I own, like any sensible person who works in the semi-corporate world and has to go on interviews, two suits that include jackets. One’s tweed with a pencil skirt and mandarin collared jacket; the other is basic black with a gored skirt and velvet details. They don’t, in all honesty, see a lot of use. I wear the tweed pencil skirt a lot in the winter months, but my office is on the extremely casual end of business casual – I wear jeans a couple of times a week and once spent an entire week wearing flip-flops while recovering from nasty sunburn gained on a trip to Portugal. No one cared. We are not a formal office – just ask the consultant across the room in the board shorts.

So jackets have never been a major part of my wardrobe – cardigans have been my go-to for covering up when it’s too damn cold in here to go without – but in the last couple of years, I’ve been adding a few more to my closet.

Actually, given how incredibly cheap I am, it’s more like this: a couple of years ago, my sister gave me a pinstriped fitted blazer from Club Monaco that I’ve worn at least every couple of weeks. This year I bought a navy jacket at H&M with awesome military detailing that’s been making an appearance once a week, and not in my usual jacket uniform of long jewel-toned tee, jeans, boots, jacket and scarf all the time, either. This week I topped a taupe jersey dress with it, paired it with navy patent Mary Jane flats, and felt all swingy and preppy and like an ad in Lucky for military jackets.

And today, I went shopping online at Loft

I started with this – it’s a classic fitted jacket with bracelet sleeves in ivory that I’ll probably wear all summer long, totally making it worth the $90 I spent on it – but the one I really think I’ll end up getting later is this one. I don’t actually have a black blazer or jacket at all, other than the one that goes with my suit, and it’s probably slightly more versatile than, you know, white.

Which didn’t stop me from getting the white first, of course.

No images because as much as I love them otherwise Loft has filled their website with flash images. Dammit.

In fact, I am not entirely sure when the next occasion calling for formalwear will even be, but let’s disregard those little details:

This is it for 2009, people. No more shopping until 2010.

I can always wear it to the opera in April, I suppose.