wardrobe review
i alluded to this before, but my closet suffers from a condition known as severe wardrobe imbalance. these 5 dresses represent only the tip of my anthro dress collection iceberg, and yet i end up rotating the same like, 4 tops with the same jeans every time i go out to a casual get-together.
it may be cute, but i’m not about to wear this out to go grocery shopping.
i need outfits that i can wear to the store without looking sloppy; pieces that are comfortable, flattering, and age-appropriate. somehow, i got it into my head that it is okay to splurge on a special occasion dress (even if it will only be worn a couple of times!) but bad to succumb to temptation when it comes to basics. really, the opposite makes more sense, since quality matters more in the clothes that we wear day in and day out!
and with that, i have justified my desire need to go shopping for some fall basics. i actually think i would be better off going to actual stores, because my munchkin status (i’m 5’1″) makes it hard to tell how things will fit based on how they look on amazonian models with nonexistant hips. but a vigorous perusal of the sale racks at anthro and jcrew yielded some promising finds, as always! here is an assortment of the kinds of things i am looking for . . .
j. crew (all on sale)
i could easily microspun cowlneck tee transitioning from work to a night out afterwards paired with skinny black pants
this glorified sweatshirt would be a good throw-on-and-go top for running errands and the like
i always get good use of simple striped tees like this one!
another easy breezy layering piece, dressed up with a little ruffle: perfect fit henley
anthro: a bit less basic
even though i KNOW i am in need of simpler pieces, anthro‘s quirkier styling is where my heart truly lies!
the palacio blouse also comes in blue, but i am digging the wine color!
this barometer top has short sleeves, but it certainly could be layered under a cardi.
the covent garden jacket lands squarely within ‘quirky’ territory, but there is just something cozy about it that i really like.
just look at that cuff detail!
anyone else suffer from wardrobe imbalance? any suggestions of places to find cute-but-not-boring high quality basics? i am in need of pants, too, but i think that’s worth a whole other post.
journal J has arrived
my planner from everyday happy smile (via ebay) arrived yesterday, just 8 days after i ordered it! that is quite fast for a package coming all the way from korea.
i will definitely do a FULL review, but i think i should probably use it a little bit first before i do. i will say that the paper quality is really nice and this journal has all of the features that were described.
here’s a little taste . . .
yay!! i would be lying if i said i WASN’T filled with glee about starting to use this next week. of course, i’ll let you all know how it goes!
7 Comments
I recently discovered your blog. You had me at two words: "Planner" and "Anthropologie". Love! I am in the market for a new planner and can't wait for your review of "journal j".
omg it's like christmas morning!!!! 🙂
seriously. i'm that excited for you 🙂
I love everything you bought and I definitely have the same problem. My proportion of fancy event dresses to fancy events is way off.
It's not very economical (very good quality, however), but I've found that Patagonia has started to branch out into more "leisure-wear" (not like leisure suits from the 70's, by the way) clothing. I have a sweater that I just LIVE in. They have wonderful pants that are as comfortable as jeans, if not more so, but can look a little nicer.
Title IX also has some great stuff – a bit more of a variety than Patagonia.
I also struggle with nice casual wear. Some people seem to be so good at that type of dressing and I am just not. I like Ann Taylor but their clothes run HUGE. I would be surprised if you found anything that fit you. I have bought dresses that are a 0 Petite there (I know – hard to believe I could fit into anything petite) and they are a little big.
I completely agree! I am struggling to find nice casual wear, as I want to by everything from Antho, I can not stomach the prices for everyday wear. I love JCrew and Loft but am sized out of a lot of tops at Loft being 5ƈ. Let us know what you get!
My two favorite stores for casual but nice clothes are Ann Taylor and New York & Company. Ann Taylor has size XXS Petite on up so hopefully you would find a size that fits well. Every top runs different based on its style so I have a variety of sizes from there. I love how everything always fits and their clothing seems to last a long time.
I'm also beginning to like Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 but am not quite sure about Charlotte Russe's quality yet as all their items feel paper thin.
I love to get basic outfits that I can dress up or down with accessories. It makes my wardrobe go a lot further!