Open To Buy: The Beautiful Game — Retail

Bogg Bags, string shoes, and diamonds for sports.

In this send: Inspired by time in the great outdoors (plus loving all the World Cup games and content) I had a ball rounding up some sporty focused fashion and retail stories up top. Plus: Bend OR, Lava Caves, Bogg Bags, The Fly Shop, Edgartown, Extra Baggy, Launchmetrics, MIV, Knu Skool, Literary Sport, merino layers, patent opera shoes, Zara Death Pants, Xero, Flowze, Teva Voya, L.L. Bean Boat & Tote, Kallmeyer, Dorsey, Tennis Bracelets, Westech, Freda Salvador, Trap Pump, Pink, and all the best links from the week.

• Field Notes — Bend, Oregon and insights from the Gap x Hailey Bieber launch

• Forecasting — taking it to the courts, fields, and the great outdoors!

• Fashion & Beauty Finds — new shoes from two great brands

• In My Feed — fun stories and content I enjoyed reading this week

Field Notes

• I spent some family time in Bend, Oregon this past week and had a fantastic vacation — I highly recommend Sunriver Resort along with tubing, white water rafting, a two-mile Lava Cave hike, and plenty of pool time. The one item that I spotted over and over at the large resort pool were Bogg Bags (this style comes in 52 colors). Everywhere. We spent very little time in any stores but did a quick visit to the Old Mill area. The American Eagle had a large display of marked down Snoopy Halloween products making it difficult to tell if it was pre-season or last year. More timely, they also had multiple SKUs of their own canvas totes. This is the one I might need since I always have a handbag Diet Coke on me. You’ll see my notes on the Gap below but there were a few people trying on the new Hailey Bieber Denim in store. Otherwise the shops were pretty empty except for REI with people trying out gear. Which makes sense, the area is too beautiful to spend inside shopping!

  My dad, an extremely avid and experienced fly-fisherman (even before it became trendy) told me that The Fly Shop that we drove by in Redding, California was at one point one of the highest revenue/best gear and guide shop in the U.S. with this single location. How? Because they sell guided fishing trips all over the world and are a top destination and resource for fly fishing.

• Protesting the pop-ups: In Martha’s Vineyard, Edgartown's Shopbop pop-up opened to hundreds of shoppers lined up before 6am, and also to protesters, after the town's select board approved the three-day permit in a split vote (2-1). Local boutique owners are furious it's an Amazon subsidiary specifically, arguing a company that size doesn't need the sales the way a small shop does, and the split vote is a hint that even the town itself isn't settled on where pop-ups like this cross the line from "brings foot traffic" to "corporatizes the charm that makes people want to visit in the first place.” Anyone visit this weekend and want to share more in the comments? Or email me at sarah@privatelabel.ltd to keep off the record.

• For Béis’s relaunch, they partnered with Abbode on a monogram event happening this weekend at their Bowery Street location.

• Hailey Bieber x Gap Denim: Update: for anyone that missed out on ordering, Gap is restocking at 7am ET on Saturday 7/18/26. As soon as the Hailey Bieber x Gap Denim collab went live I snagged a few pairs online Thursday morning, accidentally in all the wrong sizes for my daughter. By late afternoon, at a Gap in Bend, Oregon the Low Rise Loose was already completely sold out. We did buy the Extra Baggy in my daughter's size instead, baggy was her preferred style anyways, so a win.

  On the numbers side, Launchmetrics has Hailey generating $4M in what they track as Media Impact Value¹ for Gap in the first week, with Hailey’s top Instagram post alone pulling $897K. For context, Katseye's first three days after "Better in Denim" launched hit $822K, so Hailey's opening week is actually outpacing Katseye's opening burst. But Katseye's number compounded over a full multi-week campaign to $19.6M and 400M+ views, so I’ll keep an eye on this. If Hailey's pace holds anywhere close to steady, she could land in that same $15-20M range by the time this campaign runs its course. While the marketing power is worth noting, I really want to see where denim ends up at the end of Q2 and if the sales from this collab can help move Gap denim up in marketshare for adult denim.

  

Forecasting

• Sneaking in a new direction: While I’ve still personally preferred a more low-profile casual sneaker, I’ve noticed that Gen Z-Alpha has been leaning towards a bulkier, pillowy more skater style sneaker. I spotted this in the Vans I counted during a spring visit to Disneyland as well as the shoes many teens are gravitating towards for back to school. Lyst noted a 38 percent increase in demand for Vans year-over-year. The Knu Skool are the Vans I kept spotting. My 13 year old daughter put these on her back to school wishlist. I’m also anticipating that we will see more Stan Smiths.

• Literary Sport Fall: I fell in love with the new Literary Sport Fall/Winter 2026 product. The use of cobalt as the interest, the merino layers (added this to my wishlist), the printed anoraks and nylon pants, a functional longer anorak priced well, and finally this is the type of layer I can see myself wearing for a workout and then keeping on while I’m cheering my kids on from the sidelines this fall. Another reason I love brands like Literary Sport is they make it easy to buy one new piece each season and mix in with previous seasons. Plus, if you can wear casually in addition to working out it feels like double duty — and you can see that in how they style with the patent opera shoe. (See below image from the Literary Sport Lookbook.)

  

  Imagery courtesy of Literary Sport

• Le Sportif: La Ligne’s latest delivery included items in sporty fabrications and the item du jour, the anorak. The oversized Crosby Pant is like the more extreme version of the Colby Pants (to keep them from going into Zara Death Pants territory make sure they are hemmed appropriately for the shoes you wear). Speaking of Colby Pants, the side stripe is the sporty one. La Ligne’s Crosby Jacket is an anorak that thanks to Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, and The Row (I love this one but the retail price is heart stopping) has become the preferred layering piece of late — and often sold out requiring a DM to Gab Waller or The Coveted to secure. The same crinkle recycled polyamide is also available in a long tank dress. This sporty, light fabric collection feels like a smart late summer launch. [PrivateLabel10 for 10% off your order at La Ligne.]

• String Things: Vogue covered the Xero, Xero x J.Crew, Xero x Literary Sport, Flowze (on sale), Miu Miu, Loeffler Randal, Jamie Haller minimal sandal (a hiking sandal but fancy) and Freda Salvador’s take with leather and paracord. This week I wore my new Teva Voya sandals and while very comfortable my sports-use feedback is that I would still prefer to hike in my hiking boots (I’ve owned these since high school) and in the water for rafting and tubing my traditional Tevas (another high school purchase I still wear) work better for water sports because after getting trapped in seaweed while tubing (yep) these shoes did not stay on in the water. Don’t worry, no sandals were abandoned or lost. [Vogue]

• Canvas Totes over gym bags: Since I’ve been obsessively on the Canvas Tote beat following my Canvas Tote Matrix (see the explainer and price breakdown here and the full good-better-best matrix with shoppable links here) two new Kallmeyer totes caught my eye. First, the oversized — almost too big — version priced at $695. This pricing is squarely in the “best” range but with leather straps and a size so big it is basically an overnight bag it seems a little more palatable. Next there is the Driving Bag also with leather handles and more of a work tote/daily schlep bag. For our Bend, Oregon road trip we had a total of four L.L. Bean Boat & Totes in varying sizes and they were all great. From the medium, zip top, and extra large x 2.

• Jewelry beyond Tennis Bracelets: While I was in my outdoors-y and sports focused Bend, Oregon trip I loved wearing this enamel necklace*. It isn’t so precious, didn’t interfere with activities, and is easy to keep on even when jumping in the pool or on the river. Paracord is of course another option: Roxanne Assoulin, Dorsey and a Baublebar bracelet for under $40. I’m also a huge Marla Aaron fan and she recently launched her rubber with diamonds. The “camp jewelry” trend can also be interchanged with sportier styles for the most part.

  Mejuri has also made a substantial push into the sports jewelry with their Mejuri Play collection. The brand partnered with Victoria Mboko, a Canadian tennis player, to highlight the tennis-inspired pieces. Pieces worth adding to your jewelry box include a blue sapphire lab grown diamond necklace, lab grown sapphire huggies, and of course a tennis bracelet.

  

• But if the Tennis Bracelet is still more of your style: The tennis bracelet, a simple string of diamonds, gained its name and popularity from tennis star Chris Evert. Once associated with upper-class country clubs, it’s now incredibly popular, more accessible and plenty of innovative and creative designs available.

  Key insights and details:

  • Origin of the name:

    • Chris Evert was known for wearing diamond eternity bracelets during matches in the 1970s and 1980s. It was unusual at the time to wear fine jewelry during sports competitions and her consistent wearing of the bracelet on court made it her signature accessory.

    • During a U.S. Open match (exact year disputed, either late 1970s or 1980s) Evert’s diamond bracelet fell off her wrist during play and she requested a pause in the game to find her bracelet. This incident drew significant attention to the jewelry item and afterwards the style became known as a “tennis bracelet.”

    • Evert’s prominence as a top tennis player (18-time Grand Slam champion) gave her significant influence.

    • Her wearing of the bracelet showed it could be both elegant and practical for sports.

    • Evert’s wearing of the diamond bracelet demonstrated the versatility of fine jewelry, making it appropriate for casual and athletic settings.

  • This coincided with a larger cultural shift towards more wearable luxury items and helped transition diamond bracelets from formal-only wear to everyday accessories.

  • Jewelers began marketing similar bracelets as “tennis bracelets” and the style became a staple in jewelry collections. Evert sparked a trend that has lasted for decades and feels incredibly strong today. We now also have matching “tennis necklaces.”

  • Style characteristics:

    • Simple line of diamonds

    • Flexible and lightweight, practical for sports

    • Versatile, can be worn casually or formally

  How to get the style and look:

  Dorsey has an extensive assortment that includes a variety of cuts, sizes of stones and length of the bracelets. Their sterling silver bracelets are a solid choice because they are “sweat approved” and won’t be impacted by a workout. What is also great about the Dorsey tennis bracelets is you can get an appropriate fit. Since they offer in a variety of lengths you can choose one that will fit your wrist and still allow you to play and not hang too loosely. These bracelets also have a double “emergency” safety clasp keeping it super secure (not likely to stop your tennis game to search for it! Even for Chris Evert.)

  I would recommend starting with the Kate 3mm round cut and if you want to style for a fun look, add a second one at a slightly larger size too. 18k gold vermeil is also “sweat approved” and comes in a 3mm Riviére bezel. Baublebar has a demi fine version with cubic zirconia for under $100. Ring Concierge has a natural diamond with mini stones tennis bracelet and I love Ariel Gordon Jewelry’s modern take on the tennis bracelet with her white gold hexagon style. [This story has been edited from a story I wrote and originally published in August 2024. Some things, like the tennis bracelet, never change.]

Fashion & Beauty Finds

• In November at the Bay Area Marché Collective event, Freda Salvador co-founder Megan Papay showed me a preview of the shoe that became the Freda Salvador x Westech collab. Immediately I thought the rubber clog was so perfect for Freda Salvador and so interesting and different. The founders discovered this western inspired rubber shoe on a road trip and re-imagined it with the removable shoe clip that can also be worn with other Freda Salvador styles (like the Elba or Jada) and in their own bone color. As the team shared with me, “We like to think of it as a cowboy garden clog. A little western. A lot of fun.” Ye-haw! [ Use code Retaildiary10 for 10% off your order.]

• If I hadn’t preordered my Jamie Haller Trap Pumps in fire I might have been tempted to buy the newest version in Hot Pink. This is my absolute favorite low heel pump because it is comfortable and the pointy toe is perfection. Other new launches include the Penny Loafer Mule (I own and love the regular Penny Loafer in oxblood) and the Unlined Penny Loafer. The unlined version swaps the structured, fully-lined fit for a softer, unstructured construction in a veggie-tanned sheep leather that's meant to patina and mold to your foot almost immediately.

In My Feed

• Glossy shared an interview with Victoria Secret’s Pink brand President Ali Dillon. I’m expecting a big back to school campaign that pushes hard into Holiday season for Pink to win with Gen Z. Dillon previously worked at Alex Mill, Gap and J.Crew. [Glossy]

• Laura Neilson's profile of Sander Lak, the Dutch designer behind the beloved, now-shuttered Sies Marjan, on his new label Sanderlak if you are looking for colorful fashion. Each collection is built around a place from his nomadic childhood (Brunei, Gabon, Scotland, Holland), translated into color and mood rather than trend. A few styles to catch your eyes: perhaps the most colorful canvas tote ever, this fabulous with denim degrade jacket, old gold slouchy pants, or just go check out the NYC pop-up in Chinatown. [Air Mail]

• A Tom Ford leather jacket worn by Nvidia co-founder, President and CEO Jensen Huang just sold at Sotheby's for $960,000. Sixteen times its $60,000 high estimate, after 62 bids from 45 collectors. Proceeds are going to the Edge Institute, a nonprofit supporting fellowships for young innovators. From Brahm Wachter (Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles): “The response to this sale surpassed even our highest expectations. In the midst of one of the greatest technological races in human history, we saw extraordinary interest from collectors around the world, with bidding that reflected the excitement surrounding an object so closely tied to one of the defining figures of the AI era.” I wonder what the OpenAI merch will eventually fetch? [Inbox]

  

  Jensen Huang’s Tom Ford jacket sold for $960,000. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.

• More sporty stories? Alyssa Vingan wrote about all her sports themed summer and the cultural moments around them. I especially loved the Virginia Beach shout outs with Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton runway backdrop and Atlantic Park inspiration. (I also grew up in Virginia Beach, working in high school and over the summers selling bathing suits at the beach.)

• Friday’s edition of The Fashions that Jacob Gallagher writes for the NYTimes was fantastic. Tracking the trend of upside down words on baseball hats. More about the Bay Area hat that Steph Curry wore here and you can find the hat and support the mission here.

• Top links of the week: The top clicks this week included the insanely good Polo Ralph Lauren studded bag (in stock here), the Esprit sweatshirt at Costco (I love that Jill Gott-Gleason referred to Esprit as the Parke of the 80s and 90s — so true), and again my favorite La Ligne cropped pants (normal pants for petites like me). Top converting links include my favorite bathing suit that I won’t shut up about (I bought a second one and I’ve owned for 3 years), the freshly squeezed citrus shade from Negative for loungewear, and the new ringer t-shirt from La Ligne.

• The teaser for the Hailey Bieber for Gap and the Hailey Bieber Denim by Orlee post was a top clicked link too! There are some Hailey Bieber denim fans or Hailey Bieber denim curious readers at Private Label.

Made just for you — always. See you Tuesday

xx, Sarah Shapiro

Private Label Issue 21

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1. Media Impact Value (MIV) = Launchmetrics' way of putting a real dollar figure on a mention, whether it's a red-carpet photo, an Instagram post, or a magazine feature, factoring in who posted it, how many people saw it, and how much people engaged with it.