Category / Wardrobe

cold weather essentials
By On In Wardrobe351 Comments

An anonymous person asked me on Tumblr what my 5 cold weather essentials are, so I figured why not answer the question in a blogpost. I know, I’m cheating a little here but candles improve any bad weather situation so they’re not necessarily a cold weather essential.

1. Double-breasted wool peacoat from Isabel Marant (similar here)
2. Ambre candle from Diptyque
3. Cashmere cardigan from Uniqlo
4. Lambswool scarf from Acne Studios
5. Black chelsea boots from Massimo Dutti (similar here)
6. Lip balm from Kiehls or Nuxe

Now tell me yours!

packing for germany
By On In Wardrobe293 Comments

Tomorrow I’ll be leaving for Vietnam for a few days with two of my friends, if you want to see a bit of everything in Asia, holidays to Vietnam are a great overall option. One of them recently had a baby and doesn’t want to be away from her for too long which is totally understandable, but we try to travel to a nice city every year, last year we went to Atlanta and even got a guide the best places to visit, and this year we chose Munich in Germany. I’m just happy we are able to continue our tradition. We’ll be staying in Ediger Eller, a small town that lies on the river Moselle, for some well-deserved peace and quiet. I’m looking forward to long walks, medieval architecture and practicing my German (Entschuldigen Sie mich, wo kann ich die Toilette finden?)

But before I’m off, the big question is: what to pack? I’m no stranger to lists. On the contrary, I love them and couldn’t imagine life without them. I use lists for work, to plan my wardrobe, for grocery shopping and of course the occasional trip. One of my favourite packing lists is Joan Didion’s from her 1979 book of essays The White Album. I love how simple and succinct it is. Joan Didion packing list DaarbovenSeveral years ago I created my own version of the aforementioned list with a few alterations as I don’t drink or smoke for instance. And whereas Joan kept her list taped inside her closet, I keep mine as a permanent note on my phone. Now, even though we’re travelling by car and we won’t have to carry our luggage anywhere, I still prefer to pack as light as possible with just the right amount of everything. Sure, in the back of your mind you’re always wondering: what if? But it seems as though the weather will be relatively steady (26-32 degrees celcius) the upcoming days and I should be well prepared with the following items:

What to pack and wear:
2 pairs of trousers *
2 t-shirts
1 camisole *
1 pullover sweater
swimwear

1 Longchamp Le Pliage bag *
1 straw hat
1 pair of sunglasses
1 pair of sandals *
1 pair of decent walking shoes

Everything marked * will be what I’ll be wearing when we’re leaving. I’m sticking to a neutral color palette so that everything goes together (white, black, grey and brown). The Longchamp bag will be my travel bag. Once I unpack, I will be able to use it during the day. I’m not going to bring a coat as the sweater should be enough for the evenings. Oh and please note that I’m also bringing underwear, my camera, toiletries and my favourite on-the-road music.

What about you? Do you also have a travel/packing list?

camille-silk-camisole-reformation
By On In Wardrobe495 Comments

summer wardrobe
Three weeks ago I wrote about my search for the perfect summer wardrobe. I ended up with three things on my list that I wish to acquire; a black camisole, a white linen blouse and a pair of high-waisted white trousers. I’ve been scouring the internet for hours and finally managed to narrow my choices down. Let’s start with the black camisole. I immediately leaned towards Everlane as they offered international shipping for two weeks. Unfortunately the reviews on their camisole (right) were less enthusiastic than I expected (lots of excess fabric under the arms) so I decided to pass on it. I don’t want to end up with an item that can’t be returned. My other options currently are a crepe Samsoe & Samsoe top (left), the silk Camille camisole (top) or crepe Coco camisole, both from Reformation.

reformation-everlane-linen-shirt

Finding the perfect linen blouse also turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I tried the shirt from Uniqlo which wasn’t all that flattering. I also found a linen blouse at Massimo Dutti but the fabric felt a bit thin and I’m definitely looking for something with a more substantial feel. So again, Everlane was the first brand that came to mind. But I much prefer the blouse from Reformation (left) which has a pocket on the chest and looked really nice on Sara when I met up with her last week. She also offered to measure her shirt so I can compare it with some of my own blouses to make sure I order the right size.

white-pants

And last but not least, the white pair of high-waisted trousers. Contrary to the other items, I had no intention of spending a lot of money on a pair of white pants. Because let’s face it, life gets messy sometimes and I don’t want to pour a lot of money down the drain. My boyfriend needed some new clothes so I decided to do some research before we went shopping because I hate ordering pants online. I came up with a selection of trousers at Mango and the pair on the right looked really nice on me (honestly though, anything looked better than bare legs in that dressingroom lighting). I paid full price and it went on sale a week later. Don’t you hate it when that happens? So I’m going to return it and order the same pair online for only €25. Now I only need to figure out what kind of underwear to wear. I’m looking at boxers but can’t decide on the colour. Some people recommend red underwear while others claim that skin tone is the way to go. I have no clue whatsoever, so any help is appreciated!

So there you have it, several options I’m currently considering. I really want to buy that linen blouse and one of the camisoles from Reformation but the duties and taxes are holding me back. Maybe I’ll stick with just the linen blouse as the others really aren’t what I’m looking for and I’ll settle for the Samsoe & Samsoe top which is rather affordable and I can just get in store. What do you think?

planning a summer wardrobe
By On In Wardrobe494 Comments

I’ve never had a summer wardrobe. In my teenage years I felt very uncomfortable about the keratosis pilaris (chicken skin) on my legs so I never wore skirts, dresses or shorts. Such a shame really because I’m sure no one would have noticed. Instead I stuck to jeans. Yes, just jeans, even in 35 degrees celsius weather.  I don’t even know how I survived but here we are, over a decade later and I still don’t know what to wear during summer. So I figured I should take my own advice and start a summer inspiration board on Pinterest to find out what my perfect summer outfit could be. That probably sounds a lot easier than it was as I collected over 1300 images which included hardly any outfits for 25 degrees celsius and over. I did manage to select two images that I would like to be the starting point for this years (and first ever) summer wardrobe.

Both outfits are relatively fuss free without showing too much skin and ridden of any unnessecary frills. They’re casual with just the right amount of chicness. I could probably get away with both outfits at work if it wasn’t alway so chilly in the office. Also, the colour palette (see below) isn’t that much different from my normal colours of preference so if I were to buy a few summery pieces, I could easily make them work with my existing wardrobe. Material-wise I’m going to stick with light, airy fabrics such as linen, cotton and silk.

summer-colours

So now that I’ve established the style and colour palette I would like to go for, what’s next? Truth be told, I’m not necessarily looking to invest a lot of money in these summer pieces because over here we’re lucky to reach a temperature that allows for bare legs for a few days. I’m willing to make an exception for tops as those can be worn all year round. Although it feels like once this is posted, everything will be set in stone, here is a moderate list of things I would like to purchase in the upcoming months:

  1. A black, preferably silk, camisole (although I still have to figure out what to wear underneath)
  2. A white linen blouse
  3. A pair of loose high-waisted trousers (should try them to see if they work for my body)

And now onto my favourite part; the collages! Let me start by saying that the collages are merely a visual aid for myself.  €380 for a pair of white trousers is pretty outrageous. However, I would like to find something similar with a more reasonable price tag. The straw hat and crocheted bag are nice and functional accessories and both are organic fairtrade products. The camisole would also look lovely on cooler days with a pair of jeans, a cardigan and my black loafers. The trousers are a bit more challenging but I can see them working with a tucked in striped top or simple tee as well.

Please note, some of the links below are affiliate links.

summer-outfit-3

From left to right, top to bottom: Pachacuti straw hat (€92), Uniqlo linen blouse (€25), Margiela Beach Walk (€110), Totême shorts (€265), K. Jacques sandals (€212)

 summer-outfit-4
From left to right, top to bottom: Mar Y Sol Portland tote (€133), Isabel Marant Dallin trousers (€380), Equipment silk camisole (€125), H&M leather belt (€10), K. Jacques sandals (€212)