Typically I shop at “High Street” (affordable chain store) brands. I can often find petite sizes there and they carry a lot of pretty well-made classic pieces like tees, sweaters, and jeans. But birthdays offer a good excuse to indulge a bit. And birthdays are about re-birth. So this year I dipped my toe into a slightly pricier brand that I’ve had my eye on for a while.
A French Twist
I purchased two items from Sezane, a French-based company. If you follow my blog you know that French style is one of my obsessions lately. I wrote this post about how to describe French style. In short, it is often fairly Classic in construction but with uniquely feminine touches.
What I love about Sezane is that most of their clothing and accessories are made from natural fibers. They use lots of organic textiles, and they pay great attention to detail. Also, when they produce a winner they offer it in multiple patterns or colors. You might find the same blouse in stripes, color blocking, florals, or an abstract design. There’s bound to be something for everyone’s style.
Sezane Max shirt: 70% organic cotton 30% silk $125
Here’s my first new purchase: their green floral “Max” blouse. Florals always come into fashion this time of year but they are making a particularly big splash this spring. Although I tend to avoid florals, I could not resist this blouse. All of the colors in it were exactly in my palette.
So, why would I avoid florals? Flowers suggest softness and roundedness. Those are “yin” elements typically found in the bone structure and body shapes of Romantic and Youthful types. I have only very tiny amounts of Romantic and Youthful style. Very large florals can also express Drama. I have zero Dramatic style. My style essences are primarily Natural and Classic.
But botanicals – representational images from nature – will actually suit someone with a lot of Natural style. If the pattern is not overwhelming, they can also express Classic qualities. So, the combination of a Classic button down blouse in my colors, illustrated with representational images, seems to work. This blouse was outside my usual neutral and solid color comfort zone, but when I wear it I feel light and cheerful. And I feel feminine.
French Breton Stripes, “Marieners”
“Sue” Mariniere Cotton $110
The next one is this striped Breton-esque tee. They call them “Marieneres,” as in marine or sailor tops. Sezane has a wide selection of these tops, each with its own unique elements: loose sleeved, fitted, boxy, side slit, shoulder buttons, henley, etc. The one I bought is the “Sue” boatneck in Rosewood. It’s heavier weight than similar ones I usually buy from GAP and Banana Republic. But the color and especially the buttons on the sleeves are what sold me. The background color is a warm white and the red stripe is exactly in my palette. And the playful buttons suit my third most prevalent style element, High Spirited.
I had a lot of fun styling this item. What I wore out to dinner on my birthday was this combination on the left. The blazer is old, from H&M several years ago. Here and here are similar ones. The wide leg slouchy pants are from Everlane. (I did iron them before I went out.) They come in multiple colors: tan, navy, black, sandstone, and white. I felt very “Gatsby” in this outfit.
Next I paired the tee and blazer with GAP midrise Downtown khakis. They are still on sale for about $30 and will be a workhorse in my wardrobe for the warmer months. They created a much more casual vibe suitable for things like running errands around town.
With the slouchy pants I also combined the striped top with my ever-trusty and VERY old cropped suede jacket. I have worn it with everything from skirts and dresses to jeans. It’s my favorite piece of clothing, hence it’s still around after nearly 20 years. Amazon has a similar colored faux biker jacket here. Zappo’s has a similar colored cropped jacket here.
Lastly, I threw on my denim jacket and my hold-everything slouchy tote from The Sak. About the jacket, frankly, except for oversized versions or something trendy, denim jackets all look pretty much the same. So it doesn’t makes sense to me to pay a bundle for one. I bought mine years ago but Amazon always has them. Here’s a similar one to what I am wearing here.
And I do have to give big props to that Sak bag. It’s called the Los Feliz slouchy Hobo bag. It’s beautifully made, holds everything I need, and it’s easy to find things that I toss in at the last minute. I also have one in the “meadow” color, which is sage. It looks like the medium size one is not available in navy right now. But the tall tote is. They have a beautiful pale blue one in the medium size here. (Use my code EARLYFAM25 for 25% off. I don’t know how long it’s good for. )
As for pale blue, it’s an extremely popular color right now. My next post will be about the spring and summer colors we can expect, and why (and how) I went “off palette” to buy something in that color.
Speaking of color, I’m going through my color course with a fine toothed comb and pulling up all the material that I am able to share. So yes, there will be a color course a little bit later this year. Thank you everyone who sent me so many wonderful notes of support about the course. I do this for you.
[I am not an affiliate for Sezane. But I am an Amazon affilaite and if you purchase something through any of these other links I may earn a small commission for my efforts, at no cost to you. Thanks so much.]
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