I am SUCH a clotheshorse. I love clothes. I love to shop for clothes, I love to wear clothes, I love to think about clothes. But of course, you know this already 🙂
So when I got a second to browse Into the Gloss, I saw this image from their Ulla Johnson Top Shelf and left immediately to find her overalls. Which are Ulla Johnson of course.
We were just talking about overalls the other day (JP Linen overalls, specifically), in the comments about James Perse fall, and I can’t stop thinking about them. I would love a pair, they just look so EASY, like just throwing on a dress. But better, because, pockets, and worse because I don’t like to work so hard to pee. I’ve had jumpsuits (have, still, one I wear at home) and I do like them, but I haven’t found one I really LOVE yet. Until these.
Or this? What is a jumpsuit? Plural? Singular?
Anyway, I am so drawn Ulla Johnson’s Nadia Overall. I love that they are so different from other styles out there; they definitely don’t look like the Dickie’s you’d get from Wal-Mart. And that the bib is lowered, and the straps narrow, sort of like an afterthought, or like glorified suspenders. So, not as much like overalls, exactly. Maybe it’s the drawstring waist I love so much, the wider legs.
So, I went ahead and ordered them. I am practicing lately buying my “holy grail” items right off, to quickly get them out of my head and into reality (paying close attention to return policies…). What happens when I do that is very interesting: I usually end up not loving the thing as much as I thought I would, and send it back. Or by the time the item arrives, I’m over it.
I’ve never done that before. I tend to obsess and obsess and obsess for days, weeks, months, trying to find a cheaper option (sometimes I do), or wait for a sale, or just keep obsessing, never buying. And I end up spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about whatever item I’m trying to find, or think I need.
I did this basically all weekend looking for a new bag. You may remember last week I mentioned that I was frustrated with some of my bags, and was looking for ONE bag I could carry for years, and that would suit my needs. Well, it turns out I already OWN that bag, it’s my Admonish curved leather tote. Okay, it’s not absolutely perfect, it could have more internal pockets and an exterior zip pocket or something, but it’s VERY VERY good, the shoulder straps are comfortable, the hardware is matte black, it holds my computer and everything else beautifully, AND my friend made it 🙂
So sometimes your holy grail item is already in your wardrobe, you just need to remember you have it, and start wearing it again to remember why it’s still part of your wardrobe. And even if it’s not your holy grail, maybe it’s so close it will work, for now. Try, at least. And whatever isn’t good enough, get rid of it. I do this a lot, I know: buy and get rid of, but I know now that’s okay, I do buy thoughtfully, but sometimes things just don’t work out until you have them in hand. I am a shopper, and I love to try new things. I pass on the things I don’t love so much, or don’t wear, or don’t suit my lifestyle – I have many fewer things in my wardrobe than you might imagine.
So, these overalls. We’ll see. I may or may not fall in love with them the moment I put them on. I may hate them and send them back immediately. I may wear them around a bit to test them out, and try them on with everything in my wardrobe, decide they’re just “meh” and that I don’t want a pair of overalls after all. Who knows? But now, at least, I will find out. Instead of keeping the fantasy vision of me, perfectly going through life in these overalls, in my head, distorting reality.
This is my job now, my personal goal going forward: get things out of my head as soon as possible and move on. I keep too many things in far too often, and stew and stew and stew. It makes me tired and frustrated. I must do this with everything in my life, starting, perhaps, with my clothes.
There are worse places to start.
Have you tried this? getting your holy grail items out of your head and into your closet? What happens when you do that? do you end up really loving the item like you thought you would? Did it turn out to be the perfect thing? Or not?
I am the same! Just sitting and thinking on things forever, usually before I make a purchase, so that by the time I decide to buy it, it’s sold out. I’m like that with everything in my life, just way too overly contemplated sometimes 😉 Those overalls, btw, are so cute – so different than any I’ve seen! Good luck!
yay, i’m not alone! 🙂
i overthink EVERY SINGLE THING. and then over think it some more. perhaps if i just stop overthinking clothing/accessory purchases, it will help a little in other part of my life? who knows, but it’ll be fun to try LOL
I like the Ulla Johnson overalls from the picture you posted, great easy simple styling! I cannot say the same about Barney’s styling – it is horrible, what were they thinking? I can see you rocking the UJ overalls, Grechen!
The JP overalls you are linking to are cool as well, but my heart goes to the long sleeve linen jumpsuit in soft black. Pure perfection! Thank goodness it is not available yet or I would be in trouble even though I already purchased the NLST one 😀
i like the long sleeve linen jumpsuit too, but i have a weird thing and consider linen a very summer fabric, i’m not sure i could wear ALL linen in fall/winter…
your NLST one is amazing though, i hope you are happy with it when it arrives!!
the barney’s styling is off, definitely. that’s ulla herself in the picture, so i will refer to her when i try to style them LOL – i like the idea of wearing it over a slouchy, easy sweater and no shoes!
Because linen IS a very summer fabric. Hopefully the jumpsuit will be available for purchase soon so it could be enjoyed during this summer for lucky buyers:-))
but who can wear a long sleeve linen jumpsuit in the summer?? i would die.
Having lived on the southern edge of the mediterranean twice, and visited many super hot regions, both humid and dry, I can attest that as long as you wear a very airy, billowy linen, (not a heavy weight) you will be cooler if you are completely covered up from the beating sun. Check out the locals in these regions!
yes, that is true. the bedouins know how to do hot 😉
If organization in your bag is one reason the Admonish tote isn’t the *perfect* item, have you tried using smaller bags inside for organization? That’s what I do with my work totes. I’m trying not to carry as much, but I still have one or two (I prefer a large open tote for flexibility, but then I lose stuff, so….) I have a zippered fabric envelope (8X11) for papers – return slips, coupons, receipts, and a couple of cosmetic size bags – pens, ID badge (I don’t have to wear it in my building but sometimes do other places on campus or to get into the building if I’m working early) tissues, lip balm etc. [note these are just the work tote options – my purse has its own issues ;-)]
I love overalls but not on me in public. I have 2 pr I wear at home – one really old from Target for gardening, and another linen from JJill (well, I got them at Goodwill for $4) that I wear for lounging. Plus I drink so much water that – bathrooms…..
oh, i already have everything segmented nicely into pouches, etc., i just like two interior pockets generally, or one outside and one inside: one for my phone and MAIN lip balm, and another for my mints, toothpicks, hand sanitizer and other lip balms LOL so i don’t have to dig for a pouch to get what i need in a hurry. the pocket in the admonish tote is big enough to hold everything, it just gets a little more crowded than i like.
my friend recommended one of those organizer purse inserts also, which i thought about, but not sure i really need.
Not to mention Italian and Greek ladies “of a certain age”, South and Southeast Asia traditional clothing….in Australia they are recommending long sleeves for health reasons. I’m not recommending burkas! 😉 but rather cool, covered, chic.
yes, true. like the lovely linen eileen fisher top i tried on the other day 🙂
i’m all for long sleeves in the sun, but more flowy and breezy, not a work-style jumpsuit .
I agree with what Kathryn said and I am all for a cool, covered, chic looks during the summer (not only) in the city. It doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy my shorts and tank tops when lounging in the shade on my deck:-)
I’m excited to see a picture of the overalls – please post one regardless if you keep them or not. I agree with the wonky styling on the site; you will do much better!
I have a pair of Eileen Fisher linen overalls that I wear on occasion and when I do, I always get major complements {from women though only}. But I just read that American women dress for other women and Parisian women dress for men.
I do this often. Over the years I have grown to dread/despise the experience of shopping at a bricks and mortar department store or boutique. The aggressive sales staff, the distorted mirrors in the dress room (or my biggest shopping pet peeve: dressing rooms without mirrors so you have to exit the room and stand on a public pedestal whilst the sales associate gushes about how wonderful you look) – the whole experience makes me claustrophobic. I do about 90% of my shopping online now. I used to wait for sales or website promotions, but after having lost out on my size so many times by waiting, I tend to order new items that catch my eye so I can try them on at home. In a regular, non-slimming mirror. And then pair whatever it is up with whatever shoes, accessories and other garments I’ll likely wear with it.
I tend to stick to the same brands, but even with consistent sizing, I return about 40% of what I order. Sometimes it’s because the clothes just look wrong on me, but often it’s because the hyper level of excitement I had when I placed the order has waned by the time the garment actually arrives. I used to feel guilty about so many returns. Recently I’ve rationalized that because I so rarely manage to buy anything on sale, consistently paying MSRP for those items that I do keep – it sort of “earns” me the privilege of trying on at home vs. shopping in a retail space. (And I would NEVER wear something outside of trying on at the house that I hadn’t already decided to keep!!)
Spending over $300 on overalls is ridiculous. But “Greedy Grechen” can’t control her spending. And she only allows comments that support her clothing addiction. Anyone else who asks a courteous question, isn’t responded to. You’re a yuppie, who tries to disguise it by being boho. Frankly, it’s all a facade.
The answer to this >> do you end up really loving the item like you thought you would? Did it turn out to be the perfect thing? << is no, never. Though I think I've trained myself to temper my expectations any time I buy something that I hope is going to solve a lot of problems. Even if I start off feeling like I've found the most awesome, life-changing (fill in the blank), something invariably happens to burst my bubble. It's uncomfortable, or it hikes up or slides off my shoulder, or stretches out, or doesn't wash well, or the dry-cleaner ruins it, and on and on. So in order to stop driving myself insane, I have to lighten up by reminding myself that it's just clothes (or shoes), and nothing is ever going to be perfect. I'm generally ok with that now, but it took a long time for me to get there. The big problem I still have is that I can't bring myself to get rid of stuff that falls short – even a thing I no longer wear, as though I'm waiting to find a more-perfect thing to take its place before giving it away . It makes no sense, I know, so I need to work on that.
The overalls are adorable. I hope you love them, Grechen.
Have you thought about taking your bag to a leather shop or back to the person who made it to see if they could add a pocket or two to it? It could be a simple fix for your already great bag.
Or just stop shopping.