Things are getting tricky as far as the challenge “only 10 new items of clothing this year” is concerned. I bought three more items, so I only have 1 item left to buy this year. Today you get to see my new baggy jeans with a black jumper. To be honest, I managed to create 12 outfits with these jeans, varying footwear and tops. The one featuring this week’s post might not even be the best one, so you’ll get to see these jeans a lot more times. Boring, right?
With all the things I am taking into account when contemplating buying an item, one of them is “does this suit my lifestyle?” Because I love dresses, pencil skirts and high heels but they belong to the life I lead before retirement, when I still worked in an office with colleagues. Nowadays it is mostly jeans, an item that is ubiquitous in the major cities of the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam. Of course, you don’t have to conform to the masses but I like jeans, they suit me well and I don’t have too many difficulties styling them. Unlike with skirts and dresses. With them I never know which sort of shoes to choose, how to disguise my short waist and short upper body in order to get the proportions right.
The three items I bought last week are two pairs of jeans and a very long black coat. My intention to spend the last 4 items of the challenge on bright and colourful clothes, went out the window. Dang. I must do better next year. Yes, I am going to continue this challenge next year as I like it a lot. Spending more thought to what I am buying prevents me from bad buys.
Enough talk, let’s show some photos.
Below: I had lunch with my former colleague Madelon, who kindly took the blog photos. We worked closely together for about 10 years and we so appreciate each other. We were an excellent team. And even though it is some 5 years ago, we picked up where we left off, as if it were yesterday.
We decided to meet in Abcoude, a village close to Amsterdam. It meant enough parking space, no parking fees, a good restaurant and an adorable old village as background for the photos.
Below: Those benches looked inviting.
Below: There we go, the sitting-down pose is in the bag. By the way, the pearls of the necklace look grey but they are white. Photoshop Elements spoiled that.
The brand of the jeans is High, as is the price. I got a shock as I was about to pay. I bought them at LAB, Women’s Clothing. Daphne, the owner, saw my upset face and said “Oh, didn’t you check the price tag in the dressing room? I was sure you would have. But of course, you don’t have to take them.”
By that time, however, I was already committed to the jeans and thought “Better to spend your money on something which is quality, different and you love it, than spending it on something which lacks one of these things.”
Daphne is sweet and honest, and when something I am trying on, isn’t quite right, she’ll tell me. That’s how you build a long-lasting relationship with your clients.
Below: You will see many photos with this outfit as I couldn’t kill all my darlings (as they say with photography).
Below: Showing the side of the jeans. The heels of my orange patent leather boots sunk into the ground. I love those boots to bits but each time I wear them, the stiletto heels get damaged and I have to bring them to the cobbler.
Below: The back of the jeans. The jumper is also from LAB, Women’s Clothing. Bought it last year and you saw it on the blog with my man repeller jeans. (Link to blog post.) The back of the jumper is pleated and silk, while the front and the sleeves are knitted.
Below: Abcoude is a beautiful village and the houses are expensive. As far as I know, you have to be wealthy to live there. But they did preserve the village well.
Below: A cute flower shop and many old trees. I highly appreciate both items.
Below: I would have loved to chase those women away from my photo view but of course I don’t have the right to do that. I am a bloody tourist.
Below: Abcoude has a few of these bridges.
Below: Fabulous as background. Note that the fly of the jeans isn’t straight but askew.
Below: As she was about to take the photo, Madelon said “You look like a hooker with that hotel sign above you head. Waiting for a customer”. LOL
She always says these totally unexpected things that has me in stitches.
Below: This place was built in 1882/1883 for the mayor and aldermen. The premises were necessary as the city council used to have meetings in a restaurant and in 1881 the law forbad to have meetings in a place where they served alcohol. Until 1968 the first floor was someone’s house. The building was sold in 2012 to a private owner. Imagine, living in such a house!
Below: Last photo of my outfit, mainly because the door is so gorgeous.
Below: We headed back and took some shots standing on a bridge.
Below: Chocolate box village. See the little treehouse on the right?
Below: Head-to-toe shot of Madelon. Love the sleeves of her jumper.
Below: As we headed back to the restaurant to have one last coffee, we saw this boat, waiting for the bridge to go up. Cute doggy. They gave permission to use this photo on the blog. Good sports.
Below: Restaurant de Eendracht where we had lunch and coffee, across the road from the river. It had gone cloudy by that time.
Below: Just before I got into my car, I spotted this house. Very desirable.
And that was my Saturday last week. Thoroughly enjoyable.
What happened to my life this week
I met my previous tech lady who maintained my blog until last year. She has been in a serious car accident and cannot work anymore. We had said to each other “we should have lunch one day”. This past week it finally happened.
Below: Stephanie and me. She had a fun T-shirt on stating “You are about to exceed the limits of my medication”. LOL. The colours of our tops are slightly different IRL but the photo was taken indoors.
Below: I was wearing the same baggy jeans as featured in this post but with a bright pink top (the colour below is a true reflection). You can imagine if you walk into a restaurant wearing such a bright colour AND a rosette in this size, you’ll get noticed haha.
The pink shoes are a gift from my friend Marjolein.
Took my car in for service. The two new tyres rather raised the invoice but what’s got to be done, got to be done.
Wednesday was a really quiet day with nothing in the agenda apart from some guys installing glass fibre. I gave them coffee and one of them drank his when it was cold. I wanted to make him a new one but he said: “No, I was told that when you drink cold coffee, you’ll become handsome”. I replied “Well, it obviously worked” as he was a good-looking fellow. We had a laugh.
After that I ran some errands and spent hours in Karlijn’s shop (kpa.haarlem) as she was unboxing new autumn clothes. A client was trying on a checked suit and I loved it (she bought it). After she was gone, I tried it on too. Alas, it didn’t suit (pun intended) me at all, which Karlijn confirmed (she is honest too). Better luck next time. At least we had fun.
Thursday was a busy day with all sorts of things. I was able to convince an insurance company that the two funeral policies with my mother’s name and date of birth were indeed hers, even though the first letter of her first name was not the same. It took some convincing as I didn’t have the papers to prove it, but in the end they said they would pay.
In the afternoon we had coffee and apple cake with our friends Georg and Marla, which was of course very pleasant.
Friday was babysitting day and I blew bubbles. We were knackered at the end of the day but Zoë had been smiling the whole day. We fetched some Chinese take-away for dinner.
Greetje
I love the new jeans on you, Greetje. They look stunning with both tops. And of course, I adore that giant Rosette on your shoulder. Fantastic pictures, as always.
Ahh…great comment. Thank you. I love it when you like one of my outfits. The giant Rosette is fab, I agree. I am still contemplating whether to buy it in pink as well, but I suppose I shouldn’t.
Ohhhh, yes! You simply must buy one in pink! They are fabulous!
I don’t know what you mean. I read my post again to see what you are referring to. Do you mean the rosette brooch?
Love the pink shoes. And the door was gorgeous, as well.
Thank you very much. My friend Marjolein and I exchange shoes, boots and clothes since we were 21. The pink shoes were here latest gift.
Baggy jeans are OK if your slim but if you are carrying a bit of weight they do you no favours.
I love your style! I am a woman that love bold colors!!! I also love the 🇳🇱 Netherlands!!! I was over in the Netherlands a few weeks ago and I loved it!
You are a lady of good taste in style
Thank you very much for this compliment. I too love bold colours. If you go to ‘Outfit Gallery’ at the top of my blog you will find every outfit I have ever published a post on (apart from the really old ones). And when you click on a photo, you will go to that post. Just in case you want to see more quickly. I publish a new post every Saturday (or Sunday when I am late).
I hope I can keep you entertained for a long time.
And yes, the Netherlands is a beautiful country, but there are so many more.
I kept looking for a black jumper & there was none. Are you referring to the black top??
Hahaha…yes, the black top is knitted and in UK English this is called a jumper. In America a sweater?
I too thought, a “jumper”? Here in the USA, a jumper is a one piece item, like a denim jumper, usually with a blouse underneath. Lovely blouse with pleats you have on..
Funny…LOL. What you call a jumper in the USA, is called a pinafore in the UK. I am Dutch but I use the UK spelling as I learned that at school and its what I like. It means I am confusing my American readers a lot haha.
The jeans are fabulous. You didn’t go wrong with them for sure. So very attractive. I enjoyed the photos of the beautiful village. It’s a vicarious little trip to see all the beautiful buildings. and quaint shops. I know I would enjoy it too. Glad you had a good day. And I hope things continue to go well for you as you settle your Mother’s estate. A sad time for you I know.
I managed to style these jeans 12 ways, which is an absolute record for me.
As for my mother’s estate, she didn’t have one. She lived in a rented house until June last year and then moved into a home. So we cleared the house last year. What was left in the nursing home was not much. Everything is already settled and in October we will bury her ashes in the ground where she was born.
That is such a lovely thought that you will be returning your mother’s remains to the land she came from!
My father’s & mother’s ashes will be mixed & buried with my sister when he dies. Returning to the land they came from!
Love your blog – the pictures were great and I love your styling!
New watcher x
Welcome Leonora. I seem to get a lot of new readers lately. That pleases me so much. After all, when you create something, you want people to see it. You may expect a new post every Saturday (or Sunday when I am late) on my blog. I hope I can keep you entertained for a long time.
You look fabulous thanks for the inspiration
The pleasure is all mine. I love sharing my life, my outfits, really nearly everything with other people. And if that inspires you, all the better.
I love your jeans outfits the most so definitely will not mind seeing more. Those pink shoes are special.
Oh good, a jeans fan. Well, you’ll be enjoying the coming period haha.
You always have such great footwear! I too love the orange and the pink shoes. Those jeans are great on you.
I too am trying to limit my purchases. I am ashamed how many clothes I have to give away as I lost 35 pounds. I was buying way too much in the past. Now I am focusing spending on absolute necessities, like outerwear (and underwear)! No more impulse buying. And I have managed to thrift some quality garments.
Love all the gorgeous buildings. Thank you, Greetje, for all the effort you put in to give us posts to enjoy.
First, a big hurray for you losing 35 pounds. That cannot have been easy. The big challenge now is to keep them off. Which is hard. My husband regularly loses 30 pounds, but can never hold on to that. It is a struggle when you love food.
If I were you, I wouldn’t be ashamed over buying many clothes. We all have our vices, nobody is perfect. You and I have buying clothes. One, it helps a lot of people who earn their living creating these clothes. Two, second-hand is very sustainable and en vogue these days, but they have to start somewhere, you and I have taken that upon us. Three, you are giving them away and thus making other people happy. And last but not least, we don’t really harm anyone with it. OK, you can say we harm the environment. Yeah right. Let’s say we do a lot of things that harm the environment.
Thank you for this perspective. I am struggling with impulse purchases of clothes. I love clothing and beautiful shoes. The jeans are fabulous. I am very pleased to have found your blog.
The ‘only 10 items of clothes a year’ challenge really helped me. It made me think a lot better whether something was worth buying (“Is this item worth of being one of the 10?). Less bad purchases. I did fall of the wagon in September but still, I am doing pretty good and will continue this next year.
I also love clothing and beautiful shoes. That ‘addiction’ led to this blog. When you blog about something you have to be passionate about it, as it takes many hours.
You may be pleased you found my blog but so am I. I hope I can keep you entertained every Saturday (or Sunday when I am late).
I am a Texas girl,I love your style. I’m a baggy jean girl,and I have all colors dark,light, white and brown. I’m 70 years old and I love the color and the style of your shoes. I can’t wait for you next creations
This is music to my ears Deborah. We 70 years women don’t dress like our mothers did, now do we? Every Saturday (sometimes Sunday when I am late), you will find a new post on my blog. Trying to keep you entertained.
I am American and also in the process of transitioning my wardrobe from work place to retirement.
My friends & I are finding baggy jeans a challenge & staying more with the style you wore with the pink blouse.
I absolutely loved that look ! That shade of pink is so flattering on you & the shoes were the exact same shade.
Felt that style of jean somewhat more flattering.
Looking forward to seeing your future style creations.
Baggy jeans are indeed a challenge and it takes some searching before you find the right bagginess for your figure. Being tall with no hips or bum (like me) has its disadvantages but for jeans they are advantages. Put me in a jumpsuit and you’ll kill yourself laughing. Hideous.
Usually jeans with a nice (silk) top is a good combination. In fashion terms they talk about juxtaposition then.
Every Saturday (or Sunday when I am late), you will find a new post on my blog. I hope I can keep you entertained for a long time.
PS, it took me a while to realise that there is indeed no point in buying beautiful dresses with high heels as that is not my life anymore.
I don’t know how I found your blog, but I’m delighted I did. I’m a recently widowed senior. My fixed income is tight. However I love fashion… I’ve found great jeans, baggy, barrel and straight legs
I try to pair them with funky shoes and boots
I am delighted as well that you found my blog. A fixed income urges you to become creative. A lot of women are great at finding treasures at charity shops and vintage stores. I am not one of them as I just cannot imagine how something will look on me when I see it hanging on a rack. Old or new, it doesn’t make a difference.
You have already found your jeans and funky shoes. I am not the same page Joy. Every Saturday (or Sunday when I am late) your will find a new post on my blog. I hope I can keep you entertained for a long time.
My policy is to immediately buy any item I really love if it’s good quality and fits. Fortunately, I guess, it’s difficult to find anything that fits, so my wardrobe is still small. All that to say that I doubt you’ll ever regret buying those pricey jeans. Do you count second-hand items in your wardrobe challenge?
My favorite outfit is the one with the bright pink blouse. I’d love to see it with a leopard print belt!
Thanks for another cheery Sunday post.
Thanks for the tip of the leopard print belt. I keep forgetting that trick. So good.
Yes, second-hand items count as well in the wardrobe challenge, as do coats but not footwear or tanktops or underwear and such.
The bright pink blouse is a copy of a green blouse I once bought in Rome. I like it so much I had it copied in bright pink and bright orange. Sssshhh, don’t tell anyone as I think they count for the challenge but I haven’t. LOL
I have been on holiday so just read your last three blog posts one after the other. Nice way to spend a Sunday morning!
Love all the outfits and all the great photos of your locations. Thanks for all the effort you put in to make these posts so entertaining.
I hope you didn’t get an overkill LOL.
The reason why I put in effort to make the posts entertaining is exactly because of that. I want them to be entertaining as that is the goal of my blog. That, and making people smile or even laugh. So thank you for your comment. Apparently I am successful. (Grin.)
Greetings from Southern California. You look so joyful in all of these pictures-maybe because you made such great purchases? Your hair looks so pretty and I cannot decide if I like the pictures with the black top or the pink top better because you look stunning in both of them. As always I enjoyed the scenery and a little peek into your life in the Netherlands. Happy fall.
I have to smile when someone takes my blog photos. My straight, normal face is not very cheerful and you wouldn’t enjoy the posts half as much if I didn’t smile. And in between photos, I will check the hair and backcomb it if necessary. But normally I am a happy person so it doesn’t take much effort.
Where do t get a pair
If you mean the jeans, there was a link in the post to the website of the brand (HIGH). Here it is again:
https://www.high-everydaycouture.com/nl_en
Love the jeans. Very unique. I especially like the bright pink top with the oversized flower brooch.
Bravo to you for keeping to your program and slowing down the consumption.
Suzanne
The bright pink top is a copy of a green top I bought in Rome. I loved it so much I had it copied in bright pink and bright orange. Inexpensive.
I don’t know whether I will make it to the end of the year with the challenge. But I definitely slowed down my consumption. The way to it is rocky though.
Oh, those jeans are really good! They may have been a splurge but I think they’ll be a good investment over time. I do like the orange boots, shame about the heels.
Lovely scenery as always.
My cobbler can fix the heels, it is just annoying. And I agree, for a woman who wears jeans a lot, these are going to last a long time and will serve me well.
What a lovely place Abcoude is! Always such a pleasure to see more of the Netherlands. I like your practical sense regarding parking and the all important restaurant when choosing that location with Madelon. Isn’t it wonderful to have a relationship with a friend that can carry on so easily across the years? ,
I like those jeans on you, Greetje, and you wear the baggier style so well with your height. You won’t regret this purchase…but having 3 more months of your spending challenge will be interesting. See how well you are doing shopping your closet as well ! The necklace is fabulous.
I am presently living amongst many boxes in my wee new home. Sizing down by 1100 sq ft…just 902 sq ft is pretty “cosy”! Very typical though where you are I’m sure. North American homes have the larger lot sizes to expand when building on the outskirts of cities.
Solo life is suiting me so far after all the distress these past six months, but partly because I admit to feeling really quite exhausted and puttering on my own is all I can manage until my energy returns.
It was smart to have belongings packed up the first day, pay for the storage overnight in the truck, and go to a local hotel to unwind. Having a bed helped! The next day was unloading and it seemed to never end. Stop the madness! Back to hiding out at the hotel and my room with a fabulous view of the local bay. Sunrise was spectacular! I now have plans to walk and explore there since I will be living a short walk away. I actually felt I needed one more night …I know it sounds like I was putting off the inevitable, but I really needed more “ me time” to recuperate before launching into what I know will be endless unpacking. A swim outside in the pool was sheer bliss and really helped stretch out the very strained muscles I’d over worked packing for hours on end.
Another new dilemma is where on earth to store my clothing collection! Such dinky closets, especially after enjoying a walk – in closet for 8 years. Same challenge with the tiny kitchen…certainly efficient, but I had a large one with an island and loads of drawer storage for my dishes.
Hmmm… wonder if I can buy the unit next door and expand !?
Consigning even more clothes will definitely be on my agenda. Money from that helps obviously… for travel!
Several other neighbours came by and welcomed me, and being a sociable sort myself, it will likely be a very positive place to live.
Like so many other readers, Greetje, your blog is a Sunday treat!
Thank you!
Having 3 more months of my 10 items challenge isn’t interesting anymore. I didn’t make it, I am already on item 12 (agghh). But I do indeed shop my closet much better than I did before.
Our house is 1,300 sq ft over two floors. but yes, in the city 902 sq ft is quite common. I am afraid you will have to size down considerably. Start with the kitchen ware. How many plates, pots and pans do you really need? (I am no cook so I don’t bother with much.) As for the clothes, this is the perfect time to only keep those best items, the ones that make you feel so good. Doesn’t always have to be spectacular, but fit, comfort and looks are the thinks to take into consideration. And usually, if something is 7 years old, it can go (with exceptions of course). I hope consignment stores are better in the USA than they are here. Usually you get little for it when you sell, on the other hand you usually don’t pay much when you buy either.
And you were so right to take some me-time in the hotel. Build up your reserves for the unpacking period.
I love it that you seem to have landed in a social and positive environment. Good neighbours are sooo important.
Good afternoon…the two items I would covet that you are wearing are the orange boots and the hot pink shoes! Love them ! Every season I love to incorporate something bright and sassy into my otherwise very staid wardrobe! A few years ago on a tour to Ireland we did a day tour of Dublin and I wore a very bright orange Ralph Lauren pullover with a long denim skirt! Most of our tour mates were our friendly neighbours south of the border and my hubby and I the only Canadians so that in itself made us stand out somewhat!..and I guess we had dressed for style not comfort in their eyes !
Anyway they couldn’t get over my bright orange pullover( no polyester involved) and instead of the inevitable “umbrella “ guide they nominated me as the leader of the group….who would ever miss the orange lady! Anyway I am drooling over your feet today ..I want those pink shoes!
You are my kind of woman. And see…when you dress to be noticed, you become a leader LOL. I guess it wasn’t easy, leading the “troops” when you haven’t got a clue where you are yourself. Within short you will see my long denim skirt. Pictures are still to be taken.
Elizabeth, reminds me of when I turned up to a tour in a saffron yellow jacket once. I was nominated as mascot and guide in the end
Bright yellow does tend to draw attention haha. You prove my point, when people notice you, you could end up a leader.
I once had a bright (really bright) yellow dress, just above the knee. I got noticed all right. I always shouted out on arrival “Happy egg!!”
Just discovered your site…really like it !
You are very welcome. I always publish a new post on Saturday (or Sunday if I am late) and if you want to be notified of a new post, so you only have to click the link, you can subscribe to my email service on the home page.
How do I subscribe to your site?
If this it ?
Great outfits – especially love the jeans and the pink shoes!
Have a good week.
Thanks Anne. I am glad that the items I do buy are good ones.
Your new jeans look very comfortable and the location was lovely! I’ve also bought nine new items so far this year, but one was just a tiny pair of inexpensive knit gloves and one was a plain white tank top that I only wear to sleep in, so I’m not even sure that I should count those!
Nooo…those don’t count and neither do shoes. Well, not in my challenge and I didn’t make the rules. Coats do count.
I am afraid I might not make it this year. September is always such a difficult month for me when it comes to buying clothes. I just cannot stop.
If I don’t have to count shoes and slippers, I can take two more off my list! I think being conscious of our shopping habits and making wise choices instead of impulse buys is more important than the exact number though.
I’m not that interested in fashion, but it’s always interesting to see different styles. But I love to see photos of the Netherlands. I love the place so much. I really want to visit again.
Well Mandy, I don’t really do fashion as that is too tiring and expensive for me. I show outfits which suit me. Of course, when the clothes are purchased recently, they’ll probably be in fashion. I hope I can inspire you with the outfits, amuse you with my stories or just offer you a window on my country. Whatever is your reason to read a post, you are welcome.