Fall is well and truly right around the corner by now, so my mind is on clothes that work when there’s a chill in the air and also work transitionally. This floral shirtdress has great autumnal colors and is just about as chic as a shirtdress gets.
The only thing I actually did buy in this post are these workout pants, which look so polished on that they could double as streetwear.
Kule made this awesome sweater last fall and I waited too long to pull the trigger and it sold out. Now it’s back, and this time I might just have to go for it.
Here’s another good sweater: nice and chunky, with a winning color combination.
These Isabel Marant clogs cost a lot so I will likely not go for them, but I love the cone heel, and the fact that it has studs and not staples.
Another cozy sweater, but this one is from Cos and is priced quite nicely.
These Birkenstocks in this excellent maroon are the perfect shoe for when the calendar says it’s fall but it’s still hot out.
This quilted jacket also comes in black, but I do love it in white, and think it’s pretty elegant.
Who doesn’t require a pair cashmere tie dye sweats? There’s also a matching sweatshirt.
This half-zip sweater is just like one Nili Lotan offered last fall, but it’s a whole lot less expensive.
Meanwhile, this Etoile Isabel Marant plaid coat is totally cute but not un-pricey, so here’s something similar but cheaper.
After a long time of not liking pitch-black denim, I’m somewhat changing my tune, and am pretty certain I’ll go for these cropped Levi’s 501s.
I’m also intrigued by these Mother Denim jeans: they’ve got just a hint of a flare, and the wash is so good.
I typically associate gauze garments with summer, but this Xirena top looks like it’d work year-round.
Holy shit! And I thought I was obsessive. I just took a look at the Stylebook app and my first impression is a mix of admiration, excitement and fear. I’m afraid I could go down an endless rabbit hole with the app’s features. Good to know if I’m ever bored and looking for a project. But like most devices and software, I expect Stylebook offers more capabilities than you need and you figure out what’s personally useful and not. I can’t imagine recording what I wear every day, but the Packing List feature, for example, is a more organized, visual, digital way of cataloging what I’ve taken on trips than the day by day outfit breakdowns I scribble on legal pads, then save in piles. Thanks for the recommendation!
I ordered the maroon Birks to replace the brown pair I trashed this summer chasing a lil puppy around the back yard.
Automatic click to that APC Karen Dress but “french sizes” which means the largest size (42) is a US 10 also means it’s a 100% successful way to keep $$ in my wallet!
Ooohh I love that APC dress; maybe it will end up on RealReal in my size! A thought: remember the fall issue of Seventeen which was all wool and tweed? I coveted those looks but given that I lived in the Deep South, knew I had no occasion to wear them, no way no how, not even in the dead of winter. Now with climate change, what was previously ‘fall’ wear is now Dead of Winter Wear and we’re looking for Birkenstocks in fall colors. Sigh. Oh well. At least these are a fun set of picks!
Such good picks all around – my credit card is getting warm! (Somebody stop me ;)! Kule has so many cool options – perfect layering. Thanks for the comments on Outdoor Voices – I’ve been considering but never sure if they’re versatile enough for travel wear.
I just don’t think gauze can really be a year-round fabric. But that Xirena shirt does look kind of cozy.
Depends on where you live! 🙂
To “borrow” your comment about the clogs, that Net-a-Porter “costs a lot so I likely will not go for” it but….man, what a great way to throw a dash of mustard into a wardrobe. Might have to stalk that one hoping for a sale.
For anyone football-aware, or living in the Pittsburgh region, that is a very fancy Steelers sweater.
*Net-a-Porter sweater….
You might like Lisa B clogs – they’re pretty much the same as those Marant ones, but are MUCH cheaper. M. Patmos carries them, but she has her own e commerce site if you want more options.
Do you realize you always post variations of the same stuff over n over!? zzzzzzzzzz. Free your mind, Kim!
If you have style, you usually love variations of the same thing. Free your own mind!!
I think that knowing what works for you and wearing variations on a theme is very stylish.
Ditto Kate and cw – we are quite protective of Kim here. The other thing is, not everyone agrees that getting something new just because it’s different makes much sense. To the teeny tiny extent that there may even be an ethics of fashion style choices – as opposed to the tangle of consumption ethical problems, which I’m not trying to address just now – I would argue that one must try to at least not look *bad.* Even for people who don’t care at all, part of me thinks that when they are choosing a garment to cover their bits as legally required, they should *still* choose the less-bad color and style. So this too argues against newness for its own sake. Random choices in fashion must logically be poor ones, I would say, judging by the last time I was in a store. Learning to distinguish between what looks good on oneself and what doesn’t is a good thing. It’s your friend, and the friend of your bank balance and the planet. And of everyone who sees us as we wait for a bus, or walk down the street. Whereas if one is visually bored, it is not hard to sew yourself some nice new couch cushions. I have a friend who is like that, she likes to get new things and doesn’t care if they flatter her or not. In my roundabout way I wanted to say that the economy does also need those kinds of people too, but maybe not too many of them.
I will never understand remarks such as this one. If you don’t like a blog, don’t follow it. It’s not rocket science. It’s not even middle school science. Do a Google search for blogs that feature Goth clothing or Bohemian clothing or Alt clothing or Gender Neutral clothing or whatever kind of clothing appeals––free your Google search, Bianca. Here’s an article to help you get started : https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/the-best-fashion-blogs-ever-69888 Or (here’s a crazy idea) start your OWN fashion blog!!!
I became obsessed with those maroon Birkenstocks, but the only ones left in my size were the Big Buckle ones. When I got them on my feet the gold buckle looked terrible against my skin. Possibly the large size of the buckle didn’t help But they look so good in the picture (but still not available in my size)!
Loads to contemplate here. I am a fan of Outdoor Voices and fixing to head back to Texas in a few weeks so those pants look like an excellent long-car-drive option. The Birks are such an excellent color and would look so peppy (and maybe preppy) with a contrasting color of socks when the weather called for them. And the plaid jacket/coat (I like both options!) would be excellent to throw on over the Outdoor Voices sweats for those quick trips outside when Betty needs a potty break. Why oh WHY did APC think naming their shirtdress “Karen” was a good idea. Lordy.
I have 2 (older) pairs of those Outdoor Voices pants, and they are really perfect. Great when it rains (they dry quickly), fantastic for travel, great for hiking, great for puttering around. I’m an obsessive wear tracker and I’m up to 100 wears on one of them and they’re still going strong.
Is the recpoly fabric really breathable and cool? It can be hard to find really lightweight fabrics. … … … I enjoyed the dress name. I just think of it as a ref to Karen Walker, maybe my favorite Karen ever.
The best sunglasses!
It’s lightweight! I’m a sweaty person and like those pants.
That said, I’ve never been to the desert and I don’t really wear them much in the summer–I veer mostly toward dresses when it’s hot– but they work well in fall and spring weather absolutely. For hiking in Scotland (50 degree temps), I’d sometimes wear Uniqlo Heattech underneath, and was very comfortable.
Awesome, thank you, good to know!!
I am obsessive about many things, including keeping a log of when, where and for how much I acquire clothes, shoes and accessories. But I seemed to have missed wear tracking. Not sure I would ever do it, but I’d love to hear more about how you wear track your wardrobe, Gleaming the Cube. Or how anyone does. Thanks.
For me, it is more of guestimate rather than a formal tracker but is part of my annual review of expenses that I use as both a report card and a “do I need to do anything differently.” The $750 I spent on the bag I took to work every day for 10+ years was much cheaper than the same amount I paid for a dress that showed lots of promise but then blew up over my head the first time I wore it outside without a coat (in full view of my boss and a client). I look at purchases over a certain amount and eval on # of years of wear/% of year (seasonality) and if it fits gets worn often, regularly, occasionally.
Re wear tracking, I use an app (Stylebook). It appeals to a certain part of my brain (I enjoy spreadsheets). I am happier with how I’m spending my money on clothes now that I’ve got real data on what I really wear and like. I can justify to myself spending more on shoes, coats, caftans, Issey Miyake, and (to a lesser extent) Rick Owens because I really will wear that stuff. It’s also super handy for packing.