Shopping by cookie

Blame the fortune cookie at the dumpling restaurant:













When I make a shopping mistake, I get a little OCD and try to correct the error immediately. The Eric Bompard sale launched while I mourned, then donated, the lacklustre Everlane sweater. I decided to accord a good chunk of my kitty for a fix.

Eric Bompard's classic v-neck : I chose "Atlantide", a deep yet lively blue; the cut is narrower, the finish neat. Thanks to a kicker discount—10% off the order if you buy a second item— I added a pair of ruby gloves, the "spoil yourself".





Those v-necks are the backbone of my fall-winter wardrobe; I'm at my desk in another EB that's 14 years old. The gloves never last as long, but now, turned on to visible mending, I will patch the thumbs that always wear through first.

Here is an instructive post on mending gloves, from the marvellous Collingwood-Norris Design. Knitwear designer Flora Collingwood-Norris, based in Scotland, has also begun to offer a bespoke visible-mending service.

Mine could one day look like hers:

Photo: Collingwoodnorrisdesign.com

Wallet snapped shut now, sale notices shunned...and I probably should avoid fortune cookies, too!








Comments

Laura J said…
Such great purchases!!, beautiful colours!
Jen Lawrence said…
Great buy. I love their cashmere.
Duchesse said…
Laura J: I am so pleased with it, it is everything the Everlane was not. It cost 2.5 x the price but is going to last infinitely longer.

Jen Lawrence: I've bought so many brands, including the luxury ones (Cuccinelli, Malo, etc.) and mid (J. Crew, Land's End) and keep returning to EB. It's the colours! I also like Brora very much but lately they've been making them in a length too short for my tall torso. (Brora's cashmere is made by Johnston's of Elgin, who make beautiful cashmere but more classic styles than EB.)
LauraH said…
Gorgeous choices, perfect for injecting warmth and fun into this dreary winter. And thank you for the glove mending link. Several of mine are showing wear and this will be so useful. No way am I discarding those gloves!
Leslie M said…
1) Cookies don’t lie.
2) You chose well. Atlantide is the color I would have chosen, too. Really gorgeous.
3) Next time, save the cheaper sweater to keep the moths busy and out of the good stuff.😁

Duchesse said…
Leslie M: 1. You know the old idea that you should add "In bed" to any fortune? 2. Thanks, more mood-elevating that black but still goes with a lot. 3. Ha! If only we could direct them to the food sources we don't care about.
Bunny said…
Gorgeous color! Those mittens are quite whimsical and I think I may own a pair to give this a try! It is so heartening to see these efforts at stylish recycling and repair and the designer level. It will only spread from there. The thought of mainstreaming mending makes my heart skip a beat.
Duchesse said…
Bunny: I have discovered this visible mending only in the past several years, and absolutely love it. I ‘ve made intricate embroidered patches for denim but have never tried techniques like Swiss weaving.
royleen said…
Ha! Just left the EB site. Can't decide between Spruce and Poseidon Blue. Also tried out one of the Everlane cashmere tees, what a waste. Do you have the Spruce? Is it more green or more blue?
Francie Newcomb said…
Beautiful sweater! I was hoping you'd do a post about it. Those mended gloves are adorable. You have introduced me to and trained me about the EB sweaters. Last year I got the viridian green (a very grayed, brownish green, sounds not pretty but really a good color) V-neck and this year it's the camel one (and a beautiful blue, ivory and camel silk scarf to go with it that makes me happy). I can wear both with silk long sleeved undershirts.

I thought the Spruce was a gorgeous color too, but my size was missing. I only get these in January!
lizclarke said…
Another Canadian here, did you pay duty of the lovely cashmere pullover?? How is the fit?? I am thinking of taking the plunge and ordering, I am this side of 70 and going to indulge!
Duchesse said…
lizclarke: Yes, I paid duty and all applicable taxes. The only way to not pay duty on these is buying when I am in Paris and using my duty free allowance. They are not CETA Treaty duty exempt because, though sold from France, they are manufactured in China.

Note that your duty is not included in the charge from EB, it is billed separately by courier.The chest and length measurements for each garment (and these vary) are on the site for each sweater. Check one you already have and go from that. Do not depend only on sizes, these are French sizes, not North American. For that v- neck, I am an XL but in North American sizes, L or sometimes M, depending on cut.
Duchesse said…
Bunny: I don't have the Spruce but I saw it in the boutique when in Paris. It is a gorgeous, unusual colour, a bit heathered in person. It is just slightly lighter looking than on my monitor, due to the heathering. IMO it is perfect on the medium blonde on the web site, bu with grey hair, washes me out. (Of course could wear a scarf with it, near my face, but that is a hard colour work with.) I

Other colours I looked at in store:
- Petrol, a dark blue-green, is another unusual colour and super hard to find. It is much more interesting than navy.
- Mykonos, the classic Greek flag blue, is lively without being screechy and would be good for those of us wearing cashmere in spring as well as fall-winter.
- IMO this year's Fuchsia and Ruby Red are •very• bright, edging toward neons.
- Peppermint is a perky bright green, not quite as deep as the classic Kelly green
- Dahlia, a deep, browned burgundy, was the one colour that disappointed me; it looks brighter on the web site.

IF ONLY they had not discontinued their catalogs with the bits of wool on a card; you could really see the colours.

Francie: Glad to do that; you woll enjoy those a very long time.
royleen said…
Thanks for the information on colors. I loved those bits of wool on the card; they were so helpful.
Duchesse said…
royleen: Poseidon is a blue that's between Wedgewood blue and deep periwinkle. I have it in an extrafine v-neck. Spruce is a much softer colour, not a pastel, but women who wear pastels and somewhat more saturated but still gentle hues would like it. It reads as slightly more gteen than blue IMO.

When I was in store and spoke to them about demise of cards they told me it was an "environmental issue". But I wish they had continued as it is so hard to gauge colour from both print catalog or on a monitor.
Thank you so much for recommending the EB sweaters! I just received mine in the Crocus color and it is glorious.
Duchesse said…
Mary Beth Callaghan: A pleasure; that colour is stunning, so vibrant and unusual.
Francie Newcomb said…
Mary Beth Callaghan: I loved the Crocus color too but need a L and there is only S left. Enjoy! It's beautiful!

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