Shopaholic's Report

Here is a quick review of some pieces I tried or purchased recently.

Net-a-porter is running a big sale, and I received two gigantic boxes last night. Fortunately and unfortunately, not everything fits! Here are some of the items I like: 

1 - KARL LAGERFELD April stretch cotton-blend blazer in IT 38. Nice cut. Slim and long. Not the best material, but worth the price. 

2 - KARL LAGERFELD April stretch cotton-blend skinny pants in IT 38. Again, nice cut. Being matching pants of #1, they go virtually with everything.

3 - HELMUT LANG Slit-back stretch-knit dress in XS. I never say no to a LBD that fits perfectly, and I like the subtle sexiness of the slit-back design. It's a perfect from-office-to-dinner dress. Of course, you need a blazer or cardigan in the office. 

4 - MASON BY MICHELLE MASON Leather-paneled stretch-jersey mini dress in XS. Another LBD. Loose, casual and conservative silhouette with some edge from the leather panel. Perfect for office days. The only concern is maintenance. Because the panel is made of super soft lamb skin, you need to take it to professional leather specialist. Your regular dry cleaner may not be able to handle it. 

5 - PREEN LINE Ives stretch-cotton peplum blazer in XS. If you think peplum is out, think again. Classic silhouette comes and goes. Stocking up a well fitted blazer at bargain price always makes sense. With this color, this fit, these details and this price, this blazer is definitely a keeper for me. This blazer fits snug. Size up if you have wide shoulders or a couple of extra pounds around your waist.  

6 - ZOE KARSSEN Wild Boys jersey top in XS. Relaxed fit. Super soft and comfortable.

I can easily make quite a few outfits just out of these six pieces: 1+2, 1+3, 1+4, 2+5, 2+6, 3+5, 4+5... Yes, that covers a full week! I've tried all these combinations, and they all look good. 

Items I don't like: 

7 - MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Satin-trimmed cady tuxedo-style dress in IT 38. This tuxedo dress is cool, but its cut is off. The front is cut too low and too revealing. Since all the buttons are fixed and decorative, I see no way of fixing it.

8 - VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ANGLOMANIA Rosha printed silk jacket in IT 38. I only have one word to describe it: nightmare. Look at the pictures and see how it fits the model. Sloppy and wrinkled, right? OK, it wrinkles even more on me. 

I'm also hunting for a pair of heeled sandals. This season, I'm looking for simple design and color block. Don't ask me why. I happen to be in this bright springy mood. So I ordered 4 pairs of sandals from net-a-porter. Unfortunately they are all going back.  

9 - ACNE STUDIOS Tillie croc-effect leather sandals in IT 36. This is the best pair of the four. I love its soft leather and neutral color. The 100 mm heels are incredibly comfortable for the height. Unfortunately size 36 is too big for me. 

10 - CHRISTOPHER KANE Elastic-paneled matte-leather slingbacks in IT 35. Love its design and color. But the heels are killing me!

11 - NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD Color-block woven, suede and leather sandals in IT 35. If you're following my blog, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of Nicholas Kirkwood shoes. This pair is simply chic and beautiful. And the 70 mm heels are perfect for walking. I could run for my train in these. But the distribution of weight is off. The heels are too heavy and the front is too light. As a result, I literally have to lift the heels and it rubs the back of my ankle with every step I take. Yes, I love its color combo, mixed texture and stylish heels, but not to the extent of shedding my precious blood. 

12 - PIERRE HARDY Striped elaphe, leather and suede sandals in FR 35. I have a pair of Pierre Hardy color block sandals and I love them. So I had very high expectation of this pair. Unfortunately this pair doesn't like me! To be honest, I didn't even put them on because ... I was not able to! The zippers were stuck, on both shoes! Bummer...

OK. Now you probably see how picky I am with shoes. I have to say: shoes are just like your man; only you know whether you've found your perfect pair or not. Take your time! :)

Some other pieces I've got recently:

13 - DVF Selene Ruched Silk Jersey Dress In Jungle Diamond in 0. Office appropriate. Perfect fit. Neutral color. Good price.

14 - A DVF wrap dress I can no longer find online. It is of this New Julian Two style and this Ink Leopard Simple Pink color. 

15 - Color Pop Embroidered Tunic dress by Chloe Oliver in XSP from Anthropologie. I bought it a while ago at full price and took it with me to Central Europe. Unfortunately the weather was too cold and I had no chance of wearing it. It's very breezy and comfortable. The beaded panels on the side are fabulous. Now it's on sale! Note: Its lining is tight on the chest. Size up if you are busty. I wear the smallest size in almost all brands, but the XXSP one did not fit me. I could put it on, and it looked OK in the mirror, but I could barely breathe. 

16 - Matilde Dress in size 2, black & white from Anthropologie. Classic fit-and-flare dress in comfortable stretchy fabric and springy polka dot print. Bra friendly. Another piece that traveled with me to Europe and came back unused. :)

17 - JCrew Vintage Denim Jacket in Patina Wash in XS. Denim jacket is back, and I've been hunting for one in light wash that is complementary to my dark DVF denim jacket. This one is the answer: soft fabric, light wash, cropped fit, classic no-fussy style, clean cut. 

18 - JCrew Denim Western Shirt in Pale Indigo in size 0. Lighter than a denim jacket and thicker than a cotton blouse, a denim shirt is always handy on a breezy summer evening walk. 

Now I know I have established the reputation of shopaholic on the blog... Well, hope you all have a happy shopping season! :)