This weekend, I hit the Steven Alan President's Day sale at their UWS Outpost where all items were 25% off (continues through today, in store only). I bought two cashmere hats--a striped beret in red, green, gray and navy for my dear friend, Nicole and a blue bonnet for myself--and two Dalia shirts for me, one cotton in a big blue plaid, the other in an olive and cream crumpled silk. Both were beautiful (the olive green is a new favorite item). With the discount, I paid $94--the shirts were reduced to $39 which was a steal, especially considering they look so great with their beautiful balloon-like puffed sleeves. I attach some horrible pictures I took which do not do these items justice. I fear they--and I--look stockier than they do in reality. The silk drapes so beautifully but my mirror photography technique is perhaps not the best for this.
With my Mayle Virginie shirt coming from eluxury's sale, I now have a great stack of plaid shirts. I love Steven Alan. The everyday comfort and quirky flair of their shirts really cannot be beat--and they make them in the USA.
33 comments:
have you tried the timer-function on your camera, moya? i used to take photos in the mirror, but now i use a makeshift tripod of books on the table to take photographs. matthew never has time to oblige...
i agree, steven alan is really my go-to place for everyday staples and the occasional 'nice' piece. i like the sleeves on the Dalia shirts.
i've been checking out their new liberty print shirts, but unless they go on sale, i don't think i can indulge this season.
I haven't tried the timer yet. That's the key, I think. Evan has no time to do this either--and sometimes I don't want to bother him or alert him to how bad my clothes obsession can be!
I imagine the liberty print items will go on sale--I think SA are suffering in this economy--evidently they have cut staff pay and taken other steps to preserve business in tough times.
hmm, that's really too bad about SA. i wish liberty print fabrics weren't so expensive, though.
yes, it's best for matthew and evan not to know the extent of our purchases.
i bought him another mociun tee in the hopes of placating him...
I know. Evan will occasionally ask how much I've spent on clothing this year. I can't tell him how bad it's been recently, but I know that with Mayle closing, and Lyell getting too pricey (not to mention, too delicate for everyday wear), it will be Steven Alan outpost and the odd Club Monaco/Inhabit/Earnest Sewn sale items so the rest of the year should be cheap. It had better be given how naughty I've been recently.
I hope you and Matthew had a good Valentine's Day, by the way. How are you feeling today?
I have to third the hiding from the husband how much money is truly spent on clothing.It's terrible, isn't it?
The new SA pieces are terrific! I would love one of those shirts right about now. Alas, I don't plan on going into the city until early March (when Mark is on spring break training trip for two weeks).
Erica - how are you feeling? I saw the cutest little wooly gloves from ouef today and thought of you. I'll probably be in Boston on Sunday for Crash-B's. Fun. Mark goes recruiting and I do an annual stroll down Newbury Street.
LG just received a huge shipment of Repetto shoes today, they're lovely.
love the shirts! i stopped in yesterday to the outlet on my way up to see friends near columbia and picked up the same shirt for my sister in black gingham, a reverse-seam in the same print for myself, and a green comme des garcons wallet for 60% off! the wallet is also for my sister, but i think i am going to have a hard time parting with it :)
indoor photography is so difficult. i have spent the entire afternoon taking and resizing pictures and putting them up on erica's laws of general economy blog (erica, thanks for posting a reminder on your other blog!) and ebay. it is exhausting. i put a few mayle pieces up on ebay, so i hope some of the stuff sells, mostly so i can rationalize some additional purchases (which i will definitely hide from my boyfriend).
Hello given your extensive collection of Mayle pieces I was wondering if you had the Gia cami and knew how they are sized, I have been eyeing the eLuxury sale on Mayle, too, and I cannot decide. thanx!
Hi Jin,
I don't know how the Gia camisoles fit--and I'm sorry for this too late post. I'd imagine true to size and hope you can get one during the next markdown.
i'm so embarrassed that i 'hide' purchases from matthew. i never used to in the past, but now i feel guilty whenever i buy anything, even baby stuff.
there's a lyell alice sweater that i want on ebay, but i think it's probably too small for me. oh well. i should stop looking, it only makes it worse!
i wish i could pop over to the SA outlet, though. i'm sure i could satisfy a lot of my shopping impulses there.
i think that is my alice lane sweater you are looking at! it is a true medium, i think. depends on how loose you want to wear it. it is definitely too big for me.
i haven't seen the new SA liberty-print shirts. does anyone else find that the reverse-seams run really short? mine fits perfectly in the body, but i really wish it were three inches longer.
Hi Jin
I own the Gia cami, in blue. The top runs true to size or even slightly large. I could have pulled of either a 4 or 2 and I am 4.
The top is lovely and I really like the little belt that comes with it.
The top is also at La Garconne with some other pics: http://www.lagarconne.com/store/item.htm?itemid=2254&sid=432&pid=
Note, I do think that you need a bit of a fuller chest to fill out the without too much puckering (see the Lagarconne pic as reference).
susie-
i'm not surprised the lyell dress is too big on you, i have it in a 2 in navy and would consider myself a true size 6 (fr. 36-38). it's such a flattering dress, i can't wait to wear it again.
good to hear that the alice sweater is a true medium. i usually avoid sweaters with fitted waists, though, because they tend to ride up on me. now i wish i had tried it on in the store earlier.
re: SA reverse seams, i also find that they're a bit short. my torso is a little long, so i just assumed that was the reason.
Hello Moya, Hello Julie,
Thank you for the advice! The top looks really lovely, I will have to think about the chest issue though (I'm not skinny like the model but my chest fares no better than them).
You are welcome, Jin. I do think eluxury offers returns on sale items though, so that is an option.
You just need to return in 30 days. Or, end up like me and miss the 30 day return from forgetfulness (!) So, if anyone wants a b/w eniko, size 4, asking $335 (my cost), let me know (maylefan@hotmail.com)
I think I bought way too much clothing in a short period. Time to start wearing it all now and take them out of the bags! Stupid cold weather. Going to SF/wine country this weekend and plan to wear a new item every day/meal :)
Has anyone else had a chance to actually trot out their new pieces?
julie, i'm with you! you know you've bought way too much too fast when all of it is just sitting in your closet with the tags still on. i guess it's hard, too, since the weather hasn't been right for floaty spring dresses! i have worn zora and helen so far, and have been getting a lot of use out of ayame, but haven't worn any of the new dresses yet (not even eniko, which i bought months ago).
so jealous you are going to wine country! sonoma or napa? i spend a lot of time in sf, though i haven't been yet this year. i hope the weather is glorious.
No, this weather is the same old thick sweaters every day, as has been for the past 4 mos!
That said, the eniko does really looks great with black tights/long sleeve top (erica has a great pic on her blog). Throw a long cardigan on any maybe it is warm enough :)
I am not sure if we have fully figured out Napa and Sonoma yet. Any suggestions for either? We are going go to Bouchon for lunch one day though (yippee)
bouchon should be great! last time i was out there, we camped next to the russian river and the next day we did a canoe trip down the river. not sure if that is your thing, but it was beautiful and lots of fun. lake sonoma winery is a great vineyard, too.
I'm another person with lots of unworn clothing in the closet. I unpacked my bag of Mayle from last week and Evan asked repeatedly, "when did you get that?" I think he was beginning to get concerned. It's just been too cold here to wear much--like Erica, I've worn Eniko a couple of times with a black long-sleeved t-shirt underneath, I've worn Aurelie, Yves and Harumi Kiyoko when it was warmer (both with and without the long-sleeved black t-shirt) and I've worn Kiyoko. I've had decent wear out of Aiko and worn one of my new Steven Alan shirts twice already, but otherwise I have a packed closet full of pieces that it's not quite the right weather to wear. I also tend to avoid black pieces on teaching days as the chalk gets everywhere.
I hope you like your Gia, Jin. Eluxury have great customer service and take returns on sale items.
As for Steven Alan reverse seams--I have to take a large because of my broad shoulders and the length is generally adequate, but I noticed some of the shirts I tried on over the weekend ran shorter than others. I wish they had more fun prints in the larger sizes. They always sell out, but I suppose it's because they cut small.
Have fun in the wine country, Julie! That sounds like a great weekend.
Julie - I'm so envious of your upcoming visit to Bouchon! I've been dying to try out Ubuntu (but I'm also a vegetarian). I hope that you enjoy wearing your new purchases.
I'm trying to decide between two job offers right now - one where I don't have to dress that nicely at all and could pretty much wear sandals all summer, and one wear I could conceivably wear my new Mayle items to work. Do I choose a job based on clothing? Otherwise are these dresses just going to sit in my closet? Seriouly - I have a huge Mayle obsesion, but where do you wear your pieces most often? I think that I need to improve my social life! Or I'll be the fanciest dressed grad student next year.
I don't get the opportunity to wear a lot of my pieces often during the week b/c I'm a grad student. I try to wear my Mayle stuff as much as possible on the weekends. I love wearing my dresses, even in the cold weather. I'll wear them out to dinner, with a long sleeve tee or turtlenck, tights, and boots.
I wear my Mayle to work and at home. Sometimes, when I'm writing I'll just put on a pretty dress (weather permitting) and wear it while I sit on the couch and write my book.
It's silly but I do appreciate how being an academic allows me to wear my Mayle and other clothing. When I was in grad school, however (UW-Madison), the weather dictated everything. In -30 wind chills, you just have to accept that fate. Fortunately, that was before Mayle and the money to buy it.
i've been able to wear a lot of my new mayle pieces to work, and also with a long black tee and tights, but my workplace runs the gamut between casual jeans/t's and dresses.
i hear you on having to "hide" things from the husband. yesterday i tried on eniko (purchased from julie - so lovely to meet in person!) and my husband eyes me and asks if that's another new dress. had to sheepishly say yes and then remind him of the clothes i'm trying to sell on ebay to fund the new ones. :)
Moya,
Strangely enough, I was planning on asking you whether the steven alan outlet was worth a trip to the UWS (I'm on the east side so trips uptown and west tend to be transportation hassles), so it worked out well that you decided to post!
I've never been to the outlet, but have been to the store in tribecca. Are there only steven alan things or do they have the mix of other labels at the outlet? Would I be able to find smalls/mediums in stock?
As a side note, I've worn my thea dress a couple of times and love it tremendously. The silk has such a great texture. Hope you are well.
karen
Karen, the SA outlet is amazing. I go about once a month and usually find something--and I live in Brooklyn. It is mostly SA but they have a fair selection of other merchandise (usually dresses and coats). I've seen Mociun, Mayle (albeit not for a while), Secrets of Charm, Rachel Comey and others there, as well as a small pile of jeans, boots, bags and jewelry from other designers. Usually, the reverse seams and gathered shirts are under $100--right now, they are $79-58. I basically buy all my SA items here. The girls are friendly too, and the stock is usually great, far better in XS-M. They have piles of reverse seams over by the changing rooms in the back so if you don't see patterns you like, ask.
I'm so pleased the Thea is working out for you too. I haven't worn mine yet--no occasion or weather to do so.
Patrickstar--I'm so pleased you like your Eniko--it is far prettier in the flesh. And it's good that you and Julie got to meet up. That's one of the best things about blogging/commenting.
Moya,
You are the best. I'm certainly going to try to find some time to head up to the UWS in the next couple of days.
Also, I meant to add that I completely agree with your assessment of lyell. I absolutely adore everything that Emma Fletcher puts out (and the store itself is so beautiful), but it's becoming increasingly impractical for everyday wear and expensive.
Hi Karen--I'm glad the SA comments helped. The outpost is really great--one of my favorite places to shop.
I have to admit to being impressed by the new Lyell collection (what I've seen of it). There are some lovely colors--a vintage-y green-blue and pale tan shade--as well as some abstract liberty-style prints. There's a little top with a collar and cut out back and a cardigan that looks handmade that seem really wearable, although some of the pieces that I loved seemed too delicate and special to wear (as usual). I also wish she'd make her sizing more realistic. When size 4s have to up-size to an 8, she's going to lose business. I have hope for this collection, however. I love some of her pieces in the store but have got them home and realized that they aren't for everyday. In the earlier days of her work, that wasn't the case and I think she's returning to that mix again. What I've seen has a lot of promise.
moya, i would love to see pictures of your eniko in the non-ivory paradiso. it's such a gorgeous print.
i have no problem wearing mayle tops to work, but a lot of the dresses are just a tad too short for my office. i am wearing allegra today (with a cardigan over, so the lace panels on the sleeves are covered up). the 4 fits perfectly-- thanks for the advice, maryam! and i have worn veva, pina (which runs long on me) and mia (belted as a tunic over pants) to work, too.
i received aurelie from the eluxury sale today. it is so beautiful! i'm thrilled i was able to get it at such a great price.
Joyce, I'd be interested. The only problem is that I've never tried it on. Is it very narrow in the hips? It's hard to tell how lose it is from the photos online. Thanks! Maryam
Hi Maryam!
I'll post measurements later today. But offhand, I found the dress overall to be very forgiving (and flattering). The skirt has a slight a-line; it's definitely not a straight/pencil cut.
Oh great, thanks! I always wanted this dress but they ran out of my size before I could try it on. I think it will be perfect for when I start working. Feel free to email me at marfaania at gmail dot com. Thanks!
moya, unfortunately no luck on the SA outlet front. the store and inventory is as wonderful as you described; however in this particular instance there were the wrong sizes/colors in the things that I wanted. fingers crossed for next trip up there though.
also, over the weekend I popped into lyell briefly. the spring collection is stunning. there's one soft blue dress that is so lovely. looking at lyell always makes other stores' clothing look ungainly and cheap in comparison.
hope you are well.
I'm sorry you didn't find anything at the SA outlet--it's always worth popping in just to see what they have.
I agree with you about the Lyell spring collection--you've probably seen more of it than I have as I know they were getting more items in. I'm awaiting the update to their website as the pictures in the store were, as usual, stunning. Emma really styles her lookbooks well. And, yes, the quality is amazing. I just can't wait for better weather so I can wear more of the items I've bought recently, let alone think about summer clothes.
I am well and hope you are too.
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