I like this blouse a lot. I feel like I’ve been wearing it a lot this month. It was more like thrice, but still.
With a statement piece like this, remixing happens within rather narrow parameters. Switch up bottoms, shoes, necklace, and bag. Done.
My motto, always: don’t fix what ain’t broken.
I’m a big fan of paying things forward. I am incredibly grateful for the good fortune (and occasional blind luck) I have had in my life, and I believe that it’s good for the soul to try to return some of that positive energy into the world. Karma, and all that. [Apologies to Buddhists for completely mangling their belief system.]
One of my goals in undertaking pay-it-forward activities is to do so without any expectations; they are meant to be acts of gratitude for past good fortune, not a way to barter for future windfalls. But, sometimes, it feels like the universe pays me right back.
Or, in this case, not the universe … but one of my favourite fashion bloggers, and all-around awesome person, Fran. Yes, that Fran. (I’m an unapologetic fangirl, so she’s kind of a celebrity in my books.) For the last month or so, Fran has been raving about this plaid scarf from Target; needless to say, she sold me on it almost immediately. Sadly, my local Target was sold out of, or never stocked with, these scarves – a fact I took to Twitter to bemoan.
And lo – a package arrived on my door step a few weeks later.
I’m calling it the karma scarf.
Yeah … so, this happened.
I kept thinking about this coat after seeing it at Holt. The price tag was … inhibitory. (More on that in a moment.) And, then, the perfect storm came along: a super stressful week at work and home. I was overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, and coming down with the Toddler Plague. You could say that shopping under such influences is a bad idea … and I would generally agree. Except that, in this case, I ended up with this sweet coat. So, not entirely bad.
Yes, it was expensive. But I wasn’t completely irresponsible. I had a gift card, and a not-insubstantial coupon ($100 off for $300 spent). All told, my out-of-pocket damage was just over $250 – not bad for a $800+ coat, and not bad for a mid-weight coat (perfect for fall and spring in Edmonton) that I will hopefully wear for years.
I love the sleek, cocoon style. It a good mix of classic and modern. It easily accommodates several layers – an important consideration because I wear this coat daily on my work commute, and I hate the feeling of bunchy layers (especially blazer sleeves bunching into my armpits) – without looking bulky. I never lusted after MaxMara before (as y’all know, I’m not really a coat person), but I have to admit: they do make a nice looking coat.
