Coral Red Obsession: Boden Macrame Top

There are some colors that we simply cannot resist. For me, it is coral red.  Now, blue is my favorite color, I love certain shades of (blue based) green and I own plenty of neutrals.  But coral red is the color that can make me forgive other imperfections or justify a splurge, especially when it comes to a top or a dress.  How about you, do you have a weakness for certain shades?

I ordered this Macrame linen top from Boden quite a while ago.  However, my initial order never arrived, so I have to call customer service to get a replacement. I finally received my order and I love this top.

 

I don't buy much from Boden these days but what originally attracted me to them was exactly this style items, fun, easy to wear, casual and feminine without being too sweet.  When I saw this top I immediately wanted to wear it with denim,  I thought it would make a perfect outfit when you want to look casual but still pretty. 

Sorry about the hair, I was on my way to the hair salon, lol

The color did not disappoint me, the print is lovely and the neckline flattering.  It is linen, so it is quite breezy, despite longer sleeve length and it feels very comfortable.

It is just long enough to fall to the hip on me.  I love this length, enough to give me some coverage but short enough not too look like a tunic.

Overall, I think it is a great top.  I would recommend it if you like this style and it is now now sale and still available in many sizes.

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Do you have a color that would make you buy something for the sake of it?

Have you bought anything from Boden's sale?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Happy Fourth (plus review of Boden's T-Bar Demi Wedges)!!!

Just a very quick post today to wish everybody who is celebrating Happy Fourth of July!!!

I've always liked the Independence Day, such a fun holiday. We have parade and fireworks in the evening here and will have some BBQ on the deck in the afternoon, all fun and games and usual Fourth of July fare, I never get tired of it.

Of course I had to wear red, white and blue! And pewter.

My sandals are from Boden. I ordered them after I did not like J.Crew Allies (see my review here).  These are perfect.  I sized down one size after reading reviews and it was a good call. They are all leather, including the lining, like all Boden shoes.  Pewter is somewhere between gold and silver (but closer to silver) which makes them very versatile. I like the wedge and they are very comfortable. Price was reasonable too, about $73 with the discount.
 

I am off now to put something on the grill, have fun everybody!!!

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Are you celebrating today?

Following Patterns

My previous post was about sticking with basic shapes and neutral color palette but I did mention that I love color and pattern. In fact, nothing makes me fall in love in an item of clothing faster than a beautiful print.

Oilily top, previously seen HERE

The problem with beautiful print is that, because it is visually stunning, it tends to get all the attention and sometimes more attention than a wearer. If the print is also whimsical it only exacerbates the issue.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be remembered as a 'chicken lady'. Another issue is that striking prints are very 'memorable', so you cannot wear them too often. That's the reason I usually don't pack prints when I travel, especially when I want to pack light.

Our friend WMM has recently blogged about personal style and how she never has a problem choosing the way to decorates her house, but it is quite a different story when it comes to choosing her clothes. I can totally relate to Wendy.  I even blogged about decorating my house the way I dress (see it HERE). Sometimes, I want to buy something just to stare at it in my closet. But that's not very smart. Much better to buy a beautiful vase.

Instead of  'Bondage' dress

I guess having conversational pieces in the house is OK, because this is what they are meant for. But dressing should be more seamless imo. Even in the house, you don't want to crowd beautiful architectural details with too many objects, no matter how beautiful they are. But at least you have a bigger surface to work with, almost anything can look good with the right scale and proportions.

As an example, I love this fabric of my Living Room curtains, but I would not buy a dress in this print. A scarf would be beautiful. But I don't want people to stare at my butt to have a closer look at the baby chicks. Paisleys are another story, nobody cares to examine them closer.

My favorite trick to 'casualize' a printed dress and make it less memorable is to wear it as a skirt, with a sweater. This also extends the season for sleeveless dresses.

This print combination is more abstract, so something like this is is very doable in clothes.

 

Up until about 2010, I never thought that leopard can be so neutral and quiet but I have no qualms wearing this skirt. Or, maybe I am just the right age for The Leopard. I am thinking about Visconti here, what were you thinking ;)

What about black, white and gray in the house? Well, I usually gravitate towards warmer tones in decorating but here is (a fragment of) what is hanging over my mantel. It has a striking texture to it, that I could not capture in the the picture.

This painting sometimes spooks some visitors but never fear, I have some whimsical touches to lighten the mood.

Ori has come to my kitchen all the way from Israel, I love staring at him when I cook. Much better than staring at beautiful skirt in the closet, don;t you think?

And here is my nod toward my penchant for a little drama. Here is how I translated it into outfit.

No, I wasn't actually trying to create an outfit inspired by a poster. This would be something straight from Project Runway. I just happened to look at the pictures and saw a correlation. I suppose this just proves that I am drawn to similar colors whether picking an outfit or decorating, maybe more often than I thought. 

This outfit is a reverse of Terra Paisley one above. This is a 'skirt as a dress', while the other was a 'dress as a skirt', but it works about the same. Large expanses of pattern scare me a little, so I try to neutralize by wearing everything else in the same color, or at least in neutrals.

I thought at first that I might wear the burgundy Stuart Weitzman boots but after trying them on I opted for navy MacAlisters. The boots created a split focus in this outfit and were cutting off my legs with colorblock effect I did not care for.

Btw, do you see the white smudges in last two pictures? This is snow!!! It was pretty light in the morning but are in the middle of the blizzard here. Right now it feels very cozy to be inside and drink hot chocolate but I only hope we do not loose electricity....

Fade to black and white...

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That's all folks!

What do you think of a correlation between dressing and decorating?
Do you wear prints? 
Do you feel like you need to somehow neutralize them or are you a fearless soul?

Is it snowing were you are?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!! 

Sweater dresses

There is something snuggly and cozy about sweater dresses. They are warm, comfortable, easy to throw on with boots and be ready. But in reality, sweater dresses may also be unflattering, unforgiving, adding bulk everywhere and easily turning into shapeless sacks.

I am a big fan in theory but irl, not so much.

In general, I avoid sweater dressed for reasons mentioned above but sometimes I could not resist. This was the case  with J.Crew cashmere Fiori dress from 2009.  I loved the silver gray shown in the stock picture but since I already owned a gray sweater dress (see below), I decided to go with black.

I was not disappointed when I received it, it was exactly what I was looking for.

It has just the right length and it is not cut too low. The slightly a-line skirt does not get out of shape by the end of the day.  The rosette is subtle and eliminates a need for a necklace but makes the dress more elegant. However, I have worn it with boots to the office without feeling overdressed.  Miraculously, it does not pill.

 

I took a smaller of my sizes (S) and the dress was still roomy at first, but after I washed it couple of times, it shrunk a little and become more fitted but not too small. Btw, I hate dry cleaning and I wash all my cashmere with regular detergent on gentle cycle and air dry. It shrinks a little but other than that, I did not have any problems. I actually think it pills less after washing. You just have to be careful, so you don't throw it in the dryer with the rest of the load. I learned that the hard way. However, putting it in the dryer for 5 minutes to fluff works well.

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I am wearing the dress with my Nottingham boots and Boulevard coat in sandstone. I love this coat and I hope J.Crew will come back with the classic Boulevard silhouette next year. I don't like the cut of the one they did this year, although some of the colors are beautiful.

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My other sweater dress is even older (2007?) and I bought it from Boden. I used to buy much more from them in those years.

This is 100% thick, ribbed merino wool with not a single pill in sight. It is not itchy and merino can bother me. I got it in size 10 but it is still roomy in hips. The length is good but the neck is rather exposed, which is a slight problem in the winter when I want to be covered up. What I like about it (besides the color and 100% merino) is that it reads quite casual.  I am not DaniBP (I wish) but I can wear this dress around the house and feel comfortable.  

Also wearing Ryder boots and Tillary purse (review HERE).

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That's all folks!

Do you like/wear sweater dresses?
Do you own J.Crew Fiori dress?

Do you wash your cashmere and merino?


Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Ghosts of the Shopping Past

There was a time when J.Crew was just a store in the mall selling rather unattractive critter chinos, silly belts and overpriced polo shirts. I was shopping in different stores then. I wasn't buying anything online. My basics came from places like Banana Republic and Ann Taylor, but overall, I was wearing much bigger variety of brands. Somehow, it seems to me that I was a happier shopper then, rarely returning anything and choosing clothes based simply on how they looked on me and how much I wanted to spend.  I did not worry about borrowing from the boys and I did not obsess over sweaters coming from top secret mills and too short polyester dresses with exorbitant price tags.

Of course I made many shopping mistakes but since I was much more discriminating  and shopped much less, many of my clothes from that time period are my favorites. 

Everything in this outfit is at several years old and comes  from "inspired by your daughter" phase, aka Raising Little Fashionistas period. The top is made by Oilily, a brand mostly known for their children's line but they made wonderful clothes for women as well. They are pricey but their quality is impeccable and if you feel like splurging on something 'boho', their stuff is better made and more original than anything you could get at Anthropologie. 

The skirt is from Janeville, another store owned by children's brand, this time Gymboree. Their stores were only open for a few years (I think between 2003 and 2008), so I guess they were not a success story, but I quite liked them and bough a few things from them that are still my favorites.

My boots, to continue the theme of children's brands, are from Boden and I featured them previously here. Well, Boden did not really start out making kids clothes, but this is how I came to know them Before I bought anything Boden for myself, I bought a lot of Mini Boden for my younger daughter.
 

My bag is not that old, maybe 3 or 4 years and it is by (totally adult) Coach. I suppose there are not that many children's purse designers

I think I prefer this fuchsia bird to any French hens.

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That's all Folks!

What are the ghosts of your shopping past? Or have you been always been shopping at the same stores?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Faking it

The fall has finally settled in my corner of the world and the leaves are starting to turn. I love this time of the year and it makes me crave all the autumnal, warm color combinations..

I have bought this faux fur vest two years ago but never got around to wearing it too much.  I was determined to start using it more this year. Previously, I have worn it with jeans, but I decided it will also work with a dress. This is Linda wrap sweater dress from Diane Von Furstenberg (also worn here and in fact it looked very similar, after I took off the vest and scarf). I love DVF wrap dresses and my favorite thing about this one is that although it is a print (which is easier to wear in wrap style if you body is not model quality) it is neutral and not very memorable.

 
All the element of this outifit are old, fur vest and boots by Boden, bag by Banana Republic, scarf by Barbour, sunglasses by Ray Ban, gloves by Lord and Tailor. Nothing by J.crew this time.

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Do you wear faux fur?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Boden or Pretty in Prints

Before I started shopping extensively at J.Crew, I used to buy much more at Boden. I got into Boden after buying Mini Boden during my childrenswear obsession, that I blogged about HERE.

Boden clothes are cheerful and feminine, geared toward stay-at-home moms and weekend wear. It was a nice escape for me, at the time when my Banana Republic/Theory wardrobe was full of trousers, solid button downs and menswear inspired blazers.

I haven't bought anything from Boden in the last year, but they have a lot of cute stuff for spring and summer in the current collection. The items I will share with you are not current, but Boden continues to make certain staples with almost identical cuts and fabrics. I have added links to similar items in current collection, but if you explore the website, you will find even more.

Hotchpotch Top, Similar HERE

UK size 14, Tailored

UK size 12

Crinkle Top,  Size Medium

Similar top in solid  HERE 

Whimsically printed button downs is something that Boden also does very well.

The fit of their shirts is similar to J.Crew. I was always size 12 in Boden tops. They have since switched to US sizing but size 12 falls somewhere in between US size 6 and 8, which worked perfectly for me. I think they currently translate UK size 12 to size 8 US.

Essential shirt in mustard yellow, similar HERE

Essential shirt in red

Essential shirt in red

The essential shirts usually have some details in other fabrics, mustard shirt has pink trim around neck and cuffs, red shirt has brown trim and purple flower print has green trim around the collar and inside of the cuffs in the same print but in green. This is nice touch when you turn your cuffs up.

Other shirts that I was buying in multiples were their crinkle jersey shirts. They are so comfortable, it is basically a t-shirt but cut like a button down.

They usually do them in 3/4 sleeve in the spring and long sleeves in the fall.

Size Medium, 3/4 sleeve

Crinkle Jersey shirt, similar HERE

Long Sleeve Version

You can wear it crinkled or you can iron it

Boden makes great colorful linen tunics, perfect for resort vacations. The print below reminds me of Lily Pulitzer.

Size 12 with hem let down

Perfect summer vacation tunic dress, similar  HERE

And if you need super comfy jersey dress that feels like a nightgown but can also go to a casual office, Boden may just be a place to look:

Size 12, shortened, similar HERE

Comfy like a nightgown but put together

And of course nobody does a playful, feel good, retro print better than Boden. Now, I have to admit that I loved this print but I was not too happy with the fit of the dress. It is cut low and high waisted, more suited to those who are pear shaped. But it works with the cashmere wrap from Banana Republic (very old).

Fun print

Low cut, but OK for vacations

I would say Boden's signature dress fit is fitted in the shoulders and accentuating the chest area, then skimming over the waist and draping slightly a-line around the hips. This works for many shapes and it is one of the most flattering, feminine cuts. 

Boden clothes don't look borrowed from the boys. Their dresses are made for women, not girls. Boden is imo not so great with color, they use color a lot but some of their combinations are jarring. Same goes for prints, some a great and some are just too whimsical or too retro and after a while it may get repetitive, but if you like prints in general, you will should be able to find something you love at Boden.

Last but not least: shoes!

Boden does have some great shoes. Their ballet flats are leather lined, padded an dwith leather soles, They fit me better than J.Crew ballets and they have some great colors. Again, I am size 8.5 in J.Crew heels and 8 in ballet flats but I am always size 39 in Boden (and other Euro shoes).

I like the slightly higher vamp and velvet bows

Padded and leather lined, similar HERE

That's all folks

I own more of each category above, plus skirts, jackets, pants, t-shirts, bags and even coats from Boden. I have been equally happy with fit and quality. Compare to J.Crew, there were very few items that I returned, probably around 10%. Their returns are free most of the time with the code and all shipments come with pre-printed return labels and resealable bags but you have to wait about 10 days for them to be processed. Their site features reviews and their customer service is wonderful in my experience. The shipping time was about one week for me to NJ.

Their prices are similar to J.Crew and they also have some very good discounts and sales. If the colors and prints appeal to you i would recommend them. For deals, promo codes and more up to date reviews check Dina's blog HERE.

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Have you bought anything from Boden?

Do you like their clothes?

Please share, there would be no fun without you!!!