Outfitting for Fall

Barbour Beadnell Jacket; APC Grey de Chine Wool Sweater; J.Crew Elan Trousers; Steve Mono Bob Postman Bag; Bvlgari Solotempo; Sophia Costas Llama Scarf; Fratelli Rosseti Loafers 

I finally got around to reading Lucy Siegle's "To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out The World?". It's well...  depressing, as you can already tell from the title. However, since I've been a real  buzzkill over the last couple of posts, I've decided to spare the self-righteous pessimism about the state of affairs and take a completely obtuse angle instead; I'm going to focus on telling/showing/explaining to you what I've been wearing lately now that fall is finally here (it never really left Seattle, it just lingered on the periphery of the sun).

I bought the Barbour Beadnell about a month ago when my Bridge and Burn jacket fell apart. While I want to support local companies (B& B is based in Portland) and understand that not everything 'Made in China' disintegrates instantaneously, the jacket developed a hole in the pocket and the sleeve button fell off 18 months after I bought it. 18 months and I've worn it only maybe half of the time! I did patch up the hole and resew the button because it's obviously an easy thing, but it made me wonder sometimes if the whole idealized notion of "dealing locally" is just a sham to prey on people with an ethical conscience. The Barbour jacket on the other hand, has surpassed my expectations. I wasn't really expecting much, considering that it is a somewhat recently trendy item, and the production capacity is probably on overload. But surprisingly, the stitches and material are extremely sturdy and the jacket is still proudly made in England. The husband thinks that I look a little country butch (???!) in it, but it keeps me dry and warm and snugly, with the soft tartan lining being my favorite aspect of the jacket.

The other thing that I've been living in are pants from J.Crew. It's interesting that you can still find some quality goods at J.Crew, particularly in the suiting section. I'm in love with their Super 120s material - it's cool enough for spring and comfortable in fall and winter with some thick socks. The material drapes beautifully and the cut is flattering. I've been trying to emulate the slouchy Scandinavian look alá Hope but their pants always made my arse look like a flattened doughnut. While I may never be blonde and/or tall, I can at least wear some well tailored slouchy pants now and not feel like a fraud.

With the exception of rotating sweaters and shirts, the moodboard above is basically what's been getting I've been wearing to school and work on most days (on the other days I embrace being a Pacific Northwest girl and put on a fleece jacket and sweatpants... kidding!). I feel like I'm in a rut sometimes because I'm always reaching for the same things, the Brooks Brothers shirt or the same sweater, but I do really like my routine because it's easy and most of all, it's really comfortable.

On the last note, if you haven't already read Lucy Siegle's book, I strongly encourage you to pick it up and give it a go. I'll admit that the book is rambling and repetitive at times, but it makes for an interesting read if you're looking to become an ethical consumer. She does talk a lot about fast fashion stores like Primark, Topshop and H&M which I'll very snobbishly say I've not shopped at for over 15 years, but then again, maybe my equivalent of fast fashion are those cotton knickers from Victoria's Secret and the insane amount of gym clothes I have from Target. Either way, the book was an eye opener and I'll be posting more about it in the next few weeks.