Review of the new goods

OK, I'm back. Again.

(I should probably rename my blog. What do you think of The Prodigal Blogger?)

Anyway, I thought I'd update with my reaction to the stuff in my last post.

Since my daily uniform runs to jeans/tees or jeans/sweaters, worn with flat shoes of some type, I've mostly worn the casual stuff.

Jimmy Choo "Youth" motorcycle boots *****

I love these!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I pinned these a couple of months ago. And kept thinking about them. Neiman Marcus tipped the scales by offering a gift card if I bought two full-priced items. (Intelligent shoppers don't fall for that sort of nonsense, but I am what I am.)

I ordered them in a 39, my usual size, but they were a little tight across the ball of the foot, so I sent them back and got the 39.5. Now they're perfectly comfortable and I can wear them with thick socks when it's cold. The leather is gorgeous and buttery. The lining is deliciously smooth, and the round toes look authentic and give extra toe room. They're both tough and ladylike. "Elegant motorcycle boots" might sound like an oxymoron, but I swear it's not. When I'm not wearing them I leave them out on the rug and just admire them. True story.

Lafayette 148 Markel white sleeveless ruffled blouse ****

This was the other full-priced item from Neiman Marcus. I felt justified paying full price because for whatever reason, Lafayette 148 tops fit and flatter me better than anything else in the world. They fit over my balcony, but nip in at the waist just the right amount to keep me looking as large and rectangular as the box your refrigerator came in.

Ordinarily I try to stay away from ruffles, but these are fairly crisp and small. They extend down the front of the blouse a little too far to fit perfectly under my cardigans. Also, the arm holes are a little big on me--but I'm not planning on wearing this blouse on its own, anyway.

BTW, this blouse is currently 30 percent off!

Tory Burch tumbled leather Reva flats ***--

I got these to wear with khaki pants and jeans to dress them up a bit. I love the texture and the color and the fact that the logo is done in a matte leather instead of shiny gold or silver. But I've given these two or three tries, and unfortunately, they're a miss. I read the reviews on Bloomindales.com and decided to size up a little, for a little extra width. I got these in a 9.5. I have wide feet and that trick sometimes makes all the difference. Unfortunately, in this case, it didn't work. The shoes are still tight across the ball of the foot, and on top of that, they're too long. There's about half an inch of extra shoe at the heel.

Brooks Brothers double-breasted short lambskin trench coat *****
I headed to the Brooks Brothers website because I got an email announcing a 25 percent off Friends and Family sale. I was amazed at how much stuff they had that I liked!

I love, love, love this jacket. Seriously, it's perfect. The leather is extremely soft and buttery. I ordered a size 14 because of the balcony, and the fit in the shoulders is perfect, as is the sleeve length. (This was great news because God knows I didn't want to have to have a leather jacket tailored.) It's the perfect short coat for me because the leather is a little fashion forward, but the trench coat styling is classic. And the length works perfectly over pants and skirts.