4 summer things that caught my eye this week…

light blue linen shirt

A few years ago on our first visit to London, we wandered into a shop near Sloane Square called Massimo Dutti. They seemed to have some nice collections, especially for the guys, and because of the upscale, classic look of the clothing, we were surprised to find the prices not astronomical. I remember researching the brand soon afterward and learning that they were a part of the Inditex group, whose flagship store is Zara, though at that time they had no stores or e-commerce in the US. Last weekend while we were out at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, we saw they had opened a store there and stopped in. Le Monsieur was hoping to replace a few of his lightweight shirts that were now getting threadbare, and hit the jackpot actually. The cut of their men’s shirts fits him quite well, and he came home with three new ones, two cotton and one linen. Out of curiosity I popped over to the women’s side and tried a few things on. (Sadly, they do not offer Petites or sizes beyond 12.) Almost everything they carry is made of natural fibers (cotton, linen, silk), so if you’re weary of a sea of polyester, you’ll find some respite here. The styles mostly veer away from trendy, though they have a very modern, pared-down aesthetic. Thinking ahead to summer travels, I’ve been hoping to add a second light linen shirt to my wardrobe, and was thrilled to find one with a flattering fit and…no boob pockets!!! I sized up one size for a nice easy fit over the bustline. Now that I’ve washed it, it’s nice and soft.  🙂

Superga printed sneakers

If I were going to get new sneakers for the summer, these would be my pick.

 

rattan bike basket

Le Monsieur and I have begun riding our bikes out to the beach again on the weekends, and I’d like to be able to bring along my camera, a small bag, and possibly a snack or lunch without having to wear a backpack. I’m thinking about one of these charming rattan bike baskets.

 

grey v-neck linen tee

Those who have been reading this blog for a while might remember that I have a recurring obsession with an elusive color I refer to as “lead pipe grey,” which to me has a very Parisian vibe. I was delighted to find it in this linen tee, which not only is v-neck, but is also opaque enough to wear on its own. Did I mention v-neck?? If this color isn’t your tasse de thé, it’s available in a few other colors and prints. Misses/Petites here. Similar color in Plus here. (Yes, I ordered a backup too.)

 

Bon weekend!

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19 Comments

  1. superga are always on sale on amazon and now have a version with a better cushioning called Cotu plus

  2. Happy Weekend to you too! I hope you realized that, upon my return from working Retail Hell today, I’ll be on the net researching all things Massimo Dutti. I feel another obsession to twin my one with Nat et Nin bags!
    And ordering a backup to that tee? I do that all the time!
    Thanks for the post!!

    1. Massimo Dutti are in the Paragon Mall in Bangkok as I discovered several years ago. However, the sizing was indeed aimed for those beautifully small framed and petite Thai girls.

      1. Susan, Massimo Dutti belongs to Inditex, which is a Spanish company. It uses European sizing (although I imagine it converts sizes to other systems). Its sizing is not particularly small here in Spain – perhaps in Thailand they just stock the smaller sizes.

        1. That is what I meant, the small sizes stocked. I did manage to pick up a couple of things though and was very imoressed with the quality. Bit like a trip to Hong Kong many years ago and I was looking for a bra. The young woman in the shop looked horrified when I asked if they stocked D cups.

  3. There’s a Massimo Dutti here, I think of it as the Italian J. Crew. Appealing, but women’s sizing runs very small and narrow.

    I love wicker bike baskets, so jaunty. Eventually they rot but they are more charming than metal.

  4. I love that bicycle basket, but they do rot. There are metal ones now that aren’t as ugly as the square “wire fence” kind.

    And what a beautiful linen tee, in my favourite “non-colour”. There are some Nordstroms up here now – the closest is in Ottawa.

  5. I love the grey t shirt, would buy that too. We first shopped at Massimo Dutti in 1994 in Madeira, the small Atlantic Portuguese Islands! We were shopping for clothes for my husband, I don’t think they did ladies clothing back then! He still has one of the polo shirts we bought there, although it has now been reduced to a gardening shirt, but it shows their things last!!!

  6. I was shopping in Nordstrom last week and found the grey linen t-shirt and was ecstatic until I tried it on. The v-neck is just too deep for me. I never thought of trying it on in a petite size to see if that would help. Back to the mall…!

  7. My teen daughters think it hilarious I go back and buy a duplicate of a piece of clothing or ( gasp!) 2 of same when I really love something. So practical to be practical and that grey t is a basic and would be much worn. Love Nordstrom in US shopped a storm last year in LA and SF. Sadly not here in Australia but hey online shopping & opposing seasons make up for it!
    Love your style and new site, obviously your newfound freedom is doing wonders! Congrats

  8. Susan, Would you (or your readers in the know) mind commenting on your favorite Eileen Fisher pants and why you like one particular fabric content over another? I’m just beginning to invest some classic EF pants, but there are so many fabric variations to choose from, I’m confused. Right now, I’m looking for a lightweight summer pant (not silk) that can be washed and travel with me. The black EF pants I currently own are too heavy for summer wear. I tried on a pair of white cotton twill at Nordstrom’s and didn’t like the feel of the fabric. Any advice is much appreciated. And thanks for the inspirational photos of your outfits! Your look is so polished without being overdone. Just lovely.

    1. Hi Mary, thanks so much! I really like the stretch crepe pants, which are 70% viscose, 24% nylon and 6% lycra. I’ve found these are comfortable, lightweight and breathable even in very warm weather, and are machine or hand washable. You can see several styles and colors here: http://bit.ly/24rRxEj

      For cooler weather, I like the ponte knit pants, which are 69% viscose, 25% nylon, 6% spandex. These are also machine washable. http://bit.ly/24rUmFi

      1. Thank you, Susan! Just what I was looking for. By the way, I love your Givenchy bag shown in many of your photos. Have a lovely summer and happy travels!