My stylist Sarah greeted me right after I entered the store. Sarah was about thirty years old with a cute black and white outfit highlighted by a pair of green flats. The outfit was flawless. I told S that I was trying to avoid the "cute" outfits because of my baby face. We agreed on a "no bow" policy, and the game started. I put on her favorite black tweed jacket with angora, wool, and chiffon. It was meant to be worn without the buttons closed although it was indeed a double breasted style. It draped nicely on my body and the double breast design looked a thousand times better than a single breast style would have achieved. The only problem is that the jacket looked a little boxy on me. While I was puzzled by the sizing, store manager Barbara explained that the size was cut a little bigger this winter.
Barbara was a very sweet lady without any attitude that you might see in Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue. She had a great sense of style and she taught me so much knowledge about Chanel. More importantly, she never pushes people to purchase the more expensive items. I was hesitating between a lined classic Chanel tweed jacket and the more youthful cardigan jacket, and she recommended the latter one which turned out to be a jacket that I would like to wear in the years to come.
Dressed perfectly for the event, Barbara was in a gray/silver jacket, a silk gray/black layered tulle top, a pair of dark gray cropped pants, and a sparkling cross crystal necklace. "You should try this top, Jing!" Barbara recommended her baby doll top. I put it on, and I loved it. The cut was small and it would be perfect worn under any jackets. I could wear it with a suit jacket for work and be party ready just by taking off the jacket or opening the buttons. The only problem was that the tulle feels extremely delicate, and the four-digit price was intimidating. I would have a heart attack if I broke a single thread of it.
My most wanted Chanel number in this season was a turtleneck with gray/black stripes and a flower pin. Other items in my wish list include a gray/black A-line skirt, and a short sleeve jacket to wear with the turtleneck. The event was a perfect opportunity to pull the entire outfit together without being pushed to make purchase. With Sarah and Barbara's help, I got all the items I want and started the experiment. Different from what I imagined, the turtleneck had super long sleeves and I needed to pull it all up to my arms to create that slouchy look shown on runway. That process reminded me of wearing my dad's sweater when I was a little kid. Years later, I was doing exactly the same thing but in a Chanel fitting room. I smiled to myself in the mirror, and checked out the outfit: the turtleneck was almost perfect but a size or two too big, the skirt fit perfectly, and they were the perfect match. After adding on the short sleeve jacket, I was ready for the winter. I felt like accessorizing the turtleneck with necklace, but I was never good at pulling off jewelry. I needed professional guidance.
Sarah brought me a pearl necklace and a pearl belt. I always adored them but never got one because I was a little afraid of pearls. Pearls are hard to pull off because they could make you look old or even ridiculous if you didn't wear them with the right outfit or they were not the right length. I wouldn't believe how well the pearls would go with the turtleneck until Sarah put it on. The magical Chanel details on the pearls gave it a totally different look and the necklace became the highlight of the outfit instantly. "Let's layer it." Said Barbara. She made the belt a funky black and white pearl necklace. For the first time, the pearls didn't add any weird "old lady" look on me but added just enough edge to the outfit.
We kept adding things on. Boots, bags, and even more jewelry. Once I was under layers of Chanel like the models on the runway show, I realized that we over did it. We cut it back and I returned to my black sling backs. Carrying my slouchy Balenciaga Bordeaux bag to add a little color, it became my ultimate Chanel outfit.
