(image via unsplash)
Interesting reads –
Jenna Lyons in Net-a-Porter’s The Edit magazine says:
“I don’t wear black much – it doesn’t work well with color – but I’ll wear navy all day long”
Interesting – I never thought of it that way exactly, but it makes sense; navy does play better with color. And black tends to work best with gray & white, which is probably why I like it better.
Retirement of Things – I love this thought by Dr It Girl on “retiring” things that have served their purpose (very Marie Kondo!) vs getting rid of things because of bad decisions. Ideally, I think we’d all like to buy things that are so loved they wear out and have to be grudgingly retired, but as I talk about ALL THE TIME, it’s not that easy (and I try. hard.). Sometimes you don’t know what’s going to work until you get it, try it, and/or wear it for a while. Maybe it ends up being a closet hero, and maybe it ends up not working out for some reason or another. I’m not sure what the answer is, other than being as mindful as we can about what and why we buy, keeping in mind what we would do with the item if it doesn’t work out – can it be sold? given away? donated?
Speaking of donating, here’s a good piece on something I’ve mentioned before, but not nearly this in depth: that the items you donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., don’t always go to what/where you think they’re going. And in fact, fast fashion (in addition to creating environmental and working hazards) is destroying the second hand clothing industry.
I went outside my comfort zone a little and attended an Audubon Dallas meeting this week. I have been birding for many years, starting in high school, really love it, and I’m actually quite good at it. I’d like to get more involved, go on field trips, etc. and Audubon is a good way to do that. Anyway, I was the youngest person there by many, many years, which is okay, but I wonder if there are more “younger” birders out there (my nephew is also very good, that is a testament to my mother’s love of birding that both he and I are so interested) – and how can I find them??
So I was excited to find this article by The Birdist on Audubon’s site about Birding proudly :
The narrative in mainstream culture is that birding isn’t cool. People assume that birding occupies the intersection of a Venn diagram of circles for old people, nerds, and obsessives, a space otherwise occupied only by, maybe, like, competitive bridge players.
LOL. Well, I am a nerd and an obsessive…so…
But also, birding
is essentially an expression of a deep love for nature. Birders share a fascination with the natural world, a gratitude for being born a human being on a planet that’s not just the only one in the known universe to support life, but also manufactures binoculars.
Yes. And I enjoy the challenge of seeking out and finding new birds, and being able to identify them readily. Any other birders out there??
What I tried, bought & returned, and added to my wishlist –
Amour Vert pants – I got these in black, size medium. I tried them on and pretty immediately took them off and packed them up to send back. The rise was too short, interestingly, for the style of pant, and the waistband. ugh. The waistband is elastic, and THE ELASTIC IS NOT TACKED DOWN INSIDE the band, so it becomes a mess, twisting and moving around. I’ve had enough bad experience with waistbands like that to know better than to try and keep trying. I honestly don’t know why this is such a problem – why is it so hard to secure elastic inside waistbands if you’re using a wide band?? Anyway, I haven’t been overly impressed with what I’ve tried so far from Amour Vert, but I’ll keep on trying…
ATM striped skirt – I tried this on in a size medium and REALLY loved it. It’s true what Vildy said in a comment on my stripes post, stripes do help camouflage “imperfections” a bit and are quite slimming when worn on the bottom. I know that sounds counterintuitive to what we’ve always been told, but it’s true; I had a striped skirt from anthropologie that I wore a lot many years ago that was very slimming.
The Great striped shirt – I’m trying to find two striped shirts to try, one with a “bolder” stripe and one with a more narrow one, and see what I like best. I’ll get this Rag & Bone/JEAN one and this one, by The Great to compare.
Silver shoes: Freda Salvador mules & chelsea oxfords – the universe is so funny…after I mentioned that I wanted a pair of silver shoes, I got an email from Freda Salvador that their mules were now available in silver metallic. AH!! I love them SO MUCH, but am worried that they’ll come up too high on my foot for my liking (as the Everlane Babo did). I love a good mule though, and wear them a lot. I do also like the chelsea oxfords in silver, and they’d be a good sneaker replacement. Decisions, decisions…
Have you seen Goodwin? It’s a capsule “concept” of items exclusively produced by independent designers for Goodwin: Han Starnes, Ceri Hoover, Jamie & The Jones, Elizabeth Suzann & more all created pieces for the line. And I’m obsessed with the Elizabeth Suzann duster. I love the color, and the idea of wearing a long vest. I would probably get it and never wear it, so I won’t get it, but the idea is interesting, and it would add pockets to things that don’t have them already, and a great layer. AND, I think it’s available immediately, so a way to get instant Elizabeth Suzann gratification 😉
And finally, reader Cola sent me a note about Sabah’s Texas tour and their pop-up in Dallas on 9/20 (at the Belmont hotel, 5-8PM) and I am SO THERE. I keep looking at the shoes since I first posted about them, but of course am hesitant to buy without being able to try. They’ll also be in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston later on in the week if you’re elsewhere in Texas and interested in trying the shoes in person.
Happy Friday!!!
Hi Grechen! Great post and I MAY just buy that vest from Elizabeth Suzann – very cool and thanks for showing us! I have a question for you – Birding. I have never done it – and I am going to Maui in October. I found the Hawaii Audubon Society online, but do you have recommendations for the basics you need to get started? I am assuming a book and binoculars, but really, no clue, though it sounds wonderful since my husband will be golfing daily! Thanks so much!
Becky
oh! if you get the vest, please report back on it 🙂 i love it so much…it’s such a beautiful color too! now that i’m trying to ease back into a little color.
as for birding – first, tania might have some suggestions for you on where to go and who to contact, since i *think* she lives in maui, otherwise, really all you need is a pair of binoculars and a book. i still like referring to a book (i’ve had my national geographic bird book for 21 years!!), but there are also some really good apps for your phone if you don’t want to carry a book – cornell ornithology has the best one i think.
binoculars don’t have to be very expensive, but you have to like them and find them comfortable/easy to use – and you might want to get a rather compact pair for traveling. i had my first “good” pair for 20 years before i got a new pair just last year, so a very good pair should last for many many years, but that’s an investment you might want to wait on to make sure you really like it!! rei is actually a good place to buy binoculars; the sales people are pretty knowledgeable. or if you have a cabela’s? not sure how many stores they have around though.
now i’m jealous 🙂 i would love to bird in hawaii!!! and it sounds like the perfect way to see nature and enjoy it while your husband golfing. i can’t wait to hear about your trip.
I have a friend who is a very private person. There is nothing she detests more than standing up in front of a group at a meeting (or wherever) and doing those “This is my name and these are my interests” sort of introductions. So she always says “My name is Friend and my hobby is Birdwatching.” Because, according to her, “No one under 65 birds and no one is going to ask me any questions about it.” As far as I know, she never got caught! So…. you may have trouble finding a contemporary.
I love that you’re a birder! I have a PhD in biology and studied birds for that (as well as in college and for my Master’s degree), so although I’m not a “birder,” I definitely get it. My kids are interested in animals/nature, and I keep thinking that we should start a family “life list,” which would be fun for them and get me back into birding.
Love the ES cocoon duster – I’m wearing my Artist Smock today for the first time and I officially adore it. Thank you for your review of the silk crepe – I never would have ordered something if I thought the fabric would be too delicate or precious or dressy. I’m wearing it today with black skinny jeans and I don’t feel too dressy at all – just comfortable and stylish (though I was VERY nervous that I was going to slop soup onto it when I ate my lunch! I think I made it through that challenge 😉
That post on navy being more color-friendly than black puzzles me – I don’t wear navy at all, and I think it is because I don’t view it as being a “neutral,” so I would never pair navy and a color because for me that would be too many colors in one outfit. Haha! I do love navy and black together though, but still don’t ever buy anything navy because I have no qualms about wearing all black so why complicate things? SO weird…
haha!! that’s funny. i’m afraid you’re right 🙂
oh, a life list would be fun to do with your kids – it would always be an adventure to try and find a new bird wherever you went!
so glad you love your ES piece! i think i might have to start wearing an actual smock when i eat lately, i spill ALL OVER MYSELF sometimes and don’t even notice until i get up, or when i go to wash something. so annoying. mostly the laundress stain solution gets everything out, though, so thank goodness for that!!
a agree with you on navy – it’s not really a neutral to me either, but that’s why i think it does pair well with color; it lends itself to color-blocking if you’re so inclined.
On the use-to-disintegration thing: check out Tom’s of Holland for the idea of visible repair, which I think is super cool: https://tomofholland.com/portfolio/ I’m not a talented seamstress, and I wouldn’t do this to a work dress, but I’ve been experimenting with visible repair on a pair of silk pajamas that I love and haven’t been able to find a suitable replacement for.
I aspire to be a birder!! I even have Merlin (from the Cornell lab) downloaded on my phone. But I’m so bad!!!
what about your backyard? do you have feeders up? that’s a good way to start, we don’t even have a “real” backyard, just a patio, but i have a platform feeder and another one out and love to watch the activity…
I aspire to be a birder too! I’m going to buy that National Geographic book and get started. I do a ton of hiking and always wonder what I see. We also have a great bird feeder and I always want to know what I’m looking at. I meant to post on your stripe post from the other day that I feel the same way, I love the idea of stripes but often find them too loud (or they bother my eyes). I need them to be “softer” and not jump around so much. I’m actually wearing a pink striped sweater today that is very subtle. I like the rag and bone top and might have to try that. Have a great weekend!
We feed hummingbirds – have a loyal following who go through 25# of sugar a season! Have hawks I adore (I love raptors!!) Haven’t had a regular feeder in a while – with our location we seem to get a lot anyway….it’s the ID where I get lost 😉
Nice post, Grechen – the Newsweek piece was very illuminating, and I wish you luck in your birding endeavors.
Those silver Chelsea oxfords have my eye – though they’re not what comes to mind when I think of an oxford style. They look fab no matter what you want to call them. The mules are gorgeous too but I’d never be able to keep them on my feet. I have a pair of silver sneakers (slip-on skater-type) that I use as commuting shoes, and I get more compliments on them than on any of my other footwear. I’m not sure why that is …
Becky again – I just bought that and a field guide to birds on Maui. I am ashamed to admit this, but basically I only know a Robin, Bluebird, Cardinal and Canada Geese. Pathetic – but I LOVE how once you discussed birding, there were some wonderful responses! I just joined the Michigan Audubon Society. And P.S. Those oxfords make me swoon!!
I am a major bird nerd. I used to live at the base of Kennesaw mountain, a migratory bird stopping point, and spent a ton of money every month on bird seed. One year I brought our Christmas tree out on the back deck, still in water, to examine it in better light, making sure I wasn’t forgetting any ornaments, and I ended up just leaving it there because the birds loved it. I would pour seed all over the tree a couple times a week, and watch the gang up close from my warm dinning room. I now split my time between coastal Florida and costal Maine, different birds Eagles, crows and Ravens mostly up in Maine and Herons, pipers, terns, pelicans and spoonbills here in Florida.
We have an owls that live all around our house in Florida, and I love lying in bed with the window open, playing a recording of the Barred Owl and listening to him call back to me. Bird nerd, and I’m only 39 ?
As for navy, I wear it all the time and treat it like a neutral. Black is scant in my wardrobe.
Yay!! Fellow bird nerd!! I climb kennesaw mountain every day when I visit my mom; growing up I lived 5 minutes away!!
And windows open, listening to the barred owl? Sounds like heaven. It’s such a beautiful call – I love to hear it.
I grew up in Marietta/Power Springs and lived as a grown person right off Kennesaw Ave!
My family is still there so I visit often, and there are many things I miss about the area…but not the traffic and congestion, that is what ultimatly drove me away. Small world ?
Love, love love your blog!
where did you go to high school? i went to sprayberry (graduated in 1990). my mom still lives in the house we moved to in 1986 and my sister lives down the street. small world indeed 🙂
agree on the congestion though, it’s bad…
wonderful!! absolutely don’t be ashamed…everyone has to start somewhere 😉
i think i may have to get those oxfords. although not sure why they’re calling them that…they’re more like a platform loafer IMO
true about the chelsea oxfords, don’t know why they’re calling them that.
i don’t seem to have a problem with mules really, but they’re definitely not a commuting shoe, or something you’d want to walk A LOT in. they’re more just to look chic & effortless LOL
silver! it’s the silver that’s gets so much attention. shiny things attract us; we’re like crows that way. (see what i did there??) lol
i think with the IDs it helps to have a real book you can flip through first, and just familiarize yourself with things and types of birds, you know? and then when you see something, you might remember that you saw it in the book somewhere and go back to look…that’s mostly why i prefer a book over an app – because i know how to easily find something in there.
you just have to be patient and watch. looking for beak size, little bits of color, or a lot of color, the size of the bird, how they walk or fly, the sounds they make, etc. etc., and then you’ll become addicted 😉
i LOVE to watch hummingbirds, they’re so funny!
oh, so excited 🙂 i think that’s why i caught on to birding so much, we would go hiking, etc. and i could not STAND to not know more about what i was seeing, hearing, etc. even wildflowers. i went on a few wildflower hikes which were fascinating…i’m thinking about trying to pay more attention to trees now too.
i am just hyper interested in everything around me wherever i am. to a fault sometimes…i’m TOO observant in some instances! so birding became a good outlet for that in a way, since i could observe and identify, and then sometimes solve the puzzles of identification. those are the most fun – the challenges!!
good luck birding!! and lmk if you get that rag & bone top. it’s in my cart…
I went to McEachern, class of 1995. My whole family, (brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, great aunts, ect) still live in the area too.
I totally feel you when you talk about missing your people, especially around holidays. I’m also married without kids, and have a unique sort of lifestyle. There are times it can be isolating. I’m introverted by nature, but I still like people, on my own terms 🙂 I find it harder to make friends as a grown up, when you don’t have children to bring you together. Also, I’m an over -sharer, if everyone didn’t already have that figured out! 😉
oh my gosh…yes. to all of that. it’s so hard being away from family. and SO TRUE that it’s harder to make friends as a grown up when you don’t have kids – i just don’t know how to do it! that’s why i’m trying to get more involved in birding, etc. here although i’m not sure i’ll encounter many people around my age doing that! you never know though i guess. i just have to try…
oversharer too *raises hand* – obviously 🙂 – man, i wish all of us introverts without kids could all get together and overshare together LOL (not that introverts with kids wouldn’t be welcome too…)
I hate to admit that I have always stereotyped bird watchers, mainly as those people in the extra unstylish outdoor gear…..you are breaking my stereotype on a lot of levels Grechen! I understand that birdwatching can be significantly more exciting than one might think, I always get excited when a hawk lands near me, and was pretty happy with myself when I spotted a grouse while backpacking with my dad during college.
I grew up in the CA wine country on a year-round creek and didn’t appreciate the diversity of birds I grew up with until a few years ago. Hearing the thumping of a great blue heron landing or taking off isn’t a daily occurrence for most. I still find hummingbirds annoying though. My childhood bedroom was next to a massive vine that was infested with hummingbirds, which were disturbingly violent to one another. Nowadays I live in the high desert and miss the abundance of avian action I grew up with. Luckily I enjoy gardening and have a rather lush front yard by comparison to most of my neighborhood, which makes me popular with the birds. I’m also in a semi-urban area so I get a odd mix of hawks, woodpeckers, and overly tamed doves.
Hi Grechen! Thanks so much for the Goodwin love – really appreciate the shoutout! The ES duster is a good one and has been a popular item already. 🙂 Love your thoughtful posts! xE
Way to go, Becky! You’ll get hooked. It’s so exciting spotting a new bird and then knowing you’ve identified it correctly!
Oh man, so many things to love about this post! First, I feel like black DOES pair well with color…I do it sometimes. So does Eileen Fisher. And I trust her judgement. But then again, Jenna Lyons is one of my style icons! (It’s the height and non-traditional beauty.)
*I love “The Great” striped tee…so basic and yet special. I might have to have it!
*A pair of Freda Salvador shoes is on my wish list for Fall. Not sure which ones, since I love them all.
*I think I remember that skirt…Was it by Bailey 44? I could see you wearing the one by ATM quite well.
*As for birding, I think a lot of us here have owned-up to our inner bird nerd….Not so alone after all. I grew up in Wisconsin with a dad that encouraged love and respect for nature, including all wild animals but especially birds. I have a special memory of going out for a hike with my dad and sitting absolutely mesmerized while a marsh hawk hovered over our heads eyeing its prey! Then I married a man who went to college for a Natural Resources degree and he taught me the scientific names of plants, including trees (He was a Forest Ranger) & wild flowers, plus, bird watching became one of our shared hobbies in the northern woods of Wisconsin. I started a life list soon after we got married (22…how’s that for young birder?) and I lost track of it in our many moves. I always used A Field Guide to the Birds by Roger Tory Peterson (from 1934). I STILL use it, although the birds out here on the tip of Long Island tend to be quite different from the song birds, cranes and raptors of my youth. I still get excited when I spot an Osprey, an egret or gannets diving for fish over the ocean. It’s a life long hobby! Do you have a favorite bird? Mine is the Sandhill Crane. I look forward to hearing their prehistoric cry in the corn field next to my parent’s house when I go home to visit in October.
Hi Gretchen! Great post today! Love your blog. Read it every day even tho I don’t comment much! Yes, I have been a ‘birder’ for over 30 years! My daughter has carried on my passion, and she hikes and photographs birds, identifying them all! I will share with her the excerpts above re: birding. Also wanted to let you know I have bought SEVERAL Elizabeth Suzann pieces lately. But even though I am known for all of the ‘vests’ I own, I am not a fan of that ‘fog’ color. Too washed out for my skin tone. I also love Freda Salvador shoes – LOVE THEM! but try to hold out for a sale or promo. I do like both of those silver pairs!
Sadly I do not know anything about birding (but do live on Maui and also lived on Oahu). I’m so happy to have read this though as I received binoculars as a anniversary gift from work. They are just sitting, never used, but I think I’ll pull them out to watch the 50+ lovebirds that nestle in a palm each evening at sunset across the street from my house. It’s quite a sight, people stop their cars to look. We’re not sure of the history but do speculate they are the descendants of abandoned pet birds.
hi suzy! thanks for commenting this time 🙂
will definitely wait for a coupon, freda salvador usually does a great F&F discount/black friday code…
Hi Grechen , so sorry to hear you were disappointed by the pants. If you care about American made, natural fibers, and stuff that is good for you and the environment, you should definitely try Amour Vert again 🙂 Btw, we are known for our impossibly soft stripes tees and we have a brand new Texas-grown organic cotton fabric that makes the coolest striped tees. it’s so good that it’s sold out right now but it will be back in stock soon. Stay tuned. xx linda