Three The Row looks you already have in your closet
Some require that you keep your coat on. Like, everywhere.
Hello and welcome to a new week of what tf am I wearing!? Or in more gentle words: why oh why is fall fashion so beautiful and how many coats are too many? While holding tight onto my remaining and last purchase of the year (yes, possibly a coat, or some trousers, or a blazer???), navigating all the GOOD (looking at
) and INSPIRATIONAL (it’s ) mood boards these days is not for the weak ones. But you know me by now and we’ve come too far to just give in like that, while basically on the finishing stretch. That means time for another home runway edit, dear TIDBTW. I took a good look at the winning looks of the season – and of 2023, because that stuff is obviously still great. We are over seasonal mindsets. And then I went on another deep dive into my closet. To reframe its narrative. Today’s mix is featuring as a personal preference and an actual absence from my wardrobe: The Row. We still got this! Literally. Please enjoy x
1. A trench is a coat is a trench
To warm up, here’s a very elegant, possibly already too chilly look from fall 24. The star piece is obviously this gorgeous coat and watch out, this is not necessarily a trench. But a trench is probably the closest to it in our own wardrobe. I love: technically nobody has an idea what you’re wearing under this. For all we know it could be only the red tights, which have been the hot item for a while – are they still trending or what’s happening now?
The model is wearing red heels (not pictured) with it and that is a genius move, a dark however delicate shoe would be way too harsh. I adore the white turtleneck and shirt underneath, neatly tucked away. See how the collar is laid flat inwards? I only just noticed this, the execution of this outfit requires a moment of still contemplation. Same for the total lack of jewelry. Which is hard to exercise in our world of constant distraction and attempts to not seem too vunerable. This look however continues and does well with the hair being glued back. You could go in the other direction completely, and basically out-of-bed. Things need to be immaculately ironed then, though.
Here’s my take (no iron at hand)
I just can’t help but feel like a trench ages me by around 20 years. Especially if the rest of the outfit is this classic. I love the idea of beige and red together, but I think it’s that egg shell color of the The Row coat that brings it to a new level of timeless amazing. I’m wearing HUND HUND trench (from 2021, love it with hoodie and jeans), very old HUND HUND short sleeve turtleneck under vintage Armani shirt, some red knee socks and the wrong shoes.
Recommending instead: VIU sunnies at vinted, the exact same ones, model is POSH
Vintage BURBERRY trench via vinted. If any trench, you might as well go for the OG
UNIQLO turtleneck via vinted. Presentation is a disaster on there, this one was at least hung up and also I love me some Uniqlo HEATTECH layers (even if their effect might be placebo)
JOHANNA GAUDER small hoops No 28, I do wear them every single day
Red tights if you will, via FALKE - I did look briefly for some secondhand, but then sometimes I do draw a line at underwear
RATING: 1/10 It’s just not for me. But!!! Learning from my own lessons – if I test this with a different coat it could totally work. It definitely needs more structure, so I would recommend a wool coat with a slim shape (CELINE would definitely do, but then, well, we can also go for the Row). Might try again and get back to you.
2. Must-have hat unlocked
Ok friends, you may laugh, but maybe you can partly relate. Not sure what happened here, but yes, I went into this feeling confident and then I found out that this adorable smurfy The Row hat is the real deal. You just can’t fuzz around with that stuff.
However, on a good day you might want to walk out with a Helmut Lang shirt tied around your head instead, as much as I did here (it did look better on rehearsal).
So let me explain: The base is a gorgeous floor long BOBKOVA dress that doesn’t deserve to be in that place. Because it’s very see-through I tried to be smart and slipped into an old H&M silk blouse (from 2016). Now that’s a skirt layer, yay! On top you find this very softly knitted sweater that I got at the fleamarket two years ago, for around 3 euros. Clinging onto my Byredo clutch and Old Céline sunnies (my proud purchase from the first ever big client deal for my PR agency in 2014 ) and finally yes, that’s a Helmut Lang shirt on my head. The nice brand doesn’t help much. Like, what? The Row, I give up, I give in.
While on my vintage hunt for you, I still went completely off-road again, but I kinda like that. Because the idea is to conquer boredom in your wardrobe and find new combinations that are surprisingly fun and work on rotation. Although none of this is de facto in my closet, let’s roll with this thought for a moment. What if The Row was more of a cool kid (see collage above):
Céline sunnies via Vestiaire, which don’t actually fit the vibe, but I do wear them here.
Helmut Lang shirt via Vinted, I do like this
Max Mara clutch via Vestiaire
Cute knitted hoodie via Vinted, which simultanesly solves the hat problem
Winter (!) skirt via Vinted, this is verrrry Gen Z, but also Prada enough for my eye
MARIE LUEDER genius Elf cap, which is actually really really cool, and I would love to meet someone wearing it IRL so I can be jealous all day (sold out)
Am I leaving you confused? My apologies.
RATING: 0/10 I honestly think you have to take it down a notch or two. Take a long slip dress (any colour), pair a loose knit sweater (same colour) and pair with a cute, cool or simple hat (again, same colour). The trick is the mono-chromatic theme, the different fabrics, the elegance meeting the playfulness. I could have done better. And I will!
3. The sweater wrap
Now this seems to be something both practical and approachable; I love love love what they have done here: whereas a sweater around the neck usually belongs to (grand)pas for me (no offense!), I can totally identify with this casual wrap situation.
While you think of laissez-faire, this is obviously laid out with high precision. I do think it is somewhat important that the trousers are this wide, the coat has a certain length and that sweater and pants share a colour – I still ignored some of this in my own compilation. The key effortless trick however, is the luxury bag under the arm. Do not wear over shoulder! The bag, no matter how big, must be hugged loosely. You’re welcome.
I on the other hand am wearing CAES Alpaka sweater, Jérome Studio weekender bag (purchase #2!), grey vintage coat via Loppis (in Berlin), again the Armani shirt and Mango trousers from 2020. Between you and I, they are pretty much hanging on my hips unbuttoned, otherwise no way they fit as loosely as they did pre bb. Shoes are Filippa K, got them in 2022, they have a fake fur lining for cold days and a sturdy sole and they are growing on me each season.
While I might feel significantly more raggedy than the model looks, I am pretty happy with this result. Because I truly believe you can throw in any wide woolen trouser you have, find or borrow that white shirt and lean in on the wrap. I will repeat this with other trousers for sure!
Here’s a similar idea for you:
Simple white shirt which is from C&A, but seriously, people do not photograph their sales well. This one looked nice-ish. Via Vinted.
This Bugatti coat is a men’s XL, via Vinted
I loved these AVENIR trousers on the runway back in February, love the pleat and love the length and pattern. All love! Available via AVENIR website.
Shoes here are Filippa K and I like them a lot. Via Vestiaire
Isabel Marant can be easily too flirty for me, but this knitted sweater has the right kind of power sleeves. Via Vestiaire
Apropos suede leather, I feel like we had a whole conversation about this already, but I guess it was only in my head. The craving is very real! This Prada suede hobo bag can be found on Vinted.
RATING: 9/10 Yes, this actually feels really nice. Comfy, warm, big, fall. The thing with The Row is, it looks easily copyable because it seems simple. But the items are so well thought through, the way they fall, the intensity of the colors, the fabrics. However, we can achieve looks as good as this one, if we wear what we CHOOSE to own, because it makes us FEEL good. This one also brought me closer again to the idea of a simple white business shirt. I used to wear those all the time, in fall / winter preferably with a turtleneck underneath. Time to bring that back! So much for what to wear this week.
I think the way to go about is to not try to copy the whole look piece by piece, which will always feel somewhat unoriginally and unsatisfying (because you’d still be fighting a giant). But rather to take the good parts or whatever works in your opinion and play around with it.
What I find fascinating about The Row is that it unites more people than it divides: however fashion bubble we are, to spend around 3500 dollars on a sweater is just another game. Like I said in a previous article, to me the most inspiring about The Row at the moment is not per se each item, but their styling, the type of layering. And that inspiration doesn’t cost a thing. Until the next one! Xoxo
sweetest!!🤍