Battle Of The Booties

I never used to understand the appeal of booties on petites... they either cut off the leg line or have to be worn with matching tights, thus limiting their versatility.  But just like how I initially felt about skinny jeans, my feelings toward booties have been slowly changing.  I still don't currently own a single pair of booties, but have been more open-minded about adding them to my shoe collection.  I picked up a few pairs of Ann Taylor shoes a while back when they were having their big shoe sale, and finally got around to taking some pics!

The first pair is the Lily Lace-up Canvas Peep Toe Bootie in size 5.5:

And the second pair is the Lace Bootie in size 5.5:

  Here's how they look on the feet:

Please ignore the hot pink nail polish.  I recently tried on my little sister's polish but was too lazy to wipe off even though it's a little loud for my taste.

Another close-up:

The lace bootie was absolutely gorgeous online (see post), but got a thumbs down from both hubby and my Mom in person.  The appearance is hard to describe, but almost looks like lace-printed nude fabric more than anything (I'm not sure what else I was expecting I suppose).  The nude/lace part is rather crinkly and noticeably doesn't match my skin tone.  But I do like the unique lace design and since it's black, it could potentially go with more outfits and can also be worn with tights.

While they both have a 4.25" heel (with a small hidden platform in front), the canvas peep toe pair is a little more comfortable whereas the lace pair digs into my ankle a bit.  And while I do like the neutral color of the canvas pair, it seems strictly a spring/summer shoe because of the peep toe, and is also a little pricey at $103.  Styling it is another issue, although it's pretty cute on Chloe and here are some more ideas from Ann Taylor: 

One last look to compare the two:

So which would you keep?  Or neither...  or both??

PFC #6 - Dress Up Your Basics

The sixth Petite Fashion Challenge is being hosted by Jess of Stylepint!

The Challenge: 

Jeans and a tee is a classic outfit starter. 
 Start off with a jeans and tee basic look and dress it up to show off your personal style.

I cheated a little and started out with a striped tee (but forgot to take a plain "before" picture, sorry!)

Top: LOFT Painted Stripe Boat Neck Tee, size XXSP
Jeans: A&F Kids Maddy Skinny, size 12 
Necklace: Charlotte Russe (similar)

I'm terrible at remembering to accessorize but am trying to improve... and here I added a newly-acquired long drapey chain necklace to balance out the boatneck of the top.  The attached flower on this surprisingly inexpensive necklace makes it almost like two accessories in one!

And since I easily get cold, I almost never leave the house without some sort of cardigan or jacket.  I decided to add a spring-appropriate blazer on top.  I usually prefer my blazer sleeves scrunched up, and here I thought that the effect of the striped sleeves peeking out underneath kind of gives the idea of a striped jacket... but without the commitment! 

I love that the flower on the necklace serves double duty as a faux flower pin on the blazer too!  Please forgive the feet-less pics... I had on flats but they were a baaad idea.  I was going to change to pumps at the time for a lil' more sophistication, but hubby came home with dinner and I was starving so that was the end of my photoshoot.

Not the most creative effort I have to say, and the attempt ended prematurely before I could try again with different shoes, a belt, etc. due to an unexpected injury.  But at least it is a casual look that I can wear without feeling like I'm trying too hard.  Don't forget to check out lots of other outfits from this Petite Fashion Challenge here!

LOFT Feature: Abstract Print Shell

LOFT recently sent out a request for outfits featuring spring blouses for their Facebook gallery, and the first thing that immediately came to my mind was the Abstract Print Shell that I mentioned in a previous post.  And here's what I sent in!

Skirt: LOFT Slim Denim Skirt, size 00P (post)

Cardigan: LOFT V-Neck Cardigan, size XXSP (post)

Shoes: AT Perfect Leather Pump in Porcini, size 5

Belt: AT Perfect Skinny Belt in Porcini, size XS

Necklace: Nordstrom Glass Pearl Necklace in White

Long-time blog readers may remember the denim skirt from my very first LOFT haul, which I initially thought I would have to alter.  But lo and behold, after just one cycle in the washer/dryer, it shrank enough to be wearable as is!  I still need to belt for it to sit at my true waist, but is definitely passable and hopefully will continue to shrink a bit more over time!

I also tried on a more colorful skirt with this top just for fun, and although it's brighter than what I'm used to, it definitely makes me feel like spring is almost here!

Skirt: Urban Outfitters Chiffon Drape Skirt, size XS (post)

So which pairing do you prefer?

The vibrant chiffon... or the understated denim?

If you haven't already, check out all the fabulous ladies and their outfits on the LOFT feature here!

Alterations: Ann Taylor Texture Pencil Skirt

I recently made a trip to the tailors, which never fails to leave me in a state of mild shock over how much tailoring costs can add up... but I have to say that I absolutely love the results!  One of my favorite alterations this time is the Ann Taylor pencil skirt that I mentioned in the last post, which turned out fantastic!

I probably should've taken proper pics, but was so excited by how it turned out that I just grabbed my phone to snap away, and also threw on the ensemble that I was planning to wear for my presentation, which again was inspired by this stock photo:

My initial thought was to get the skirt hemmed, but my tailor convinced me to get the sides slimmed, which would allow it to fit better overall.  With that alteration it would sit higher on my natural waist, and would therefore hit me at a good length without any hemming needed... and she was right!  I thought she did a beautiful job and it feels seriously amazing on... I think this is probably the best fitting pencil skirt that I currently own!

Here again is how the skirt looked before:

And here again is the after:

Blouse: AT Charmeuse Ruffle Shirt, size 00P (post)

Skirt: AT Riley Texture Pencil Skirt, size 00P      

Shoes: AT Perfect Leather Pumps, size 5

Unfortunately it was a cold rainy day today and I was freezing even with the added cardigan & white coat:

So instead of wearing this outfit, I made a last-minute decision to switch to the petite-favorite (and warmer) Banana Republic tweed dress that I'd also just gotten back from the tailor.  I took a few iPhone pics of it but they turned out blurry, so I'll have to retake the pics for another post.

I'm so glad my presentation is done... a big thanks to everyone who shared helpful public speaking tips and words of encouragement!  I actually had a really good turnout of attendings... some of whom I'm sure came for the free catered food lol, but it felt good to have an audience to show the fruits of my labor to nevertheless.  Now that it's over, I can relax and enjoy my one week of vacation time that starts today!  I hope you guys are having a fantastic weekend! :)

Ann Taylor 40% + Stackable 20% Off Sale!

I'm really supposed to be working on my presentation, but did a little quick shopping since there's a really good promotion going on right now at Ann Taylor.  They are offering 40% off all sale items with free shipping on $150+ order.  I also found that the code 10000000110 will stack to give an additional 20% off entire purchase!

Pickings are slim in the small petite sizes, so I ended up getting these:

Lace Bootie, size 5.5 ($66, reg $198):

Tweed Perfect Flat, size 5 ($57, reg $158):

Shimmer Tiered Shell, size XXSP ($20, reg $78):

Don't forget to go through your credit card shopping links for additional cash back (Discover is offering 5% and Chase has 3%).  If you don't have those, you can go through eBates for an extra 3% cash back (referral link).

On a side note, I recently tweeted about this AT Riley Texture Pencil Skirt in 00P:

I picked it up in a previous order for ~$55 and was planning to wear it in the work outfit I talked about in the previous post.  Here are some quick & grainy iPhone pics:

I've actually never tried on any Ann Taylor pencil skirts before and was pleasantly surprised by how the size 00P fits!  I initially thought I could even get by without any alterations, but am now considering getting it hemmed.  I prefer for it to sit slightly higher on the waist as well, but slimming sounds like a potentially complicated alteration per Jean who definitely knows what she's doing!  Any thoughts?

PFC #4 - Holiday Party

The fourth Petite Fashion Challenge is being hosted by Elaine of Curls and Pearls!

The Challenge: 

Create a holiday party look using festive colors and/or holiday pieces without looking like a greeting card.

It doesn't sound too hard, right?  Except I've never been to a holiday party and don't really have any holiday pieces in my wardrobe!  But here's something I could possibly wear to a friends or family gathering:

Top:  Ann Taylor    Skirt:  Banana Republic    Cardigan:  American Eagle
Shoes:  TB Classic Reva Ballerina Flat in Black with Silver Logo, size 5.5
Necklace:  Nordstrom    Pin:  LOFT    Belt: Gift    Tights:  Simple Vera

I bought this skirt around this time last year, so it had always felt like a holiday piece to me.  I added the flower pin, which is a recent LOFT acquisition, so I'd have some green to complement my red to represent the quintessential holiday colors :)

Speaking of recent buys, I got pair of suede OTK boots from LOFT a while back when there were on sale for ~$60.  Initially I thought the fit was not great as the shaft was loose overall and had planned on returning... but I tried them on with this outfit and now I'm having second thoughts:

Hubby was less than helpful so I figured I'd ask my wonderful blog readers for opinions/feedback.  I like how they look from the front, but here are some side views:

The cuffs can be folded down, but I don't really like how that looks because then you can really see how my scrawny my thighs and calves are by comparison.  The price isn't too bad at all for boots, but I never would've thought I could do OTK boots.  What do you think... to keep or not to keep?

Sorry for all the headless pics.  Wish I had time to get all holiday-glam on ya (well, it'd also help if I actually knew how!), but I'm working nights this month and had literally just rolled out of bed at 4 pm and had to be back at work in an hour, and looked frightful in every single shot.  Serves me right for procrastinating until the last minute, but I'm glad I was still able to participate in this PFC... now to go see what everyone is wearing for their holiday parties! :)

Urban Outfitters: Scuba, Military & Faux Fur

I was recently lured into my local Urban Outfitters store by an "extra 50% off sale items" sign out front.  And while I didn't find any worthwhile sale items to blog about, I did try on a few other things, including a seriously small skirt... the BDG Zipper Miniskirt in XS ($38):

I couldn't believe how small this was!  I'd say the XS is probably similar to a size 10 kids skirt unless you like your skirts really really skin-tight.  I also grabbed a size S in another color to try because even that looked tiny as well:

To be honest I'm not sure which size fits me better!  They both feel quite short though (or maybe I'm just not used to having skirts hit me at that length).  The material is a stretchy knit, and almost reminds me of the recent LOFT scuba material except not quite as thick.  They only had those two colors in store, but a quick search online showed that it's available in seven different colors.  I hate paying retail so I passed, but maybe if it goes on sale :)

Next was the military-esque Collection Officer Coat in XS ($79), which looked like it ran small as well:

Sorry about the grainy pics, my iPhone picture quality is usually better, I think their mirror was dirty or something. The coat looks pretty good in front, but side view was still a bit boxy and the sleeves were a little roomy. I also wasn't sure about the rather drabbish green color, but it also comes in a blackish grey online:

And finally, since I can't seem to find the H&M faux fur collar that I saw on ExtraPetite (or any other H&M items for that matter), I tried on the UO version - the Pins and Needles Faux Fur Collar ($28):

The color is a darker brown and it seems a bit shorter, but otherwise it's pretty much the same idea.  I couldn't make myself pay almost twice the price though since the H&M version is only $15, so again I passed.

I couldn't find any juicy UO coupon codes, except for GIFTED which gives 10% off full-price items, and wasn't tempted enough to make an order.  Will be biding my time and browsing online in the meantime, waiting for a good sale and/or coupon codes! :)