Hello Darlings,

Despite all evidence to the contrary (like a crammed walk-in closet and E’s drawers slowly being taken over), my Saturday morning began with the never-ending female dilemma.

“I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!”

As one of my girlfriends pointed out, maybe women are not programmed to have this many options and feel genuinely satisfied. I mean, how many of us have closets full of clothing and always want more? The desire to have more pretty things must be a part of our DNA. Or a consequence of good marketing. Maybe our problem is just plain indecisiveness or the fact that we always want what we can’t have. Then again, men are guilty of this too. All theories aside, learning to work with the pieces I already have and make the most of them has always been my goal… even with my whining.

Regardless of my frustrating morning, I had a really fun afternoon at the Mango store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Nelia of Styleblog and I were invited to pick out our favourite pieces for Mango’s Happy Shopping event and have a meet-and-greet. For our picks, stop by the store and have a peek at what we selected. I loved the classic silhouettes and the many prints that Mango had to offer.

And you ask about the outfit which took so much “effort” to pull together. Well, it was simple as always. In fact, so simple, that it seemed like I didn’t have a care in the world. When your own mother greets you at the mall with, “So what took you so long?!” you know that you appear as though you’ve dressed effortlessly. I was wearing a skirt-and-sweater combination. Nothing complicated. But then again, isn’t that the whole point—to spend hours creating a look that gives, well, the impression of being perfectly disheveled?

I am wearing: 

♥ Theory “Hetty S” Cashmere/Wool Sweater 

♥ Club Monaco Zowie Skirt 

♥ J.Crew Classic Leather Ballet Flat in smoky charcoal 

♥ YSL Arty Ring 

♥ Z Spoke by Zac Posen Purse

In this spiel on purporting simple and perfectly disheveled looks like that of my sweater-and-skirt combo, I must mention that I did add a new purchase to the mix: a pair of Italian leather J.Crew ballerinas. As the first Canadian J.Crew store opened earlier this month (more from the launch soon!), I wanted to see what all the hype was about, especially when it came to their shoes.

The hype was there for a reason. The shoes are wonderful! The leather is exceptional and the quality is reflected in the fine Italian craftsmanship. My Repettos retail for a hefty $350; J.Crew sells their pair for comparable quality at half the price. Although I will not deny my eternal love for Repetto ballerinas and their out-of-this-world comfort, this J.Crew pair comes very close to winning my affection.  Of course, I am sure that my closet can fit a pair or two from both brands. Why limit your options?

Either way, it brings us back to the never-ending female dilemma. It really is a cycle! :)

[nggallery id=7]

With Love...

Marta