WIW…to make returns (and what I saw at the mall!)

I live in a town with a population of 17,000, but about an hour from a Big City. Between online shopping and the few B&M shops in our town, we do ‘okay’ provisioning for out wardrobes. However, quarterly - lists in hand - we make a shopping trip to a Big City Mall. Today, DH, one of our kiddos, and I visited a mall that had a Lululemon in order to exchange some Christmas presents (ordered on line - wrong size) and do a little retail therapy.

What I saw: Many of the stores were in the midst of mid-winter sales (Hudson’s Bay, Eddie Bauer) with lots of stock, but several stores (Uniqlo, Zara, Aritzia) were having no sales, and have switched up stock, or at least are displaying it differently! (No wool sweaters displayed at Uniqlo!) I saw layered outfits suitable for late winter into early spring in light palettes with lots of soft Easter egg pastels paired with vanilla and golden beige or complete windows with manikins in head to toe cream and white ‘vanilla girl’ outfits - right down to the coat! Even Gap and H&M that were having sales, had lots of ‘new’ stock, including ultra-light blue jeans and pastel colours (pale blue, watery yellow, lilac, celery green, very light turquoise). If it wasn’t pastel, it was Barbie pink or cobalt blue!

We have about 3cm of snow on the ground, but February is usually our coldest month, and March our snowiest. April brings showers, but not much warmth. I was surprised to see so much ‘spring’ fashion in evidence - or at least spring palettes. It was certainly pleasing to the eye.

Is spring fashion showing up (early!?!) where you live?

What I got: I stuck to my list, and got a Uniqlo soft round bag in navy and a pair of light weight Bermuda shorts for an upcoming trip to a warm place. (I’d wanted the bag since November, after I brought home an orange one for DS#2 as a Christmas present. There were lots of fun colours, but I got a bright navy Uniqlo calls ‘blue’ LOL!).

DS#2 returned 2 pair Lululemon ABC pants for the same in the correct size. DH bought golf balls. We were in and out of several shops, but virtuously stuck to our lists! A treat at Cinnabon, and we were on our way home

WIW: (pics #1-2)
-plaid flannel shirt - Denver Hayes/MWWH
-high waisted wide leg cropped jeans - Levi’s
-cream micro puffer - Uniqlo
-navy pea coat - NAS
-red boots - bulle - local indi shoe store
-light burgundy gloves - local indi women’s wear shop
-burgundy bag - Coach - thrifted

*DS#2 said he used the red boots to find me whenever we split up, and I got 2 compliments from SA’s on them. Best purchase of 2021!?

pic #3 DS#2’s bag

Finds - my purchases

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1 year ago

Anonymous

re: boots!
My mom always talks about the "Christmas pastels" -though will definitely leave those for those that can rock them. Yes to golden beige though!

MsMaven

Veteran

Love the navy coat and the puffer. Both look great. I admit I'm thinking about spring, but then, I'm in California. Unfortunately, I don't need anything except underwear, so I'm not going to look. Yet.

Suz

(website)

Love your layered coats, Carla! I haven't done much window shopping but will be in a big city next week and will check things out there.

The new bag looks terrific!

Jaime

Great shopping fit! The white is an excellent (and practical) touch. I went to the mall with DD the other day and it seemed pretty bleak - last remains of the sales without the fresh stuff. We did better at a consignment shop I dragged her to .

slim cat

Love your layered look - cool and practical ( and easy to spot )!

Bijou

Wow - I hope those colours come to Australia, the pastels and pink and cobalt are my favourites! I love your outfit and those boots were definitely a great purchase.

ChristelJ

I adore your cropped Levi's and they are a perfect choice with your red boots. Your new bag is such a unique shape; I really like it. Sounds like a good excursion.

Star

Looking fab and stylish as always.

Dee

Nice outfit to head to the malls in, the cream little puffer really pops beautifully against the navy plaid shirt and jeans.
I haven't been to the mall lately but I did notice on the uniqlo site a lot of the soft colours that you described.
It is full on winter where I am, just got about 20 cms of snow the other day, but its nice that spring is starting to stir at the retail level, gives me hope for the warmer days to come.

Irina

Yes, I noticed new pastel colors on the Everlane site. Interestingly, COS is still offering brights. Maybe not all retailers got their spring stock yet. I love light blue jeans and creams but will stay away from pastels.

You outfit is fab, you are so skillful in layering!

Joy

I've not been to the mall in about a year when January was too early to look for spring. So many stores have closed including Nordstroms and even Starbucks. It is depressing. We will not have even cold spring for months yet. The rest of January's prediction is more snow and very cold. You look great. I am trying to add white or color to every outfit to perk up the cold grey days. Red boots are an excellent idea. Or a bright puffer, or both.

kkards

When i was at the mall for returns a couple of weeks ago it was wall to wall end of season sales. Not much In the way of spring yet… but I’m ready lol. Even though we really haven’t had winter yet…I’m afraid thus will be one of those years when there’s no real snow until March. Hate that
Anyway you know that I love the Uniqlo puffer and love how you’ve styled it here! Really wish we had a Uniqlo here, not sure why they haven’t opened one in my city

LJP

Love the new jeans on you !

Cardiff girl

Excellent smart /casual outfits,you are really ace-ing the casual wardrobe these days.
Spring shows up here in retail as soon as the sales are over even though like you it die sent really start to warm up until April/May but our retail cycle is always out of step with real life here.l remember trying to get my daughter a pair of winter boots in October to be informed by the SA that l should have got them in early September which is usually nice and warm here.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Nice new jeans and super cute bags! You and DS are twinsies

Those distinctive red boots are the best!

In the US, the sales started at Thanksgiving. So yup, they're winding down, and fresh stock is emerging. I love it!

CarolS

You look great, as always, Carla. Those boots have been such a great purchase for you! Well, actually, every piece seems to have been spot on. So well thought out and so perfectly integrated. I need to learn from you!

Seems early to be thinking spring, but it is good to have something to look forward to. We've been lucky with January so far, but there's still February and March to get through!

Jonesy

Fabulous outfit! I love the new cropped jeans paired with the red boots--perfection.

We are having unseasonably warm weather right now and have no snow, so I guess seeing spring items doesn't seem as weird as it would normally!

Jenn

I just love this outfit. The red boots are perfect and those jeans are fab.

Jenni NZ

I like the sound of the cobalt and the pink! I hope those stay for a while.
I am totally not wanting any change of season because it was so cold and wet here until December and then again after start of Jan I have hardly got to wear summer clothes

cat2

My Spring plan, since I look grim in most pastels, is to wear a couple of blush sweaters I bought at Peak Blush when there was a lot on sale. That was a few years ago, and I wore out one blush sweater that turned out to be not very well made, but I still have a couple left. I also have a cream knit scarf and mitten complement. I will otherwise give Spring a bit of a pass. It’s so short here, it’s not worth much of an investment.

Helena

You look great Carla, and I love your purchases, especially the bag!

I find it's just mean for stores to fill up on spring stuff in January ... it's easily 3 months at a minimum before we can wear them!

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