Polka Dots and Review of Crocs Adrina Flat

Top: PacSun (similar, similar) / Tank: Target / Shorts: Urban Outfitters (similar) / Shoes: Crocs Adrina flat ($40, buy here) / Bag: from Unique LA / Necklace: from a farmer's market (same, from Modcloth)

 

I was heading outside today to take my photos when I realized that the light in the staircase was awesome...so I never made it out and took photos here instead. Also, I clearly need to take more pictures in stairwells, if this is how tall it makes me look! Fellow petite ladies, are you with me? :)

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As for the shoes:
These are the flats I decided to keep, after pondering whether or not I could bear to be the owner of a pair of Crocs. Verdict is, these are not your typical Crocs! They have a sleek low profile, a whimsical cut-out dot design, and come in a few great colors like this awesome aqua/celery combination. And, most importantly, OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE. In that respect, these ARE your average Crocs. I have worn these trekking across Boston, playing tour-guide to visiting friends (which is a strange thing to do when you're new to the city yourself), moving boxes and suitcases, and generally running about town, and my feet have never once felt sore.

I will say I got two small blisters on my pinkies the first few times wearing them, but now that they're a bit broken in, I'm having no trouble. I realized early on that they don't exactly match with everything, but then decided just as quickly that I just didn't care. Aqua-and-celery shoes every day? Why not?

I bought a size 7 from Zappos and am usually a 7 or 7 1/2. These shoes, I think, run a teensy bit large as there is a bit of wiggle-room for me. So, if you're between sizes, I'd recommend going with the lower of your sizes. Right now they're $40.00 at Zappos.

So, I hereby promise to stop hating on Crocs. :) Has anyone else put aside their stereotypes to try a new brand?

Hope you all had a great week!

Review: Old Navy Tie-Hem Draped Shirt

Top: Old Navy Women's Tie-Hem Draped Shirt (size S, buy here, grey and blue for 10.99, down from $29.94) / Jeans: PacSun / Shoes: Macy's / Scarf: local boutique / Bag: Olivia + Joy / Bracelets: bought in England

I've been on an ongoing quest for shirts that are not short sleeved, solid-colored, cotton v-necks (my go-to for many, many years), so I was super happy to run across this shirt at Old Navy. At $10.99, down from $29.94, the price was right for me to buy it in both this grey and a gorgeous, deep royal blue.

I seriously love this shirt. The material is soft and the drape is nice and weighty, making it look far more expensive than it is. I could see pairing the shirt with casual skirts, over dresses, and of course with skinny jeans. I love versatile items that can compliment numerous outfits, so this definitely fits the bill. I bought both shirts in a size S for a slightly slouchy, relaxed fit, but I might return one for an XS, to have a bit of variety.

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In other news, I'm so glad I sucked up the courage to photograph at this location. These stairs are only two blocks from my house, and I've been meaning to photograph here forever, but...they are super-public, and I'm terrified of people seeing me taking photos of myself, because I'm pretty sure it looks as weird as it sounds.

Since I'm moving in a month, I figured it was now or never and I finally did it. Granted, halfway through a man stopped about 30 yards in front of me and vogued in my general direction, making muscle-man poses and laughing (I wish I was making that up.) Nonetheless, I persisted, if only slightly red in the cheeks, and I'm quite happy with the outcome!

Hope you are all having a great day so far!

Stay tuned for an announcement of the next Petite Fashion Challenge, which I am so happy to be hosting!

O Denim, Where Art Thou?

Tee: Gap sz s / Cardigan: Forever 21 sz m / Jeans: PacSun Bullhead Black Denim sz 1 (on sale for $32.00, buy here for $49.50) / Boots: thrift store / Necklace: farmer's market
 

One of the drawbacks of taking your own photos is thinking they look awesome until you later realize that, no, 97% of them were out of focus. But three were kind of ok!

I bought these PacSun Bullhead Black jeans a while back on sale in an effort to satiate my desire for colored denim on the cheap. They get the job done, but unfortunately have some drawbacks. Since my review, I've realized that they have a kind of strange fit. They are incredibly tight all throughout the legs (I like wearing them with boots to hide how suuuuper tight they are around my calves, but then again I have dancer calves), but pretty loose around the waist, like stretchy jeans that you haven't washed in a while.

My attempt to find a better pair at Gap, in the form of the 1969 midweight legging jeans (I love the "Russian Red" color) also, unfortunately, was unsuccessful. Those jeans actually had the exact same fit issues: too tight in the legs, too loose in the waist. I think that's what I get when I'm trying on "legging jeans."

Alas, I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair of cheap colored denim. Any suggestions?

Merry Christmas Eve!

Loosing the Light

 
 Top: Forever 21 sz s ($17.99) / Cropped Blazer: H&M ($34.99) / Jeans: Pac Sun / Boots: Urban Outfitters (old) / Necklace: bought at a farmer's market

Sorry for the wonky light/color quality of these pictures.... I ran outside to shoot them just as the light was beginning to really fade. You know...at 5:00. How in the world to bloggers have full-time jobs and still manage to take well-lit outfit photos in the winter? I'm at a complete loss...

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Review: ASOS and PacSun Colored Denim

I have been more than a bit obsessed with the colored jeans trend going on right now. I don't usually (read: never) hop on trends, tending much more towards sticking with classic/simple thing that I know work for me. However, in my efforts to a) add more color into my wardrobe and b) create more interesting outfits on the daily, I thought a pair of colored jeans would be an awesome addition to my wardrobe.

However, I was having the hardest time finding a pair that both fit and didn't cost an arm and a leg. My inspiration was something along the lines of these AG Stevie Ankle Jeans from Anthropologie, but there was no way I was paying $158 for a pair of colored jeans!
Anthropologie AG Stevie Ankle Jeans, $158.

A bit of help from the wonderful Alterations Needed Forum led me to two pairs which I thought were worth a shot, both from brands I'd never tried before:
ASOS PETITE Exclusive Blue Skinny Jean, $60.34

These are definitely on the higher end of what I was hoping to spend, but the pair I end up keeping will actually be part of a belated birthday gift from my parents, so it was kind of ok. ;-) I was also impressed with their free shipping and free returns policy (on everything!), which definitely helped with convincing me to give them a shot.

PacSun Bullhead Black Colored Leggings in Burgandy, $39.50 or 2 for $65.00

These are definitely a bit less jarring in the color department, and I love how I could easily wear these into fall and winter. In reality, I guessed these would be a bit more practical and versatile than the OHMYGODBRIGHT BLUE of the ASOS jeans. PacSun has free returns and online orders can also be returned to any PacSun store.

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In reality...

ASOS:
Pros: Free shipping. Free returns. That's unfortunately about it. Because...

Cons: I couldn't even get these jeans on! Not even kidding. I ordered them in a size 2, and there was no way I was getting them over my calves, they just didn't fit. Unfortunately, any size bigger and I'm pretty sure the waist/hips would be far too large. Too bad. These could totally work for a tinier petite than me, but I guess I have pretty muscular calves (years and years of dancing), so they were a no-go. Plus, in person, they were really quite bright, perhaps a bit too bright for me. The boyfriend will be happy. He was a bit scared of them.

Verdict: Return.

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Pac Sun:
Shirt: Forever 21 sz s / Pants: Pac Sun sz 1 / Shoes: Stolen borrowed from my sister, sz 7 / Necklace: Gift

These were much better in the fit department (i.e., I could get them on in the first place!). I ordered both a size 0 and a size 1, and the size 1 (which I'm wearing here) fit great in the hips and tush, but damn are these some skinny jeans. They are advertised as a "denim legging," after all, and I fear that that actually means they are a...*gulp*...jegging. That word makes me shudder. I don't want to own "jeggings." "Denim leggings," it is then!
Dang, they're tight....
Pros: The color is beautiful, and I could obviously see these working very well in fall and winter. The material is nice and soft and stretchy, and the fit is generally quite good, especially in the waist and hips, and the length is perfect. No tailoring needed! The price, at $32, is pretty reasonable.

Cons: They are so tight! More like leggings than jeans. The fit in the calves is what makes me think they're too tight. But maybe I could get used to that? The front pockets are fakes, which is a bit annoying, but the back ones are real. I feel like you can see every outline of my legs, which is a bit weird? Not sure.

Verdict: I'm not completely sold on these jeans as of this moment. They're just so...tight. Maybe they'll work if I think of them as leggings and not jeans.... What do you guys think? To keep or not to keep?

Also: These shoes:Love.

My sister bought them when she was in Dubai, where she's been living for the past few months. She's home now, and so is her closet. Which effectively means I've doubled the size of my closet. :) I love being (almost) the same size as her!

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Anyone have any cheap colored denim they'd recommend?