off topic

what my life looks like these days

Annette and Julien

A few nights ago I was up much too late and was surprised to see the SA Annette blazer from last winter in my size at Saks for $170. I had seen it on sale a long while ago, but at some point it was completely sold out. I couldn't resist, so I ordered it (middle image). I still want the Julien in black as well as the Danny pant for interviews. The reality of applying for jobs is finally hitting me, and my closet lacks the building blocks of a solid work wardrobe.

The question on my mind is whether the Danny pants in red would be appropriate for an interview or campus visit. I can already tell that I'm going to need a lot of help with outfit ideas this winter!

the small details

Acne New Snow Coat at Steven Alan

okay, i admit it. i'm a sucker for pink. i also love that the down filled liner is detachable. i can't wait to try out my thomas sires coat this winter. it's plenty warm without the liner, so i'm expecting great things from it come -15F windchill!

broken record

demylee jonathan pullover at conifer

maybe it's because i'm getting older, but i sound like a broken record. as the mother of two small boys, i find it challenging to dress them in anything but stripes. but maybe that's because all i wear are stripes.

i have a demylee striped boatneck sweater from ages ago, and if their cashmere quality hasn't changed, i would say this jonathan pullover is an excellent investment.

work jacket

i'm sorry i haven't been able to post frequently this summer, but i was watching both kids full-time, researching, and had to rely on my not-so-trusty phone for basic emailing and news browsing. although i am not teaching this fall, the cold weather in toronto goes well into spring, so i'm hoping to justify finally purchasing a work jacket.

while in LA we stopped by the steven alan store on abbot kinney, where i was able to try on the new julien jacket. i was in a rush, so i tried on the 4, which was a little tight in the arms. currently i'm between a 6 and an 8, and i think the 6 would be the best fit for me. maybe others who have tried it on can chime in, but i suspect it runs true to size to slightly big.

anyway, as much as i dislike black (cat hair magnet), i think i would prefer it to the dark grey multi fabric because it's much softer and cozier (70% wool, 30% polyamide). i'm hoping to find it on sale in january, but we'll see how that goes! i did try on the jcrew schoolboy blazer, but it fit so oddly in the shoulders. the store didn't have the hacking jacket, but maybe that would be a better alternative?

aside from a jacket, the only other thing on my list is a pair of shearling lined l.l. bean boots. last year i learned the hard way that you need to order them before winter, otherwise they're on backorder!