Edit: added photos of the tee (photos 5-7) and the knit top (8-10). The tee shows a bit of belly, and both look boxy from the side. Hmmmm. They're both lovely though!

***

Our local cases are very low and life is starting to feel more normal. So I went to the mall for the first time! (I've been to other shops, just not into the big mall downtown.)

And even though I didn't really intend to buy anything, I got swept up in the shopping feeling and came home with a few things that were nowhere on my conceptual shopping list, and an overall sense of urgency like I have to find all the right things right away before they sell out. I've been shopping a lot in anticipation of the return to semi-normal life, but it's more a fantasy life than reality, still... and I still have all my old clothes I haven't worn in a year.

I might post photos tomorrow, but for now I'm just navel-gazing to sort out what I really like and what I really have use for.

At the mall I bought:

• A denim vest in the palest green denim, from Zara's sale. I tried to buy the matching jeans but they didn't have my size. I love this color, so the vest is staying, even though I'm usually disappointed by Zara (fit is never quite right).

• A pair of very minimal sandals from Nordstrom. They jumped out at me because the trendy square toe happens to match my foot shape perfectly. They're all leather, with a heavy leather piece as the sole. Others find the straps too loose, but they're actually perfect for my sky-high instep. They're excellent. And a great price for the quality! Problem is, I already own a pair of sandals, and I don't wear them much...

• An expensive tee. I went to Nordstrom specifically to try this on, and it is so cool. I definitely need to replace some of my nicer tees, but I've cut back how often I wear tees to work (vs shirts or knit tops). The one time I spent $$ on a designer tee, it was so obviously cooler each time I wore it so maybe it's worth it. But it's a lot of money. I've ordered a few boxy tees for comparison from &Other Stories, so I'll decide which to keep once those arrive.

And last week I got a few relatively pricey things from Banana Republic online: a linen-cotton shirt dress that friends describe as "so me" and a cotton sweater-tee (to meet my goal of wearing fewer tees to look more adult). Both are attractive, useful items but do I need more clothes? Especially dresses, which I rarely wear? But with in-person work starting up again, and summer weather, I can definitely imagine this dress getting a lot of use.

I don't have much of a shopping list for this season, since I've actually found most of my HEWIs. But I have a vague desire for more light colored tops and a pair of gray jeans that look polished and flattering. And maybe more lightweight blazers that look professional but not too formal. In fact, professional and polished seem to be the words that keep coming to mind now, recovering from 15 months of working from home in my comfiest jeans... maybe no surprise there.

Edit: I ordered the sandals one size up to compare. First two photos are the smaller size, last two the larger. Comfort is equal so the question is just aesthetic. (They seem to have a slight quality control issue - the straps are a bit longer on the right sandal. But workable.)