outfit isabel marant celine trio

As of recently, I have gotten a few requests to post some outfit pictures but up until now I’ve always been quite hesitant. Partly because I am not your average size 0 fashion/style blogger but also because I wear the same things day after day. A so-called uniform might be great for the person wearing it but for you, dear readers, it’s most likely very boring. Trust me, once you have seen a couple of outfits, you have pretty much seen them all. That said, I thought I would give it a try anyway.

Today I’m wearing a combination of classics. Over the years I have owned several spring/summer coats but I always seem to go back to this trench coat by Isabel Marant. Underneath I’m wearing a simple white t-shirt by & Other Stories and a pair of black skinny jeans from Topshop. I guess it doesn’t get more simple than that but it’s definitely a combination that works every time especially paired with my black loafers and the already classic Céline trio bag.

isabel-marant-celine-trio-outfit

bye germany hello london

Germany was loads of fun. Even though the average age was around fifty where we were staying and the nearest shop and bakery are in the next village which was a twenty minute walk away. But that was quite alright as we got to enjoy the steep vineyards and the sun on our way there. We visited a few of the surrounding towns and climbed our way to the Reichsburg, the largest hill-castle on the Mosel, in Cochum.

But I’m back and for some reason I started to write multiple posts all at once and I can’t seem to finish any of them. I blame it on the new Netflix show ‘Stranger Things’ which you all need to start watching asap! I did find a couple of minutes though to book a trip to London in September. It’s going to be my fourth time visiting the city and I’m sure there’s still a lot to discover. So any tips are, as usual, very much appreciated.

postcard-from-germany

packing for germany

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 AlbumI 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 *
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?

isabel-marant-halden-blazer

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)