Recent Purchases & Reviews

OUTFIT DETAILS: LOFT Shawl Pocket Open Cardigan, size SP (review here) | Ann Taylor Cheetah Dot Camp Shirt, size XXSP (c/o, sold out, similar here and here) | Ann Taylor Textured Chain Link Earrings (c/o) | LOFT Leggings in Five Pocket Ponte, size 25/0P (review and measurements here) | Franco Sarto Imogen Sandal (true to size, review below) | Zara Bucket Bag With Topstitched Handle (item no. 6076/304)

Happy Monday! I love this cardigan but after wearing it in black last week I realized how wide the sleeves are by sizing up. I may try to grab these cardigans again in my usual size XSP instead (or perhaps even sizing down to size XXSP) and give size SP to my sister who is 5’7″. These ponte pants (review and measurements here) are really comfy leggings and I wore them twice last week. I paired it with this leopard print blouse for the first outfit as seen on me below and my new cap toe heels.

Click here to view a clip of the outfit on me

Lucky Brand Yabba Wedge Bootie in sesame suede (true to size, review here) | Click here to view a clip of the outfit on me

This neutral pairing is perfect for fall so I swapped out the cap toe pumps for neutral booties and I even tried it with the black version of the same cardigan as seen below.

Lucky Brand Yabba Wedge Bootie in sesame suede (true to size, previously reviewed here)

I was on the fence about these booties during the #nsale but I love how comfortable they are since I decided to keep them after all.

OUTFIT DETAILS: LOFT Shawl Pocket Open Cardigan, size SP (review here) | LOFT Square Neck Blouse, size XXS regular (review of size XXSP here and XSP here) | Topshop Jamie High Waist Ankle Skinny Jeans, size 26W x 28L petite (review and measurements here) | LOFT Leopard Print Scarf (old, similar here, here, and here) | Soludos Ibiza Classic Sneakers (true to size to 1/2 size larger) | Zara Bucket Bag With Topstitched Handle (item no. 6076/304) | Click here to view a clip of the outfit on me

Here is another clip of this outfit paired with neutral booties. This leopard print scarf is one of my favorite past season purchases*. I finally managed to snag size XXS regular in the whisper white square neck blouse that was on my wish list.

LOFT & ANN TAYLOR RESELLING TIP

*I wasn’t sure if I could share or work this reselling tip in my recent sponsored eBay post so I’m sharing this tip again in this post since I first shared it to my Instagram stories last week (now filed under my ‘Tips’ highlights). If you’re clearing out your closets and you’re selling LOFT or Ann Taylor items you can use the 6-digit item number on the care tag to the end of loft.com or anntaylor.com to get the item’s stock image. Below is the formula and an example but this is also how I am able to link to my older items that I wear a lot on repeat:

http://anntaylor.com/ + 6-digit item number = Item page with stock image

-or-

http://loft.com/ + 6-digit item number = Item page with stock image

e.g. http://loft.com/452085 goes to the item page for an old favorite cardigan of mine

Note: If your item is very old the stock image may no longer be online. If your item was offered in multiple colors it may display a different color than the item you want to sell. 

LOFT NEW ARRIVALS

I checked out the latest new arrivals from LOFT and below are some of my favorites:

REVIEWS

For size reference I’m 5′ 2.5″, currently 108-110 pounds and I’m usually size XS petite in tops and 0/25 petite in pants and jeans if an item runs true to LOFT sizing. If you’re new to my blog I typically share the link to a short video clip below each still image. It’s the same video clip I sometimes share to my Instagram stories. I’ve also been slowly updating Pinterest with some try-ons for those that prefer a more visual search of my reviews.

LOFT Swingy Sweater, size XXS regular | LOFT Leggings in Five Pocket Ponte, size 25/0P (review and measurements here) | Franco Sarto Imogen Sandal (true to size) | Click here to view a clip of the outfit on me

I took in my usual size XXS regular in this blush pink swingy sweater and this striped swingy sweater (review of size XS regular here). It fits true to size for a relaxed fit. The solid pink color is 1″ longer (26″) than the striped sweater (25″) even though they are the same exact size. The next day I steamed out both sweaters (I haven’t washed them yet) and they each became one inch longer since the steam does make the fabric stretch. The pink one is still 1″ longer than the striped one. As a few of the online reviews noted the sleeves of this sweater are slightly shorter.

LOFT Striped Swingy Sweater, size XXS regular | Click here to view a clip from my try-on

LOFT Back Pleat Trench, size XXSP (old favorite, runs big, I found one listing on Poshmark here) | LOFT Modern Skinny Chewed Hem Jeans in Bright Mid Indigo Wash (old), size 25/0P (similar here)

I wore the striped sweater yesterday not realizing how warm it was outside but I was too lazy to head back home to change. Now that it’s fall I was in full fall dressing mode.

Zara Bucket Bag With Topstitched Handle (item no. 6076/304) | Click here to view another clip of the bag

I’ve been looking for a cognac bag and I was excited to find this bag for $39.90 at Zara. It’s lightweight, roomy and well made and the white stitching on the handle reminds me of a baseball glove. The crossbody strap was originally 42″ at the shortest length. I used a leather hole puncher to add an additional hole which made it 41″ for a 20.5″ drop length which is still long on me since I’m only 5′ 2.5″ but I’ll take the small improvement. It only has one flap pocket on the inside of the bag so I am using a small bag organizer inside to keep my things organized.

LOFT Dotted Button Back Top, size XXSP | Click here and here to view the clips from my try-on

Here is the polkadot top before I went to work and then here is the top after I got out of the car on the way to work. I was excited to get this top since I had missed it in my initial perusal of the previous set of new fall arrivals but the viscose material terribly so badly that I regret keeping it. I have yet to wash it but I will try to report back on how well it fares once it touches water. Size XXSP fits like size XSP if you caught a glimpse of it over on my Instagram stories last week.

LOFT Striped Smocked Cuff Blouse, size XXS regular | Click here to view a clip of the outfit on me

This striped blouse would be a perfect year round top. It’s unlined but only slightly sheer so not enough to bother me. Unfortunately this exact blouse is only offered in regular missy sizes and I think size XXS regular is too oversized on me so please ignore what I am saying in the video clip. If you like this style it’s also available in other colors and prints:

LOFT Striped Tulip Back Sweatshirt, size XXSP (review of size XSP here) | Click here and here to view the clips from my try-on

I received size XXSP for this sweatshirt (review of size XSP here) and the shoulders (13″), bust (32.5″ measured pit to pit) and sleeves are too snug for comfort so it’s going back. Sadly I’m somewhere between size XXSP and XSP so there is no happy medium for me for the sizing on this top.

Topshop Jamie High Waist Ankle Skinny Jeans, size 26W x 30L (cuffed) | Click to see video clips of it cuffed and uncuffed

I loved these white jeans in the 36W x 28L petite length (review and measurements here) and they’re on sale for $35. I ordered size 26W X 30L to try which fit me well although the both the rise and the inseam combination makes this size slightly longer than I prefer so I think it looks best cuffed. The measurements of size 26W x 30L are as follows: 10″ rise, 26″ waist, 26.5″ inseam, 9″ ankle opening.

Franco Sarto Imogen Sandal (true to size) | Click here to view another clip from my try-on

I saw these cap toe heels on @annawpage and I ordered these to try in size 7 and 7.5 since I was unsure about the sizing. I found they they fit true to size so I took my usual size 7. The slingback strap may be slightly looser but once my feet swell from walking they were comfortable and I like that the strap don’t dig in to my ankles but they do stay put.

The first day I wore them for a 1.5 mile walk in the city and I got blisters on my big toe since I didn’t bother to break them in at home. I rubbed a drop of lavender essential oil onto the blisters at night which helped them heal faster. I wore the shoes again yesterday and I was prepared to get blisters from walking around for a few hours since I didn’t bring band aids but my blisters are fully healed (after a few days of applying lavender essential oil at night) and I didn’t get any new blisters. This was my first time treating blisters with lavender essential oil but it healed and returned my skin to normal compared to when I leave blisters to dry and peel off on their own. It’s like the blister wasn’t even there including the blisters on the back of my heels that I got from the J.Crew d’orsay flats that I reviewed here. You can read more about lavender essential oil for blisters in this post from another blogger. I had the same experience that she describes in more detail.

Zara Plaid Blouse With Ruffles (item no. 8148/755), size XS | Click here and here to view the clips from my try-on

I was curious about this blouse since I thought the ruffles and half sleeves were adorable but the one I received had sewing imperfections as mentioned in the video clips I linked. The top is also 100% viscose which for me is hard to justify the almost $50 price tag. The top has  short, boxy fit which makes it petite friendly. I personally prefer this side twist blouse (review here) more so I’ll return this top from Zara. Size XS is 40″ at the chest (measured pit to pit) and 23″ total length.

Zara Cape Raincoat (item no. 2969/244), size XS | Click here, here and here to view the clips from my try-on

I like the plaid lining on this raincoat but since it is very thin I am still trying to decide if I should keep it since it is a very oversized fit on me in size XS. I have longer arms than most petites so the 24″ sleeves fit me well. It’s $69.90 and best for spring and summer but it’s oversized enough that it would also work over fall layers. Size XS has 15.25″ shoulders, 40″ at the chest (measured pit to pit) and 32.5″ total length. It’s made of a water repellent material and it didn’t arrive with any bad smells. Update 10/17: The hood doesn’t stay on well if it’s windy since there is nothing to cinch it tighter to stay on your head.

Zara Heart Print Jumpsuit Dress (item no. 8180/758), size XS | Sam Edelman Odila Sandal (true to size) | Click here and here to view the clips from my try-on

This heart print dress had caught my eye in store a few weeks ago but size XS was sold out so I ordered it online to try. Unfortunately size XS is very oversized and the measurements are as follows: 35″ chest, 30″ waist, 24″ sleeve length, 33.5″ total length. The dress is fully lined and well made. The inner lining in the skirt portion of the dress fits like a skort (skirt + shorts).

Zara Split Leather City Bag With Metal Clasp (item no. 6342/304) | Click here to view a closeup of the bag

I liked the idea of this medium sized suede bag when I saw it online so I ordered it to try. Unfortunately the one I was sent looked very old and beat up so I’m not sure if I was sent a returned one but I wasn’t pleased with how slouchy and worn the material looks in person.

Banana Republic Luxespun V-Neck T-Shirt, size XXSP | Banana Republic Skinny Zero Gravity Ankle Jean with Asymmetrical Fray Hem, size 25P | Franco Sarto Imogen Sandal (true to size) | Click here to view a clip of the top on me | Click here to see a clip of the jeans on me

The drop shoulders on this tee are an awkward fit on me but I love the stripes and modest v-neck. The tee is very short especially with the V shaped cutouts on the sides.

I haven’t tried on Banana Republic jeans in a long time but these jeans are very on trend without too much distressing and only one knee has been busted open. Size 25P fit me well and the petites inseam is also on point which is very rare to find for step hem jeans. I am waiting for their next sale starting on October 11-15 to get an extra 20% off (use code BRCARD20) and free shipping (BRCARDFS) to place an order. Hopefully the offer will stack with a decent sale. The online stock image for these jeans are so misleading since these jeans are actually very figure flattering. Update 10/18: Size 25P measurements are as follows: 7.5″ rise, 27″ waist, 32.5″ hips, 25.25″ inseam, 9″ ankle opening. The stretchy material is 90% cotton, 7% polyester and 3% spandex.

Banana Republic Water-Resistant Classic Trench Coat, size XSP

Annie recently shared this trench on her blog which is what prompted me to check out Banana Republic this past weekend. Size XSP has 23″ sleeves. The body of the trench is very generous (it was still too wide when belted) so I would need to try on size XXSP on for sizing. This trench has the cutest mini elephant lining.

Here are a few other Banana Republic items that caught my attention in store (I wanted to try this sweater in white but there was only size SP left):

Thanks for stopping by!