what I wanted / what I bought

This is a hard one because I never really found exactly what I wanted -

I wanted this style – but with a covered heel -

Replay Women's Gwenda Heeled Sandal   £34.00   Javari

 

This Plasti-quality -

Ava Court Shoe   £18.00   Boohoo

 

And this color -

BCBGeneration Women's Worker   EUR 78.26   Shoes.com

 

And what I ended up buying was something 90’s vintage and rather Natalie Portman-esque (I always think of her in a mid heel open vamp sandal), which I am pretty happy with.  At least temporarily.  I have been searching for this pair of shoes for a while to wear with this dress. 

 

just arrived from LA Vintage -

 

Here they are with the dress -

 

Let’s have a little look at L.A. just for fun -

photo source – usgs.gov

what I wanted / what I bought

Minnetonka Cross Body Fringe Bag   USD 49.99  Infinity Shoes

Minnetonka Hobo Fringe Bag   USD 74.99 USD 59.99 Infinity Shoes

Why? 

Even though I like the first bag more in look - it is very small and impractical for the use I have in mind. Since I plan to use it for everyday I picked the larger hobo style.

The sale price of the hobo turned out to be a plus.

I plan – God willing - to have this fringed bag for a long time so I picked a pretty classic make of it  -

Sometimes decisions like this are very hard and we all have made costly misjudgments so it pays to really think it through. 

I also considered this bag - but because it was not real leather (read the description carefully) and because a fringe bag already has great potential for the tacky factor -  I paid a little more for a definitive classic leather version from a reputable brand.   

Hopefully it will become part of my wardrobe for life and it will become more beautiful as it ages. 

I will just have to keep the kitten away from it. : |

what i wanted / what i bought

what I wanted -

Camel Hair Jacket at Orvis   USD 275.00 

what I bought -

Pre-owned on eBay USD 24.95

Even if I could afford the blazer from Orvis – I would hesitate to buy it because of my lifestyle – the chances of me ruining it in the context in which I want to wear it – with jeans – grocery shopping – travelling – very casually - are too great.  That is something to consider before spending a lot of money on an item – where will it be worn?  With the pre-owned blazer I can still experiment with the camel trend – not my greatest color – and I can do so without breaking the family bank - and without worrying about staining it after only a few wears - which I tend to do  - especially with lighter colors

: – | 

The Pre-owned blazer will be a little large on me – but I am OK with that because not only I will I be layering it profusely– but that will also give it a more comfortable casual weekend vibe – like a boyfriend blazer. 

Finally – if it turns out to be a TKO upon arrival – then I will consider having it altered and fitted and saving it for nicer occasions. 

so – 4 great reasons not to spend a lot on an item -

1.  It’s not your greatest color or shape

2.  It’s a trend you want to experiment with

3.  You will probably ruin it before the season is over

4.   It is a light color

Saying you are not going to wear the item that often is not always a trustworthy measure - because if it is a great pair of wide legged evening slacks or a fabulous classic black evening bag the chances are you will have it for 10 years at least - if not your whole life.  Just be sure if you do spend a lot to buy a very classic version of whatever it is.

The chances of a camel blazer lasting for life are slim.  A navy,  black, or plaid one maybe -