What Happens When You Shop for a Festival Outfit After a Bottle of Wine
We’ve all been there: In the backseat of a Lyft, happy-hour buzzed and homeward bound, fingertips occupied in an endless Insta scroll. And then it happens. That must-have purse or shoe pops up and you impulsively make the call to buy. This series explores the modern phenom that is shopping when you’re a little sauced and the sweet satisfaction or dreadful dismay that follows.
In this month’s installment, we decided to veer off the online shopping-only narrative because we found a BFB story that’s just so good. After scoring last-minute tickets to Outside Lands, Brit + Co’s Creative Strategist Maddie Bachelder decided she needed some fresh festival fash. Because, of course she did! “At the risk of sounding basic — okay, I’m a little basic — outfit-curation is a big part of the festival experience for me,” says Bachelder. “I’m Type A through and through, and not having a well-planned outfit was just not an option.”
After a crazy work day followed by a happy hour where she had two — or was it three? — glasses of vino, she set out in search of a fun and festival-worthy blouse while keeping in mind that Golden Gate Park’s summer weather rarely rises above a chilly 60 degrees. “I managed to get the energy to hit two Zara stores, rummage through two sale sections, and endure two dressing room experiences,” she recalls.
Wondering how she even ended up at that second Zara? We were. “I’m very thorough,” she says. “[And] different Zaras actually carry quite different inventory. And since Zara was having a massive sale, curiosity (and wine) got the best of me.” (We’re betting on the wine buzz.) Finally, she spotted the Zara Smocked Print Top ($13, on sale from $50) at the second location.
The sheer navy blouse features a pale pink leaf print, a smocked waist, and puffy, smocked sleeves. “I wanted a fun top that would pair well with jeans and a denim jacket and I found it,” she says. “It’s nostalgic enough to feel like a tasteful, grown-up throwback to the early ’00s. Remember Limited Too smocked blouses? Plus, I love how flirty and fun the sleeves are.”
Retail Hangover Status: “It was totally worth it and I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. Would I have gone to two Zaras in one night without being fueled by white wine? The jury’s still out on that.”
What’s the best or worst buzzed purchase you’ve made lately? Snap a selfie and tag #buzzedbuys on Insta!
(Photos via Zara and Maddie Bachelder)
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