Earlier this summer I prepared to go into Nordstrom Rack like it was a full on warzone. I chugged water in the parking lot since masks don’t have a resealable straw hole. I wore latex purple gloves with of course, a yellow boho top in hopes I would be mistaken for Barnacle Boy on my little outing. I tried to brush the fabric of items I was considering on my knee so I could actually feel what I was buying. I turned my phone on silent to keep me from touching it with my store glove hands. This was tough because when I shop alone I love to send others pics for approval. I put my hair up – prepared to do some damage, but somehow it committed mutiny and unraveled. I looked disheveled doing a basic human activity. And honestly, I came outta there feeling like I was just in combat. Sweaty with adrenaline pumping. This is one shopping experience I will never forget.
I genuinely wanted to go and just putz around; I didn’t need anything obviously, I wasn’t going anywhere. I just desperately missed the activity of shopping. …but then the entire store was 40% off the lowest sale price. Everything was final sale and trying on was a no-no therefore, I mainly shopped for tops because they have the most standardized sizing across brands. Pants, dresses, and jackets scare me because the fit is always different for every brand and every style. But that did not stop me from falling in love with a pair of pink and black denim pants in European sizing. I totally eyeballed the size; because $10 jeans. I’ll grow into them eventually.
Without further ado I present, my Great Shopping Haul of 2020!
What I’m Buying + How I’m Wearing it:
1. Collared Shirts: A point collar for 2020? Shocking! I know everyone out there is saying: “she’s crazy for this one.” But, frankly, I’m over all the new legging lines companies are introducing. I kinda just want to yell:, “Pocketed leggings are already a thing, we get it, we already own 5 pairs, and we love them, but we don’t need anymore - stop pushing it down my throat!” This little collection I pieced together are real clothes for real women who despite what’s going on outside, want to feel real good staying home. And let’s face it, collared shirts will never be this discounted again. Because a white collared shirt under a tunic or dress is too, for lack of a better word, “buttoned up” for my tastes, I go for head-turning prints. Recently, kaleidoscope 70s prints with a long wrist cuff for scrunching have caught my eye. Anything silky that is soft on the skin feels just as comfortable as the tank or tee you are likely living in. Pair with all the jewelry or one simple piece and call it a day.
My absolute favorite way to wear a collared shirt however, is completely unbuttoned, loose and long, in lieu of a cardigan. This look always reminds me of a sunset walk on the beach.
2020 Shopping Tip #1: Stock up on all your capsule pieces. (You know? Those sustainable basics you wear time and time again.) Seek out quality buys at low prices because, the “higher end” a label is, the more likely they are hurting and the more likely they are practically giving away their products. Take advantage and tell your friends!
2.Smock Tops: To clarify, I am talking about a top that looks like an actual smock - not smocking. A top that requests the wearer to provide their own shape yet, flatters us all. Smocks are mainly worn by artists and babies to keep their clothes clean; so why not turn this garment on its head and make the smock just your daily top? The outcome: super. duper. comfortable and machine washable. Always a plus. What makes a top comfortable to lounge in is yes, the fabric, but also the shape. This fall, search for longer length tunic tops that cover your butt so you can add your favorite leggings and tall nude suede boots, yet look like you put in much more effort. If you are online shopping for a smock, opt for one with a slitted side hem to avoid a stiff, frumpy appearance. Also, tweed continues to be my everything and I am so obsessed with this top from Max Studio. Max Studio’s lines are 80% off now at Neiman Marcus Last Call, plus Sak’s Off 5th, and Nordstrom Rack.
2020 Shopping Tip #2: Comfortable pieces are not mutually exclusive with athleisure. (Though if you are looking to amp up your athleisure game, last week’s article is for you: Click Here. It is obvious my smock top was derived from a crewneck sweatshirt, heck, you can even style it with liquid leggings and sneakers and have it perceived as poised. There is a plethora of comfortable apparel out there just waiting to be styled!
3. Buttons: So I’ve had a thing for buttons for a few months now but wasn’t quite sure how to talk about it. There are a few types of buttons I love but the top dog - especially on tops, dresses, and outerwear, are the rounded fabric ones. Like a handle top handbag or a gold chain, they make whatever they’re sewn on more regal. I am actually trying to come up with a way to work different types of buttons into the jewelry I make. Thoughts?
This button fetish led me to the top I plan to wear for my likely-to-be-cancelled, office Christmas party. But, look at this bad boy? It was fate. Like we belong together and I will look like a present wearing this in the not so near future.
2020 Shopping Tip #3: The Devil’s in the details is not just a cliche saying, it is actually true. Never settle for ordinary clothes, always look for extra oomf!
Bonus: Stars & Stars: I’m feelin’ celestial! Any whimsical print with even the bittiest star is something that catches my attention. So much so, sun, and moons, and stars, and planets are about the only prints on my Fall Fashion 2018 Pinterest board. Replacing a simple dot with a star or subbing a comet for a stripe is intergalactic planetary. Pair with glitter in the form of those face shine creams everyone is talking about.
Of course, shopping has changed! Fashion has always been about switching it up and creating new and it will continue to be as such.
I remember that shopping trip!