Sveta's Blog

It is late and I should be in bed and I have enough work to take my mind off anything else and I am supposed to be on a shopping diet until NAS...but somehow I am stuck on Zara's website looking at jackets.
I can count the number of times I have been in Zara store on one hand and I don't own anything from this store. However I am intrigued by the jackets there.
Also I found that I really can add a couple of more jackets to my summer closet. I wear them to work at least a couple of times a week in summer due to AC so it is a summer essential for me. I also would like to branch into different styles to spice up my summer wear. Right now I have a couple of blazers (white, yellow, green) and denim moto jackets (white, light grey, faded).  I need a different style to change the landscape like Angie says but which should it be?
Here are the ones I have in my shopping bag right now. If you saw any of them IRL I would appreciate the input on the quality, style and especially if you think they can work for me. What I really want to avoid is kind of slippery polyester fabric which looks really cheap to my eye. OK here is the list:

Bombers
I am warming up to the idea of bomber but for me it cannot be utilitarian in fabrication but rather lux or unexpected. I love Angie's lace one for example!
1. Oriental bomber 
I really like the pattern and color palette. I find it hard to like floral patterns but I make exception for oriental ones! Concern - may be hard to pair with patterned dresses so limited usability?
2. Jacquard bomber
Maybe next best to lace in texture. Cropped length should work with dresses well - even midi flares. Concern - I have an optic white blazer and  denim moto jackets - does adding another shade of white makes sense?
3. B/W patterned bomber
Graphic pattern looks like another alternative to lace (can you tell I cannot get Angie's lace beauty out of my head?) Concern - not sure if pattern is sophisticated enough for my style...
4. B/W combination bomber
Love black and white graphic appeal, will work with a lot of my stuff. Concern - black it is faux leather, not sure if it will be too hot...

Bikers
5. Combination linen
Like the style, the fabrication and that it is mixed media. Concern: not sure if khaki color will work in my wardrobe or do me any favors..

6. Combination cotton
Love the texture, shape and length for dresses. Concern -  the same as #2: do I need another shade of white?

7. Denim biker
Love faded denim for summer! Concern - I have 3 moto denim jackets already - white, light faded and light grey. I may also try Gap one from Angie's post, it looks pretty similar in style.

8. I was also looking at kimono jackets but I have a hard time imagining them in my style. This printed relaxed jacket reminds me of kimono in print and some swing but it is still structured: would it work for me? 

I would really appreciate your input if any of those will work for my style and wardrobe and give me that landscape change I crave...or if you have other suggestions I am all ears!

Now I really must get myself to bed!

Some of you may remember that I was considering some silk tops from Le Chateau in this post. After getting a great advice from the forum and especially a report from the trenches from missvee I decide to pop into my local store to try them on instead of ordering.
I tried on this silky tee. It had a nice drape and might have worked if not for two problems - too sheer front silk panel and too wide neckline. Pass!
After I saw this top on the hanger I had to completely agree with missvee assessment: too flimsy silk and way too deep neckline. I did not even want to try it on - definitely pass!
Unfortunately the banded tops I really was after were not in the store. However based on missvee  report I decided to risk it and order them. It was last Tuesday...
...and they arrived today! Remember Angie's outfit post  this week when she said she cannot make peace with sweatshirt and that cotton sweater is her version of a sweatshirt? I think these banded tops are MY version of sweatshirt now!
Here are the pictures. I got one in indigo and one in alabaster and I really love them. They are short enough to wear with skirts - something I wanted to sport for quite a time - and I also think they work with trousers and BF jeans with faux tuck - like Angie's version.
They are lightweight but not see through - as you see no cami is needed, even with the white one if I wear a nude bra. Fabric is nice and substantial and they drape well. I think they are keepers! I even think that maybe I should go for a coral one too?:-)
I went with XL. L may have worked in the body as well but I am afraid it might have been a bit tight in the sleeves - and I like silk a bit oversized.

All in all I am pleased and going to wear one tomorrow (if I get to ironing it tonight). My hubby likes white better than blue - but I like them both and think that blue shade works for me - what do you think? 

I am curbing my shopping now but I have discovered that I have a huge hole in my summer wardrobe: tops! Especially white tops! I so enjoy wear white now but I have a serious lack of white tops now. Almost everything is polyester in the stores now and I want natural fibers for summer - or at least rayon or viscose.
I was browsing Le Chateau site and I found some possible options.
What  do you think of  this banded top? I have been avoided banded tops before but really like how you styled one with a flared skirt. It says boatneck neckline which should work for me but it looks more like wide scoop (although coral one does look like boatneck).
There is another one I consider - silky tee. I think it should be oversize fit so I was thinking to order the biggest size. What do you think? It is a scoop neck and I am not sure about this neck on me.
There was another silk top I liked very much (both in black/white and cobalt / black) but I am afraid the V-neck is too deep for me and I will not feel it up. Too bad, I like the style, colors and the fact it is silk...
So any of those 3 tops are worth trying out? The problem is that Le Chateau shipping / return policy is not very user friendly: you pay shipping and pay return so it is pretty costly to experiment. If I risk to order I would like to know I am not off  my mark to consider them.
I will also go to the store to see if they have them and if I can try them on in the store but I don't keep my hopes too high for this.
Thanks a lot!

ETA: I went to my local store tonight. Of course as my luck would run #1 was not available in the store. ##2 and 3 were as missvee reported: #2 is nice but see through and the neckline was too wide for my liking; #3 was too flimsy altogether and neckline too deep - I did not even want to try it on.

Based on missvee report I decided to order #1 in white and dark blue: fingers crossed it fits and I like it! Thanks again for all your help and missvee, you are the best!!!

I am so sorry I have been very scarce on he forum lately. My work is getting crazier than ever and my energy levels run lower and lower. Last week I could not even bother to take pictures at all coming home around 8PM every night and the getting up for work before 7AM...
...but this week I decided that I cannot let this craziness to weight me down so here I am again, taking pictures and trying to enjoy dressing all over again.
 
pic 1
After a long weekend of glorious weather I decided to debut my Cleo shirt. I returned the longer one and kept this one because the color an pattern make me feel better. This is my attempt to de-bombshell a pencil skirt with a blousy top (I tied the ends in the front to make the button down into a high-low top) and slipper flats
Halogen skirt, Cleo shirt, Me Too grey slipper flats.

pic 2
Another hot day called for a floral dress and denim jacket - high five Shannon who were a very similar outfit that day as well. I got this faded denim jacket from my mom because the sleeves were too long for her. My only complaint about it that the sleeves cut too wide but it is not visible when they are scrunched.
I was looking for pointy toe flats or low heels and could not find anything comfortable - and then I suddenly remembered that I have these in my closet, pre-YLF purchase which survived all purges so far. I cannot walk for hours in them but I can wear them in the office if I drive to work. I think they will do for me for this season.
Floral dress - Long Tall Sally, shoes - Ros Hommerson (old)

pic 3
Weather was cooling down so it was time for jeans again. Here is my column of color with a yellow jacket. I realized that I don't have enough white tops for summer. This old Zara shirt is getting too long in the tooth and I think it is its last season. I cannot wear t-shirs as they make me feel un-fab but I have hard time finding other simple white tops to wear on their own and under jackets...
Kut Catherine white BF jeans, Zara t shirt, Gap academy blazer, Issac Mizrahi silver slipper flats.

pic 4
After all this heat we woke up to 3 C this morning. Some people would be devastated that summer went away but me? I was gleefully pulling out my white leather jacket from the closet as I did not have any chance to wear it for the last 2 weeks! I was not sure if this gold and black silk scarf works with navy and cream sweater but I felt like wearing a scraf today...
Express trousers, BR striped sweater, Danier leather jacket, SE suede booties. 

Thanks for looking and not allowing me to succumb into a frumpville! I think I will be still very sporadic on the forum for a while due to work and other things but I will try to keep up with my weekly WIW.
Have a nice weekend!

Remember I wore my Gap chunky sweater last week  because it was 0C in the morning? Well this week we jumped right into 22+C weather which of course created  a dressing crisis for me. I still have to pull out my summer stuff from the storage and get it ironed / steamed before I can wear anything so it was a challenge week: how to dress for summer with cool weather clothes?
And again - white worn every day!
pic 1
It was still cool that day so I could wear me white leather jacket - maybe the last time before the fall?
White leather jacket - Danier
B/W striped shirt - Suzy Shier
Black  Martin trousers - BR
SE python booties

pic 2
The heat wave began! I greeted it with my blinding yellow jacket! I especially liked hot it matched the flowers in my kitchen :-)
yellow pique jacket - Gap
white shirt - Tahari
light wash BF jeans - Kut
grey textured low wedges - Trotters

pic 3
Debut of my floral sheath. I would love to wear it with white leather jacket but it was too hot so I went with denim
Floral sheath - LongTall Sally
White denim jacket - ON
Nude Fidji pumps

pic 4
Another debut - my new white BF jeans. I know some have Christmas association with red and green and don't wear it but I like it when colors speak to me. See my avatar - red flower and deep greenery: isn't it beautiful? :-)
White BF jeans - Kut
Striped tee - The Bay
Trouve grey oxfords
Emerald riding jacket - my mom
Red Chromia bag - Winners

I will be scarce online this weekend as we are going  to a birthday party tonight and plan to do a day trip to see waterfalls tomorrow so I apologize in advance if I take longer to comment.
Have a great weekend!!!
 

I think I have been all over the place with colors in my wardrobe. I think I have clothes which work together color-wise most of the time even though my closet resembles the rainbow :-)
However recently I begin to think that I may need to be more focused in creating my "signature" color palette being inspired by Angie, Vix, Suz, Inge and others. I like the sound of this so much: "I wear a pallete of <insert 4-6 colors and neutrals here>. It sounds so sophisticated and definitely helps to make the right shopping choices.
But I really draw a blank when it comes to my own color definition.  
So - can you help me to start on this? I seem to be all over the place when it comes to colors. I don't suit neon and sour brights and pale pastels but other colors seem to work (SS beige excluded of course)
I am often drawn to deep jewel shades of cobalt, emerald, ruby, deep teal and amethyst. However I may be drawn to more muted colors as well - like burgundy, rust, mustard...
I thought I cannot wear yellow but my recent purchases of "warm lemon" sweater and bright lemon blazer surprised me by how I love wearing these colors.
I know I love the drama of black and white but I am not sure black is a flattering color on me.
On the other hand I like taupe and light grey for their versatility and dark grey for its sophistication but again - do they love me back?
I know brown is a good neutral for my coloring but it does not mesh well these other neutrals, right? Especially now when I darkened my hair it may not work as well on me as when my hair was mid-tone brown.
Dark navy and ink was a recent discovery for me - I was sure I cannot wear these colors but I think they actually suit me.
See my dilemma? I am all over the place and I have not yet mentioned mid-tones bordering on muted brights like coral, spring green, lilac...
So how can I do this? Any suggestions? Any advice?   Any help?