Splurge or Steal? Leather Pants Edition

My fashion philosophy is that big ticket items should be handbags, shoes, coats, jewelry, or other timeless, not trendy pieces.   Things I can see myself wearing for multiple seasons.  Multiple occasions.  Dressing up and dressing down.  Things I can see myself wearing at 40.   You get the point.

So what, my friends, does one do about leather pants?  First of all, is there anything worse than faux leather?  I used to think not.  But over the past year or so, I've been seeing some really well done faux - not the shiny, sticky, swishing when you walk pleather stuff - some of it not even necessarily classified as faux leather, like J Brand's waxed denim.

I recently tried on the Zara pants below, and was really impressed by the quality of the cut and design, a great edgy piece to mix with my more classic staples.  On the other hand, my collection of various skinny black pants are in constant rotation in my wardrobe, especially as the weather gets cooler.  Are leather (or faux leather) pants worthy of a splurge?  Or should I stick with the steal?

Acne Best Leather Skinny Pants

The Outnet

$1,530.00

Waxed Effect Trousers

Zara

$79.90

Strategic Planning

Although the arrival of temps in the 50's, pumpkin lattes, and lost college kids definitely signals the time for fall shopping, I'm leaving my options open to some strategic planning for next spring and summer's wardrobes.  While I don't have any exotic resort vacations planned, hint hint, West Coast, I've been picking through the sales sections of my favorite stores for serious bargains on some of the things I've had my eye on all season.

Recent scores include:

Halston Heritage Green Dress

While I wouldn't exactly call it flattering, this dress makes my legs look a mile long, and more importantly, is just one of those dresses that makes you smile.  The color is way outside of my usual palette, but with strappy gold heels, lots of bangles, and a summer tan, even I have to admit I'm won over.

Ali Ro Peplum Dress

Now this is an interesting one.  From the Neiman Marcus website at $48, I figured the extra tailoring would be worth my while, and ordered the only size they had left- a size up from what I normally wear.  After trying it on and realizing how simple the alterations really would be on a cut like this, I think I've found a new strategy for my constant battle against too-short dresses; I'll simply size up and have the width tailored.  In writing this, I realize this is not a novel idea, but it has taken me 25 years to figure out so....

Tibi One-Shoulder Dress

While I hadn't officially decided that green was going to be my personal style statement for S/S '12, there is obviously a trend going on in my thinking here.  I had tried this dress on at the beginning of the season, fallen in love, and when I saw it on TheOutnet for 60% off, it took me about 60 seconds to complete checkout.

Luckily for me, this heat wave currently moving up the East Coast will give me the chance to wear some of my new finds before relegating them to my storage closet until spring.  It's always been my #1 shopping rule to walk away from an item, and if I'm still thinking about it a week later, I know it's worth a purchase.   Since these have been on my radar since... May?  I figured they all qualified.

What are your thoughts on shopping off-season?

Fall Fashion Wish List

1. Joie's Leather Skirt. You know the designer is pushing the limit when Intermix has to step in and create a longer version of their mini. Though I'm not one to shy away from a short skirt, I literally hesitated to leave my dressing room for the three-way-mirror to confirm that, in fact, this skirt was way too short. That's when my trustworthy Saks salesman confessed in a whisper that Intermix had stocked a slightly longer- yet still short- version of this amazing skirt.

2. Equipment's Silk Python Blouse. For those who know me, this is confirmation that yes, my first two fall must-haves are, in fact, leather and animal-print. These pieces push the borders of my comfort zone, but still meet all of my criteria: I'm head-over-heels, stalk-the-salesgirl-on-her-cell-phone, obsessed with them; I'm comfortable and confident wearing them; and lastly, I see them working well with lots of things already in my closet. The Equipment blouse will be equally perfect with white jeans and gold jewelry next summer and tucked into a pencil skirt for work. The leather skirt will update my myriad cream-colored sweaters and pair well with a silk top for a dinner date.

3. Autumn Cashmere Poncho- Identity crisis over, this is a piece that the five-year-old me definitely would have selected from the racks at Gap Kids, and I still love it! This is a pricier pick, but there are lots of wallet-conscious versions out there. I swear I haven't already snapped up H&M's $19.99 look-alike in two colors... Seriously though, I think a neutral-colored wrap or poncho is the easiest way to look chic and pulled together regardless of your mood, the weather, and what you wear it with.

4. DVF Metallic Tweed Pants- Lest you think this post is being sponsored by Intermix, (I only wish!) here's a piece from my all-time-fave designer. I love how easily these would transition from day to night, and I always enjoy the challenge of turning something that my mom could wear to a charity luncheon into something young and fresh. Though I'm not ususally a fan of metallics, I like the idea of a classic cut and high-quality fabric snazzed up a bit.

5. Jimmy Choo Lace Booties- Though I have a pretty well-stocked shoe collection, with all of the essentials covered, I've been looking for a pair of outfit-defining, statement-making shoes. With my go-to black jeggings (Joe's) and black silk & cashmere wrap (DKNY), these will take a tried-and-true ensemble to a whole new level. Definitely need to clear a front-and-center spot in my closet for them!

What's on your shopping list this fall?