vendredi 17 janvier 2014

Now you see it!

In the category of things I frequently wear but few people actually see because it's winter, this COS dress comes among my all-time favorites.

I've owned it for at least 2 years now and it still shows no sign of worsening despite frequent wear from early fall September to the last days of spring in May/June.

It's one of those versatile clothes, suitable for work that I also love putting on even after office hours.

Besides its subtle and classic navy color blending easily with my usual grey, black and camel outerwear palette, it rounds up two essential qualities I'm looking for in dresses:
  1. nor tight but neither tent-like shape,
  2. a slightly longer mid-thigh hem, short enough but allowing one to remain decent when over the shoulders movements are required.
Now you see it: a basic merino knit dress with a bib front shirt, the cut is tapered at the hem.

COS dress


Now you don't, but it's there underneath the slightly oversize black coat on last Sunday's ensemble. I didn't want to reach for yet another pair of jeans so I wore the dress with NB sneakers for a change. 


Coat/manteau + New Balance sneakers/baskets: Comptoir des Cotonniers - robe/dress, scarf/écharpe: COS - bag/sac: Céline - mitten/mitaines: C&A - bonnet/bonnet: Eric Bompard

Now, a few days later, you get a glimpse of it. For this off to work version, a change of footwear, a streamlined anthracite coat create a conservative enough look that is still "me".   


 Coat/manteau: Zara - dress/robe : COS -  scarf/écharpe: Uniqlo - bag/sac: Céline - over the knee boots/bottes: Stuart Weitzman
(sorry for the dusty mirror btw...)

This dress embodies one of my constant shopping goal: all-purpose clothes/accessories/footwear and that means that I'm way more picky on what I'll add or keep in my wardrobe. 

Do you take versatility into account when shopping? Do you also try to maximize the use of your clothes?

13 commentaires:

  1. Lovely dress! One of the central tenets of my style is colour - I pretty strictly stick to a blue/red/grey/white/black/camel palette which means that all my clothes match. I've tried buying things I love in other colours but they just don't get worn - much easier to stick to a colour scheme.

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    1. Thanks Kate! Shopping with a color scheme in mind is indeed helpful to avoid "loved it on the rack but can't wear it with anything I have" syndrome!

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  2. I have gotten way more picky this year about buying clothes that are comfortable AND stylish (not as easy as it sounds), and I've found that I get a lot more wear out of my wardrobe because I'm not just leaving clothes in there for that magical day when I don't mind wearing something slightly uncomfortable. I found a recent sweater dress from Eileen Fisher that hits mid-thigh and drapes attractively, under which I can wear leggings (much more comfortable than tights), and my favorite Frye boots. Cute, but also comfortable and functional.

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    1. I don't know about you but being picky radically changed the way I shop. Shopping especially in fast fashion stores used to turn out very frustrating seeing things I aesthetically liked but which didn't fit with my lifestyle but now I'm more serene. I don't feel the visceral need to have that trendy/lovely thing in my closet especially if I know in my guts that it won't be worn...

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  3. Thanks Prêt, your comment's very nice!
    It took me a while to figure out that form/function is a great tip that saves you money, time and space. It's so much more gratifying to be able to wear things you love on a daily basis than as you put it once a year!

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  4. Love how you've worn it - it's really one of those dresses that are distinct in design but simple enough to not be in your face.

    I really like COS for dresses because they're quite well-made for the prices and they're not too "feminine" if that makes sense. I fell in love with a blue one that reminded me of a Lutz and Patmos cashmere dress from years ago...quite tempted because it's the kind of formal dress that you don't see every day but then again I don't need formal dresses very much. Decided to shelf the idea since there is so much I plan to spend on in the next few months.

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    1. I think I know which COS dress you fell for! The resemblance to the one designed by Sofia Coppola for L&P really struck me too. If you have the same dress in mind, it's funny how this design made such a lasting impression so many years after its release...

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    2. Oh I was actually thinking of a strapless cashmere one Natalia Vodianova designed for them, although I also like the Sofia Coppola one - that's the easy day dress I've always hoped to find (not in cashmere) but never have.

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    3. I didn't know about Natalia Vodianova's design collaboration with L&P and googled it. It's very 90's in a good way and I like the convertible, several ways it can be worn.

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  5. Aissa, you and I are really on the same wavelength, girl! I just bought a button down Acne shirtdress in black, that I'm hoping to transition from winter to spring! Yours is perfect and you look amazing in it! Love it all.

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    1. Haha! Thanks Mel! Can't wait to see that dress and that parka as well...

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  6. I LOVE your over the knee Stuart Weitzman boots- do you mind sharing where you got them? Everytime you wear them in a post I start scouring the internet (again!)

    Also a big fan of a limited color pallete dressing scheme.. i have my black/charcoal/grey/white/cream/khaki/navy/red/olive/chambray basics.. and then i go for a very select few outliers on an irregular basis.. a very specific shade of medium gray based pink and sometimes a turquoise or a teal... but those are rareties when i find something i like to cut/style of AND in a tertiary color...

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    1. Thanks! I got them from the SW online store since this specific model was sold out in the brand's corners and stores in Paris.
      I do find your palette interesting, complementary and contrasting at the same time. Injecting more colours is a baby step process but I find it easier now that I have more foundation basics that I like!

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