On Memory and Matching

Remember my earlier post about my trip to Nordstrom?  The one where I listened to some tween getting a can opened up on her by her tough-loving aunt?  Yes, that one!  You might also recall I picked up a pair of red skinny jeans, which the salesgirl immediately paired with a white shirt and black tank top.  The jeans fit weird, the top was too blousy, and the ensemble pretty much failed.  I walked out empty-handed (but with an earful of memorable quotes).

Well, the outfit the salesgal assembled for me must've stuck in the back of my brain.  A couple weeks ago, my shopping partner-in-crime and I spent an evening at one of the local, upscale malls.  Even though we stopped into a number of stores and tried on quite a few cute things, we walked out with only two purchases each (hey, that is impressive by our standards).  One of the winners?  Lo and behold...  red skinny jeans.  However, these didn't come from the teen department.  Rather, from a trendy store that caters to, um, old people (you didn't consider anyone over 30 to be "old" when you were fifteen?  Boy, I sure did.).  The jeans, made by J Brand, were so darn cute that my friend also got the same pair.  OMG, look!  We match!  Isn't that adorbs?   OK, we didn't really say that.  

Now then, if you and your pal are going to buy the exact same thing, it's only logical that you decide to wear them out one night - together!  What did I pair the lucky jeans with?  Coming back to the teen department trip, I grabbed a black shrug and also a black and white jumper dress (the brand of which will remain un-named ;) - voila!  While I'd like to say the pairing came from natural stylish instinct, I honestly probably recalled the salesgirl's own fashionable decisions back in that Nordstrom dressing room.

Regardless of who gets the credit, it makes for a cute outfit.  And the jeans got twice the love.  Here are some snaps...

Ahh, yes, the Nordstrom visit:

Ensemble grade:  M for Meh.

The J Brand pair my friend and I were pleasantly surprised with:

And - voici! - red jeans times two, plus the black and white top theme:

Have you and a friend ever ended up buying the same thing?  Did you wear them on the same day to the same place - but not on purpose?  :)  Do tell!

In closing, enjoy (at my teen expense) a great flashback example of the above question:  my junior year in high school, I was lucky enough to receive a leather jacket for Christmas from the Gap that I later christened "Sea World" because, um, it smelled like...  Sea World?  Man, I was so proud to wear it to Ms. Corbett's Algebra II class...  until Joe, the dude who sat next to me, plopped into his seat wearing *the same dang jacket*!  Unplanned and kind of embarrassing, probably more for him than me.  I think my parents still have that poor jacket, crammed in some hidden closet.

You know, I'll bet Sea World would go swimmingly well with those J Brands.

Images:  all my own except the J Brand photo (Shopbop)

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

They'll Even Hold Your Purse For You

Remember when I said my brain likes to turn itself off on random Mondays?  Or more accurately, Sunday nights, which is when I try and write the bulk of my posts.  Well, the old hamster upstairs got tired from running on his little wheel.  So he’s taking a break.  Which means I don’t have anything super-ambitious to say right now.


I do have a culprit to blame for my lack of energy:  I just got back from my annual Christmas shopping trip to Nordstrom.  I love, love, love Nordstrom.  I hate, hate, hate that the only one in the Twin Cities is at the Mall of Insanity, I mean, America.  I could go on about malls, but I'll save those musings for a later post.


All I want to do right now is share with you a very funny picture.  Tonight was a private sale for Nordstrom cardholders, an annual Christmas event that my friend Annie and I have made our own annual tradition of attending.  There’s some nice, live music provided by a nice, live band.  There are also complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.  And tons of shopping to be had.

Hmmm…

Christmas shopping + crazy Nordstrom customers + free booze and snacks + special promotions = Insanity. 

Like I said, Mall of Insanity.  It’s not just a state of mind, sometimes it’s a physical place with endless parking stalls and GPS directions.

Anyway… this is Jeff.  Jeff works in the shoe department at Nordstrom (btw, Nordstrom shoe department + all of the above = Insanity x 3).

My brain/hamster doesn’t want to make the effort to explain anything here.  Just know that the place was a madhouse, and yes, Jeff is holding my purse.  That department store is known for its service, and boy, they did not disappoint, even on a night as nuts as this one.

I’m going to try my best to spike my hamster’s water bottle with some Red Bull or an espresso shot, in hopes of posting something more substantial by Thursday.  In the midst of prime gifting time, I want to share with you an amazing friend who does some beautiful (and very buyable) work.

For now, I need to recover after my pilgrimage to Insanity and back.  And last but not least, a big shout-out to Jeff H. at Nordstrom for more than living up to their reputation for great customer service - and wearing my purse.