A Short Coat Here & A Long Coat There

When it rains, it pours!  Both in terms of work, where every day has been busier than the last, but luckily also in terms of shopping for coats!  I had ordered a whole bunch, hoping that may be one or two would work out.  And while usually my success rate is almost always zero, this year for some reason I keep finding potential keepers!

While I am definitely keeping my Jack BB Dakota coat, I'm also being tempted by these two recent petite-friendly finds.  First is the A|X Fitted Peacoat in XS:

I was pretty impressed by how slim this fits!  The sleeves are a bit long but not so long that I'd have to get alterations.  The length of course is longer on me, but I dare say that it actually fits even closer to the body on me that it does on the model.  It retails for $185, now on sale for $149 and A|X has a free shipping and $50 off $150 purchase with code 50FORHER which ends on 12/15.  They also offer free return shipping or returns to store as well.

Second is the Banana Republic Wool Ruffle Coat in Sugar Plum, size XXSP:

I got it on a whim because it was on sale at the time with an extra 40% off, making it about ~$100.  I didn't expect too much but as it turns out I'm also tempted to keep this one!  I love the eggplant purple, and while the coat isn't as slim-fitting as my Jack BB Dakota, the fit is not too bad overall and is good for throwing over any amount of layers underneath.

Do I need all these coats, especially in CA weather?  Probably not.  But I sure do WANT them all lol.  And of course I still have one more coat in olive coming in the mail from J.Crew, courtesy of PAG.  If that one fits well too, I really don't know what I'm going to do!

Sorry I didn't have any time to take actual modeling pics... maybe I will do a collage of all my winter coat acquisitions when everything gets here! :)

Alterations: A|X Halter Dress

To continue with my newbie venture into alterations, here's a simple alteration on an Armani Exchange purple print halter dress.  This was a fully-lined, light and airy chiffon dress in size XS that I'd gotten on sale ages ago and thought I'd be able to "easily" take in the sides myself.  Of course I never got around to it, and it was included in the first batch of items taken to the tailor.

Before:

It actually doesn't look half bad as is when belted, but the main problem was that the armholes were low enough to show my bra.  So the tailor suggested that a simple seam down the each side would take care of both the armhole issue and the excessive fabric.

After:

And it did the trick!  Sorry I didn't get a good side-view pic, but the dress is now slim enough to wear alone if I'm feeling bloated or am planning to stuff my face.  And of course it can also worn belted:

Belt: Express Adjustable Skinny Belt, size S/M (similar)

Shoes: Ann Taylor Sofia in size 5.5

I can't recall how much the alteration cost, but I believe it was one of the less expensive pieces because the zipper was in the back and didn't need to be touched.  In retrospect, I think I probably could have done this alteration myself since it does seem relatively simple.  Maybe next time! :)

Armani Exchange Linen Shorts

AN recently reviewed some Armani Exhange shorts, and they were too large on her, which meant that they'd definitely be to big on me.  But on a whim,  I decided to order the A|X Rolled Linen Shorts in p0:

And here's how they turned out:

The fit is almost there... it has an elastic waist which helps a little, but it's still slightly too loose.  So when I tucked my top in, it starts coming loose (see wrinkly 2nd picture) as soon as I make any movements.  

Also, the leg openings are too wide, so from the front the shorts flare out somewhat at my hips.  Here's a close up:

They also come in another color (Moonlight), which I sort of like because it's more unusual:

But for some reason, the waistband on this pair is even more loose, and it noticeably gaps:

They're on sale for $29, so originally I was considering keeping a pair just so I have at least ONE pair of shorts for the summer... but now I keep thinking that the fit is going to keep bugging me because it's one of those things that's almost but not quite good enough.

Weekend Moving Woes and Shopping Misses

We were super busy moving this Memorial Day weekend, which was dramatized by the fact that our moving truck stalled and wouldn't start despite being jumpstarted by a random helpful Fedex truck:

It took 3 hours of waiting around and eventually a AAA trucking-towing truck came and got it going again.  But long story short, it was a stressful and busy weekend, but we're about 80% unpacked!  I did also manage to find some time to make a quick trip to the mall to make some due returns and check out the H&M sale.

While in A|X to return some things, I quickly tried on a couple items.  First is the Strappy Eyelet Top in XS:

It caught my interest because I've been keeping an eye out for lace items, and this one has an interesting geometric design, as well as back ties that I thought would help with the fit.  Here's how it looks untied:

I also tried on this Sleeveless Ruffle Top in XS, which I thought might look cute casually layered, but it was humongous on me:

And it turns out that's because it was meant to be wrapped:

I guess it doesn't really matter because the "waist" ties were on my hips anyway!  I didn't end up buying either, but will keep the first top in mind if it goes on sale.

Finally I made it to H&M to make use of the 20% coupon PAG had so graciously shared.  But unfortunately I forgot to bring the printed coupon and they wouldn't take it off my iPhone lol (hey, it worked once at Banana Republic!).  I also got there ~10 minutes before closing so there wasn't a lot of time to browse, but I did run into this polka-dot ruffle skirt that ReallyPetite modeled, and tried the size 2 on just for fun:

I actually thought the ruffles were pretty flattering for my backside, and the quality felt more solid than other H&M pieces.  The fit is okay but it could use some taking in:

But in the end, hubby doesn't like polka dots and they wouldn't take my "coupon" so I ended up leaving the mall empty-handed.

Shopping Spree: Armani Exchange

Armani Exchange is one of those rare stores I've found that (sometimes) carry a size XS small enough to fit my XXS self :)  Their clothes are usually a little too trendy for me though, but once in a while there are some good finds.  There were only a few things that caught my eye (and still available in my size) this time.

First is the Strapless Bubble Dress in p0:

The fit is actually pretty good considering it's a strapless, and I like that it has pockets.  The color, however, wasn't really what I expected.  I wanted more like a rich true red, but this was more of a hot-pink kind of red.  I'm not sure what I'd wear this to... so it's probably a return.

Next is the Lightweight Printed Trench in XS:

I have to admit that I almost didn't even try this one on, because the printed fabric just kind of threw me.  I know it's in the name!  But for some reason I thought it was a slubby fabric instead of an actual print.  Here's a close up of the pattern:

I've been wanting a light trench since the almost-but-not-good-enough Ann Taylor LOFT trench that I've reluctantly decided to return.  The fit of this one was a pleasant surprise!  Even from the side it was fitted... which was a big contrast to the LOFT coat.   And because of the pleated design it actually gave me a butt which is virtually unheard of!  The sleeves are too long though, but that seems like an easy fix.  If only it was in a different fabric... I would keep it in a heart beat.  I'm still thinking about keeping it anyway.  I got it ~$63 after tax, so it's not a huge investment... but it's $63 I could put toward the perfect trench...

I also tried the Mesh Moto Jacket and the Printed Cardigan in XS:

But they definitely did not work, and I was tired of taking pictures so I didn't even bother.  I do like that A|X has a generous return policy and pays for return shipping as well, so off they go!