Wanty: It's Jeans Week.

 My obsessions come and go and lately I've been obsessed with jeans. Back in the summer I sold off any pair of jeans I owned that I considered shame pants - they no longer quite fit but might fit later.  Nope. Gone, all of them. I am left with five pairs, most of which I wear regularly but there's still a hole in my denim wardrobe - I want a non-skinny, slightly cropped, mid-rise option in a medium blue wash that will work with my Chelsea boots. 

You'd think this would be easy but we're still in the era of HIGHEST SUPER HIGH RISE and y'all, I cannot take it another second. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have high rise jeans (four out of the five pairs mentions are high rise) and love them...until I'm sitting for more than 30 minutes. Then, my short-waisted self is angry. 

I will say that my Madewell Boyjeans pretty much fit the description of what I'm looking for but they're roomy, distressed and I have to cuff them. What I want is something slightly more streamlined and probably not distressed. Here are some options I've been considering:

Obviously Madewell is my first stop and lo, they are offering a mid-rise version of the Perfect Vintage jeans! They're practically perfect except my size is backordered until January. No worries I found them on Nordstrom and, huh. The wash is much lighter than it looks on the Madewell site. Not exactly right, but I'm keeping them in mind.

The Madewell Stovepipe Jeans also seem like a contender but the rise is pretty high and I'm not sure about the wash. I'd have to try these on in-store first. Jeans are so tricky! Next up:

I decided to check out Anthro like an idiot and found these beautiful perfect Paige jeans...that cost way more than I'm willing to pay. Ugh, they're great though, aren't they? (And yes, they're high rise but the heart wants what it wants. Apparently mine wants to destroy my other internal organs.) 

Okay, moving on, I am very intrigued by these Levi's Wedgie jeans!  They come in a bunch of washes and are under $100. But...the rise is a bit higher than mid-rise so I'd have to try them on and see. So cute, though. 

Out of desperation I checked out Old Navy who's still suffering from HIGHEST HIGH RISE disease but I though this pair was kind of cute. Not exactly what I'm looking for but still under consideration.

Also, these! Mid-rise, medium wash, slightly cropped, check check check. They aren't exciting but they are a really solid inexpensive option. 

Alright, that's all I have today - I'll be back tomorrow with more jeans action but for now, I'm asking you if you have a favorite pair that meets my requirements. Do tell! 

Weekend Window Shopping: BR Factory For Fall.

I was pretty impressed with Banana Republic Factory's summer offerings so I decided to see what the fall collection looks like. I am into it and it's all on sale! My only complaint is that a lot of the cool accessories the models are wearing don't seem to be for sale. (Whither thou zebra belt bag? Where is this crazy necklace? Why can't I have this leather camera bag?? Why??) Anyway, here's what I really liked that you can actually purchase:

Well, this is just a dreamy dream of a fall dress, right? Like, maybe you're the new exchange student at Oxford University where you read European literature? (And yay, tall boots are back!)

That said, I am a little bit weary of every single dress being midi-length 

so this mini dress is a refreshing and wearable change of pace. Plus, I love the pattern!

Comfy pull on pants but make it fashion. I love these! Great colors and a perfect cropped length.

Obviously there's a dramatic trench because fall is Dramatic Trench Season. I love the dark green color.

A VERY good plaid button up shirt that comes in a bunch of colors (but this one is the best.) 

This minimal quilted jacket also comes in black but this plum color is so excellent. 

Nobody needs another black coat. That's right, I said it.

THIS. This is the kind of scaled-up sweatshirt top I desire. It's so edgy but still looks soft and warm! 

And of course, sweater material joggers because everyone needs fancy sweatpants these days.

Stuff I Like: Early Autumn Edition!

It's decorative gourd season! Yay! Okay, it's fine I guess. I am grudgingly giving in to fall like I do every year even though it's not my favorite season. Things are getting very autumnal in Oregon and I am trying my best to lean into it and appreciate sweater weather. I AM TRYING OKAY. Here are a few things that have made the transition easier:

This Happy Light That Is Standard PNW Issue.

I bought this Verilux Happy Light back in June because I knew I was going to need it the minute the weather started to turn. That happened this past week so I've got it set up next to my desk and it's definitely making the gloomy, dark mornings a bit easier. It's early days, but I'm hoping it'll stave off the seasonal depression I've been told to expect. PS. It is extremely bright and you're not supposed to look  directly at it which I found out by looking directly at it. Learn from me! Don't do that. 

This Atmospheric Read That Is Just Right For Fall.

When fall weather hits I tend to want to read moody/spooky books and Tana French is the absolute best when it comes to that. The Searcher came out last year and I'm so ready to re-read it. This is a stand-alone story but, unlike her previous book, The Witch Elm, this one doesn't have quite the same "unreliable narrator" feel and is much more introspective and unhurried. French's writing is, as always, atmospheric and beautiful, and the story is unsettling more than creepy and ultimately quite satisfying. Highly recommend.

This Candle That Is Perfectly Autumnal.

I returned something at the mall recently and almost immediately spent the return money at BlueMercury on this fancy LAFCO candle. It's like I was in a trance (why is the BlueMercury store so close to Madewell??) and when I got home I was like, oh no why didn't I buy the candle I already know I love? But, turns out I didn't make a mistake at all because the Amber candle is everything I was looking for - warm, spicy, soft, rich. It's not floral or too sharp or too sweet, it's just perfect and cozy. 10/10 would purchase again. 

I Know This Isn't Autumnal, Hear Me Out.

I work from home in the top floor loft space of a corner townhouse. It's lovely! So full of windows which is great until Wednesday when the lawn crew arrives and spends seven hours blowing around leaves and crap on both sides of the building. The dueling leaf blowers drive me insane and the last time I whined about it Marianne suggested I get a set of noise cancelling AirPods Pro. And y'all, they are truly amazing. I put them in and my shoulders drop - I'm instantly less murderous. I don't even have to listen to music! They just bring everything down a few notches. Also, they're on sale right now at Target and Amazon so if you've thought about it, now is probably the time. 

This Podcast I Already Talked About.
I'm pretty sure I posted about this last fall but The Great British Baking Show is back and so is my very favorite companion podcast, On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake! I already love Joy and Claire from their other podcasts and I'd been hoping they'd revive this one with the new season. It's basically just a delightful half hour of GBBO recap and comments, though I especially love that Claire tries out the technical challenge every week and reports back. Get going with that malt loaf! 

Outfit of the Day: Also, There's This.

The great thing about working fully remote is that I can wear jeans and a band tee all day. The bad thing about working fully remote is that I wear jeans and a band tee all day. But it feels pretty "me" don't you think? 

I bought this amazing metallic Bowie tee on Poshmark not realizing it was slightly cropped, but it works great with my high-rise jeans! It's by Chaser, who I love for fun tees, and I've been wearing it A LOT BECAUSE I AM A CHILD AND I WORK FRoM hOmE. I have a lot of Bowie tees, but this is my current favorite. It's basically sold out online, but there are a bunch on eBay and Posh. I also LOVE this Bowie tee by Lucky and there's no end to fun band tees and sweatshirts. 

My jeans are Madewell Perfect Vintage which are a great non-skinny cut. This is probably the most similar current style (with some excellent distressing) but I love this blue wash. ALSO, they come in a mid-rise style! Be still my heart. I'm obviously wearing my silver Birkenstocks because they go with my t-shirt. Duh. And oh, hey, there's this: 

Listen, I know. I have been on a bag tear lately but I stalked this secondhand forEVER and was finally made an offer I couldn't refuse. This is the Hammitt VIP bag in large. I had been eyeing the gold hardware version in medium for a long time  but in the end I got the large with gunmetal hardware and I adore it. The size is perfect for an everyday crossbody and the leather! It's mooshy and luxe and the bag is lined in the softest red suede! My only quibble is that the strap feels pretty thin. It's not a big deal, but I'll probably replace it with wider version at some point.

Final detail, I'm wearing my Gorjana Parker necklace with a labradorite charm and I love how it looks worn a little off-center. I mean, of course I do. 

Monday Mood: I Want All These Things.

Hi, it's Monday. My Madewell leather jacket, stuff of dreams, has a status of "waitlisted" (whatever the hell that means) so I am pouting and cheating on Madewell with EVEREVE, because they have CUTE DAMN STUFF and it's fall and I want these things:

Ugh, come on. Like, please. Why is this not already in my closet. 

Wouldn't this dress be really cute with faux leather leggings and ankle boots? 

I feel like this soft af plaid jacket would complete my PNW assimilation. 

Ugh, this is so pretty. Nobody on Zoom would know I'm wearing it with sweatpants.

Okay, these pants and have button tabs to convert to them to a tapered style. Stupid or brilliant?

More plaid! I don't know who I am anymore but isn't this cute? 

Actually digging this Veronica Beard dickey jacket knockoff in theory. 

Sherpa sneakers! These are cute as hell and look cozy, right? 

But, I can't lie, I want a new pair of these way more. The heart wants what it wants. 

Weekend Window Shopping: Athleta for Fall

 I have and wear a lot of stuff from Athleta and I especially love their cozy fall and winter options. You really can't go wrong with an Athleta hoodie, is what I'm saying. I looked through some of the new arrivals and also discovered that they've finally added the sherpa-lined raincoat that was pictured in the catalog last year but never actually made it to the website. (Does anyone have it? It looks good!)  Here's what's on my list:

Review: Madewell Griff Tapered Fatigue Pants.

These Madewell Griff pants, I swear. Marianne loves them and I do too: 

The Madewell Griff Tapered Fatigue Pants are the perfect color, the perfect weight, the perfect taper. The length works with clogs, flats or ankle boots! These are your perfect fall jeans-alternative. The issue: they run huge. All of the online reviews back this up so I ordered down a size and then the next size down from that. The down-a-size definitely fit, but they were comfortably loose and I worried that they'd stretch out and be falling off me. It's hard to tell the difference but here they are:

They're meant to be slouchy, so this is probably how they're meant to fit, but I ended up keeping the two-sizes-down pair I'm wearing in the first pic (Marianne did too) because they felt more flattering. They're 100% cotton (and have a linen-like texture) so I definitely won't be putting them in the dryer. If these are not quite for you, I have it on good authority that the Slim Utility pants at BR are really good and they don't have a 11"+ rise, I'm pretty sure. 

Speaking of, the rise on these pants could best be described as "aggresive" but they're perfect to wear with that short, boxy sweater you probably have but don't know what to wear with. Mine is a Lululemon sweater that I thrifted with the intention of selling on Poshmark but then I tried it on and was like, YOU ARE MINE NOW. (This happens a lot.) For a similar sweater, this Lululemon style is close and this Free People sweater looks like a stylish alternative. I also found this option at NR which is cute as hell and under $20! On to details:

I'm wearing my Madewell paperclip chain and my Dean Davidson labradorite tassel pendant. There's nothing else quite similar but this tassel necklace is pretty and I'm keeping an eye on the labradorite jewelry collection at BR right now. Still love these earrings! 

You guys! I found my Clare V Midi Sac for sale online! I'm not familiar with the site but it seems legit. There aren't any other snake styles available but I really love this leopard version at Anthro. I really want one of the fun straps from Clare V., and will probably get one eventually, but in the meantime I bought this cheapy version from Amazon that is quite good. (The hardware is a bit bigger than CV, but it's working out fine for now.) My clogs are Sanita, another secondhand purchase. They aren't fashion but they are really comfortable and satisfyingly clompy. 

PS. The Madewell Insider Event was supposed to end on the 20th but apparently it's been extended to the 27th, so get you some pants!