maybe?

I have allowed "wardrobe maybes" to come and go without acting on most of them, but I'm starting to seriously consider buying some of them. What's stopping me:

- I enjoy not accumulating more stuff. It's quite a relief not having to buy new hangers
- I have rough substitutes for some of the things I want
- One of them isn't likely to be worn often
- I don't like the brand that makes the otherwise great item
- There are better uses for the money saved

In no particular order, I have been eying:

- A navy linen-polyester blend blazer
- A linen shirt in a blue-and-white mini houndstooth pattern
- A pair of olive green chinos in a straight/tapered fit

I admit my contentment to not shop was made easier by a couple of things my lovely mother and older sister bought for me while they were holidaying: a pair of excellent Maria Sharapova for Cole Haan flats that my older sister bought in New York, and a H&M Conscious Collection lace tank my mother found on the sale rack at H&M in Hong Kong.

I'm amazed how comfortable the Cole Haan flats are, with the hidden air soles, and the soft leather lining. Also, the elasticised sides help the shoe stay on and make a lot more sense than the redundant and painful elasticised heels you find on some flats. As for the H&M tank, it's one of those things I wouldn't have picked up myself, but it works surprisingly well, being the sort of airy white top that also looks quite polished, and a godsend in hot, sticky, Singapore.

IMG_5392IMG_5156

We'll see how I feel by the end of this month. With sale season coming up, I can always buy some of this stuff then.

Comments

Joy said…
glad that sales season is coming up for you so that maybe some of the maybes can become actual pieces in your wardrobe! will be interesting to see what you'll end up getting.
Lindsay K said…
Would love to see your maybes. I really love that feeling of contentment and appreciation for the items one already has.

Your ballet flats are lovely. They're a great nude. It's been a while since Cole Haan has grabbed my attention, but I have a pair of dusty rose ballet flats that are maybe 6 years old that I love and still get compliments on.

Hope you are well.
Ammu said…
Those flats are gorgeous - what a beautiful colour. I can see both items fitting seamlessly into your wardrobe.

After a small shopping spree in Singapore - a Breton top from Massimo Dutti and two Breton shift dresses from Muji, I feel very content.

Great seeing you, by the way - a lovely conclusion to an amazing holiday.
petrichore said…
Ballet flats are so darn wearable. Nice to hear that the Cole Haan ones have a little cushion--that tends to be my one complaint, lack of padding in the sole.

I recently bought a pair of J. Crew leather ballet flats, and am so far satisfied with how they've held up (durability is my other complaint about the style). The leather soles have worn well, and a little piece of ribbon sewn to the backs of the shoes has so far prevented the wear on the back of the shoe that sometimes happens from driving. They are not very padded, however. I'll have to give the Cole Haans a spin next time I see some!

minima/maxima, a blog about minimalist style
Anonymous said…
Good luck resisting the maybes...
Eileen said…
I am glad the Cole Hann flats worked for you! I used to have a pair of flats with elasticised ends that really hurt the back of my ankles, but the elastic at the sides make more sense!

Your mom has good taste- Love the lace top and it is perfect for summer!
Kate said…
I have let some fantastic 'maybes' go by because of all the reasons above. They all seem like great reasons at the time, but often just end up being the silly reasons that I don't have a navy polka-dot silk shirt (why are they so hard to find?). Still, it's hard to break the habit of over-cautious shopping.
lin said…
Joy: Sales are part of my strategy to staying on budget!

Pret a Porter P: I suppose it helps that I tend to stick to the same things over and over again!

Lindsay K: I'd like to have posted pictures too, couldn't find any decent ones, and that blazer must be seen on a person to understand its perfection: it has a great fit.

Cole Haan is new for me. They don't capture my imagination much either but these are a great break from the usual ballet flats.

Ammu: Glad the directions to Muji worked out!

Petrichore: The padding is very important since I love the style but I find them so bad for my feet!

J Crew ballet flats looks very beautiful, definitely something I will look out for should I ever see their shops in person.

Terri: Sometimes I think setting out my thoughts on this on my blog is helping me to stay strong!

Eileen: Exactly! I'll never buy those again, having learnt the hard way.

Kate: I agree sometimes I may be over-cautious, but most of the time I think that if I'm too slow and too lazy to act fast, I probably don't want it anyway...
miss sophie said…
love your CH ballets - i have a pair of the MS x CH tall suede boots and they're quite fab. i've been curious about the ballet flats so your post just inspired me to check those out!

i hemmed and hawed over a linen blazer last month, but finally decided i just needed to get it and get it over with. purchased and pleased!
Jess said…
Haha, looks like I've been eyeing a very similar list of things to you! A navy blazer and straight/tapered olive green trousers are top of the list for me at the moment (the other thing on my list was a blue shirt by Equipment, but I finally bit the bullet and bought that the other day, after holding off for about 4 months). In terms of the blazer and the trousers, I've kind of got good substitutes for both too. I've got a black blazer that I adore, and a pair of tapered navy trousers that fit perfectly, but given how much I wear them both, I'd say I'd be perfectly justified in adding a navy blazer and olive trousers into the rotation too. So even though they're "wardrobe maybes", I think I'd end up turning them into wardrobe staples. Fingers crossed I can actually find either of those items, though!
lin said…
miss sophie: They are great. I would buy a second pair if the right colour came along. But Cole Haan is so expensive in Singapore, compared to US prices!

Jess: Well, a navy blazer and olive trousers are classic buys :) I don't have a linen blazer but I think a lightweight one makes sense for the weather here so I think it's a great way to finally work a look I really like. As for the trousers, I have a pair I love but I've gotten bigger around the thighs, sigh...
Human Racing said…
Yes, I look for ward to seeing your maybes as well but what luck with those gifts! I have a lot of wardrobe maybes too that sit on my mental shelf until the time comes for a final decision to be made. Like everyone else I'm excited to see what you end up purchasing.
LN said…
I made my first purchase since winter ended today - a pair of olive chinos on sale at Nordstrom rack. I'd seen them a few months ago and they were even more discounted today. I'm not big on shorts but jeans are too hot for Colorado summers so I'm looking forward to some lighter weight coverage.
Ever since I moved to the UK nearly 4 years ago, I've made a conscious effort to keep and maintain a small wardrobe. It's all too easy to go crazy every time the new stock hits the floor. I've got my eye on a few other items so am restraining myself until the sale season hits :)
lin said…
Human racing: I totally identify with the stuff on a mental shelf mentality; and 90% of that stuff I usually don't buy.

LN: I wanted lighter-weight trousers too, because weather here has just been sweltering. But I mainly wanted new chinos because my old ones are too tight, and I wanted to somehow forget that, haha.

Chocolate, Cookies & Candies: I am waiting for sale season as well for that jacket; but the hot weather is putting me off the idea of buying a jacket altogether...

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