Looks for Less: Leather & Lenses

If you've been reading my blog regularly (which is easy to do now thanks to the magic of BlogLovin'... insert blatant promotional encouragement here), then you already know I am a beauty fiend. What you probably didn't realize is that despite my few scattered apparel posts, I am equally, if not more, infatuated with fashion and styling. I'm a firm believer that a few flawless basics can completely make an outfit. I'm an even firmer believer that you should be obsessed with anything and everything you buy for your wardrobe - that makes it even easier to pull together a great outfits and no garment gets left behind! There are two pieces in my closet that have been getting extra special love this season.

ANTHROPOLOGIE Sombra Sunglasses ($38)

If you read my Summer Essentials, then you're already well aware that I'm smitten with round-frame, wayfarer-esque, cat eye glasses - specifically the Super Duper Strength in Crazy Tort ones from Karen Walker. I'm obviously not the only one with a style crush (I'm making this a thing) on these glasses - they've been selling out like hotcakes despite the price tag, and multiple designers and their mothers are coming out with their own versions of the sophisticated sunnies... which brings me to these affordable sunglasses from Anthropologie that look anything but. They're very well made, face-flattering, and the frame is stunning. The plastic is not your ordinary tortoise shell - it is opaque black plastic mixed with gold-toned mother of pearl. The best adjective I can think of to describe these sunglasses is dynamic. These sunnies are unexpectedly beautiful, high-quality and inexpensive. They look much more expensive than they cost.

ZARA Biker Jacket with Zips ($239)

Before I get into it, you may be wonderfing how is this a "look for less?" Plain and simple, you cannot get an authentic leather jacket {and this beautiful} for this price. Most leather jackets are an upwards of several hundred - sometimes even in the thousands.

I bought this jacket while I was at Zara in Prague during the Spring. Despite the fact it has spikes, I find this jacket incredibly feminine and flattering. The spikes give more of a beautiful added texture and high-fashion flair to the jacket rather than a "goth," "punk," or "grungy" feel. My style is pretty far from goth, punk, or grunge.

The day before I purchased it, I had seen a girl wearing it on the street in Prague and made a mental note to keep my eyes open for that jacket before I left the country. As luck would have it, I found it at Zara! {I've noticed that I've become increasingly good at finding cute pieces in stores after spotting people wearing them out and about. Need a personal shopper, anyone? ;)} As a long time Zara lover, I'm well aware that not all stores carry all the same merchandise. I assumed that this would be the case for my jacket - especially considering I was across the Atlantic and in a different country - so I snatched it up immediately, but when I returned back to the states, I found my coat on sale at my local Zara. I never did find it in my size back home, though, so I can't beat myself up too much about it. Plus, I wear the thing all the time, and it serves as a great memory of Praha. Alright, enough back story! I'll get on with it.

image from Zara.com

Although there's a slim chance you could come across my exact jacket in on clearance at your local Zara, you have a better chance of finding this season's [stud/spike-free] version, which is what I've linked above, and I am happy to report that it fits as beautifully as mine. Both jackets can take any outfit from blah to Ooh La La. I even wanted to get it... that was until my mom brought me back to Earth and reminded me I already have a leather jacket and a similar one at that {pouty face}. I was a responsible consumer and left it on the rack for someone else to find and fall in love with.

If you're diggin' so hard on the subtle studs that you can't bring yourself to love the newer edition of Zara's leather jacket, I have recently found some suspiciously similar jackets in other brands' recent collections:

image cropped from BCBG.com

BCBG Novak Studded Leather Moto Jacket ($998) - Unlike my jacket from Zara, this jacket has spikes on the shoulders and arms instead of on the lower back and bottom of the sleeves. Also, while my Zara jacket is higher in the back and lower in the front, this jacket is the opposite. It will also cost you a lot more moola.

image cropped from Macys.com

MACYS BAR III Faux-Leather Studded Jacket ($119) - Vegans and anti-leather wearers, rejoyce! This jacket is faux-leather {a term which cleverly gives the semblance of luxury to a non-luxurious and sometimes reflective fabric once known as pleather. You can't just rename pleather! ;) Can you?}. This jacket is a bit more heavily studded than both the BCBG and Zara jackets but is still beautiful nonetheless.


Of the ones I have mentioned, my jacket favorites are those from Zara. I think they're both well-tailored, tastefully detailed, and an unbeatable value. I like that my jacket is a bit more subtle with its use of spikes. There are a few too many on the BCBG and Macys jackets, in my opinion.



Here's the part where I encourage you to share your thoughts. Are you loving the Karen Walker spinoff sunglasses as much as I am? If you had to choose one of the aforementioned jackets, which one would you pick? Have you stumbled upon any well-priced and perfect-fitting leather jackets? Comment below and let me know because I want to know! I need to know!

While you're at it, you might as well follow me on BlogLovin' if you haven't already. If it feels like the right thing to do, that's because it is.

Until next time... Lauren, out!

xx

All pictures were taken by me, unless noted. Please link back if you would like to use them. Thank you.