Category / Style

the new garconne
By On In Style411 Comments

I spent a large part of my youth reading whatever I could get my hands on. I used to visit the library every single week, borrowing several books at a time. Unfortunately the pressure of reading many, many books in high school and university somewhat killed the pleasure of reading for me. Along with this fast paced world we are currently living in, I can hardly find the time to rediscover my love for books. However, occasionally I’ll pick up a style related book for some light reading such as The New Garconne – How to be a Modern Gentlewoman.

The book by Navaz Batliwalla celebrates fashion’s gentlewomen. Inspiring, independent and relatable women with a penchant for classic styles and a more reflective way of shopping such a La Garçonne founder Kris Kim and perfumer Lyn Harris. A nice change from the usual well-known fashion suspects. Apart from the interviews you’ll also come across an enjoyable essay on the evolution of the gentlewoman, a section on the classic items that every Gentlewoman most likely has in her closet and a shopping guide which not only focusses on designer brands but also more attainable high street brands such as COS.

I definitely don’t consider this the ‘perfect’ style-guide but is there really such a thing? What I like about it is that it’s not another book that dictates you what to buy. Instead, the profiles of these fairly unknown, modern women leave you inspired and make you rethink your own wardrobe. The imagery is lovely and the design is very reminiscent of the Gentlewoman magazine. The only negative thing I can think of is that I got through it rather quickly and would have loved to read more on the subject. This book would make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season or just as a gift to yourself.

On an entirely different note, I’ll be in London the next three days for work and tomorrow (Monday) I’ll be exploring the city on my own before my colleague joins me on Tuesday. I don’t know if this blog has any visitors from London but if someone would like to meet up for drinks, a wine and an Oddbins wine quiz after, send me a message or leave a comment!

i've got it covered
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Now that the weather is changing rapidly, there is at least one thing I don’t have to worry about; my outerwear. As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently rediscovered my Isabel Marant Atea peacoat. The fit was a little snug last year so I decided to wear my other coats instead. But right now, I am completely smitten with this coat again. I bought it on sale online in 2011 and was surprised by the fit and overall quality in real life. Unlike many other Isabel Marant coats, this classic menswear inspired coat is fully lined and tailored to precision in a woven wool blend. It has been holding up extremely well and it’s warm enough to withstand a typical Dutch winter. When it gets really cold, I’ll pair it with my Acne Canada scarf (review here). It’s nice to know that I’ve got this part of my wardrobe covered with pieces that have been with me for several years.

 

SHOP THE LOOK

Vince peacoat / H&M wool scarf / Embryolisse cream 

what-i-would-like-to-wear
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Can you tell what’s wrong with this collage? All of a sudden I feel the desperate need to buy a skirt. And I don’t wear skirts. Ever. It might have something to do with the fact that I lost 11kg the past six months. In March I had a health scare that led to a more active lifestyle (I’m okay by the way, nothing life threatening). Instead of sitting at home worrying about what was to come, I decided to start walking a lot. That, and some adjustments to my diet led to the aforementioned weight loss which I did with the help of a Nutrisystem monthly price plan that I found online. Which is fine as I was a little overweight to begin with and I currently feel a lot more energetic. So that’s one of the reasons why I feel like experimenting a little. Getting older is another reason but I might do a post on age appropriate clothing another time.

Last month, when I was in London (Jane, your London posts were super helpful. So many good places to eat) I tried this skirt, which looks much nicer in real life by the way, at H&M aka the fast fashion devil. It’s definitely not a timeless, classic design but still, I was pleasantly surprised once I tried it on. Since then I’ve been making mental collages on how to combine it with things I already own to justify the purchase.

The Isabel Marant Bobby sneakers are making their first ever appearance on this blog. I haven’t worn them in a very long time because they’re quite the eye-catchers and I didn’t feel like drawing attention to myself. But I still like them and now feels like the right time to start wearing them again. The coat and turtleneck will be my favourite go-to items once more this fall and winter. I wish I could say the same about the bracelet which I sadly lost a while ago. But to stay on topic, this outfit would be a nice change from my usual uniform that I can see myself wearing all through winter when combined with a pair of tights. So maybe I should… [to be continued]

From left to right, top to bottom: H&M denim skirt (€40), Uniqlo cashmere turtleneck (€90), Ace & Tate Baker glasses (€98), Isabel Marant Bobby sneakers (€395), Isabel Marant for H&M coat (old)

isabel-marant-halden-blazer
By On In Style750 Comments

It has been years since I last lusted after anything Isabel Marant but I think I’m in love again. Even though I’ve been very faithful to her t-shirts through the years, the declining quality of her more recent, dare I say, lacklustre collections was a major turn off for me. Do any of you remember those football jersey’s from the S/S 2012 collection? If so, I’m sure you’ll agree: that was not a good look. But lo and behold, when I recently visited our capital Amsterdam, I came across some lovely pieces of clothing by the French designer. It seems as though she decided to derive inspiration from her pre 2010 collections which consisted of the most perfectly cut, slightly oversized blazers and coats (and a bunch of other stuff too but who cares. Coats and blazers, wardrobe staples people!). I tried one of the blazers and the fit was impeccable.

Granted, those pieces come with a hefty price tag, even more so now. But all of my Isabel Marant coats and jackets are still in excellent condition after several years of wear. I bought my very first coat in 2010. Her infamous Bator coat from the main line was no longer available and many Marant lovers were on the hunt for a similar, cheaper version called the Baki coat. Since it was nearly impossible to find anything by Isabel Marant in the Netherlands at that time, I had no hope of finding said coat. But then there it was, hanging on its own in a store I had never been before in Utrecht. I ran into it by accident. It was on sale and I was sold. It has been an ongoing love affair every since.

This was around the same time that I was looking to invest in a pair of her Dicker boots (see above). Like I said, nearly impossible to find. Especially since I wear a size 36 and the only two stores that stocked the brand sold the boots from a size 37 and up. So I ended up ordering them from Matches Fashion in London. I’m pretty sure they didn’t even have an online store back then and I had to call them by phone. Nowadays it’s a lot easier to get your hands on one of her pieces. Like I said, most of her items come with a hefty price tag but a lot of it goes on sale as well. So if you’re looking for a nice coat, blazer or a pair of suede boots that will surely last you a long time, I highly recommend the brand. Her designs are the epitome of French chic and will look great on women of different sizes. I secretly have my eyes on this blazer or this blazer amongst other things and would love to wear it as pictured above as I own most of the other items already. So many options and not enough money to spend. Damn you, Isabel Marant!

This post was NOT sponsored by Isabel Marant. I wish lol.

From left to right, top to bottom: Jo Malone perfume (€65), Isabel Marant Étoile blazer ($470), Kings of Indigo jeans (€88 on sale), Balenciaga City bag (¢1835), Isabel Marant watch (¢850), Isabel Marant Dicker boots ($635), Uniqlo blouse ($19,90)