I’ll have to tell you soon about my very enjoyable jeans-shopping expedition in Shoreditch, London last month, but in keeping with my new resolution to have more long-on-photos, short-on-words posts, today you just get a What I Wore in the garden back at home. Pater snapped these for me earlier this week as I headed off to have dinner with a former student (how lovely that dinner was — so satisfying to maintain these contacts beyond the classroom, track the progress as students move into the rest of their lives). Putting down the clippers and trowel, I think he did quite a decent job with the camera, although that dappled sun was a challenge.
I’ve committed to wearing jeans/khakis lately, smartened up in various ways. Not exclusively, of course, but there’s so much possibility for variety that I’m having fun. Here I wear my London-bought Denham jeans (a high-end, beautifully-made version of a workwear jean — I love them!) cuffed to show off theseStephane Gontard slingbacks I bought in Paris 5 or so years ago (that link is to one of my earliest shoe posts — I find it fun and a bit surprising to reread now).
The jacket I’m wearing to give the jeans a polished look is by Smythe — I love its 3/4 sleeves, pulled back into buttoned gathers at the cuff, to hint at a rolled-up casualness. And for more polish, the Hermès scarf and double-tour watch.
I’ve been varying this look by plugging new khakis in where the jeans are, by wearing marinière stripes or olive green under the jacket, by wearing a coloured cardigan instead of the dark jacket, by wearing a bold pendant instead of the scarf, by wearing a red loafer or a bright pink heel or a black brogue or a . . . .well, you get the idea. And if not, I’ll show you soon.
Meanwhile, off to Vancouver for the weekend — my niece’s baby shower today, a French lesson tomorrow, a seawall run at some point — sadly, all in the rain because our sunshine is gone for the foreseeable future.
Still, we’ll have fun. What are you up to?
Mater…
you have my full attention with jean and Hermes!
I love the casual look with the elevation to the chic which your Hermes accessories do so well!
Cute shoes too…
Rain here but I am gearing up to work in the garden just the same…it's a long weekend for me and I hate to waste it moping about inside.
Hope the baby shower is fun and enjoy all of what Vancouver has to offer.
I think I could duplicate your outfit easily, with the exception of the scarf, watch and cute shoes – all of which I suspect are the whole heart of the thing! ;0)
This morning we helped out at Boosters at school, the mister was grilling burgers and I was making hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches, then we did the big shop. I think I'll have to do a lot of ironing this weekend – it all got put aside these last two weeks as we were out and about with the new folks. Some packing (going to Scotland on Tuesday), church and afternoon tea with a friend tomorrow – that's about it. So you're still taking the French lessons? Good on you! Enjoy your weekend! P.
The shoes and rolled jeans look great. I am curious to see your khakis – I cannot find good ones anywhere.
It has rained all week here and today is sunny but we have a party this afternoon, and appointments this morning. Bah. By the time I get in the yard it will be raining again.
Love the rolled up jeans and the shoes. I have a very casual life, I've been having fun combining jeans with other pieces in ways that make me happy.
You look great! I enjoyed that post about the shoes but now I'm curious what surprised you about it. Do tell.
Hostess: Thanks — hope you get lots done in the garden and that it doesn't get too wet.
Patricia: You are going to be sooo missed at that school for all the work you do. And yes, we're going to try to keep up our French lessons — we're lucky to have a great tutor.PC: I'm crazy for my new khakis but they're not for everyone — they have a (slightly) dropped crotch and a really slim leg but the fabric is perfect!
Mardel: I hope the party goes well and that the rains stop before the ark arrives (we're back to more of it here). Jeans are so versatile, aren't they?!
Susan: I guess "surprised" wasn't the word so much — but I already sense a distance between myself now and my self when I wrote just that few years ago. And there are commenters there who I haven't heard of/from for quite some time (Puttermeister I occasionally glimpse on ravelry, but not otherwise) — and that was the first time Pseu commented, I think, after I commented at her place asking for her response on my Louboutin story. And also, I wonder if I'd make the same shoe decision now . . .
You are so chic with that jacket scarf combot!
You look fantastic! The new jeans combined with
the oh so chic shoes, scarf, and watch are great.
I would happily wear this outfit, BUT not today as the weather has finally allowed me to tackle my winter-worn garden. Likes of the Valley in full fragrant bloom!
I like the rolled jeans as well – I love the looks of jeans in '50's, straight leg, rolled, belted, not too tight. Great look … great garden!
K: Thanks! But you, when your new jeans are done, you get to be chic and smug, having made them yourself!
Pavlova: Thank you! Our garden is too soggy to work in today, so just as well we're away from it. Enjoy the fragrance of those beautiful lilies-of-the-valley.
L'age moyen: Ah, you're spotting exactly what I like about these jeans. They're very 50s, especially in the virgin/untreated denim.
You look great – particularly love the jacket. I just bought a pair of J Brand khakis and I want it to be spring so I can wear them!
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Very timeless and love the colour of your jeans, I am very fussy about the colour indigo and it seems on the whole you get what you pay for colour wise. I have noticed I am veering away from a fluid silhouette to more structured trousers (and yes for me jeans are very structured) but have not quite bought into red yet!
re the Gres post yes I can see some very derivative moments in Yamamoto's work and the more I look at them the more amazingly innovative they look, I may have to buy the catalogue.
Tiffany: Ooh, are those the skinny ones with the pockets, the Houlihans? I love those, altho'they don't work on me. Whichever style they are, a pair of khakis that you really like are a real treasure — almost as versatile as your red jeans. . . .;-)
Alison: Yes, good denim, dyed with the real thing — that's what these are and I reckon they're well worth what I paid. I'm surprised at how the quality seems to come through even in a sun-washed photo.
Have you looked at the catalogue for that show? It would have to be considerably better curated than the expos (that was very poorly done, just as you complained earlier) for me to add it to the stack from this last trip. We just rec'd the two photo catalogues, the Kar and the Hoppe — I'm thrilled with them!
I had a feeling you meant there was some distance. That's what I'm curious about. What has changed?
I'm not sure, Susan, that I'd be as frank about my reservations re the Louboutins now as I was three or four years ago or parse the reasons for that as carefully. I'm still thinking about why that might be, but I suspect that as much as my opinions might have softened, it's also probably true that, through blogging, I've been pulled more into a world where the Louboutins have more currency than in my immediate environment — if that makes any sense.
You look relaxed and chic! Am wearing jeans again, having discovered a good trouser cut, but cannot pull off khakis, b/c tall and too ample for them to look appealing.
Duchesse: The right pair make all the difference — I have been missing that and am so pleased to have found these. I don't usually do khakis and the ones I found aren't for everyone, but I do love them!
It does make sense.