Adventures in Tailoring: Loft Eyelet Skirt

Remember this not-quite-perfect skirt? It's back from the tailor's and I am incredibly happy with the way the alterations turned out!

Unhappy blogger wears a too-low skirt.

The tailor was able to make two cuts in the back to pull in the extra fabric, increasing the "poufiness" of the waistline a little bit (which is fine by me, as that design detail was already a part of the skirt, and hey--maybe it'll make me look more like I have hips!).

So, while I'm happy with the outcome I am NOT pleased with the price. It is in large part my fault for not asking beforehand how much the alteration would cost (I was going on good faith as my tailors have been pretty reasonably-priced in the past), but really, the price was ridiculous. I'm embarrassed to say how much it was, but suffice it to say that when your alterations cost more than your garment, that's probably a sign that it's not worth it. :-/ Well, (more than) a few pennies poorer, now I know, and I certainly won't make that mistake again!

Skirt: LOFT black A-Line Eyelet Skirt sz 00 / Top: Forever21 lilac t-shirt sz m / Shoes: White House Black Market sz 7.5 (very old, similar here) / Purse: White House Black Market (old) / Jewelry: given to me as gifts
Please please pardon the duster in the corner. Ick, just noticed that!

As for the outfit, I was inspired by the girlie-ness of the eyelet and wanted to go to town with the pearls (necklace, bracelet, shoes). I wish I had a long opera-length strand, or a slim black belt that was small enough to fit around my waist, because though I like this outfit, I definitely think it is missing one element. I'll be on the hunt for what that element is in the future!

White House Black Market Shoes sz 7.5 (very old and very loved),
complete with color-coordinated cat in the background!

Summertime Blues: Anthropologie Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress

The past couple of days have been incredibly hot in LA, but today was absolutely perfect. 80 degrees and the sun is shining. The weather was made even better by the fact that a new dress just came home from the tailors!

I got this dress on sale from Anthropologie about a month or so ago, at $49.95 down from $98. I had been on the hunt for a simple summer shirtdress for a few months, but, true to form, I had something a lot less colorful in mind. However, one of my current style goals is to add more color into my quite monotone wardrobe, so I decided to go for it.

Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress, sz 0

Many of the reviews said that since the dress had no seaming at the shoulders, it puffed up kind of strangely and made your shoulders look larger than they are. I figured that if it looked odd on me, I could get it tailored and the price would still be worth it.

Sure enough, when I put it on, whoah man! I looked like a linebacker. I sort of pulled the dress down and held my right arm close for this photo to minimize the extra fabric, but you can still see that the sleeves are a bit puffy, especially at the shoulder.

Puffy shoulders in need of tailoring.

So, I took it to the tailors and originally they thought they could fix it with two tacks at the shoulders. Unfortunately, that just shifted the puffiness back onto my shoulder blades, so a second tailoring job was needed to run a seam all the way down the backs of the shoulders.

New, tailored seam on the right, original seam on the left.

In retrospect I should have probably asked the tailors to use visible stitching, the way it is on the rest of the dress, but now I know for next time.

I love the little peek of striped fabric at the collar.

Dress: Anthropologie Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress, sz 0 (on sale for $49.95) / Belt: Bought in England

Shoes: Target Elliana Wedge Sandals sz 7.5 ($24.99, buy here)
Pug: Not for sale!

Finally, my dress is home and in perfect condition. The alterations cost $20; a bit more than I had hoped/expected, but still worth it for a dress with such a timeless style.

Pockets! And the rest of the zoo comes to play.

And, it has pockets! As someone who's not big into purses, I think every single dress and skirt ever made should have pockets. If I knew how to sew, I would sew pockets into all my dresses and skirts. In fact, that might be a good enough reason for me to learn...

LOFT 40% Off Sale

I got pretty excited about the recent 40% off sale at Ann Taylor LOFT, as I've been a fan of them ever since they made their transition a few years ago from clothes-only-my-grandmother-would-wear to hey-that-looks-incredibly-cute! They are great for petite friendly office wear and have some nice casual pieces too, at sometimes-cheap prices, especially if you catch them during a sale. My two pencil skirts and two pairs of dress slacks (yep that's all I have/can afford right now!) are all from LOFT.

I didn't want to splurge too much on this sale, however, so I got four solid-colored scoop-neck tees for the one-day-only price of $7.50 each (usually $16.50), three in size regular xs and one is size petite s.

LOFT Basic Scooped Tee, Forest Green, Size Regular S

I love basic t-shirts like this; they are the absolute #1 staple of my wardrobe, right up there along with dark denim and comfortable flats. These are going to replace a few very old F21 tees that have been in my closet, collecting stains and holes, and yet still being worn by yours truly. :-/ A well needed change, I think.

It turns out the only difference between the petite s (red) and the regular xs (navy) is about an inch and a half in length and about an inch or less on each side, so they all fit pretty well.


After trying them on, however, it was clear that the Tamale Red was not the right color for me. I was a bit disappointed because I ordered that color in order to help get me out of my color-rut, but alas, this was not the right shade. I basically wear white, grey, black, green, purple, and blue, and stay pretty far away from reds/pinks/yellows, but wanted to give them a shot. Unfortunately, no dice this time around.

Eek! Smile!
Size S Petite Basic Scooped Tee in Tamale Red and
A-Line Eyelet Skirt Size 00 (seems to be sold out now).

Pardon the sticker on my chest...this shirt has to go back with stickers and tags in tact!

I eyed this pretty skirt, also part of the 40% off sale, and thought it was worth the price ($69.50, on sale for $32.99) to put me over the $50 free shipping minimum. But, can you tell what is wrong with this picture? I noticed almost immediately that the that place the skirt fell, right on top of my hips, made me look boxy and ill-proportioned. Ick!

Not as bad from the back, but the hem seems a bit long too.

I was hoping to wear this skirt with short-sleeved shirts tucked in to it to my (business casual) office for work, or with tank tops for a breezy but put-together everyday look.

Determined to make it work, I hiked the skirt up a few inches and pinched it at the back (taking in about 2 inches), letting it settle at my natural waist.

There we go! Much better!

I'll be taking the skirt to my tailor soon and I hope she can make this alteration for me. The skirt has two seams, one at each hip, so I think it shouldn't be too much trouble. I'll be sure to post how it turns out!