i've got it covered

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

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)

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

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)