The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #3

[Betinapple]

@Barbaraa: I know you you feel. I have a pair of ACNE pistols that I wear all the time and I need something as a supplement. I just haven't found anything as perfect as these.

 

[twistelette]

Fashionista-ta: new socks always feel like such a treat! Too bad about the poor quality of the J-Crew socks... how is everything going/healing with your thumb?

Betinapple: don't know if it's your style at all, but I've had really good experience with (ankle) boots from Fiorentini + Baker and Officine Creative. The quality and comfort is really good, and aesthetically most things both those brands make please me as well.

 

[barbaraaa]

Thank you for your suggestions, but unfortunately, we have neither of those brands in Portugal maybe someday I'll come across them, however!

My style is a bit of a work in progress, but I'm aiming for something classic-looking that still looks modern: my trousers are high-waisted, my blazers are fitted, and blouses rather than button-up shirts.

 

[eizhowa]

Barbaraaa: I aimed for the same look before, but I have found that a mid-rise are much more classic. I spent a semester at an art school and I got the impression that high-waisted trousers were very "fashionable", which made my hipster soul horrified (It would be more "modern" though, as you say)

I think a rise just below or no higher than your natural waist is the most classic. No higher than Audrey Hepburns capris, in my opinion. Of course, some people call mid-rise a high-rise

 

[barbaraaa]

I have a weirdly long torso, so high waists usually go just about my belly button, which is about a palm's lenght below my chest and way above my hipbones and that's mostly what I wear I find it balances me more.

 

[eizhowa]

Then we were talking about the same rise all along, it seems I just consider trousers that go above the waist and start crushing ones ribs to be a bit to "faddy" (is that even a word?). I think the rise you like seems like a good length based on your description

 

[barbaraaa]

Haha yes, we're talking about the same then! I'm prety tall (1,74m/5'9'') so I don't think I could even find trousers that'd go up to my ribs

 

[twistelette]

here's a pic of the A.P.C. breton sweater I was talking about. it's mostly wool, with a little cotton and a little cashmere.

(picture from designerclothing.com)

 

[Juliette]

^Oooh, that sweater is PERFECT! And the materials sound like a dream too... Oh I wish I found something like it, I've been looking for the perfect striped sweater for absolute ages. Amazing purchase, twistelette

I'm ordering my silver metallic oxfords and the sheer blouse I posted today, they're both low in stock, so I just hope they wait for me for a couple more hours. I can't waaaaaait

 

[twistelette]

thanks, Juliette! A.P.C. have breton sweaters in their collection pretty much always - they have an uneven striped one in their collection right now. Their sweaters are pricey, but worth the investment - at least that has been my experience. Alternatively, you can stalk eBay for months

 

[Betinapple]

So..

On my way to Benneton where I had to buy those sweaters I mentioned I noticed this girl wearing the most amazing printed full skirt dress. I always complain about how gorgeous printed dresses are oversized wich do do suit me so I had to know where she got it. (Un)fortunately it was from H&M and still in stores. So I ended up buying the dress instead. Woops. Not part of my plan but I could simply not let that kind of opportunity pass since the quality seemed impeccable (and I sure hope it is since I consider 90$ for a polyester dress a somewhat high price).

I often make my worst purchases when I am spontanious like this but I love, love, love this dress and can see it staying in my closet for many years. It is perfect for winter worn with my ACNE pistols and a cashmere cardigan and for summer with black og red ballet flats.

After my trip to H&M I stopped by Benneton - who did not have any sweaters in the colours I was looking for. Buying more sweaters will be pushed to next winter and untill then I'll make do with the black and the striped ones I got and get some more use out of my three cashmere cardigans (black, grey, purple), which I've barely worn this winter.

I am trying RedAndNavy's "one piece pr. month" approach and therefore I do not plan on doing anymore shopping this month.

 

[twistelette]

great dress! that's a really good print.

so... since I last mentioned I was looking for one more sweater for the winter, I acquired THREE sweaters. ahem. I got the aforementioned A.P.C. breton sweater, a charcoal grey heavy knitted Humanoid sweater (found it on a local version of eBay), and a mustard 3/4 mohair sleeve sweater by Pomandère as a gift from my partner. All three will serve a different role in my wardrobe, and all in all I spent about the amount of money I had in my head for one sweater, but I am not used to aquiring so many pieces so quickly. I feel like taking a break from shopping (as in: buying) for a good while, but mostly I feel like a break from browsing & thinking about clothes to potentially purchase. There are some things that would make my wardrobe for spring function better, but for February and probably most of March, there is nothing I need to add. I like thinking about clothes, about outfit combinations, about colours and materials and everything, but if those thoughts have the direction of 'I could potentially buy this/that/or maybe that', it feels different, and I want a break.

 

[eizhowa]

Betinapple: I think that dress will be adorable with the red and black ballet flats as you described! I definitely think it is interesting and simple enough to last a while

When you say Benneton, do you mean united colours of Benneton? I am wondering because I went to their shop yesterday to look at the sweaters, and the fabric felt awful in my opinion. I didn't look at the fabric content, but it was a very coarse, thin woolen fabric. Do you, or anyone else, think they improve with wear/wash? The colors are so nice....

twistelette That sweater is divine. So classic. I feel very inspired to buy a breton sweater now. Think I will go for a second hand one first though, just to make sure it is a "me" garment before I splurge on anything. I had one years ago from H&M, but it made me look so "chesty" I barely wore it. There is something about the chesty look and the classic french look that do not add up in my mind...

 

[barbaraaa]

A little off-topic but - Betinapple I just realized (from the dress pic, haha) I have followed your blog for a while. I love your style

 

[Juliette]

Betinapple, that dress is really pretty. I would love to get it myself, unfortunately I haven't seen it in my local H&M... Sometimes you have to impluse buy. When you see something and it's love at first sight, you just know you'll get a lot of wear out of it and it may even end up being one of your signature pieces.

I, on the other hand, am in a bit of a dilemma with what to do. After buying my boyfriend's gifts, I realized I only have enough money for one of the two things I wanted to buy. Now I can't decide between the two, because I feel like I would really wear them both and they would fit perfectly in my wardrobe. I'm deciding between a pair of ASOS silver oxford flat shoes, and Walter Baker chiffon shirt in white. I love the shirt, the only dowside is that it's made out of polyester and I'm really trying to watch what materials I buy. Otherwise it's perfect. But that has me thinking, I could buy the same thing from H&M (actually just saw one really similar to it in there yesterday) and it would be made of the same material and cost way less (the Baker blouse is 80€, including postage from theoutnet.com, while the H&M one is 20€.) My question is, is the blouse worth it? Could I even get a blouse like this in a different material, or are they all poliester? I really can't seem to decide. On the other hand I love the shoes as well, they would go perfectly with my colour palette for spring... The only thing I don't like about them is that they have a white sole, but I don't mind that too much. Should I just wait and not buy anything? I'm so unsure.

This is what I'm deciding between:

 

[barbaraaa]

My vote goes for the shirt, but I own four shirts like that so...
All of mine are different brands, and all of them are polyester chiffon, while some are decidedly much better quality than others. But to answer your question - there is silk chiffon, and I believe cotton chiffon too.

 

[fashionista-ta]

i would hold out for silk on the blouse myself, but it does look well-made, as i would expect from NAP. for me, i find polyester hot, plus it's usually a petroleum byproduct. (i think h&m offers at least some recycled polyester? and patagonia has fleece made from recycled plastic bottles.)

with metallic shoes, bear in mind that they do scuff ... but i love how they go with everything!

 

[Jinadaze]

I would go with the shoes, I own plenty of Asos branded ones and find the quality really good. I like the shirt as well, but I think it's not worth the money.
It probably is better made than H&M's one, but you can find something similar made of better material.
Even Zara has a lot of silk/viscose mix shirts in the current collection for 40-50 €, take a look at their store.

 

[RedandNavy]

Juliette: Personally I LOVE the shoes. But I love brogues and metallic shoes. I'd totally go for it! I own a pair of golden boots and wear them a lot these days. They are a sure way of having fun From my experience white blouses need replacement after a year or two because of sweat stains etc and aren't really worth a splurge.

Betinapple: Lovely dress! Dresses are always great pieces!

Me: Bought a dress as my Feb item, too. I just had to get this after some thinking. And I'm loving it! The dress has an open back. I tried it with two of my cardigans and they work well in case I want to make it office-ready.

Pic: Net-a-porter.com, dress by Thakoon Addition

 

[Betinapple]

@Twistelette: thx! I really understand how you feel right now. Whenever I have shopped a lot (which buying three sweaters almost at once also would be in my case) I feel like taking a break from spending money so that is usually what I do. I think it is fine - when you find what you really want and need you should buy it and personally I know that afterwards I will take a break so it "evens out".

@Eizhowa: thx! I've already worn it with ancle boots, cateyeglasses and a black cashmere cardigan but I am really looking forward to wearing it for spring. The Benneton sweaters are not super soft but I do not find them itchy (one of my friends did however). I love them because they fit me well, are warm and super classic. Also they do not have a lot af pilling.

@Barbaraa: that's great! How fun! I did not know that I had any non-danish followers.

@Juliette: You are perfectly right. The dress is from H&M Trend, maybe that is why you haven't seen it?

I would personally pass on both items and wait untill something better came along. It seems like both things has details that you do not care for. Blouses like that could be made in silk or viscose as well. I tend to stay away from polyester since it makes me hot in a not very sexy manner Silk is great but in my opinion very fragile and difficult to clean so I prefer viscose.

@RedAndNavy: right back at ya!

Me: Even though I am in no ways in a rush to buy my next piece I am contemplating what to buy. I am trying to stay within a 90$ budget for my monthly shopping. If I want something more expensive I'll have to save my money. The only thing I could use for my summer wardrobe is a pair of heeled browned sandals. Maybe that would be a good place to start.