gone hunting

for a new jacket, that is!

I'm going to the UK this summer. So excited! Of course, that means I've been shopping around for a new rain coat, since England, Ireland, and Scotland are known for their wet weather. As I was reading I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks (AWESOME BOOK by the way go check it out) I noticed a picture of the Vogue UK editor wearing an adorable outfit.

Similar to this but not quite...this is from 2011, while the picture in the book is from 2008.

Anyways, it was the same black jacket as pictured above, a blue/white/red plaid button down tucked into black skinny jeans, and black Hunter wellies. Casual traveler perfect. Effortless yet chic. I gotta say, I am currently obsessed with classic English style. And it dawned on me that I needed that black Barbour jacket. For those of you who don't know, Barbour is a classic English brand that makes high-quality classic, military-style outerwear for men and women (along with other things). Unfortunately, the jackets are circa $500. I've been lusting over these:

This is the one Emma is wearing! Love!

Another Barbour...love the utility style!

Maybe later in life when I have a job...

Since the Barbour jacket is out of my reach, I've been searching for something similar. Kind of military or utility style, water proof, lightweight, in black, navy, or even olive. Here's what I've found:

J. Crew's Downtown Field jacket. A lot cheaper than the Barbour, but still a little steep. And no hood.

Abercrombie's Olivia jacket. Not sure if its waterproof, but exactly the style I'm looking for!

Another Abercrombie. The Brittany jacket. I would probably get it in black, but I do like the blue!

Final jacket from A&F - the Tatum. The description said this is water-resistant, but its a tad boring...

Hollister's North Jetty jacket. I really like this one as well. Much better price too!

The Hollister Emerald Cove jacket. This one was the cheapest, but it only comes in red :(

Hollister and Abercrombie seem to have some good options. They still aren't cheap per se, but they are a far cry from Barbour's pricing. And they still have that preppy-classic utility feel. My parents have found high-quality rain coats that aren't super expensive, but they aren't really "stylish" enough for me, more sporty. I have a bright pink rain coat from Land's End that I like, but I wanted something that would make me look less tourist and more local, while still being practical. A trench coat is an option, but I'd like something with a hood. I do have a military-style olive lightweight jacket with hood, but I was hoping for something thats more water-resistant. I probably will have to look for something a little more expensive for the quality I want...something tells me Forever 21 might not cut it this time. 

Speaking of Forever 21, my haul WILL be up soon! I just need to edit, which I haven't gotten around to doing. This is the problem with videos...too slow to createvfor someone as impatient as me! But I will try to get it up tomorrow. Or at least edit tomorrow so I can post early in the week. 

Well, its almost one in the morning and I have some lines to memorize before rehearsal tomorrow that I really don't know (whoops). See you all soon!

xoxo, Andi