When I think about the “Marshmallow Test” I know for certain that I would have been one of the children who shoved that lone marshmallow in my face before the researchers had even left the room. Wait 15 whole minutes to eat two? No way.
Now I’m an adult, I can eat as many marshmallows as I like, but when it comes to style, missed purchases over the years have made me very familiar with delayed gratification. These KENZO x H&M trousers are a case in point.
I’m not always a fan of H&M’s designer collaborations, but when the KENZO line launched in November 2016 I was into it, very into it. My favourite look centered around this epic pair of wide legged trousers but at $200, I didn’t even try them on – it would have been an outrageous and unjustifiable splurge, and hardly a good example of investment dressing. But… I couldn’t stop thinking about them. What I’d wear them with, the places we would go together; obviously, by the time I’d worked up enough reasons to justify purchasing them, they were gone. No longer in store or online, I was left unsatisfied.
Cue months of thinking about these bloody trousers. Be it passing by someone in another garment from the collaboration, or catching sight of a bold floral pattern, I found myself googling every variation of ‘KENZO x H&M trousers’ possible – checking eBay, second hand sites and even the collaboration hashtag on Instagram. Finally, in January this year, my sporadic searching came to an end when I spotted the trousers in (almost) my size on Vestiaire Collective. I coughed up the money (significantly cheaper than the original price), waited for the seller to send the trousers to VC, for VC to run a quality check and then, finally, to have them in my arms about five weeks later, and over a year since I first laid eyes on them. If that’s not delayed gratification, I don’t know what is.
Despite my fear about buying a smaller size than normal, they fit beautifully. There’s no denying that it’s a lot of fabric for one frame, especially for someone on the short side, but I’m in love. I’ll have to wear them with heels if I don’t want to drag the bright green piped hems across the ground, but it will be worth it after waiting so long to have them in my wardrobe.
Before these trousers, other purchases that got away are a tan suede Levis biker jacket and a Marks & Spencer navy trouser co-ord with a bold floral print. I think I saw the latter on either Kristabel or Megan a couple of years ago, but I’m not 100% certain, and internet searches have turned up nada. I’m also already eager to acquire the rose pink velvet suit that sold out in a hot minute from Topshop in November, after seeing it on Alix. So much so that I contemplated buying the Tall range version, two sizes too large, when I found it online in the sale, with the belief that I’d have it taken to a tailor. Thankfully commonsense stopped me, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I’m still thinking about it two years from now.
Are there any items of clothing you regret not purchasing at the time?
Floral trousers – KENZO x H&M / Black t-shirt – Zara / Silver ankle boots – Topshop / Tan bag – Mulberry / Pork pie hat – Zara
1 Comment