forty+plus: Saint James

Showing posts with label Saint James. Show all posts

Saturday, 23 May 2015

My Go-To Pieces: Part 1 - Saint James Minquiers 10 Breton Top

Over the past 18 months, I have thought hard about what I truly love to wear and what works well for me.

De-cluttering is a big topic right now. There are books a-plenty teaching you how to escape 'stuffocation'. One of the concepts I really like is from Marie Kondo who says "discard anything that doesn't spark joy". This is probably a good place to start when embarking on paring down your wardrobe because, if it doesn't fit, flatter and make you feel great it won't get worn.

I am a minimalist in life, but it's actually taken me a long time to apply this trait to my closet. At the tender age of soon-to-be-44, I think I have finally cracked it. It's about quality over quantity, and learning to identify what it is about a piece of clothing that makes you reach for it again and again.

This is the first part of a series where I explain why key pieces of my wardrobe work so well for me.

What
Saint James Minquiers 10 Long-Sleeve Breton Top in White/Navy (Neige/Marine)

Where From
In New Zealand, a small range of Saint James tops is stocked in Karen Walker boutiques. Online you can order direct from Saint James in France.

Price
Around NZ$110.00.

Why it Works
The combination of perfect shades of off-white and navy, a neck somewhere between crew and boat, and a boxy over-sized cut make this the perfect breton top. The cotton is super-soft making it a great lounging item, but it also looks fabulous as a casual Friday piece with skinny jeans and heels. I have worn mine half-tucked into a pencil skirt and with jeans and white sandshoes or ballet flats on the weekend.

I get about a year out of one top but I wear mine a lot. It washes like a rag in the machine, but slowly shrinks over time. I find that the sleeves and body get shorter and shorter as time goes by. I always cuff my sleeves so it's less of an issue. The upside is that these tops make excellent shoe-polishing rags at the end of their wearable life!

Buying Tips
This unisex top is meant to be oversized, not fitted. I am a standard NZ 14/36C and I wear a size L in this top. I find the M too short in the arms and body.

Side note: Saint James also makes a short-sleeve version of this top which I also love. Perfect for layering under a blazer (see bottom photo).

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Oamaru Easter Weekend

Paul and I visited my folks in Oamaru this Easter weekend. We just snuck in before the cold weather started so it was cool and fresh - a welcome respite from Auckland humidity.

Oamaru is about an hour and a half drive north of Dunedin. An arty town, huge limestone buildings adorn the streets, many having benefited from recent restoration projects such as the Opera House. It's the Steampunk capital of the Southern Hemisphere and boasts a picturesque harbour.

Photo opportunities abound, starting with my hanging with the toadstools at Oamaru Public Gardens...

The town itself is very pretty and quirky.

On Saturday afternoon we drove out to Elephant Rocks, an incredible natural earthwork.

On Sunday we met my brother and his partner and went for a walk around the harbour.

And of course, Mum and I indulged in a little retail therapy (her lovely scarf was a purchase that day!).

On Mum (Val) Jeans: Postie | Scarf: Sababa from Waitaki Interiors | Top: Zara | Shoes: Number One Shoes

All photos by Paul D.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Le Jacket

Saturday, 24 August 2013

A Classic

Karen Walker stores (to my knowledge) are the only New Zealand stockists of beautiful Saint James nautical tees and skivvies. Their unisex Naval II, Meridien II and Minquiers 10 styles are worn by fashionistas and bloggers the world over. And they're affordable too. All three of the above styles (and the womens Levant 10 short-sleeve tee) are available at Karen Walker's Auckland stores and their Wellington store.

I decided to get the Meridien II skivvy ($105) and Naval II tee ($95) in navy stripe on a cream background. They are seriously chic, friends.

If you are thinking of purchasing one online, I suggest the Minquiers 10 as a great place to start. Lighter fabric than the Meridien II, the Minquiers is a thick tshirt fabric with a crew neck and long sleeves. Sizing is a bit tricky to get right. This style runs large as it's unisex. I am a 14F and I bought an M. I would therefore suggest the following matches for NZ womens sizing:

20 = XXL
18 = XL
16 = L
14 = M
12 = S
8/10 = XS

They're supposed to be slightly slouchy, not tight on the body.

Here's a sneak preview of my two. I'll be styling these up in some photos soon!