Hello my lovely friends. This new method of posting without a content calendar has been very enjoyable I must say. It satisfies the impulsive nature of my ADHD 😜 and lets me live in the moment which is how I prefer to live my life in general… which is generally disconcerting for my “plan everything to a T” husband. 😂 But hey, this is my space to freely do things the way need to do them so I can wake up on a Wednesday morning and decide I want to share what I got sent in PR that month right? Even though I don’t have it planned at all and even though I haven’t taken any “official” photos for a blog post like this right? We’re just jumping in with no official plan and seeing what happen. If you ask me, that’s the fun and exciting way of doing things (although I know my husband wouldn’t agree 😉).
OKAY. So. I’m not on too many PR lists to be honest. I used to be on a lot more, but then I would be super overwhelmed about posting about things so I never did and so everyone removed me from their lists 🤣. It was for the best I promise. So in other words I don’t get a whole lot of variety gifted to me, but I do get consistent gifting opportunities from a small group of brands I really, really love. On a monthly basis I get gifting from J. Crew and Sezane and on a seasonal basis I get gifting from Freda Salvador and J. Crew Crew Cuts for the kids. I also get occasional gifting opportunities from Madewell, Either/Or and Sugar Candy Mountain.
And that’s mostly it other than a few one off things that come my way. I need to tell you guys I am incredibly thankful and flattered that I get this gifting at all. J. Crew has been a literal dream come true to work with in the way that I do as they have been the brand I’ve aspired to for fashion inspo for many, many years.
My family grew up with very, very little in the realm of finances growing up and I remember pouring over J. Crew catalogs as a young girl and just dreaming of maybe one day being able to afford something from their collections… so it’s not lost on me what an incredible (and surreal) blessing it is for me and my kids that I get their clothes sent to me each month.
And it’s been so wonderful to establish relationships with the other brands on that list and really narrow down who I accept gifting from to a group of brands I really believe in and can feel so good about supporting and sharing with you guys.
Each one of those brands is special to me and I’m SO SO grateful that you guys and your support has allowed me to be at a place where I can work with them and do what I do. Because when I do get to e-mail with the people behind the scenes at these brands I have literal pinch me moments every single time… I’m like a kid in a candy store doing that side of this work and I’m just so happy to be able to bring these reviews to you.
Okay, I’ve waxed on enough – I’ve never shared an in depth look at how giftings and partnerships work for me so I wanted to give you a little heads up and also just a big thank you because I know I wouldn’t be able to do it without you.
So here’s what was sent to me this past month and a half:
Sezane:
Striped Tee (M) | Olive Coat (4) | Beige Jacket (6)
You can tell I’m in winter mode at the moment because most of my gifting picks from Sezane this past month were jackets and coats
The olive wool coat was a no brainer as soon as I saw it – I’ve been so into wool coats this season. Partly for function as it hasn’t really gotten cold enough to need my huge puffers, but also for style. I just love how sharp they make even the most casual outfit look. I have a few longer length wool coats and I have 1 shorter navy wool coat so I wanted to add another one in and as soon as I saw this gorgeous green I was hooked. I also love the exaggerated lapels, super big pockets and the boxier shoulders… it’s a statement friends and I’m here for it. I kept my true size and it’s a good thing because it has a generous fit. I’d stay true to size because the generous fit makes it perfect for wearing over your thick winter sweaters.
The other jacket I chose was the wool bomber style jacket in the most perfect beige color. I have to be careful with my beiges because I’ve learned that I look super washed out with the more stone brown beige colors, but the warmer creamy beiges like this one are perfect. Sezane has just absolutely perfect the art of making basics… not so basic (like the olive coat with the exaggerated details). And this jacket is the perfect example because at first glance it looks like a basic jacket… but then you notice the super wide button cuffs, the drop shoulder, the large lapels. All of those things add up to a really elevated jacket you won’t be able to find elsewhere. I did size up a full size to make this one extra baggy because I think bombers look instantly cooler when they fit a bit larger than your true size. I’d definitely recommend doing the same.
And finally I chose this royal blue striped tee. It just spoke to me if I’m being honest. I’m really into this royal blue color at the moment, it’s just such a pretty shade of blue and it goes with so many other colors including a lot of neutrals. Like I was saying above about basics being not so basic, this definitely rings true with this top. You could get a blue and white striped tee almost anywhere, but the weight of the material, the height of the gold buttons on the cuff and the slight boat neck make this one extra special. I got a medium and it fits like a dream.
J. Crew
I kept things simple with January’s gifting from J. Crew and went for these amazing plaid pants. These are so quintessential J. Crew to me and I just adore how they make any outfit look just a bit preppy, but in a really cool way. I also think they would look so good in the spring with a black tee or tank tucked in, a black and silver grommet belt and some chunky black fisherman sandals… right?? The fabric on these is thick and feels really premium and the length hits the floor on my 5’5” frame. I got a size 4 and they fit really well, but I do kind of with I had gone up a size because I think these would have look really cool with a bit of a slouchier fit so it just depends on how you want to wear them.
Freda Salvador
Flats (9) (use code KARIN15 to get 15% off for first time customers)
I was SO thankful to get my hands on these flats from Freda Salvador – I’ve been trying to buy them for several seasons now, but they’ve been out of stock so I was beyond excited when they were offered for spring gifting. They are just a gorgeous, gorgeous shoe… everything about them really.
The shape of them with the elongated toe, the woven leather, the glove like fit, the larger than normal bow. I just adore them so much. The quality is stunning, I was oohing and awing over the quality to David and he did his best to act impressed, but I know you’ll care a lot more than he did 😆. The construction is just so beautiful and the materials used are beautiful.
They did take a bit of breaking in at the heel, but I didn’t get any blisters from it, just a little bit of rubbing that caused some redness. I’d stick with your true size – they do feel a tiny bit snug at first but already mine feel like a perfect fit from the few wears I’ve gotten out of them.
Freda Salvador shoes are definitely super expensive so if you are wanting to pick up a pair and you haven’t bought anything from them before make sure to use my discount code (KARIN15)… anything helps right?! And if that’s still not doable, I’ve noticed a lot of brands making similar flats this season so there’ll be an option for you out there if you google woven flats.
Okay thats’s it! That’s everything that was sent to me this month. I kind of liked adding it all to one post like this instead of breaking it up into individual posts like I have in the past. I’d say I’ll do this going forward, but who knows how I’m going to feel next month. 😉 Thanks for tagging along on these PR reviews with me!
Until next time,
Karin
