Tag / &other stories

looking back on last year's purchases
By On In Wardrobe836 Comments

To be honest, I wish I could show you guys more colorful purchases than the ones above but I’m afraid this will have to do. I think you’ve seen all of them already except for the black Everlane turtleneck on the left. Overall, 2015 was the year I started to incorporate more black into my outfits and managed to have a small wardrobe crisis halfway through despite a closet filled with clothes. Summer has never been and never will be my favourite season wardrobe-wise. So it won’t come as a surprise that most of my favourite pieces of last year are fall and winter items.

last-year's-purchases

Now onto the purchases. Apart from the Weekday trousers, these acquisitions have gotten a lot of wear. The Uniqlo trousers, cashmere turtleneck and coat are on heavy rotation at the moment. I’m also still very happy with both of the bags. The A.P.C. bag is my current go-to bag when I don’t need to carry a lot. The Mansur Gavriel bucket bag however needs to be worn more often (too afraid to scratch it). Finally the blouses are just okay for what they are. The striped blouse doesn’t look so great anymore after I wore it several times a week last summer, but what did I expect for €20? The silk blouse is lovely, but I regret not buying a silk blouse with pockets.

5 piece purchases
A.P.C. half moon bag
Mansur Gavriel bucket bag
Uniqlo x Lemaire cashmere trousers
& Other Stories silk blouse
Everlane cashmere turtleneck
Filippa K Dean coat
Weekday cotton trousers
H&M striped blouse
Mango leather sandals

style-resolutions5

The heels were a gift and bought for special occasions. Even though I don’t plan on wearing them on a regular basis, I did add them to my basics as I do feel that everyone could use a basic pair of black heels. I opted for a suede shoe with a sturdy, not too thin heel for comfort. Speaking from experience, Isabel Marant’s t-shirts are of excellent quality, so I decided to purchase an extra t-shirt on sale.

Basics
H&M sandals
Pier One loafers
& Other Stories black heels (gift)
Isabel Marant Wenji t-shirt

The items below all needed to be replaced. I no longer fit my old blue jeans and they’re a welcome change from my usual black attire. The black jeans were bought quite unexpectedly but it turns out H&M no longer produces the high-waisted jeans I used to purchase so I figured I should probably have a backup just in case they stop producing them altogether. As I’m going to try to ignore fast fashion as much as I can this year, I need to start looking into other brands for jeans (more on that in my next post about style resolutions).

Replacements
Adidas Stan Smiths
& Other Stories wool long-sleeve
& Other Stories blue jeans
H&M black jeans
H&M white and black t-shirt

That’s it! As I kept track of my purchases throughout the year, I was able to make a fairly accurate estimation of what I spent in total over 2015 on clothes and accessories. I won’t bore you with the numbers, but trust me when I say it can be confronting. That said, I was able to afford it all and do not regret investing in more expensive pieces that I know are of exceptional quality. But I should cut down on the purchases in general because at this point I have enough to wear.

What do you guys think? Is my list of purchases over the course of 2015 reasonable? And how did you do yourself?

hair-pin
By On In Shopping1,260 Comments

According to both my hairdressers, I am blessed with very easy hair. And I suppose they’re right. Thank god actually, because I’d rather spend another 10 more minutes in bed than blowdrying my hair. Just a quick shower and I’m out the door with wet hair. When I arrive at work, it’s dry and there’s always someone asking me if I went to the hairdresser again. Uh no, I washed it?

But speaking of details, I’m wearing my new silk blouse by & Other Stories. I decided to send the H&M blouse back. The washed black colour was beautiful, but the fit wasn’t at all flattering; very square cut and insanely wide. A couple of weeks back I tried the & Other Stories blouse and was pleasantly surprised. Only to find a small snag in one of the front panels and so I left crying and empty handed. But luckily they restock every once in a while and I found one in my size just last week. Feels a bit strange though, to be wearing something that isn’t black, white or grey. How daring of me, right? I even added a Celine-esque hairpin to complete the picture.

Now that I crossed that silk blouse of my list, I do need to remind myself to slow down a little. It was only a little over a week ago that I posted my wish list for fall/winter and I’m already hunting down the next item. This is why I both love and hate the end of the year. It’s my favourite time to shop, because I’m a sucker for coats, knits etc. but I also tend to get a little carried away. So a small confession from my side: after all of these years living by those 5 piece French wardrobe rules, it’s still hard occassionaly.

 

fall-winter-wish-list
By On In Wardrobe400 Comments

I think it’s fair to say that summer has pretty much come to an end, which I don’t mind at all. Cozying up on the couch with a nice cup of tea and a blanket while burning a few candles and catching up on my favourite television shows is my idea of an ideal winter evening. The change of seasons also allows for a new wish list for another season of the 5 piece French wardrobe. After careful deliberation I compiled the following list of things I would like to add to my current wardrobe this fall and winter:

1. H&M silk blouse (€60) – A silk blouse in washed black or dark navy. I would absolutely love an Equipment blouse but I’m pretty sure I would ruin it in an instance. I ordered this H&M blouse and am very curious about the fit and the quality of the silk. 2. A.P.C. wool hat (€155) – For some reason hats look really good on me and I love the overall look with a trench coat or pea coat. I feel somewhat self conscious when wearing one, but I’m ready to give it another go 3. Ace & Tate Nina glasses (€98) – I’ve been wearing the same black glasses for over 3 years now and trust me when I say, it shows. Lots of scratches and a dull looking frame that has lost it’s shine. These Ace & Tate glasses are very out there and while I really like them, don’t be surprised if I settle for something a little more safe and subtle.

4. Fashionology silver ear studs (€15) – Small delicate jewellery is always on my list. 5. &Other Stories luminising cream (€15) – A cream highlighter for a radiant glow just above the cheekbones or any other part of the face that needs accentuating. I always felt I didn’t need a highlighter because I wear glasses. But Maja’s post changed my mind 6. A.P.C. half-moon bag (€325) – Okay, I’m not necessarily looking for this particular bag, but more for a small everyday bag in vegetable tanned leather. Because I’m obsessed with the gorgeous patina it develops over time. 7. Equipment cashmere turtleneck (€395) – At first glance the fit of this sweater looks perfect! Not too tight and slightly longer. I’m currently very drawn to all black outfits which is terrible when you own a red/white haired cat. I have an entire drawer filled with Ikea lint rollers. Not kidding! But it just looks so chic…

What’s on your wish list for fall and/or winter?

comme-des-garcons-striped-shirt
By On In Shopping, Wardrobe5,758 Comments

Here it is, finally! The long awaited post on my London purchases (just kidding). I didn’t expect to find everything I was looking for in London but even I can get lucky as it turns out. The last time I visited London was over 10 years ago during a school trip. For some reason Paris is always the first city that comes to mind whenever I want to do a short city trip. But it was time for a change.While in London, I visited Dover Street Market in the hopes of finding the classic Comme des Garçons shirt. After walking past the building a couple of times ( you can’t really tell it’s a store from the outside), I thought what the heck, and walked in anyway. It’s an amazing store spread over several floors, with a special floor for all things Comme des Garçons including the shirt I was looking for. The fit is great (I bought it slightly oversized) and instead of the black and white stripes, I opted for the classic dark blue and white design.

embryolisse-lait-concentre

I must say, I’m somewhat surprised by my sudden interest in skin care lately. But that’s probably due to the fact that I’m too lazy to learn how to apply make up properly and this way at least my skin looks great and I hardly need anything else besides a little eye pencil and mascara. From the moment I started to use this Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, I completely dropped my tinted moisturizer by Origins. Good stuff! Unfortunately I didn’t know it’s also available – and cheaper – at Douglas in the Netherlands until I got back. Oh well.

other-stories-blouse-celine-knot-bracelet

Next up my Céline knotted bracelet. I posted it on Instagram just before I left for Paris in August. It had been on my wishlist for quite a while but I never expected to find it and I also wasn’t sure if I would wear it on a regular basis. Then I ran into it in several stores in London. Must be a sign right? So after a good night’s sleep, I decided to take the plunge and try my luck at Selfridges but they didn’t have my size. I ended up at the most gorgeous Céline store ever! The floor, the lamps… AMAZING! When I tried the bracelet on, I was sold. I’ve been wearing it every single day. My final two purchases are pretty basic and therefore not very photogenic. A light grey cashmere sweater from Uniqlo, which I wanted to try since my post on affordable cashmere and a simple white blouse by &Other Stories.I absolutely loved London and so did my boyfriend. We’re definitely going back in the near future. So any tips would be greatly appreciated!