Shop Around: Blaz-ering Saddles

You honestly didn't think that I'd go that long without a terrible pun, did you?  

I love navy blazers.  Especially ones with the gold buttons and pockets.  I still haven't decided if I'm going to add one to my wardrobe.  For me, navy is tricky.  My wardrobe's color scheme is cool - greys and blacks and blues.  And while I'm not coy about pairing browns and blacks or navys and blacks, I don't want the navy to be so dark that it looks like I was trying to match black jeans with a blue blazer because I thought the blue blazer was really black (I wouldn't pair a black bottom with a black top anyway - I don't have a good reason for it, it just doesn't float my boat).  I want the navy to be dark enough to be considered navy, but not so dark that it could be confused with black.  Are any of you still with me?  I'm a bad 'splainer.

Aaaand, then there's the whole petite issue.  Now, J. Crew has a women's schoolboy blazer that comes in petite, but at $198, I'd like to check out my other options.  For a petite like myself, another viable option is the children's section.  Both J. Crew and Lands' End have children's options for both boys and girls, which is a plus.  But at $128 - $158 and $80, respectively, are there any other options?  Both French Toast and The Children's Place have blue blazers for about $30, but they don't have that separate boy/girl tailoring.

Okay, now there's the bottom line.  I'm not one to shy away from a price tag (high or low) if it's an item that I know that I will wear again and again.  And again and again.  And then have it repaired and wear it again and again.  For example, I have this pair of Target slouchy piratey boots with the perfect small heel that I got about 4 years ago.  They weren't expensive, but they are perfect. I've had them resoled and probably will continue to do so until they degrade into nothing (since they're pleather, I don't see that happening in my lifetime).  I also paid a pretty penny for my Cece flats, but they're so comfortable and versatile that I haven't looked back.  I'd rather pay the asking price for something that I'll wear for years rather than waste $30 or however much on something ill-fitting that will languish in my closet for years.  

As soon as I think I'm leaning one way, I immediately begin to lean another, with respect to this selection of blue blazers.  The first step though, is to do a needs assessment to see if this is something my wardrobe even needs.