February Freeze, vol. 2: stalking pays off

     I love silk, especially silk with colorful pretty prints, but I love a bargain more.

  Trina Turk top (Nordstrom Rack)

      Red cardigan (JJ Basics, previously loved)

      Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings (HauteLook)

      6-strand red lucite bead necklace (eBay)

      Tweed jacket, FCUK for Sears (gifted)

Cheesy dating/flirting books (gifted - thanks, Sis!)

     Therefore, I stalked this shirt at Nordstrom Rack, waiting patiently for the price to drop and keeping my fingers crossed that no one would snap it up in my size. At last, the price tag sprouted a 65% off sticker, and I ended up paying a grand total of $17.
     (Cue upbeat romantic music, as Carrie and her silk shirt dance out of the store).
     One of my favorite kinds of love stories. :)

     I love silk, but at the same time I don't wear my silk shirts enough. I think they're a little too fancy, but then it's heartbreaking that they just hang in the closet while the T-shirts get to have all the fun.
     From the topic of stalking, it's a short hop to thoughts of Valentine's Day (or is that just me?) -- which is what inspired me to add a red cardigan for some pink and red fun.

    

    

size it up: FCUK for Sears blazer

   I honestly can't remember the last time I bought clothes from Sear's (sorry, does that sound snobby?) But I stopped by the other day and this blazer caught my eye.

     NOTE: I wasn't quite sure how to review the fit of a blazer, so I turned to the queen of blazers -- Kelly of Alterations Needed. I read through a bunch of her blazer reviews to get an idea of what I should be looking at, fit-wise. 
     SIZE: 2. There were a few random petite sizes mixed in with the regular sizes, but I didn't get a chance to try on a petite version.
     FIT: I like the longer front and higher-cut back of this blazer -- it makes it look a little different. It has a bit of an extended shoulder (I don't know what it's really called, but when you feel the edge of the shoulder, there's a bit of padding). For my size, I have fairly broad shoulders, so I'm usually leery of anything that adds to this area. However,  this doesn't make me look like I play football, so it's OK. :)
      As this is a regular size, the sleeves are long. Getting the sleeves altered would just about eliminate the 4 (fake) cuff buttons. I could also cuff the sleeves.
      I'm always looking for items that define my waist, and this blazer does a pretty good job -- particularly when buttoned, it falls right at my natural waist.

     QUALITY: I'm the first to admit that I'm not familiar with the higher-end, much-touted brands for suiting, such as Theory, J. Crew, or Ann Taylor, so my judgments in this area are not based on extensive (or, any) knowledge. However, I think the jacket has a nice weight, and the fabric seems substantial.

Look at how it nips in at the waist!

      WARDROBE VALUE? I purchased this Mom generously picked this up for me for $27.99 (original price: $88).  I can see myself wearing this blazer over dresses,  my favorite graphic tees, or dressier blouses. It would replace my thrifted Laura Ashley blazer, which has served me well but doesn't measure up in the fit department. (I wear it out of desperation for a warm layer when I go to class, but I tried taking photos of it once and they was so horrendous that I never posted them).

Cuffing = more room for bracelets! :)

     POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS: I might get the sleeves hemmed, but for now I'll leave them as is and wear it cuffed. It might also be nice to replace the plastic button with something just a little fancier.
What do you think of the fit, and this blazer in general? I'd love to hear your honest opinion.