Balmain Envy

Let's be honest, shall we? Balmain is not in the budget at this stage in my life, which is a shame, I think. I believe that 23 is the age where one can get away with a shoulder pad that rivals that of a linebacker. While I may possess the nerve to wear such threads, the cash...a different tale my friends.

I have been obsessing over the strong shoulder for some time now and regretting ripping the massive shoulder pads out of my mom's vintage St. John jackets. But wait...there is hope for me still!

Imagine my delight when I walked into Zara www.zara.com and saw that it not only was stocked in my favorite color scheme (black, white, grey, and navy please!) but it was full of strong shoulders!

My most exciting purchase was a black sweater with...but of course!...a perfectly proportioned strong shoulder with a dusting of beading for emphasis. A close second came in the form of a boyfriend blazer with enough padding up top to give me the personal space I so desire, but not so much that my beloved hubby made a football joke (that would have gone over my head anyway) Each item was well under the $100 price point so both my inner fashionista and inner accountant (yes, I am a diverse gal) will be plenty pleased.

Ugh...now I'm thinking of the little boxy jackets that I left behind because I had strong-shoulder blinders on. A trip back to the burbs (Zara-Chicago is not slated to open until November so until then I have to make the journey) might be in my future. After all, variety is the spice of life!