11 August 2008

Playing Dress Up

I had a bit of cabin fever yesterday and decided to get out of the house. Around here there's no place much to go on a Sunday afternoon except the mall so off to the mall I went. I'm generally not a fan of mall shopping but there's always the possibility of taking pictures in the dressing room at H&M and having coffee cake and hot chocolate at Starbucks so it's really not the worst way to spend an afternoon. After pining over the photo stills from The Edge of Love, I had my eye out for 40's inspired florals, chunky knit sweaters and woolly tights. Here's what H&M had to offer:
  • First I tried on this chunky knit cardigan. I like the shape and how the sleeves are not quite full length. It looked better buttoned up than left open. The biggest drawback is the cheap plasticy buttons that H&M tends to slap on all their clothes. An easy fix though with a trip to the fabric store to buy some nicer vintagey buttons.
  • Next I tried out this little short sleeve cardigan. Of course, being black it's practically impossible to photograph. It buttons up the front (again icky buttons) and has some nice cable knit detailing down the sides but it was just a little too flimsy for my tastes.
  • I've been so addicted to skinny jeans that it felt quite strange to have these wide legs flapping about. I instantly felt a bit like Alix from The Cherry Blossom Girl when I put these on which is, of course, a good thing. The only thing about these is, even with the modest heel I was wearing, I felt they were a bit too short for me and I'm not tall by any means. On the up side, I did check the hem and there's about two inches of extra fabric if one felt inclined to lengthen them a bit.
  • Then on to this cute floral number. This was my favorite try-on of the day. I've seen several other floral tea dresses in H&M lately but none of them have had a color pallet that I've been particularly fond of. I like the bright, cheery bouquets on the black background here. Again, being black, you can't see all of the lovely details like the pin-tucking around the hem or the little covered buttons on the chest.
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27 comments:

Jtalk said...

The mall trip sounded like fun. I really like the dress at the end it looked good with the tights and shoes you already had on already.

Anonymous said...

i love those trousers!

AlicePleasance said...

The second cardi and the trousers are gorgeous! Too bad they're short... In September itwill be a year that I don't go to H&M...so sad but the nearest is so far...no malls around here and not even any Starbucks in Italy!

Helen said...

I've been loving chunky knit cardis lately, they remind me of being in school again. I love that last dress too, h&m has improved a bit recently, I thought it had a bit of a slump really.

Tabitha said...

I love those pants!!!!!

ryder said...

I have been addicted to high waist flares for well over a year now. You really need to have a longer hem so you can wear with a heel or even better-a platform. Something about the higher waist makes everything look more polished and put together. It's effortless dressing and instant style. I am impressed at what you have found at H&M since I feel like their U.S. selection is uninspiring and the quality has seemed to diminish.

Ashleigh said...

My fave = the wide leg pants!! They look like they fit great

Anonymous said...

Oooh....I asolutely love the pants! I might have to go to H&M and check those out myself...weird, I didn't see them last week when I was there the last time.

Ann said...

Did you end up getting all of them? They look wonderful on you!

ivoreece said...

I like the trousers very much!!!

Laura said...

Ha, when I started to read this entry, I KNEW you surely had tried that black cardi... Did they have it in yellow, too? Because if they did, it's the same I own and wrote about some time ago. It looks like everyone (and I mean everyone) has it.

White Lightning said...

did you get the black floral dress? its great on you!
i was thinking this weekend it's been weeks since i stopped in H&M (i cant handle the crowds)but now that fall-ish stuff is coming....i wanna go!

Lydia said...

Those sailor pants are uber sweet :D

Louise said...

You've got some pretty good finds there, but I agree - cheap buttons are the bain of my existence! What did you end up buying? I hope you did get that chunky cardigan.

Penny said...

love the trousers and the tea dress - especially with those adorable shoes!

elysia mann said...

i love those pants- they look so great on you!

Eyeliah said...

The pants are great!

cassidy parker said...

i agree with you...when you need to get out of the house, window-shopping or only allowing yourself to try things on and getting a coffee or a treat is the BEST way to get creative with your own clothes and a chance to imagine all the possibilities style can bring you day to day. great post! hope to see more of these kinds of sundays :)

Unknown said...

hah i like the trousers,too

Anonymous said...

Nice stuff.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

Lovely pieces, I am rather addicted to H&M. I feel as if I should go now and scope out the cardigans (but I always get distracted by their pretty dresses!).

Susa said...

Those trousers look great! I've been looking for that kind of trousers for months, but I live in a small town and I can't find them.. However, I'm really addicted to your blog! ^^

Anonymous said...

The pants look awesome!

Isabel said...

Dressing room pics are fun! Those clothes look great on you, but i much prefer vintage as well!

{Tara} said...

The top left outfit is adorable. I will be in NY in 2 days and can't wait to spend too much money at H&M. Floral is definitely on that list. Yay!

Unknown said...

that first sweater is a repeat from last fall! I have (and love) it in navy

WendyB said...

Love the sailor pants.