Having a Zoe moment.

But before I move on to that, as promised I am taking a deep breath and going over what I have bought in the first quarter of the year.  How far from the path have I exactly strayed?  

Well to start with my first confession is that I am clearly beginning to lose my marbles as I'm struggling to remember what I've bought.  I think this is it....  I do have to pre-empt by saying there is one extra blouse in January from TKMaxx that was a present from my mother in law which I think is fine.  As it wasn't a purchase.

January 

Kenzo Top
Zara black silky top
Whistles Izzy Stripe top

Shoes - New Balance trainers
Accessory - M&S Hat

Feb 

Zara blue shirt
Zara green coat
Zara print trousers

Shoes - Skate Shoes - Next 
Accessory - Shirt collar - Cos

March

Cos blue top
Zara midnight blue boucle jacket
Fenn Wright Manson leopard print coat

Shoes - Skate Shoes - Next
Accessory - Dynamite necklace - Marc by Marc Jacobs

April

Banana Republic Trench Coat 
Zoe Karssen bat sweatshirt

Shoes - not yet.... 
Accessory - not yet.......

I did feel rather smug for about 10 seconds at not having bought the complete quota for April when I realised that it was the 6th of the month.  Which is truly woeful really.  But at least I haven't gone over yet.  

Second confession is that I may have bought one of my April purchases a couple of weeks ago in March.  Oops.  But I had been looking for one for ages and I have tried so so many on including a whole host of Burberry ones (at Bicester) and they're just not quite right.  I'm actually pretty broad on the shoulders and tall with long arms so if I manage to find one to fit across my top half, there tends to be reams of fabric around my middle. 

So when I was in London a couple of weeks ago with the 9yr old, we popped into Banana Republic as it was there and the trenches were on special offer with 20% off.  These things do fit differently on everyone but for me this one was perfect. 

Banana Republic New Classic Trench Coat on special offer now at £99.99

I have been looking for ages and a trench had been on my radar for forever and had I not come across this one, the others that were top of my list are these. (I have listed these before but for ease of reference) 

Marks and Spencer Pure Cotton Belted Trench Coat with Stormwear £79  I couldn't get the sizing right  for example a size 16 fitted on the shoulders for me but swamped me round the middle.  And the smaller sizes always seem to be out of stock.  I would probably recommend this for shorter people who don't have Hulk style shoulders and are a more classic proportion.



Gap Trench £64.95  This is great and they do it in a tall and a petite version as well.  Huge improvement on last years trench as this time it has a buckle which it never used to before.  Small detail but it does make a huge difference.  One thing I would say is this comes up massive.  It's properly huge.  My Banana Republic was a medium but I was definitely a Small in this.  They also didn't have my size in the Tall ever.  Now of course they do.  However I'm over the moon with my BR one. 




Lastly, I love the River Island one (which I thought may have been reduced but alas no.  I'm not surprised to be honest as it is a classic.) which I think they still have instore but seem to be sold out online. 

Next, my second April purchase.  This is where writing a blog gets dangerous.  I'd always liked the Zoe Karssen sweatshirts and have featured them on the blog a number of times.  Which includes a couple of weeks ago when I featured the black bat one.  That I then became obsessed with. 

Now I only put things on the blog that I genuinely like.  Obviously I don't/can't buy all of them but I spend way too long, searching online and instore for what I think is the pick of the high street.  It's completely unbiased - I love fashion but this is my space for showcasing things that I think are better than the rest.  And if money/space were no object I could pretty much wear everything I list (that's the point - it's my choice of what is out there!).   But there are things that sometimes I simply can't live without and this Zoe Karssen sweatshirt was one of those.  

Especially when last Saturday I went inot Bod & Ted which is a local boutique in Tunbridge Wells and they had a version of the Bat sweat I hadn't seen before.  This one with leather epaulettes.  It was reserved for someone else but this week they got in touch and said they weren't having it and I could have it.  Now it was more expensive than the normal shoulder one and considering I had a 20% day offer thingymajig at My Wardrobe, I ummed and ahhed at the extra money.  But I caved in the end as I do think it makes such a difference. 

The only place I've found it online (and I bought the last one from Bod & Ted - I did tell them they should have ordered more!) is from Zoe Karssen themselves. 

So here it is in all its glory - first outing will be tomorrow.  Size wise, this is a Medium although everyone says they come up big.  It's long on the sleeves which is great but it's definitely not oversized I wouldn't say.  I love the fact that it's not a huge sweat but (well I think) a more flattering slimmer fit. 




However if I could only have found the cheaper one without the leather shoulders, I would definitely just have gone with that one.  It was meant to be. 
Zoe Karssen Bat Sweatshirt £95




The other option that would be great for the Summer is the t-shirt. 

Bat Tee by Zoe Karssen £56  Now I'm not going to lie and I do love this but for me - that's quite steep for a tee.  Which sounds like an insane thing to say when I just paid £130 for a sweatshirt but somehow to me that doesn't seem quite so bad (I appreciate there is negative logic in this, but go figure) 




However there are bargains to be had at ASOS if you do like the Zoe Bat look, in two shades. 

Zoe Karssen Bat Loose Fit Sweater with contrast sleeves now £58 from £94.88

In Sodalite Blue 




And in Grey heather 




Moving away from the batmobile, this has to my next favourite Zoe one (someone told me that it's a slippery slope....)  Think this would look fab with navy. 

Zoe Karssen Killer Cool Ombre Sweatshirt £97