Weekend Shopping Fail

Today I was laying in bed thinking about what I wanted for lunch when I realized that a Chipotle opened up really close to me. After eating there, I stopped into Ross across the street for the heck of it.  I've actually never bought clothes from Ross because the ones near me in Miami seem to sell weirdly cheap stuff, not near the quality of TJ Maxx or Marshalls stuff. I'm sure other people around the country (and in different parts of Florida) fare better at Ross. Anyway, here are some things I tried on for the fun of it and didn't buy.

Left: Michael Michael Kors blouse - $29.99 (this is the only time I've seen anything semi-designer at the Ross near me. It's too bad it was big because it seemed like decent quality)

Right: Juniors blouse with a bow in the back - $9.99 (I would have purchased but for the odd pattern - various vintage ladies walking small dogs? Random). 

Left: Tahari Arthur S. Levine suit set in 0P - $49.99 (I tried this on because it's the only 0P I've seen in this brand, and wanted to try it on for size. It ended up fitting OK actually. The skirt would need to be slimmed but the top fit pretty well. The fit didn't save this horrendous style of suit though. You can tell from my face how I felt about it. BTW, this is the perfect example of what the Ross near me sells. WHO BUYS THIS STUFF?)

Right: My shopping and Chipotle outfit. Wearing Forever 21 Lace Top, Forever 21 shorts, 2 ebay clover necklaces, and Madden Girl sandals. 

Have you ever found any great finds at Ross? I recently picked up a Tibi blazer from the TJ Maxx near me, but am debating whether to return it because it's a little "out there" and not very classic for a suit jacket. 

Ann Taylor Twist Wrap Jersey Dress - Review

I just got my Ann Taylor order in the mail today, and I'm debating what to do about this dress: the Ann Taylor Twist Wrap Jersey Dress. It's still available in a TON of sizes, and in Petites too, so if you are interested you can get it for 30% off right now with code "SUMMERCHIC". It also comes in 3 colors, "tropical jade" (below), a pretty coral "rhubarb pink" (reviews say it is much brighter in person), and classic black.

Excuse the wrinkles, I tried it on straight out of the packaging and took pictures to see if I could make my mind up about keeping it, but I'm still undecided so I thought I'd share on the blog and ask your opinions. It's a faux wrap style with flattering ruching at the waist and back. It has a back zipper so the dress fits better than something that you have to pull over your head. I also really like the length (I ordered regular, not petites), it's a good length for work. I think the petite size would be too short on me. My only qualm about this dress is the fabric for the price. After the sales, I spent ~$50 on the dress, but the material feels like cotton (it's actually 97% rayon and 3% spandex, if that makes a difference). It looks like the kind of material that would start to pill when you wash it, which defeats the purpose of it being machine washable. I'd probably get it dry cleaned to save the fabric. The pros for me are that it's a flattering dress (especially from the back - it makes me look like I have a butt, lol), it's work appropriate, I love the color (perfect for summer - and perfect for Miami year round), and I love that it has sleeves. 

Necklace: Amrita Singh (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors

Shoes: Target (here in black)

Dress: Ann Taylor Twist Wrap Jersey Dress

I'm still undecided so if you have any opinions feel free to share. I'm going to be making a run to the mall this weekend anyway, so I'll have the opportunity to return it if necessary :)

Also, as an aside, this dress by Tahari which I LOVE and highly recommend is now an extra 50% off at Neiman Marcus last call. You can buy it here (many sizes still available!).

June Budget Recap

I'm linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers! I did not stick to my budget this month. But I got a lot of really great stuff so..... it evens out? Ah, the justifications of a shopaholic. Here's where my budget went this month:

Forever 21

Polka Dot Peplum Top: $15.80 (last seen here)

Leopard Print Shorts: $15.80 (last seen here)

Embroidered Lace Top:  $22.80

Victoria's Secret (Semi Annual Sale)

Very Sexy Twist Bandeau top: $14 (navy) + $29 (sea foam)

Cheeky Hipkini bottom: $13

Not pictured: a crap ton of underwear + bras: $89

(fun fact - I used to work at VS in college. good times)

Express Sale

Studded Portofino Shirt: $17.99 (returned)

not pictured: brown blouse - $11.99

Shoedazzle:

Sahara shoes - Valentino Rockstud look-a-likes: $30 after discounts

(note: I decided to return both leather jackets from this post)

Alterations costs:

Theory dress & pants (pants not pictured): $40

Dress is lined; sides slimmed and skirt tapered in to a more pencil shape. Pants hemmed

Ann Taylor dress: $25

Dress is lined; tweed material, sides slimmed

Shoe repair (not pictured)

Cole Haan shoes that my dog ate - leather completely replaced on both heels to match, shoes repainted black to match the 2 different leathers, heel covers/caps replaced - $45. 

Ann Taylor kitten heels that were looking terrible - $10 to paint, add new heel covers/caps (what are these called??) and glue down leather on the heel that had started to peel off.

So, how'd I do with my budget this month?

Forever 21: $54.40

Victoria's Secret: $145 (ouch)

Express: $30 ($12 after returning 1 shirt)

Shoedazzle: $30

Alterations: $65

Shoe repair: $55

TOTAL: $350 ($332 after returning 1 shirt)

I give myself $200 a month to spend, so I did pretty poorly this month. However, a lot of the items were necessities - I had to get my 2 pairs of black pumps repaired. I mean, how can I not have black pumps to wear to work?? I had to get the 3 items tailored because otherwise they were just sitting in my closet taking up space. And I had to get new underwear (I pretty much stock up at the VS semi annual sale every summer). The "fun" purchases at F21, Express, and Shoedazzle I could have done without, I'll admit it. But I'm happy with everything and I can see myself getting good use out of these trendy items. As a sidenote - can you imagine how bad my budget would be thrown if I had kept the leather jackets?!?! Good thing I grew some sense and decided to return them this weekend at the mall! I might even return one or both of the Express shirts - I'm feeling super guilty about being $150 over budget. 

How did you do with your budget this month?

And as a little extra...

I'm Expecting in the Mail...

Foreign Film Dress in Red and Ivory - from Lulus.com ($35 each. Less with coupons)

I actually have the white one in my possession right now, but I have to return it because it has a weird stain on the front. I called customer service to complain and they gave me a $15 store credit, but the dress was out of stock so I was upset. 2 days later the dress is back in stock so I jumped and bought it because it fits really well (very sexy, but still covers a lot of skin with the sleeves) and decided at the last minute to get the red one too - I'd love a red dress! I'm going to wear the white one to Sensation in Miami this year. It has great reviews online. People with smaller busts will find that there is some extra fabric around the bust area, but I found I could just take the opportunity to wear my biggest push up bra and it helped fill out that area better, lol. FYI the fabric is thick. Of course wearing black underwear showed through on the white, but nude did not, which is awesome. 

(use code Sparkle10 for 10% off your first order)

(sign up with your email and get $5 off an order)

(free shipping when you spend over $50)

Biker Chic(k)

I did some crazy spontaneous shopping this weekend. I "popped in" to the Zara sale with the intention of just browsing so that I could buy some stuff online later in the sale once the prices drop, but when I got to the leather jacket section I noticed this jacket - the only one - in my size. I've seen it on bloggers and decided to "just try it on..." I like the fit much better than my current black leather jacket from ASOS. The only hesitation I have about this one is the studs - how much longevity do studs have? Is this a jacket that I'll feel stupid wearing in a season, or will it last for years? I keep wanting to buy a Zara leather jacket, but usually I tell myself I'm going to buy the plain black one like this (without the studs) that comes out almost every year. This one was on sale though, and those jackets hardly ever make it to the sale in my size. So, I decided to buy this one and think about it for a week or so. 

Jacket: Zara Leather Jacket with Covered Studs

Blouse: Express (same minus the studs, and in SO MANY colors!) (same, but not in this color)

Shorts: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Shoedazzle "Sahara" (the real deal) (*size up 1/2 a size if you order them)

Bag: Loeffler Randall

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

What really makes my shopping trip insane, however, is that I didn't buy just 1 leather jacket, but I bought 2. I also spotted this jacket below in my size, also the only one on the rack. I was drawn to this one because of the color. I have a brown leather jacket and a faux leather bomber jacket (last worn here) in a similar color, but both have issues. My brown leather jacket has been worn about 4 times total because the sleeves are too long and too wide. It's very expensive to get leather tailored and I don't think this jacket is worth the cost, especially since I only paid $150 or so for it. The faux leather jacket also has long sleeves, and the insides are starting to tear because of the poor quality. I figured if I bought this jacket it could replace both of them. I also have reservations about the longevity of this jacket - is peplum going to be in style for much longer? Also, while I love the fit from the front, I'm worried about the fit from the back - something looks off to me, am I crazy or do you see it too? Also, when I got home I realized the stupid sales person forgot to take off TWO sensors on the jacket (clearly visible below, lol). I say she's stupid because she even "double checked" that she removed the sensors, but nope. Now I have to go to the mall again anyway to get them removed, so this will provide me with an opportunity to return one or both of the jackets. 

Zara Leather Jacket with Ruffle Detail

Do you have any opinions on either jacket? If you had to choose 1 which would you choose, keeping in mind I already have a black leather jacket that I really like, but it's just not perfect, and I have 2 brown/tan moto style jackets but which don't get much wear because they have fit issues. Thanks in advance for your input!

mint, white, & a pop of red

Is it me, or are colored jeans "out" already? I haven't been seeing them as much in stores recently. Sucks because I went crazy and bought like 5 different colors last year. I'm not ready to give up on them yet though and hope to wear my pairs a bunch more this summer. I wore this outfit to run errands on Saturday. I felt like I got a lot done but in reality I just spent like 3 hours at the mall while I got my oil changed, lol. I'll show you some things I bought in a future post, and my budget recap post for June will be going up soon, too. I'm not sure if these sales are still running but if you are interested, Ann Taylor was having an extra 40% off sale (and the sale prices were considerably better in store than online), Express had an extra 40% off sale items (there were some really cute dressier tops that would be perfect for both work and going out, but their sizes run large for me so I only took home 2 pretty affordable blouses), and Zara began it's seasonal sale this weekend, too. What sales did you hit up this weekend??

Blouse: Old Navy (similar)

Jeans: ASOS (similar)

Shoes: Ellen Tracy (almost exact in silver) (similar)

Bag: B. Makowsky

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors (similar)

Sunglasses: Forever 21 (similar)
Linking up for Funday Monday!

well suited

I recently picked up this Theory dress from the tailor so I was eager to wear it. I'm really appreciating how versatile the color navy is, and I have so many ideas for this dress, but for it's first run, I thought I'd just go with the matching suit jacket and let my jewelry speak for itself. I got a number of compliments on this simple outfit the day I wore it, both from my boss and other attorneys. I'm going to take the time to recommend my new tailor, Emma, who has now tailored 3 items for me and all of them came out fantastic. She slimmed the sides of this dress and also took in the bottom of the skirt to make more of a pencil shape. I actually ran in to an attorney while I was there who I recognized from court, and the next day at work another different attorney came up to me and said "I heard we have the same tailor," so I'm guessing she's excellent because a bunch of attorneys use her already! Anyway, shout out to Emma at Emma's Couture & Alterations for being awesome and in turn making me feel awesome in my clothes. The end.

Blazer: Theory

Dress: Theory

Shoes: Ann Taylor (similar)

Bag: Michael Kors

Necklace: Amrita Singh (similar)

Watch: (not pictured) Michael Kors

Sunglasses: Forever 21 (similar)

Neutral Stripes & Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Inserts

I haven't had the opportunity until now to share that I'm a BzzAgent and sometimes receive products for free to try out and review. Until now, all of the products have been household items which don't bear much relevance to this blog. However, I recently received a pair of the Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Inserts and I immediately knew this was a perfect review to share with you guys.

Here's some info about the inserts:

Dr. Scholl’s® For Her is the first full line of foot care products designed specifically with women’s needs in mind. Whether it’s insoles for heels and flats, or anti-friction products to help prevent shoe rubbing and blisters, the entire collection enables you to enjoy the things you want to do – not just the things you need to do – by enhancing foot comfort.

Unique design is clinically proven to help prevent pain from high heels 2” and up

Ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off ball of foot

Immediate and long-lasting comfort guaranteed, or your money back

Practically invisible, even in strappy heels

Slim design won’t make shoes feel tight

Insoles stay firmly in place, and are easily removable without damaging shoes

Made to fit women’s sizes 6–10, including all open-style shoes

 So, how do they really measure up?

The inserts are plastic and are fairly thin. They are supposed to be thin enough that they won't change the fit of your shoe, but these shoes were slightly big when I bought them and fit tighter and better with the inserts. They are thin and narrow enough that they could fit into any style shoe (including sandals) and not be visible. The plastic/rubber design is also beneficial because they can be moved from shoe to shoe. The bottoms are tacky enough that once you put the insert down it's not going to slide around, but it's not sticky so they can be moved and changed around without ruining the inside of the shoe.

I chose some of my higher and more uncomfortable heels (~4") to really test the inserts and determine comfort. The inserts are made for women with size 6-10 feet. I understand wanting to make one product that fits the most amount of shoe sizes, but I personally felt these could have been longer, or come in more size options. As you can see in this photo, I placed the heel of the insert all the way at the back of my shoe, however, the toe of the insert was several inches away from the front of my shoe. I have size 6.5-7 feet so anyone larger than me wouldn't get much benefit from the ribbed toe portion of the insert. 

This photo was my attempt to show that the inserts have large arches built into them. The description of the inserts says that the purpose of wearing these is to help shift the weight from the balls of your feet to more evenly distribute the weight across your foot. The arches help to do that. I found the first few minutes of wearing the inserts uncomfortable because I was very "aware" of the arch support. However, I think my initial discomfort was only because I'm not used to having real arch support outside of my running sneakers. I got over the "weird" feeling fairly quickly, however. A random note - the plastic + walking = noticeable "squeaking" throughout the day as I walked down the hallway. Edited because after wearing them a 2nd day I didn't notice the squeaking. It might have just been a one-time thing. 

After 12 hours of wearing these shoes, I can say I was impressed by the inserts. My feet and arches felt supported like they have only felt in sneakers. I wouldn't say the inserts transformed the heels from slightly uncomfortable to amazingly comfortable, but I definitely noticed a difference. I didn't feel the need to take off my heels at my desk all day, and I lasted an incredibly long day at work without being "aware" of any pain or discomfort in my feet. The inserts are priced from around $7.99 to $11.99 around the internet, with Walmart online having the lowest prices that I've seen. I wouldn't pay $12 for these inserts for every pair of shoes I own but I'd pay it once to have something to switch between shoes.  What has your experience been with Dr. Scholl's inserts? Have you tried another brand of inserts before?

Blazer: Theory

Dress: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Ann Taylor (similar)

Bag: Michael Kors

Leather v. Pleather

Navy up top and grey on the bottom. Pretty simple. Just another suit separates combination that I haven't shown on de blog yet. Wore this last week on another rainy dreary day. So, I know I just talked about shoes in one of my last posts but I want to talk about them again. Recently I've been buying more expensive shoes because I truly have noticed a difference in comfort and how long I can wear my heels when wearing leather shoes vs pleather shoes. However, these shoes below are one of the several exceptions in my closet. They are from Forever 21 and are some of the most comfortable heels I own. I am going to be so sad when they inevitably need to be retired - they will probably last me through this summer, and maybe less if I get caught in the rain with them again. What's your take on leather vs pleather shoes? Do you spend the money to get the real deal? Do you have any inexpensive shoes that are more comfortable than your leather pairs?

Blazer: Theory (currently on sale at Nordstrom)

Top: Ann Taylor (similar)

Belt: Ann Taylor (similar)

Pants: Kohls, altered into straight leg (similar)

Shoes: Forever 21 (similar)

Bracelet: Ebay (similar)

Bag: Michael Kors

(not pictured) Silver ball earrings: unknown (similar)

Navy, Blue, & Brushstrokes

Blazer: Theory (old Nettie style)

Skirt: Theory

Shoes: Forever 21 (similar)

Blouse: Ann Taylor Factory (i like this one)

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Bag: Michael Kors

I'm linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's "What I Wore to Work" linkup and the Tres Chic Fashion Thursday linkup! I don't have much to say except that I wore this outfit to work this week, and later, while I was showering that night I came out of the shower to see my dog eating my semi brand new Cole Haan black pumps (that I got such a great deal on Ebay). The leather is entirely chewed off on about 1 inch of one of one of the heels. I'm considering taking them to a cobbler/shoe repair to see if there is ANYTHING to do with them. It could be worse because I paid about $60 for them with shipping (as opposed to $250 full price) but to re-buy them at full price would be a huge sting to my wallet (and frankly, isn't going to happen). If anyone has had this happen to their shoes before and knows if they can be repaired, please PLEASE let me know!

Polka-dot Peplum & testing out my new shooz

I actually own a peplum top and have owned it since before peplum became a "thing" (do I get a prize for being first? lol) but it's never shown up on the blog and every time I go to wear it I take it off...because it has a grease stain right in the middle of the chest. I don't know why I don't just give away or throw out this shirt, because I will probably never, ever wear it again. Anyway, another trendy item I got during my recent excursion to Forever 21 was this polka-dot peplum top. I would have preferred one with sleeves (and I'm still looking for a white one with sleeves to replace my broken dreams of a white H&M one - sidenote, the top is sold for like $29 or $34 dollars, so I pity the fool who pays that $69 ebay price!) but I really liked the fit of this and I actually don't own any polka-dot items that I can think of so it filled those voids in my closet - 2 for 1, yay. I wore this to a BBQ this past weekend. This was the first time I wore these shoes for an extended period of time (5 hours) and my feet didn't complain. Say hello to Wednesday photo bombing my shot :)

Top: Forever 21 (check stores) (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors

Bag: Longchamp

3 Ways to Wear Leopard Print Shorts

A friend of mine was visiting Miami a few weeks ago and we had a conversation about "how long has it been since you shopped for non-work clothes?" and the answer for both of us was "a really long time." Although now we're in our mid 20's and work seems to dominate our lives (we are there 5 out of the 7 days a week, of course) we have to remember that we do have nighttimes and weekends to relax, have fun, and wear whatever the heck we want. I went to Forever 21 this weekend to return the black pair of these shoes. (Side note: in the 15 minute car ride from my apartment to the store, the black shoes scratched and revealed tan scratch marks.. the marks were very obvious, so beware of buying the black version of these shoes. The nude, on the other hand, scratch nude, so they aren't as noticeable.) Of course Forever 21's return policy is store credit, so I shopped around and decided, for the first time in a long time, to buy some trendy, fun, non-work clothes. I ended up with these silky, pajama-like, leopard print shorts in the dressing room. I really liked the fit and decided to get them for only $15.80. When I got home, I decided to see if I could put together a few outfits to convince me to keep such a trendy item. After I put together 3 outfits for different occasions, I decided to keep them. I'd like to pair some more color with them in the future, but for now, blacks and shades of brown are good enough for me. How would you style leopard print shorts? If you work, do you find yourself buying mostly work clothes or "play" clothes too? 

Tee: Forever 21 (similar)

Shorts: Forever 21

Shoes: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Bracelets: Etsy & Ebay (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors 

Bag: Loeffler Randall

Jacket: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Forever 21

Bag: B. Makowsky (similar)

Necklace: Banana Republic

Blouse: Old Navy (linen version here)

Necklace: same F21 one as above, just worn long (similar)

Bracelet: Amrita Singh

Shoes: Cole Haan

Bag: Urban Expressions (and here is the same color but in a different clutch)

Brown tweed, blush, olive & a shoe question

Thanks to rain every day this week, I went from having some of the best hair days of my life last week to some of the worst this week, hence the headless shot. For the first time in several weeks, I didn't have to go to court in the morning, so I took the opportunity to wear some of my favorite work appropriate, but not court appropriate, pants. These Banana Republic Sloan pants are so comfortable, have a bit of stretch which makes them fit well, and come in so many colors. I also love the ankle length. I've been meaning to buy another color, but I haven't seen a good enough sale yet. I think I got these on sale last year for like $35.

Blazer: Ann Taylor (similar but $$$)

Blouse: Loft (similar)

Pants: Banana Republic Sloan 

Shoes: Forever 21

Bag: Michael Kors (on sale here in navy)

Watch: Michael Kors

Necklace: Barneys (similar)

In the footwear department, you can probably tell I didn't take some of your advice from one of my last posts to go with the black version of these shoes. The truth is, I'm still debating whether to keep both pairs. I don't have a pair of just nude flats, so I know I will get use out of the nude pair. And I don't have a pair of plain black flats right now (I tossed another pair a while ago and never replaced them) but I'm not sure the black qualify as "plain" because of the silver studs and nude border. I don't think these could really be my "go to" pair of black flats for every occasion - but these could definitely be a fun pair. Anyway, I obviously still have some thinking to do. Shoes happen to be my biggest weakness so sometimes I can't think straight about them (I am definitely a shoe hoarder lol), so my question to you is - in terms of flats, how many do you have? Do you have more than one pair of the same color? Any suggestions for a pair of plain black flats to wear to work, casually, and every time in between?