So it turns out that that rule about not buying a piece that requires you to buy other pieces works pretty well. Each of these were separate purchases over a decent span of time, and none of them were bought with this outfit in mind. But I think together it results in an obviously historically inspired but contemporary outfit, that brings me a lot of joy.

I'm not going to lie - one of the reasons I don't do buying guides or wishlists is that I rarely have a very specific piece in mind when clothes shopping, and even when I do, it's rare that what I'm eyeing fits the way I like. I am a person who buys a lot and keeps very little - it's a gift and a curse, because I'll try on almost anything and sometimes that works in my favor even when I don't want it to. I think that's the hardest thing to explain to people about my wardrobe. I try on, and even temporarily buy, a LOT because the percentage of what I actually like and keep is negligible. Ok, well may not negligible, but it's certainly not HIGH. I like clothing and admire how other people look in them, which influences what I decide to try, but it doesn't change what I decide to keep because if it doesn't look good it doesn't look good.

Which is all well and good as a philosophy until I find myself in the dressing room at a Christy Dawn pop-up and all of the seemingly large and oversized "one size fits all" pieces look like sh*t. Like all things in life it's a work in progress.

I think the general consensus among my friends right now is that I need more green items in my closet. It's not a color I'm typically drawn to, but ooh, that is a-changing.

1) When the weather is determined to flip flop between Winter and Spring it's best just to go with it and hope that your allergies forgive you later.

2) Sometimes you get through an entire set of photos before you get home and realize that your spiffy camera decided that the parked car behind you was *actually* the reason for each shot and focused accordingly. So no bother squinting, except for that last shot all of these really are just that bit soft focus. FML.

It became quite clear to me, while I was trying to take not-shitty clothing haul pictures, that not only do I need some sort of light reflector, I think a better background might be in order too. I'm just not currently set up for that sort of thing, so I apologize if these aren't up to my usual standards. What I *am* happy to say is that I found many more of the items on line than I had initially thought I would, so while my flatlays could use some work, if you click through to the website you'll get a much better idea.

I had actually gone to Paris with an idea of I wanted to buy, and I tried on a selection of blazers when I saw a good pattern, and combed through a few racks of scarves. But in the end I found success in neither of those areas, instead buying pieces that were comfortable. Stylish (for the most part), but comfortable (the loungewear set may never be seen outside my home though). I also 100% went over budget, so.. shrug. Not proud of it, but it is what it is, and I'm excited about all the ways in which these new pieces will shine in my wardrobe (through multiple seasons).

Oh, and one last thing. You'll notice that quite a few of the items I bought were either O/S (one size) or XS/S, and my body is most assuredly not either of those sizes. Shopping off and on at brands like The Frankie Shop has taught me more about how useless brand size delineations are than ever before. While it makes it almost impossible to shop online, I'm kind of at the place where I'll hold up a garment and make a judgement call from that, rather than strictly adhering to a size. I'm still riding that inbetweenie line, but the current style to make so many pieces SUPER oversized has definitely benefited me.