James Perse ruched double-v neck dress | here’s one on eBay in size 4
James Perse boxy collage top | size 2, on sale for $69
Rag & Bone quinn sandals | true to size, on sale for $195
Jerome Dreyfuss Florent backpack | review here
Margot Wolf necklace
So, yesterday was my big day out this week: I had to go to Nordstrom to return my leggings, to LUSH for deodorant, and to get my hair colored. Since everything is relatively close to each other, and 25 minutes away from where I live, I combined it all. This always leaves me hungry and cranky at the end, especially since my color takes A LONG TIME (three hours) and I built in time to shop the Nordstrom anniversary sale in person.
I did want to try on these Zella capri leggings to see if they would be a good pair for running this summer, but they really didn’t work. Zella is always just “off” for me…but these were too long on me (I wanted them to be just under the knee, as shown) and not compressive enough. And I checked out everything else, but really wasn’t tempted by much. If I had more money to spend, I would only have spent it on this Vince sweater; it was such a great fit, just what I want for fall. The suede Vince shoes were very nice looking in person, in all colors, but I don’t need another pair. I do think I found my fall/winter shoes though – these Bogart flats (also by Vince, of course) caught my eye, and were the softest leather. Also, this bag by French Connection was pretty amazing. It’s poly, so it will travel well, had lots of compartments, and looks MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE than $64.
I was quite overwhelmed actually, and nervous, as this was my first “shopping” trip since implementing our household austerity measures! I was so emotional – it was weird, honestly, and I couldn’t wait to get out of the mall. I was trying to analyze too much; to be aware of what I was feeling, and why, so I could understand my patterns better.
I know that if this had been a few months ago, I would have left with more stuff. I probably would have bought a nail polish from Chanel, maybe a bra, and this top at Madewell I’ve been wanting. Then, I would go home, put everything away, and come down from the high. Which many times WAS what shopping/buying is for me: a high. Even with online shopping, I would sometimes get an adrenaline rush leading up to hitting “checkout” and then hit a low afterwards. This doesn’t happen every time – only when I know beforehand that I shouldn’t be buying anything, and that I will regret it later. Which of course didn’t keep me from still DOING IT!! ugh.
That was then, this is now. I know this will be quite a struggle for me, but I’ll be happy to have finally reached a place of “peace” with regard to my shopping habits.
Happy Friday 🙂
Products mentioned from Nordstrom:
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That outfit looks great on you! I did finally order a few things from the Nordstrom sale yesterday – work clothing – so we’ll see how it looks & fits when it gets here. If I have to return anything, I’ll try to get to the store before the sale ends. But looking in person could be a lot more dangerous – I almost never go to the mall, maybe once a year? But there are some pieces I saw online and I have no idea how they would fit – would be nice to try on. But my store is pretty small so not sure anything would be there anyway….
Sounds like you are making good, well-thought out choices. I read your entry right after reading the Recovering Shopaholic’s blog and was struck by how very similar some of your thoughts were to hers today.
thanks kelly – i hope your order works out.
looking in person can go either way for me, either i’m in the “mood” to shop and will buy everything that fits, or i’m not, and can’t be bothered to even try anything on!!
oh, well, i must go read it then! i haven’t taken a look over there in a few days…
i’m trying amy, thank you 🙂
Sort of the symptoms of any addiction, right? I am so happy to read you wrestling with this, and I really thank you sharing it all.
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Thats a V for victory!!! You made it through the mall maze without over-indulging. I’m proud of you.
I’ve had that white Madewell tunic “in my cart” for quite some time, until I realized it’s SO similar to the oversized Madewell button-front….and I really don’t NEED it.
I successfully avoided shopping during a trip to East Hampton this week, which is a big victory for me. I just took my Starbuck’s iced coffee, sat on a bench and waited for my girl to do her shopping. And I was perfectly content. 🙂
Love, love, love the outfit and the hair!
In case anyone is interested in a review of the James Perse Stretch Cotton Linen Trench ($159, down from $395) in the James Perse sale that’s ending soon, I wrote a comment on the sale/swap post.
Love your outfit Grechen!! You did have a very efficient day and got many things done. Cheers 😉
Oh, the Anniversary Sale…always a challenge for one reason or another. Quick question — how would you say the Vince slip on sneakers run? I’m thinking about ordering a pair and I tend to be between sizes.
i haven’t tried them on, but in my experience all vince shoes run a 1/2 size large – i think another reader ordered them and found the same thing…i’m a pretty true 8 and the 7.5 fit me PERFECTLY. i’m not sure what to do if you’re between sizes though.
Oh, I thought you had a pair for some reason. The reviews I’ve seen have mentioned stretching, so I think I’ll go with the smaller size. Thanks!
Jessica @ Beautify My Life´s last blog post ..{Sale alert} The 2014 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is on!
i don’t have the suede ones, just the “blair” haircalf sneakers from last year. i’m sure they run similar in size. i wondered about stretching, but i don’t see how they could? the suede is only on the top…i guess they would give a little…
I should have caught this earlier. I ordered two sizes of the Vince sneakers from the Nordstrom sale because I was unsure about the fit. I have a couple pair of the Nina d’Orsay flats, and I am definitely half size down from my usual. However, I picked up the Milo loafers earlier in the season in my true size. I don’t think of myself having a wide foot, but the Vince Bowen’s run a bit narrow on me. So the ‘half size down’ (7) fits, but fits in a barefoot kind of way. I kept them on my feet while I was working on my computer, and I couldn’t decide if I was getting a bit of a snug shoe ache from them. (Do remember the pony tail ache from childhood high pony tails? It was that for my feet). My regular size (7.5) was long. But they were snug, so they didn’t feel long. I like to wear socks in the fall and winter, and these were definitely the right size for my socks. I suppose this means I should probably return both pair, but I am actually tempted to keep both pair. The larger pair is in black, and I know that will be so practical. I am quite smitten by the ‘black cherry’ color, which is a beautiful bordeaux. Hope this helps someone out.
I got mine yesterday and completely agree with you — length was fine, but they were VERY tight. I loved the look of them, but even on sale they were too expensive for me to hold on to and hope that they stretch. Very sad.
I guess I’ll just have to comfort myself with the Loeffler Randall clutch that’s being delivered tomorrow 😉
The above was meant to be a reply to Christina’s post about the Vince flats, in case that’s not obvious!
Jessica @ Beautify My Life´s last blog post ..My early Fall 2014 wish list