Outfit of the Day: Loft Dress, Two Ways.

Remember last week when I told you about the LOFT Gathered Side Tie Tee Dress but I didn't back it up with pictures? Well, I'm going to fix that today, especially since it's now marked down to $29.99. Seriously! Ridiculous. Okay, first, this is how I'd wear this dress to work:

Cute! I love that the side tie does magical flattering things to my mid-section. Here's a detail shot:

Trust me when I tell you that posting a close-up of my least favorite body part is high freaking praise for this dress.  I'm wearing it with my very excellent Madewell Reid flats and of course, my Miu Miu shoulder bag (which is back up to "full" price. Whatever, Barneys.) I then decided to dress it up a little:

Not too bad! With the right accessories this comfy, stretchy little dress can look quite fancy. It's not cocktail party fancy, but definitely will work for a night out or a dressy event. 

I'm wearing it with my block heeled metallic Kenneth Cole sandals and my old Marc Jacobs python bag (mine is long gone but this one is a deal). My necklace is Soko and the petite version is still available, but I think this Soko pendant is closer in size to mine.

So, there you go! Oh, and for reference, I'm wearing a size medium in this dress, so I'd say it's fairly true to size.

Weekend Window Shopping: Shorts Week. (Like Shark Week.)

There's been a lot of shorts talk on the blog this week but it's summer and Marianne and I are both really into our Outside Shorts. These are not running shorts or denim cut-offs, but something in between. They aren't fancy and they definitely have pockets. These are the shorts you wear to garden, hike, run errands, whatever. Maybe you even hike or whatnot? You need shorts for that, right? So, why not get a good pair?  Here are my picks:

         
       

         
       
     
     

BUY THIS (Because I Already Did): These Madewell Jeans

You guys! I bought a couple of things from the Madewell sale last week including these cute-ass 10" High-Rise Skinny Crop jeans right here:

Okay, listen. They are final sale which is stupid but if you know your Madewell sizing, I'd go for it. They are made from the delightful Tencel material that I love so much, have magic pockets and a 10" rise which is the perfect high rise. And those buttons! Plus, they are just the right amount of cropped to be perfect with ankle boots. Note: I got my regular jean size and they're fine but I probably could've sized down too, so if you're between sizes, go down.  (Also, they are going fast, my apologies)

We Discuss: Mom Shorts.

A: Did I tell you I went INTO an American Eagle looking for more shorts?

M: no!

M: #brave

A: Girl, do not do this.

M: Tell me everything.

A: FIRST OF ALL, They do not carry the Bermuda shorts in-store because they are for The Olds.

M: Duh.

M: The Youths are scared of all of that fabric.

A: I didn’t think it through.

A: They only had booty shorts with a 12" rise.

M: I amend my comment--they prefer all that fabric wrapped around their torso.

A: Back in my day, we wanted the fabric to swirl around our lower legs whilst our ass-cheeks tried to escape out the top.

M: Life really is a rich tapestry.

A: I just wheezed-laughed

M: Like, I don’t want my butt escaping out the top OR the bottom!

A: Anyway, the young lady working there showed me some mom-jeans abomination in the hopes of appeasing me

A: BECAUSE I AM LIKE HER MOM I GUESS

M: HAHAHHAA

M: Okay but my AE jeans are really cute.

M: I noped backwards out of that store.

A: I do love those ragged-ass AE shorts quite a lot but I will continue to buy them online as God intended.

M: Me too though I have been wearing those North Face shorts you recommended a ton because it’s so hotttt.

M: Without ever setting foot in a mall, amen.

A: I really like my pair* too! They are not exciting but they are very good for walks and the pockets will hold my giant phone.

M: They are just so lightweight and denim is so cruel when it’s humid.

A: Well, except for my AE denim shorts which are made from string and hope.

M: true.


*The North Face shorts are really good! Marianne's link is to the 6" inseam, mine are 4".

Review: The Loft Stuff I Kept.

I did keep a few things from my recent Loft order and I was hoping to wear one of them in an outfit this week but my photo remote thingy broke, so while I wait for Amazon to throw another one on my porch, here's a review with stock pics:

This Lace Trim Mixed Media Tee was keeper! It's very pretty, lightweight and easy to wear - definitely the kind of thing I love having in my closet for summer. It's really cute worn with cropped jeans or shorts (or ragged denim cutoffs, obvs.) It also comes in a pretty raspberry color and it's on sale for $14 right now!  The other thing I kept is this Gathered Side Tie Tee dress:

Honestly, it's easy to miss on the website and when it arrived I was like, huh, because it didn't seem very exciting. And honestly, it's not. It's not an exciting dress but when I put it on I understood the (mostly) glowing reviews. Something about the cut and the adjustable waist tie makes this dress extremely flattering and the weight of the material makes it hang just right without being too clingy. It's lined, which is nice as well. This dress is not going to change your life but it will be a dependable closet staple when you want to look pulled together. It would be easy to wear with in the warm months with sandals and a fun pendant necklace, or in the cooler months with tights, ankle boots and a cute jacket. It will be what you want it to be! So, not exciting, but a dependable black dress doesn't need to be. PS. Right now you can get 40% off with code SURPRISE.

Weekend Shopping Report: Anthropologie. (And a Prime Day Rec!)

Hey all! I am not doing a whole Prime Day post because it all moves too fast and the links tend to change as things sell out. BUT, one of Marianne's favorites, Grande Lash, is 30% off:

Per Marianne: This product is OUTSTANDING. My lashes look amazing and there's zero irritation, and one tube (used daily) has lasted since February.

(Also, my favorite little silicone scrubby thing is now $8.99, but that's not a Prime Day thing, just a good price.)

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Now! On to my weekend shopping report. Mostly I returned things - the Athleta raincoat and half of my Loft order. I ended up keeping the black dress and the black top but returned the print dress (the cut was all wrong) and the snakeskin top (super pretty but the color washed me out.) I then found myself in Anthropologie where I haven't been in a while and I tried things on. You know what that means - unflattering dressing room pics!

First, I gravitated towards this grey snakeskin top because it looked so pretty and floaty:

Nope. On me it was voluminous and unflattering. Pretty in theory but not for anyone with boobs. Next, I tried on this Maeve Catherine Shirtdress because I loved the print, though the style isn't really my thing:

I wasn't feeling it but I still love the print. Tigers! Next, I tried on this crazy Maeve Tania Tiered Tunic dress because the print was VERY me:

And y'all, it's a floaty sack but I really loved it. I'm also now realizing it comes in other good prints! I am going to keep an eye on it and hope it goes on sale. Finally, I tried on this Maeve Ally Cupro Tunic top which surprised me, a lot:

My picture is terrible but trust me - it's just beautiful IRL. It comes in black but I went for the "wine" color (a coral/melon) and it was so flowy and flattering and really deserves to not be tried on with ratty denim shorts. The fabric feels buttery, like silk, and those cut-outs in the back:

YAS. I envision wearing it with faux leather leggings or dark skinny jeans and ankle boots and just floating through the day. It's that kind of top. (Also, I am wearing a size small - so if you're between sizes, go down.) I can count on one hand the number of Anthro items for which I've paid full price and I bought this with no hesitation, despite it being most definitely over-priced. I just wanted to be able to take it home and try it on with my own things, to see if it's really worth keeping. I will report back!

Weekend Window Shopping: Madewell Again I Know.

Listen, I was all good after going to Madewell last weekend and buying nothing. I was GOOD. I NEED NOTHING. And then they sent me and email this morning all, an extra 30% off sale stuff with code VERYRARE and I lost my damn mind. More on that next week. Here are my picks from the sale that I think you should probably know about: