Thursday, December 6, 2012

Thursday Styles - For the Love of a Leather Jacket


Every Thursday the NY Times runs their weekday Styles section.  And while I would never claim to be on par with the Times or have the best style in town, I am fascinated with fashion, and tear inspirations from magazines and love browsing Polyvore and Tumblr and Pinterest and shopping (window and otherwise) and I lust over bags and some clothes and am endlessly fascinated by certain something something reality shows and the stylists behind them:



(More on these ladies and my moderate obsession with them to come....)

But back to today -  I’m making Thursday my day to talk about all things “styles”….this can take me in so many directions, so hope you’re ready for the ride!

Today's lust conversation revolves around the major lust-fest I was having with this oxblood peplum leather jacket.  It all started a few months back when my Rock Star friend and I were window shopping in Soho.  She’s almost always on the hunt for another leather jacket to add to her collection and I might have horrified her when I said I didn’t even own one.  After she regained consciousness and I explained that I wasn’t cool enough to rock a leather jacket…never mind own multiples…she assured me EVERY girl needs to own a leather jacket and she was on a mission to find me a “starter” jacket.  (Don't you just *love* friends who push you to buy cool stuff)  So, I told her I used to have a leather jacket, lest she think I was a total loser, but it was years ago and I didn’t really think it was my style (by which I mean that I could pull it off).  But since R. Star can rock pretty much anything,  there was no dissuading her. 

I tried on a bunch….first falling for a gorgeous burgundy jacket, but the style just wasn’t right.  Then I fell in love with a jacket – open front, almost like a draped cardigan, in super soft black leather with jersey panels on the sleeves.  It was amazing. It was over $1K.  I like to shop and I’ve made a lot of spontaneous purchases that may not have been the smartest moves of my life, but somehow I had some semblance of judgment and I didn’t buy it.  "I just came to say, good-bye, love.  Good-bye."  But it stuck with me. 

What I didn’t tell R. Star that day is that the leather jacket I used to have resembled something from Top Gun.  But it was very "in" at the time.  (I did fancy myself someone with good taste even then.)  Soft, light brown leather.  And it has this satiny (which I’m sure was polyester) lining that had this map of sorts printed on it which I also thought was crazy cool.  And it was from Outback Red, so that pretty much sealed the deal.  In those days Outback Red, ESPRIT and The Limited were my style icons so that should put it all in perspective.  Though I have to say I will still defend my ESPRIT wardrobe which really was pretty damn cool if I do say so myself.  I wish I had held onto a few things just for fun.  It was in a world before I resorted to so much black!

But fast forward a month from Soho and I was on this side of obsessed, committed to finding a jacket for fall.  Then I read this blog post by an amazing style blogger and I adored her outfit.  The jacket she’s wearing is a gorgeous Philip Lim. But also a leap out of any price range for a jacket I’m interested in partially to push myself out of my own comfort zone and same old-same old routine. But lucky me, she posted a link to a similar jacket (I don’t have enough time to talk about how much I love her blog)…but that link lead to another burgundy (technically oxblood according to the description) amazement.  And I convinced myself it must be mine. 

In an effort to be a smart shopper I decided to sale stalk it….and I stalked and stalked and the sale didn’t come. But the hurricane did.  And the work stress followed so I cracked and ordered it, convincing myself I’d make sure I 1) loved it in person and 2) it fit. 

1 +2 = LOVE

And then I held onto it and sale stalked some more.  I decided I would give it until the Black Friday sales and if it went on sale it was meant to be and if it didn’t…well….time for the tough decisions.  (Have I mentioned I can rationalize everything if I really want to?).  Well my karma must have been intact because one day before Thanksgiving…BAM!  55% off.  Um….done and DONE!

Not going to lie….I’m kind of excited to count this jacket amongst the things in my closet.  And I know, it’s just stuff and some people may think it’s silly to spend so much time writing about a jacket, but you know what?  I don’t much care.  I love it and I’m happy to write about it.  And I’m really excited to actually wear it…right now I’m putting too much pressure on myself that the first wearing is epic.  It doesn’t help that a few days ago it was 60 degrees (too warm out) and today it was 30 degrees (too cold).  I’m waiting for the day that’s just right.

So what’s on your fashion lust list?  What’s the last thing you bought that was outside the comfort zone?  That doesn’t look like anything else in your closet?  That a friend convinced you to try and you went for it and surprise! you loved it?

I showed you mine….

(And now for something that has nothing to do with anything other than that I love this song)






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