4 Things You Need To Watch, Buy, Try, and Read Today. Not Tomorrow. Not Next Week. Today.

Well technically it's seven things...but who is counting? Obvi not me.

Hi everyone! As always, I hope this finds you well, and that your lives are calm, cool, and collected as we wrap up September. We’re also in the recovery period after our first set of eclipses along the Virgo-Pisces axis, a series that will last until February 2027—zing!

I’m curious about what the next couple of years holds, because we had the same Virgo-Pisces eclipse cycle thing going on from March 2006-February 2008, which was when we started Who What Wear. (Can you believe WWW turns 18 at the end of October; how wild is that?) We also had a series of Virgo-Pisces eclipses March 2015-February 2017, which also coincided with another majorly transformative time in my life. Now, I’m no astrology guru—thankfully we have Chani Nicholas for that—but it’s made me wonder what everyone was starting/going through in 2006-2007 and 2015-2016? Do you remember? Was it good or bad? (PS: That timeline coincides with two impactful—albeit in different ways—presidential campaigns too.)

Also: Chaos is a ladder. Just saying. 

In completely unrelated news: Are we all reading Sally Rooney’s latest? Intermezzo? I know I am; have you started it yet? What do you think? And did you know she’s only 33? I don’t know how this info missed me, but it did, and I almost fell on the floor when I realized she was 27 when Normal People came out. Not that normal, people. Not normal at all! 

But that’s neither here nor there: On to today’s newsletter! Talking about an absolutely delicious new show I hope you’re all streaming, the boots I regret to inform you are an excellent purchase, more book chat, some legal-everywhere gummies you def need to try, and more.  

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WATCH: Nobody Wants This (Netflix, available now)

Of all the amazing TV shows out there, many of which are totally worth your time, my recommendation is to watch this one. Because I love it. Love it. 

Okay, let’s get these disclosures out of the way first. 1) I know and like Erin Foster; she’s tremendously quick and funny, and I think she’s extremely pretty. 2) Everyone knows Kristen Bell is the GOAT. 3) I’ve interviewed both of them for Second Life (EF’s episode is here; KB’s is here). 4) I don’t know Adam Brody, but I know his agent, who is awesome, and is married to my friend Nicole Chavez, who is an incredible stylist and human, and who also styles Kristen. SO CLEARLY I AM NOT TOTALLY IMPARTIAL. 

That said, I hope you know me well enough at this point to know I don’t write about things if I don’t actually like them, and I sure as heck don’t write about things for money or clout or favors. So when I tell you that this show is fucking delightful, I mean it. Here’s more proof: The music (both score and supervision, but mainly the latter) is so beneath the quality of the show, it makes me sad. I know someone so much better for season two; just saying. 

But back to what I love! I love a romantic comedy, and this one is actually sharp and funny, not flabby and saccharine as most are. It’s a romantic comedy for adults who have lived life, and that is a huge compliment, even if it sounds understated. I love the show’s title. I love that it’s set on the east side. I love the banter. I love Kristen Bell and Adam Brody’s screen chem. I love that Kristen’s character Joanne is a successful podcaster who doesn’t believe in organized religion (me neither!), and Adam’s character Noah is a rabbi (my favorite religion). I even love their on-screen siblings (Justine Lupe, who we all loved in Succession as Willa Ferreyra, and Timothy Simons, who we all loved in Veep as Jonah Ryan). 

I need you to just trust me and watch it. You won’t be mad about it, and if you are, maybe you don’t have a heart? Again: Just saying.

A face hold gets me every time.

BUY: Doen Cambria Boots ($698) in Black Suede + Rhodia Dress ($248) in Noir Narcissus Floral

One of the many privileges of being a grown-ass woman is that I’ve slowly built a highly functional wardrobe over the last few decades. The cognac suede cowboy boots that make their rounds come fall? Bought them for a friend’s Montana wedding that took place in 2005. My current moto boots are an upgrade from my previous ones—the first were a Rag & Bone pair I wore into the literal ground over the course of 15 years–and will no doubt stay with me for ages. My point is: I don’t buy boots lightly. If I like them, I commit, and then stay loyal until the proverbial wheels fall off. 

So I was surprised when I found myself clicking BUY on a new pair, specifically Doen’s Cambria boots, which have a low heel, inside zipper, and an over-the-knee profile. Why on earth am I—a woman with sturdy, not particularly long legs—buying a no-stretch suede boot with such a dramatic profile?

Well, a few reasons. 

1) They’re really comfortable on my feet. 

2) I love the arch-to-thigh zipper; it’s so much easier than a pull-on boot for my money.

3 I am not much of a pants wearer, and in the fall and winter, my legs will get cold. But I have road tested the following idea and it works: A midi or maxi skirt, pair with cozy, super opaque black tights, and over-the-knee suede or leather boots are just as warm as wearing pants, and fit my style better. 

Plus, I like having a little secret, that underneath my seemingly prim skirt or dress, I’m wearing more provocative boots. But no one needs to know that except for me and now all of you. Ha. 

I also might have purchased the newest version of my favorite summer Doen dress, which is now available in a more autumnal print. Is it crazy that I buy multiples of the same garment? Sure, maybe to some, but again: I like what I like, and if I find a piece that works, I am happy to have the wardrobe equivalent of same word, different font.

The Doen boots. The Doen dress. Because it’s a Doen world + I’m just living in it.

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TRY: Earlybird Full Spectrum CBD Gummies ($30 for 12)

As I’ve written about before, I’m not as interested in alcohol as I was before having kids. And by that I mean: I’m not into it, generally. But you know what I like very much? CBD and TCH, especially in an extremely lightweight dose at night, preferably when I’m in bed, reading. 

Of the many brands I’ve tried, I very much appreciate Earlybird gummies these days. They’re made in Austin and are very mellow; we’re talking a microdose of around 2.5mg of THC, which comes from hemp sourced from Colorado. Because all of the products contain less than .3% THC, they can ship to all 50 states, and the flavor and texture is great. I personally like the Full Spectrum CBD Gummies in watermelon, which have a 5:1 CBD to TCH ratio, but they also come in strawberry and lemon, or you can get all three. 

If you have a hard time sleeping (ahem, me) and falling asleep (also me), but also need to be immediately alert if you have a kid yell for you in the middle of the night? These are for you. Also can attest to the fact that there’s no hangover of any kind, and you can get up and workout first the in the morning, if you’re into that kind of thing. 

Strawberry gummies from Earlybird pictured, but start with the watermelon. Plate was a present from my friend Rory; you’ll have to ask her where she got it.

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READ: Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon ($27) by Lauren Sherman & Chantal Fernandez

Like many women, I have a long-standing relationship with Victoria’s Secret. It’s where I bought lace balconette bras in high school (they’re back and I just ordered one!), and then the silky tap pants I slept in at my sorority house in college. I even went though a brief phase in the early aughts of investing in push-up bras before my fear of false marketing overrode my desire to look more bombshell.

Many years later, in 2013, to be exact, I got to go to the Victoria’s Secret runway show (thank you forever, Rachna Shah) on behalf of Who What Wear, and interviewed models backstage. Then I watched as an attendee when Taylor Swift performed in a tiny Union Jack hat and the production made it snow during the finale. Inside. That is not a euphemism. I kid you not. 

I also am a longtime fan of Lauren Sherman’s work, and deeply admiring of her industry newsletter The Line Sheet, which I’ve also written about extensively. So when Lauren told me that she was teaming up with her former colleague (and now features writer for The Cut) Chantal Fernandez to write a book about Victoria’s Secret? I hit pre-order before even reading the blurb. 

It’s obvious why I was interested in it, but who else would like it? Well, if you enjoyed Maggie Bullock’s The Kingdom of Prep or Dana Thomas’s Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster—both must-read books I’ve written about before!—then you simply must order it at once. If you’re curious about one of the most impactful businesses America has ever produced, you must order it at once. Or if you’re simply looking for a thrilling, dishy, and thoughtful read, you must order it at once.

Technically Selling Sexy doesn’t come out until October 8th, but pre-sales help authors tremendously, which is why I’m urging you to order it now. I also can tell you that the thing reads like a novel from start to finish. Lauren and Chantal got so much incredible reporting, they bring such interesting context to what was happening in the market, and they explain the drier business details in such vibrant detail, it’s just miraculous. 

PS: I am “in conversation with” (ahem, interviewing) Lauren and Chantal at Skylight Books in LA at 7 p.m. on October 16th if you want to come? Details + RSVP here!

Also Read: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

If you, like me, watched the brilliant 2014 film Ex-Machina and just wanted it to be from Ava/Alicia Vikander’s point of view, or also have read or watched every version of The Stepford Wives that’s come out, you definitely need to read this novel. It came out this spring, but I only picked it up a week ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it. 

Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester

For fans of Daisy Jones & The Six or any of Judith Krantz’s sweeping multi-generational sagas, you’ll love this new-to-me novel that toggles between Paris circa WWI, the 1970s New York fashion scene, and the present day world of entrepreneurial style muses. I picked it up on a whim at the airport last month, and found myself shockingly obsessed. 

Vicky's Secret 2013 FTW. Taylor + snow; I told you!

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Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.