3 Things I Bought and Actually Like
From one hour spent shopping IRL.
Lately I’ve been uninspired by online shopping. It feels manic and thoughtless. I’m so over filling a cart with a thousand things in the hopes that one item works out, flippantly throwing down my card, feeling disappointed with what comes, then mindlessly printing out labels and going on a return rampage until the next package comes around.
There is something to be said for old school shopping - but only if you have the time and the right frame of mind. With an in-store purchase, the stakes feel higher so there’s more intentionality (because who wants to go back to a store to return?). There’s the wandering through racks of clothing, thinking through what you already own and what could be possible. In the right head space, it’s a pleasure.
I’ll write more about this another time, but shopping connects me back to my youth, and to my mother. It was our thing - trips to the Short Hills Mall, parking (always) at Bloomingdale’s, lunch at 40 Carrots or maybe Neiman’s. Or, with more time, driving into the city to spend our days at one of the three Bs: Barneys, Bergdorfs or Bendels. She knew the way to have me for an entire day (which, I’m starting to realize with older kids is no longer at give-in), was through shopping, and she just wanted to be a part of it. I think she also saw how much joy it brought me. For some people, shopping is depleting. For me, the hunt for great clothing fills me up.
Yesterday, I stole an hour at Bloomingdale’s on East 59th Street. Out of all the OG New York department stores, I feel like it’s got the most going on these days. Bergdorfs feels overpriced and boring. Nordstroms feels sad to me, I don’t know what it is. I think the buys are heinous. Bloomies was delightful. The small shop-in-shops are so well designed that I half expected an exotic bird to fly towards me at Farm Rio.
I wandered through the floors, tried some easy summer dresses - the kind that make you want to book a flight to some small European city and wander cobblestone streets. I sampled some smock-style tops. I even steeled myself and went to the swimwear floor - fluorescent lighting and all. In the end, I left with three very carefully chosen pieces, and none of them have anything to do with each other.
I bought a lace tank by Aqua - Bloomingdale’s in-house brand with a GREAT price point. I feel like I could wear it with white jeans or even shorts on a weekend. It has that Dôen vibe - a peasant style that feels so summer. I might go out and buy the matching skirt. I also bought a denim mini dress by Reformation (on sale at Bloomingdales and on Reformation). It’s a throw-on-and-go style dress that works day or night depending on how you style it. Lastly, I found a great crochet swimsuit by Solange Ferrarini. It ties in the back so gives a nice snatched shape in the front with some light support up top. Really nice silhouette. It wasn’t on sale at the store, but it was online, so I had to call for the price adjustment. I guess that’s where online shopping sometimes wins!
Next, I’m on the hunt for black or white capris. I’m ALL IN on that trend. What are you perusing for summer?
love these and love shopping IRL