What do you wear on a 4 day yoga retreat?
A careful observation in downward facing dog
Hello again, dear TIDBTW readers, how have you been? For me, the main question when it comes to style in the past week is probably where have you been. As I expressed in one of my questions to an upcoming (and very exciting) TIDBTW Guest, I fundamentally believe that most of us are different style characters in different places. Still, when I committed to a 7 hour journey for a 4 day course, you can take the girl out of the city, but the city left its heavy branding: I went to a yoga retreat in deep remote Odenwald and brought my Rimowa suitcase.
Me, a fashion vampire
So far so normal! When other participants jokingly asked if I was on a business trip, they weren’t wrong. If you have a long weekend to achieve profound relaxation in the first year of being a mom, you better get to work. My first task was to take pleasure in my immediate surroundings, naturally inhabited by my co-yogis. I derive insane energy from seeing a good look, I feed off a good aesthetics, so half my weekend’s goal was already completed when one of them sported a particularly good ensemble.
Imagine someone with nonchalant curiosity, just being themselves wherever they go, someone young, not caring too much about fitting in, maybe wandering off from time to time to do their own thing. Soft voice, gentle nature, wrapped in some well collected vintage finds:
Here’s how to dip into style Nirvana, secondhand:
Spice Girls Vogue T-Shirt currently standing at £2,00 but surely carrying a whole lot of history via ebay
Short Nike biker shorts, 15,00 € via ebay
Cute workout pants, starting at 5,00 €
Glaspearl necklace, 16,45 € at Vinted
Yves Blue Yoga mat comes in an 8 pack, very practical incase you wanna open your own retreat, 59,00 € via ebay
NIKE workout shirt in XL 9,99 € via ebay
Shearling jacket that gets you through Odenwald forest and most likely all of winter, starting at £149,99, ebay
I actually really LOVE these grass green corderoy trousers, 25,00 € on ebay, darlings
So the socks are not used yet, and the seller calls them “funny” socks, I say they are just really fun: polkadot socks via ebay, keep an eye on the women sizes coming back, 21,59 €
You need Teva sandals with those socks, that’s the rule: starting at 14,00 € and comes in a size 39 here on ebayrino
Really really great GUCCI glasses in an aviator shape, which is, I found out, the shape to bring to yoga glass, 159,90 € ebay
And you are all set. We might call them the 70s adventurer yogi, as they seem ready to fly to Guatemala in this outfit too, or to dance the night away. Ever since I saw a guy traveling through Patagonia, Argentina, with nothing but a duffle bag and dressed in Levis jeans and a leather jacket, nothing says independent explorer louder to me than pleasingly non-functional travel gear.
Yoga business casual
My friend used to tell me that I’m always throwing in one ugly item, to basically throw the whole look off. Which, in this case might be the green-yellow socks that I stubbornly carry with me, a Christmas present (I do ask for those)
But then again, it’s a cozy yoga weekend, that’s the whole vibe:
I realized most things I wore and packed live in my closet already 6 + years, not too bad after all:
Uniqlo turtleneck, found mine at Boxi fleamarket, 8,00 € via ebay
I had my Jade Yoga mat since 2012 I believe and you can definitely tell, but it’s still sturdy and non-slippery. Here’s a blue one for you, from 40,00 €, ebay
Naturally the best thing to bring to a wet forest hike is a Jil Sander Tangle bag. This one in Banana Cream is very cute and a good deal, 378,00 € on ebay
Next best thing is to wear a blazer. Mine is usually grey and I like this one by Jil Sander, 103,90 €, ebayyy
So this person is offering their Rimowa classic silver cabin suitcase and I think I just learned I also own this very special (pre LMVH!!) edition. 1.400,00 € good lord, ebay
A very cool version of my you-know-which-ones Vagabond slippers, US $136,85 ebay
Love my XOUXOU bag, if it doesn’t hold diapers it literally carries the rest of your life: via XOUXOU.com, 159,00 €
These cute hair clips came with a wonderful goodie bag ones and I really use them all the time (not while doing yoga, for various private reasons): By Lyko, 4,50 €
These are the actual MONKI sunglasses I’m wearing, 12,90 €, ebay
I wear my yoga tights on the train because you don’t want to miss a chance to stretch - mine are from Oysho and 2015 and they are still great, these ones go in a similar grey-ish direction, 5,00 € ebay
I’m obsessed with drinking enough water and while my uberBottle broke twice already (ok, it also fell.. by my mistake), I love the 1,5 liters here. 23,97 €
Jewels: I always wear my R-necklace by JOHANNA GAUDER, also love the long pendant one from HUMAN APJ: 90,00 €
Hat: As I always burn my hair line, a hat is must. Mine is from Etsy, but Lolliqueen is making such cute ones too, have a look. We met a while ago, to work on their flip flops and the team is the sweetest. 69,00 €
Living in a pretty single room for the next three days, I quickly nested and rested in the above. I arrived fully and complete:
Things I forgot
An umbrella or rain coat or anything waterproofed. My actual workout longsleeve. A proper toothbrush (I took my son’s). A hair band - it’s literally the first time in my life that I’ve done yoga with my hair “down”. Given the chin length this technically doesn’t do any damage, but it felt freaky!!? Who works out with their hair flying around? Me on this weekend, after a while feeling surprisingly free.
Things I’m glad I packed
A hottie - hot water bottle, eheheh - also helps with homesickness or baby missing momentum. A head torch, which I absolutely did not need, but the feeling that I could be that person to walk out alone in the dark and in theory save everyone around is priceless. And yes, also glad about those god damn Vagabond mules, I just love slopping around in them in every absurd outfit combination I can think of. I felt good. Homey. Didn’t need a swimming suit, who needs one anyway, but nice to pack it, because it’s pretty. Brought DIE ZEIT, I managed to read the whole lot. A good book, the weight of it alone makes you feel like you are near great wisdom. The thought of reading uninterrupted seemed so delightful to me that I spent more time talking and thinking about it, than with my nose in this book. Yet from what I’ve seen, I can recommend Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, an author whose trendy name gives me writer’s anxiety nonetheless, as they are probably just in their mid / late twenties and already a multiple bestseller. Anyway, Namaste and here are more recos for those in the mood. These titles popped up the most:
And with that said, I leave you to local bookstore and the crisp autumn air. This is a short one, everybody. I’m working on more interviews, more fashion moms, more TIDBTW love. Very grateful for your support and that you’re along for the ride. Keep your eyes open around you, otherwise you might miss a good look. Talk very very soon xx
PS - if you’re in Berlin or near Hessen, treat yourself to a weekend, a class, a chat with Yellow Yoga. They are the best <3
Things I didn’t buy this week: 0oooooohmmmm
yoga business casual is how i'm calling my new aesthetic