I have so many things to talk about today! So… let’s work from the top down, shall we?
Last week was busy. I was helping my first grader wrap up her last days of school, prepping for a four-day camping trip, taxiing my husband around town, and toting my shoeless toddler with me the whole time. Add to that, the crazy Oregon weather. One day it’s in the 100’s, one day it’s raining and in the low 60’s. No joke. Talk about a hot flash, then a cold flash! Do you know what helped me keep my sanity in all this? One, easy, understated bag that can hold my 6-year-old’s artwork, my toddler’s socks and shoes and my jean jacket for countering on-and-off cool temps.
This tote has been on my radar since last year, and it is just as much of a workhorse as I’d hoped. The color made me a little nervous at first. Gray is the color I always wanted but talked myself out of because I should get tan, I should get black. It turns out gray is just as versatile as black, maybe even a little bit more. Because you can wear it with black and have a more dynamic effect. But, you have to put in the legwork to keep it looking good. Per FashionABLE’s instructions I bought Fiebing’s Aussie Leather Conditioner and treated the entire bag. It took me about an hour to go over the whole thing and then I let it dry for a day or two. Their paperwork says that the leather is ‘raw’ and I was a little paranoid about splashes and spills on such a light colored bag, so I followed their advice of conditioning it, before I used it at all. The treatment is also supposed to help prevent denim transfer, which I have dealt with in the past with other bags. I’m still a little paranoid, and I’ll probably make sure to follow the recommended conditioning every few months.
What do you do when you want to try a new look, but you don’t want to add anything more to your closet? You hunt through your clothing until you find an under-performer and make it what you want. In layman’s terms: take scissors to the hems of your jeans. I did this on a total whim during nap time one day, and I am thrilled with the results. I love the look of sailor pants, cropped, flared denim, and ram hems. It’s so modern and fresh-looking to me. But I wasn’t planning on adding any new denim for awhile. It turns out all I needed was a pair scissors.
These flares have been on the blog several times (see them here or here), but they have been difficult to wear on a regular basis. I’ve had them hemmed twice to get to the right length (OCD, much?), and even then I was relegated to only one shoe style (for height reasons) and additionally, they are not rain-friendly. (Wide, long legs = soggy-bottoms.) So as much as I’ve wanted to like these flares in all their glory, I just didn’t love them. Scissors changed all that for me, and now I have a completely new look in my closet. I’m making up for lost time by wearing them every chance I get!
Hello! What are these? More clogs? On a whim of impulse shopping – something I am normally much better at avoiding – I ordered these online. They are a ‘you-get-what-you-pay-for’ sort of clog, as in, they are inexpensive, and it shows in the craftsmanship, but I decided to keep them because I still liked them. They are a super easy, comfortable shoe, and like any good, wooden clog, they’re made in Sweden. I really liked the ones with higher heels, but I need something I can still chase my children around in. I am not one to live in yoga pants when I’m around my kids because I’m around pretty much 24/7. It’s important to me to feel a little bit pulled together, even if my day revolves around diapers and playdates. For that reason, I’m kind of glad these shoes are inexpensive, because I am not so paranoid about them getting scuffed, dirty, etc.
Overall, I feel super great in this outfit. It’s a little more hippie-ish than I normally wear, but it’s expressive without being too bohemian. I took a page out of Lee’s style book and decided to tie up this old Ryan tank because it’s so long. Sort of like a faux-crop. And congratulations, here is my first-ever butt-selfie. Please don’t unfollow me. ;)
Full outfit details: Ryan tank (M), Everlane (on sale!) / DIY cropped denim, old Madewell, better option / classic clogs, Lotta From Stockholm / tote, c/o FashionABLE* / necklace, c/o LoopJewelry (use code: seasonsandsalt10 for a discount) / earrings, Seaworthy
*In case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of FashionABLE yet, they provide jobs for women in Ethiopia – and now Nashville – empowering them to provide for themselves. FashionABLE is doing great, sustainable work and they are passionate about job creation. If you want to put your money where you mouth is, this is a great place to start.
Hope your week is off to a great start!
xo,
Andrea
Yay, you finally got the FashionABLE tote! My best friend owns it in cognac and loves it. It is still on my list to get….someday….but I also want to travel and it’s more than half the cost of a ticket to San Diego to see my daughter. So I continue to use my zebra stripe Dooney & Bourke from 2008 when I need a tote and my thrifted leather cross-body the rest of the time.
I love what you did to the flea market flares. I am embarrassed to say I own a pair that have never been worn. They are nicely hemmed and ready to go, I just never feel confident in them. I was thinking of listing them on eBay, but this has got me thinking again. Love this entire look….especially the tattoo! :-)
Those jeans fit you so well! I think they look great with your DIY hem–the frayed edges give it an even cooler vibe.
Thank you Erin! It is a fun and ‘freeing’ look. I really am enjoying these jeans now!
Rebecca, I love the way you think in opportunity costs. So smart my friend! I need to do more of that! I have a Dooney & Bourke tote circa the same timeline currently on consignment! ;)
I want to see your flares! Why don’t you feel confident in them? Thanks for the tattoo mention, hahaha. It is from another lifetime ago!
I kind of feel the flares are “trendy” and I’m not a trendy person at all! Haha! (I wish I could pull it off!) I also don’t like that I only can wear them with 1 pair of heels so I always choose my skinny jeans/flats/boots instead. I am not going to cut them, but see if I get any use out of them this fall, if not I’ll be listing them on eBay. I bought them last winter from our J Crew/Madewell Warehouse for $15….not ethical, but I wanted a pair of flares and wasn’t ready to shell out $150 for Paige. Live and learn.
I bet you could totally sell them for a profit! Check out Poshmark before you list on Ebay. I really like using the app to sell clothes when I need to.
First off, love the tote. The color is beautiful! Also, you’ve reminded me why I stopped wearing flare jeans – the soggy bottoms! That pretty much seals the deal for me – never going back to flares. Rolling up my jeans when I walked in the house was the worst, and it wore the jeans out so quickly. I’ve been wearing skinnies for so long now that I totally forgot about that! Love this look, too. I just ordered my first pair of Swedish clogs (Maguba) and am impatiently awaiting their arrival!
Right?!!!! Logistics always speak the loudest, especially in a rainy climate.
Yay, excited to see your clogs Stacy!
I was super sad to see you cropped your jeans, until I read why. If you don’t love an item, by all means go for it.
I have a pair of skinny jeans, that don’t get a lot of summer wear, because they are long in the legs, but I don’t like the cuffed length. I wanna cut them, but am afraid I might miss the length in winter.
I know, that’s the hard part. I am learning some of my jeans are better for warmer weather (those with crops and holes) and others are better for cooler better and need to remain intact (no holes or cropping!).
I love this entire look on you, Andrea! But I’m disappointed to hear your thoughts on your Lotta’s. I expected the quality would be better. I’ve been eyeing these and another pair for awhile.
Hi Dara,
I have the same clogs and I haven’t noticed any flaws in the craftsmanship. However, these are the only pair of wooden clogs I have owned. Hope this helps!
Hi girls!
I really like wearing these clogs, they are comfy and cute. The craftsmanship is a bit sloppy, but it doesn’t affect how they wear, or really how they look unless you get close. I lines are a little wobbly, the wood under the arch is jagged, that sort of thing. It probably doesn’t help that my first clogs, by Sandgrens are of the very best quality, so that’s kind of my benchmark.
Hope that helps!
That boo-tay!! :) Thanks for inspiring me to chop my flares. I LOVE the update and that I could add a ‘new’ piece to my wardrobe without actually adding a new piece. The color of the tote is gorgeous!
Thanks for noticing chica! I want to see you chop your flares too! I really like this tote too, I am just so nervous it’s going to show every drop of water or dirt. Time will tell!
You totally sold me on the clogs — just bought ’em! I’ve been wanting a pair of wooden clogs with moveable straps for ages, but have balked at the prices…I didn’t realize the Lottas were so relatively reasonable :) Thanks!! Hope they’re half as cute on me as they are on you!