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Jan 07, 2024

What Jenni Kayne Is Buying Right Now: Silk Dresses, Ceramic Plates, and Gardening Shoes

Earth tones and natural textures, cozy cashmere cardigans, pointy flats,

Earth tones and natural textures, cozy cashmere cardigans, pointy flats, arranging bouquets on a sunny afternoon in the garden, hosting friends over an al fresco meal on handmade ceramic plates. The Jenni Kayne aesthetic—rooted in a California minimalism that's all about slow, easy living—is unmistakable. During the last 20 years, the fashion designer, author, beauty-brand founder, and interior design enthusiast has created a lifestyle platform that's distinctly hers—and one that countless people try to emulate.

"I always had aspirations to grow into a lifestyle brand," Jenni Kayne tells Glamour of her namesake company, which in the last two decades has grown up with her. "I started the brand when I was 19 and I just turned 40, so my life is very different now and my aesthetic has definitely evolved, but what you see today really is true to who I am and what the brand stands for. It's all one world."

A firm believer in uniform dressing, Jenni Kayne has long created clothes that strike a balance between form and function. There's a focus on materials—cashmere, linen, raw silk—and easygoing silhouettes that can be worn over and over again. "Being a busy working mom and woman, it became evident to me that while I had all these beautiful clothes and still found fashion inspiring, I kept wearing the same things over and over again." About seven years into the brand, and after giving birth to her first child, Kayne says she decided to home in on timeless pieces that could take her through the day—from sitting on the floor with her baby to dinner with friends—and still make her feel great. "It was a pivotal moment in the business where instead of designing so much newness every year, we would home in on what women want to wear and [help] them find their uniform."

Jenni Kayne's effortless polish may be interwoven in the brand, but her vibe is part of the cultural zeitgeist. In today's dizzying tapestry of "cores," the Jenni Kayne aesthetic is quiet luxury, rich-mom energy, coastal grandma, and maybe a little vanilla girl wrapped in one. There are no logos to be found, but you probably know a Jenni Kayne piece when you see one—notably the D’Orsay Flat (which is no longer in production but was a mainstay on the ’00s fashion circuit and was spotted on countless bloggers and celebrities, including Emma Roberts and Jessica Alba) and the Suede Mule; many would argue these both went viral before going viral was even a thing.

"I remember going into my first store and seeing shoeboxes piled up to the ceiling and thinking, What's happening?" Kayne says of when she noticed her flats’ really gaining popularity. "A blogger from China had posted about our shoes, and then we got so many sales overnight. We had never experienced anything quite like it. ," she says. "It was like a viral moment for us. The Mule was the second iteration, the first was the D’Orsay Flat." Countless copycat versions of her flats followed, which Kayne says she tried to look at from a positive perspective. "There's not much you can control or do, and as frustrating as it can be for these fast-fashion brands to monetize off your design, I tried to stay true to what we believed in."

Dupe culture isn't going anywhere—a quick scroll through TikTok shows over 8.2 million views for lookalikes of Jenni Kayne's chunky Leather Lug Mule (which retails for $395), and over 10.1 million views for her best-selling Cashmere Cocoon Cardigans (which range from $295 to $445 depending on the style). It's not all about getting the Jenni Kayne look for less, though; many videos are also unboxings and styling diaries, like this one showcasing the versatility of a cappuccino-colored Cocoon Cardigan. Kayne adds that even though people do copy things, "there are always going to be people that still want the real one, and believing in that is important."

The mom of three, who's also fostering 23 animals at her Los Angeles home, has no intention of slowing down. Kayne's new clean-beauty brand, Oak Essentials, has opened a pop-up spa in Santa Monica and more recently debuted a limited-edition skin and hair care gift set with Crown Affair. Content continues to be created for her lifestyle blog, Rip + Tan, and the brand just launched with a new online retail partnership at Shopbop. She tries to maintain a work-life balance throughout it all by surrounding herself with a supportive team at home and at work. "I have three kids and can't be the perfect mom to each of them every day, but putting in your time with each one when you can you can is important," she says. (That includes her other "babies"—her husband and work.)

Ahead, we caught up with Jenni Kayne who shares her favorite things for her home and wardrobe, from the kitchen hack she uses to stay to organized (she's a Virgo!) to the summer outfit she lives in.

A Jenni Kayne candle or honey from our bees on our property. I feel like everyone loves candles, and as long as you know the person well enough to know their scent vibe, it's such a great gift. The honey is local, it's delicious and great for allergies, and we harvest it all in the spring and summer. We have tons of jars to give to friends and family year-round.

$65.00, Jenni Kayne

$65.00, Jenni Kayne

The Jenni Kayne coffee-table book, [Pacific Natural at Home]. But I also love both of Vincent van Duysen's coffee table books. He's a Belgian architect who built our house and the most talented architect in the world, I think. He has one on his earlier works and one on his later works, and both are prominently displayed in my house.

$38.00, Amazon

$58.00, Amazon

Drawer dividers! I make custom bamboo drawer dividers, but there are so many different options you can get from The Container Store or Amazon. Every drawer I use has one: I use them for cutlery, tools, utensils; I don't use them for plates or glasses.

$12.00, The Container Store

A ton of neutral-colored plates. Either choosing one color or two or three colors you can mix and match. We love to entertain—whether it's another couple or a dinner for 30—so it's really important to always have enough plates. I love our Jenni Kayne plates, but also ones from Heath Ceramics, Humble Ceramics, and Eric Bonnin.

$214.00, Jenni Kayne

$44.00, Heath Ceramics

I love our Cashmere Cocoon Cardigans; they’re so oversized and delicious, and look good with everything. I also wear an old long linen robe that my mom gave me like a thousand years ago. It actually has my name embroidered on the back and is made by Libeco.

I have been living in our raw silk pieces. We make a Relaxed Trouser that I wear in cream or black, and then we have a little Cropped Cocoon Cardigan that we also have in cream or black that I wear with a sandal. Today I’m wearing the Rhode Dress version of it, which is like the perfect summer dress.

$375.00, Jenni Kayne

$295.00, Jenni Kayne

$325.00, Jenni Kayne

$375.00, Jenni Kayne

I love to get flowers from Lily Lodge because they come in a box and are cut perfectly. They’re one type, so it's like a box of tulips or a box of peonies, and everything is cut and ready to go so you just throw it in your own vase. I find when people send flowers, sometimes you want to take the arrangement apart or they don't last or you don't like the vase. This way you get the most beautiful fresh flowers and they feel like they belong in your house. For my mom, I always like to get her something that's about self-care. My mom loves hair accessories, so this year I got her some beautiful hair clips; I usually get a Sophie Buhai satin scrunchie or headband. I also got her my Crown Affair x Oak Essentials collaboration, which has a hair mask and our face mask, so hopefully she’ll take a bath and a moment for herself.

$120.00, Oak Essentials

I’ve been wearing Kiehl's Musk spray every day for 20 years. I then like to layer something on top very minimally. Today I’m wearing Oak Essentials’ Cuir Rose; I also love our [Santo] Wood scent and Violet [Santal]. The musk is always the prominent scent, and then I’ll just do a dab of something else.

$48.00, Kiehl's

I like Sabré. I have a cream set and a pretty, hornlike color. I don’'t really like to mix and match [flatware] unless I’m having a big dinner party. Otherwise I choose just one.

$104.00, Lulu and Georgia

$308.00, Food52

I like to drink yerba mate every morning. I’ve been drinking it since high school. I also have a real addiction to ice matcha lattes with almond milk. I don't drink coffee, so yerba mate kind of gets me out of the house—and then the matcha gets me going later throughout the day.

I wear Hunter rubber clogs [in hunter green] or Bogs clogs [in black]. They’re these rubber rain booties that you can just slide on your feet.

$95.00, Bogs

$150.00, Hunter

Talia Abbas is the senior commerce editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @_taliaabbas.

Originally Appeared on Glamour