shoe failure, martin grant lust, and a purchase

1) I bought these shoes on anthropologie.com. They're wool/angora on the outside, leather on the inside, with a foot bed of lamb fur and a metal toe guard. They were a 38, a little too small but workable. The problem is in the elastic back. It dug into my poor little tendons and I feared they were unwearable. Happily, the color was more sombre, almost a spiced pumpkin. Oh well. So I returned them in the store (I'd already spent $12.95 on shipping), and decided to nip over to Barneys, where I found--



(www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com)

2) I have a Martin Grant problem. I bought a collarless black coat from him two years ago at Barneys and have been lusting after this hooded peacoat for quite awhile. Well, Barneys had it in a cream with pink undertones that looked fantastic with my complexion. The softest wool/cashmere blend possible and the back pleating is exactly what I've been dreaming of. But, I was concerned that the size Medium was too wide in the shoulders for such a simple front. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. So, I called Lyell, in NYC, to see if they had that purple short coat from months and months ago, expecting a negative answer. Well--



3) This is the tweed version. Imagine it buttoned up, in a deep aubergine, fitted in the waist with a subtle flare at the hips. Ok, so I know I complained about the thick cheap-feeling acetate lining. But that was when the coat was full price, and now things are different. I got over it in a half hearted way. You don't stand in the rain pining after a coat and then get over it. Who was I kidding? My Brooklyn friend will know which coat I'm speaking of. I hope it meets everyone's approval. I love the Martin Grant, but I wish it were in black. Cat hair wouldn't show as much, nor would the dirt accumulated over five months of winter wear. The cream color is for people who are driven from point A to point B, not for people who ride in funny smelling Chinatown buses to NYC because they can't bear to pay more than $15 for a ride. I want a coat that is rugged and will kick the shit out of other people's coats while looking sharp and put-together. Plus, today on the bus ride home from Newbury St., I noticed how ragged and forlorn my workhorse Built By Wendy coat is looking, with its occasional bare patches and faded grey color.

The most hilarious thing about all of this is that I ended up with BOTH short coats that I wanted back in October, both the brown Opening Ceremony and the aubergine Lyell. That just goes to show you, no matter how much rationalizing takes place, if I want it, I'm going to buy it somehow.

Since I'm leaving for Houston/Dallas/Ft Worth/Portland/Seattle on Tuesday, this should be the last of birthday shopping for now. Unless, of course, Impulse has something I want. And you know me, I rarely meet an offer I can refuse.

Damage done:
Lyell miki coat--$290, marked down from $570

Damage thwarted:
Tashkent by Cheyenne flats--$149, marked down from $298
Martin Grant hooded peacoat--$367, marked down from $1465 (hell yeah, 75% off!)

a.p.c. sweater

It's like the sweater that you find stashed away in the closet from years and years ago. Thick, warm and functional. I wear it every night when it gets chilly, better than shuffling around the house wrapped in a blanket.

by the way, Lyell is having a 50% off sale. I bought a top at the Louis sale, I'll post a picture eventually.

A.P.C. sweater-$126, originally $251 online.

worst case scenario

Impulse is starting its Winter sale on Jan. 6. I emailed Jill about the availability and pricing on a few items. The one I really hope is still there is a Mayle black jumper. I'd love to have the Shelly Steffee silk tunic dress, but who am I kidding? My two cats will shred it in no time. To buy this dress would be a show of disrespect to the designer. Really.



Mayle jumper $504 (original price)
I saw this jumper at the Nolita shop and at Bird in Brooklyn. I wasn't super excited by the price (oh how the proverbial budget ruins shopping trips), but if it costs less, I might have to buy it. I'll have to ask my partner what he thinks. Usually when I'm iffy on something because of the price, he will veto the purchase, citing trendiness or general unattractiveness. If I really want it, goddamn, I'll buy it regardless of his opinion.




Shelly Steffee dress $548 (original price)
It's pretty. And the silk probably feels fantastic. I love tunic dresses. I'm not as young and fit as I used to be.

So, an Impulse sale. So what? So WHAT? God, I'm about to spaz. I just found out that Louis Boston is having its amazing 50% off sale starting the 6th, also. I have zero self-control when it comes to these sales. Last time they had one, I walked in with $300 in cash, called my partner about a budget increase, he vetoed it, TWICE, and then I bought a $500 dress. Well.

And to make things worse, APC is having its 50% online sale, and I bought this sweater, which is arriving any day now:
http://www.apc.fr/us/en/fiche_article.php?ref=3MD02831044F

originally $251, now $126.
I don't know why I bought it. I just thought it would be nice to wear on weekends. (That's not a very good reason to spend $130 on something, my rational self mutters from within the box I keep it in) I really like thick sweaters to bundle up in. The geometric pattern isn't really me, I know, except it kind of is the me who used to buy everything at thrift stores. Feeling nostalgic, I guess.

So, this is basically a post about how I'm on the brink of a shopping catastrophe. I shouldn't go to Louis, but I know I will anyway. I promise not to buy anything by Dries or Marni. Their Mayle selection wasn't so fabulous, so maybe I'll luck out. Right now I'm really feeling like Impulse has a better curated selection of sale pieces. I do adore that jumper, it's like a hotter version of my catholic school uniform. If Impulse has it in my size, and it's less than $350, MAYBE. It IS my birthday month, after all.