Want | Winter is coming

No matter how much I try to avoid thinking about it, no matter how many deals I make with God, there’s simply nothing I can do about it: winter is coming and all I can do is prepare myself for the unavoidable.

So here are the items I’ll need to face the dark days ahead… A new coat:

Double-cloth belted trench coat - J. Crew

Double-cloth belted trench coat – J. Crew

A couple weeks ago, I received my J. Crew’s catalogue and in it they had this great double-cloth trench coat. I want it and surprisingly, I don’t want it in black: I want it in green. For some reason, I’m loving this green – or warm olive as they call it. Maybe it has to do with the way they put the entire outfit together, because I’m also loving the pink skirt and lime green sweater underneath. Scary. Still, I feel like this green coat would most certainly ease the pain of having to bury myself under layers and layers of clothes for the next 6 months.

A cashmere sweater:

Collection relaxed cashmere pullover sweater - J. Crew

Collection relaxed cashmere pullover sweater – J. Crew

Winter. In. Canada. Do I really have to explain why I need a cashmere sweater? Actually, why should I have to explain why one needs a cashmere anything? I love the relaxed, drapey fit of this sweater, as well as its high neck – very important when you teach in a high school. Oh and by the way, I might have opened the door to warm olive, but the door is definitely closed when it comes to warm sepia. I’ll take my cashmere sweater in black, thank you.

Just about everything from the present COS collection, but especially their wide-leg leather pants:

Wide-leg leather pants - COS

Wide-leg leather pants – COS

Wide-leg leather pants - COS

Wide-leg leather pants – COS

Not much warmth there, but, unlike the other items on my list, they have the merit of being the only thing that I don’t already own in other shape or form. Plus I can see myself dressing them up with heels and that aforementioned cashmere sweater, as well as dressing them down with a pair of ballerines or a pair of sneakers. And that aforementioned cashmere sweater – at $289, I’ll wear it everyday if you let me.

New heels:

Tornaydo - Nine West

Tornaydo – Nine West

I know I know, I won’t be able to wear these heels in the snow but I’m thinking Christmas party, New Year’s Eve party… any party. They’re great shoes – with quite an unfortunate name, but great shoes nevertheless. I’ve always been a fan of Nine West: it’s my go-to brand for comfortable and reasonably-priced shoes. And these ones are no exception. It’s really a shame that, since their store locations are closing one after the other, it’s getting harder and harder to find Nine West shoes in Montreal. There’s always The Bay, but they never seem to carry the most interesting models…

A new tote:

Izzy Large Reversible Leather Tote

Izzy Large Reversible Leather Tote – Micheal Kors

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been walking around with a bag from My Other Bag – my grocery bag as Habibi calls it. I bought it because first of all, I’ve never seen a reusable bag I didn’t like: last December, when I was in Los Angeles, I made it a point to go Whole Foods – not for the food, but because I know that they always have the cutest reusable grocery bags. Same thing happened when I went to Paris, I grocery-shopped at Carrefour and left with over-priced food and a reusable bag. They’re my go-to souvenir when I travel and ask Habibi, I own way too many to count. I also had to buy that particular one because it had a print of a Goyard tote on it – a brand that I of course love (there’ll be more on my love of all things Goyard in a later post). So I bought it on a whim at hr2 and I ended up using it everyday because it’s so practical: wallets, agenda, my 2 sets of keys, laptop, snacks – unlike my usual purse where choices always have to be made because nothing ever fits! But winter is coming and that means that my beige canvas bag has to go. Hence, the Izzy Tote.

 

Happy shopping everyone!

Wish | Stuart Weitzman Lowland boots

Earlier this month, I was raving about the Margaux flats. But the temperatures have since dropped and we have now officially entered boot season – which brings me to the newest item on my wish list: the Lowland boot by Stuart Weitzman.

Lowland - Stuart Weitzman

Lowland – Stuart Weitzman

I own the 5050 boot in black Napa and really thought that they were perfection – great with dresses, skirts, skinny jeans and leggings – until I saw the Lowland. It could have to do with its almond toe-shape or its back tie. It could also simply have to do with the fact that I don’t own a pair. Yet. In any case, I’m getting more and more obsessed with the Lowland and I’m (not-so) secretly trying to find a way to destroy/lose/give away my 5050 so I can have a reason to purchase them…

As for you, I strongly suggested that you take a look at Stuart Weitzman’s Fall Boot Guide: it’ll definitely make you appreciate – if not look forward to October and November.

Oh, by the way, deep down inside I really want these boots:

But nothing about them say “Hi! I’m your kid’s French teacher.” Nothing.

Happy shopping everyone!

Want | Margaux flats

With Fall slowly settling in and with temperatures quickly falling below 15 degrees Celsius,  I can’t deny it any longer:  it’s time to retire my beloved Birkenstock and Balenciaga sandals… Thankfully, yesterday I came across this picture on the Shoes of NYC Instagram account which reminded me that there is life after sandal season… in the form of ballet flats.

Flats – Margaux
Photo by Shoes of NYC

That same picture introduced me to a world I didn’t know existed for a commoner: custom-made shoes. I own J.Crew ballet flats – love!  I own a pair Repetto ballet flats – perfection! But I’m now ready for a made-to-measure pair of shoes.

Happy shopping everyone!

Wish | Zac Posen Spring/Summer 2016

Ok so I could pretend that I am at New York Fashion Week, but you and I know that I am not. I could also tell you that I’ve at least studied all the pictures that came out so far, but again, I’d be lying – I’m back at work now (urgh, finally) and have less time for Instagram. The pictures that I did see though were the ones from Zac Posen’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Love! The collection in its entirety would be perfect for that vacation to the Amalfi Coast that I will not be taking with Olivia Palermo. Translation: I want and need every item presented in that collection – from the midi dresses to the coats to the Christian Louboutin flats that he paired with the outfits, all the way to that black gown shown in the last picture below. I want it all!

Photo by @zacposen

photo 3

photo 2

photo 4photo 2-1

P.S. Where was that black gown when I was looking for a wedding dress? I promised my mum I wouldn’t wear black on my wedding day, but I would have made an exception for Zac…

Wish | Rochas Embellished Metallic Slingbacks

How many shoes are too many shoes and would you commit to a pair a year (fine, season) with no problem? Which would they be?

Leandra Medine concludes her post How Many Shoes Are Too Many Shoes?  with the questions above and unlike her, I thought that it was ridiculous, if not inhumane to be asked to commit to wearing one pair of shoes a year or a season… especially since I can’t even commit to a pair a weekend.

But it got me thinking. And I guess that if I absolutely had to narrow my shoe collection down to only one pair, I’d go with these embellished flats from Rochas’ Spring 2014 Ready-to-wear collection.

Rochas Embellished Metallic Slingbacks

Rochas Spring 2014 Yannis Vlamos indigitalimages.com

Rochas Spring 2014
Yannis Vlamos
indigitalimages.com

Rochas Spring 2014 Yannis Vlamos indigitalimages.com

Rochas Spring 2014
Yannis Vlamos
indigitalimages.com

They’d be perfect with the pair of straight ankle-length jeans that I’m planning on getting for Fall, all the while being equally perfect with a midi skirt or mini skirt. Also, parent-teacher night? Check. Date night? Check. Wedding? Check. Giovanna Battaglia approved? Check.

Giovanna Battaglia Photo by Style du Monde

Giovanna Battaglia
Photo by Style du Monde

Now, I’m fully aware that I’m $775 short and a year late for these flats, but since I never really intended on getting rid of my shoes, it makes no difference to me… That being said, if any of you is on the market for a pair of embellished slingback flats, look at what I found inside of Glamour’s September issue.

Jimmy Choo Embellished Genoa

Embellished Genoa – Jimmy Choo

AND, they also come in black! Bam!

P.S. If I were another woman – well basically if I were a woman who lunches as oppose to a woman who teaches, I would have settled on this pair from the Rochas’ s Fall 2014 Ready-to-wear collection…

Giovanna Battaglia | Rochas Fall 2014 Photo by Tommy Ton

Giovanna Battaglia 
Photo by Tommy Ton