Category / Shopping

keeping warm wool scarves
By On In Shopping1,296 Comments

I did a similar article last year, but since the Acne Canada scarf is still as popular as ever and we don’t all have a whopping €130 to spend, I thought it would be a good idea to share a couple of cheaper alternatives with you guys again. Now I truly believe that the Acne scarf is a worthwhile investment, so if you do get to chance to grab it, go for it (note: it does go on sale occassionaly!). I went for the safe grey option that’s easy to mix and match with possible future coats. I can honestly say that it still looks like new after four years. Now I can’t promise you these will last as long, but they sure will keep you warm this upcoming winter.

Left: H&M (€39,99), Right: Weekday (€50,00), Other options: COS (€69,00), & Other Stories (€55,00), ASOS (€35,00)

 

juliette-has-a-gun-mad-madame
By On In Shopping1,100 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.

5-piece-french-wardrobe-update-ss15
By On In Shopping, Wardrobe500 Comments

Even though we’re only half way through summer, I wanted to do an update on my recent acquisitions for SS15. Truthfully, I didn’t put much effort into the 5 piece French wardrobe this season. Summer has never been my favourite season, wardrobe-wise and in the past my outfits tended to consist of jeans, a t-shirt and shoes I would wear throughout the year. So I was excited to finally find some summery pieces I actually liked. Okay, so the coat doesn’t count, as it obviously isn’t meant for summer. But more on that later.

First off, I bought three pairs of shoes. Two pairs of sandals and a pair of loafers. The first pair by H&M turned out to be a good ‘investment’. I’ve worn them countless times already and they’re super comfortable. The last time I wore sandals must have been 7-8 years ago as my feet are terrible at adjusting to flat unsupportive shoes. But these are great, albeit not very work appropriate. So in comes the second pair of sandals by Mango. I got them on sale and they’re fully made out of leather. Not bad for €28. However, the last pair of shoes got me most excited. It has been so difficult to find the perfect pair of loafers but these are just what I have been looking for. I’m surprised about the way they instantly elevate an outfit and I’m pretty sure my colleagues are just as excited as me because I’m no longer wearing those worn out Stan Smith sneakers to work.

Next up, the pair of grey trousers. I still love them but I didn’t wear them as much as I expected. They’re a little out of my comfort zone and so I mostly wear them in and around the house. A shame really, as I suspect no one give a sh*t about what I’m wearing outside when it 25-30 degrees celsius. And yet I feel too self conscious, ugh. The blouse however was definitely one of my best purchases of the season. I love how it’s so comfortable and airy and yet still very chic. I suspect I will still be wearing it during fall and winter with a blazer or underneath a sweater.

Finally, the best purchase of them all. Last winter I fell head over heels in love with this gorgeous Filippa K coat. But I couldn’t justify it’s price tag. At €450 it was definitely beyond my budget at the time. But most importantly, when looking at it from a cost-per-wear perspective it just wouldn’t be reasonable since I own too many coats already (such a weakness of mine). But then, last week I wanted to check out the brands new coats for the upcoming season and I landed on a website with this coat, in my size, with a 70% discount. Obviously this was a total no-brainer and so I ran for my credit card (literally). It’s as gorgeous as I imagined it to be and I was sweating like a pig trying to take an Instagram worthy picture of myself wearing it in 26 degrees celsius weather #instagramstruggles.

So there you have it. I once again fell for fast fashion and I exceeded my 5 purchases a season limit. I still believe in investing in quality pieces and will continue with the 5 piece French wardrobe for now. It just didn’t feel right to spend a lot of money on items such as sandals because knowing the weather here in the Netherlands, you’re lucky if you get to wear them for longer than a month. Did I need two pairs of sandals? No. The H&M ones were a rather impulsive buy, just like the blouse. If I had run into the Mango sandals earlier, I most likely wouldn’t have bought the other pair. But I’ll try to compensate next season. At the moment I don’t think I need anything for fall/winter so maybe I’ll stick to one or two (more expensive) purchases if I come across anything that will be a nice addition to my current wardrobe.

summer-uniform
By On In Shopping, Wardrobe1,475 Comments

Hi there! Long time no see. I have been M.I.A. for quite a while and I figured it was time for a comeback. I will keep the reason for my sudden absence short; I have been taking care of my grandfather who sadly passed away in April.* Surely you’ll understand, blogging was the last thing on my mind. But hey, let’s give it another go! Let’s talk summer uniforms while we’re still going through a heat wave.

Above I present to you my current summer uniform which mainly consists of new purchases I made last month. Even though temperatures have risen to an extreme, I still want to look somewhat put together, and for me, this outfit does the trick. I panicked a little when I read the weather predictions and realised I had hardly anything to wear. Jeans were definitely not an option and the few tops I owned had been literally worn to death. As much as I’m all for careful wardrobe planning and thoughtful purchases, I quickly decided I wasn’t prepared to spend a small fortune on a pair of designer trousers and t-shirts that will be washed over and over again the upcoming two months. So instead, I opted for more affordable options.

1. H&M white t-shirt. Even though I usually prefer a round neckline, I really like the fit of this particular shirt.
2. Weekday Ella trousers. You can never go wrong with a pair of gray classic trousers. They’re supposed to hit just above the ankle (If you’re two metres tall maybe). But cuffs work just fine and I like the look with sandals.
3. Tiffany Diamonds by the yard bracelet. I bought this bracelet years ago after I saw it on Geraldine Saglio from French Vogue and I landed my first ‘real’ job. It’s delicate and subtle, just how I like it.
4. Chanel Illusion D’ombre eyeshadow in Mirage. This eyeshadow is pretty awesome. It has a silky cream texture in a beautiful gold shimmery shade. It comes with a small brush, but fingers work just as well.
5. H&M sandals. A tiny bit of colour to spice things up. They’re actually pretty comfortable for just €25. I bought them on a whim, but so far no regrets.

Those last two sentences pretty much sum up my recent shopping experience by the way. When things are cheap, they’re can be pretty hard to resist. Just €8 for a t-shirt? Let’s get three of them. Do I really need those sandals? Well, they’re just €25. But trust me when I say I’m back to my old responsible self again. I will soon start planning my fall/winter purchases.

Now tell me, what do you prefer to wear when we’re dealing with temperatures as high as 36 degrees celsius?

* Sorry for casually mentioning such a sad event in a post like this, but I did want to give you guys a short explanation for my absence without writing a separate post and going into details.