473 Shein's Cape Blazer in Pink, Monsoon Red silk skirt in gradient shades, watermelon + pineapple pattern blouse (St Luke's shop)

Pink cape blazer by Curve. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury.


That Striking Watermelon and Pineapple Blouse

My find in the St Luke's charity shop in Hatch End, which used to be an Oxfam charity shop. (St Luke's has about 17 shops all over north west London, raising money for hospices.) 

The blouse has no label. Maker unknown. 

I took a fancy to the summery pattern with jolly red. I tried it on. It suited me. I bought it.  

A feature is the double button. Having two buttons, one on each side of the opening, allows for the wearer's change of size, or sex if you want to fasten it differently.


The Red Silk Skirt

The red skirt is from Monsoon, UK size 16.  The waist is tightened with safety pins. 

The colour changes from jolly red at the waist down to burgundy at the hem, That is a good place to have a darker colour. A long skirt is likely to show the dirt, or the contrast of dirt.

100% silk. Lining 100% acetate.

I found it on eBay by searching for silk. I was delighted to find it in red, my favourite colour.

Hand wash, cool iron, do not tumble dry. Made in China.

I cut one end of the red ribbon hanging loops for hanging it on hangers, in order to find matching ribbon to hold a belt.


Red  Slip

The red slip is size 14, from Tesco. Amazing nowadays you get such classy clothes from a supermarket. 100% nylon, made in the UK.

https://www.shein.co.uk/SHEIN-X-LALA-BELTR-N-Two-Tone-Cloak-Sleeve-Shawl-Collar-Blazer-p-10495093-cat-1739.

Pink Shein Curve Cape Blazer

Website, Shein. One of their own labels. Label Curve. (Curve is their  polite name for plus size. Or not made for 16 year olds with stick figures.) Made in China. 

Pink. I bought four colours. I thought they would all arrive together.

Buttons

Two large gold domed buttons with transparent button on the back of the fabric. Spare gold button and transparent button.

 Supplied with spare button. Arrived creased. Looks cheap. No lining. 95% elastane 5%. Fused on a mesh backing which stretches diagonally. Washable.

Looked creased on arrival. I was very doubtful.

Looked awful. But previously I have had labels warning that the garment would arrived creased and just hang it up or wear it and wait for the creases to fall out. I wanted to try it on and see how it looked. I think I am grudgingly getting used to it. 

Jacket Cost

It cost 11.99 and I bought it in the Shein sale, clearance, supposedly. I was a bit worried. Now I see that when I spent over a certain amount by buying three, I had a further reduction. So it was GDP 8.42 reduced from GDP 18.99. With free shipping, on the large order.

I bought three colours, not all the same size. I had to take what was available. They were selling out, out of stock, fast. So I grabbed them while I had what seemed a reasonable price. 

Fabric Quality?

It is not elegant like my first Cape Blazer from Monsoon, which was lined, hung beautifully, looked a million dollars. Made me look elegant. It cost about 35 Euros. I supposed you get what you pay for. I do hunt for an expensive garment at a bargain price, even if secondhand.  I am a little disillusioned by the quality of the fabrics. And what is now called polyester I am calling modern polyester, to distinguish it from the traditional woven polyester.  This stuff reminds me of wearing blotchy nail varnish. 

Compliments or Complaints?

I didn't get any compliments on it. My daughter in law asked, "Did it come with slit sleeves? Is it  meant to be like that?"

 So, clearly, it didn't look right to her, or she would not have asked that question. 

I asked my son if it was hanging right or if I should send it back. 

He shrugged and said, "I'm not good at these things." 

I think the fabric is crappy.

I told my husband,  'The first cape blazer I bought cost  three times the price from Mango and was lined. This is creased."

My husband says, 'The creases will steam out."

If  I buy a steamer! 

Never mind. It passed the husband test.


Red leather belt 

Dwyers & co.


Turquoise Soft Bra 

Marks & Spencer. 

Size 38. Too large, but it is soft and comfortable. Not wired. 

Pretty colour. Turquoise green. (Not those awful white straps which shout underwear and turn dirty greyish yellow worse than sheets for decomposed cadavers.)


Red Sandals

Free-Step by Grosby. Upper leather.

GBP = Great Britain Pounds sterling

(not to be mistyped or confused with GDP which is gross domestic product)

USEFUL WEBSITES

Red cape blazer.

11.99. pounds sterling. Slightly different proportion of polyester.

https://www.shein.co.uk/SHEIN-Solid-Open-Front-Cloak-Sleeve-Blazer-p-4868377-cat-1739

Red cape blazer with scallop edge at 16.49, got 5 stars in reviews

https://www.shein.co.uk/SHEIN-SXY-Cloak-Sleeve-Scallop-Trim-Open-Front-Blazer-

Two colour red and pink,

GPB 30.49

https://www.shein.co.uk/SHEIN-X-LALA-BELTR-N-Two-Tone-Cloak-Sleeve-Shawl-Collar-Blazer-p-10495093-cat-1739. lien

This one is viscose and ...

M & S 

https://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-silk-midi-skirt/p/clp60551941  46 pounds but out of stock online, in July 2022.

Monsoon

https://www.monsoon.co.uk/

They have a 'silk effect' skirt, not silk as I at first thought, for 99 pounds, in pink.

GBP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound_sterling

Marks & Spencer had a pure silk 

GDP

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.

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