My ideal temperature is 72 degrees, but 71 degrees is my favorite temperature to get dressed for, because that means I can wear sandals and something cozy at the same time. It was 71 degrees this morning and I felt like I was back in LA (ah the good ol’ days).
Is anyone else obsessing over clothes for the fall and winter months? I’ve been shamefully agonizing over the price point vs. pure perfection of those jesse kamm ranger pants. Damn it, they are too cute. I bet the waist to hip ratio won’t suit me so I’d probably have to return them anyway. At least then, I could get them off my mind. I’ll have to work an extra shift this month to justify it. We’ll see..
I’m also obsessing over the elizabeth suzann harper tunic in linen gauze. I was excited to see it in a lighter weight fabric. I think the original version in cotton twill would have swallowed me up and would be harder to layer. But honestly, even though they look so cute, I’m hesitant to buy it… will it make me look like one of those new age-y kumbaya types? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am actually one of those new age-y kumbaya types, but I’m not sure I want my clothes to scream that I am. I tend to overthink these things.
The other day I overheard one of my supervisors talk about how she bought 3 pairs of ballet flats at Walmart for $3. This stirred up all kinds of mixed feelings for me. First I doubted myself: like oh my god, here is this person that is making way more money than me spending way less than me. Am I crazy for routinely spending 100x more than that for similar shoes? What am I doing? Then I thought, well she’s supporting terrible labor practices and I would never wear such poorly designed shoes anyway. And it’s not like I’d spend thousands of dollars on hand bags like a lot of people do, so it’s OK. That whole thought process feels toxic though, doesn’t it? I have to just remind myself to stop comparing and just do me.
[outfit: muji oversized sweater, elizabeth suzann tilda pants in midweight linen, SAS relax sandals]
Dr. it girl 
That is crazy about the shoes! Many moons ago when I worked in TV I remembered hearing some of the new reporters bragging about how little they had scored some of their clothes for, one claiming a blazer for under a dollar at Old Navy. And I just remember thinking, that is not something to brag about! And of course now, knowing what i know now, it’s even worse to think about. It’s interesting all the psychology that goes into purchases. I look at clothes much different than most people so my threshold for what I’ll pay for an item is completely different.
Also, I love getting dressed for 71/72 degree weather too. That’s why the folks in CA can look so damn stylish year-round.
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Totally agree. Making that transition to paying more for better quality, more ethical clothes seems to require mulling over purchases for a long time. No more impulsive “hauls” like the old days.
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I have a Harper tunic in the lighter gray gauze fabric. It gets a weird amount of compliments! Strangers have approached me to ask where I got it. I wore the tunic quite a bit during the most oppressive heat of summer, always with a denim mini. I found that a frayed denim hem tones down the granola vibe of that fabric… but I look like a spinster high school art teacher most of the time, so maybe I’m not a great judge?
I haven’t tried it with jeans yet for fall, but maybe layered with a leather jacket. I would like to wear it year round, but I’m not sure if I can make it work. So far I’m happy with it, but if I ever decide it’s not getting enough use, there seems to be a robust market for secondhand Elizabeth Suzann clothes.
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Spinster art teacher?! lol… yes but you’re a more elevated version of that image. I did see the Harper on your blog. It’s what inspired me to want to try it!
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Yes, the pocket is perfect for carrying around my art supplies. (Actually, it would be!)
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You convinced me. I’m gonna hit buy.
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Love the pants you have on. They look really comfortable.
Gone are the days when I used to thrill over cheap finds in retail stores. I definitely shop a lot less impulsively and I’m more attentive to quality now, which makes me love my choices and wardrobe a lot more than hoarding clothing that didn’t even fit me right.
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thank you. and totally agree.. let me know if you have any recs for quality clothes that I might not know about.
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I am normally excited about fall clothes, but it’s tough this year. Since I moved from Northern CA to Colorado last December, I’ve been missing that perfect 71 degree weather! Here it seems like it has either been 90 degrees or below 50– we went from 90 less than two weeks ago to 50 and rain in the past week. I guess the good news is that I am getting wear out of boots and jackets I didn’t get much use out of before? Plus, while I do go into an office, I don’t need to even dress up as much as I used to in CA (which believe me wasn’t all that much), and I miss it.
And also, my mom is visiting me this week and she is the QUEEN of buying lots of cheap clothing she doesn’t need. And I end up feeling guilty about spending $200+ on a pair of shoes (although I own less than ten pairs) even if I know that is the right choice for me and my values. So I totally get what you are saying about the Target shoes!
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I think our generation is traumatized from the mass consumption of our mothers generation.. and we are trying to do better than that
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