Tag / comme des garçons

A classic: the breton shirt
By On In Style, Wardrobe783 Comments

Will we ever get enough of the breton shirt? I sincerely doubt it as it has been a classic for decades. Think, Picasso, Audrey Hepburn etc. I admit, I took me a while to finally appreciate this timeless piece. My first striped top was a cheap black/white shirt years ago. It didn’t get the wear it deserved. Mostly because my closet was filled to the brim and also because it looked awful after just a few washes. Quality brands such as Saint James and Petit Bateau were still unknown to me.

After that, I decided to save up for a Comme des Garçons shirt which I bought at Dover Street Market in London. I’m usually not one to go for visible logos but I couldn’t resist that tiny red heart. As of recently, I’m now the owner of two Comme des Garçons shirts, an old H&M blouse and an A.P.C. t-shirt (my latest addition). All striped but still different enough to warrant the purchase. Which brings to mind the question: how many striped shirts is enough?

Do you own any striped tops? What is your favourite brand?

review comme des garcons wallet
By On In Small Luxuries1,523 Comments

A few years ago I got tired of carrying around a large bulky wallet with receipts from purchases I made months before. So I decided the splurge on the iconic Comme Des Garçons pouch to do some serious downsizing. Nothing too fancy, just one compartment for everything. It worked wonderful for a while but I ended up missing a few sloths for my cards. So I upgraded to the zip around wallet with room for change and a few cards. I’ll keep it short and simple; if you are looking a classic and durable wallet for your basic nessesities, make sure to check these out.

There’s a CDG wallet for everyone. They come in many shapes and sizes and not to mention numerous colours. Obviously my favourites are the pouch and zip around wallet. I adore the sleek look of both designs. Mind you, I also like their embossed and glossy designs but you can never beat the classics. So simple black leather it was. Do you remember that small magic bag Hermione carried with her that held like a million things? Story of my life up until a few years ago. You can imagine that scratches were hard to avoid. I was a little disheartened upon the first scuffs and marks but let’s face it: it’s just a wallet. And it turns out all those scratches blend beautifully together and really soften the leather over time.

The stitching is amazing and very durable, as are the zippers. I bought the pouch in 2011 and the zip around wallet in 2013 and both still look like new apart from the scratches I mentioned above. The pouch doesn’t look as grey and washed out as it seems in the picture by the way. It’s just bad lighting and I didn’t want to photoshop it #keepingitreal. I have to admit though, I’ve been reaching for the pouch more than the wallet at the moment as I hardly use cash anymore. Just my bankcard, public transportation card, drivers licence and Museumcard and I’m good to go. But the zip around wallet is great for travelling so no money wasted there.

Both wallets fit easily into my Céline trio bag and A.P.C. half moon bag although obviously the pouch takes less space and is therefore my preferred option when I’m carrying these bags. The pricing is a bit steep. They’re not the cheapest wallets out there but the quality is outstanding. The pouch is €70 and the zip around wallet €150. If you don’t want to spend that amount on a simple wallet, I suggest looking into Everlane. They sell similar wallets such as the square zip wallet, for a more affordable price. Unfortunately I can’t comment on the quality but I’m sure there are some reviews floating around on the internet.

review comme des garcons wallet daarboven2

Features of the pouch:
– All leather
– Zip fastening along the top
– Gold toned hardware
– Gold stamped logo on the outside
– Made in Spain
– 10 (h) x 14 (w) x 1 (d) cm

Features of the wallet:
– Alle leather
– Zip closure all around
– Four card sloths
– One bill compartment
– Separate coin pouch
– Gold toned hardware
– Gold stamped logo on the inside
– Made in Spain
– 10 (h) x 12 (w) x 2,5 (d) cm

Tell me, what kind of wallet do you own? And do you have any other recommendations for wallets?

the-art-of-giving
By On In Shopping797 Comments

This gift guide may seem a bit early for some, but not for us Dutch people who also celebrate Sinterklaas on the 5th of December. I always enjoy the festive stuff that comes with the holiday season. The food, decorations (can I put up my christmas tree already?) and gifts of course. Above you’ll find a few things that I wouldn’t mind receiving, so consider this guide a personal wish list as well. Some items are affordable, others a bit more expensive. But you should be able to find something similar for a much friendlier price.

1. H&M paddle hair brush (€7,99). This hair brush comes in two sizes. The smaller one is perfect for carrying around in your bag in case of emergencies. If you have a little more to spend though, you can never go wrong with the iconic Mason Pearson brush ($190). 2. Diptyque Scented Oval ($45). I’m sure most of us are familiar with Diptyque’s scented candles and perfumes, but why not take it a little further to your closet or drawer? 3. Byredo Gypsy Water oil roll-on ($78). That’s a lot of money for such a small amount right? But with perfumed oils a little goes a long way. Fresh yet woody, this oil is inspired by smoky campfires and pine forests with hints of Bergamot, Amber and Vanilla. 4. Yves Klein framed art print ($236). Allposters.com (or .nl if you’re from the Netherlands) offers a wide range of posters and prints. My personal favourites are the art prints, such as the one above. It’s so easy to order a beautiful print and frame it yourself. 5. Various Projects key tag ($15), for the best selection of clean and simple key tags. You can choose from an endless amount of options but you can also customise your own tag.

6. Fashionology tiny silver hoop earrings (€10). I’ve said it before and I will say it again; I love delicate jewellery. I’ve been wearing the same silver studs for over 4 years and these hoops would be a nice change. 7. A.P.C. room spray ($35). Perfect for those of us who are not that much into candles (or are likely to burn their house down). Toumbac is my preferred scent of the four options with fleur d’oranges as a close second. 8. Smythson Panama notebook ($80). A great gift for him or her. A luxurious leather notebook with embossed gold lettering. It doesn’t get more extravagant than that, I guess. Of course Moleskine offers great and practical notebooks for just a fraction of aforementioned price. 9. Fashionology tiny tag necklace (€50). A solid sterling silver necklace for everyday wear. 10. Comme des Carçons leather wallet ($197). I’ll be the first one to admit that it’s a hefty price tag for a wallet. But trust me when I say that these are indestructible and will last you many years. I already own the one pictured above and I highly recommend it!

Do you have anything on your wish list for Sinterklaas or Christmas?

jessica-update
By On In Personal164 Comments

I can’t believe it’s already February. Time really does fly by. You probably noticed that I didn’t update this blog on a regular basis the last few weeks, so I thought I’d make this post a little more personal to make up for it. I never had the intention to show my face on my blog, because most of the time I look horrible in pictures (don’t we all though). But then again, it’s kinda hard to relate to someone through a computerscreen when you have no idea what that person looks like. So yeah, now you do!

Why haven’t I been blogging? Work was extremely busy for a while. Which is usually the case when an exhibition is about to end or open. I’ve also been focussing a little more on my health, eating better and I have started to exercise again with my amazon yoga ball. All while trying to keep up with the latest gossip (Rihanna and Leonardo DiCaprio, really??). But now that I have a little more time on my hands, I’m definitely picking up where I left off, blogging-wise.

I’ve been working on a post on how to start the 5 piece French wardrobe which I need to shorten a little bit before I post it (got a little carried away for a moment). And since I’m done with my fall/winter purchases, I’ve started a new list for spring/summer which can be found here and consists of way too many black items, oops! But I’m sure that will change once I start browsing my favourite online stores.

What have you been up to? Any exciting purchases or experiences you would like to share?

Shirt Comme des Garçons, glasses Ralph Lauren (old)