Tag / a.p.c.

By On In Outfit8,591 Comments

Just two quick mirror outfits if you don’t mind. This winter is a pretty unusual winter. Yesterday marked the warmest February day ever recorded with 16 degrees Celsius. Crazy, right?! Kind of a shame because I was hoping February would be a cold one, allowing me to wear my thickest knits. Instead, I wore my &Other Stories blazer yesterday as a coat.

Speaking of, don’t you love it when you can finally wear something again? I can honestly say that I looked forward to wearing that (old) Céline trio bag and &Other Stories blazer again. Even though it’s labeled as a blazer, it’s much too thick and warm to wear inside. I see it hanging in my closet everyday and was pleasantly surprised when the sun was shining yesterday and I could wear it out.

Sometimes I ask D. what he thinks of my outfits. And he always compliments me, saying that I dress better than most. I don’t know, to be honest. I hope I do. Most of the things that I wear are nothing special but I hope they stand apart because of their fit and material which are my main concerns when buying something new. That’s why I love that blazer so much. The wool feels soft and luxurious and the sharply cut shoulders really give it that tailored, expensive fit.

The first outfit was worn out and about yesterday. I wore the blazer on top of my navy blue Uniqlo cashmere sweater and Hema organic cotton t-shirt. The wide-legged jeans are still going strong, I love how comfortable they are. I rarely wear skinny jeans anymore. These Reebok sneakers are my second pair and I like them so much more than the Stan Smiths that I used to wear. They’re a bit more narrow and lined with fabric so super warm. For accessories I reached for my trusty Céline trio bag and A.P.C. scarf. So nothing new really.

The second outfit is slightly less casual. I was on the hunt for that &Other Stories sweater for weeks. As usual, I waited too long and it sold out. I guess I kind of liked the idea of a wool sweater with a preppy polo feel to it which seems to be having a moment right now. I paired it with my black Levi’s Ribcage jeans and Zara boots.

What are you looking forward to wearing again this year?

A classic: the breton shirt
By On In Style, Wardrobe783 Comments

Will we ever get enough of the breton shirt? I sincerely doubt it as it has been a classic for decades. Think, Picasso, Audrey Hepburn etc. I admit, I took me a while to finally appreciate this timeless piece. My first striped top was a cheap black/white shirt years ago. It didn’t get the wear it deserved. Mostly because my closet was filled to the brim and also because it looked awful after just a few washes. Quality brands such as Saint James and Petit Bateau were still unknown to me.

After that, I decided to save up for a Comme des Garçons shirt which I bought at Dover Street Market in London. I’m usually not one to go for visible logos but I couldn’t resist that tiny red heart. As of recently, I’m now the owner of two Comme des Garçons shirts, an old H&M blouse and an A.P.C. t-shirt (my latest addition). All striped but still different enough to warrant the purchase. Which brings to mind the question: how many striped shirts is enough?

Do you own any striped tops? What is your favourite brand?

a fall winter wish list
By On In Shopping206 Comments

I’m so excited that it’s fall and we’re quickly heading towards winter. I have been handwashing all of my delicate knits and I had my coats dry-cleaned months ago. So I am ready for fall and winter. As usual I compiled a short wish list mostly consisting of items that I could wear all throughout the year with some small adjustments such as a cardigan or tights. None of them are necessary but lately I do feel like I’m a bit stuck in a style rut wearing the same things over and over again. These would likely provide a nice twist on my usual uniform.

  • A lot of brands sell cashmere these days, some more affordable than others. I like to stick with Uniqlo’s cashmere as I find the quality excellent for the price. I bought a grey sweater two or three years ago but unfortunately it has become much too large for me. I’m leaning towards a v-neck in navy or camel this time.
  • I’m still not quite sure how I feel about skirts on myself but this one has been growing on me the past couple of months. I believe there are two variations on this particular skirt and I would definitely go for the longer option. For some reason I feel that it won’t work for me but we’ll see once I get the chance to try it on. If it does live up to my expectations I hope I’ll be able to find it second hand on Ebay or Vestiaire Collective. I’ve seen a few being sold as almost new.
  • My skin has been wonderful lately but I would still like some mild coverage. Just to even out my skin tone and get that dewy look. So I’m looking for a tinted moisturizer. This one from Laura Mercier seems quite nice but slightly expensive. This one from Nars is also very tempting and gets great reviews. If you guys have any experience with either, let me know what you think.
  • These boots are something I have been thinking about for over a year now (they sold them last year as well). It usually doesn’t snow a lot over here but when it does, weather appropriate footwear is definitely a problem. Every pair that I own is too slippery and I can’t recount the times I suddenly had to grab onto something while walking in a normal pace. Dr Martens crossed my mind as well but I don’t know, these have a more classic and elegant look to them. For these kind of boots anyway.
  • White t-shirts are part of my uniform. I can honestly say that I wear a white t-shirt at least four days a week. Which is fine but ultimately also a little boring. So this striped t-shirt from A.P.C. would make a nice addition to my wardrobe.
  • Not pictured above but also very much on my mind: this black coat. I should’ve known better than to try it on. But it happened and it looked great. I might cave if it goes on sale. The end.

What’s on your wish list for the upcoming season?

january shopping reflections
By On In Shopping238 Comments

This year started off pretty well with four new purchases. Yikes! Two items were bought on sale though and the other two are beauty related acquisitions which I normally don’t list, but I really like Xin‘s monthly reflections posts and thought I would give it a go myself this year. I usually travel to Antwerp in Belgium twice a year to scour the sales racks for a good five minutes and then move on to the new collections because I can no longer stand the heat, the mess and the crowd. But every now and then I come across a marked down gem such as the Massimo Dutti ankle boots. I had my eyes on them for months but ultimately decided I didn’t need them until I ran into them with a 30% discount and I could no longer resist. I bought a pair of similar leather ankle boots at Zara a few years ago but they’re so uncomfortable that I never wear them. I’ll probably sell them or donate them to charity.

I also managed to score another scarf on sale, this time the A.P.C. wool scarf. It’s a bit larger than the Acne Studios Canada scarf (see my review here) but otherwise pretty much the same. I suppose time will tell if it holds up just as well. I clearly didn’t need another scarf but it’s a nice change from the grey one that I have been wearing non-stop for years now.

january shopping reflections

The next two things were on my beauty wish list for a while. I don’t wear a lot of makeup except for a little mascara and lipstick but I really wanted a simple all-in-one travel sized palette. After extensive research and endlessly deliberating between Urban Decay’s Naked on the run palette, Bobbi Brown’s Deluxe eye and cheek palette and Laura Mercier’s Glam to go travel case (seriously, I spent a good hour reading reviews because those palettes are so darn expensive and I couldn’t make up my mind) I decided to go with Urban Decay’s Naked on the run palette. It has everything you need for a simple day and/or evening look and it’s a great deal. If you were to buy every product separately, it would be twice the price of the entire palette. So far though, I’ve only used to eye pencil, mascara and lipgloss because I still need to get an eyeshadow brush. That’s the only downside, it doesn’t come with brushes.

And last but not least, the infamous Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-nourishing lip balm. My lips tend to get extremely dry and chapped during winter and I’ve tried so many lip balms over the years but this one does the trick. The texture feels a bit strange, gritty almost but it goes on very smooth and stays put for several hours. It’s not cheap but I do feel that you get a fair amount of product for its price.

That’s it for January! It’s a bit much, but I usually buy more things at the end or the beginning of a year and a lot less during summer. So for now, I’m not worried about going over my 10 pieces for this year. For a brief moment I thought about mentioning how much I spent in total but I’m not a budgeting blogger that wants to spend as little as possible on clothes, accessories etc. I just really like to carefully plan and review my purchases to make sure that I only buy things that I truly love and to avoid any shopping mistakes.