TOTEME HAUL

 

Do you own any pieces from Totême? Or been eyeing a few items you’d like to add to your closet?  I’m here to share with you my first well thought of Toteme Haul.

 

 

It wasn’t that long ago when Totême came on my radar. I promise to dedicate an entire blog post about this brand and everything I know about it. But after spending a considerable amount of time in store and online (more than I’d like to admit), I pinned down what my favorite items are and how they fill a certain gap in my closet. Totême is a Scandinavian minimalist brand, that really hones in on elevated basics and uniform style wearing – Oh hello! And why haven’t we met sooner?
In this post I will go over all the items I purchased from Totême and my honest review of each, so if that interests you, stick around. Disclosure: None of these items were gifted to me.

 

 

This post is all about my Totême Haul, everything I have so far collected from this brand and my honest review of each item

 

 

Shopping List

I recently decided what I would be adding to my wardrobe this year/ season. I discussed this in a previous post. It took me a while as I felt very influenced given how much time I’ve been spending on social media as a fashion & lifestyle blogger, now more than ever. I identified my closet gaps and updated my Pinterest board, shopped around to see different styles, the best quality for the most reasonable price making my purchases the best investment money can buy.

 

 

#1 Signature Wool Cashmere Coat

This is a Totême classic that returns every season, with the addition of seasonal colors every now and then. This coat had been on my radar but my minimalist style would not get over the large lapels. I decided to put this coat on and fold the lapels as it was modeled, and that was it. I instantly felt that this was the transitional coat that I could add to my wardrobe and wear for years to come. Nothing on the market would compare to this coat, especially for its price point.

There are a few things I love about this coat. It is made of 90% wool and 10% cashmere, as the name suggests, the fabric feels very soft yet thick and luxurious to touch. It does not have a belt for those of us how aren’t particularly fans, making it a great transitional piece. The side slits add a certain elegance to this coat, especially if you wear it over a dress. And finally, despite not loving the large lapels at first, they can come in handy when feeling cold without a scarf.
I’d recommend going down a size, unless you love the very oversize look and long arms.

This coat is sold at a discount at third party stockists in the seasonal colors, and the black and beige colors are discounted only when in very small or larger sizes. I had not seen the black color in size small go on sale. Please leave me a comment below if you’ve had a different experience shopping online.

Totême Signature Wool Cashmere Coat

 

 

#2 Barrel Leg Jeans in Black

I saw this style of denim at the beginning of the season and wanted to get one but couldn’t justify the price point. Luckily, by the time I got to the store it was just discounted and available. They usually send all their discounted items back to the warehouse, so it becomes available online only and final sale. It was my first time trying them on and once I did, I couldn’t let go.
If you don’t know, Totême does denim really well. The quality is outstanding. After you put this on, you may no longer love the denim you own. Beware. The material is thick, for those of us who love a stiff pair of jeans with no elasticity, this is for us. It is also a high-rise jeans, if that’s your thing.
The advantage of buying denim in store at Totême is the availability of three different inseam sizes (30, 32, 34 and sometimes 28). Whereas third party stockists tend to just carry one inseam size, the middle size.

Generally, I size down for all my Totême items, sometimes two sizes. For this type of denim, I needed to buy my true size. You can find this one here, here and here.

Totême Barrel Leg Jeans. Photo is a property of Totême, used with permission

 

 

#3 T-Strap Flats in Silk Grosgrain

If you know Totême’s shoe collection, you’ve seen this. It is modeled with many of their coats and denim. It is so Scandinavian and classic to me. I wasn’t particularly a fan of these when I first saw them. But that changed very quickly. Once the suede version of this shoe launched as part of the new collection, they discounted the fabric very quickly. It is made out of 100% silk, and it really reminds me of the Chanel black slingback for some reason. Like a distant Scandinavian cousin in a shoe version. They are very comfortable, I did not need a lot to break them in. I absolutely love how chic they look. You can style these with a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and a blazer and would absolutely look very chic.
Find them here, here for a size 40, and here for a size 35. You can also find them in suede at Totême in tan and black.

Totême T-Strap Flats

 

 

#4 Wool Cashmere Turtleneck Black

This is the last item I got as part of my Totême haul. I had been on the haunt for a crew neck and turtleneck black knit for a while. For something as basic as it is, I’ve had a hard time finding a high-quality timeless piece for a certain price point. When I saw this online, I thought it was it. My first impression holding it felt very substantial and luxe, I loved the material and the details around the edges. Unfortunately, I did not like the boxy look on me personally, and the V-shape of the sweater (narrow around the hips and wider up top). I sized down a single size. But despite that, the shoulder seam ended somewhere between my shoulder and where an oversize sweater would be, giving it an odd look. I also felt that this particular model was a little longer than the usual Totême knits. I sent this one back. Still on the hunt for a cashmere blend black sweater. Please leave me your recommendations in the comment section below.

Totême Wool Cashmere Turtleneck

 

 

This post was all about my Totême Haul, everything I have so far collected from this brand and my honest review of each item

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading.

 

See you next week,

Girl on the Upper East Side

 

If this interested you, you might be interested in my Transitional Pieces for 2024.