The Shopping List: (a belated) November

The ten things we can't stop thinking about this month.

We’re a few days late with our November list, but everyone we speak to at the moment has had their plans waylaid, so we’re calling it basic trend participation. We’ll also shortly be bringing you our bumper December shopping list / Christmas gift guide, so get your scrolly little fingers ready. There is so much goodness coming your way.

But first, for November. A month of reassessment and recalibration as we careen into EOY chaos. Summer is about a decade late to arrive in Melbourne, which has put a serious dent in our motivation to get ‘dressed’ dressed (not to mention the stream of sickness that’s taken up residence in both our homes over the last two months).

The horrors persist, but so do we, etc.

All jokes (?) aside, last night Soph and I sat across from each other for an impromptu snack and cuddle (at Clover, which was 10/10) and remembered just how lucky we are for all the beautiful things in life: friendship, our little loves, fashion, salted mango (!), a warm evening breeze…joy.

It’s all here for the taking. Onward!

xx

Sophie

WYNN HAMLYN / Woven Beaded Bag — $295 NZD

I’m feeling in a bit of a slump at the moment. I know that its situational because of a huge run of work as well as a multitude of daycare sicknesses, but i’m slumping nonetheless. Which has of course crept into the wardrobe. What to do from here? When you start feeling like you have nothing to wear, or really just a bit meh about your wardrobe in general it’s often a good time for a little wardrobe reframe and refresh. I just made that up but thats essentially what’s needed: reframe how you’re looking at your wardrobe, then refresh how you’re wearing it. Because it’s highly unlikely you have nothing to wear, rather you just don’t know how you want to wear it anymore.

This is of course also coinciding with the end of a season and year, where we’re sick to death of our regular outfit formulas and in desperate need of shaking things up. I know I bang on about it but I always start each warm or cold season with a moodboard in order to get an idea of how i’d like to dress for the forthcoming season. Yes it helps you drum up some inspiration, but it also helps you identify what you might already have in your wardrobe to achieve the vibe, which can be illuminating when you think that you’re sick of everything you own. This is the reframe part, you just need to look at your pieces from a different angle with the help of visual aid. In doing this you’ll also identify possible wardrobe gaps which will help you thoughtfully plan for any shopping you’d like to do for the season. Then follows the refresh part, styling up your wardrobe in the ways you’ve referenced. Giving a new lens to old friends.

The most cost effective place to start is with accessories - an interesting bag or shoe will immediately lift any outfit. Like this incredible Wynn Hamlyn beaded bag. I hate to say that one singular material piece could be the salve to all of my problems, but here we are… ?

Annie

ALEMAIS / Sirocco Embroidered Shirt — $390
ALEMAIS / Sirocco Embroidered Short — $290

I admire Alémais, but I’ve felt recently that their pieces have been so ubiquitous that the brand lost a bit of its appeal to me. Something about seeing their hyper-artisinal aesthetic become so commercial made it feel sort of weird to me…? This isn’t a critique of the brand (we love to see the success), more an observation of how I react to the mainstreaming of an aesthetic that has its roots in niche craftsmanship. But Alémais’ Resort 26 collection is really special - to me, it’s the very best of the brand. It features pieces designed in collaboration with Laurence Leenaert — a multi-disciplinary artist and founder of Marrakech-based design studio, LRNCEs (the whole campaign was photographed in Rosemary Riaz, Marrakech).

So many beautiful pieces (this….this….THIS), but I love this shirt and this pair of shorts for summer. Not necessarily to wear together (I am a bit fatigued by sets, I am way more into a piecemeal approach to dressing these days) but I could see myself wearing the shorts over my bathers and a giant white cotton shirt on beach days, and the shirt over a silk slip dress or with long denim shorts to ease into the new year. Now if only they came with a ticket to Marrakech.

Sophie

BLANCA / May Top — $270

In times of wardrobe fatigue I always reach for pieces that feel different or interesting and i’ll build from there. It often leads to ‘mistakes’ because i’m throwing a spanner in the regular dressing routine, and by mistakes I just mean outfits I don’t love, but the idea here is to shake things up. Then it’s just trial and error to make the look work from there.

If you’re thinking about attempting to achieve this same shake up with new things, aim for pieces that feel unique. It can sometimes feel like the wrong move to spend money on the more interesting and unique pieces when things are tight. But if you can work out multiple ways to style it in both casual and formal looks, it can be a lovely little joy injection into your wardrobe.

The secondhand market is feeling so incredibly attractive for this problem of sameness and wardrobe fatigue but if i’m honest I don’t have the time to partake right now. So what am I looking for when i’m feeling this way? I’m craving tiny details, little flourishes, hand beading and the tension caused by dress code inappropriateness. So it makes sense I’ve been lusting after this Blanca top. It’s definitely not in the ‘need’ section of my wishlist but it’s just the flourish I’m craving. But given I’m realistic, I’m picturing it with cotton seersucker PJ pants and thongs all summer long.

Annie

DÔEN / Henri Top — $248 (USD)

I bought this top in black about a month ago, skeptical if the DÔEN dream would live up to reality. When I bought it, I had just cycled through a pretty intense period of reflection on my life, my style and realising I had let too many external influences interfere with my true taste and what I genuinely love. Real talk: motherhood, work, and spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about clothes led me to feel like I should be dressing a certain way, which wasn’t necessarily feeling totally right. I had squashed my romantic/dreamer stylistic impulses (which I think are also generally just harder to nourish in winter). Anyway, the top arrived and, to me, it’s perfect. No notes. None. I’m all in and ready to commit to the white version, too — worn with fine layered silver necklaces, these jeans and this new straw bag (I cut the ribbon off). My dream summer uniform. Truly.

Sophie

ALÉMAIS / Le Jardin Spiral Lariet Necklace — $390

In the spirit of interesting pieces, I’m loving this Alémais necklace. So much of my jewellery consumption over the past few years has been for ultra classic pieces, which I know I wont ever regret but I have been feeling I could’ve been slightly more adventurous with my choices. In my hunt for long gold pendants that aren’t the same as everything else, this lariat style feels like a happy medium between costume and everyday. A fun throw on piece that will make every look more interesting yet doesn’t fully break the bank given it’s brass.

Annie

MAGGIE MARILYN / Long Sleeve Mini Dress — $195

I was in Sydney for work recently and used a spare 30 mins to pop into the Maggie Marilyn store in Paddington. Between the warmer weather and the reminder of how travel necessitates pieces that work in multiple contexts with the change of a shoe, this simple black cotton dress called my name. I am one of the people who likes wearing black in summer — I actually think black works better in warm weather because you can show more skin, which offsets the heaviness of it all — and I know I am going to reach for this every second day as we head into December.

This is from Maggie’s ‘Somewhere’ capsule collection of basics, which is probably a bit slept on but truly so good, if not for the cuts then for the sustainable, quality cotton used. This tee is essential, and this singlet dress is a such a great summer staple layered with an open shirt and a baseball cap.

Sophie

SISTER STUDIOS / Selena Dress — $330

Do I dare say I feel myself edging closer and closer to dress over pant territory? I regularly style it for work but have been yet to implement in my own wardrobe. It’s not just any dress I want, I’ve been envisioning a very specific sheer polka dot dress and I feel it needs to happen soon. I originally fell for this Zara dress but I just know the neckline will stop me from wearing it more regularly. I need something more casual. Enter this very sweet Sister Studios number, the rosette completely won me over. I’ll be wearing over my Saint silk elastic waist pants and flip flops.

Annie

THE UNDONE / Dree Jade Crossbody Phone Chain — $140

Wrangling a big, boisterous boy toddler is a both-hands sort of activity. But I also have a crippling addiction to my phone, bless. Most days will inevitably involve a scenario where I’m trying to handle something blowing up on my work Slack while also chasing after an adorable, but speedy, tiny human.

You know a phone chain makes sense. Especially when it’s from the ever-chic mind of Sarah Crampton over at The Undone. I was tossing up between this one and this one from Maggie Marilyn, but I worry I’d snag a seashell on a door handle at some point, and that could just about tip me over the edge. We’re clinging on, people.

Sophie

ZARA / Polka Dot Top — $119

I have had this top open in my tabs for a couple of weeks now and i’ve just hit go. I am more apprehensive about a Zara purchase these days than I used to be, mainly because I want everything in my wardrobe to remain there a long time and feel like a considered part of the family. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this top. I LOVE it and think we could be really great friends over summer.

I love the raw hem double print neck and sleeve lines, the uneven sections of fabric, the draping, the a line. I have a number of Zara pieces that have been in my wardrobe for a long time so i’m absolutely not averse to them — they just really need to prove themselves if they’re going to make the cut and this gal well and truly has.

Annie

GINCE / Danny Sunglasses (small) — $390 AUD (approx)

Been looking for a good pair of tinted sunglasses for a little while, and I think this might be them for me. Sunglasses can do so much heavy lifting, especially if you aren’t spending a long time in front of your wardrobe every morning / lean towards more simple / minimal outfits like me. Classic black or tortoiseshell will never be wrong, but I like the slight brown/pink tint on these to bring a little more dimension to my summer outlook.