7 Things I might return + my new shopping mantra
It’s 3am on friday night. I fell asleep with the kids at 8pm and woke up realizing I forgot to write todays post. There is no “what I wore on my body” today because I wore such boring things all week, things you’ve seen 1 million times, that I couldn’t bear to show you. And not in a way that you would have appreciated the normalcy, more in a way that you might have been embarrassed for me. But I did do some shopping to try to rectify the situation, only to be unsure about these pieces (very excited about others which you’ll see next week). So instead of not posting my team took all the pieces that I brought to the office to debate, and threw them into a post. Next saturday will be full of some new spring pieces that I’m VERY excited by but this one is more a ramble about fashion and my body. ENJOY
Up first, that denim puffer up there is SO CUTE. In theory. The reason it’s off her shoulder is because it’s so oversized that her frame literally can’t house the volume. I bought a small and it looks like I’m a 12-year-old wearing my dads coat. BUT both Julie and Sara bought it after they tried it on so they were apparently into the ‘wear your dads coat for the day’ look. I’m still of the old school notion that things should be somewhat flattering (or incredibly comfortable) in order to wear them. Mostly I just want my hands to be usable and not swallowed up by a sleeve.
Vintage Navy Oversized Surplus Jacket
In my constant quest to be edgier I buy things like this. It is cool, but far too big for this frame.
The fleece is coming at us hard right now and I’m apparently trying to buy it, behind on a trend, but this guy again is oversized. I’m going to buy it in an extra small, but I’m not cool enough to rock the oversized. I love it when the body of it is oversized, full of volume, but the sleeves need to fit and be tight. Again, I like the use of my hands.
You know that SMILE tee I’ve been wearing for months? Well, this was my attempt to wear a different shirt. I love Sundry clothes so much, but unsure this guy is worth it so for now it’s sitting in my office in the ‘return’ pile (which is wear my team pulled all of this stuff).
I’m looking for a new gown, guys. If you haven’t noticed I have ONE ‘fancy’ dress – that navy blue ruffle number from Ulla Johnson from a year and a half ago and I still love it, but for every fancy occasion (premieres, weddings, etc) I pull that sucker out and even my kids are getting bored with it. So I bought this to see if it could be rotated into my repetoire. I fear its a bit too safe and sweet and I am NOT safe or sweet despite the hype.
But I have certain ‘gown’ requirements. I don’t like to show my arms, I don’t like super tight, I don’t like to show to much cleavage (listen I was raised LDS so modesty is just ingrained) so i’m always looking for something that might feel sexy without being too revealing. The way they styled that dress with those opalescent metallic shoes, I mean, NO. But picture it with a moto or a jean jacket and maybe?
Nope.
S hort Sleeved Collared Denim Jumpsuit
I’m not really proving my case right now. But I like a wrap jumpsuit, too. I forgot to tell you that I made a pact with myself that i will never, for the rest of my life, buy high waisted wide legged pants. The Kamm pant is not for me. I can pose uncomfortably in a photo and look fine but Its not flattering or comfortable. It’s not what I want to grab or wear on a daily basis. Only people that are teeny tiny are flattered by them, not to say that everyone shouldn’t be part of that overall intentionally unflattering movement.
So after a HUGE purge this week (are you going to the rummage sale on Sunday?) I looked at every piece that wasn’t “bringing me joy” and a lot of them were high waisted wide legged pants. My body wants a boxy top/blouse, a jacket and a skinny pant or baggy short-short, and when I try the boxy part on the bottom of my body its not flattering and therefore I don’t feel good.
But two days later, TWO DAYS, I found myself buying a longer, looser version of those pants at a store, joking the whole time about my promise, but still buying them. I’ve subsequently returned them, emboldened even more now about my pact. I, EMILY HENDERSON, will never, NEVER buy another wide legged high waisted pair of pants. I know in the moment they are cool. I know that when you kinda push your butt back they look better and even flattering (in the mirror), that when you suck in you don’t look like you are in a perpetual first trimester zone. I can “pull them off”. But when you are just throwing on clothes in the morning you never ever ever opt for them. Do not, under any circumstances fall prey to this unflattering-on-you trend.
I shopped twice for clothes this week and I came up with a NEW pact – If its not a ‘HELL YES’, it a “NO”. Unless I’m doing the literal happy dance, I’m not buying them. I found a new pair of jeans after trying on 19 pairs and yes, I did a pretty epic dance because I felt so good in them, and my friend who I was shopping with said ‘that is how you need to feel every time you are about to purchase something’.
That might be obvious to you guys, but you know how after you’ve been shopping for a long time you really want to come home with something so if something is ‘cute’ you buy it because you’ve invested the time and you want something in return? Well, no longer. Say this to yourself, “if it’s not a ‘Hell Yes!’ then its a ‘NO'” it actually makes it so much easier. I purged a lot this week so I don’t feel guilty about buying, because yes you are about to see a lot of ‘hell yes” next week.
Are we still wearing nursing shoes? These are from Vince, a brand that I trust is still kinda edgy but I’m not sure I can be trusted any longer because its in every mall now. That sounded like it wasn’t a hell yes, but I think it might be, I just want to put it on and style it out before the full commitment happens. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I LOVE a nude shoe. These came in too big (order smaller) and we all loved them, but they were in my ‘return’ box because they are oversized. You know what piece of clothing should never be oversized? SHOES.
Ok. I’m debating returning this because I live in LA and I don’t need a faux fur coat, despite a lot of you loving it (and buying). I’m also worried that I jumped on this train too late and since this is expensive I kinda don’t want to splurge unless i’m going to wear it a lot.
That didn’t sound like a ‘hell yes’ did it?
NO.
Well, its 4:30am. I should probably go back to bed or get up for the day. But its been nice “externally processing” with you. While this was a last minute post I actually think if we had more a ‘what is in my cart and why’ series would be fun. Stay tuned for better fashion next week where I can show you my new happy pants, my updated nude mules (FINALLY) and the sweats that I don’t want to ever take off my body.
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