WHEN MY CHIC SHIP CAME IN

With these sassy sailboat pants, my preppy-chic ship had come in! Would you look at them?! If my hometown of Old Saybrook, CT, was pants, it would be these. The moment I locked eyes on these I. Was. Obsessed.

But kind of like that person in high school you totally crushed on but thought was too hot for a shot (never!), the $435 price tag was way too much for me.

So I did now what I did so well then and low-key stalked the Tory Burch website until -- FINALLY -- they went on sale. And then, in a fit of discipline like we all have when we really need it, I waited until the following Monday to buy them.

Why? How could this be a capital-O Obsession if I could look at that tab every day (checking hourly, more like) for daaaaaays without coughing up the credit card?

Here's a tip, dear KBEditor: Tory Burch usually adds an extra 10-20% their sale overnight Sundays. Happy Monday Shopping!

Navy blue sailboats and ruby nautical rope setting sail on a creamy twill. If Katherine Hepburn had known about these pants she'd be wearing them.

The course of romance never did run smooth, though. My size was sold out and it seemed hope (and my windowpane sailboats) was lost. Less committed consumers might have quit at this point, but I'm no quitter! The next size up was available, so I commandeered those and had them tailored.

Another KBExtra tip: A good tailor ups your style quotient from average to outstanding. Literally every piece of clothing you purchase can look like it was made for you. No one needs to know that you got it for a song and had it made into "made-for-you." Not only do you look more polished/refined/amazing/effortless/dazzlingly competent, your clothes will last longer for it. Everything hangs where it should. Heels don't get caught in hems, buttons don't get stretched (or lost - happens to all of us!). Zippers zip and unzip with ease, and you're not overwhelmed by your clothes. There's more to be said for the magic bubble made by properly fitted clothes. Stay tuned to the blog for my future post on it.

For this picture these pants set sail with a classic denim shirt from The Gap. The denim roughs up the polish of the pants.

But if you want to keep it crisp and light, try wearing a classic white button down with it, like I did for brunch at The Gris with my family (remember brunch? At a restaurant?).

Stay tuned, these nautical knickers are summer standbys for me and you'll be seeing them tons of different ways.