Lauren Conrad at Kohl's

This year I'm pioneering a shopping strategy that I'll call "Pre-Black Friday Recon." It involves going a few days ahead of time to those stores that you know will be packed on the day after Thanksgiving. I go on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon, grab anything with the remotest potential to be cute, and go into the deserted dressing rooms to try them on at my leisure. Then, I make note of what is flattering and what is fug, and make plans to return in three days when the price is slashed. Genius, right?

One place I definitely want to hit is Kohls, whose Simply Vera by Vera Wang collection is usually pretty awesome. I have a blue paintbrush-printed skirt from Vera that I get compliments on every single time I wear it--no kidding. And I saw another skirt there that had potential to join those exulted ranks, but sadly, it's not online. If I go back on Friday and buy it, I'll try to take a photo, but let me just say that it's Emma Pillsbury from Glee level of cuteness.

I've been bitching and moaning about needing a good blazer for ages, and I think I've finally found one, courtesy of my Laguna Beach high-schooler turned NYT best-selling author: Lauren Conrad. When I heard that she was folding her higher-priced line and doing something cheaper for Kohl's, I thought it was the best idea I ever heard. I love LC more than I'd like to admit, but there's nothing she could possibly design that would be worth more than $45 bucks. So, happily, this blazer is on sale for $42, hopefully to be marked down even more! It's a nice classic shape, with the fun touch of folded-up cuffs with a contrast lining. A good go-anywhere piece. And you know what? I think I'd rather a good piece of clothing fall apart before it falls out of style, so I'm going to convince myself that a good blazer is something I should be "investing" in.