Style Profile: Sarah, Fewer & Better
One of the first people I connected with when I started this blog was Sarah, who had recently started her own blog, Fewer & Better. Part of her blog’s focus is the idea of investing in fewer items of higher quality, something I’m striving to do as well! In addition to sharing her classic, elegant style, Sarah writes beautifully about family and her childhood, grief and loss, and her favorite places. I look forward to reading her new posts throughout the week, and I know you will, too! You can find her at www.fewerandbetterblog.com and on Instagram @fewerandbetterblog.
For people who might not be familiar with your blog, tell us briefly how you define 'a more edited life.' I think that having your life filled with "fewer and better" things, instead of things that have little value to you as an individual, is extremely important. In an age when literally everything is available at your fingertips, it's so hard to determine your own style and tastes when you're constantly bombarded with ads and social media. It's also dangerously easy to fall into the comparison game. Keeping my life edited means keeping only the things that I truly love and would want to be identified with--books, clothes, jewelry, everything. It leads to a much more peaceful life!
What is your favorite inherited clothing item and what is your favorite item you've purchased and why? My favorite item I inherited is probably my mother's trench coat. I was lucky enough to inherit so many things from my mother, grandmother, and my grandmother's best friend that it's really hard to pick one. But the trench coat is especially meaningful because she gave it to me when I got my first "real" job out of college. It was a piece that she bought just before she was on her way to Europe for the first time. I feel so lucky to have that, and to be able to think of her when I wear it. I wrote a little more about this trench here: https://www.fewerandbetterblog.com/a-mile-in-her-clothes-my-mothers-burberry-trench-coat/
My favorite item I've purchased is probably my Belgian Shoes. I had my eye on a pair for at least fifteen years before finally feeling "adult" enough for them! Such a special purchase was a great way to mark the milestone of feeling truly like an adult.
You had the idea for the blog during the 2020 COVID lockdown, correct? Aside from having more time to write, what else sparked you to start sharing your stories with an audience? Yes! I actually have had two other blogs in the past, which fell to the wayside pretty quickly as I didn't really have a thread to connect things together. With Fewer & Better, I felt motivated to hold myself accountable for leading a more edited life, but also to remember my mom. I have also truly missed reading "old school" blogs and I wanted to write something that I would like to read.
You write frequently about not only the style of certain pieces, but the way they're imbued with meaning. What do you hope the future wearers of your investment items remember about you and your style? I hope that the future wearers of my clothes remember me as someone with a definite style--a style that was truly "me." I know that I always think of my mother when I wear my needlepoint slippers because she loved them (and so did my grandmother.) I hope that I am also remembered for pieces that were simple and refined, and not trendy.
Your style is very classic, but never feels stuffy. How do you approach wearing classic pieces to keep them feeling fresh? Thank you so much, that is always the goal! I try to always wear pieces that make me feel comfortable. For example, I cannot balance in heels, so the highest heels I have are black satin slingbacks from my grandmother, which have a two-inch heel. I think that if you feel comfortable in what you're wearing, that always shines through, and that's something I wish that every woman knew!
'If I could travel anywhere for one week, it would be to...?' Such a tough choice! I've been fortunate enough to travel a lot and I have so many favorite places. Right now I'd have to say Egypt. I took an amazing trip to Egypt and Jordan as a graduation present from high school and I have always wanted to go back, especially for the river cruise down the Nile. I studied archaeology and Arabic in college, so I was enthralled by the country and the history, both ancient and modern. I'd love to go back!
All images appear courtesy of Fewer & Better and may not be reproduced elsewhere.