We’ll play the sale guessing game this evening again in anticipation of markdowns tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some reviews to keep the afternoon moving along.
Cartonnier’s Alma Mater Blazer ($158) is, without a doubt, the best-fitting blazer I’ve ever tried on. No joke. The length, the set of the sleeves and pockets, the collar. They’re all just right. It was a complete wow once I had it on. I tried on a 10, my usual size in jackets.
But even with a perfect fit, I couldn’t quite love this blazer. The issue was also was makes this jacket so unique — the different swatches of fabric. I wouldn’t have minded if the choices were a little more congruent. But the tweedy side and the plaid side seem to have very little in common. It almost looks like I had a blazer I loved, destroyed one side and had the tailor replace it with whatever fabric was available. The center strip (a very cool detail) has herringbone on it — a third pattern. That’s a lot of different fabrics going on in a small patch of real estate. It was just too much for me. The buttons are very cool (shot below) and I will never find a blazer that fits this well but I just can’t buy this one. I need a little more symmetry in my design.
A shot of the buttons on the Alma Mater Blazer.
Victory and defeat set aside, I moved on to Daughters of the Liberation’s Thatcher Jacket ($128). I love the ruffled peplum hem on this jacket. I also like how it calls out the current military trend without overtly martial styling. Well done, Anthro.
I reached for my usual size 10 and found it close-fitting across the bust. Cropped items do me no favors and that was the case here. The polyester/cotton mix was warm but not stuffy and I see great potential for this coat over a wool work dress or a cute winter weekend look. Wishlisted, but waiting for sale. I’d size up to a 12 to buy this.
I had some issues with the feather on Elevenses’ Garment District Blazer ($148). It kept leaning in as you see in the photo above. Finally I just decided to hold it in place.
You win, feather! After holding it for one shot I let it spring back to its preferred position inside the v-neck collar. Rebellious accents aside this blazer is a winner. I am on the hunt for a workable cropped blazer and this one has the right details for me. The slightly rounded princess-style shoulders are a subtle feminine touch and the dark plaid is understated elegance. A vest-style hem in the front gives way to a double ruffle from the back.
My usual size 10 fit nicely. It’s a lined blazer made of a cotton and wool composite. It feels warm but not suffocating on. Certainly this is more of a late fall into winter piece. Again my only issue here is that it’s just an inch or two short than I’m really comfortable with. I think this blazer works better for me than the Thatcher above. I would belt this blazer over a sheath-style dress or a pencil skirt/blouse combo. Wishlisted!
The fur on the Rushcliffe Cardigan ($148) is not real. That was an immediate relief. The front fan has an almost deco-like glamour to it that I loved. The color is also wonderful. It’s a warm brown with hints of silver and gold within.
I tried the medium which fit, but wasn’t very comfortable. I would buy in a large for better proportions. The pattern on the sleeve kept trying to twist around on my arm which was pretty annoying. After a few tries I got it to settle in a true vertical pattern as is intended. Acrylic isn’t my favorite material but it works well here to add a stiffness to the main part of the coat. I can imagine getting plenty of use out of this cardigan, pairing it with browns, oranges, reds and teals. Wishlisted!
I should have taken a closer look at the product shot before trying on Charlie & Robin’s From the Poles Jacket ($128). I love how it looks with the two zippers positioned midway, allowing the ruffles underneath to show. Because when closed this jacket wasn’t especially flattering.
I tried my usual size medium. The racing-style pipes down the front had the unfortunate effect of making me look wide. And is it me or does this jacket look angry? The boiled wool seemed kind of thin to me. A good fall jacket but I’d worry about the long-term durability. The zipper on mine got stuck. I had to take it off pullover style and the fitting room attendant wasn’t able to free the zipper either. I will give this one another shot now that I see that it’s meant to be worn at least partially open but I hope it doesn’t have the same zipper issue.
My last cardigan of the day was Sparrow’s Wrapped Diamonds Cardi ($148). From the name I was expecting some shiny thread or rhinestones or something like that, but instead the diamonds are actually part of the fabric pattern.
This cardigan has a definite robe feel to it. I tried on my usual size medium which was comfortably large. I wouldn’t size down. I liked the cardigan better open than closed and tied the sash back at one point to see how it looked. Pretty good (closeup below).
The outer edges of the cardigan have a scalloped lace detail that’s very pretty. This cardigan is comfortable and easy to wear, if a little shapeless. Nice but a pass for me.
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