Firecracker's Blog

The accidental wardrobe refresh

November 25, 2025

. . . or maybe it's a continuous cycle for me. I am not a planner when it comes to my wardrobe, and I have a hard time projecting what I'm going to want to wear tomorrow, let alone the next season. Perhaps this is a characteristic of the extreme mood-based dresser.

Recently I got interested in finding a striped top to go with a patterned sweater I bought at AllSaints a couple of months ago (Emotive cardigan, in Finds). I have worn the sweater several times now that the weather has gotten cool enough. When I bought it, I also bought a short-sleeved striped tee that looked really good with it (Anna striped tee in Finds). So I've been trying to find something similar with long sleeves--even looking at fabrics, because I could easily make one. I went to our new-ish local Bloomie's--a tiny outpost of Bloomingdale's department store--the other day to return one of said striped tees, which just didn't work.

While there, I browsed around. There was some kind of sale going on. I found a pair of leopard-print jeans I wanted to try. I've had leopard print jeans on my mind since I tried a pair earlier in the season and they didn't work out. Not just any leopard would do; I liked subtler patterns, not high-contrast, and colors that tend toward olive browns. These fit the bill. But they didn't fit me too well; too skinny and too high rise. Since I was going into the fitting room anyway, I had also taken in a beautiful blue cashmere pullover that had caught my eye. It was meh on me, too long in the body. 

But now the nice sales associate, Richie, said he thought there was a pair of leopard print jeans I might like, in a subtle pattern. And a pretty blue cashmere sweater in a shorter length. They were really nice, styles I liked very much. The leopard print was indeed subtle, though it was not my preferred olive shade of brown, which I hadn't mentioned. I didn't know what I would wear the jeans with. The blue cashmere looked awfully good with them, though. And Richie brought a charcoal and white patterned, cropped (to high hip on short-waisted me) cardigan, which pattern-mixed surprisingly well with the jeans, too. He had other ideas, brought jackets for inspiration that reminded me of things I had at home.

I came home with all three pieces (although I traded the blue pullover for a dark, cool pine green one, which we decided was even a slightly better color on me), the first Finds below. I now also have a Bloomingdale's Loyallist membership (free, no card required) and a new favorite sales associate, who has already followed up with me. Oh, and lest you think I didn't feel the least guilt about about shopping for myself during the height of gift-giving season, I did pick up a little something for part of a friend's gift, too.

I spent a couple of hours with at-home try-ons yesterday, and I'll share some of the pics with you here. The colors are bad because of terrible lighting, but you can get an idea of the silhouettes anyway. 

The photos:
1) Leopard jeans (Rag & Bone, Shea high-rise straight leg), brown merino tee (Kit & Ace), brown and black belt (Suzi Roher), black merino short cardi (Kit & Ace), black booties with brown trim and red stitching (Pikolino)

2) Leopard jeans, brown merino tee, wine wool & cashmere cardi (Vince), black Pikolino booties

3) Leopard jeans, charcoal featherweight turtleneck (Eileen Fisher), charcoal and white patterned wool blend cardi (Cinq à Sept, Love Doodles Millie), pewter metallic lug-sole loafers (Pedro Garcia)

4) Leopard jeans, pale pink cropped cowl pullover (AllSaints Ridley), blush belt (AllSaints) [also liked it with pewter cutout belt (Fossil)]; taupe suede pointed low-heeled booties (Paul Green Willow)

5) Leopard jeans, pale pink cropped cowl pullover, black and brown belt, dark brown faux fur bomber (Save the Duck), taupe suede booties

6) Black with white pinstripe wool lantern pants (OSKA Renzi), cool off-white cotton oversized blouse (OSKA Raima), charcoal patterned cardi, black moto booties (Blondo Camila)

7) Slim medium wash jeans (Paige, Cindy high-waist straight ankle), off-white cotton oversized blouse, charcoal patterned cardi, charcoal patterned socks, charcoal patterned sparkly suede oxfords (Mephisto Sabatina)

8) White cargo jogger jeans (AllSaints Florence), charcoal turtleneck, charcoal patterned cardi, charcoal patterned socks, pewter lug-sole loafers

9) Leopard jeans, brown tee, brown & black belt, taupe floral denim jacket (made by me), black Pikolinos booties

10) Slim medium wash jeans, pine green cropped cashmere pullover (Theory), charcoal patterned suede oxfords (my outfit for the rest of the day)

11) Close up of the pullover

12) Close up of the cardi

13) Gray barrel jeans (AllSaints), offwhite textured mock turtleneck (AllSaints), charcoal patterned cardi, black cowboy boots

Thanks for looking! Comments, thoughts welcome. 

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Posted in the Shopping category
This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

37 Comments

  • Jaime replied 1 month ago

    Hahaha Sharan! If you can't gift yourself, you can't gift anyone - at least that is my philosophy. What a fabulous shopping experience and the new jeans look fantastic on you! Also love the blue sweater and the cropped graphic one. Favorite outfits: 1, 5, 10. But if I look again I would pick three more - I am not just a mood dresser like you I am a mood looker :) .

  • LJP replied 1 month ago

    Well that sounds like a great experience ! I love finding a good sales person and am happy to have them followup / contact me . It’s everything to have that professional treatment in this age of retail . I love the new leopard jeans ! They make your legs look a mile long .

  • Irina replied 1 month ago

    Great outfits! I don’t think I have ever had such a wonderful experience with any sale associates. 

    In all the items you posted, my favorite is a jacket made by you in #9. Beautiful jacket. 

  • slim cat replied 1 month ago

    Fabulous collection and great outfits - the Rag and Bone jeans are made for you ( lots of my petit customers wish for shorter version ;-) )!
    Outfits #3, 5, 8-9 and # 13 as a favorites. Love your jacket in #9 - you have a wonderful talent  as a tailor !

  • Carol replied 1 month ago

    Looks like you have long legs! Pants is a good look.  I love all of these--so strong, and they look like they suit you. I admire the wearing of the "pop/cartoon" sweaters, because they can be hard to pull off.  You said you wanted a striped shirt, sounds like you wanted a tee. Have you considered a standard pinstripe dress shirt, or solid dress shirt? Because they do look good when they hang out the bottom, like in 6 and 7. 

  • SarahD8 replied 1 month ago

    Wow! What an amazing experience and an even better result! Everything looks amazing on you, and I cannot pick a favorite look. You are the poster girl for picky, patient, and practical, and for organized emotional shopping. Well, I suppose Angie ought to be the poster girl since she came up with the concepts— but you are most definitely a star student!

  • Bonnie replied 1 month ago

    These outfits are fantastic and the new items work well on their own and with your existing wardrobe. Nice to have an experienced and helpful coconspirator, too.

  • Jenni NZ replied 1 month ago

    Wow, great experience. I seldom get such a good experience in stores. I love the new jeans, like a false plain and my thought was also that your legs look a mile long.
    My faves are 1,2,3 and 9. Love your beautiful jacket and also your Pikolinos boots. My Pikolinos boots I bought this year are doing sterling service.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thanks, everyone! 
    Haha, Jaime! I appreciate your take on gifting! I didn't get the blue sweater, but got the green instead (not that you can tell from my photos!). I might go back for the blue one, especially if it gets marked down.
    LJP, I'm with you! Not everyone likes the assistance, but I do, when it's good. 
    Aw, Irina, thanks for that compliment on the jacket. It has been a challenge to match with items in my wardrobe. I keep trying!
    Slim cat--thank you so much! Yes, the jeans are long. I pinned up the hem for the try-ons (and my pinning turned out a little shorter than I would actually want to hem them). They got washed today, so I'll hem them once they are dry. I'll probably need to take off an inch at least.
    Carol--that's a great suggestion, to use a striped shirt rather than tee. I don't wear them that often, because I don't find them as comfortable as t-shirts. But it would be a fun look with the AlllSaints sweater and with the new one, too.
    SarahD8--thank you for pointing out that I'm picky, patient and practical! It's nice to be reminded of that core set of shopping principles from Angie.
    Bonnie, thank you! I felt this SA really paid attention and got my style.
    Jenni, my Pikolinos are several years old now, a Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchase. And the false plain is such a useful pattern, for mixing. Thanks for your compliments!

  • Carla replied 1 month ago

    Wow!  Great updates to your closet - and good service to boot.  I do love a good retail experience.  

  • Star (Lise) replied 1 month ago

    Great additions! Fabulous outfits.

  • Sal replied 1 month ago

    Love the new jeans on you!  What a perfect cut and colour.  The patterned cardi is super fun too.

    How wonderful to get that assistance and help you find some special pieces.

  • Sisi replied 1 month ago

    What an incredible lucky strike! The new purchases are beautiful and you look fabulous in all the outfits. This Richie seems one of those rare precious sales assistants, with great eye - I suggest a little Christmas present for him as well. :) 

  • Dee replied 1 month ago

    Love those pants on you, such a perfect fit and they seem very versatile. Cute cropped cardigan too. Sounds like a terrific shopping experience with a great sales associate who knows their stuff.

  • RobinF replied 1 month ago

    How fun is that! Sounds like a great sales person. Love the new pants, I had to zoom in the see the print, very subtle which is nice. I can tell they'll be easy to combine. 

  • Kyle replied 1 month ago

    I really enjoy your style, Sharan. It’s bold and nuanced at the same time, and you aren’t afraid to take a few risks, which I admire. Oh, and you wear clothes beautifully! I have to say, I think the patterned cardi is my favorite — I wasn’t expecting it! Oh, and that plush jacket is yummy.



  • Indigoprint replied 1 month ago

    Everything is FAB, but those leopard print jeans are the bomb!!
    Will be fun to see if they serve as a catalyst for something you make for yourself. 

  • judy replied 1 month ago

    Great leopard print jeans!  You look fab in all your outfits.  And what a wonderful experience with Richie.  Is it me or is that kind of a rarity lately...?  I know, I sound old!  

  • Angie replied 1 month ago

    Woooohoooo! Another great story. I settled in with tea and a velcro Yorkie.....

    LOVE our Bloomies. I do well there too! Greg likes the menswear area. Wonderful that you and Richie worked well together. I know him. He's fab!

    Your hair is THERE! Looking sensational, Sharan :)

    KILLER round, and I expected nothing less! Love it all! WOW! You have an absolutely beautiful-for-you wardrobe! Impressive and gorgeous. All the additions are stellar! 

     #5 is KILLER to the Power of KILLER. 

    #8 is my next fave. The white pants launch me into orbit, and the cardigan is SOOO FUN!!! Excellent with your silver hair. 

    You are a VERY intuitive shopper. The most effectively intuitive shopper I know. Everything you buy works with what you have. It's all organized and memorized in your head.  I've had the pleasure of shopping with you many times, and it's fun to see you in action. ROCK ON!!

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thank you, Runcarla, Star, and Sal for your kind comments.
    Sisi, that's a great idea--thanks. 
    Thanks, Dee. I'm surprised at how versatile the leopard print is, really. It is even more of a false plain, as Jenni pointed out, than the previous ones I was considering. 
    RobinF, yes, I find it hard to make out the print in photos (even the ones on the website), even though I know it's there. It is a very hard pattern to capture in a photo. 
    Aw, Kyle, how sweet of you. This cardigan surprised me, too. I do love a good patterned cardigan, but this one is a bit higher contrast and bolder than my usual. I admit that I feel a slight shift in palette and/or style going on with me over the last year, to a little more contrast and boldness. Two off-white summer blazers I bought this year are an example, and three striped summer tees. Little risks!
    Indigoprint, thanks! I don't know about the leopard jeans, but I realize that some corduroy I've had sitting around for a few years, which turned out to be a slightly different color than I envisioned (bought online), is an exact match to the green sweater! So I'm now inspired to make some pants, for a dark-green column outfit.
    judy, I do think it's a bit of a rarity, and it's not just our age showing. I haven't had this sort of shopping experience at Nordstrom for quite some time, perhaps not since before the pandemic. Reflecting on the differences between Bloomie's and Nordstrom, I will say the fact that this Bloomie's is tiny gives the sales associates an advantage: they are able to pull pieces from different departments easily with the compact layout. The inventory is smaller, to be sure, but it seems to be very carefully curated for the neighborhood clientele. It's almost like shopping in a boutique. 
    Angie, I'm smiling, picturing you with your velcro Yorkie. [hearts emoji] How cool that you know Richie. Yes, my bob is there, and I'm liking it. Also wondering about growing it more, and having layers cut like forum member Janet's. I'm not sure it would behave well, though--something to take up with my stylist. Thanks for your outfit picks, and for your sweet comments about my intuitive shopping--wow. I'm so touched! 

  • Angie replied 1 month ago

    Sharan, I can see you look as fab with Janet's shag! Go for it. And my pleasure. Well deserved compliments! (Now I have two velcro Yorkies - one on either side - as I type on the couch on my laptop). 

  • lyn67 replied 1 month ago

    You had a blast, Sharan-your new items are so fab! Lucky you, the leopard jeans make your legs look a mile long are perfect fit! The print on that cardi is so gorgeous, reminded me of my  love for streampunk! And you did such a good job on your hours long styling session-(I do the same with my new items)  you figured out your new outfits with the new items so now you deserve taking some rest!:-)) 

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thanks, Angie! Hair appointment next week. This is perfect Yorkie-cuddling weather.
    Lyn67, I often don't do the try-on sessions, but when the pieces are unusual or I'm really excited about the possibilities, I'll do it. You're right--a rest was in order!

  • Bijou replied 1 month ago

    LJP said it perfectly, you look amazing in those trousers and the Love Doodles cardigan is adorable. These are the sorts of items you can't 'plan' to get - but wow - how fabulous when you do!

  • cat2 replied 1 month ago

    Great jeans! And so fun to find someone who gets you. I have had that lighting strike twice with concierge shoppers. I don’t currently use anyone, what I need most now is the kind of styling advice found here.

  • Suz replied 1 month ago

    Sounds like you had so much fun at Bloomie's. And how wonderful to find an SA who "gets" you and is genuinely into the experience alongside you. Your new items are so much fun. I wish I could see the print on the jeans more clearly but I fully understand the lighting issue. I am so in love with that little Love Doodles sweater! Super fun. I predict you will wear that one a lot. And when you are done with it, please send it to me. :) 

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thanks, Bijou. That's true about the unplanned purchases. 
    cat2, I think YLF spoils us, in a good way! We get so much valuable advice here, from Angie and others who come to know our style pretty darned well--advice which we wouldn't find anywhere else.  
    thanks, Suz. I'll try to remember to pass on the cardi to you when I'm ready to let go of it! Ha!

  • Jenni NZ replied 1 month ago

    I like the cardi too, if it felt like a wee tour Down Under…suppose Suz gets first dibs :)

  • Janet replied 1 month ago

    Sharan, these are all great! And isnt it a pleasure to have excellent sales assistant help?? It’s rare these days but I appreciate it when it happens.

    Love those tonal leopard jeans and you wear them to perfection. Also the white pants are super, and they make me wish I wore white bottoms so well, but I feel too self-conscious in them.

    I’m still thankful you introduced me to those burgundy Rag & Bone jeans — I ended up getting the black ones too, and I’ve enjoyed wearing them!

    As for haircut, I say go for it! I think you and I actually have similar hair texture. I blow dry mine most of the time, which straightens out the waves, but I think a well-done razor shag cut can work on a variety of hair types. I think it would look great on you.

  • Star (Lise) replied 1 month ago

    Sharan back to say I had a closer look at that print, wow, I love it.  Definitely a leopard print I would wear happily.  Also immediately noticed the white cargos.  Just up my style street too.  Once again our style preferences intersect.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Haha, Jenni! There was something about the traveling pants club several years ago. We could have a traveling cardigan.
    Janet, how cool the Rag and Bone jeans worked out for you, so much that you duplicated in black. I'm happy to have alerted you to them! Thanks for the notes on the hair style. I'm encouraged! My favorite haircut ever was a short shag, in the 90s. I've had less stellar versions over the years. I think I'm ready to try again.
    Star, how fun! Tomgirl meets Tomboy!

  • Jules replied 1 month ago

    Wow, those jeans are FAB! Jealous of your new SA too! I haven’t had that kind of personal stylist experience since my favourite local boutique closed.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Jules, thanks. It's so sad when a favorite boutique closes! The ones I frequented most have disappeared in recent years, and I miss them. 

  • unfrumped replied 1 month ago

    Wow, wow, wow!
    And, wow.
    Those jeans are your best silhouette ever. What a great find. Perfection the leopard, which read as a neutral ir for pattern mix, but seem like they’d keepers even in not- leopard .

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thanks, unfrumped. I'm flattered! 

  • Lisa replied 1 month ago

    A most excellent wardrobe refresh! The new tonal leopard jeans are superb on you and my favorite. I really like how they are animal print but in a subtle tonal look, such a nice find! 

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 1 month ago

    Thanks, Lisa--a great endorsement from a sister jeans fan!

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Welcome to my style blog. Dressing is something all of us do each day, but for me it is also a hobby. I like to find new ways to wear the clothes I have, make new clothes to add to my wardrobe (yes, sewing is another hobby!), shop for clothes, read and discuss fashion. Following You Look Fab has fueled my interest in taking outfit pictures to see where I've been and to get different perspectives on style. Thanks for joining me. I always appreciate hearing your thoughts.