misosouper, a shopping blog

It came in like a lion; now shoo winter out with an elegantly holey tunic,  hand-spun, hand-dyed, and hand-knit from locally harvested sheep’s wool.

Le Train Bleu is the closet of the girl I want to be when I grow up:  louche, decadent, unafraid of color, careless in the best sense of the word.  Their pieces all feel showstopping, and not in the so-showstopping-they-have-eyepopping-price-tags way.  And in celebration of their 5th birthday, Le Train Bleu is offering 30% off all orders through February 18 with the code “birthday.”  Here’s what I’d buy:

1.  Babysitter Blouse (please don’t wear this over to babysitter my child, because I’d probably steal it); 2.  A Weekend In The Country Cards (did I mention Le Train Bleu also sells small tokens of affection, like this Jane-Austen-goes-Old-Maid game?);  3.  Aztec Shorts, complete with amazing detachable leather ornamentation; 4.  Die Brucke Painted Scarf Dress (how is this only $66?); 5.  Delaunay Scarf;  6.  Acid Floral Dress, which I plan on wearing at least three days a week this summer; 7.  Leigh Ring; 8.  Moravian Love Story Sweater; 9.  Ringmaster Jacket, a topper that would be elegant over both slouchy t-shirts and a billowy dresses; 10.  Shiny Skirt, whose elastic waistband makes it the comfiest summer going-out piece ever; 11.  Gal Collection Strawberry Lip Balm; 12.  Thousand Flowers Votive Holder, which would lovely in groups filled with both candles and flowers (but not at the same time, of course).

Here’s the thing about J. Crew’s sales:  they’re pretty much always happening, so you never have to worry about missing one, a la Nordstrom’s semi-annual sell-offs; they’re usually accompanied by some sort of coupon, either for free shipping or an additional percentage off, which can be be tracked down at  J.Crew Aficionada; and the sale section of their website is guaranteed to behave badly, which means non-sale/kids/men’s items will be filtered in with the women’s sale stuff, and half of the sale stock will be, well, out of stock.

I shopped the sale for us today, and because of the overwhelming amount of merchandise, I limited my price range to under $100, which led me to my beloved Quinn Cami, Matchstick Cords, and even some stuff for the guys.  And although I made a big effort to select items that had at least two sizes in stock, things can change quickly (see above), so make your purchase fast.

Long story short:  it’s an ongoing, deeply discounted treasure hunt.  To the patient, nimble-fingered, and eagle-eyed go the spoils.

1.  Wool Jersey Rosette Tank; 2.  Beachcomber Tunic; 3.  Cashmere Tunic; 4.  Men’s Cashmere V-Neck Sweater; 5.  Claudia Crackle-Metallic Pumps (the only item over $100, though not by much…can you blame me?); 6.  Men’s Fleece Deck Jacket; 7.  Herringbone Fiona Jacket; 8.  Merino Lea Cardigan; 9.  Poplin Kasia Blouse; 10.  Men’s Secret Wash Point Collar Shirt; 11.  Silk Chiffon Abigail Dress; 12.  Solid Crawford Blouse; 13.  Stretch Vintage Matchstick Cord; 14.  Mod Herringbone Mini; 15.  Quinn Cami; 16.  Men’s Shearling Scuffs.

In addition to being comfy, cozy, and very effective at softening a work uniform, this hand-knit cardigan is made of organic cotton from an artisan network engaging in fair trade practices (see the Fair Trade Federation for more info).

Supporting fair trade is a good start; for more ways to do something about poverty right now, check out the resources at Blog Action Day.