Last Thursday I went down to London for the day for My Wardrobe's A/W 2014 presentation at the Spirit of Summer Fair at Olympia. Not very much different in terms of trends from last year - just some tweaks here and there but My Wardrobe are hoping to bring in some newer, more affordable brands to sit alongside the big guns next season.
I also got to catch up with some lovely blogging buddies. Michelle, Marlene, Natalie, Donna, Andrea and Frances whilst I was there. It's always nice to be able to spend some time catching up with people who you initially get to know virtually and who manage to become more than that. And last Thursday was the first day of the glorious weather we started having and so I thought a tee and a jacket would be good for the day. I hear London gets hot and stuffy when it gets hot and stuffy and it's always easy to just strip off a jacket.
River Island jacket, J Crew linen tee, APC bag, Topshop necklace
Now I love this little jacket. It's unlined so it's not too warm, yet it has that almost "quilted" look about it which is part of the actual weave. I don't always get on with jackets believe it or not. I don't do blazers very well as they make me feel a little too polished but that's not to say I don't have one but I find that I don't naturally reach for them. But this jacket is a nice easy throw on. And it reminds me of the blue jacquard Zara one which I bought last year and returned - similar hues but this one is less distinct in it's design.
And dare I say it .... it has shades of Isabel Marant about it? Cue photo evidence .....
So it's nice that it has a Marant'ish feel about it but without the price tag as this one cost £20 from River Island. Whoop whoop! Not my usual hunting ground and I'm not even sure how I came to be browsing on the website but I spotted it in the sale section and there was a size 8 left and I wasn't sure whether it would fit. So I started the telethon around the country trying to track it down in a 10. Yes there were 3 in some branch in London somewhere but I didn't really want to put my London based niece through another mega fashion hunt so I decided to let it go. But I kept sneaking back on the website .... just incase some more sizes showed up. And lo and behold - sizes 8 & 10 popped up, so in they both went in to the online basket. And I kept the 10. When I returned the size 8 to the shop, the River Island sales assistant cooed over it. Me happy :o)
So a good score for me with this jacket. What's your best designer lookalike steal this season? And yes I'm gutted I missed those Dune "Jolene" Marant lookalike slides. I snoozed! Can't win them all eh?
Beautiful jacket - it looks fantastic. I love your necklace as well!
ReplyDeleteBeccy // Bluebell & Bumpkin
Thank you Beccy! The Topshop necklace is from a few years back. I chopped it up and shortened it so it was more wearable. Like you do :o)
DeleteMango have been the 'go to' store for the classic IM look this season. I must say I have purchased a few little bits. I love this jacket on you. H xx
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think the collection from Mango has been really strong this season and we have such a pants little Mango in Leeds with not very much stock or there may have been more purchases. The ones that I did make have gone back - they didn't suit as much as I would have liked them to. Ah well.
DeleteLoving your determination Sue for that elusive size - I must admit I am partial to a bit of size stalking as well!
ReplyDeleteThat's a cute jacket - love how you have styled it x
Well sometimes you just have a feeling about certain clothes whether they are going to TTS or cut a little looser or something and I just thought I needed my size in this one. The perseverance paid off!
DeleteThe bag, the bag....I need to see more pics of that bag. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the APC satchel which I've had for nearly a couple of years now. I think you liked it previously too!
DeleteLove the jacket! Now I want to hunt one down too...do you have the product code? Love the bag too.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh - I went to have a look on the label and I have two codes here (5052301971843) and (646790) which is the more likely one. I've had it about a month now so it might be a little difficult to track down but it is known as "navy washed jacquard kimono". There are no details on my order online which I can provide you as I was hoping it might have a product code for it there. Good hunting!
DeleteNice outfit! That's the tee I have my eyes on though. Looks so light and comfortable and breezy for summer :)
ReplyDeleteThe linen tee - I ordered a size small and it is getting bigger with each wear. I wore it for the first time when I went to London and it was loose but not so bad. Today I put it on to try on with something and I noticed it was even bigger. I would say it is more of a medium now. I meant to put it in the wash to see how it fares and whether it shrinks (back to size) but totally forgot or I would tell you a bit more about it just incase you were going to order one.
DeleteNice jacket ... what shoes did you wear?? I still can't believe that none of you took photos of your meet-up. Bad, bad bloggers!!
ReplyDeleteI had a couple but they were pretty random. I have a nice picture of my dinner though :o)
DeleteAnd I just put on my Carvela Krimble sandals. Something that I didn't need to break in and okay for walking in despite having a heel. I didn't want everyone towering over me as usual.
Love love it, very Matantish Sue. Works great with your J.Crew tee. I have been drooling over that the marant wrap denim jackets all season such a more lady like way to wear a denim jacket ( my H&M denim jacket still not worn a year on!!!! ) great purchase always better when you have been hunting for one. X
ReplyDeleteI'm another person who is rubbish with a denim jacket. I have had one in my wardrobe for more than ten years and it has probably only been worn once. I think it may be time to get rid. I've never felt comfortable in it and I think it's partly because it's quite a stiff denim compared to some of the lovely soft ones I've seen in more recent years. I always feel very butch in a denim jacket as well.
DeleteAnd the Marant jackets look lovely don't they. Shame the prices are not so lovely.
yes agree the prices are not so lovely hence why I have never purchased. x
DeleteSuch a fab jacket, perfect for this time of year when the weather doesn't seem to know what it's doing from one minute to the next! Love it when a bit of online stalking pays off (especially as this would have been a fraction of the price of the Marant ones!) x
ReplyDeleteOh I was so pleased when I stumbled across this. One of the first things I do on any website that I go on is the coats and jackets section. I think it's because I'm permanently cold!
DeleteI love reading about your little shopping escapades Sue, you are nothing but persistent and it paid off this time. It's a great jacket. Still waiting to hear if you kept the Kate Moss for TS top xx
ReplyDeleteThe Topshop blouse has left the building! All three of them. Size 10, 8 and 6. Farewell.
DeleteYou look so pretty - I love this outfit. I have a similar jacket from Zara last year but it's now too hot to wear jackets here! The hair looks amazing again😘
ReplyDeleteAww you're too sweet Joanna. And I was having a funny hair day that day as well like you do. My hair was quite neatly groomed as I did a "gentle" wafting on it that morning with the hairdryer rather than the tornado wafting I do as it's been such a pain the backside and won't settle. It's growing again now. I like my hair longer in the summer so I can tie it up. At the moment, I have a stumpy pony tail. Hmm.
DeleteI love the colour and texture of the jacket - its realy really nice.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kristina. Need to see more of the bag - that looks really cool !
:0)
Paul
Thank you! The jacket is such an easy piece to wear and quite light.
DeleteAnd the bag - it gets the occasional outing. Its a light canvas so I have to be careful with colour transfer from jackets and jeans. I think a little dye did transfer the other day so I will have to find out what to do to sort that out. If you have any ideas - give me a holler - and just so you know - it's not one I can stick it in the washing machine.
I really love your necklace! And the jacket is such a fab buy.
ReplyDeleteAbbi x
Thank you about the necklace. I don't buy much jewellery as I am so rubbish at wearing it. I certainly noticed it banging about when I was running for my train last Thursday!
DeleteHave you tried tying a sash around it? I love the shape of that first Marant pic. Your jacket actually looks really expensive so congrats on such a nice score! I haven't scored any designer-like steals this season but I did finally walk into & other stories!
ReplyDeletesteph / absolutely-fuzzy.com
My jacket just about meets in the middle and doesn't have any fastenings. The Marant one is cut a little looser and with more fabric to bring together. I did try belting it but it was a little uncomfortable - I'm rubbish with anything around my middle.
Deletecute!
ReplyDeletewww.agoprime.it
Thank you!
DeleteWow £20, happy days it does look like a Marant! Great choice and so versatile too .
ReplyDeleteHttp://www.stylemecurvy.blogspot.com
Thank you Louise. For £20 - it certainly was happy days for me!
DeleteI absolutely adore the jacket on you Sue! I love the grey t-shirt and blue together.....a winning colour combo if ever I saw one!! River Island do some great little jackets, I think I've been lucky enough to bag a couple of bargains in their sale too! I'm off to have a little peruse around their website! xx
ReplyDeleteI don't have much from River Island - I definitely have to have a bit of a hunt in it but I don't get the same kind of satisfaction as I do from somewhere like H&M where I also need to put in some effort. It always seems to have that little bit extra embellishment (bling) which I think is uncalled for and which some people call a design feature. But I think I was lucky this time.
DeleteLet me know if you spot something good!
I do love a jacket, especially with jeans, when you want to be a bit more 'dressed'. What I love about your's is it looks so expensive, I think not only the style, but the colour too. A fab find if I may say so!! xx
ReplyDeleteThe colour is really good actually. The same material is also used in on another Mango jacket this season but in the black colour way (eyes like a hawk). I do find this style is quite easy to wear though - more relaxed.
DeleteI completely love that jacket on you Sue and agree it definitely had an IM look about it. River Island sometimes comes up with some really good pieces in amongst the weird and wonderful stuff! xx It was lovely catching up with you all hope we can catch up again soon xx
ReplyDeleteHa ha "amongst all the weird and wonderful stuff". That totally sums it up. It's just one of those shops which is not as obvious to me. I admit, I peruse the website when I run out of all other shops ;o)
DeleteAnd it was lovely to catch up with you again! Lets hope we can all catch up again soon!
I just saw this, but adding to the mass adoration of the gray + indigo + delicate silver you've got going on up top. Is it an open jacket or does it have clasps/buttons somewhere?
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