The fact that I am posting at all today shows just how dedicated I am to really, really bad clothing. My family decided to take a trip to Hawaii. They foolishly agreed to bring me along – foolishly because I should not be allowed out in public. On the plane today I way too loudly told my brother that, because my alarm didn’t go off, I had simultaneously brushed my teeth and taken a shower.

So, as I write this, I’m sitting on a chaise lounge, overlooking this:

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Moving on … fall is right around the corner (as evidenced by retailers putting out Halloween decorations in late July). I always look forward to seeing the fall collections from mainstream retailers – I still have that back to school shopping instinct. Plus, fall promises the potential for plaid skirts, and I have a serious plaid skirt addiction.

But the point is, even as we wade through August, stores are already trying to get us to shop for our mid-October outerwear.

I like the idea of this jacket. A cropped leather trench could look really nice. But the key here is leather, not  repurposed trash bags.

I went back and forth about whether or not to post this – like I said, I like the idea of the jacket. Part of me worries that maybe it’s just my pre-existing Gap prejudice. Maybe the leather doesn’t look cheap and plasticy, like the leather jackets I saw at Target the other day.

But I don’t think that’s what it is. I think the leather looks cheap and plasticy because it’s the Gap and they have an almost pathological desire to epically fail at all endeavors.

I should, by the way, clarify – the Target jackets didn’t look that cheap and plasticy – they looked remarkably good for $30 jackets. But that’s the thing: Target can make plastic leather jackets, because a) they’re probably not made of leather, and b) they’re Target and are selling said jackets for $30.

This jacket? Yeah, it’s $328. I’m hoping it just doesn’t photograph well (although, if you’re paying $300+ for a leather jacket, it should be able to photograph), but given that it’s the Gap, I’m guessing the answer is as simple as: it’s the Gap.

The Gap Leather Utility Jacket – $328