Isabel Marant Etoile Fujiyama Sweatshirt

Next on the spring Isabel Marant wishlist is the Fujiyama Sweatshirt. Black sweat material with simple stitched letters. Pricey at $280? Of course. Amazing over pretty much anything on the weekend? Definitely. As well as with a skirt or dress underneath as it's styled over at Barneys. Only problem is talking myself out of how timeless this would be in 4-5 years time...Hmmm, really?

It is also available at La Garconne in black as well as in off-white with black letters.

Back Blogging: Isabel Marant Dempster / Delma Coat

Isabel Marant's SS2014 collection is Japan-inspired and I sort of forgot about this when I was in Seattle over the holidays. While shopping at Totokaelo, I browsed through the IM rack only to spot a very puffy looking kimono-style patchwork coat. Where did this come from? Oh right - Spring product is already here. I instantly moved on and did not even indulge myself enough to try it on --also because I am well aware of my own limitations. Trying it on is akin to purchasing. And since my New Year's resolution involved spending less money on clothes and shoes, ignoring amazing Isabel Marant pieces seemed kind of an essential part of keeping that resolution.

Which would have been no problem - except this coat is now turning up on everyone. Truly - Emmanuelle Alt is kind of everyone. And then when I see the image on Pinterest over and over, rubbing it in and then even on everywoman street style shots from Garance Dore...somehow next step is me filling daydreams with how to justify it.  So to try to keep my resolution or at least to make myself blog more, this week I'll be posting my spring IM want list, the Delma / Dempster Isabel Marant Etoile coat included (By the way, it is named different things depending on the site, think it is Dempster though).

Also - I am aware that this coat is extremely hard to wear, puffy and all, and not nearly worth the $795 price. But if you are Emmanuelle Alt-like enough to pull this off and of course not completely deterred by the price, it is still available at Totokaelo and in limited sizes at La Garconne.

New dress from No.6

The Deep V dress in Field Rose by No.6, a recent addition to my wardrobe.

Current Etoile obsessions

All available at La Garconne.

Royal Baby

Hard not to be excited. Isn't this picture amazing? Look at her outfit! Look at his dress! LOVE

'90s flashback: The Sleeveless Button-down

I am not sure how I feel about this. I remember when this shirt was the core of my summer wardrobe. It feels so....dated and not in a great way. I do respect that this girl looks very cute in her Madewell sleeveless chambray tee. I am just not sure I can do this again.

And I did try it out. Steven Alan finally (FINALLY) opened a store in Portland and of course I was there opening day to check it out. I instantly gravitated toward a cobalt blue silk top that I honestly did not realize was a sleeveless button-down till it stared back at me in the fitting room mirror. I took it off pretty quickly right after. (Similar shirt, pictured below).

I also quite acutely remember the pit stains that can appear on this type of shirt on a hot summer day. Now that's a negative memory, if ever there was one.  I do believe this shirt "back in the day" existed almost exclusively in white in a breezy, cotton lawn fabric. I think I have to keep mulling this over.  Portland is hip, but I think I might feel a little bit too old to being going back in time...I don't know.  Might have to wait and find out what Kim France thinks.

PS - update on Sweden trip and shopping to come shortly.

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.