Anchie and I are on the same wavelength, it seems. I made a huge Zara order and have some items up for review and discussion. I have no intention of keeping everything I've ordered and only want the most needed/ best. (Which hopefully overlap -- we'll see!)

I tried two jackets, one of which Anchie also tried. Note, these are not exactly styled into outfits, but I did try with a few bottoms to show and experiment with proportions.

FIrst, a navy and white tweed double breasted jacket. Not the best made item in the world (i.e. some of the threads are shedding where it is intentionally frayed) but certainly, the quality is more than acceptable and it is super comfortable. I have a great affinity for cropped boxy jackets like this. The buttons are kind of fun because they are mixed metal. I suspect I may be between sizes -- the shoulder seam does extend a bit past my actual shoulder. OTOH, that is the style -- shoulder is meant to be emphasized and there are pads in there.

So my question here is what do we think of the fit, and does it look like something I might also wear in autumn (to extend wearing season beyond spring.) I think I could wear with navy and/or burgundy, but would it always read "spring"?

Next up, a lilac and white cropped jacket. This one is higher quality, I would say -- very nicely made for the price. To me, it reads as an exclusively spring item. It is mostly cotton, but also lined so probably too warm for true summer except in AC. At Zara it is part of a set, but alas, its skirt is a mini -- not for me. I imagine I might be able to find bottoms other than jeans that would work but for now, that's what I've got. And the ladylike colour and nature of the piece mean -- given my casual lifestyle -- I'm more likely to wear it with denim than anything else.

Again, I may be between sizes. The sleeves are a little long on this one, but they are very nicely constructed with a slight narrowing toward the bottom so it doesn't bother me as much as it sometimes does...I could potentially have them altered, as well (showing a bit shorter in photos 6 and 7).

You can see how this jacket really wants to be matched with a very high waist and an A shape on bottom. The white jeans are high waisted but not quite as high and of course they are a different shape. I don't think it works with them. It doesn't work as well with the cropped wide legs, either, because the waist is about half an inch lower than on the full length pants. Half an inch!! Fascinating to see, right?

It is more vibrant in person -- not as faded out. Hard to photograph.

My questions here are does the fit look okay, and would you alter the sleeve?

Thank you!

ETA: Added some close ups to try to show colours more. A bit hard with the light today and the reflected greens outside.

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