Sometimes it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone and take a risk on a wardrobe staple. A while back Burberry was all about the cropper biker jacket, and I totally fell for the look. I think it’s always important to pay attention to where clothes hit you — my goal is always to look as long and lean as possible, and the cropped jacket could’ve gone wrong rather easily. Too short and I’d look like an 80s music video reject, and too long and the look would be lost.

I scored this dreamy jacket on eBay for $98. Yup, not even a full $100 with shipping. It’s actually a ladies’ jacket, but I found it by knowing my measurements — something you’ll hear me talk about a lot. Also, knowing your search terms and not being afraid to look at a variety of options is kind of important when playing the online auction game.

This jacket is shearling — it’s one of the warmest jackets I own, and I don’t even need to zip it up when I’m wearing it in the middle of a blizzard. Even when taking a risk on something new, I still say it should serve some larger purpose. I needed a warm winter jacket, and while this one is rather stylized, it fit the bill nicely. Perfect for those nasty New England winters, and even more so for the chilly Parisian nights.

The current version I’m lusting after is this one from Burberry, the origin of my obsession after all. This one is in an oxblood color, which I think is a nice alternative to the usual black leather jacket. This version maintains that slim, biker look, but I love the additional zipper details.