James Perse cotton/wool tee | size 1
On sale now + free shipping with code GRCHNWINTER18
Han Starnes knit pants (m/l) | I think mine are an older color, I got them w/credit at Garmentory
Vince Warren sneakers
With James Perse cashmere coat/sweater on top (sold out)
Wearing/Shopping
Random: if you google “why are james perse cotton t shirts so special” you know what you find? Me! Haha. First search result for me, but that could be because I’m logged in on Chrome. It’s time for me to write a new “why James Perse” post, but honestly, not much has changed. I could live in James Perse and Elizabeth Suzann (and Vince for shoes) and be happy for ever and ever.
James Perse has fit my body for more than a decade. When it was 180 pounds, I wore (some) James Perse size 4, and now at 135 I wear size 1 or 2. Pants and dresses are always THE RIGHT LENGTH and fit my hips/waist PERFECTLY. I can’t even describe how wonderfully JP just FITS me. The quality is superb (I’ve had pieces for 10 years), and I rely on my JP basics to fill out my wardrobe.
Just because James Perse works for my body doesn’t mean it works for yours, but when it comes to t-shirts, they’re always the right length on me (not too long), cinched in a bit at the waist, and not too big at the bust. Perfection. So, that is why his cotton t-shirts are so special. Thanks for asking 🙂
This one in particular I really like, and have had it a couple months. It’s a wool/cotton blend, but I wash and dry on low as normal and it’s holding up nicely. I like that it’s not BLINDING WHITE, and the zigzag stitching at the neckline. It’s a great layer right now, and of course I’ll wear it alone as it gets warmer. I don’t think it will be too hot, the wool is there only for a bit of texture, which is nice.
Anyway, this tee is on sale now, along with some other great pieces at James Perse, and if you use code GRCHNWINTER18 you’ll get free shipping on any US order. See my original post about it here.
Reading/Watching
Did I mention I’d watched all of Dark on Netflix? SO GOOD. Better than the OA, Stranger Things, etc… combined. Now, I’m watching The Crown. I don’t know if I’m just hormonal, but it makes me cry! Especially the scenes between Elizabeth and her father. Man.
I just want to hibernate, truly. It’s too cold and dreary to go out, I’d rather sit by the fire and enjoy some bourbon or hot chocolate and watch Netflix LOL.
Oh, there’s a James Altucher podcast episode with Griffin Dunne about the documentary he made about his Aunt Joan (Didion) that was interesting. Also, if you haven’t watched the Didion documentary on Netflix, please do, it is so amazing. And I’m making my way through more Secular Buddhism podcasts, which are always mind-blowing.
Doing
I had my four-week check up yesterday with the oral surgeon and…..I get the wires off in two weeks! He took an x-ray and said everything looks great; my jaw is healing nicely. He even told me I could not wear the heavy elastics that pull my jaw closed during the day and only wear them at night. I can even start to eat soft food.
So exciting. But it also makes me REALLY nervous. So weird how quickly you can get used to something so abnormal. I’m so used to having my mouth closed and eating through a straw that it’s hard for me to think about NOT doing that anymore. It’s also still physically (and emotionally) hard to open my mouth very far, although I need to start doing it.
I did try and eat some lentil soup yesterday with a spoon (with real lentils, not pureed LOL) and had a tough time of it. I could only eat about half, gave up and made myself a coconut ice cream milkshake instead haha…
I’m also not going to lie, I’m rather happy with my imposed weight loss and I don’t want to gain it all back. I also feel really REALLY good. I always feel better on a calorie restricted “diet;” one where I’m always just a little hungry, but not very. Problem is, I LOVE FOOD and I’m not great at restricting calories when I don’t HAVE to. I’m better about not eating things that make me feel bad, but not always, and I’m quite afraid that once I can fully eat again, I may go a little crazy.
Anyway, I’m pleased with my recovery and I am going to go back to Pure Barre next week a few times a week to ease myself back in; I know I’m not as strong as before. It’s so strange, because while this has been a challenge to deal with, frustrating, and uncomfortable, it hasn’t been too bad all things considered. I have had no pain (my teeth constantly hurt, and my gums aren’t happy lately, but I can deal with that easily) and otherwise have felt physically very good.
Ah well. Here goes the home stretch!
Happy Weekend!!
Glad your recovery is coming right along!!
I love James Perse too. I don’t feel like I need that many pieces either as what I do have is so satisfying and good quality. I have a tank, a long sleeve T, a vneck T, a skirt with ruching on the back (from Slowre!), a drawstring pant and 3 of the sleeveless dresses (one crew ruched, another with a slightly lower neck hole and the spiral style). I feel like this is the perfect set and I don’t need more than that. Although there are pieces on sale now that are tempting me.
I know what you mean about the medical condition weight loss! I liked how flat my stomach felt after I got some teeth pulled. I think I’m normally probably a bit bloated because I eat too much wheat, etc. and I almost felt like I had a bit of a cleanse during that time period. I honestly felt more comfortable with a flatter stomach.
Hi Gretchen! I have been following you for quite a while now, not sure that I have ever commented… but I need to chime in with the James Perse love… I had never owned anything James Perse before, but about two summers ago, you wrote a little bit on one of their long dresses — 3/4 sleeve, v neck, floor length (at least for me), front tunnel pocket… so I bit the bullet and bought it. I wear it at home for leisure, but it has been hands down, one of the best purchases I have ever made. So, thanks for the introduction! I have yet to purchase anything else, primarily because I live in Canada and I find that by the time I pay the shipping, exchange rate, duty and customs fees, they are almost cost prohibitive — especially when I am not 100 % sure how it will fit. It can be a real pain to return clothing from Canada. That being said, I look forward to seeking James Purse out the next time I am in the US… the quality is really great. The dress, even though I wear it all the time, is as good as it was the day I bought it!
Glad to see you are on the mend, thank you for your blog, I really enjoy it!
I bought the first James Perse I ever owned about 5 years ago, after I googled “sweatshirt dress.” One of Gretchen’s images came up, and so I looked for and bought the dress (which was already on sale on some link at the time).
That dress was so amazing, that when I accidentally spilled grease on it while making brunch and ruined it, I did an immediate search to find a replacement on eBay. I’ve bought several “pre-owned” James Perse items that wear like new…for years.
I started reading this blog, looking for sales, and buying different items a little at a time (usually on sale). I’m either working from home, or I travel a lot, and need to be comfortable, but looked pulled together. Different James Perse jackets and dresses have taken over my closet and daily wardrobe, because they are hands down the most easy to wear. Flattering, comfortable, easy to dress up or down, easy to pack, and they wash and wear so damn well. And, when you find a fit or fabric you particularly like, you can usually get different variations. I should also mention that many styles are very easy to slightly adjust or alter to really dial in fit. I can do it at home and really tailor most items. For example, I often shorten the straps about 1.5 inches on tank dresses, and once I had someone shorten a hem (cost was $6). People compliment me all of the time.
Gretchen, I really appreciate your reviews and recommendations. They’ve definitely helped me make purchases I would never have made without the guidance. I don’t live near a retailer that carries JP, so I rely on this blog. I probably haven’t communicated how much I’ve read it over the years, and expressed my appreciation. Thank you!
And I love your attitude, finding some blue sky in a long gray process. xox.
Yikes, I didn’t know you injured your jaw, Grechen! I am so sorry for how much you must have suffered and I can’t believe you still manage to look amazing! Anyhow, I took advantage of your referral code at JP and purchased 4 tees: wool crew tee in carbon, sheer slub long sleeve crew in adobe, sheer slub short sleeve crew in wine, and ribbed cotton gauze long sleeve crew in black. The first three were no brainers, super comfortable, fabrics I’m familiar with, the last one though, ribbed cotton gauze is kind of like a crinkle cotton and the sleeves are super long like a foot too long? I was kind of taken aback and time will tell whether I grow to love it. I was kind of limited in this sale to what’s available in my size (3 and 4). I highly recommend the sheer slub and high gauge cotton fabrics to anyone who’s looking to try a long lasting, good looking basic tee from JP. I did see a few carry overs from the last sale of 6 weeks ago, in which I purchased a cotton linen melange long sleeve crew tee in coal (so comfortable and flattering), a melange rib pencil skirt in black (comfortable and flattering, easier to walk in than the shirred tube skirts), and a crepe jersey split hem tee in black (great fabric but the cut leans cropped/boxy which isn’t flattering on my inverted triangle/apple shape body). Once again I am 5’5″, 150 lbs, 40-36-41, and took size 3 in the skirt, size 3 in all the tees except 4 in the sheer slub fabric.