PFC #3 - The Look For Less

 The third Petite Fashion Challenge, hosted by Sydney of PetiteLittleGirl, was definitely a difficult one!

The Challenge: 

Pick an outfit from your favorite celeb and show us how to recreate that look for less.

I don't have a favorite celeb, so just ended up browsing through tons and tons of celeb pics, but not really finding any outfit that I could replicate with what's already in my closet.  Then I stumbled upon this:

For those who don't recognize her, she's Olivia Palermo from MTV's The City and a NY socialite who has a general reputation for being well-dressed.  She always looks so long and lean, so I was surprised to learn that she's technically a petite at 5'4".  Her outfit is very casual, and basically boils down to a stripe tee, a white skirt, a neutral bag, and a pair of silver oxfords... check, check, check, and sorta check?

Here's my version!

 Top:  LOFT Painted Stripe Boat Neck Tee, size XXSP

Skirt: LOFT layered cotton skirt, size XXSP

Shoes: Ann Taylor Perfect Leather Pump in Porcini, size 5

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mini in Pale Grey (post)

What do you think?  Did I pull it off?  I don't have anything remotely close to her silver oxfords, but I think my gray-ish taupe pumps helped give me the look of longer legs.  I wish I had the stripe tee in vintage blue so it would be a closer match, but the whole outfit turned out unexpectedly monochromatic, which I'm not totally disliking.  And was this a look for less?  The top and skirt probably came out to ~$40, which is definitely not bad... but the shoes and bag are a bit of a splurge so I'd like to think of them as "accessories" so they don't count :P

And did you notice anything different about my picture?  I'm actually outside!  I'm working at a different hospital for a month, so we're currently staying at the in-law's empty house (they're overseas) which is a closer drive.  A nice bonus is that they have a private backyard, perfect for outdoor pics!  

And maybe it's the nice outdoors that made me not want to crop out so much, but I think I finally feel comfortable with showing face on the blog!  I was thinking about "coming out" next week on my wedding anniversary and post some of my wedding pics.  But as luck would have it, LOFT contacted me yesterday for another pic for their Facebook feature, and my outfit (yet again) happened to be all LOFT, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone!  Here's the pic I submitted... and meet yours truly!

Sorry for the sans make-up look... had to sprint outside after my post-work shower & blow-dry to catch the fleeting sunlight.  Oh, and for my Twitter friends, here's another view of the new haircut:

 

I'm not entirely loving it just yet because the layers are harder to manage than my old long straight hair, but I guess it's "growing" on me a bit  :P

A Tiny Coat & A Special Offer!

A quick heads-up, I just received this Jack by BB Dakota Romaine Plush Coat in XS:

And it fits TINY!  Even hubby was impressed by the fit.  Granted the sleeves are too long, but other than that, the armholes, bust, waist, and length all fit me remarkably well.  I'll take pictures later, but wanted to put up a quick post because Piperlime is offering a $25 or $100 giftcard with every purchase today only!!  (sorry, offer expired, but coupon codes should still work!)

Piperlime always has free shipping and free returns, so it won't hurt to check it out.  If you're sure you want to keep, you can use the code TREAT4U for an additional 10% off (thanks Elle), or sign up for their emails to get an instant 15% off code.  A word of warning, if you use a coupon code, you can only return for store credit.  I got it in white, but might pick up the black as well.

Hope some of you guys can get in on this deal!  :)

Vacation Plans: Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas!

It's been almost six months since my last vacation, and I'm in desperate need of a break!  I'll finally get one in 3 more weeks, and we've just decided to go to Vegas!  We're going to head back to our absolute favorite Vegas hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. We stayed there when they first opened and had a stay one night, get one night free promotion... which turned out to be the deal of a lifetime because we got upgraded from a regular room to this really nice suite for free:

It was huge!  And even had a separate living room:

The bedroom had a nice fluffy bed and remote-controlled black-out drapes which were perfect for sleeping in!

My favorite part of the suite, though, was this absolutely divine free-standing soaking tub:

I swear I took three baths a day when I was there!  I also loved their Bvlgari White Tea toiletries, and when we asked housekeeping for more conditioner, this is what we found in our bathroom when she left!

Thanks to our travel agent, we also got some bonus perks including daily $100 credit for in-room breakfast service.  Breakfast items weren't too expensive, so we were able to order plenty and woke up to a free brunch feast everyday!

Hubby liked the Kobe steak and fries:

While my favorite was the crab cakes with poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce:

For $100 credit, we could get the above AND each get something else like pancakes on the side:

And because it's an Asian themed hotel, they also had things like wonton soup and congee for breakfast!

But that's not all!  The perks also included $100 in spa credit, which I happily used to indulge :)

So for the grand total of $300 for that trip, we got 2 nights in a upgraded suite, $200 of food credit, and $100 of spa credit!  And it wasn't just the incredible bargain, their service was amazing as well, and we also loved that it's a non-smoking, non-casino hotel so we didn't have to breathe the usual filthy Vegas casino air.

This time, the deal isn't as good... we still get those daily food and spa credit, but we have to stay 2 nights to get 1 night free.  Hopefully our travel agent can still get us an upgrade to a suite, but it's pending availability.  But another unexpected surprise of this trip is that we'll be able to go see the Jabbawockeez perform live!  Hubby and I have really liked them ever since we saw them win the first season of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.  Here's how awesome their very first performance on the show was:

I love that hubby watches the most random shows with me (even Project Runway) hahaha.  But seriously, the Jabbawockeez are amazing to watch and we're really excited to see them perform live.  I can't wait for vacation already... just a few more weeks to go! :)

Tory Burch Reva Flats: Black or Gold?

On the top of my shoe wish list (other than boots which are impossible to find so far), is a nice pair of flats to wear with my skinny jeans, especially the fabulous Gap legging jeans.  I usually don't wear flats and therefore am not very familiar with the brands out there, so I went straight to the cult classic... Tory Burch!  This is definitely a splurge for me, but I've been coveting it for so long that I decided to just pull the trigger.

I couldn't decide between a classic black and a more fun neutral pair:

TB Classic Reva Ballerina Flat in Black with Silver Logo

TB Reva Lizard Embossed Leather Flat in Gold Petal

So I got both!  And of course now I'm tempted to keep both lol.  Here's a head to head comparison!

Front & Side View:

Close up:

On the feet:

The lizard print in Gold Petal is actually more of a cream color with specks of gray, and feels slightly stiffer and less flexible than their classic ballerina style.  I got them both in size 5.5, and the black runs true to size while the lizard print runs slightly big.  It doesn't slip off my feet thanks to the elastic part in the back, but I think I might be able to fit into a size 5.    True to the TB reputation however, they both do feel reeeally comfortable on, although I haven't worn them outside yet so I don't know how they'll fare after a long day.

Now my dilemma... Black is classic and goes with everything, including black tights/leggings for winter.  Gold petal has a more interesting print but is still versatile, and the neutral lighter color elongates leg line which is especially helpful in flats.  Which pair should I choose?  And dare I say both?!  :P

Outlet Shopping Trip: Part II

The other stop during my impromptu outlet shopping trip was at Ann Taylor.  There weren't a whole lot of XXSP sizes, but I found a few things to try.  First is this print top in eggplant, size XXSP ($10):

It's a bit hard to see, but it's a wrap neckline with an empire waist.  The print is a bit casual, but for that price I can't complain :)

Next is this blazer in XXSP, which I thought looked pretty good in front:

But the side view was boxy and frumpy... although I think it has potential for someone who's a size up from me.  I decided to pass since I didn't really need it or want it enough to get alterations.

Last but not least, I found an item that's been on my "want" list for many years... a wool coat!

This was on sale for $99, and initially the smallest I could find was an XSP (which is pictured above).  After hemming and hawing, and knowing it was too big on me but still not wanting to let it go, I finally managed to walk away.  But on my way out, I decided to check the tag of the coat on the display mannequin... lo and behold, an XXSP!!  Needless to say, I quickly took it off the mannequin, tried it on in front of the store mirror (therefore no pics), and skipped all the way to the check out counter! :)

Now I've heard that Ann Taylor Factory quality is subpar compared to their regular merchandise, so I will be holding on to my receipt just in case I find something better.  In fact, I have another wool coat coming in the mail, so will take pics of the XXSP size to show both of them later.  In the mean time, I'm also eyeing this other Ann Taylor wool coat ($398), available in XXSP in camel, gray, and black:

If only there were another 40% off coupon...!

Accidental Outlet Shopping Trip: Part I

Next week, I'll be starting an away rotation at another hospital, so I took a day off to go get my badge and various paperwork done yesterday.  And surprise surprise, the place I had to go to was literally down the street from an outlet shopping center!  Now I don't know how I made it to this age without ever going outlet shopping before, and this almost felt like some kind of divine intervention lol... I had to check it out!

There weren't as many stores as I thought, and I only ended up going to a couple of familiar names.  First was Banana Republic, which has been a major snoozefest lately... and to add insult to injury, I feel like they have been inflating their XXSP and 00P sizes compared to a few years ago.  But I gave them a chance and did manage to find a couple things to buy.

First was this top which fit surprisingly small in XXSP ($20):

I could've sworn I saw something very similar on Kelly from AlterationsNeeded a while back, and a quick search through her archives showed that while hers was also from a BR Factory store, the style was a little different.  This top also came in several different colors, but this was the only one that was still available in XXSP.  I'm not completely in love with the print, but in the end the slim fit won me over.

Next was this jacket, also in XXSP ($50):

I initially tried it on in the XSP size, and really liked the sweet and feminine style with the ruched shoulder detail, slight bell sleeves and cropped length.  But it ran big and was boxy on the side view (not pictured).  And even though it was fully lined, it was a little more expensive than I wanted to pay (LOFT totally spoiled me!).  I mentally told myself that I'd get it but if only there were an XXSP... and as I went to put it back on the rack, I discovered an XXSP that I had somehow overlooked!  How could I say no then? :)

Another item that I liked in XXSP was this jean jacket ($60):

The fit was pretty darn good... the sleeves were a tad long, but not terrible.  I was so tempted to get it, but it wasn't on sale and I couldn't convince myself to fork over the full $60.  I even texted pic to hubby to ask for opinion, and he responded that jean jackets are so 90's lol.  After much deliberation, I left it behind... but I'm kinda having some second thoughts!

Some other things that didn't work out include this print wrap dress:

I had it wrapped so tightly that I couldn't really move my shoulders/arms, and still it was cut too low for me and the length was also too long.  But with a hem job, I can see it looking great on someone like AN since I know she loves her wrap dresses.

This knit dress was also a bust:

The length and armholes were good, and the material was a substantial thick knit.  But it made me look so boxy and shapeless, and may be better suited for curvier gals.

The last BR item I found in XXSP was a miserable fail:

I don't know how they could conscionably call that an XXSP... baggy armholes, wide and boxy shape, and waist ties squarely on my hips!  Tsk tsk.

That's it for BR... I also got a couple things from Ann Taylor, but will save it for the next post! :)

Giveaway: $25 Starbucks Gift Card!

It's giveaway time!  I've been really itching to do something to show appreciation for my readers, especially the ones who take the time out of their busy day to leave comments.  You guys are the reason why I started (and stayed with) blogging!  I've also finally bit the bullet and created a Facebook account for the blog.  It's looking a little lonely so befriend me at PetiteXXS or "like" my Page.

This month I've been on a super busy rotation and haven't been getting my much needed sleep, so caffeine has been on my mind.  I actually don't drink coffee to stay awake because I didn't want to become dependent on it, but I do enjoy a Frappuccino once in a while even though they must be a gazillion calories.  My hospital provides an allowance to spend on food, and any unused balance expires at the end of the year.  I had money leftover and ended up getting a Starbucks giftcard at the end of last year which I haven't touched, so I figured one of you can put it to better use!

So basically, this is a small giveaway of a $25 Starbucks Gift Card as a token of my appreciation for blog readers.  All you have to do to enter is be a Google follower.  Extra entries will be given for tweeting about the giveaway (see entry form), for liking PetiteXXS on Facebook, and for posting the button below on your blog or sidebar.

<a href="http://petitexxs.com"><img src="http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/440/sbgiveaway.jpg"></a>

The giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers, and ends on Sunday, October 31st.  The winner will be announced shortly after and will have 72 hours to claim.  Thanks for reading! :)

Abercrombie Short Shorts

This summer I'd been on the search for shorts that fit.  The search was pretty unsuccessful (see previous attempt), but I guess I wasn't looking too hard because this SoCal summer never really got that hot except for a few random days.  Of course as soon as summer was over, I stumbled upon these!

I was really hoping to avoid kids sizing, but it was inevitable... how could I pass up these Abercrombie Kids shorts that fit better than anything else I've tried on, and for the bargain price of $15!  These are no longer available online, but are pretty similar to this pair that's the same price and still available in many colors:

Mine has cuffs at the bottom and comes with a belt, which I got in the above khaki and also this light gray, both in size 12:

They fit relatively well, but hubby is concerned that they're too short lol.  I actually would've gotten the other pair above without cuffs/belt, except that one is almost an inch shorter!  I think the ones I got are already pushing the limits, so that other pair would've been too indecent to wear outside.

I would probably wear them untucked, but here they are tucked so you can better see the details:

The belt is purely decorative since it's loosely fitting even on the tightest hole, but it's removable so I'll probably do without to reduce bulk.  Sadly the weather is now too chilly to wear shorts, but I will be saving these for next year!

Eye-Fi Review

Here's a nifty little tech toy I wanted to share with my fellow petite bloggers and anyone else who has a digital camera.  I was feeling down a while ago so hubby decided to get me a present to help me feel better.  He noticed that it always took me forever to take pics for the blog, so he got me this to make the process a little easier:

Eye-Fi SD Wireless Memory Card

It's just like the SD memory card that you use in your camera, but any picture you take will wirelessly transmit to your computer instantly, so you don't have to connect your camera to the computer or take out the card to download the pics when you're done.

It features an "Endless Memory" mode where it'll automatically delete pics, starting from the oldest, to make room for new ones.  That way you never to have to go through and manually delete pics to make room, and it knows to only delete the pics already safely transmitted to your computer.

One useful application, especially for bloggers, is to have it transmit to a mobile device like a laptop or an iPad that's placed wherever you're taking your pics... then you can see the full-size images right away as you're taking them!  I think you can also have it to upload select or all pics to many popular online galleries without needing a computer, which is ideally good for traveling.

One caveat is that you do need to have Wi-Fi, either at home or at hotspots like Starbucks, Barnes & Nobles, or hotels.  And I have no idea how much more expensive these are than regular SD cards since I don't usually buy those kinds of things, but mine is ~$48 for 4GB of space, which is plenty especially with the Endless Memory mode.  Even though I probably wouldn't have thought to get this for myself, I have to say that I've really enjoyed having it, and I love that my pics appear on my computer in the designated location and automatically organized in folders labeled by date.  I have an iMac so I can definitely vouch for its Mac compatibility!  More details are on their website, and here's their promo video: