spruced by marlene

Looking back at my fall favourites from last year, I was a little surprised to see that I still love every single piece. Surprised, because nothing makes me feel more like ‘I’ve got nothing to wear’ than October (and November, December, January…) The cold, the wet, the grey, they take all the fun out of getting dressed.

Except I think that clotheswise I’m actually a winter person. I’ll always take trousers over a dress, I can get into layering up, I love a good coat. When I found that camel wrap coat at ZARA last year, I might’ve done a little victory jig right there in the store (they do a updated version in grey this year, in case you feel like breaking into spontaneous dance at a ZARA).

So while I feel more like shopping when it’s warm – summer makes me want to buy sundresses and peasant blouses and frilly things that are as insubstantial as a fling in July –, I’m more focused on finding pieces for winter that I are so special I’ll not just want to wear them right now, but in six months time.

Which is a great excuse to spend more money.

And that brings me to this jumper.

If you add ‘unlimited time’ to ‘Isabel Marant store’ the result is ‘going sliiiightly over budget’. But, oh, that jumper. It’s so cozy that I can still wear it without a jacket or coat right now. Besides being incredibly warm, it’s the details I love, the knitted pattern that drops over the shoulder, the super wide polo-neck, the side splits. The only times I will take this of before March 2016 is to use an industrial strength fabric shaver on it. It’s part Alpaca and been shedding pounds like the girls on Kayla Itsines Instagram (any tips on how to stop pilling? I’d be happy to hear them).

|| Jumper from ISABEL MARANT ÉTOILE. Similar styles from CLOSED, GANNI and HOPE.

The Marinière I’m wearing here is also from ISABEL MARANT ÉTOILE and, just as the jumper, stands out for me for its design. When a piece is so simple, the execution really needs to be perfect. It’s made from linen, which gives it a slightly washed look, and has extra long sleeves and torso, making it perfect for tucking in the front, you know, French style. It’s selling out quickly everywhere, so here are some good alternatives:

|| Breton stripes from COMME DES GARCONS, WOODWOOD and FILIPPA K.

Besides the jumper, I’m basing my fall wardrobe around these black, menswear inspired trousers from Weekday. They’re obviously roomier and more forgiving than skinnys (hello, cookie season!), but also quite brilliantly smart. I can’t find them in the Weekday online shop, but that kind of cut is around a lot at the moment. Some favourites:

|| From PROTAGONIST, WEEKDAY and HOPE.

Can I just go ahead and calll ‘layering’ ‘wedding cakeking’ from now on? It makes perfect sense, honestly. Let me explain. The impulse is to pile on clothes against the cold, which is both perfectly understandable and also the quickest way to look like a snowman. So when I layer up, I try to remember that each layer should be visible and built an outfit from the bottom up – like the tiers in a wedding cake. See? Perfect sense! Mixing fabrics is another easy trick to making it work, like topping off cotton trousers and a light shirt with a chunky wool jumper. For me, this look works best with heels, which, yes, I’m totally kidding myself that I will regularly wear stilettos. But it’s nice to dream sometimes (while putting on a pair of brogues instead).

I never would’ve picked out the Pedal Icon from the CLOSED Archive ’85 collection for myself, thinking that the ‘mom jeans’ it doesn’t suit my body, but the good folks at CLOSED knew better when they sent me a pair. Turns out, I absolutely love the cut and fit.

|| Jeans from CLOSED, bucket bag from JAMES CASTLE, scarf from GANNI.

I find that a patterned scarf is the easiest way of breaking up an otherwise monochrome wardrobe. Plus, there’s something delightfully ‘coming home for a nice cup of tea and scones after a walk in the English countryside’ about a checked scarf.

|| Similar styles from ACNE, & OTHER STORIES and COS.

I showed unusual restraint at the launch of the UNIQLO and LEMAIRE collection. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed when I see too many nice things and end up buying nothing. Well, almost nothing. I got the white jumper in the picture above, a play on a traditional cable knit, which I want to wear a lot with white jeans and that camel coat from last year. FYI: Uniqlo also collaborated with Carine Roitfeld on a collection that’s basically her signature look of pencil skirts, leopard prints and fitted tops. It launches on October 29 and I might try my luck getting one of the jackets or glorious coats.

Oh, and here are some more classic white cable knits I like:

|| From CARVEN, JOSEPH, TOAST and TOPSHOP UNIQUE.

There are two things still on my shopping list that I’d like to get. 1) A great hat, like this one from GOORIN that my friend Charlotte wore during a shoot we did together for an upcoming project. I’d like to try one on from either RAG & BONE or JANESSA LEONE.

And, 2) this exact double cashmere (!!) coat from JOSEPH. The moment I tried it on, which felt like being hugged by double cashmere, I started thinking of excuses why I couldn’t return it. „My dog bit a hole in it!“ (I have no dog) „Arlo drew all over it with a biro“ (I can’t blame my son. Can I? CANI?) „What coat? The courier must’ve stolen it!“ It’s just so criminally beautiful I wanted to make a getaway with it.

Until I come up with a plan to steal it – or find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – here are some wrap coats I also like.

|| From EDITED THE LABEL, BY MALENE BIRGER, COS, FILIPPA K and TÔTEME.