misosouper, a shopping blog

I’m all packed and ready to leave for Alt Summit tomorrow! I shouldn’t be congratulating myself for packing a 3-day trip into a carry-on, but I’m very pleased with myself for succeeding. I do wish, however, that my suitcase had a little more class than the Samsonite brick on wheels I’ll be hefting into the overhead. Like this, for example. But with enough room for the four pairs of shoes I’m bringing.

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This sweet little leather bomber jacket is exactly what I want for fall. Inspired by a vintage Italian racing jacket, it’s slim cut, buttery soft, and a little distressed.

Last night I took a survey of my long cardigan situation, and let’s just say that it looks a bit ragged, and smells even worse.

Since cardis are a year-round thing–hello, frozen tundra of offices and movie theaters!–I’m going to make this space-dyed stunner a spring-to-fall fling.

Here’s the thing about J. Crew’s sales:  they’re pretty much always happening, so you never have to worry about missing one, a la Nordstrom’s semi-annual sell-offs; they’re usually accompanied by some sort of coupon, either for free shipping or an additional percentage off, which can be be tracked down at  J.Crew Aficionada; and the sale section of their website is guaranteed to behave badly, which means non-sale/kids/men’s items will be filtered in with the women’s sale stuff, and half of the sale stock will be, well, out of stock.

I shopped the sale for us today, and because of the overwhelming amount of merchandise, I limited my price range to under $100, which led me to my beloved Quinn Cami, Matchstick Cords, and even some stuff for the guys.  And although I made a big effort to select items that had at least two sizes in stock, things can change quickly (see above), so make your purchase fast.

Long story short:  it’s an ongoing, deeply discounted treasure hunt.  To the patient, nimble-fingered, and eagle-eyed go the spoils.

1.  Wool Jersey Rosette Tank; 2.  Beachcomber Tunic; 3.  Cashmere Tunic; 4.  Men’s Cashmere V-Neck Sweater; 5.  Claudia Crackle-Metallic Pumps (the only item over $100, though not by much…can you blame me?); 6.  Men’s Fleece Deck Jacket; 7.  Herringbone Fiona Jacket; 8.  Merino Lea Cardigan; 9.  Poplin Kasia Blouse; 10.  Men’s Secret Wash Point Collar Shirt; 11.  Silk Chiffon Abigail Dress; 12.  Solid Crawford Blouse; 13.  Stretch Vintage Matchstick Cord; 14.  Mod Herringbone Mini; 15.  Quinn Cami; 16.  Men’s Shearling Scuffs.

For a time, I was into these skinny jeans that, while making my legs look fantastically long, were $150+. Since I try to avoid trendy *and* spendy, I found an alternative: J Crew’s Matchstick jean, which comes in lots of colors (don’t forget to check out the cords), retains its shape throughout the day, and rings in at a cool $88.