mercredi 27 mars 2013

Guess what?

Can you guess what's been my favourite item of clothing these past weeks?

On heavy rotation from thank-god-it's-friday to lazy sundays at the movies. I just can't get enough of it.

Hint n° 1: it's big,
hint n° 2: it's cosy,
last hint: and it's grey...



sweater/pull: Isabel Marant Etoile - leather skirt/jupe en cuir: h&m - boots: Gap


coat/manteau: Sandro - sweater/pull: IME - jeans: h&m -scarf/écharpe: COS - OTK boots/cuissardes: Stuart Weitzman - sac /bag: Céline


coat/manteau: Zara Woman - pull/sweater: Isabel Marant Etoile - jeans, scarf/écharpe: h&m - boots: Gap


jeudi 21 mars 2013

Spring ahead

No matter what the calendar says it's still very fresh if not cold and wet. So I think that for a while, winter clothes will remain in center stage and provide the main source for daily dressing, unless (fingers crossed) there's a drastic meteorological change for the better! 

For the time being, not willing to spend on items that will remain in the closet till better/warmer/sunnier days come, what focuses my attention is:
  •  shoes... I go for the walkable, versatile not overly expensive kind and overall wearable (almost) right now.
Like these cap toe Loafers. I've spotted them a few weeks ago. Since then, my imagination has been on automatic. They would be quite easy to blend with my other clothes and I can see them working with so many options that I've almost managed to make them virtually mine till pay day.

 loafers by Jonak (69 euros)

 

Still in the flats department, h&m dropped a few real leather shoes including these ones bellow with a clear reminiscent mix of Céline's loafers and The Row Pre-fall 2013...

 loafers by h&m (49,95 €) - credit: hm.com

I went to check them out after work last wednesday:


I like them a lot and I'm usually not a big fan of pointy shoes, especially flats... They give off a sophisticated vibe and would look great with what I wear on a daily basis: (capri) skinny pants, jeans of course, maybe channel Alexa Chung with my pleated Zara skirt and a sweater...

Then, there are the classic ankle boots.

I've been wearing to death my black Colisée de Sacha boots and it seems I've been on the lookout for new ones for a long time but there's always an obstacle, something that makes me either miss the "right" ones or at least hesitate.

For example, in theory, I'd love to get the Rag and Bone Durham or the Hope Macy boots but the price combined with their online only availability make me timid to make the purchase. I've also considered the Acne Pistols for a time but find them a bit too trendy, identifiable and maybe not the best choice for the office so I got over them. Instead I've been looking at reasonably priced local shoe stores and found these classic with a twist boots.


boots by Minelli (129 euros) - credit: minelli.fr


A bit of trendy perforated leather but as for the rest, the lines are clean, the height is praticable and from the few steps I made, they seemed quite comfortable. A serious contender, if not the only one for the time being.

  • Little things...
You know, cute little clothes. Mostly, usually tops. Clothes that subtly inject a bit of novelty without being the in your face fashion statement of the season. Kind of the equivalent of comfort food: it's familiar, lovely and satisfies the cravings without breaking the bank.

See, I like the black and white trend (is it even one? Isn't it the most classic pairing?), I like a bit of print so just like last year with my Helba blouse, I fell for this safe blouse. I haven't bought it yet. Still pondering the need versus want factor...


Isabel Marant Etoile "Stacey" blouse (120 euros)

Something, I didn't hesitate on for more than a few seconds is this h&m cashmere scarf. This one is warm, soft, light and thus great for the in-between season and the powdery yet neutral color will brighten up any outfit so that I can store away the dark ones I wore all winter. 


credit: hm.com

Voilà, I'm not jumping ahead of spring but looking, trying, considering a few items and try to remain focused on what I truly need. What about you ? Do you have a plan? A priority for spring shopping?

vendredi 15 mars 2013

In the end...

A few months ago, I made up a list of 5 fall winter items I felt:
  1. were missing wardrobe staples
  2. would be pertinent to my lifestyle
  3. could shake things up a bit.
As we're drawing hopefully very soon towards the end of the season, even if as I'm writing it's snowing heavily and steadily, here are the results of my shopping ventures.

1) thinner knits: done.

COS provided 2 merino mixed knits one navy, the other burgundy. Effective, useful complements to my mainly black-grey clothes. Also got a second hand Etoile IM baby alpaca grey knit.
Last and final winter knit addition is a (a not so thin) mohair tunic, again a consignement store bargain.

All 4 will remain in rotation for spring till the warmth eventually settles in.



2) pants: so-so.

Steering away from my boot cuts and slim pants was trying. Partly because shopping for smart pants is not fun, there are so many options but getting the right fit, material and cut is a different matter, especially on a tight budget.

And also because in theory, I like the wider leg but for winter, the practical and comfortable slim/skinny wins without contest.

I ended up getting grey mannish pants, an effective compromise, during the sales and that's it.


3) outerwear: done.

It was not on the list but I got a camel coat by Sandro (second-hand) with which I'll finish winter and transition into spring.

As much as I wanted a shearling, I simply couldn't afford the real deal or when I found reasonable priced second hands, the item was sadly ill-fit, too heavy. 

So again, practical, lightweight and warm down coat (Uniqlo) turned out to be my champion for cold days/bad weather.


But then, I might as well start saving up (big time) for this one bellow...

Isabel Marant F-W 2014 (style.com)

4) skirts: failed.

Nothing worked. At least that's how I felt after trying several ones: it was either too cheap, badly made, too short, too pricy, too trendy...
So no new skirt this winter. 

5) boots: done.

Footwear has been about sensible yet relatively unexpected choices.

Instead of going for the classic flat riding boots, I got the Stuart Weitzman 50/50 over the knee which have been my go-to casual days boots. They get me plenty of stares, something I'm not really comfortable with, but the power of these boots is to make me feel like a badass wannabee so I try to act like it!  


Another addition in sensible tough footwear: shearling Doc Martens.

Again, I had never given these shoes more than a passing thought, they seemed unlikely for me, even too connoted with so many, sometimes contradictory, tags.
I just tried them on for fun and suddenly became obsessed with the utility boots. I wear them with tight fitting or loose pants rolled up, knit dresses and a tailored coat.



5 bis) The everyday tote: done.

I was extremely lucky to find the Céline horizontal small cabas in black which ended up as my christmas gift and I'm really really happy about it, so much that I've been wearing it constantly since, neglecting my other bags.


Voilà, my winter 2013 purchases laid out.

I mainly splurged on the not so subsidiary accessories, especially footwear and on the vital outerwear.

For the rest of clothing, the strategy has been (and remains) to rely on carefully chosen items from highstreet brands and consignement stores to keep my budget in check.

I did stray from the original plan but everything I got is on rotation, fits a gap, is incorporated in work outfits and/or off days. 

mardi 12 mars 2013

Let's go to the mall


... Today!*

Snow day spent at the mall... Looking at spring fashion.


down parka: Uniqlo, pull tunique/tunic sweater: Isabel Marant Etoile, jeans : h&m, boots: Doc Martens, cabas/bag: Céline

* I stopped watching HIMYM a long time ago but Robin Sparkles's song plays in my head everytime I go to the mall... Which is quite rare fortunately!


dimanche 10 mars 2013

In (teen) spirit


The spirit of the 90's grungy dress code of my teen years still lingers on in the way I dress on casual occasions.

That said the influence has its limitations, it's not about being nostalgic and reecnating the uniform of my youth but injecting a touch here and there. 

Yes, to an oversized coat, layers, cargo pants, a loose dark knit, but essentially, proportions are different: volume on top when wearing my mannish coat and loose knit means going for slim pants and, often, heels.

But of course, the spirit of grunge can't be properly invoked without a bit of plaid. 

Not willing to invest in the Dries van Noten plaid shirt, nor in its Zara ersatz, I took inspiration from one of Garance Doré's post and went instead for a bit of plaid which is, in her own words "cool and easy". 

I agree and taking advantage of a spike in degrees this week, showed off my plaid (cotton scarf).
   

coat/manteau: Isabel Marant, pull/sweater: Isabel Marant Etoile, slim cargo/pantalon: Uniqlo, boots: Colisée de Sacha, scarf/écharpe: h&m, cabas/tote bag: Céline