Tag / zara

By On In Wardrobe1,146 Comments

Upon request, my purchases of 2018. Better late than never I suppose. I’ll keep the introduction short because we know how this works, right? While I’m a little embarrassed by the number of purchases, I feel that this year will be better. We’re halfway through March and I have only purchased three things so far (one of them, my dream bag). If I keep this up and go for a maximum of 1 item per month, I would be very content. I’m still not sure what triggered last year’s shopping sprees. Maybe I felt a bit bored with my wardrobe or maybe it was because I didn’t plan any purchases in advance and just went with it. Even though I keep a list throughout the year on my phone, I never took the time to reflect on it. Anyway, here goes…

Zara sandals, Vagabond Saide sandals, G.H. Bass Weejun loafers

Purchases January until June

Ah yes, shoes! If I’m not buying coats, I’m buying shoes, apparently. The year started with a pair of Aeyde Neil boots (discount). A modern take on the Chelsea boot with a square nose. These were a replacement for my Massimo Dutti boots. I absolutely love them and just brought them to the cobbler for new heels. The G.H. Bass Weejun loafers were also a replacement. One of my old loafers had an actual hole in the sole.

The other pairs were not a necessity but just something that I really liked such as the electric blue Vagabond sandals (sale). I have gotten so many compliments on those and they’re extremely comfortable. What’s next… two pairs of leather flat sandals. The first pair, pictured on the left is from Zara. They reminded me of the YSL slides for a fraction of the price. The other pair is from H&M. Very simple and clean with delicate leather straps.

Finally, I ordered a pair of Repetto ballet flats. Such a classic purchase and also, on sale. At first I was a little hesitant because of the toe cleavage but I enjoyed wearing them. Unfortunately our train station has the most awful paving tiles and it damages all the noses of your shoes so I only wore them to work twice. As of last week the bus now stops at a different location so that’s a relief.

MANGO blouse, H&M Trend t-shirt, Ganni Roseburg blouse

Not pictured but a fun addition; my Whitney Houston t-shirt from Topshop. I had to have it. It’s BrWhitney bitch! The Mango linen blouse on the left is really nice although it obviously needs some serious ironing every time you wash it. The light yellow t-shirt is from H&M. I really liked the look with white trousers. Just a subtle pop of color. The blouse from Ganni was a bit risky I suppose, as I don’t wear prints very often. But combined with my flared jeans it’s a totally different look from my usual uniform.

H&M Trend tanktop, Uniqlo U tee, Saint James Maree II R sweater

I threw a bunch of old white t-shirts out before summer. The replacements include a simple white tanktop, a white linen Isabel Marant t-shirt (sale) and two Uniqlo t-shirts (discount). I highly recommend those Uniqlo tees. They’re thick and the fit is lovely. A finally a classic Saint-James striped knitted sweater made of 100% wool.

Topshop wide crop jeans, H&M jeans, Topshop Jamie flared jeans

On to the jeans/trousers department. As I mentioned in this post, I was excited to discover the wide legged jeans trend for summer. I’m over skinny jeans and currently prefer either a straight or wide pair of jeans. I especially like the pair on the left, from Topshop. The white jeans can be a bit tricky of course but I like it paired with my A.P.C. striped t-shirt from last year and loafers.

While I would rather buy jeans with a little less stretch material, I do tend to go for Topshop jeans when I’m looking for something specific like those flared jeans. I’m only 1.65m and you can’t tailor a pair of jeans like that. It changes the whole silhouette and will look out of proportion. These are a perfect fit in a length 30 though.

Are you still with me? I totally understand if this post is testing your patience LOL. But alas, it is what it is. I can’t make it any shorter. Anyway, I went to visit Vicky in Antwerp and we did some shopping. I ended up with a bikini (sale). The high waisted bottoms are a big thumbs up. A crushed velvet blazer (sale) and a pair of chinos (sale). I think that was the most shopping I did all at once since years.

And to end these 6 months, I bought not one but two dresses. The first one was a white midi button dress by Zara. I have to confess, it’s still hanging in my closet with the tags attached. When does one wear a white dress? As pretty as it seems, it’s not very functional. If I don’t wear it this summer, I’ll sell it. The other button dress by New Look was very much a succes.

All three blazers by &Other Stories

Purchases July to December

The last 6 months were somewhat better in terms of shopping. &Other Stories is my favorite store for blazers and I picked up 4 blazers with a discount. I don’t know, I find them so useful because they easily make every outfit work appropriate, they can be worn as jackets when it’s a little less cold and they’re excellent for layering. I paired these blazers with a wool black turtleneck.

Filippa K Pointelle sweater, Dr. Martens 1460, Adidas Falcon sneakers

And for my final purchases of 2018… The Filippa K Pointelle sweater (sale) I had my eye on it for a while but I didn’t want to pay full price for it. So I was happy when I found it on sale. The Dr. Martens were a nice addition when temperatures dropped and it was snowing. I talked about these for over a year and took the plunge on Black Friday. You know how everyone always tells you these are indestructible? Not if I’m wearing them. I managed to damage the nose on a piece of metal on the first wear. Shit happens, I guess.

Shopping conclusions

That makes a total of 28 purchases. I got rid of some old pieces of clothing that were worn out. Mostly tops. Those get a lot of wear year round. Regarding replacement buys, I’m very happy with every single one of them although some are slightly different from the item that I discarded. I no longer believe that there is such a thing as ‘the perfect garment’ that you will wear forever or that clothes and accessories are ‘investments’ unless you’re buying a Birkin bag. While I might think the G.H. Bass loafers are the best out there, I might think very differently years from now when I need a new pair.

As Vivienne Westwood said: “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” I fully agree but don’t expect them to last forever. Just be mindful of your purchases and buy things that will compliment your existing wardrobe and make you excited to get dressed in the morning. Love them until they no longer look presentable and replace them with something just as nice or even nicer. It’s a never ending process and you’re allowed to enjoy it.

So what’s the plan for 2019? Personally, I’m not big on shopping bans. I don’t see that working for me to be honest. That would be too much of a restriction. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I would be content if I bought a maximum of 12 items this year. So I’m back to a short list of things that I’m currently interested in. But I’ll get back to you on that some other time!



By On In Outfit469 Comments

Life is so much easier when you’re not worrying about taking the perfect picture. This applies not only to Instagram, which probably comes to mind first, but also this blog. I can be too much of a perfectionist at times and I’m sure a year ago I wouldn’t have posted mirror pictures. But I’ve been trying to let it go a little especially when it comes to outfit shots. I hope that’s okay.

All items worn are purchases from the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I’ve been buying to many clothes. Most of the time I can hardly find anything that caters to my taste in the summer but this year is definitely an exception, since there are many options on Dressing For The Summer so you can feel good and confident. We had a few really hot days and I suspect there will be many more to come. So at the moment I’m opting for wide legged trousers and airy tops when temperatures rise above 25 degrees Celsius. Very much out of my comfort zone but so much more comfortable than skinny jeans.

I tried the cropped wide jeans last year in London but the model seemed a bit weird. I guess it took a bit of getting used to the silhouette as I’m now loving it. Paired with my striped shirt and classic loafers it still feels timeless. Oh, remember my post about choosing another pair of loafers? I ended up with the G.H. Bass ones and they do not disappoint! The second outfit is perhaps a little chicer than my usual attire. Probably because of the twill trousers. I like the combination with the linen blouse, which makes me especially happy. Linen shirts are excellent for warmer weather and I’m a sucker for everything with tortoise buttons.

Unfortunately I will only wear the slippers when I’m not at work. Granted, we are allowed to wear them but I just don’t feel comfortable and/or professional with open toed shoes. I stood in line for these for 20 minutes because my size is so hard to come by (EU 36). Standing in line at Zara for 20 minutes feels like a lifetime. Awful! But in the end it beats paying over $500 for a pair of slides from Hèrmes of YSL. As I said on my Instagram story; I actually prefer these. But of course I’d be happy to do a comparison if one of the two brands would accidentally stumble upon this blog 😉

juliette-has-a-gun-mad-madame
By On In Shopping1,093 Comments

You know, after I published my post with that 5 piece French wardrobe update I realized that I totally forgot about the Mansur Gavriel bucket bag that I bought in March. So that makes seven purchases in the last eight months (excluding a few basics that needed to be replaced). But of course, there were also some items that didn’t make the cut:

– An Equipment cashmere cardigan which was on sale at Net-a-porter. I felt like upgrading my Zara cashmere cardigan but ultimately decided that the cardigan that I already own is perfectly fine. If Zara does another version this year, it’s worth getting!

– Ah, the A.P.C. half moon bag. I tried it on in Paris last year and then in London. But how many bags does a person really need? I keep coming up with excuses such as: I can’t wear my Céline trio bag when it’s raining because it’s too delicate, maybe this one will survive the horrible Dutch fall weather… So yeah, clearly still not over it.

– Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-texturizing Serum Concentrate. Wait, what? Yes, quite a mouthful. I tried it in one of their stores a couple of months ago, but it’s so bloody expensive. Instead I got myself a sample yesterday. Let’s hope it lasts a while.

– Juliette has a gun’s Mad Madame is an incredible scent but I’m afraid it gives me a headache after a few hours, like most perfumes. But I’m keeping the sample for special occasions #sampleabuser. Not a perfume is also nice by the way but I definitely prefer the somewhat similar Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules.

Is there anything you had on a recent wish list that you didn’t buy? Do share.

margiela-beachwalk
By On In Shopping2,523 Comments

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.