Looks I love
and want to wear, and a small shopping list because restraint is fun until it isn't.
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Things I love and want to wear. For the most part I’ve been trying to recreate looks I love with items I already own, but looking at the images above I really want this Max Mara top and a good suede jacket that’s not a blazer. Looking at this one, and I also love this one from Saint Laurent. Decisions, decisions..and budget, my old (non) friend. Never mind the clothes, though, because while looking at these pictures I kept thinking what bag I would wear with them, and I have come to the conclusion that this bag would look so good with absolutely all of these.
The thing about the bag is that I haven’t (personally) seen it on anyone yet, not in this size and color anyway. I love khaki and dark olive in rich tones, and I love a large bag, so I know I love this one because it’s me, not because it’s been pushed by various influencers across all platforms. And I think it’s the same with the Max Mara top. I genuinely love it, whereas I know I want a tobacco/earth colored suede jacket because of watching “Becoming Karl”.
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Watching “Becoming Karl” stirred all sorts of emotions (I love Yves) so I tried to focus mostly on the fashion aspect rather than how accurate things were. Anyway. The looks Theodore Pellerin as Jacques wore were really good, and loved the one he’s wearing in Rome to meet with Fendi. Still trying to find a picture of it, but if you watched the show, it’s episode five. That look spoke to me because while it’s 1978, I would wear that today, hence my need now for a jacket in that color, and a slightly oversized cut, not too long but not cropped either. I love a good challenge.
Moving on from jackets and shopping for a bit - I started looking into Karl and Jacques one midnight after finishing the show and found a short article (should have saved the link, sorry, I was too tired) about Karl and how he used to say that the ‘90s were terrible, referring to losing Jacques to AIDS in ‘89 and then eating his was through grief. He went on saying how he had gone from M to L and from L to XL in a very short period of time. The article ended there, but then we all know Karl lost weight a short decade after to be able to wear Hedi’s suits while he was at Dior. It goes to show that fashion can save one, really. I truly believe in its power. Sorry about the detour, that article just really made me think of all of this.
Thinking about all the looks above and others I have saved, I know that I am not a minimalist, nor would I function well as one. I do enjoy having fewer pieces, but it’s a matter of perspective. Fewer compared to what? For me, it’s fewer compared to just a little while ago. And speaking of minimalism, I stumbled upon this article on capsule wardrobes. It is an interesting read, and love the two excerpts below:
Does the capsule wardrobe run the risk of accidentally becoming a time capsule, still trapped in the tastes of a particular age?
Perhaps the answer is to think less about capsules or classics, and more about what encapsulates a truly distinct approach to style. Some people look great in a perfect white button down paired with a perfect pair of black trousers. Some people look great in flamboyant dresses exploding with color and pattern. The truth is that we are the foundations of our wardrobes: our predilections and interests and desires, our continually honed understanding not just of what appeals and flatters, but what makes us feel good. It’s only by digging down into our sartorial differences, rather than our similarities, that we can build anything truly lasting.
At the same time, I am looking forward to reading this book. At a first glance it seems to be about much more than just clothes, too.
So somewhere between excessive consumerism and slowing down with our purchases there must be something else, right? I feel like we’ve reached that tipping point a long time ago and we are just now on the other side of things. How to get back to that, I don’t know. I am also not sure that I want to. So let’s just make the best of things with where we are and what we have. I am still talking about clothes, yes.
While I do try to shop less, I am not necessarily aiming to spend more on fewer items. It’s an overall “less”, but I also don’t like compromising. I loved Allison’s “cookie theory” because it’s so true, and because I’ve made that mistake more than once. A fairly recent event was when I wanted a suede blazer, but I live somewhere with hot summers for nine months out of twelve, and I decided to spend less on a seemingly ok-ish piece. Can you sense my disappointment? It was such a terrible blazer that I couldn’t bare to even return it. It sits as a reminder to eat the cookie if you crave a cookie, and move on with the rest of your day. So just like with diet, too much of a good think can be a bad thing. And I think this is where I am with shopping less - take my time to decide which cookie is worth eating. Because just easting sugar for the sake of it I don’t like.
In my quest for my craving pieces, I have found the below and might have gotten a few goodies (I will share if they fit and I keep them).
this blazer in chocolate brown, and also this gem
the top from above
this top in a soft blue (it would look really good with tobacco suede or khaki)
a white bag because I don’t have one, and the look below made me crave it
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of course I also want a grey shirt now, and this one seems perfect
while I’ve seen these loafers a while ago, I am starting to crave them and can’t decide on the color. Deep brown, light brown, navy? Influences come from everywhere, really. I started thinking about these while reading this book, and the description of one particular outfit with vintage gucci suede loafers did it
I am after a black raffia bag, and while I love The Row, I am thinking about this one, but I also really love this other one
Rachel made me crave this rugby shirt when I saw it on her, and while I was browsing I found this shirt I also like
after The Row’s Spring 2025, I loved Ami’s runaway looks. They were all so good, and I am now looking for a black sheer skirt becasue I so love the look below. Haven’t found one I liked (other than the real deal, for which we’d have to wait).
Took a screenshot from Ami’s video on instagram. So good. These are things I have loved recently, not an “add to cart” frenzy, but it might as well be. After feeling uninspired for a long time, just looking - really looking - at all these images and asking myself why I am attracted to them I want to try and recreate them. And some of the pieces here I would wear differently and make them my own, so that combined with their versatility might just make me shop. And before you ask, I want to mention that I don’t own any white bags, sheer skirts in any length, rugby shirts, suede jackets, or soft blue anything save for a Bottega bag.
My mood board for this season is very monochromatic and I try to stay the course, but I am thinking about making it more exciting sometimes, because I don’t like anything as flat as a crêpe Suzette.
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Happy Thursday,
Dea xx
Restraint is fun until it’s not. Story of my life. I love your inspiration curation. Your eye is just something I really admire. 😘