Effortless Linen

casual chic

This is another one of those going-for-a-walk-after-work outfits: loose-cut linen. It’s cool and comfortable, even when the temperature is still around +25 °C at 9 pm, and you simply can’t be bothered to make an effort. Or if it’s raining and getting a bit cooler (finally!) but not really cold enough for a cardigan.

And this is one of my latest purchases: the backpack I got at the Marimekko outlet sale (which was online only this year). I bought the shoes in the same print (but with smaller flowers) two years ago, as well as a much bigger bag that I hardly ever use (because it’s too big). And I’ve been kicking myself since then for not getting the cute little backpack.

So, when I saw the backpack in the outlet sale, I decided to get it then and there. It’s just what I need for these evening walks: something to hold the camera and/or a bottle of water, and not much more.

linen 1300 x 800

wild flowers 1300 x 800

By the way, aren’t these wild flowers beautiful? I know: they’re weeds, and they’re everywhere (here in suburbia, at least), and you probably wouldn’t want them in your own garden. Still, I find them impressive, and the colours are inspiring.

casual chic linen

wild flowers 1300 x 800

Outfit details (all old):
linen shirt: Marks and Spencer / linen trousers: Oska /
bag and shoes: Marimekko / sunglasses: Prada

Tiina

What do you wear when you don’t want to make an effort?

Linking up with:

Elegantly Dressed and StylishHigh Latitude StyleA Labour of LifeCurly Crafty Mom, Doused in Pink,  Not Dressed As LambLiving on Cloud NineElegance and Mommyhood, Nancy’s Fashion StyleShelbee on the EdgeA Pocketful of Polka Dots Style SplashAway from the BlueMummabstylish Mutton Years Style and I, Confessions of a Montreal Styling DivaIndependent Fashion Bloggers

12 Comments

  1. 2 July 2020 / 2:55 pm

    lovely that you got the backpack in this same delightful print!, I’m loving your shoes every time I see them!
    And I like the texture of linen and its freshness, even if it’s a high maintenance fabric (ironing!). Love your shirt and the comfy&cool style!
    besos

    • Tiina
      Author
      3 July 2020 / 12:28 pm

      Thanks! I bought the shoes two years ago, and almost bought the bag then, too. Instead, I bought a much bigger bag that I seldom use. So, now I saw this bag in the outlet sale, and I just had to get it. It’s just the right size to hold everything I need for a walk. And of course it looks good with anything with stripes, which means it will look good with about 90% of my wardrobe…

    • Tiina
      Author
      3 July 2020 / 12:30 pm

      Thanks, Mireille! Yes, weeds can look pretty, too.
      This print is older than I am, and there is a new version of it very year, in every Marimekko collection. I have two dresses with this print, in different colour combinations.

  2. q
    2 July 2020 / 5:36 pm

    If I don’t want make an effort, I’ll opt for the most comfortable clothes and bland colours. So your outfit would be an effort in my scale. 😉 Also seeing your nice outfit, I begun to wonder, why I’ve so few linen clothes these days. I don’t mind about creasing as long as creases are soft. I like the feel of linen. But then I realised I’ve been picky about the quality, feeling most of the available linen clothes are see-through thin, which I don’t like. Have you find it easier to find good quality linen? -q

    • Tiina
      Author
      3 July 2020 / 12:40 pm

      For me, ‘no effort ‘means reaching for something that’s more or less clean and requires zero styling…
      Yes, finding good quality linen is very challenging. There’s a lot of that thin, see-through linen around, but I see no point in getting it. Good quality linen is so difficult to find, and quite expensive, too. But then again, most women’s clothes in shops are poor quality, cheap tat. Or polyester. I spend a lot of time browsing in shops but seldom find anything I would actually want to buy. However, I refuse to compromise: I’m willing to spend more on clothes that I know I can wear for years. ‘Buy less but buy better, and wear it forever’, that’s my motto.

  3. 2 July 2020 / 6:36 pm

    Thanks for the fashion inspiration —- I have found myself floundering for YEARS about how to dress for any occasion, even one where I am not making an effort. I have purged so much of my wardrobe that my choices are very limited. I need to re-build and I follow blogs like yours looking for direction and inspiration, so, thanks so much for providing that service to people like myself!

    • Tiina
      Author
      3 July 2020 / 12:44 pm

      Ah, thank you for your kind words!
      Having less choice is actually better, I think. If your closets are stuffed full, you can’t see what you have anymore, and it’s just a mess and nothing matches. With a more limited wardrobe, you automatically start mixing and matching, and adding pieces that go with what you already have.
      That’s actually what I did: I purged my wardrobe of everything I didn’t like Then I took the pieces (and styles) I tend to wear the most, and started building a functional wardrobe around them.

  4. Arlene Gomes
    4 July 2020 / 8:55 pm

    Your linen shirt is very nice. I never find any linen clothing lately. I don’t know where to even look for it! I used to have a couple of linen shirts and a pair of pants but they were very thin linen (like you mentioned) and I didn’t care for the look. When I don’t want to make an effort, I have this pair of beige cotton pants that are the most comfy pants I own. I will put those on with a casual top and that’s it. I tend to wear them quite often. Today is a holiday here in the US – Independence Day. It’s dead quiet outside. Very hot and humid. I have my beige cotton pants on! Hope you have a great day! Arlene from NJ

    • Tiina
      Author
      6 July 2020 / 5:33 pm

      Thanks, Arlene.
      I know what you mean: you can find the cheap, thin linen but it’s so difficult to find the quality stuff! Very frustrating.
      Oh, comfy pants! That’s something that’s been on my shopping list for ever. It’s incredibly difficult to find trousers that fit well, isn’t it?
      I hope you had a nice (quiet) Independence Day!

  5. shelbeeontheedge1
    7 July 2020 / 5:30 pm

    What an adorable backpack! It is perfect for walks to carry the essentials. And I love your linen outfit. Super cute and casual and comfortable. The field of weeds is so pretty! By the way, who gets to decide which plants are weeds and which are pretty flowers?! Haha Thanks for linking up.

    Shelbee
    http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com

    • Tiina
      Author
      8 July 2020 / 2:11 pm

      Thanks! I regretted not getting the backpack two years ago when I got the shoes in the same print, so I was happy to find it in the outlet sale now. And yes, it is very practical for our walks in the neighbourhood: just the right size, not too big (or bulky) but with enough room for essentials.
      That’s an interesting question, who gets to decide, indeed. Or perhaps it’s just a case of ‘one person’s weeds are another person’s wild flowers’?

Leave a Reply