Recently, I have purchased four pairs of pants which will make up the core of my wardrobe, at least for the bottom half. As someone who often lives in jeans/trousers buying quality trousers is a smart choice. These four classic pairs of jeans/trousers can be dressed up for the office or down for the weekend.
Having always admiring the aesthetic of A.P.C. but never actually having the opportunity to wear them, it was interesting to see if the fit and quality holds up over time. Now, I have acquired these items as well as a beautifully cut blue striped shirt from the brand. Indeed, it seems the quality and fit is exceptional and the cut elevates the simplest of outfits - giving it a perfectly undone but never sloppy feel.
I currently have my eye on an A.P.C. trench coat on Ebay but that will have to wait. As until recently a student, with the student lifestyle to match, buying very expensive clothes was a little out of my reach - I generally acquired the things I collected e.g. secondhand Isabel Marant, and a small Mulberry Bayswater through weeks or months of saving.
One thing, I began to notice was that these clothes were the ones I have worn again and again and seemingly never tire of as the seasons pass. They fit seamlessly into my wardrobe adding a insouciance which I hope will last for many more seasons to come.
In fact, my most expensive purchases - the ones I agonised over the most and really had to think about, have mostly become my favourite pieces. Items which have been worn again and again.
It is the cheap throwaway things acquired from thrift shops and fast fashion shops which have sometimes lead to wasteful consumption. Things bought for less than a standard lunch or cheaper... can't be good for the planet or the people who made it.
I believe that buying 'better' has led to more thoughtful consumption and allowed me to consider each and every purchase - even when most of my expensive clothes have been purchased via secondhand stores, consignment shops and Ebay, they generally have been far better quality than the price point of what I could afford new in store
The long story short is, that these four pairs of pants, as shown in garçonne will be a part of my wardrobe for seasons to come.
This process of 'shopping' is something I want to continue when looking at purchasing items for my wardrobe - not only will I have better quality clothes (hopefully!) in the long run, but it will mean making less mistakes and actually wearing what I buy! Definitely hasn't always been the case.
Further reading here:
'The Financial Benefit of Buying What You Love'
'The Power of Buying Less by Buying Better'
'Fewer, but Better: How Buying Cheap Clothes Kills People'
'Our Shopping Habits are Killing - Why Don't We Care?'
Top five skincare products by anouk-rocher featuring black picture frames
Skincare is the foundation of style in my view. Its one of those things that can be forgotten. This is particularly true when you have troublesome skin. As a teenager, I was often plagued by red spots, pigmentation and dark spots.
I have realised the importance of looking after my skin, and while I am a sucker for pretty packaging and apothecary style products, I should do my best to remember that plenty of healthy food, less sugar and fatty products, sleep, meditation (to combat stress) and exercise will do more than fancy products ever will.
Part of the attraction to developing a skincare routine is that it feels like such a lovely way of self-care. It's about taking the time to set aside a few minutes to cleanse your skin and take care of it in a holistic kind of way.
My skincare routine is as follows:
Morning:
I wake up (ideally after 7-8 hours) drink a big glass of warm water with a lemon, wash my face Khiel's Ultra Facial Cleanser before moisturising with Malin+Goetz vitamin e moisturiser (this was a free sample but I am thinking about investing in some). I then apply make up as needed.
Night:
My night time routine is slightly more intensive, possibly because after long day I look forward to a little self care. Firstly, I wash and moisturise my face as above but before I sleep I put a few drops of the Khiel's Midnight Oil either alone or into my moisturise. Additionally, I sometimes use a few drops of the Khiel's dark spot remover as I find that it helps my clarify my skin and minimise darkspots and pigmentation.
Weekly:
Once a week I like to use a mask - sometimes I use the Khiel's Turmeric and Cranberry seed or if my skin is dry I make up a concoction of banana, honey and oats and slather that on my face. I also am a big fan of the Antipodes Skin balm.
Misc.
I am not sure if this helps, but when I am so inclined I make a ginger, turmeric, honey and cinnamon tea to sip - its tasty and a lovely way to wind down as well as maybe being good for you!
But as above, a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in getting and maintaining clear skin. When I eat healthy, get lots of sleep, do daily yoga, drink lots of water and limit my intake of sweets and alcohol (the sweets is tough for me), it really does show up in my skin.
The moral of the story seems to be if you want good skin - live boringly!
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Lately I have been ruminating on 'less is more' kind of style. It is actually a journey that I have been on for a few years now since I first began to explore my style and the kind of wardrobe that I wanted to curate. There were always a few things on my wishlist: the ultimate Isabel Marant coat or the perfect blue APC shirt for instance.
I now have many of the things which I wanted when I first began - a good quality coat (The IM was on my wish list for ages - finally got it from a consignment store for a steal), the perfect pair of suede ankle boots, the vintage wool camel coat, and a few things to keep my wardrobe from being too basic. My goal when I started this journey - More than two years ago, was to curate a collection of items which fit with my lifestyle - owning quality clothes and making less superfluous purchases and making it simpler to 'get up and go' in the morning.
I believe I have managed to obtain my idea of a quality wardrobe - but shock horror - I am still enamoured with the chase of finding the perfect x or the perfect that. Obviously, this has to stop and I need to replace the notion of finding the perfect clothes with other things - because there are far worthier pursuits out there non? I believe one of the hardest things is training yourself not to go looking for clothes. As someone who is interested in clothes and style this is harder than it sounds. I know that when you have expanded time and energy into curating The Perfect Wardrobe - well what then?
As a result, I am trying to wean myself off buying needless purchases and go looking for new items (i.e. shopping!) After all, there are so many more worthy things to purchase - a good meal, travelling (which I am saving up for), art galleries and more experiential purchases.
So how to buy less crap? I thought a five step program might be in order for me - at least until the habit of seeking new items holds less sway.
- refrain from entering stores/consignment shops (duh)
- shop your own wardrobe i.e. look for new ways to wear items to mix it up
- put money that would be spent into savings account
- focus more on experiential purchases rather than the material
- there is more to life than buying!
I realise that these ramblings are a little strange, but I am sure with so many people focussing on not only obtaining the Perfect Wardrobe, the 5 Piece Wardrobe (something I am interested in), it can be a little hard to refrain from looking for the next thing and making endless wish lists.
The above list should hopefully give me room to pause and put time, money and effort into other more fulfilling things
As a recent graduate who is making the shift from student to working life, the more hectic pace of life has forced me to evaluate how I spend my downtime (read: just how much time do I waste online).
In our modern lives of studies, work, family, friends and everything else we have to do, time spent alone, to recharge our batteries can fall by the wayside. The hundreds of emails in inboxes, the long meetings, tight deadlines, perpetual lack of time and our increasingly fragmented time filled with a constant steam of information and platforms means we are often stressed and time poor – busyness is the default setting today.
A move away from the less structured student lifestyle to working life has meant that I am beginning to appreciate days at home as a way to reboot over the weekends.
I am quite content to spend time at home.
There's nothing I like better than pulling on a pair of vintage Levi's and an oversized cashmere jumper and lazing the day away by listening to music, reading, watching old and new movies as a way to relax while a candle is burning away.
The article celebrates 'the idler' as a way to take back our sense of self in a world of constant connectivity. We are constantly seeking. Moments of downtime are spent checking emails, Facebook, instagram and wikipedia-ing things which popped into our heads (or is this just me?).
This constant stream of information and content competing for space and time can be draining. Perhaps a lazy weekend 'doing nothing' can be the perfect way to recharge and find inspiration.
I will be making a concerted effort to unplug - social media free Sunday perhaps?
Further reading:
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Hello to all what exactly?
Apart from being an homage of sorts to literary
icon Joan Didion's famous essay, Goodbye to
all That, where she ruminates on life, leaving and the loss of
youth, it's a reminder to say 'hello to all that' is good in life.
What will this blog feature? It is a collection of
musings and ramblings on style, inspirations and trying to curate more of the
good in life.
This blog is inspired by many blogs that I have
read over the years and while many of them are no longer active in the
blogosphere they in small ways influenced and solidified thinkings on style and
the curation of less is more in life.