Wednesday, February 18, 2009

spring fever





you know it's bad when you look at a website 8 times a day just to ogle the stripes and florals. oh steven alan....!

i am in need of more bateau striped shirts. any recommendations for affordable ones?

here are examples of ones that are out of my price range right now:


makie, $85


a.p.c., $75

29 comments:

alyson. said...

I don't have any advice for you, I'm on the same hunt! but I love that Makie shirt.... and pretty much everything else on that site.

PH. said...

I'm also in love with Steven Alan for spring.
Esp that silk flower dress, oh my.
Take a look at She-bible's Brando boatneck. Bonus is it's on sale.
Then I also recently noticed a byCorpus for U.O striped pocket tank.
Good luck with your stripes search!

roberta jane said...

Boden and LL Bean are usually good places for inexpensive and classic sailor stripe tees... Gap, JCrew, Old Navy all usually carry a cheaper version this time of year. And last I checked Built By Wendy had a really cute one on sale! Good luck in your search!

Carlene said...

Garnet Hill has a couple different styles:

http://tinyurl.com/aaq2fd

(I like the midnight/grey and olive grey/black combos)

also

http://tinyurl.com/arab99

MWM said...

target has one in the thakoon line -now on clearance. it's short sleeve though...
http://www.target.com/Thakoon-Target-Stripe-Tee-Heather/dp/B001K4DQ24/qid=1235015446/ref=br_1_20/177-8907769-2479034?ie=UTF8&node=307084011&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=target&field-browse=307084011&rank=salesrank&rh=&page=1

miss sophie said...

deja-vu - i just posted on the very same SA and striped shirts last week! ah, spring fever has indeed arrived...

i've decided to wait for the sales on the striped shirts. either that, or jcrew comes out with some basic striped tees in their spring line.

Moya said...

I have a Target Proenza Schouler that is great--I think they have the same shirt in all the Go International collections. Also, I got a Pi Organics striped long sleeved grey/cream t-shirt from Bird for $19 down from $90 (the Fifth Ave store)--they may have more left. And Club Monaco has some on sale, but the stripes are broader and at $49 I'm waiting for a second or third markdown.

There's also a great v-neck dress with a stripe trim in the Steven Alan lookbook. It's so great. The new Lyell collection--while very different from Steven Alan--is also amazing.

leanne said...

Now I'm going to have to check out the new Lyell. Thanks a ton Moya!

Joanna Goddard said...

yay!!! i am OBSESSED with the new steven alan line. he is a genius.

erica said...

thanks for all the suggestions! i'm used to gap or jcrew having striped bateau tops, but so far, nothing.

i'll probably be at target later today.

does anyone know how the garnet hill tops fit?

lsk said...

Uniqlo in New York has a long-sleeved cotton cashmere men's crewneck sweater that comes in several color combos: white w/navy stripes, grey w/black stripes and navy w/white stripes. The sweaters are around $30-40 and appear to run a little small. I think that a XS or S would fit. I'm probably going to purchase an XS later this week.

nanashi said...

When I go visit my sister in New York in spring break I need to ask her to restrain me at Steven Alan . . . (the pictures are too cute!). As for striped tees Petit Bateau's online store has one on sale http://petit-bateau.us/Mariniere_in_Thick_Brushed_Rib_Knit/pd/np/611/p/1093.html though not a blue and white stripe . . . I also suggest Uniqlo, they tend to come up with most things you want and the quality seems to be better than the one in Japan if you get the piece from SoHo.

jenny gordy said...

oh, steven alan. i can't get enough either. i've been stalking the website too.

it's funny, because i've been wanting more striped tops lately too! i love the cdg one on the totokaelo website with the little heart icon, but i can't afford it right now. i bought some striped organic cotton knit fabric a couple of weeks ago, and i'm going to try to make my own. but i'm a little intimidated by sewing knits so i've been procrastinating.

erica said...

i wish we had a uniqlo in boston, and sometimes muji has nice striped tops...

jenny, you should definitely make your own t-shirts. lisa (le bouton) and catherine (lucy and i) both make their own knit tees--and they look amazing. i've no doubt you could figure it out quickly enough, and then the possibilities are endless!

romaine said...

In case you haven’t seen the other apc striped top (same stripe pattern and color), Totokaelo and penelopes are both selling it for $60 (it is ¾ sleeved with 2 buttons at neckline).

After seeing the striped apc top a few weeks ago, I too have been searching for a more affordable version, but haven’t found anything as near perfect (for me). I have seen it in person - I love the fit, material, stripes and colors (comes in navy too) of the apc.

Context Clothing sells the apc striped top (mens xs to xl) for $66 and free shipping. According to a sales woman I talked to at the NY APC, the cut is the same for the womens and mens. Context doesn’t give refunds though, just exchanges.

Faconnable at nordstrom (only in store) had some boxy fitting striped tees, but while some had great necklines - the stripes were either yellow or brown, or the colors were great but I didn't like the neckline. I think they were slightly less expensive than the apc. Saint james has really cute nautical striped tees - but they cost even more than APC.

Warmest wishes to you and your family expansion!

Michelle said...

oohhhhh, I have been eyeing those strippy tops for a while now...soo cute.

erica said...

romaine

thanks for the context clothing suggestion. i've tried the faconnable striped shirts before, but you're right, the neckline isn't quite right.

i love my peter beaton shirt, and they're $60--which is somehow starting to look reasonable again. sigh. on a positive note, i bought a striped shirt at old navy for $2.50.

romaine said...

re: Context Clothing

Erica

I think the apc woman who said the cuts are the same was slightly wrong. The neckline is more crew on the mens. I had ordered a womens medium from apc but sent it back since it was a little too big. The womens are now sold out (at least in NY) so I thought I'd try the mens from context in xs - it fits perfect in that it is the right size and same cut as the women's, except the neckline is a little different - the womens is more sailor like. (i may exchange the top for apc new standard jeans which i really have been wanting to try).

Boden has what looks like the perfect sailor top - only it is available for girls (up to a 31 inch chest).

Old Navy can definetly be cute - good score.

thanks so much for your blog and sharing your style - you're adorable, your clothes so cute and they look so cute on you.

erica said...

romaine-
oh, that's too bad about the neckline on the men's apc shirt. the girls Boden top does indeed look perfect. if only they came in larger sizes, the price is perfect.

i wear the apc hipsters (raw denim), although sometimes i wear an old pair of my husband's new standards, but the boyfriend jean look doesn't really work on my body. they're incredibly comfortable, though. anyway, he swears that my hipsters have the best backside of all my denim. i love my earnest sewns and martin straight legs, but i think he's right about the hipsters. i just wish the leg were narrower. i haven't tried the petit standards yet...

romaine said...

Erica, thanks for the jean info, so many choices.... I have a love/hate relationship with jeans - they look so cool on others, but never me. there must be the right pair out there somewhere for me though.

erica said...

i think the most difficult thing about apc raw denim is that it's very hard to know how they're going to fit once you break them in. they do stretch a bit, but not as much as ones with lycra.

most people advise that when you try them on, they should be very tight. i have two pairs of hipsters, 27 and 28. the 27s are still tight even after repeated wearings (i wash them infrequently, never in the dryer). the 28s fit a lot better, but they aren't broken in enough to be comfortable.

i still haven't found the perfect pair of jeans, either. if i could take the seat of the apcs, the narrow leg of the martins, and the overall comfort of my earnest sewn keatons, i would be an insanely happy person.

grace said...

hi erica,

i found this on the kohls site:

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/tops/knittops/PRD~404330/Chaps+Striped+Top.jsp#

i have two striped shirts that i got at the gap a few years ago that i love and wear way too much (seriously). they've held up so well and i regret not buying more of them.

grace said...

i forgot to say that i don't own anything from kohls, but my friend likes the things she has bought there. i would check for coupon codes if you end up buying anything.

erica said...

thanks for the kohls tip, grace! i've never bought anything from them either, but it looks promising. i'll definitely keep an eye out for coupon codes.

romaine said...

erica, you are about to have a baby in a few days, yet take the time to write me in detail about jeans- you are so nice and have it so together. your baby couldn't have a better mom. best wishes!!!!

LivKate said...

LOL, Erica.

I go onto the SA site ALL the time. I love the way the outfits are put together. I am so excited for you -- being a mom is great! I have a 5 year old (Patrick) and a 2 year old (Liv). I do not know whether you have a birth plan or not (I didn't), but I did have an epidural both times and I actually enjoyed labor. I hope you have a smooth delivery! Feel free to ask me any mommy questions -- I am not judgmental, but I do forewarn that I am a huge supporter of breastfeeding -- must come from my Norwegian side ;).

erica said...

hi kate
our birth plan is pretty minimal, basically we'd like a quiet environment and if i want pain medication, i'll ask for it (i.e. don't offer it).
i am not sure what to expect, but i hope everything goes smoothly. we're planning on breastfeeding for as long as possible, so i have my la leche league leaders' phone numbers ready just in case i run into any issues.
are you on my baby blog? if you email me, i can add you as a reader...i love getting advice from experienced moms.

erica said...

romaine-
thanks for the well wishes, i hope that you can find your perfect pair of jeans soon. let us know if you have any questions about the fit of a particular pair.

Lauren said...

Hi Erica,

Just started reading your blog--it's lovely! As for the Breton stripey top, I would also suggest L.L.Bean. They're very reasonable, comfortable, last for years and come in myriad colors. This is what they're selling right now. However, I have a knit sweater that they may only sell in the fall in about 10 different colors. If you are near the L.L.Bean store in Maine it might be worth a trip: http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=58667&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&from=SR&feat=sr