I'm a little embarrassed to show you all that I purchased, because it's a lot. However, I've thought long and hard over the past year about the gaps in my wardrobe, i.e. the items I often wished I had rather than things I occasionally had a hankering for. Each one of these items fit my criteria in some manner, so I know that I'll get a lot of use out of the things I'm keeping. I'll have to keep looking for replacements for the items that didn't work out.
Since this shopping expedition had a big price tag for me, I'd appreciate honest feedback on the pieces. I don't want to hang on to something that isn't quite right.
Without further ado...
The Good!
(1 & 2) Miss Sixty Asymmetrical Soft Shell Jacket - When I ordered this, I worried that I wasn't going to be happy with it because it's not lined. The lack of a lining is not a problem in this case. The interior is nice and furry/fuzzy. The fabric is very stretchy making it comfortable to wear. It's also smooth, so lint probably won't stick to it.
I LOVE big collars and asymmetry, so am thrilled with this purchase!
(3) Trina Turk 'Rai' Print Silk Blouse - I love this shape on me. It balances out my pear figure nicely and feels cheeky. Love the stripes and bold colors. The only thing I'm concerned about is how snug it is over the hips.
(4) Lafayette 148 New York 'Audrey' Silk Blouse - Earlier in the year I bought a Banana Republic silk blouse in a very similar color. I ended up donating it because I couldn't keep the front closed over my bosom, even with fashion tape. This fits better and the fabric is much nicer, I think. Only one concern: it's tight over my hips so the front edges pull apart at the bottom.
(5 & 6) Lafayette 148 New York 'Melodic' Tweed Jacket - It's purple tweed with metallic threads. I've died and gone to heaven. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
(5 & 6) Lafayette 148 New York Stretch Wool Pants - I bought these in both eggplant and loden. I also have a black pair that I wear all the time. They're my favorite pants. The fit is great at my waist and down through the crotch area, which is usually impossible to fit on me. It doesn't look quite right in that area in these photos, but I think that's because I'm standing funny.
Two downsides to these for me: they're not lined and this is the unhemmed length. I wish they were 1/2-1 inch longer so I could make a deeper hem in them. When I'm hem them, I can only take up 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch before I'd be violating the law of PPL.
(13) Me Too Leopard Print Shoes and Cole Haan Air Monica Shoes - I've been looking for the right pair of animal print shoes for a long time and finally found them. They're comfy too! I also needed a pair of black shoes for work. I liked the two tone version of the Air Monicas better, but needed black, so picked those instead. These are REALLY comfy!
The Bad (?)
(7) Halogen® Ballet Neck Stretch Modal Tee - very long, which might be good for tucking, but very thin and the neckline is too wide on my narrow upper body. I had hoped this would be a good layering t-shirt for me, but am not really sure whether I should hang on to it or return and look for something better. I also bought black and teal.
The Ugly - well, not ugly, but Disappointing...
(8- 12) John Carlisle Leather Moto Jacket - This is the one item I was dying to get when I first saw the NAS catalog. Teal is one of my favorite colors and it looks good on me. Unfortunately, the leather jacket is a lot thinner than I expected, I don't like the look of the lining and the fit isn't right. It flattens my bust line, cuts off the circulation from my upper to my lower torso (i.e. tight in the hips) and bulges out at the back. Le sigh.
