review-acne-canada-scarf

The immensely popular Acne Canada scarf is hands down one of my favourite winter essentials. I bought mine a little over four years ago on sale at Matches Fashion and I haven’t worn another scarf since. What’s not to love: the colour goes with everything, it’s incredibly warm and it can easily double as a shawl because of its size (190 cm x 75 cm) as I do tend to get cold in the office sometimes.

By the way, in case you’re wondering why the logo on my scarf looks different from the one they use now; they changed the name from Acne (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions) to Acne Studios in 2013. Jonny Johansson, one of the founders and now global creative director, initially said he liked the idea of “appropriating a difficult word” and making it cool, but over the years he changed his mind: “I wish we hadn’t called it that. People said it was a weird name, and I agree with them.”

Material: 100% virgin lambswool. The material feels luxurious, soft and quite substantial. The term virgin wool is used to identify the wool one gets from shearing a lamb for the first time. This wool is known to be very soft and fine. It also provides exceptional protection from the elements and is water resistant. Wool is naturally absorbent and is able to absorb almost 20 percent of its weight in liquid.

Care instructions: dry-clean only. I’m usually not that strict when it comes to care instructions. Most of the dry-clean only items that I own, can be washed by hand. That said, I haven’t tried it with this scarf yet. So for now, I would suggest getting it professionally cleaned, just to be safe. Also be careful when it gets really wet and make sure you let it dry on a flat surface so it won’t lose its shape. Never dry it close to a heat source!

Price: €150. This scarf originally retailed for about €110 but currently sells for €150. Only a couple of weeks ago it sold for €130, so that’s a price increase of 15%. To me, that hardly comes as a surprise as it has been extremely popular for several years now and I’m sure a lot of consumers won’t mind paying its current price. But if you’re contemplating buying this scarf, make sure you don’t take too long to make up your mind. Who knows, another price increase could just be around the corner.

Worth the price: I absolutely love it and I have never regretted my purchase for one second. After all these years it still looks brand new; the quality is outstanding. It has truly proven itself to be a worthwhile investment. But, I did get it on sale and to be honest, I find its current price to be quite steep. If you can afford it and you don’t mind paying extra for the brand name, go for it! For those of you who can’t or won’t spend that amount on a simple (yet timeless) scarf, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that there’s a similar, cheaper 100% wool scarf out there that will last you just as long.

Other (cheaper) alternatives: A.P.C. (€145), & Other Stories (€55), H&M (€30), Hallhuber (€70), ICHY (€50), Filippa K (€100)

august-outfits

Okay, so I’m cheating a little here. Because the picture in the upper right corner isn’t really an outfit. But I had to take a picture of my new coat for obvious reasons. Although it doesn’t neccessarily stand out, because I only tend to take pictures of outfits I wear during the colder days of the month as my outfits for 25 degrees and up are even more simple (and boring?) than the ones above.

The loafers are a huge hit. I’ve been wearing them almost every day. The same goes for my striped shirts, they make it so easy to get dressed in the morning. I don’t have to ask myself whether or not I need a blazer or a cardigan to spice things up, just the shirt itself is enough. Rainy and colder days also require a coat, so my Isabel Marant trenchcoat is back in business. I bought it somewhere in 2010 on sale and it has been one of my wardrobe staples ever since. Sometimes I wonder if I should wear it as much as I do, because it will be so hard to find a suitable replacement. I’m especially fond of the colour, not too beige or khaki but with a slightly greenish tone.

  1. H&M high-waisted jeans, H&M blouse, Pier One loafers, Balenciaga bag
  2. Filippa K Dean coat, Isabel Marant t-shirt, Pier One loafers
  3. Isabel Marant trenchcoat, old Vero Moda t-shirt, Acne pop jeans, Pier One loafers on repeat
  4. H&M striped shirt, H&M high-waisted jeans, Isabel Marant boots, Céline bracelet
how-to-5-piece-french-wardrobe

Even though I have only been blogging for a short time, my post on the 5 piece French wardrobe has been read quite a few times already. So I figured I should write a post on how to start with this approach, not in the least because of a comment by Colette who was wondering how I started it all. As I wrote in my other post I was introduced to the 5 piece French wardrobe through two internet forums. I then started to search for more information and finally committed to making this thing work after I convinced myself I could totally do this (and I desperately needed a pair of Acne Pistol boots). Before I started, I bought so many different clothes but never thought for one second about how I could make a purchase work with my existing wardrobe. Shopping was mainly a relaxing activity, definitely not a necessary one. God, I don’t even want to think about all the clothes I donated or threw away over the years, hardly worn or even brand-new with the price tag still attached. But let’s get to the point.

Define your personal style
If you still have a hard time figuring out your personal style, create a inspiration board on Pinterest to help you. Here’s mine. As you can see I’m leaning towards a mix of French and Scandinavian style. Nothing too feminine and mostly very relaxed. Try to find similarities between the images you selected and write down what drew you to these pictures in the first place. I know it can be hard to put these things into words, but I promise it will pay off!

Detox your wardrobe
I’m not going to tell you, you need to throw out your entire wardrobe just to start all over again. Because that would be ridiculous. Unless you really need to rid of your money. But in that case, let me know so I can send you my bank account number. Why not try to make this method work next to the wardrobe you already own? I mean, Rome wasn’t build in a day, right? So take your time. Sort out your clothes and create three piles: keep, maybe and throw. The maybe-pile probably consists of clothing you haven’t worn in a while but you’re not ready to get rid of them just yet. My solution? Put them in a box and store them for a couple of months. Did you miss anything? If not, you can definitely say your goodbyes. Most clothes can still be donated unless they’re all worn out (why would you keep that in your closet though?) or you could organise an evening with friends and trade clothes. The same goes for the throw-pile as well. And definitely get rid of stuff that doesn’t fit you anymore. Don’t buy or keep stuff for the body you want to have, but for the body you have right now.

Review what’s left
Now most people buy clothes they like. But not a lot of people are actually concerned about the fit of these items. I suggest you try on everything you decided to keep and take a good look in the mirror. Do you feel comfortable and confident? And most importantly, do you look your absolute best? What if the sleeves were a tiny bit shorter or your jeans a little less tight, would that improve your overall look? I know it’s hard, but try to be brutally honest with yourself. Also consider your current lifestyle and which colors look good on you. But don’t throw anything out just yet.

Create a list of basics and key pieces
Make a list of basics you need to replace or purchase and take your time with it. Chances are you won’t find that perfect pair of blue jeans in a day and you definitely don’t want to settle for less. Don’t forget, basics are different for everyone (see my list here). Your list should include clothes, shoes and accessories that are absolutely crucial in order to making your wardrobe work. Make sure these items allow you to mix and match. You can also start your list of key pieces that you would like to buy this upcoming season. Personally, my list is never long but if you’re just starting out, include anything that tickles your fancy and work from there. I’m sure if you give it some time, you’ll be able to cross some of the items of your list.

Research online and start shopping!
So, you’ve narrowed your list down to 5 key pieces you want to buy this season and your list of basics is complete? Start to research online. Lately I’ve been looking into the brand Everlane for example, because I’m very drawn to their transparency and ethics when it comes to manufacturing clothing etc. We’re planning a trip to the States in September and I have my eyes set on a few shirts and silk blouses. So Jamie-Lee’s review for instance was very helpful. When you’re done researching, it’s time to spend your hard earned cash.Good luck! And let me know if there’s anything I should add.PS. Excuse the old school Polyvore style collage with summer items. For some reason I’m already excited about spring/summer.

From left to right: Acne Studios Ash top (€170), Ace & Tate Lucy glasses (€98,00), Weekday Tuesday Instant Blue jeans (€45,00), Converse Jack Purcell leather sneakers ($70), Everlane Petra bag ($425)

balenciaga-cutout-boots

Happy New Year everyone! This is going to sound very cliché, but I can’t believe the year 2014 has come to an end. It went by so fast, especially December. Now I know everyone is writing how incredible their year has been, but to be completely honest, mine was okay. Nothing more, nothing less. I’ve experienced some very fun things, made some awesome trips to London, Paris etc. but I also struggled with my health. Nothing too serious, but unfortunately it left me extremely tired for the first six months. On a positive note, I finally started a blog! I’ve been wanting to start one for several years, but I always had some lame excuse haha. But at the end of August I was finally online and I can’t believe there are actually people reading my posts. So thank you all very much. I really appreciate it!

I thought it would be fun to do a quick recap of my favourite things in 2014:

Top 5 wardrobe favourites
* Balenciaga cutout boots
* Isabel Marant for H&M coat
* Acne Galactic sweater
* Adidas Stan Smith sneakers
* Black skinny jeans

Top 5 favourite beauty / skin products
* Garnier Micellar water
* Embryolisse lait crème concentré
* Weleda Skin Food
* Chanel Rouge Coco Rivoli lipstick
* Chanel Le Volume mascara

Top 5 favourite songs
* Kendrick Lamar – B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe
* The Gaslight Anthem – Stay Vicious
* Nicki Minaj ft. Meek Mill – Buy a Heart
* Dawn Golden – All I Want (Manila Killa remix)
* Close ft. Joe Dukie – My Way

Top 5 things I learned
* Never go all out when you’re back in the gym after 6 months (I had to roll myself out of bed this morning…)
* The sun is your friend. A vitamin D deficiency sucks! I never want to be that tired and sore ever again.
* It’s okay to make a mistake at work. It won’t kill you.
* This year I bought even less stuff than I did in 2013 and I don’t feel like I missed out on anything.
* Blogging is hard work but also a lot of fun and I appreciate every singel reader <3