There’s a nasty habit that I’ve included in my morning routine. It occurs directly after I wake up but prior to my mid-morning lull around 10:30 am. It proceeds as follows: My alarm goes off at 8 am, I take my 5mg escitalopram oxidate and pull my weighted blanket back over my jolted, often still tired body. I lay down, but I can’t always get back to sleep. That’s when I pull out my phone, and I proceed to scroll and click until I end up perusing through a sale, buying things I don’t need. I snap to around 9 am when it’s time to take my bupropion extended-release. I realize an hour has passed since my alarm went off, and I journey the 16 steps to my kitchen to make breakfast and, in short, start my day.
I desperately want to end this habit, to start my day unplugged, and avoid being another ADHD statistic, a casualty of time blindness. However, it’s not all bad. I’ve acquired some valuable wares during my morning scroll, and I feel inclined to tell you about my half-conscious haul from the Gap (mainly because the sale is still happening).
People say they’re rooting for the Gap, but they aren’t rooting for them how I’m rooting for the iconic brand. An old friend (loose term) once said he was driving home, passed by a Gap, and thought to text me. He remembered/mocked how much I love their t-shirts, and how I stock up whenever a sale reminds me. At that moment, reading that text, I was a proud Californian. As a San Francisco/Bay Area native whose mother can recall how the original Ocean Avenue storefront sold Levi’s, I’m connected to the brand through a hometown pride and, more intimately, a hometown uniform of good quality jeans and a first-rate t-shirt. (Denim is the official fabric of California, after all.) That is why when I found myself shoving goods into my digital cart at 8:17 am without abandon, I figured I oughtn’t shop in vain. I had the novel idea that I’d document what I bought and why. I think that makes this post a tax write-off.
Cotton Barrel Sleeve Cropped Shirt: I love a shirt with shape! I also love a shirt that considers the shorter and bustier people. I have a complicated relationship with button-downs. They look so fantastic, effortless, and chic on some. However, I am a 36E, sometimes F, cup, and, on me, button-downs tend to make me look like Suge Knight (or Cece’s character from Being Mary Jane). I also deal with gaping and pulling from shirts because they aren’t appropriately cut in the bust for larger breasts. Sure, I still own and wear a few, but not without a generous helping of double-stick tape or safety pins to make the shirt feel more femme. The Gap’s barrel sleeve shirt offered an instant remedy. It’s cropped just above the hip and has darting throughout the bodice to provide some shape. The hem and contour are perfect for someone like me who is *checks note*...short and busty. Last week, I wore the top to a MAC Cosmetics product launch and immediately after to a late lunch/early bird dinner. I paired the shirt with a pair of gray chinos and sandals. I got several compliments from the makeup artists at the event, who were in disbelief that I’d gotten the shirt from the Gap. They thought it was from a more expensive brand! Even if a more expensive designer had a comparable shirt in stock, I’d never pass up a good deal for an even better shirt. I want to see how this top will look in a more casual outfit, but so far, she’s a keeper.
Cords: I know autumn is around the corner when corduroys begin popping up. As a New England incomer for nine years, I look forward to the fall, and the ribbed fabric is an element of that anticipation. When I initially saw the 365 High Rise Cords, I held off on purchasing them because I bought a pair of beautiful pastel sage green cords from Levi’s a year or two ago that haven’t gotten their just wear. I’m doing better about wearing what I have on hand; however, I couldn’t resist these pants. My brain wouldn’t let me bypass them. A high-rise, wide-legged, slightly tapered cord?! The colors, the silhouette, and the price were all calling my name! I had to have them. Luckily, they were on sale for $35, which registered in my brain as a steal. I purchased black and dark brown cords, and I know both will get tremendous wear. It’s currently too warm to wear the cords, but I can’t wait until the temps drop around October so I can don those buttery trews with my Wandler mary janes and a leather trenchcoat.
Crop Rib T-Shirts: I’m very particular about T-shirts; it’s a bit annoying. I need my shirts to be capable of being tucked in, yet not too long, in case I want to leave my shirt untucked. I like my t-shirts to be 100% cotton or a cotton-modal blend, and I prefer a bateau or v-neckline; crewnecks are a sporadic purchase (there are too many interpretations of how high a crewneck can go, and I can’t be bothered). Nevertheless, T-shirts at the Gap cover those requisites essentials. Most basic t-shirts you see me in are courtesy of the Gap. The material is so cozy, and the shirts feel like they mold to your body. With all those prerequisites out of the way, it was a no-brainer to snag a few more while they were $6 apiece.
Cable Knit Sweater: There’s no such thing as too many sweaters for a locale with four seasons. Sweaters can function as a layer over a basic tee or an accessory thrown over a trench coat. I initially purchased the sweater because the apple green cable knit was tantalizing. (I’m coming to terms with the fact that green may just be my favorite color.) I’m increasingly captivated by the sophisticated use of color. I also like that it’s cropped, an unmistakable theme I’ve noticed throughout this roundup. My sweaters do this thing where they roll under, and I appreciate that this cable knit not only lays flat but is thin enough to be tucked into jeans, trousers, or skirts. Thin should not be confused with flimsy, though. It’s a perfect fall layering piece, which is necessary as the Weather app begins to, once again, confuse/lie to us all.