margiela-beachwalk

Yes, a list of three things I totally didn’t need but bought anyway this year. One turned out to be a winner, the others not so much. Because even when you carefully plan your purchases, a mistake every now and then remains hard to avoid. Sometimes you’re convinced you bought the item that was missing all along, only to come to the conclusion several months later that it’s still hanging in your closet, brand new and unworn.

Margiela Beach Walk
When I bought this, I totally believed I would wear this all throughout summer, but I didn’t. It’s a lovely scent that reminds you of the beach (well, duh!). But after wearing Molecule 01 for several years, which is really subtle, this fragrance was just too present. I could smell it all day around me (maybe that’s a plus though, great lasting power) and in the end it gave me a headache. I could have avoided this if I had taken a sample home. You know, try before you buy. Lesson learned.

Zara loafers
The perfect example of the description above; still brand new in a shoebox. Do I like ’em? Yes definitely, but they hurt my feet. Are you familiar with a hallux valgus better known as a bunion? Because that’s where I’m heading, with both feet. I’ve never worn high heels, or at least no higher than 8 cm. And I don’t wear those on a daily basis. It’s heredity, lucky me. Since they’re made out of real leather, I might try stretching them a little to see if that helps. That last sentence pretty much describes the problem by the way. I try to find excuses or solutions for something that shouldn’t be a problem to begin with. Raise your hand if you ever bought a pair of shoes that felt too small, big or tight and you thought to yourself: it’ll be okay if I wear them a couple of times / buy a pair of insoles/ stretch them and the whole thing turned out to be one big dissapointment. From now on I’m only going to buy shoes that are comfortable from the first time I try them on.

Acne Pop jeans
These jeans fall in the category ‘winner’. I was a bit skeptical about the fit at first but after I tried them on, I was sold. However, I didn’t want to buy them for a whopping €210, so I decided to wait until the sales started. Maybe I would get lucky, and I did! My skinny jeans are still my everyday go-to jeans and I don’t wear them as often as I should, but they are definitely a great addition to my wardrobe and I can’t wait to wear them again when it’s spring.

zara-shoes-cashmere-knit

Oops! I already bought two new basics for this season. A new oversized cashmere sweater by Zara and a pair of pointed chelsea boots, which are quite similar to Acne’s Jensen boots. I contemplated those Acne boots for a short while but ultimately decided to pass on them because of their hefty price tag and my current sushi addiction. If these Zara boots end up on my feet every single day, I may have to rethink that decision though, but for now I’m happy with these. The sweater feels amazingly soft and will surely become a wardrobe staple. I love the oversized slouchy fit and the slightly longer back. Unfortunately it’s no longer available in blue, but you can still get yourself a pretty red or cream jumper here. I think that covers my basics for the season. I might have to replace my black highwaisted jeans but other than that, I’m good to go.

weekday-uniqlo-cashmere

zara-hm-cashmereFour relatively affordable cashmere sweaters for those looking to stay warm during fall. Now I know that when it comes to cashmere, you usually get what you pay for. The quality of cashmere depends on the thickness and length of the fibers. The longer the fiber, the better the quality but also the more expensive. But let’s be honest, not everyone can or wants to pay €400 for a sweater. And although I don’t mind investing some money in quality basics, I personally have some really good experiences with cashmere from Weekday and Zara. I’ve had both sweaters for over a year and they still look great. Now we only have to wait for temperatures to drop!

Top: Uniqlo (€55,40) , Weekday (€100) Bottom: H&M (€69,99), Zara (€139)

shopping-rotterdam-daarboven

Although I love the city I live in, it’s nice to visit another city in your own country every once in a while. Now I know a lot of people tend to go shopping or sightseeing in Amsterdam which is one of my all-time favorite cities too of course. But ever since I started working in Rotterdam a couple of years ago, I discovered it’s a pretty exciting city to spend your day in, with a lot of things to see and/or do. So I created a map with my favorite spots divided into 4 categories: shopping, food/drinks, art/architecture and others and added a description of three of the places you will most likely run into me (which, in most cases, is probably not a good thing). Let me know if you feel like there’s anything missing!

SKINS COSMETICS
Van Oldenbarneveltstraat 137 I website
In case you ever wondered where to buy those pretty Diptyque candles that you’re seeing all over Instagram and blogs, Skins is the place you’re looking for. A cosmetics store that exclusively sells niche brands such as Aesop, Diptyque and Byredo. But most importantly my favorite perfume, Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules.

KOEKELA
Nieuwe Binnenweg 79a I website
Hands down the best bakery in Rotterdam when it comes to pies, muffins, bars and cookies. Or maybe I should just describe this place as Heaven. I don’t think I ever met someone from Rotterdam that wasn’t familiar with this bakery. I highly recommend the caramel shortbread, lemon meringue pie and well, pretty much everything else too.

MUSEUM BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN
Museumpark 18 I website
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. It houses a unique collection of art from the Middle Ages until today. Here you will find works by Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, Dali and Margritte. This autumn the museum is showing an exhibition about the future of fashion with contemporary fashion designers including Viktor&Rolf, Christophe Coppens and Hussein Chalayan.