Sweden Shopping List

I am heading to Sweden today for three weeks and as excited as I am about seeing family and old friends, I also have quite a few things on my shopping list. Hard to visit Sweden and not have a long shopping list, really.

News trouser

First, I plan on finally buying a pair of Hope's News trouser. I have tried them on at Table of Contents and fell in love. But after a quick peruse of Hope's Swedish website, I realized that I could save myself some dough by purchasing in the motherland, and getting the 25% VAT back helps as well.

Hope: pre-Fall

I also saw that Hope has a pair of monk-strap shoes in their pre-fall collection. Hallelujah! Someone has them - no longer do I have to simply covet the vintage pair worn by Clemence Poesy at the Acne show at Paris fashion week. These do require a try-on, also because they are quite masculine and I'm not sure I'm chic enough (not being French and all) to pull off such a manly item without looking silly. We shall see.

And I hope to find Wood Wood's Aino short. Scandinavians don't love shorts (it is quite cold there) but maybe they've made an exception and stock them for the tourists. No one in Portland carries this style and I am not sure which size would work best. I am hoping that the trusty NK (glorious Swedish department store for the uninitiated) has them.

And lastly, I think I need to buy a Fjällräven raincoat. I have the Stutterheim and while I do love it, it is quite heavy and really only necessary on those downpour days. Also my 4-year-old has a Fjällräven raincoat and I find myself coveting her jacket pretty much every time she wears it. So, I'd say it's well time for me to get my own waxed cotton jacket. It is more lightweight and feminine than the Stutterheim and actually comes in women's sizes. Another downside to the Stutterheim is the unisex sizing - the sleeves on mine are incredibly too long and not really hemmable. (Despite all this, I do believe the Stutterheim raincoat is STILL a great coat. Not sure it's worth all that money but it's damn nice. And it supports the local economy of the lovely Borås.)

Hej då, kompisar! Goodbye, friends! see you in July.

Spring sandals

After seeing a picture of Clemence Poesy at the Acne show during Paris Fashion week, I can't get the image out of my head of her shoes. A black monk-strap oxford, all beat up.  Clemence, for those who don't know, is one of those effortlessly-chic French girls who also happens to be an actress and was in a Harry Potter movie among other things. Her whole look is filled with style inspiration from the floppy hat, to the big, camel pashmina scarf, the fuzzy angora sweater, the white snakeskin clutch to even her basic black cropped pants -- but it's the shoes that have been keeping me up at night.

Loeffler Randall Skye Gladiator Plank Sandals

And like many other shopaholics right now, I have been shopping for summer sandals. I keep being drawn to these lace-up gladiator Loeffler Randall sandals that unfortunately for me are sold out in black (in my size,  although Bird has a couple sizes left but not many). And then while checking Loeffler Randall's website on the off-chance they might suddenly be available -- you can still get them in nude or cheetah-print -- I spotted the asymmetrical Selma sandals that have two different color leather straps in different thickness that wrap around and each buckle at the ankle, with two different size buckles.

Loeffler Randall Selma asymmetrical sandals

And it's the buckles that really remind me of Clemence and her monk-strap oxfords. The thing about her look is how prominent the buckles are on her shoes. I have searched the internet far and wide for a similar monk-strap oxford, but as is the case very often, I believe they are vintage - a relic of the monk-strap heavy '90s (Remember when monk-strap shoes were all over the J.Crew catalog?). And even more so, they are very fall and I am keen on summer - despite the fact I live in Portland and have at least 3 more months of soggy weather. Furthermore, I know this is a trend that is coming and as very often happens with me, I can't find the thing I'm looking for until it is actually a trend. So, we will leave them until later...and revisit again in the fall.

Back to the sandals, so the double mismatched buckles is what draws me to them and makes them different from most of the other sandals on the market these days. I like the black and the tan together although the tan/silver is a nice combination as well. And I think both color-combinations would work equally well at being worn with a dress or casual with jeans or shorts.

Clemence Poésy on GG

Even though Gossip Girl hasn't started its new season, I have already had a good look at the fashion (which is the only reason the show is worth watching). I love the outfit that new character Clémence Poésy is wearing. Not only is she always super stylish in real life (French, after all) but they have her in a slightly boyish combination of sheer blouse and flirty skirt. Love it. Thought it was a great look during my jam-packed day.