A taste of spring

Hi there, fun belt

Hey, spring?  Do you think you could make your way to New York soon?  Because it has been cold for way too long.  I can't help but start incorporating springy colors into my outfits.  I have a robin's egg blue sweater that may have to come out soon!

Sweater - JCrew Tippi sweater in navy
Blouse - Banana Republic
Scarf - Saachi via Haute Look
Pants - The Limited
Belt - JCrew round buckle belt in fuchsia
Shoes - Born

Heat Wave

 

 

Oh couch, you're so funny.

When 32 degrees feels akin to a summer heat wave, you know you are in the depths of winter.  On the flip side, the days are getting a little longer and it is nearly February - always the winter 'upswing' to me.

Skirt - JCRew Number 2 in Super 120s, Poppy Grove
Blouse - Elie Tahari for Nordstrom via Nordstrom Rack
Cardigan - JCrew Jackie Cardigan in Black
Tights - Off-brand from Duane Reade
Shoes - Dana Davis

JCrew Hacking Jacket in Autumn Coral

JCrew loves to clear out merchandise through final sales.  It's a great time to stock up on stuff you know will fit, but it's also easy to be tempted by untested garments in beautiful colors.  Cue the JCrew Hacking jacket.

I held off on buying this for a few days.  Then the sale increased from 30% to 40% off the sale price.  Oh, my.  But I can't return it.  I sat on it for a few more days and finally took the plunge.  One of my "closet holes" is blazers and cardigans, so I figured it was worth it.

The color is....wow.  It's called Autumn Coral.  It is very coral.  Very, very coral.  Borderline orange.  It looks great in these pictures but it is brighter in real life.  It's growing on me.

The material is double serge wool.  I just love this fabric.  I have the pencil skirt in the same fabric and I am obsessed with it.  It is heavy and lays so well.

I ordered a size 8.  It fits beautifully in the waist and hips.

Can't...move....

Buuuuut....see under the arms?  I can't really move my arms due to this weird cut.  The seam sits an inch or so below my armpit rather than right up in my armpit.  This is one of the first tests I do with a blazer to mimic how I stand on the subway (arm to the side or arm straight up). I do wonder if a petite size would have been better?

Here I am manually adjusting the jacket.  I am hoping a tailor can replicate this without too much deconstruction.  The jacket fits at the top of the shoulder quite well, so I wouldn't think they would detach the sleeve altogether.  The downside is that this fix (as I'm presenting it) shortens the sleeve to a bracelet length or shorter.  More $$$ for alterations but the dirt cheap price ($53 after sale discount) makes up for that.  Original price $250.

Jeans - Joe's Cigarette Jeans via Last Call Neiman Marcus
Shoes - La Canadienne via Last Call Neiman Marcus
Blouse - Nordstrom Rack