Fashion – Just a Dash

I wish I was told what jacket/coat to buy!

October 10, 2012October 10, 2012by SymoneFLeave a Comment

I wish I inquired a little bit or someone told me about buying jackets for different seasons… especially for Seattle. It seems it should go like this:

Winter: (hooded) wool coat/puffer jacket

Spring: hooded lightweight jacket/blazer

Summer: same as Spring but a linen blazer

Fall: lined hooded anorak

Three years in and I still do not have all of these. So I intend to try to help someone else transitioning to a different climate with this post. I can say I am more aware of what I need but it’s just a matter of finding exactly what suits my style and wouldn’t decline my card haha. I have 3 pleather jackets (went crazy at with a sale for those), 1 wool coat, 1 peacoat with a detachable hood, 1 shearling cargo jacket, 1 hooded puffer vest, 1 hooded puffer jacket, 1 light denim jacket and I’m sure there are more but they aren’t coming to my head and I’m too comfortable to get up and check… So that’s about 9 jackets for now (not including blazers of which there are 4). Seattle isn’t know for being the warmest place and I find it interesting that I have just been randomly collecting jackets and not really understanding the seasons and the weather that comes with it. Just like my boot collection – I’m yet to get a pair of snow boots which Dave and I will both have a pair by the end of Winter. But now I know, and I’m making a conscious effort to buy the right thing and not just buy because it looks good. I mean, of course I will buy extra if I find a great deal but it’s not a priority.

While I was home, I was online looking for coats. I found one on Old Navy (click for link to the anorak) that had a removable liner (perfect for Spring/Summer/Fall) and I ordered it in a S but needed an XS. Unfortunately the cut just was not suiting my body type and my husband and friend told me I should return it lol so I shall tomorrow…

I ordered another jacket around the same time from Asos that came yesterday and I have to say that this one is definitely a keeper. It fits perfectly (considering I was totally guessing my size) and hubz and friend approve it :D.

Seeing that I am yet to find a lighter coat for fall with a hood (after all it rains so much buying another coat without a hood would be useless) I will be on the hunt every chance I get to find the perfect coat.

To recap, here’s what would be useful:

Winter – (hooded) wool coat &/ puffer jacket
Spring – (hooded) lightweight jacket (“April showers”)/ blazer
Summer – nothing, but for Seattle a lightweight hooded jacket/ linen blazer
Fall – (hooded) lined jacket to brace you for the impending cold weather

I hope this helps!

Fashion

Hem-away!

September 11, 2012September 10, 2012by SymoneF1 Comment

I once read that having an amazing tailor was one of the best gifts you could give to your wardrobe. No truer words have ever been spoken. Due to my lovely height of 5′ 1, buying pants that fall at the right length is a battle, especially when they don’t come in short. So yesterday I took 4, yes 4, pairs of pants to my seamstress to get them hemmed. I normally buy my jeans from American Eagle, but H&M had some amazing pants that I had to have regardless of their length. I must say, that this back zip makes you go up several sizes! I usually wear a size 6/8 depending on the cut but I bought the following pants in a size 10!!!! I was about to go crazy because I obviously thought I couldn’t have gotten that “fat”. Regardless of the length, the price ($12.95) and the fit made these pants very hard to resist. It just sucks that I’m paying the same price to have them hemmed… but I will have some very hot pants in my fall wardrobe! I love having busy bottoms and simple tops. To me, my butt and my legs are my best assets so I like to accentuate them any way I could.

pants — H&M $12.95 also got them in solid red

Anyway, a tailor doesn’t have to be expensive, they have to be trustworthy and do a very good job. I found mine a few years ago, attached to a dry cleaner, and I haven’t been to anyone else since. They’re reasonable and do a very good job, and that’s all that matters.

If you’re in a new city/state/country take something simple, and that you don’t mind being messed up, to have adjusted to test the person. The best part of having a tailor/seamstress you trust? Being able to take items and change them up. In this age of people trying to not wear the same outfit twice because of Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, you can take a dress and remove the sleeves or even add a panel of material in a different colour or texture to change it up! Welcome to the maxxinista/frugalista age! Be creative with your wardrobe. Trying this out for the first time? Again, experiment with items of clothing that aren’t new.

Hope this post helped you!

Fashion, Uncategorized

Fall Obsessions

August 5, 2012by SymoneFLeave a Comment

Just the other day I was fretting about the presence of fall items when it was just beginning to feel like Summer here, but they’ve gotten the best of me! With every year that comes, I’m learning about the “must-haves” that one should have in their wardrobe for every season. This is just a quick post to share with you what’s on my wishlist – a few items that I should’ve had by now.

Ankle Boot

It is quite amazing that I do not have a pair of boots like this as yet. I was searching last year but my stick legs didn’t help much. I became rather frustrated and just gave up the search. I saw this pair in Nordstrom, I want to try them on to see if they feel comfortable and then I should hopefully have a pair.

Hooded Anorak

I was surfing www.loveculture.com because I hadn’t been on there for a while and came across this hooded anorak. I fell in love. I don’t have any light, hooded, coats – again very strange considering I live in Seattle. This item is definitely overdue for me. Hoods are more practical than umbrellas because of this lovely misty rain, so I’m trying to collect more hooded coats/jackets when I am on the hunt for one.

Trench

Yes the Trench! I’m going for a stretch here and that’s why this item is a wishlist item. I visited the store with a friend and we tried them on, got tips on different ways to wear them and got an idea of the styles that suited our body shapes better. The Burberry Trench is considered to be one of the most classic items of clothing every fashionista should own. I’d consider myself a budding one because I cannot wrap my head around trying to obtain every single thing a true fashionista should own. But this coat oozes superiority in every aspect. If I do get one by the end of the year, you can be sure I’ll have a post on it.

What are your must-haves for the season? Let me know!