Cart Curator #83 - Are high end brands selling you less for more?
Plus the 'it' girl dress of the summer, an incredible smelling Christmas decoration, and the secret $5.90 hero of the Uniqlo range
Hey friends,
Another week, another CC.
Over the past week, I have been in a permanent state of head cold, which I feel will be me until June when London finally begins to thaw… On Friday, I went to see AUS export Dom Dolla (more on that below) and saw my first bit of snow in London, which was the most exciting thing ever.
By the time you hear from me next week, I will be coming to you another year older and live from Amsterdam as I duck away for a little post-birthday celebration with friends.
Also, as a little FYI, I am finalising the CC holiday gift guide, which will be live in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for this bonus issue!
Enjoy,
Jess x
Trend Forecast
What to follow and what to forget.
Triangle Scarves
This trend is one that I have been obsessed with since the first autumnal leaves started to fall. I’m fully immersing myself in the autumn/winter styling opportunities I haven’t been able to get into as an Australian.
This style is definitely newer, with designer brands like Jacquemus releasing versions as part of their 24/25 winter drops. As we get into fall, we are now seeing this filter down through the high street stores, with everyone from H&M to Urban Outfitters taking a stab at the style.
This style can obviously be worn tied around the shoulders with the tip of the triangle falling down the back. Still, I am especially loving this worn more babushka style with it worn over the head and tied under the chin giving a different spin on a beanie or balaclava. This styling works incredibly well with those knitted styles vs the stiffer felt fabrications, so keep this in mind when deciding which to opt for.
I also find this ‘trend’ quite interesting as it doesn’t really fit into a particular aesthetic and can be worked into many different stylings, as you can see from a couple of examples below, which range from more edgy to ultra classic.
Something to remember when shopping, as with most winter pieces, is to look at the fabrication, which feels like a no-brainer. However, paying more doesn’t automatically equal more wool/higher quality fabrics. For example, the Jacquemus mentioned above is £180 and includes a mix of alpaca wool, wool, and still 30% polyamide, whereas a Paloma Wool option below £80 and 100% wool…
If you’re after some styling inspo, have a look at some of my favourite ways to wear the trend below.
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Shop The Trend
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Diptique Baies Classic Candle and Holiday Carousel Set
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a Christmas fanatic, and one of my prized possessions that gets pulled out every year is the Diptique Holiday Carousel. Diptyque launches a different variation of this carousel every year - always with the Baies candle, which is my personal favourite from their range. When the candle is lit, the flame makes the carousel spin and casts a light that rebounds off, in this case, the hanging stars, which makes for such a cosy Christmas movie night companion.
Maison Essentiele Buckle Mini Dress
Maison Essentiele is the Australian brand of the moment, with its lace styles consistently found at the bachelorette and birthday celebrations of the Sydney and Melbourne who’s who. Their latest style launch is a mini version of their Buckle Dress, which will surely become a must-have style of the AUS summer season. This style is so flattering with its fit and flare silhouette, which, in all of the onsite and social imagery, sits so nicely on the bodice and across the chest. I also love the addition of the box pleat skirt, which is quite different from the standard styling we see it in, e.g. a bit grungier and usually more suited to colder seasons.
Charles & Keith Toni Knotted Curved Hobo Bag
The COS Swing Crossbody bag is the most recent high street ‘it’ bag that achieved sell-out status and spurred on many spin-offs, including various textures and sizes. This COS style is still one I love and wear regularly. Still, I have recently fallen in love with a Charles & Keith hobo bag that can be worn as a shoulder or cross body bag (see the TikTok below).
The oversized slouchy style looks ultra cool besides being extremely practical - no more condensing your belongings to fit into a mini bag. I think I will pick this style up in the next couple of weeks to make my everyday bag for running around.
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Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumising Mascara
I used to be a regular Too Faced user back when I was heavily into my YouTube watching, cut crease doing late teens. Still, my interest in their products hasn’t really been there since then. Until I rediscovered this baby. You might be thinking, well, duh, everybody knows how good this is, and many of you probably still use it. Still, I completely forgot how intense the lengthening and volumising of this brush and formula combo is. When you compare it to something like a Maybelline tube, this definitely is a bit more pricey, but with those results, I dare say it’s worth it.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
Okay, I tried to see if I had included this spot before, but even if I have, this still stays solidly at the top of my personal One to Try list. Having recently opened their Chelsea location, Alley Cats consistently has a queue down the street of people dying to try their NY-style pizza. With pizzas including a vodka-style Margherita and pepperoni with hot honey, you only have to look at their Instagram to see why they have drummed up such a consistent source of customers. I will attempt to tackle the queue in hopes of getting my hands on one of their pizzas, so keep an eye on the CC Instagram to hear my thoughts.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
Nour Hammour birthday coat leather Draped Leather Coat
Nour Hammour is a new brand on my radar, but its range truly comes into its own during the colder seasons. If you are on the fashion side of TikTok, you have, without a doubt, seen some of their beautiful coats being worn by your favourite luxury influencers, like Olivia’s Shopping Diary below.
Your coat really does become your entire outfit in winter, so I fully support the justification of an investment piece such as this number.
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Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
Okay, this isn’t technically in the consumables category, but it is music-related, so I think that counts. Last week, I went and saw Dom Dolla - someone I didn’t think I would have the chance to see live, having left Australia as his AUS tickets were being released. Luckily, I was able to snag some London tickets on resale. He was just as impressive in person as you would think he would be - an added bonus (or maybe a negative for some lol) is that his set definitely brought together the entire London-based AUS population.
If you are into house music or a fan of Dom Dolla I urge you (if AUS based) to get resale tickets for his upcoming November/December tour dates.
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IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
Uniqlo basics are obviously elite, but their socks are the clear stand out, especially if you are wearing a shoe where this is more visible cc, a loafer or sneaker. These socks are available in, I think, something like 50+ colours, so if you are after something that might stray from the typical shades available at Kmart or Bonds, then this might be the answer to your prayers. The socks strike the perfect balance between not being too overly padded and not being too thin, so they wouldn’t work with some of your more problematic shoes (we all have them). The best part is that they are AUD 5.90 each, which makes stocking up on them not an overly painful activity for your bank account.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #82 - How times have changed
Cart Curator #81 - Making work heels work for you
Cart Curator #80 - Umm where are the bombshell waves??
Cart Curator #79 - Twas the night before the VS show...
Cart Curator #78 - And then there was one...