My Prince Has Come...

Prince Charming and you-know-who

For years I've wanted one of Ralph Lauren's military-inspired jackets but have never been able to find the right one. If I could swan into his Madison Avenue atelier I might, but I'm not that kind of gal. Something about champagne taste and a (domestic) beer pocketbook.

This is a look a stylish friend also loves. She has four of them, purchased through various combinations of ebay and the Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply shop. Our styles don't really mesh, but in this case we agree. I've tried on a few that may have made it to the sale racks, but nothing really said "go for it" until yesterday.

Prince TJ of Maxx

I found my "prince" hanging on the end of a random rack at TJ Maxx, that mecca for the beer-budget fashion-possessed. There wasn't another in sight. My size. Regular price: $245. Their price: $69.99. Aside: Marshall's and TJ Maxx are owned by the same company. Is it deliberate that TJ's fashion is more forward than Marshall's?

I'm a firm believer in the "it was meant to be" aspect of shopping. I've been able to accept defeat uttering that mantra. Yesterday was " It was meant to be!"

This type of jacket has been part of the Ralph Lauren canon for many years. It adapts it to his "moment du jour", be it English, Russian, Native American, etc. Lately it lands most frequently under his "Denim & Supply" label, which leans towards the fanciful/Boho/Americana look.

Marching on...

To show you how long I've been coveting my own, I bought an old marching band jacket at a thrift store in the '90s and wore it for a bit. It was quite stiff and unwieldy. Hard to imagine anyone playing a piccolo let along a tuba while wearing it.

Not only did my fabulous find scratch a long-time itch and arrive in time for Nutcracker season, I came home to this in the November issue of Harper's Bazaar:

Rare selfie moment