Fitting Room Finds: H&M.

     I know there has been a lack of outfit posts lately. I'm still trying to get settled in with my new job, which so far is going well, however, the commute is killing me. Even though I leave the house for work at the same time as I did when I lived in D.C., it gets me to the office at 9am instead of 8am! It's only been a week and I can feel it already start to wear me down. It will take me some time to get used to it or at least make some adjustments (I'll have to consider taking the "express" train even if I don't get a seat in the morning), as well as try to figure out a decent schedule to make it to the gym, get a good night's rest, and blog. Please be patient with me!

      At my former job, I could definitely get away with a lot more casual wear at the office. At my new place of work, although it does not require formal business wear, many of my co-workers tend to wear suits, or at least, a blazer most days. As a result, I feel "peer-pressured" to do the same. I'm sure that feeling will pass pretty soon as I wore a full matching suit Monday to Wednesday this past week, and on Thursday, I already felt like it was getting old so I opted for some mixing and matching of separates. =/ Consequently, I've decided to add a few more non-classic-but-not-too-trendy blazers to my wardrobe to help keep me looking like I fit in with everyone else, but at the same time, not to offend my fashion sensibilities. 

   This weekend I ran a few errands and decided at the last minute that I wanted to look for a new oversized ring. I didn't find a ring, but instead found myself in H&M. I've been trying to avoid H&M purchases lately because during my last closet purge, I realized that many of my purchases from the store don't get much wear, and as a result, they were donated. Although I'm already quite picky about my selections, sometimes the purchases I do make from the store still aren't the best due to quality issues. I, too, can be blinded by the style and the price of fast fashion.

   Surprisingly, I picked up five blazers to bring into the fitting room with me. I'm still a noob when it comes to using the camera on my new iPhone, so I apologize for the bad angles and blurry photos, and please ignore my outfit, I was on the way to the gym. :)

   The first jacket I tried on was this houndstooth blazer:

     I'm not a huge houndstooth person, but I thought it was would be a nice addition to my current blazer collection that is made up of mostly black. The quality was not great, it seemed a bit too flimsy and the fit was awkward. It felt rather tight and the edges dug into my neck/back. It also didn't seem to hang right on the body and had no button closure. I tried this on in a size 4, which is my usual jacket size in H&M (sometimes I can go down to a 2). However, I really liked the way the back looked, sorry no pics of it on, I couldn't get a good angle:

    The price is $59.95CA. Typically, the US prices are $5 cheaper.

    The second jacket had a tuxedo-like lapel, longer in the front than in the back. 

    Initially, I thought I was going to bring this one home with me. It had a good fit (for me, size 4) and of decent quality (polyester, of course), but no button-front closure. The material also has a slight sheen, which I could have done without. It has some non-classic details, but it did not otherwise appear too trendy for the office. The price is $59.95CA.

    The third jacket I fell in love with:

    It's collarless jacket with a strong shoulder (but not too strong or obvious), a longer length, and a single hook closure. It is very similar to the Theory Lanai blazer. The fit around the shoulders is perfect for me in a size 4, although buttoned up, the waist is a bit big (not really planning to wear this closed anyway). It is made of polyester, but the material is more crepe-like, is fully-lined, and is of better quality than many other H&M blazers. The price certainly reflects it at $79.95CA. If you are interested in this jacket, it comes from the Trend Collection so unless it is a return from another customer, you may have a hard time finding this jacket in a store that doesn't typically carry this line. In the end, I took this one home just to ponder, but I don't think I'll be returning it.

   Fourth:

   I've been looking for a  tweed or tweed-like jacket for a while now, and when I saw this motorcycle-style jacket I thought I would give it a go. The material has a bit of metallic silver in it but the overall quality just isn't great. Size 4 fit in the shoulders, but it was a little bit too boxy and unflattering on the body. It also has zips on the end of the sleeve. The price is $29.95CA.

  Finally, this jacket was my least favorite:

      It has a peplum detail in the front, but none in the back. It also fit on the smaller side.  There is nothing really special about it so I immediately put it back on the hanger. I am wearing it in a size 4 and I felt rather squished when buttoned up. The quality is typical of an H&M blazer (i.e., meh). The price is $39.95CA.

     Any great blazer finds at H&M lately?

     P.S. Don't forget to enter AFD's 3rd Blog-iversary Giveaway!