Weekend Update

I've been tagged by La Vie Quotienne and Always In Style for memes, and I will get to those shortly, I promise.

Of the jackets I perused for spring/summer and an upcoming business trip, this one was the winner:

The Ann Taylor jacket is nice too, but it has a lot of silvery threads running through it so it's more of a standout piece.

A couple of commenters in the Poaching thread mentioned adding vinegar to the water. I was certain there was probably a reason for this, and so tried it. It makes the egg white cook up more solidly and cohesively, so I've now replaced the salt with vinegar in my egg poaching process.

Updating the Mix

Despite my intentions and declarations of last autumn, I did not end up buying and wearing more suits for work. A lot of the suits I tried on just looked too stuffy, or if I liked the jacket, the pants didn't work, and the other way around. As much as I appreciate the concept of suiting, when if comes down to what's on the racks I'm just not feeling the suits these days. I'm still relying on a trousers/jacket combo for the most part, but opting for plain trousers and jackets with a bit more style and currency than standard suiting blazers.

When it comes to trousers, I'm a recent convert to Banana Republic's "jackson (contour)" fit. BR gets it really, really right with these, especially in the lighweight wool version. Jackson's are cut for women like me who are full in the derriere, and they fit without the gaping waistband in the back that plagues me with most other styles in the same price range. The front hits just below the waist, and the inseam length is perfect for wear with a low heel. In addition, they're fully lined, and don't bind anywhere, so I can skip the Spanx! These trousers in taupe and black have become my weekday wardrobe workhorses.

But as I begin to prep for a weeklong business trip to New York in May, I realize that my stock of spring/summer jackets is low, and the few that I do have are maybe just a leeetle bit too laid-back or theatrical for meetings at the Corporate Mothership. So it's time to sniff out some style online, and do a little pre-shopping before getting behind the wheel.

The Banana Republic blazer that coordinates with the trousers I have is nice and classic, but a bit boring. Still, I can add some interest with scarves or jewelry, so it's a possibility, and worth a try-on. I'm not seeing much else on their website that would work with those pants.
While most of JCrew's styles seem to be targeting a much younger demographic than une femme, a few of their jackets have appealed to me in recent months. I like the stying (and the bracelet sleeves!) on this one:
But the color is just too much. Wait, they have it in navy, which might work with the taupe trousers, and could be potentially Paris-worthy (worn with dark wash jeans, non?):

Here's another one in Navy (not my favorite color, but it seems to be unavoidable this season): I'm a little uncertain about mixing wools though. And this one is pricey for a color I'm not in love with. Everything else I'm seeing on their site is either too ruffly or too fussy. (Why must everything be wrapped/tied at the waist? Does no one consider the mechanics of putting on/taking off a jacket during a business meeting in a conference room with a bi-polar air conditioner?)

While in the past I'd purchased several Ann Taylor suiting pieces that worked very well (am still wearing and loving a wool tweed jacket picked up on sale there over five years ago), lately their jackets and suits collections have been missing the mark for me. But ohlala! this has potential!

Les Jaquettes: The Long and Short of It

Une femme is a jacket fanatic. It's my belief that a jacket can pull together just about anything into a cohesive and more polished ensemble.

A few days ago, there was quite a kerfluffle over at The Sartorialist on the subject of women's jackets. Sart posted this picture, and his comments about sleeve lengths and longer jackets in general closed with, "you don't need to be a model for it to look great." Well, this was a battle cry for me and a few of my other shorter soeurs. Les Soldats Petites came out with guns a-blazing, and argued that petite women would either be swamped by the jacket he featured (a double-breasted number) or the curvier among us would look like linebackers in it. On the field of battle we circled, flanked, and attacked from all sides, but The Sartorialist stuck to his guns and held his ground. At the end of the day, it was a draw.

I am still of a mind that few women look really great in double-breasted jackets, and longer jackets can be tricky for the vertically challenged among us. I'm not a fan of the "shrunken" jacket either, which gives the appearance of wearing one's little brother's cast off Lycée Français school uniform jacket, but I have been enamored of the shorter 3/4 sleeve crop and swing jackets in the last year or so. One advantage to these is that we petites can often buy "regular" sizes without having to trot off to the tailor immediately upon purchase to get the sleeves shortened. Plus, they don't call them "bracelet length" sleeves for nothing; it's a great way to show off those stacks of bangles or unique cuffs.


As mentioned during that skirmish, I believe that the trick for shorter women wearing longer jackets (or any jackets for that matter), is to stick to single-breated styles, and to keep the top and bottom elements balanced. For women like me with a proportionally short waist and longer legs, long jackets can visually create a longer line. Women with a longer waist and shorter legs can wear longer jackets with narrow pants to keep the top and bottom halves balanced.


My current favorite longer jacket is last year's version of this Ralph Lauren Hacking Jacket (take note: this one's on sale!). This jacket is well cut for petites, and has classic design and shaping. If there's one thing Ralph does consistently well, it's the equestrian look.


Other than RL, there isn't much currently available online in longer jackets that are available in Petite sizes. Nada at Norstrom.com, rien at Neiman's. (In fact, I have quite a gripe with Neiman's online Petite department, which seems to be populated primarily by Eileen Fisher potato sacks.)

Talbot's has a few:

Wool gabardine single-button jacket, $188.










Stretch wool gabardine two-button jacket, $188.







Double twill wool stretch jacket, $198. (Here's a nice example of a longer jacket worn with narrow pants.)

For those of you who aren't committed to Petite sizes, here are some nice options from Nordstrom's:

BOSS Black Tuck Detail Jacket, $795 (LOVE the detailing on this but it might not work on those with a pronounced pear shape.)

Theory "Abel-Tailor" Jacket, $360.

More Lovely Greys

No, not on une femme's head. When it comes to hair color, my motto is "Better Living Through Chemistry," though if my shade of grey were a nice silver instead of a faded dishwater, I'd go au naturel in a heartbeat.


I'm speaking (again!) of this fall's grey pallettes. If you love this neutral as much as I do (it looks softer around the face than black, and can be paired with just about any other color), it's a great time to take advantage of the popularity of grey to stock up. Right now greys and pewters are everywhere, and I do mean everywhere.






Chico's jacket. (This looks SO much better in person than in their photo, you'll have to trust me on this one. It's a lovely crinkly metallic pewter jean-style jacket. And machine washable!)













jjill 3/4 sleeve tee in Pewter. (This is actually quite flattering, again machine washable.)









Here you get two trends (grey and patent leather) for the price of one: MICHAEL Michael Kors shoes. (NOT machine washable, I'm pretty certain.)





NYDJ Jeans in Charcoal. (LOVE this brand! Again, these look better on than in the picture. Yes, machine washable too.)

Classiques Entier Portrait Collar sweater from Nordstrom.com. (Very soft to the touch and such a flattering neckline! Sorry, this one is Dry Clean Only. And yes, the model needs a better hair stylist.)



And to accent that lovely grey ensemble? How about a pop of fall color, like this Bungalow Bag in Yam from Hayden-Harnett?

The Eagle Has Landed

Look what the delivery person brought today! It's that lovely jacket from a few posts down. Please forgive my crappy self-portrait skills. The jacket's not as bright a metallic as the website pic (whew!) and probably needs to be pressed a bit. The sleeves are actually cuffed, which doesn't really come across in the original image. The lining is a really cool abstract print. The overall feeling is of a very girly trench, un peut Francais et trés chic! I ordered a size up from my normal on the advice of the online chat lady, and am glad I did. It's cut fairly voluminously, but fits me well through the shoulders. And it's got the Drama in the Back, which unfortunately I'm not enough of a contortionist to photograph. It's a keeper!

Feeding Frenzy!

Otherwise known as the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale.

I was actually paying attention this year, and came home with some nice new wardrobe and makeup additions, most of which at a nice markdown. (Hey, we all need a couple of rationalizations to get through the day.)


I'd "pre-saled" (is that a verb now?) the MAC Brush Set and MAC Coral Lip set so went in to pick those up today, and in a whirlwind 45 minutes, came home with those plus a Laura Mercier Lip Plumper (which I really like--the color is sheer and makes my lips look smoother), and also with this jacket , (I'm so going to be known as That Older Chick With All of the Cropped 3/4 Sleeve Jackets.)





these shoes, (can you tell I'm loving grey this season? It's the new black!)

And some more Footpetals (essential if you want to go sockless and avoid Sweaty Foot).

The thing that I love about this Nordstrom's sale is that it's the new stuff, so sizes aren't picked over. I was actually able to find my size in everything I looked at today, which is nothing short of a miracle for a big sale. If I have a chance this weekend, I may go back and peruse some more. Or maybe common sense will prevail. Between this loot and the two custom bags I've ordered (more on that later) I'm going to be on a spending hiatus between now and December!