Admitting defeat

Kat 5/21/2013 12 Comments Edit

I had been planning on doing a post about summer dresses. Yeah. Right. I take full responsibility for the onslaught of crap weather as I had made the momentous decision (first world problems clearly) to get my legs out this summer. Instead of casing them in fabric, I fully intended, for the first time since I lived in the US way back when I was a revoltingly young 20 something, to stop being a big whinging jessie and get my legs out. Weather depending. Obviously. Goose bumps = a massive great big no.

Which unfortunately means that we will be able to count on one hand the number of days that this new resolution will be applicable. I apologise in advance. I shall still be looking at summer dresses, in the hope that I'm much mistaken and I will be blogging about it (as I hate doing research and not using it!)

In the meantime, it's freezing. I actually have the heating on. And so looking at jackets really doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Now I am devastated in having to acknowledge that I am not in need of a jacket. I have tried every which way to justify a new one, but alas, even I have to face that I am suffering from an overdose of the blighters.

On the upside, I am getting to rekindle my love of all things jacket related in my wardrobe. A lightweight summer jacket (or 20) is the perfect thing to wear right now over more summery trousers, jeans and hell, if your legs are summer worthy (mine have Everest proportions to climb but that's another story), then over a summer dress. If the rain holds off (as there is nothing worse than a soggy bottom) then these work perfectly over a maxi dress or skirt as well (I would wear a close fitting tee on top of a maxi skirt to keep those proportions in check). Get those summer clothes out - all those tees and vests and lighter weight bottoms and just bung on a jersey jacket.

And it was a particular jersey biker jacket that made me think - I could do with one of these in my life (justification aside - the fact I have already this year bought two from Zara was clearly a slight fly in the ointment)

This was the culprit - the jersey biker jacket from The White Company which everyone else obviously thought was also fantastic as it's sold out.

But the gods of all things biker have been at work and the jersey biker jacket is everywhere. In all colours and for all price ranges. I have my favourites.........

Navy jersey biker jacket with silver hardware Dorothy Perkins - £42 I personally get more use out of gold hardware but navy and silver are a classic combo at a great price. Am itching to put a breton under this.

Selected New Kara Biker Jacket in sweat fabric at ASOS £45 I love this one. As good over a pair of coated skinnies for a night out, as to wear to the gym. This one is definitely in my top three.

ASOS jersey biker in textured marl £40 This one is slightly more laid back I think, but just perfect for every day, chucking on over a tee and jeans.

ASOS biker jacket in Ponte £35 A slightly smarter fabric but I would easily wear this on a daily basis. Would also look great with layers underneath for the A/W/

F&F Jersey Asymmetric Biker Jacket £12 100% cotton Clearly the bargain of the day!

Ribbon Tweed Biker from Warehouse £65 Biker meets Chanel stylee. This is so up my street, I'm having to sit on my hands. I did in fact have a Chanel style jacket in this exact fabric and colourway from Zara about 8 years ago that I gave to the charity shop 2 years or so ago. Obviously I still have a whole other host of crap I've kept instead, that I haven't worn and will never wear again but this, which I would have loved, I chucked. Fool.

Grey Quilted Linen Biker jacket from Warehouse - £55 In a slightly different fabric if jersey isn't your thing. I struggle with linen like this as I merely have to look at anything with a large linen content and it looks like I've slept in it (my Topshop cargo trousers are testament to this) But normal people seem to manage fine. I love the shade of grey, just my idea of perfect with whites and other shades of grey. So sophisticated.

South Biker Tweed Jacket from Very - £49 Now, I'm going to throw it out there and say I'm not the hugest fan of Very or Littlewoods (is the only difference that Littlewoods is more expensive? Why would they do that?). True, I do have my beloved South Parka (which I had to track down on ebay) but it's never really been on my radar. There always seems to be somewhere I can find things that I prefer. Not sure why? Something about the models, the photography, the whole feel of it..... she says being a complete hypocrite as I'll happily shop from M&S and historically their online imagery has been woeful, verging on hysterical. So I'm talking out of my behind. But ignoring all of that, I think this jacket would actually be a great addition (to my wardrobe....!)

Great for a casual day at work over black trousers/white or black shell top or a black shift dress, perfect for a night out but just as great over jeans and a plain tee.

Label Lab Cowl drape Biker White from House Of Fraser £85 These are very Rick Owens to me. And I love all things Rick Owens. Apart from the price. Which is so far out of my budget normally, it only ever makes an appearance in my dreams. The main fabric component here is Lyocell which has a fantastic soft feel and draping element to it that would make this as great for work as it would for play. In either black or white. I actually know that I have a black jacket hole in my wardrobe and so I am firmly placing the black one on my sales list. It sneaks in as a biker jacket due to their description....

And in black

Whistles Erin quilted jacket in dark grey £110 Whistles, as you may have noticed, can do very little wrong in my book. (oh I take that back. Leather dungarees. Wrong. Mr Tumble does Porn springs to mind. Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Verging on therapy inducing.) This is a dark enough grey to warrant being black.

Hush Natural Crop Biker Jacket £60 And finally, my favourite, if I were to be in need of a cream jersey biker jacket. Hole and head spring to mind so I will leave this out there and hope someone else buys it so I can live vicariously through them.

And in dark navy

And there we have an homage to jackets. If the weather doesn't improve, I may be forced to look at summer blazers. Of which I don't have nearly enough......

Moving swiftly on with what I've been wearing - here I am on Sunday. So hugely hugely casual, verging on my pyjamas. But I realise I never post my slob outfits. Therefore, voila. I did go the supermarket in this (and yes, my kids did ask me, was I not going to get dressed?) and then to a friend's house for a cup of tea and a scone. And maybe a small glass of wine.

Grey and coral vest - H&M

Charcoal harem trousers - Toast

Cream knitted sweatshirt - Zara

Gunmetal Virgin hitops - Ash

Gold bee necklace - Alex Monroe

Grey Cherelle cross body bag - Whistles

Monday wasn't that much better - trip to the gym, school runs and chores round the house.

Blush vest - Miss Selfridge

Navy and white breton style jumper - Zara

Distressed straight leg jeans rolled up - Zara

Stone leather pumps - Gap

Navy pleather jacket - Primark

Grey Cherelle cross body bag - Whistles

And today for a fabulous lunch at a very good friend's house and my very first Pampered Chef party. I was unbelievably abstemious, coming away having ordered only a stoneware large roasting dish and the mini chopper. Seeing as work is (fingers crossed) starting on the house soon, I'm sort of going in the wrong direction with decluttering (more about that soon - can you imagine how much work I'm going to have to do on the wardrobe? I will be being brutal......)

In the meantime, due to (very very necessary) purchase of Burberry sandals, I have demoted these 4 year old Zara ones to day wear. As they're *ancient*, they don't have the vertiginous heel height of sandals from more recent years and so are totally wearable during the day.