What I Wore: Sofia Rainaldi

October 25, 2019 | Filed in: Omakase Diary

Sofia is a Senior Project Manager for the Creative team at M.M., née summer intern. When she isn’t wrangling her inbox, she’s trying to find the best cacio e pepe in New York. This week, she’s traipsing around the city (and even upstate) in the Disruptor Omakase. 

Monday

My week starts on the productive note of snoozing the alarm four times. A yodeling five-year-old finally gets me up and moving, as my apartment is just over a playground. Thanks, kid.

This past weekend, I did my annual, back-to-“school” closet purge—a necessity when you have New York-sized storage space. Pro: This keeps me honest about which pieces actually merit the closet space. Con: There’s limited room for frivolity. I’m spending this week in pieces from the Disruptor Omakase—a tightly curated creative capsule wardrobe we’ve been working on at M.M.

Sofia wears the Merritt jardigan and the Sarah dress.

I have a full twenty-three minutes to get out the door. If I’m running late, I go straight for a black dress, no questions asked. Today, I choose the Sarah, a cap-sleeve sheath that never needs steaming. I pair it with the Merritt jardigan, which reads like a blazer, but feels like a sweater. Moisturizer for me and water for the plants, and we are out the door in twenty-two minutes.

I’m a project manager at M.M., supporting the creative team. Most days, that puts me at HQ, keeping an eye on anything requiring creative support or resources. When I arrive today, this translates to a lot of meetings about anything from an ad campaign for next week to a product launch for next year.

Sofia wears the Sarah dress and the Bezel earrings.

The only other thing I wear today is a big snuggly robe that I put on as soon as I’m home. I have dreams of finishing my book club book, but nod off at nine.

Tuesday

No yodeling five-year-old today! I actually listen to my alarm and make it to my morning boot-camp class. I wear leggings, a tank top, and a big Champion hoodie.

Sofia wears the Merritt jardigan, the Giulia top, and the Zhou culotte.

Today I plan my work outfit around flats, since I get sore if I wear heels post workout. I start with the Grace loafers and add the Zhou culotte with the Giulia top tucked in. Even though I’m the one who works at M.M., it was my mother who introduced me to the magic that is the Giulia top. I borrowed it out of her suitcase the last time she was in town and then “accidentally” kept it. It pairs with half of my closet, and I’m constantly hoping our knitwear designer will add new colors. After work, I’m meeting a gentleman friend at a jazz club, so I prep for the evening by throwing a dangly pair of earrings and some sensible heels into my bag (a well-loved Nisolo leather tote). I manage to catch a blessing in the form of a perfectly timed express train uptown, and it’s off to work I go.

Sofia wears the Merritt jardigan, the Giulia top, and the Bezel earrings.

We’re at our Bryant Park showroom this morning morning for a photoshoot, but I head downtown to the M.M. office around noon, since it’s much easier to concentrate when I don’t have racks of clothes to distract me. I’m deep in an email rabbit hole when I get an “On my way!” text at 6:30pm and realize I’m late. I forget my heels under my desk but remember to swap out my earrings for the ones in my bag. Luckily, the band is also running a few minutes behind schedule, and we slip into our seats just before they start up.

Wednesday

It’s the best season in NYC: brisk fall (before it starts raining). Today, I choose the Foster pant with the Giulia top (yep, again) and add the cozy cocoon of cashmere that is the Arbus. If I’m in a turtleneck like this, I always wear my hair up, so I secure my ponytail and add some KOIO white sneakers to finish the outfit. On my way to work, I drop off a pair of battered heels at the cobbler and get my regular scolding from the owner, Sasha, about the state of my shoes. (“Sofia! Who walks! Like this! Who are you mad at?”).

Sofia wears the Giulia top, the Arbus sweater, and the Bezel earrings.

It’s a slow day, and I spend it tucked up inside my turtleneck working through my inbox and listening to a playlist from my brother.

Sofia wears the Giulia top, the Arbus sweater, the Foster pant, and the Bezel earrings.

A friend’s band is getting ready for a show in a few weeks, so I meet them at a warrenlike rehearsal space in the Lower East Side. Have I mentioned that the Fosters are perfectly stretchable for when you need to balance on a chair, use your knee as a desk, or prop up an amp with your ankle? Afterwards, we sneak around the corner to Ivan Ramen before they close the kitchen. They make an incredible eggplant dish that I think about weekly (Tahini! Char! Miso!). It somehow cures my headache from sitting next to the amp.

Thursday

We have an offsite today, so I can be a bit more casual. I wear the Fosters with the Para pullover in case of aggressive air conditioning. The Para could be described as a sweatshirt—but a sweatshirt that grew up, got a 401(k), and prefers a light-bodied Beaujolais. This morning, I’m meeting an old coworker-turned-friend, because breakfast dates > dinner dates. Buvette is normally jam-packed on weekends, but it’s quite empty if you’re there at 7:30am on a Thursday. We take advantage and order fluffy eggs and palm-sized croissants.

Sofia wears the Para pullover, the Foster pant, and the Bezel earrings.

The Para was the right call: It’s brisk at the offsite, but I’m comfortable enough as we talk through the broader themes of 2020. After work, I walk downtown to my book club. We’re reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which is riveting and disturbing in equal measure. None of us knew each other before book club started, but now I look forward to it every month, even when we’re reading about serial killers.

Friday

For some reason, photo studios are always freezing. I learned this the hard way and never head to set without a layer now—no matter the season. We have an all-hands-on-deck photoshoot in Williamsburg today, so I slip on the Sarah dress but make sure to bring the Arbus sweater along. I alternate between emails and taking the model’s dog for walks. By the end of the day, I am deeply in love with the dog and not as far through my emails as I should be.

Sofia wears the Sarah dress and the Arbus sweater.

Some friends and I are heading to a Euphoria-themed birthday party at a diner tonight. Please note: At this time, M.M. does not offer dresses designed for Euphoria-themed birthday parties in diners, but if demand exists, it’ll happen. Get busy, people. My roommate lends me a shiny silver dress. Perfect.

Sofia wears the Sarah dress, the Arbus sweater, and the Bezel earrings.

Saturday

We’re traveling up to Storm King Sculpture Park in upstate New York for the day, so I need an outfit that’s comfortable enough for the train and warm enough for a long and breezy walk through the grounds. I tuck the Para into Zhous and grab a thick canvas coat. Something about the slow, sunny walk wears everyone out, and we all nap on the way back to the city. I toss the Zhous into the wash when I get home, since they’re dusty from some impromptu lounging in the grass. If an outfit isn’t suited for a comfortable sun nap in front of a sculpture with some friends, then it has no business being involved in your Saturday.

Sunday

I grumpily pull on leggings and a zip-up and head to a workout class in Brooklyn Heights with friends. The class wakes me up but leaves me famished, so we pick up Greek food and picnic on a friend’s porch with her new kitten. I’m not a cat person, but I make an exception for hers—which may be because it acts more like a dog than a cat.

In the afternoon, I tackle the glamorous task of cleaning my apartment. This involves balancing on the fire escape to polish the outsides of the windows, and I of course wear the ivory Giulia top and Zhou culottes to do so. (Editor’s note: She actually wore a painting t-shirt and leggings from high school).