Transitional jackets

This time of year can be somewhat tricky when it comes to outerwear. Some days are really warm and summery, and some days it seems like it's November already. If it's chilly in the morning it can still be really warm by the time I go home from work. I rotate between an A.P.C safari jacket that I got on sale at 70% off earlier this summer (yay!), the Etoile Chuck jacket and the Helmut Lang blazer. The blazer is almost all wool, so it's been too warm for it until this past week. Along with a scarf and a cardigan these jackets will keep me warm for another month or so. They're completely different, but work for different occations. The safari jacket is perfect for hanging out in the park/playground and I wear the blazer to work and when I meet my friend without the kids. I intend to wear it inside during winter. The Chuck jacket has been a great spring/summer jacket, I'm so glad I found it. Sometimes I think that it's such a shame that I almost only wear my nice clothes/boots to work, but it's inevitable if you have small children unless you want to constantly wash them. It's not really a problem, but it's been such a releif to me to be able to wear nice clothes again after 14 months of maternity leave with my daughter, and 8 months with my son. I know that it sounds really shallow, but spit ups and yoghurt stains can be quite a challenge!

Dixie boots, Etoile linen tee, Etoile scarf, J Brand jeans and Jerome Dreyfuss Billy bag.

Wishlist 2011 update

I made a wishlist for 2011 in March. I don't really know if it has helped me stay more focused when it comes to shopping, I've certainly strayed away from it more than I've sticked to it, but I've managed to find some items that I felt were missing in my wardrobe. I love all the things I got, and I've been wearing them a lot.
1. The perfect black blazer/jacket. Found it - Helmut Lang.
2. A small cross body bag, you might have seen it before, Jerome Dreyfuss Mini Twee.
3.Some kind of sandals with heels - found them. A.P.C.
4. Spring jacket -  Etoile Chuck jacket.
5. Black slouchy skinny jeans.
6. Basic black good quality sweater.
7. Shorts. Found them, Hope time shorts.

I haven't found any black slouchy jeans. I was tempted by R13's slouch skinny jeans in black, but the price and the fact that they're a bit too distressed  was off-putting. I'm also still looking for a black crewneck wool/cashmere sweater. It seems like it shouldn't be that hard, but it's impossible! I'm thinking something like this, but I want to be able to try it on first.

Organic by John Patrick

La Garconne moderne

I've also realised that I need to add some items to my list.

8. A black cardigan. I've lost my Acne cashmere cardigan. I'm so upset, I've never lost a piece of clothing before. I think that it might have fallen off the stroller in the park. Argh!! Acne make good knits, and it's hard to find a great cashmere cardigan. I really loved mine, and when I got it I felt like this price was OK for something that'd get lots of wear. I've had it for two years, and I have been wearing it every other day during winter. I have a lightweight black cotton cardigan that's about to fall apart, so I'm getting desperate. Now that I need a new one, there's nothing! I was hoping that A.P.C would make one, but I haven't seen any yet. I was able to snatch the last one in small from the Hope online sale yesterday, here, but I think that it might be too lightweight. It doesn't have to be cashmere, but soft wool, I'm pretty sensitive. So, this only proves that great basics are hard to find!

9. A cardigan in burgundy. I've seen a picture of an Etoile burgundy cardigan that my favourite store here will get later this fall, it seems really nice.

10. A winter coat. This is my least favourite thing to shop for. There are no nice really warm coats. There are tons of lovely wool coats for fall, but when it gets really cold I need something to keep me warm when my kids drag me to the playground (I can't even tell you how much I hate the playground in January). I have an Acne down parka, it's really warm but that's the only good thing about it. It's huge. I feel like I'm walking around in a down tent. Hope has a pretty nice parka, here, but no. It's pretty much like the one I've got. Instead, I found this little thing. It's a down liner to wear underneath your coat. Hm, I've never though of that before. What do you think? I've tried it on, it's pretty nice and would definitely fit underneath my Isabel Marant wool coat. Still, do I want to pay  €160 for something that I wear underneath my coat? Would it be too much of a hassle putting on two jackets?

The wishlist is most likely to be continued, I'm weak when it comes to fall clothing.

Dixies and plaid

Isabel Marant raw silk plaid shirt, J Brand jeans and Dixie boots.

 

I succumbed to the Dixie boots. I tend to always look for slighly better, or just different, versions of boots and shoes that I already have, and that I'm perfectly happy with. It's a really annoying and irrational habit. This happened when I saw Isabel Marant's Dixie boots. I have the Dicker boots in both leather and taupe suede. I wear the leather ones more than the taupe suede ones, I'm a bit scared that I'll get them dirty or ruin them since they're so light. I can't say that I love the Dixies more than the Dickers, I like them equally, but they are quite different and so comfortable. The colour, cognac, is a lot nicer than it looks like in the pictures. I should have taken a close-up photo, but now I've dropped them of at my cobbler for a protective sole and new heel caps, the plastic ones that they come with fall apart after a couple of weeks so I figured I might as well replace them now. Unbelievable for such expensive boots. I've decided that I can't justify keeping my taupe suede Dicker boots, even though they're so pretty, so they're on eBay now, here, along with my A.P.C black lace up boots and some Etoile tops. All things I really like but that don't get enough wear.

When I find something I really love, like the leather Dickers, I worry that I might wear them too much, and that I'll never be able to find them again, so I tend to get something similair to alternate with. Do you also worry that your most beloved boots/clothes will never be able to be replaced if you wear them until they fall apart?

Transitional pieces - fall

Transitional pieces - fall by garderob

Tomorrow is the last day of my nine weeks off from work. I can't complain, nine weeks is a pretty long time, but I'm not quite over summer yet. We've had more rain than usual here, so I could easily enjoy a few more sunny weeks. Going back to work always means that fall is approaching, and early fall, September/
October, is my favourite season when it comes to dressing. I love knits, boots, layering and coats. So, playing around on polyvore, I created two sets of what I'd like to wear this fall. Lots of black, I guess I've missed it, even though I wear black year round. I decided to keep the sunglasses in the sets for at least a month or two!
The Hope Chy boots and Isabel Marant's Dixie boots are my current obsessions, but besides that, I think I can pretty easily make my own versions of these looks. Oh, except the bags too:)! The Hope pants are my favourite pants, I've worn them all summer, but they will work with boots and a knit or blazer too. I love the Etoile sweater, and I've tried it on, but the neck with leather trim means dry clean only - definitely off-putting.
Are you ready to leave summer behind and get into a layering mood?

Pyjamas

I find dressing for summer somewhat harder than for spring and fall, and I also find myself wearing things I wouldn't during the rest of the year, like these Etoile pants. First, printed pants is something I normally wouldn't look for and second, they're like pyjama pants! I guess my subconscious inner bohemian takes advantage of the situation. I'm also wearing an Etoile tee and my new Opening Ceremony sandals.

I recently found some bracelets on Etsy (the ones to the right) here, here with a bracelet in silver and gold from Be Christiansen.

 
Do you also walk out the door wearing pyjama pants, or something else you normally wouldn't wear, during summer?
P.S Sorry for being such a bad blogger, but I have a feeling I won't be posting much in the nearest feature. I just don't have the energy or the inspiration right now. I still love reading your blogs, though!

On the list #1 and some off the list shopping

With lots of help from S at Mommystyle I've been able to get my hands on something I've been looking for for a long time - a black blazer. It's was #1 on my 2011 wishlist. I blame this picture from Lagarconne for my obsession with it :

Perfection! I have the pants and the tee, and the blazer (Helmut Lang) is just what I've been looking for. Obviously the outfit doesn't look like that on me! However, the blazer looks good with skinny jeans as well as slouchy pants, and can easily be dressed down. I can't let go of the Hope boots in the photo either. My black Hope boots work with skinny pants, but not with slouchy pants. I've become more of a pants person lately, so these would be perfect. If I decide to get them I'd have to sell my Hope Charlie lace up boots, even though I love them.  The dilemmas! Here it is with IM boots, J Brand jeans and an Etoile linen tee.

I also got the Opening Ceremony sandals I've liked for a long time, at a 70% discount. They're black leather instead of the beige suede ones I think are prettier, but they're still really nice.

Finally, some stores already got a few fall items. I'm not quite ready for fall yet, but I'm such a sucker for fall clothes, it's my favourite time of the year when it comes to dressing. I haven't been tempted by a whole lot, but I couldn't resist this Isabel Marant Etoile linen tee in indigo - such a beautiful colour. Etoile linen tees drape beautifully and so far I find the quality really good.

I'm quite happy with my wardrobe now, so I'll try to be restrictive when it comes to fall purchases. Knits and boots are my weaknesses, and I'm guessing I'll see lots of that soon. It'll be a challange!

The past few weeks have been the most exhausting weeks of my life. I'm glad that it's over, and at the same time sad. I hope that we'll be able to stop by the house sometimes and have a look at the cherry tree we've planted in the garden for my daughter.
I did have a really nice break at the festival, though. I really needed it. It was wonderful as always - great people, sunny weather and good music -  listen to this girl, from a completely different occation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP56pzL8mn8&feature=player_embedded#at=54
She was amazing. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but here are a few:

The view from our cottage.

This is where we stayed.

Now I have to catch up on my blog list!