Shopping Expedition: January 2010 - Nordstrom

Note:  Thanks to some issues I've been having with Blogger, coupled with out-of-town travel and being sick, this post was actually written nearly two weeks ago.  I'll follow up with another, sparkly new one very soon!  Meanwhile, enjoy this one - it's still relevant and I'm still dreaming about some of the clothes!

Recently, I found myself with a rare opportunity – I had some time to kill… at the Mall of Insanity (America)!  Which means, of course, yay shopping!  Usually, I am running around like a crazed woman on a mission when it comes to shopping.  Even when I’ve allotted a certain amount of time per store, it’s easy to get off-track and find yourself throwing clothes on and off like a possessed chick in a desperate race against that 7:00 PM dinner reservation.

Coming straight from work, I was sans automobile.  But not to fret!  Minneapolis is home to a maze of skyways, which I call the Hamster Habitrail (hmm, I sense a theme bar idea).  Considering we just had a low of -16 degrees Fahrenheit last Friday, minimal exposure to the outdoors right now is ideal.  So I made like Fluffy and took to the habitrail, which then dropped me right across the street from the light-rail (can't escape the outdoors completely, I guess).  This in turn deposited me at the mall with about 45 minutes to spare.  Oh, 45 glorious minutes of retail freedom. 

Where to go?  Where to go?  My friend had a ball at the As Seen On TV store.  I could score a mini John Deere tractor at that place that sells farm toys.  Glamour Shots?  LoveSac (Really?  I mean...  really?)?

Nah, I'm boring.  I bee-lined straight for Nordstrom, breezing through the shoe department and heading up the escalator to check out the clothes.

As I’ve mentioned, retailers have decided Spring is here (they totally ignore the meteorologists and Mother Nature).  I’d been lamenting to a friend that most of the trends were falling flat with me, those high-waisted flare jeans topping my “Not so much” list.  But I had to check out the newest arrivals anyway…  clothes always look different in person than via a bunch of pixels.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of pretty things, although most of my choices weren't exactly screaming "Spring!"  Before I knew it, I was hauling at least a dozen items into a dressing room.  I had checked my phone – still about 20 minutes to go.  No sweat, right?  Ack, as we all know, those 20 minutes ended up flying by.  I was late to meet my friends.  I don't think I even tried on the last two tops I'd brought in.

Here are some of goods, all lined up and ready to go:

The following made my "Mir Gefaellt Es" list.

This dress from Nanette Lepore caught my eye for its great color and graphics.

Tried on in person, the pockets of this dress just draped kinda weird on me.  So that was a no-go.


Vince is offering a fab leather dress.  I always appreciate clean lines and a minimal design.  But the color automatically made me leery, since I suspected it would clash with my skin tone.  I grabbed it anyway.  You never know, right?

Um, right.  Looks great on the model with ivory skin (I'm sure the correct lighting helps).  Me = meh.  Even the super-nice saleslady at Nordstrom dismissed it due to the unfortunate color juxtaposition.  Also, as both photos show, the A-line translated into a somewhat boxy, paper sack fit.

Undeterred by the clash of the tans, I had picked up a gorgeous leather jacket, also by Vince.

Hey - the color looks the same both on the model and me!  Surprisingly, this jacket looked better on me than the dress.  Generally the same khaki-ish hue.  But for whatever random reason, it was more flattering.  Medefinitelylikes.



Dashing Elizabeth & James blazer.  A little bit equestrian.  Sorry, no pic of me wearing this one.  I'd already veered into the "Oh crap, I'm so late I need to hurry nownownow!" phase.

Great top just begging to go to a cocktail party from Helmut Lang

Finally, I couldn't resist grabbing this lovely M Missoni dress off the rack.  They have such beautiful fabrics and color adjacencies (wow, I know there is a better way to state that but my brain can't manage).  Not sure why, but it called up images of the 1920's and 1930's.  I'm not a fashion historian, so apologies if I'm in the wrong era.  Whatever decade it conjures, I really enjoyed this dress.  I could see myself reaching for this number as soon as the occasion presented itself (What?  A trip to the food co-op doesn't count?).

To everyone’s surprise, and my wallet’s vast relief, I walked out of Nordstrom empty-handed.  Part (OK, most) of this is due to the fact that I loved the spendiest threads but do not have the cash to drop $700+ on a dress or jacket.  Also, I was a good 20 minutes late to happy hour by this time.  Thankfully, the HH organizer is none other than my good friend Annie, who also happens to be my main partner in retail crime.  She was very understanding of my tardiness due to dressing room overkill.  Even so, I was raised to be punctual.  Must be the German in me!

I'm still coveting the M Missoni dress and Elizabeth & James jacket.  I'd add the leather Vince jacket to the list, but I need another one of those like I need another foot of snow around here.  So I had to pass on that.  Besides, like the dress, it wasn't exactly a steal.

Armed with the camera phone pics, which help me sort out and reaffirm my thoughts from the dressing room, they at least provide a reminder of what made the cut.  And while I highly doubt these pieces will ever see the sale rack (especially the dress, boo-hiss)...  if I do see them marked down, I might just spring for it.  That season is right around the corner, after all.



Photo credits:

Clothes on rack - own
Nanette Lepore dress - nordstrom.com
Vince leather dress - nordstrom.com, own
Vince leather jacket - saksfifthavenue.com, own
Elizabeth & James jacket - saksfifthavenue.com
Helmut Lang top - barneys.com
M Missoni dress - saksfifthavenue.com