An excellent trip to the Rack!

One day recently I took a break from working nonstop and, er, shopped nonstop. I had amazing luck at Nordstrom Rack in particular. I haven't posted many WIWs in a long time because I've been frustrated with taking photos in a badly-lit mirror, but my boyfriend was lovely and took all these for me today.

1. Alexander Wang silk dress. Black silk sleeveless shirtdresses and blouses are definitely my thing. But I already have one from Equipment (also Rack!) that is a FFBO. I wasn't going to buy this (at $120 it's expensive for me) but my boyfriend loves it and looking at the photos, I see what he means. It has this super-cool cape thing that's actually a tube coming off a hole in the back. Keep?

2. Theory cotton shirt dress. I had a shirt dress on my list (though I was also considering white, not black) and this one fits so well. It's the same cotton/nylon as the Theory dress shirts that hold their shape and don't wrinkle. Could be a go-to piece, and it also looks good over slim black jeans. But, do I really need two new dresses? (Also expensive-ish, at $100).

3. This is a definite keep. Helmut Lang wool smoking tux jacket with cut-off sleeves (raw edges). I would wear a top under it in real life but I wore it on its own to show the cool cropped back. This was a super-duper bargain and I cut the tags off as soon as I got home. Styled with my new (long! blue!) Gap jeans.

4. This was thrifted, not Rack: a Reed Krakoff shirt at Crossroads for ridiculously cheap. Ideas on what to wear it with? It's gray wool suiting fabric.

I am so excited to see the photos because each item looks a bit different than I'd thought from the mirror. It's especially useful for thinking about skirt lengths, which I'm bad at. Are these shirt dresses ok lengths to wear with bare legs?

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31 Comments

  • Astrid replied 10 years ago

    Great new pieces! Shopping nonstop seems to be the way to go for you... ;)

    Love the first dress, it looks very cool. The length seems fine to me, you have great legs. The second dress is great too, although my first reaction was not with bare legs. Not sure why because the length seems pretty similar to the first dress, maybe it's because it's a shirt dress. So ignore me if you want. The tuxedo jacket is super, and wow you look amazing - look at that back. Love the jeans too. And the grey shirt is a great fit on you. How stiff is the fabric? It looks too stiff to semi tuck, am I right? How about with some cool leather leggings or something similar?

  • Karie replied 10 years ago

    Wow did you have a fantastic shopping trip! I LOVE that smoking tux jacket. And I think the length on the dresses is fine to wear with bare legs. I think I'd wear the shirt with skinny jeans, or perhaps white, gray, or colored jeans. I also like Astrid's suggestion to wear it with leather leggings.

  • Jjsloane replied 10 years ago

    Great finds! Don't you just LOVE the Rack? I think the black dresses are great because you can casualize or dress them up. Fab on their own, but also a blank canvas. I like the leather skirt with the grey top. 

  • Caro in Oz replied 10 years ago

    LOVE the tux jacket it's totally fab on you. Hard for me to say what you need but the dresses do look different (I love the cape).
    I'd play with a Katherine Hepburn look with the shirt - great buys.

  • missvee replied 10 years ago

    Great pieces! I think the grey shirt will be really versatile over white or black jeans, flowy patterned trousers, harem pants, cropped pants.

  • krishnidoux replied 10 years ago

    Good for you! Great loot!
    Suggestions to wear the gray shirt with:

    -  skinnies with knee high flat boots ;
    -  white ankle skinnies and black heeled sandals;
    -  tailored (not skin tight) white clam diggers and platforms;
    -  (short) ankle leggings and heels (4);
    -  (slightly longer) leggings and original futuristic flat sandals (5);
    -  short black palazzos (not the full-length ones) (2);
    - if adventurous, with a long straight fitted skirt with a slit on the side (1);
    - if even more adventurous, with a silky long flowy print skirt in the same shade and flat footwear such as sandals;
    - if even more adventurous yet, with tailored shorts in a similar material, and lace-up roman flat sandals.

    You can also play around with a belt.

    Have fun!

  • Jaime replied 10 years ago

    What a super shopping day! Love the tux jacket, of course the tags had to come right off. I love the first dress and like the second one too if you wear lots of black dresses. Great grey shirt too!

  • Aubergine replied 10 years ago

    Looks like you had some seriously good shopping luck!

    For the dresses, I agree with Astrid that the first definitely works great with bare legs, but the second may not as much. I'd keep them both if you can justify it. The first seems really special (love the cape detail!) and the second seems like a nice workhorse with a great fit.

  • donnat replied 10 years ago

    You got some great pieces there. I would keep all of it

  • Janet replied 10 years ago

    Great shopping scores! I think they're all keepers. Can one have too many great black dresses? I think not. But #1 is particularly outstanding, and so is that HL jacket. I wish we had a better Rack -- ours never has anything like that!

  • Suz replied 10 years ago

    Whoa, you don't mess around when you shop! I love each and every one of these! Stunning on you. The two dresses seem like totally different animals to me-- I wouldn't worry about duplication there. #1 is my special fave, though, so if it has to be a choice, please keep that one. The HL jacket is just to DROOL for -- fantastic luck! And I love the shirt as well and think it will be easy and versatile. The grey is a great colour for you. 

  • Liz A. replied 10 years ago

    These are all so great for your style.  I love the second dress from the front, but from the side, it does look short.  It would be perfect with leggings.  I mean how often can you wear bare legs in SF anyways?

    And inquiring minds would like to know the details of your shoes...

  • Angie replied 10 years ago

    All the pieces are 10s. How fun. Well done. 

    Perhaps post a separate thread on the styling of the shirt - I like the way you styled it here with the A-line actually. 

  • kellygirl replied 10 years ago

    Terrific haul. You get a standing ovation from me!

  • jackiec replied 10 years ago

    Wow! What a shopper!!!

  • Greyscale replied 10 years ago

    Thanks for all the styling ideas (especially krishnidoux with all the illustrations!)

    Liz A, the shoes are Mephisto Helen sandals. I got them last year after debating between these or the classic Birkenstocks. These have even more arch support, so I love them. With the Birks trend this year, I almost wished I'd bought those instead, but these photos made me appreciate mine again.

    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/me.....de/2898125

  • Marmee replied 10 years ago

    What a haul!  I like both dresses, and think both are worth keeping.  Great all around.

  • Debra replied 10 years ago

    You have found some wonderful pieces here, they all look fabulous.
    I love the little dress with the cape and that jacket is great...a good days shopping :)

  • rabbit replied 10 years ago

    great items!  (I wanna shop with you).  I love your sandals, and wow gorgeous lower back, I'd wear that jacket test outfit out at night with a boyfriend just as is...

    -I love the shape of the first dress and think it's fine with bare legs.

    -the second dress is very nice, and okay with bare legs too IMO, but if you have to choose between the two dresses I'd get the first one and look for a different color in a shirtdress if you want to introduce more variety to your wardrobe. 

    -HL jacket *swoon*  This might also look awesome over something sleeveless and long and flowy that drapes down the back under the crop.

    -great gray shirt.  I especially like Krishnadoux's suggestion of the matching tailored shorts with lace up sandals under it.   I think anything bodycon or smoothly hanging at the waist could look good under it.

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    Gah! In love with all of it! Score indeed!

  • Diana replied 10 years ago

    I love it all! The dress in #1 is amazing. It's like the perfect basic with a twist that goes with everything.

    I do find dress #2 slightly short with bare legs because of the shirttail hem. But this is just personal preference - it's perfectly decent as is.

    The HL jacket is amazing! Do you dare wear it like this for a night out or something? Because it's seriously fab with the flash of lower back. One of those underrappreciated understated but sexy body parts, you know? I'd also love to see it over something sheer.

    Gray shirt is great too! I love the structure. I want to see it with a midi skirt and oxfords.

  • rachylou replied 10 years ago

    Major haul!

    And you're brilliant. Nordstrom Rack. I can get to a Rack without too much pain...

  • CocoLion replied 10 years ago

    I like both black shifts.  If this kind of dress is useful (i.e. work capsule) then keep them both.  But if it's one of those occasional pieces, select one of them only.  I think the first one is unique and more of a statement piece than the second.  

    Love the HL vest/jacket piece and agree with the suggestions of wearing it with a long flowing sleeveless tank underneath, white would be an obvious color but grey, black, cobalt, red or blush would work too.  A printed b/w tank would work too.  Silky fabric or drape-y knit.  Your grey suiting shirt is beautiful and will work with almost anything -- black pants, jeans.  What about your really really big pants?

    ETA -- I was at the Rack on Powell and Market yesterday and found absolutely nothing.  Am I going to the wrong Rack?  

  • Greyscale replied 10 years ago

    The older Rack on 9th at Bryant/Brannan gets the actual one-off designer items so the selection is chaotic but fun to sort through. The HL jacket, for instance, was the only one they had and was on super extra clearance - no idea why it was there. Maybe someone thought the cut sleeves were an accident! It's really variable, though. Once I went there and they had so many designer shoes that I wanted (but didn't buy) like knee-high R&B Newbury boots, always just one of each, not a range of sizes. Other times there's nothing good. I'm sure there's some schedule to when designer things arrive but I don't go quite often enough to know. ;)

    The new Rack that just opened on Market has a large selection of the standard labels the Rack always has - Vince, Theory, HL, etc - in a lot of sizes. 

  • TraceyLiz65 replied 10 years ago

    Great pieces and how nice to have photographer help!!!!!

  • Mo replied 10 years ago

    Late here, but had to drop in after seeing the pic on the Wall.  Dress #1 is perfection.  Your BF has a good eye!  
    Love the HL sleeveless tux jacket too.

  • replied 10 years ago

    Wow, great shopping karma, lady!  Those all look like they were made for you.

  • columbine(erin) replied 10 years ago

    Wow, you have done well. Also, I love your hair against the black dress.

  • rae replied 10 years ago

    Wow, what a haul! Can't believe you are thinking of parting with anything!

  • CocoLion replied 10 years ago

    Thanks for the information Greyscale.  I'll keep that in mind next time in town.  It could be the newer Rack is geared towards tourists, e.g. more mainstream.  This could be the case of the main Nordstrom across the street as well.  I have this huge crush on a Rick Owens jacket right now, totally out of my price range.  But I wanted to try it on for the purpose of stalking it -- maybe one day I can find it used or dramatically reduced etc.  But the jacket was only available at the Stanford store.
    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ri.....ch-persona

  • leopardluxe replied 10 years ago

    Fantastic finds! All look fab on you and I think the length of the dresses are perfect to wear bare-legged should you desire.

    ...and am really digging that helmut lang jacket. I love Lang's stuff. I have several of his pieces and find they are so well cut and the perfect mix of fluid/drapey and figure flattering!

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