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! :)

What The...

I've been feeling rather uninspired lately, and sort of going through a blog existential crisis.  I started out intending to create more of a personal blog about a variety of things.  But somehow along the way it kind of morphed into a "fashion" blog.  Now I'm trying to figure out whether I want to continue down the same path or branch out and share about other aspects of my life - but I'd hate to lose existing reader interest by blabbing about non-petite related things.  And in addition, even if I stay with fashion blogging, my current picture-taking setup is less than optimal.  I've been playing with the idea of investing in a better camera, but DSLRs seem soooo complicated.  I also need a better place to take pics with natural lighting, but I'm too self-conscious to be able to pose outside.

Anyway, sorry for the random rant.  Here's something sort of fashion-related AND personal.  I was born in the year of the pig, month of the pig, day of the pig, and hour of the pig... the ultimate quadruple pig!  So let's just say I like cute pig-related items :)  And I thought this was one of the funniest thing ever:

"Heo" means pig in Vietnamese and sounds like "hell" spoken with a very fobby accent.   Aaaanyways, probably only amusing to Vietnamese people :)  This is a T-shirt sold by a company that makes funny Viet-related designs called AnhOi.  I considered getting one at one point but wasn't sure if I should get the child or adult version, which comes in a hotter shade of pink and also brown:

I can probably fit into a child size 12 since T-shirts run big anyway, plus it's cheaper ($15 vs. $20):

Here's another design that I liked:

Nguyen is a common Vietnamese last name but is virtually unpronounceable by most people, who tend to say it like "win" instead.  I actually had a patient called Nguyen Nguyen once and my 70-year-old British attending thought he came up with this joke and had such a cow with it.  I almost wanted to get him this T-shirt but didn't want to burst his bubble :)

These are a little expensive for novelty T-shirts so I haven't decided yet if I want to pull the trigger... but they look fun nonetheless.  I want the pig one... it's practically calling my name! :)

A Few LOFT Dresses

LOFT is having a 30% off all dresses sale, with free shipping for purchases over $125 as well as their usual $25 savings card per $50 promotion.  I figured I'd share pics of the couple dresses I tried on the last time I was in store.

First is the Ruffle Trim Wrap Dress in 00P:

Despite being told that wrap dresses are a good thing for petites since they're adjustable, I still have yet to find a wrap dress that fits... but this one comes the closest so far!

I considered getting it but decided to hold out for a better bargain... it's going on my watch list though!

The other dress I tried was the Watercolor Shift Dress in XXSP:

The fit is decent from the front, but so wide from the side and could use a belt:

There's a ruffle that runs down the front that kind of gets lost in the print.  I did like that the neckline wasn't too low and the armholes were good, but unless it's deeply discounted I would probably have to pass on this one.

TLBC Giveaway Winner & Some Shopping "Wins"

Thanks to everyone who entered my very first giveaway!  I wish I had a TLBC bra to give to every one of you... but alas, there can only be one winner...

Congratulations to lucky #118... kimeedee!

(Please contact me within the week so I can pass your information on to TLBC)

For those who didn't win, ReallyPetite's TLBC giveaway ends later this week so enter again if you haven't already for another chance to win!  Otherwise, if you'd like to try TLBC, you can also use the code ANBRIDE15 or EXTRAPETITE15 for 15% off your purchase until 10/10/10.  Thanks again to The Little Bra Company for sponsoring the giveaway!

To continue with my recent LOFT spree, I scored some "winning" bargains during my trip to return some things last weekend.

These scarves were already on sale, and with the 30% F&F discount they came out to only ~$5 each!

Which makes me very happy since I had already decided to return the Ann Taylor $30 scarf from the earlier post.

And on another side note, according to my recent poll, it looks like the majority of people who voted prefer to see blog posts in full instead of seeing a preview and then clicking again to read more.  Even though the blog is more streamlined when showing only previews, I think I have to listen to the 3:1 majority and keep it the way it is!  Please comment if you think differently! :)

All Ruffled Out By LOFT

Today is Chinese Father's Day (because in Chinese, 8/8 sounds like the word for father).  Today is also the last day for the F&F sale at Ann Taylor and LOFT, both online ("FRIENDSFB") and in-store, so I wanted to share my recent LOFT order.  I'm really excited because there are at least a couple keepers!

First is the Twisted Neckline With Exposed Back Zip in Light Smokey Rose, size XXSP:

Although the neckline draping is asymmetrical and a little irregular, I still really like it.  I think it adds visual interest and is a nice change from the usual ruffles.  This also comes in a moss green which I didn't see online in petite sizing, but apparently can be found in stores.

My other keeper is the Ruffle Front Halter in XXSP:

This one is so pretty in person... even hubby approved!  The ruffles aren't the usual flowery type but look more architectural.  The fabric is a shimmery periwinkle and it's lined, so feels very substantial.  It is a lil boxy, but like ExtraPetite (who also bought), I think this would look gorgeous tucked in and layered under cardigans/blazers.

I bought during the BOGO 50% off sale with an additional 20% coupon, and those tops came out to ~$20 each, so the price is definitely right!  The rest of the tops I ordered I'm probably not going to keep, but here they are anyway:

#1: Cascade Ruffle Country Floral in XXSP:

(armholes were good but neckline too low and length slightly too long) 

#2: Tiered Ruffle Button Front in XXSP:

(sheer fabric, elasticized bottom makes top too long when pulled down and too poufy otherwise)

#3: Ruffle Front With Roll Sleeve in XXSP:

(slouchy fit all around with a super low neckline)

And lastly, I also got the Ruffle Front Cardigan in XXSP:

This was also seen on AN and PAG, and even though I think it's really pretty, I'm still trying really hard to resist since I just recently got the other LOFT cardigan in several colors.  Plus I can't decide between this and the turquoise color, so I'm just stalling and hoping that I can find it on sale for a lot cheaper later.

That's all!  Hope you guys were able to score some good items during the AT/LOFT F&F sale!

Ann Taylor Charmeuse Ruffle Blouse

I'm working nights again this week which means that after working, sleeping, and eating, I only have about an hour of "free" time so not a whole lot of time to blog.  But here's a quick review of the Ann Taylor Charmeuse Ruffle Shirt in 00P:

I've been looking for a center ruffle blouse that I can wear with a pencil skirt and cardigan.  I wasn't expecting too much since the only Ann Taylor blouses I've tried on are always too big.  But I think this one works!

Untucked, it's still on the long side, but looks better tucked in:

Here's a closer look at the ruffles:

I really like how it layers underneath a cardigan:

The fit is pretty good for a non-zippered item.  The armholes and neckline are appropriately placed.  Initially I thought the material was silk, but it turns out to be a mix of polyester and spandex (but is machine washable!).  It's not a big deal to me, I do wish it was cheaper.

The biggest issue for me is color.  I had a really hard time trying to get it to show up on the pictures, because the purple is so deep it's almost black looking.  The blouse does also come in teal as well as an animal print which I'm not sure I can pull off... I'm still not sure what color I should get:

In the pics, I was also wearing the Ann Taylor Perfect Leather Pumps and the Perfect Skinny Belt, both in Porcini.  The pumps are really nice, but slightly too big in size 5.5.  The belt is also too loose, but that's no longer a problem now that I've found the leather hole puncher!  I'm curious though about what everyone thinks about matching belt and shoes.  Does it pull the outfit together or is it too matchy-matchy?

At-Home Laser Hair Removal: Silk'n SensEpil Review

Not too long ago, ExtraPetite mentioned that she is getting laser hair removal and was immediately met with a lot of interest.  I think she is planning to blog about it, but I wanted to throw in my two cents about my experience with at-home laser hair removal just in case anyone has ever thought about trying it.

I’m definitely not one of those lucky Asian gals who have no or hardly noticeable body hair.  Instead I have tons of thick coarse black hair which, in combination with my super fair skin, makes shaving only effective for a day at most.  Not to mention stubble makes me really itchy and I have borderline eczema so it’s just no good!  I’ve also tried epilation, which basically is tweezing with a gizmo that has multiple tweezer heads that rotates at high speed… and as you can imagine, it simply equates to amplified pain to get the job done quicker.  Now some people swear by it and say that after a while you don’t feel the pain anymore.  But it definitely hurts (especially on the legs) so I tend to go for a long time in between sessions, which meant my skin never really got used to the pain.  The additional downsides for me are that it takes a long time to do (~30 min), and I get lots of in-growns which are never fun.

Fortunately, I'm apparently the ideal candidate for laser hair removal.  Since it targets pigmentation, having darker hair makes it more effective and lighter skin makes it more safe.  After a little bit of research, I decided to try the Silk'n SensEpil:

It works by some type of pulsing light technology:

The treatment area is an approximately 1 x 1.5 inch rectangle (yellow):

You basically place the yellow part on the skin, press the button and it flashes like a camera.  Then move on to the next area while it recharges (about 2-3 seconds) and repeat.  This is supposedly fast compared to other at-home laser systems.  It took me about 45 min total to do my legs and underarms, but I was very careful about overlapping areas to make sure nothing gets missed.  It's safe for legs, underarms, bikini area, and even upper lip.  As for pain level, it’s not bad (especially compared to epilating) but gets more uncomfortable as time goes on and as the unit gets hotter, so I’d definitely recommend doing more sensitive areas first.

I used it once every 2 weeks for a total of 4 sessions, and initially I was pretty happy with the results.  Although hair did not fall out right away, they easily came off within a day or two.  Because hair grows in cycles, it took 2-3 sessions to treat them all, and after that I was completely smooth for weeks!  Any hair that did grow were very fine and not noticeable at all.  And the best part?  No in-growns!!  But since I thought the results were “permanent” I stopped using it and ended up not keeping it.  Over time, my hair started growing back, although to this day I still see an overall reduction in the amount of hair… probably by ~50%.

The unit retails for $500, and each $50 replacement cartridge lasts about 2 sessions for my legs and underarms.  Here's where being petite is a plus because there's less skin to cover and the cartridge lasts for longer!  It’s definitely not a frivolous purchase, but still cost-effective compared to professional laser treatment which costs thousands of dollars.  There’s also a convenience factor since you can do it at home.  The only downside for me is the need to keep using it (and replacing cartridges) to maintain results.  But supposedly, after the initial few sessions, the treatments needed will become more infrequent.

I really miss the smoothness of the results and the convenience of not having to shave or tweeze for months at a time.  I'm considering re-purchasing and giving it a long-term chance to work.  Some other options include the other popular at-home laser system, Tria, which I've heard mixed results about and am not too familiar with:


And of course there's always the much more expensive professional laser hair removal, which I would be willing to pay for if the results are permanent without necessary maintenance sessions.  But from what I've read, laser removal only achieves permanent hair reduction.  The only FDA-approved truly permanent hair removal method is electrolysis, where a thin needle is inserted into the hair follicle, which sounds very painful as well as painstakingly time-consuming.

Please share if you have tried or have heard about any permanent hair removal systems!