Searching for the right “something” that you have in your head or that you’ve seen in a picture or on Pinterest can be a task. I find it’s best to ask yourself the following questions.

  1. Is the actual item in your budget? Are there lower cost alternatives?
  2. Will said item work with what’s already in your closet?
  3. Lastly, do you think you’ll get enough use out of it now, and for years to come, or is it just a passing trend?

I saw this Pin image a few weeks ago and loved the blazer. A little Googling told me it was more than likely Balmain ($$$$$$) and way out of my price range. That answers the first question…not in my budget.

A little more searching and I found a few “lower cost alternatives” that could work instead of the Balmain. The Boy by Band of Outsiders has some interesting buttons on it, though I’d probably change those out. Also at Yoox.com is the Met Blazer and at a great price. You can use FRIENDS for an additional 20% off right now at Yoox.com.

I think the Mango Double-Breasted Blazer is the one that’s most similar to the Balmain. I’ve never tried Mango but according to their size chart a Medium should fit me just fine. But just because this blazer is stuck in my head doesn’t mean I’ve come up with three ways to wear it.I’ll probably always wear it with jeans. It will be the tops that will be different. After a quick look at my Stylebook App, I’m not sure I have enough tops to go with this color of blazer. I don’t think it’s big enough to accommodate a sweater, unless it’s thin like the Tippi. Question 2 is probably a no, which make Question 3 a no as well. I really don’t think I will get a lot of use out of this color of blazer. Or even this style (Military) of blazer. I’ll try to recreate the look with my J Crew Wool Oxford Blazer in Iris instead.

What do you do when you see something that takes required searching for? Do you ask yourself any other questions I should consider?