James Perse long dress – couple of years old | seen here, and here
Rag & Bone sandals | also a couple years old
I’ve worn this dress a couple of times recently and am always stunned at how great it is when I wear it. It’s quite warm for summer (it’s the brushed jersey, and double layered), but I love the neckline and the arm openings and the teeny tiny front pockets. I’ve thought about getting it hemmed because it’s a bit long, but for fall/winter this length works well, and I love to layer it with cashmere cardigans and sneakers. I’ve gotten quite a lot of wear out of this dress over the last couple of years I’ve had it (I think I bought it fall 2014).
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not always easy to tell what you will love and wear many times and what you won’t at the moment of purchase. Every single time I buy something I analyze and overanalyze, trying to make sure that I will get my cost down to a reasonable cost-per-wear (I’m not sure what that is, really, although maybe $1? or less ideally…) and when I make the decision to buy anything, I envision keeping and wearing it for many years. And you all KNOW that doesn’t always happen!!
Of course I believe in conscious & responsible shopping; not indulging in fast-fashion, and considering things carefully before you buy, but at the end of the day, you can do that, and still end up with something you don’t love or want to wear anymore. Such is life, growth, and the passage of time. I’ve learned only recently to let go of the guilty feelings I have after purchasing and not wearing things for as long as I thought I would. I try to learn from my sartorial mistakes, and not repeat them, of course, but in general, I feel okay about the system I have going now; passing on things I don’t wear anymore to my sister, friends or selling on SLOWRE 🙂
Do you notice a system, or similarities at all among the things you buy and don’t wear? or do you just cycle styles out over time? Do you wear things forever?
Happy Tuesday 🙂 Hope you enjoyed your long weekend. I’m back home late tonight from helping out with my mom. Who, as it turns out, didn’t need much help at all; she’s fiercely independent, but it was nice to be here and spend time with her. My father and step-mom were also here for my nephew’s birthday, so I got to see everyone this trip, which was very nice. But then, it’s so hard to say goodbye….
Grechen, you look fabulous in that dress! I wish I snagged this JP style when it was still available myself.
I’ve been shopping A LOT these last few months only b/c I was pretty tired of what I had in my closet and wanted to sort of “revamp” my wardrobe. I think I tire of the clothes with busy prints on them that I have in my closet. I definitely have been wearing more solids and neutrals lately and just dress them up with scarves or jewelry. My goal now IS to wear what I’ve purchased forever (or at least for a good 8-10 years!) That’s why I have been totally okay with purchasing some better quality pieces, like JP, Elizabeth Suzann (who you turned me on to), Eileen Fisher, and a few Everlane pieces.
That’s a great dress.
I realized the other day that I actually have a few items in my closet that date from the late 90s (I can narrow it down because I lived in a foreign country then.) In fact, I’ve got an entire outfit: a blazer, a light jacket, a dress, and shoes. And since the 90s are apparently on trend right now, I can truly show The Youths how the 90s was done!
With the exception of the shoes, these are items that I wore occasionally but always liked enough to keep. (And more crucially, they were sized generously to fit at very thin and less thin stages.) The shoes I wore into the ground, but they were exceptional and have been to a cobbler many times. Everything was from nicer designers except for the light jacket, which randomly was from H&M and probably cost the equivalent of $10, and remains perfect.
It still remains hard for me to predict which clothing items are going to stand the test of time. A few things I bought with an eye towards keeping forever just don’t fit anymore. A few things were total impulse purchases from someplace like Uniqlo, including a dress I love and still wear despite the fact that it has holes. A few expensive items I purchased thinking I’d found The One ended up to be not great.
While I’d generalize and say that good shoes and dresses with slightly weird silhouettes are where I have the most success, it’s still a crapshoot so I just hope for the best…
thanks to you, I have discovered the James Perse dresses and dare to wear them (sometimes). I think the fit is amazing. You look beautiful in this dress by the way. I think James Perse dresses have a lasting power like very few items in my closet do besides Petit Bateau sailor shirts (mariniere), Ralph Lauren oxford shirts (only available out the Polo outlets), and Rachel Comey Mars boots. Recently I discovered the sweater by Ibex, a great brand of merino active wear. It looks great on the James Perse dresses, currently on Sale at their website.