Small Jack Wills Wish List ....and Being True to Yourself.

The new Autumn Term Jack Wills look book landed on my doormat a couple of weeks back.  I always enjoy having a flick through and it always starts off,  

"Want that, want that, want that, want that ....ooooh really  really want that!" 

Then I do a second run and it goes a bit like, 

"Want that, want that, want that, not sure about that,  still really want that!" 

Then I do third run and it goes, 

"Want that ...and that.  Don't like that.  Well that's that!"

I used to also do that with the Next Directory over 20 years ago when I was a wee teenager (no Scottish blood in me whatsoever for the record but I did have an uncle who lived in Edinburgh which doesn't really count).  That was a catalogue worth getting excited about in the 80's when you had real fabric swatches on the pages so you could feel and see the colour of what you were ordering ... and Uma Thurman and Christy Turlington used to model.  Those were the days (don rose tinted bifocal glasses).  So back to the wishlist in hand, not too much, just the odd little thing :o) or three or four ....

I saw the Forton tee in the handbook and on line and it didn't immediately grab me but having seen it in the shop now and tried it on ... I like it.

Forton Tee £29.50

It nearly got bagged and came home with me.  I thought it might be an easy piece to layer with my grey Uniqlo cashmere cardigan during Autumn through to Winter and I love the fact that the colour is so bang on trend - yes I have been officially sucked in to these red berry shades.  With it being 50% cotton and 50% modal - it is softness personified. The design on the tee is very similar to one seen on the Aubin & Wills site about a year or so ago and which is now being reproduced on their children's range.  

Kids Farleigh Tee £20

Drat!  I was hoping to fit in this and share it with Ben

I did at one point entertain the idea of getting one of these Aubin & Wills children's tees if I could fit in one but for once the children's ranges err genuinely on the smaller side - there is no way I will ever manage to squeeze into an age 8-9 no matter how hard I try.  Ah well - I prefer the gentle scoop on the women's Jack Wills tee anyway. 

Now this grey Beloteen shirt below is lovely.  I tried this on too.  I can vouch for it being really well made. The shirt is double faced i.e. lined with another fabric and the surface fabric lies well and the stitching is good.  It is a lovely soft brushed cotton and being double faced - so perfect for the cooler months ahead.  And looking a little Margaret Howell - do you not think?  At a more affordable price and probably a much better fit for the smaller framed person.  

Beloteen Shirt £49.50

Something Howell'esque.

The Cheriton silk top.  I like this one a lot lot.  I have tried this one  on and love it even more than the Beloteen shirt  and that's saying something when you think how much I like my relaxed casual dressing. This top reminds me a little of the one that got away at the Jack Wills outlet a few weeks back.  They only had a size 10 in store and I think it was okay but I would have liked to try the 8 as well just to see which was better.

Cheriton Top £59.50

And following on from the Gap cords from the last post - these damson Hollingworth chinos are really floating my berry coloured boat.  

Hollingworth Chino £69.50

I think ... I like these more than the green Gap cords.  Oh - I've gone and said it.  I like these more. There - I said it again (and now I feel and sound like Dory from Nemo).  If you don't have a big budget, you need to make sure that when you buy, you really want that item unless it's stupidly cheap. These are not stupidly cheap for a pair of chinos but they are a stupidly nice damson shade.  The fact that the website and the lookbook says it's damson and not burgundy is selling it to me too.  Oh and it's a winter weight chino ... so selling it to me even more.  So it's going to be .... 

Bye bye green cords

and 

Hello damson Jack Wills Chinos.

Damson.  Not burgundy.

Errr ... you weren't expecting that were you?

Now I'm feeling sheepish after all that broohaha about the green cords and getting all your opinions in. I could have kept quiet and pretended I'd kept the green cords but I think it's better to be honest and to let you know that I've decided against them and have now gone with these damson chinos which you know nothing about.  These chinos invaded my consciousness faster than you can say "damson chinos" in the last week.  After trying them on, I figured it was better to put the money on the item which felt better for me and on me personally. 

Damson or Tropical Green?

Looking at both pictures - there's not much in it really but the damson pair felt right straight away.  I didn't get quite as good a feeling with the green cords which was really unfortunate .. as they were cheaper and such a lovely shade too and went with just about everything in my wardrobe.  Well I did get a good feeling - when I first tried them on in the changing room and thought "yes!!!" but with every subsequent try on at home - there was just something not quite right.  If it's any consolation for having put you through all that long winded cords post, I had to size up in these chinos and it's not that everyone's comment didn't count, it was that no one knew there was anything to compare them with until now.

Aubin & Wills Annaside Top (old)

Only 1 outfit this time.

And I did have a momentary lapse when Fen left a comment to say she had the same ones but I rallied myself round and am happy with my final choice.  It's easy to be influenced by what you see and hear on so many of the lovely blogs around but sometimes, you have to remain true to yourself and go with what you feel is right.

And on that note, I will now stop looking at brogues.  They don't suit me.  

.... and thank you for taking the time to comment on the Gap cords.  It was much appreciated.