5 Recent Purchases + Last-minute Gift Ideas
Other than in dedicated outfit posts, I don’t usually share my new purchases until my end-of-season budget posts. Many of the items I order sell out, especially at this time of year with all of the holiday sales, and it feels a little silly to rave about items that aren’t even available to purchase anymore once the budget post rolls around! Here are a few recent purchases in the hopes that you can catch them before they sell out.
I recently placed orders from four different brands—Naadam, Outerknown, Elizabeth & Clarke, and Grana—in the many sales at the end of November/beginning of December. Two of the brands, Naadam and Outerknown, are both new-to-me that I’m excited to wear and share with you all.
At the end of the post, I rounded up a few last-minute gift ideas in case you’re still scrambling like I am. Ha! How is Christmas THIS week?!
5 Recent Purchases | December 2020
Naadam Cropped Fleece Sweatshirt (heather burgundy, size S)
Naadam Fleece Sweatpant (heather burgundy, size S)
I first learned about Naadam from Grace. I had written it off as a brand I would never be able to afford to wear…until I actually visited their site and discovered that they offer a $75 cashmere sweater comparable to the $100 cashmere sweater offered by Everlane! The majority of their products are cashmere, as they have branded themselves the world’s fairest cashmere, but for my first order I opted for a couple of their fleece offerings (though, I did also order the ribbed cashmere beanie and two cashmere dog sweaters for my cats, which will have to be altered to fit their cat bodies better!).
I’m ALL about the matching sets right now, so I ordered the cropped fleece sweatshirt and fleece sweatpant in the same color, heather burgundy. I agonized over the size chart (per usual when I’m not familiar with sizing and especially when the items are final sale which was the case here). I ended up going with size small; my measurements are a mix of an XS and small, but I wanted the longer sleeve length in the sweatshirt, and I’d rather the pieces fit too large than two small!
Their fleece products are 90% cotton and 10% cashmere and very soft on the inside! The cropped sweatshirt is much more cropped than I was expecting; I’m short and it’s borderline too short for me! It barely grazes the top of the sweatpant when I hike it up past my bellybutton. The sweatshirt also feels smaller than I was anticipating, and the sleeves are slightly short for my long arms. I’m not a big dropped shoulder fan but I was expecting them. The sweatpants are definitely long, but I was also expecting that since they’re long on their models. I have them rolled under once in these photos. The sweatpant fits much larger than I was expecting. I could have easily done an XS because there is so much room in the hips and waist and I have to tie the waistband tight. But, they’re super comfy!
I’m looking forward to wearing these for WFH! One thing to note is that they wrinkle pretty easily—these photos were taken after only wearing them for an hour or so.
Also wearing: Everlane ReNew slippers
Elizabeth & Clarke The Kimber Tee (size 0)
When I saw this tee pop up in my inbox at 50% off, I knew it had to be mine! Isn’t it adorable?! There’s a cat peeking out of the pocket… I mean, I had to get it, haha! The tee has a very relaxed fit per the website, so I purchased a size 0 (size 00 and 2 were sold out at the time; I have a size 2 in one of their other shirts). It’s…pretty big on me still (it’s wide/boxy), and the sleeves are longer than I would prefer for short sleeves, but it has a cat on it and that’s all that really matters! (The fabric is also soft!)
Also wearing: Zella high rise studio lite pocket 7/8 leggings, Marc Fisher Yommi chelsea boot (old)
Outerknown Sierra Flannel Shirt (marine edie plaid, size S)
I was introduced to Outerknown by Jess! Their flannel shirts looked absolutely thick and lovely, so I put them on my to-try list. Their products are definitely on the spendier side, so when Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales came around I snagged a flannel shirt to try. I picked the Sierra flannel shirt but I’ve also heard excellent things about the blanket shirt, which is listed as a men’s product but anyone could wear it! I almost bought a shirt for Korri for Christmas but couldn’t decide on a color before the sale ended. I was impressed by their selection of colors!
As I expected, the flannel feels thick and hardy. The marine edie plaid includes navy, red, ivory, and a hint of yellow. One thing I was not expecting was the dropped shoulders—as mentioned above, those are not my favorite on my broad shoulders. It doesn’t really bother me too much since the plaid is pretty busy and it doesn’t really “poof out” at the seam. I purchased a size small and it’s a great, comfy size albeit boxy in the body. The sleeve length is perfect, so I hope it doesn’t shrink in the wash.
Also wearing: Zella high rise studio lite pocket 7/8 leggings, L.L.Bean original duck boots
Grana Moving Rib V-Neck Sweater (pine green, size S)
It’s been a while since I added anything new to my wardrobe from Grana! I ordered some things last year that didn’t quite fit like I was hoping. I used my remaining credit to purchase this cashmere sweater along with a few tees for me and for Korri.
I’m a sucker for a good cashmere sweater, and I’ve had good luck with Grana’s cashmere offerings in the past, so I was thrilled to get this! It’s a gorgeous dark green color, and the cashmere is thick and soft. I’m not a huge fan of the length on me; it hits at the widest point on my hips so it’s an awkward length that isn’t quite tunic length. It does have a high-low hem so the back is slightly longer and mostly covers my butt. I ordered a size small because I read on their site that they recently adjusted their sizes. I was usually an XS in the past. This fits exactly as I was hoping: not too snug, not too loose.
Side note: I placed my order late on a Wednesday/very early Thursday (late afternoon on Thursday in Hong Kong), it shipped the next day, and it was at my doorstep on Monday. It was my last order placed from that week of sales and the first one to arrive; it shipped before all of my orders above. I did select express shipping since it was free, and I was extremely impressed with just how fast it was!
If you’re new to Grana, use my referral link for 10% off your first purchase! Read my past Grana reviews.
Also wearing: Zella high rise studio lite pocket 7/8 leggings, Marc Fisher Izzie Sherpa Lace-Up Boot
Last-Minute Gift Ideas
If you’re like me and also have people on your list that are difficult to shop for and that you still don’t have gifts for, here are a few ideas! Please share any of your go-to last minute gifts with me in the comments as I could definitely use more ideas, haha!
MightyNest gift subscription — Choose between 3, 6, or 12 months! At $99, 12 months is the best deal. An email can be sent to the recipient whenever you choose. Check out some of my favorite past Fixes!
Blue Bottle coffee gift subscription — Korri loves their coffee! It's roasted fresh on the same day it's shipped. Regular coffee, decaf coffee, and espresso is available, and you can select the length of the subscription.
Calm or Headspace subscription — because we could all use apps for meditation and to help us sleep better after the year we’ve endured! This is probably not something your recipient would think to get for themselves.
Subscription to a music streaming service (i.e. Spotify) and/or TV/movie streaming service (i.e. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, etc.) — it’s hard to keep up with which shows are on which streaming platforms with so many shows being moved to them! Plus, the cost of each service adds up quickly. This is a great gift for the college or graduate student in your life.
Gift cards to local restaurants — they would very much appreciate the business, even if the receiver only does take out! Here in Boise, one of my favorite gifts to give is a Downtown Boise gift card, which can be used at a number of different restaurants and retailers.
Donate to the recipient’s favorite charity in their name — such a meaningful gift!