Firecracker's Blog

I am so disappointed that my new watch stopped working. I wore it every day after I got it, and one morning I went to put it on and it had stopped. I re-set it and it started working again, but only for a few hours. I brought it back to Nordstrom today, thinking I would return it and order another one. I decided to let them take it in for repair. They assured me that if it ends up needing to be returned, they would exchange it for another one, at the same price, even though NAS will likely be over by that point. I am pretty irked that a brand-new Swiss watch has failed, thinking that Nordstrom took a bunch of old, faulty merchandise off Tissot's hands to pass on to us unsuspecting sale-shoppers. Some more magnanimous part of me is trying to believe that defects happen and that Nordstrom and/or Tissot can right the situation.

I also returned the Rag & Bone Shiloh loafers, which just didn't fit my foot completely comfortably, and I ended up getting a non-sale pair, the Stuart Weitzmans that I reviewed in a separate post.

And I got to see the AllSaints Evaline crossbody in pampas white in person, and loved it. It is a really nice slightly grayed-out white, soft leather, brushed silver hardware, perfect size. I'm not crazy about chain straps, but this one is smooth, not too heavy, and comfortable on the shoulder. I like this crossbody much better than the Madewell one I got recently that is cute, but so small it's a nuisance to use. It will be going to Goodwill, since it was nonreturnable. (I took that into account when I bought it on deep discount, thinking if I donated it after a few uses, I wouldn't be upset.)

Every year, I get this feeling of "last call!" toward the end of the sale, trying to assess whether I'll regret not buying something. I'm pretty sure this is it for me for NAS 2023!

I was enamored with the Rag & Bone Shiloh loafers at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I brought them home, had second thoughts, ordered the second size (that I had already tried in the store and rejected), and decided the loafers just aren't comfortable enough for me. Still, I thought I might find a pair of non-black neutral loafers in a chunky style, since chunky loafers seem ubiquitous at the moment. Today at Nordstrom, I saw a pair that I had admired online, and I was able to try them on. They came home with me. I will try them around the house for several days, but I am pretty sure these are going to be the keepers. They are more expensive than I usually like to spend, but I think the comfort, style, and color will be worth it in the long run. I had a bunch of Nordie Notes that I could use to create my own little sale on them, too. This muted silver color is a fave for me; I have a pair of booties in this color, and I wear them a lot.

I got my usual size in these, 7.5. They are comfortable out of the box, with light socks. No pinching, squeezing, or slipping. The leather is thick but soft. The shoes are not light but not super heavy, either. Despite the high heel and thick platform, they feel stable.

Shown here with what I wore shopping: off-white wide-leg jeans (Madewell, Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg), bandana-print silk chiffon tank (made by me).

I received the NAS items I ordered:

Vince Oversized Wool & Cashmere Cardigan

Treasure&Bond Space Dye Cotton Blend Zip Cardigan

Tissot Women's PR 100 Auto Classic Watch

Zella Seamless Performance T-Shirt (purple iris)

I ordered the two cardigans because I wanted to replace my burgundy Old Navy cardigan, which I've worn a lot and is showing it. I didn't plan to keep both, and I'm debating whether to do so. 

(1-2) First up, the Vince. If I only kept one, it would be this one. It's beautiful, soft, perfect color, and a nice long length. I got the XS, a size down from what I would usually choose, and it is just right. It's supposed to be oversized, but I didn't want it too oversized. I tried to show, with the side view, that it has a slight cocoon shape on me, which I like. The fiber content is 70% wool, 30% cashmere, and I'm hoping it won't pill. Keeping it nice so it will last is a reason I would consider keeping the Treasure & Bond cardi, too--so I would purposely be "splitting wears."

(3-4) I also like the Treasure & Bond cardi a lot--I love the shorter length and sporty style. With the black and white stripe, I feel it doesn't have the widest range of use, so I wouldn't keep only this one. This is size S, my usual.

(5) Tissot watch. I love it. This will be my summer watch! Who knew I needed one? Haha!

(6) Zella tee, with the Title 9 (not Athleta, after all!) hoodie I hoped to wear it with. Perfect!

(7) The Old Navy cardigan that I needed to replace.

(8) Another cardigan--an AllSaints sweatshirt jacket from a previous NAS--that I'm considering getting rid of. It survived an extensive edit last year, and I did try to wear it a couple of times after that.

oops: Edited to add photo 9

(9) Layout of the two new cardis and the t-shirts (minus the one I tried on with them) that are potential pairings.

Questions or thoughts welcome!

I had an appointment today to shop. Some of my wish list items were sold out, but I got to try quite a few in the store. Some weren't in the store but were available online.

My sales associate did a great job. She was so organized, and had my wish list items in the room for me. She picked all the right sizes, some of which I wouldn't have guessed correctly. So helpful and time-saving!

What I wore shopping (pic 1): Pants and shirt-jacket in navy travel knit (OSKA). Navy and stone broken-stripe tank top (made by me). White and silver low-top sneakers (Paul Green). Gray backpback bag (Rebecca Minkoff).

Here are my reviews.

What I bought:

- Caslon chevron stripe cardigan. Bought a size down from what I would have tried (XS rather than S). Soft, cozy, and to me it looks quite chic in person.

- Caslon long-sleeved crewneck t-shirt, blue sterling, size S. Goes with the sweater, and I love the color. I have a few Caslon cotton t-shirts from years past, and I like this new lightweight slub-cotton style. I think it's pretty and will be good for layering.

- Pacsun Feel the Breeze Mix Stitch Cotton V-neck. I got it in dark sapphire (navy). Wasn't on my radar, but the SA picked it for me. I think it will be useful to have a nice summer pullover. Bonus that it matched the pants I was wearing to shop.

- Zella seamless performance t-shirt. Blue thistle (bought in store) and purple iris (ordered), size S. A closer-fitting tee that I will use for Pilates, walks or wearing under an overshirt for hiking.

- Topshop basketweave cardigan. Soft, and a nice shorter length. I like the boxy cut--not too oversized. Size S. I put this one on the SA's radar; she was pleasantly surprised.

- ATM schoolboy cotton t-shirt, bay green, size S. NOT an NAS item, and wasn't on my list. But the SA picked it for me, and I love the fit, the feel, and the color.

- AllSaints leather belt. Size S. I might have picked M, but it turns out S will work for my mid-rise and high rise jeans. The color looks less pink to me in person, a not-quite blush.

- Madewell medium carabiner earrings. Love these! They are about a half inch long, and don't really look like carabiners because they are so tiny. I will wear them a lot. I'm liking smaller earrings with my short hair.

- Fresh lip balm. Also introduced the SA to this item, my favorite lip balm. I've never tried the mint before.

- Kiehl's avocado eye cream. Another favorite. It's nice to have a small travel-size as well as the regular size.

- Rag & Bone Shiloh loafer, lightsand suede, size 37.5. (Pics taken at home.) These weren't on my list. I skipped right over them because they looked quite tan, almost camel, online. They are more in the stone family to my eye, and I like them. This is not just a heavy look, but also a heavy shoe. Not sure about keeping them. I've been wanting to get a pair of stone-colored booties for a while, so I'm thinking maybe I'll enjoy having chunky loafers instead of another pair of booties.

- Natori Bliss Perfection bras. Curiously I got a different size than last year. I've been wearing 34B and bought 32C today, as the 34 band seemed too big. I would have ordered the wrong size.

- Chantelle soft stretch seamless hipster undies. I get these every year. 3 neutral and 3 colors.

What I ordered:

- Treasure& Bond space-dye cotton blend zip cardigan, burgundy royale, size S.

- Vince oversized wool & cashmere cardigan, plum wine, size XS. I would have ordered the matching pants, but they were sold out in my size.

- Tissot Women's PR 100 Auto Classic Croc Embossed Leather Strap Watch, white.

Tried but didn't buy:

- Caslon v-neck short-sleeve cotton t-shirt, blue sterling, size S. I really liked this fabric and color (same as the long-sleeved one I bought). I don't wear v-neck t-shirts. It's quite long.

- Zella scrunch-neck long sleeve mini-dress, tan cobblestone, size XS. The fabric is nice, substantial. This is an elevated sweatshirt dress, which I think would be great for travel or daily wear. It's a very straight cut, which I think would work really well for someone with an inverted triangle shape. The color was too yellow for me, so I didn't try a size up. It fit me in the shoulders and bust and was tight across the hips (showing the unflattering back view, just for you!).

- Eileen Fisher v-neck merino wool cardigan, blue moon, size XS. It didn't look any better on me than it does on the model (which I don't find a super inspiring pic). Nice color, soft wool, lightweight.

- Hobo small draft leather cross-body bag, gray. Darker in person, not in the stone family I'm looking for. It looked a bit smaller than I'd hoped, too, but I didn't open it up.

What I didn't try or order:

- Camper Milah penny loafer. I ran across these in black at another store last week, tried them, and could not get my foot into them, either in 37 or 38. I have a high instep, and these shoes must be quite shallow. They weren't at my Nordstrom, but I didn't bother ordering them.

- AllSaints crossbody bags, Ida and Allington. These weren't available in the store, and I'm not sure about online. But I ordered another bag this past week from Madewell (Puff crossbody bag) that I think will work.

- Vince bermuda shorts. These weren't available in store, but the SA said she thought they were more tan than what I'm after.

The sold-out items on my wish list that I won't bother to stalk:

- Madewell Balsam Cap-Sleeve Sweater

- Avec Les Filles Cocoon Tweed Blazer

- Barbour Rosalind Quilted Trench

Just don't need any of these!

Well, that's a lot of stuff! I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to ask questions about any of the things I saw.

p.s. I forgot: I tried on the Frame Le Crop Flare raw-hem jeans, which the SA picked for me. Size 27. They are stretchy and soft, and I liked them, but am not into this look right now. They remind me of Mother jeans I've had that I really like.

UPDATE: I wasn't sure about the fit of the loafers when I wore them around the house, so I ordered the 38 to compare again. I reconfirmed my in-store decision: the 37.5 is the better fit. Yet it's not comfortable enough. The heel fits nicely, but my toes feel a bit cramped. In the 38, the heel slips (and I can see a little gap), but the toes are comfy. 

I've ordered the same style name, in leather rather than suede, with lighter color and sole, to try--on sale from Bloomingdale's. I figure it doesn't hurt to try; they can be returned, too.

I've kept an eye out for a blush pink denim jacket, so when I came across this one from AllSaints, I had to give it a try. I love how it is a mixed pink and black wash.

I wasn't actively looking for it, so I would not have seen it, had I not stopped in the AllSaints store recently and bought a pair of blush pink jeans on sale (along with a matching pullover and a non-matching pullover!). I've already worn the jeans and pink pullover together and the striped pullover (in Finds) with other bottoms. When I got home from that shopping trip, I looked online to see what else AllSaints had on sale, and I saw the jacket, in my size, and ordered it. I debated keeping it, because it felt a little small in the shoulders. But I couldn't find the next size up anywhere, so I held on to the jacket with the tags on.

Today I removed the tags and wore the jacket. It is fine with a light layer underneath.

Photo 1 is how I wore it today, to go out to breakfast. I was inspired by Jaime's EXTRA style idea and wore the necklace! It's a piece I really like but rarely wear. It felt right today with this tee.

Hay Denim Jacket (AllSaints), boyfriend jeans (Citizens of Humanity Emerson), graphic tee in cream with black, green, and beige abstract design (Madewell), cream loafers (27 Edit), sage cross body bag (Madewell Transport Camera Bag), light olive belt (Fossil), necklace with brass irregular-shaped beads on black cord, hammered brass half-loop earrings (Marjorie Baer).

Photo 2 is a variation, with the new Cole Haan sneakers, which I haven't worn out of the house yet. Trying to make sure they will work. And a Pendleton stripe bag with white and blush faux-croc trim  (made by me).

Photos 3-4 show the matching jeans. I think as recently as last year, I wouldn't have worn these pieces together. But now I think I will.

I welcome your thoughts!

On my trip to return the sneakers I ordered from Madewell, I found a couple of things that followed me home. At Madewell, I tried on two pairs of jeans and a pair of shorts, and I bought the Perfect Vintage Wide-Legged Jean in tile white. (If anyone can create a Find, I'll add it.)

And I found a pair of sneakers at Nordstrom, the Cole Haan Topspin style in Roccia Pearly Snake. To my eye, the color has a little bit of mauve to it, so these fit the bill for sneakers with a blush pink element to them, for which I have been on the lookout. (I was interested in getting an update to my blush slip-on Mephisto sneakers that are getting kind of worn looking after several seasons.) Curiously I tried on this Cole Haan style in a different color a couple of years ago and the back edge bugged me. But they seem to work fine now. I'll wear them around the house for a while to be sure.

Pics below:

1) What I wore shopping. White Levis Icon jeans, navy and aqua print peplum-back blouse (made by me), gray waffle-weave cotton jacket (made by me), gray leopard print sneakers (Mephisto Yael), and metallic pewter crossbody bag (Kurt Geiger).

2) showing the new jeans and sneakers

3-5) new jeans and sneakers with a boxy asymmetric metallic top (made by me) to show more of the top of the jeans.

6) new sneakers with a mauve sporty A-line dress (Zella) that I bought at the end of the season last year and look forward to wearing this summer.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome!

A favorite pastime on YLF--eyeglass shopping! Or maybe I speak for myself. Anyway, my current ones are a couple of years old, and I love them and will continue to wear them. But I'm also in the mood for something new. I went shopping ahead of an eye exam next week, and these are the contenders.

1-2: current frames, blush rounded rectangle

3-4: option 1, neutral tortoise round

5-6: option 2, gray hexagon

7-8: option 3, pink round/cat

9-10: option 4, teal fade rounded rectangle

11-12: option 5, rectangular teal tortoise

13-14: option 6, art deco blue fade

15-16: option 7, rosy hexagon

I welcome your thoughts!

I happened to be wearing the loafer clogs I mentioned today on Angie's blog post. I'm not a big loafer- or clog-wearer, and yet I really like these. They are new this fall and I have been wearing them quite a bit, including on a plane trip, where they were comfy and convenient for the security line where I had to remove them.

Today's outfit, worn out to breakfast and at home: Navy wide-wale corduroy lantern pants (made by me); scroll pattern burnout t-shirt (made by me); navy bomber cardigan (Pendleton); olive loafer clogs (Dansko); dark olive anorak (Lauren Ralph Lauren); sage/olive crossbody bag (Madewell). Sorry for the dark photos; I edited to lighten them as much as possible, but the details are still not very visible.

I welcome your comments or thoughts.

I mentioned on Angie's post that I had just bought a sweater vest from Madewell. I really like it for its cozy, soft feel and the easy, boxy fit with extended shoulders. This is the second time I've worn it, in the past couple of weeks. It seems like the kind of knit that may pill, but I'll happily wear it until that time.

This outfit is a version of Angie's Classic formula, #3, though my shirt is a little twist on classic, with its cowl neck and uneven hem.

The outfit: Cowl-neck, high-low hem big shirt in coordinating box and dot prints (made by me, Sewing Workshop Icon Shirt pattern); dark wash boyfriend jeans (AG); navy sweater vest (Madewell); cream loafters (27 Edit). I added my blush lightweight jacket and blush cross-body bag to go out.

Questions and comments welcome, as always!

I ordered the AllSaints Lock mock neck sweater after mention of it somewhere here, and it arrived today. I was excited to try it on, so here are a few pictures.

I think I will return it, because the color is more yellow in person than I had hoped. More butter than chalk. It is soft, and I really like the style. It has my favorite neck style--a cozy cowl. This is my usual size, and it is quite roomy. I don't think I would size down, despite the oddness I'm seeing on the right sleeve in the back-view photo. I just think I need to hold out for a better shade of white, or I won't wear it. I do like it better with the lower-contrast pants and the narrower silhouette jeans.

I tried it on with

1-2: off-white boyfriend jeans I had on today (you can see how it is more yellow than the jeans)

3-4: black and white pinstripe flannel wool pants (OSKA) and black booties

5: neutral shades glen plaid wool wide-legged cropped pants (OSKA) and black booties

6-7: dark wash jeans and graphite booties