The coziest (and Canadian) linen duvet

best linen duvet Canadian bedding Flax Home
Flax Home heirloom quilt, $380, shopflaxhome.com. Photo: Flax Home

Shop Now

I’m writing this story while sitting on this beautiful heirloom quilt and I just gave it a loving pat. When we moved last year, I was looking for a way to add warmth to our all-white bedroom—and this marigold linen quilt does the job. As many of you likely already know (judging by how many linen bedclothes we sell here on the site!), linen softens each time you wash it. I have a very active 7-year-old and a 19-year-old cat—this quilt gets washed a lot. Now, it’s basically like resting on a cloud.

A word about Flax Home: It was founded in Vancouver in 2017 by three friends, Oana, Vivian and Anna. Their company values are evident in everything they do: Sure, they have a chic collab with the very elegant Jackie Kai Ellis, but what’s most impressive to me is their ongoing commitment to supporting Atira Women’s Society, a non-profit for women and children affected by violence. There are a lot of great bedding brands out there—for many reasons, Flax Home is one of the very best.

 

4. The skin resurfacing miracle

Trinny London skincare products PHA
Trinny London Find Your Balance Exfoliant, $59, trinnylondon.com. Photo: Trinny London

Shop Now

Trinny Woodall is a certified delight, as our beauty and lifestyle director, Katherine Lalancette, found out during a recent Zoom interview. Her new brand, Trinny London, is also excellent—my favourite thing about it is that it’s a complete (and easily decipherable) system. Even someone like me, who’s worked in the beauty industry for years, benefits from a brand spelling out exactly how to use it, and what other products pair best with it.

This exfoliant, for example, is to be used at night after cleansing, but before your serum and moisturizer. It’s stacked with BHA (beta-hydroxy acids) and AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) which help slough off dead skin cells, allowing your other products to work better. It’s called “liquid exfoliation”—the next gen to those exfoliating face scrubs we all used during teen sleepovers. This product is helping clear and nourish my blemish-prone, oily skin, but if you want something gentler, this “Tiptoe In” Trinny London exfoliant is a strong bet, while the brand’s Reveal Yourself exfoliant is an AHA heavy hitter.

 

5. The world’s most versatile dress

COS midi dress black best summer dresses
Cos short-sleeved jersey midi dress, $175, cos.com. Photo: Cos

Shop Now

Do you ever go through phases where your friends could reasonably conclude that you only have one dress, because you find one dress that you love and wear it constantly? I’m enjoying a love affair right now with this black Cos jersey dress. I wore it on set to our Jonathan Van Ness shoot, to a baseball game, out for dinner during a Montreal trip. I wore it yesterday and I will probably wear it tomorrow.

To appreciate how great it is, you need to see it on—take a look at the lookbook pic below. See how it’s cut so well that it just skims out below the hips? The jersey fabric is also super soft and machine washable (thank goodness, with my constant wearage!). The only thing I’d suggest is to purchase it in store, if possible—shopping Cos online can be challenging because of the added duties. Still, if there’s an item that’s worth it, it’s this. 

best summer dresses COS
Photo: COS

 

6. The candlesticks that make your table look expensive

Trouvaille Erik and Ester candleholders
Trouvaille Ester & Erik candlestick holders, $65, trouvailleonline.com. Photo: Trouvaille

Shop Now

Friend of The Kit Britt Barkwell is known for her superb taste. Her Trouvaille brand offers seasonal capsule collections of its own merch (like this now back-in-stock perfect T-shirt), as well as curated finds from other brands. These candlestick holders are from Danish brand Ester & Erik, which has been making elegant candles and related accessories for 35 years. (These candlestick holders reportedly began as an anniversary gift from Erik to Ester—so sweet!) Just add these $20 tapered candles and your tablescape is entertaining-ready.

 

7. The tea so good you’ll wake up thinking about it

best Earl Grey tea La Bonne Fille
La Bonne Fille Creamy Earl Grey Tea, $18 (12 sachets), labonnefilletea.com. Photo: La Bonne Fille

Shop Now

This spectacularly delicious tea tastes like it should be served to the Queen. It has so much flavour depth! I also love La Bonne Fille’s Pumpkin Chai—it’s so warming, especially when the weather chills off. The pretty packaging also makes this a perfect hostess gift.

 

8. The Canadian heels made for dancing

Dr. Liza sandals
Dr. Liza Ngozi Sandal, $495, drlizashoes.com. Photo: Dr. Liza

Shop Now

What if high heels could actually be comfortable? That’s the revolutionary question that sparked Dr. Liza Egbogah, a Toronto osteopath and perennial shoe obsessive, to create her truly outstanding brand. These Ngozi sandals are named after Dr. Liza’s mother who, the designer says, loves heels so much that even her house slippers have a bit of lift.

Now, it’s a big claim to say that high heels are comfortable—some may be more comfortable than others, but actually comfortable? Friends, I can confirm. The platform helps balance out the height of the heel, while the EVA—the material often found in running shoes—helps absorb shocks. What I found shocking is that I could wear these heels to an afternoon wedding until very, very late and go to bed—and, crucially, wake up the next day—with zero pain. I even wore them to breakfast. These are also the shoes I’ve received the most fashion-related compliments on in years. A worthy investment.

 

9. The summer hair care essential

Timm David leave-in conditioner Port Hope hair
Timm David Kami Leave-in Conditioner, $68, timmdavidshampoocompany.com. Photo: Timm David Shampoo Company

Shop Now

In the fall, I’ll likely pick up my flat-iron again, but this summer, all I want is to live that breezy wash-and-go life. This leave-in conditioner from Timm David—a chic hair brand headquartered in Port Hope, Ont.—helps make that a reality.

Post-shower, I add two pumps to my palm, then apply it to my hair below the ears like I’m applying a hair serum (or mousse! remember!) The blend of camellia oil, rose and sandalwood hydrates and detangles like a dream—it also smells like heaven. After a quick comb-through, my hair dries almost without frizz. It’s pricey, for sure, but since I use so little each time, I’ll be able to make this bottle last until next summer.

 

10. The prettiest Canadian-made clip-on earrings

Jenny Bird earrings best Canadian jewellery
Jenny Bird Toni Ribbed Clip-On Earrings in Gold, $138, jenny-bird.ca. Photo: Jenny Bird

Shop Now

I love a gold hoop, and these are so pretty! I’ve been stuck in clip-ons for a decade since I tore my right earlobe while wearing extremely heavy earrings as part of a Cher Halloween costume (the photos may have been worth it!). Since then, I’ve spent many hours trawling vintage stores, looking for clip-ons that don’t look like they were around and grooving during the first wave of disco. It’s an imperfect solution because the retro backings are so tight I can only wear earrings for a couple hours before dropping them regretfully—surrendered sparkle—in my (thankfully, snail-free) purse.

So I was thrilled to discover that Jenny Bird, the beloved Canadian jeweller, makes clip-ons. This ribbed pair with a no-pinch fit is my favourite—they look modern, are comfortable for stretches up to eight hours, and the price is definitely right. (They’re also available in high-polish silver.) These sculptural Jenny Bird Nouveaux clip-on earrings are also sensational.

This article contains affiliate links, which means The Kit may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by advertising. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information

    More Summer Shopping