Yesterday I did something I haven't done for a while...I toddled off by myself and spent hours aimlessly wandering around stores...trying a lot of things on and even finding one or two things to add to the closet. Usually I shop with Mr. Heb and, even though he's very understanding on all things fashion related, he does tend to have a very masculine, in-and-out mentality...instead of "came, saw, and conquered" it's "came, saw, and purchased"...browsing is cut down to the bare minimum...and sometimes, a girl just wants to meander around a bit...

The first stop was one of my favorite boutiques, and one of the few places that stocks Isabel Marant in the US. So it's probably fitting that I ended up buying a charcoal grey Marant dress...loose without being baggy and a satisfying mix of sober and funky...perfect for a work look that isn't too office-y. I fell for Alexander Wang's tweed paperbag-waisted skirt for similar reasons but put it on hold, hoping that I could find a cheaper alternative...but more on that later.

At J Crew I was finally able to try on their "homage to Balenciaga" jacket. I have to say, it's lovely...the material is nicely luxe...as are the hand-painted buttons. However, I had a couple of issues with it. One, this is a thick jacket...it's a indoor jacket in an outdoor weight...if your building had a halfway decent heating system I don't think you'd be able to wear this...and certainly not if you wanted to go the whole hog and wear a striped shirt and embellished scarf with it...there'd be a little puddle of fashionable fangirl on the floor. Issue two is that, at least in the store I visited, the jackets were almost all gone...and somehow the allure is diminished when there's a good chance that, once the cold weather hits, the jacket will be popping up everywhere. Basically it comes down to the fact that if it was at an H&M pricepoint I wouldn't care but it's just too expensive. I know, I know...I'm too picky...compared to the actual Balenciaga jacket it's cheap as chips, but the "issues" are there and there's nothing I can do about it.

At this stage I realized that I still hadn't found an alternative to the Wang skirt. J Crew, Gap, and Banana Republic all had incredibly ill-fitting grey skirts but nothing even closely approximating what I was looking for. Club Monaco however, did....in the form of the Luca skirt, in a stiff, dark grey fabric with a muted golden weave. At about a quarter the price of the Wang skirt the fabric and cut, at least on the hanger, were good. The only problem was it appeared to have been designed for someone about 5'2" in height. When I attempted to actually tie the skirt on my waist it suddenly became obscenely short...only by wearing it low-slung on my hips could I have actually ventured out of the dressing room with it on.

As you've probably surmised by this point, I will be going back for the Wang skirt. I'm rationalizing the cost (which is about the same as the C.M. skirt and J.C. jacket combined) by the thought that it's a unique piece and I'll probably wear it to death...and besides, do I really need to eat for the the next few weeks. On review, it's probably best I don't get to wander around too often...I couldn't afford it.