I had an appointment today to shop. Some of my wish list items were sold out, but I got to try quite a few in the store. Some weren't in the store but were available online.
My sales associate did a great job. She was so organized, and had my wish list items in the room for me. She picked all the right sizes, some of which I wouldn't have guessed correctly. So helpful and time-saving!
What I wore shopping (pic 1): Pants and shirt-jacket in navy travel knit (OSKA). Navy and stone broken-stripe tank top (made by me). White and silver low-top sneakers (Paul Green). Gray backpback bag (Rebecca Minkoff).
Here are my reviews.
What I bought:
- Caslon chevron stripe cardigan. Bought a size down from what I would have tried (XS rather than S). Soft, cozy, and to me it looks quite chic in person.
- Caslon long-sleeved crewneck t-shirt, blue sterling, size S. Goes with the sweater, and I love the color. I have a few Caslon cotton t-shirts from years past, and I like this new lightweight slub-cotton style. I think it's pretty and will be good for layering.
- Pacsun Feel the Breeze Mix Stitch Cotton V-neck. I got it in dark sapphire (navy). Wasn't on my radar, but the SA picked it for me. I think it will be useful to have a nice summer pullover. Bonus that it matched the pants I was wearing to shop.
- Zella seamless performance t-shirt. Blue thistle (bought in store) and purple iris (ordered), size S. A closer-fitting tee that I will use for Pilates, walks or wearing under an overshirt for hiking.
- Topshop basketweave cardigan. Soft, and a nice shorter length. I like the boxy cut--not too oversized. Size S. I put this one on the SA's radar; she was pleasantly surprised.
- ATM schoolboy cotton t-shirt, bay green, size S. NOT an NAS item, and wasn't on my list. But the SA picked it for me, and I love the fit, the feel, and the color.
- AllSaints leather belt. Size S. I might have picked M, but it turns out S will work for my mid-rise and high rise jeans. The color looks less pink to me in person, a not-quite blush.
- Madewell medium carabiner earrings. Love these! They are about a half inch long, and don't really look like carabiners because they are so tiny. I will wear them a lot. I'm liking smaller earrings with my short hair.
- Fresh lip balm. Also introduced the SA to this item, my favorite lip balm. I've never tried the mint before.
- Kiehl's avocado eye cream. Another favorite. It's nice to have a small travel-size as well as the regular size.
- Rag & Bone Shiloh loafer, lightsand suede, size 37.5. (Pics taken at home.) These weren't on my list. I skipped right over them because they looked quite tan, almost camel, online. They are more in the stone family to my eye, and I like them. This is not just a heavy look, but also a heavy shoe. Not sure about keeping them. I've been wanting to get a pair of stone-colored booties for a while, so I'm thinking maybe I'll enjoy having chunky loafers instead of another pair of booties.
- Natori Bliss Perfection bras. Curiously I got a different size than last year. I've been wearing 34B and bought 32C today, as the 34 band seemed too big. I would have ordered the wrong size.
- Chantelle soft stretch seamless hipster undies. I get these every year. 3 neutral and 3 colors.
What I ordered:
- Treasure& Bond space-dye cotton blend zip cardigan, burgundy royale, size S.
- Vince oversized wool & cashmere cardigan, plum wine, size XS. I would have ordered the matching pants, but they were sold out in my size.
- Tissot Women's PR 100 Auto Classic Croc Embossed Leather Strap Watch, white.
Tried but didn't buy:
- Caslon v-neck short-sleeve cotton t-shirt, blue sterling, size S. I really liked this fabric and color (same as the long-sleeved one I bought). I don't wear v-neck t-shirts. It's quite long.
- Zella scrunch-neck long sleeve mini-dress, tan cobblestone, size XS. The fabric is nice, substantial. This is an elevated sweatshirt dress, which I think would be great for travel or daily wear. It's a very straight cut, which I think would work really well for someone with an inverted triangle shape. The color was too yellow for me, so I didn't try a size up. It fit me in the shoulders and bust and was tight across the hips (showing the unflattering back view, just for you!).
- Eileen Fisher v-neck merino wool cardigan, blue moon, size XS. It didn't look any better on me than it does on the model (which I don't find a super inspiring pic). Nice color, soft wool, lightweight.
- Nordstrom Lafayette penny loafer. I liked the look in person. I
tried 7.5, my usual size, and it felt a little big. Fairly lightweight shoe. I liked the Rag & Bone better for my purposes.
tried 7.5, my usual size, and it felt a little big. Fairly lightweight shoe. I liked the Rag & Bone better for my purposes.
- Ann Mashburn lug penny loafer, loden, size 37.5. Again, this one seemed to run a little bit large. Definitely roomier than the Rag & Bone in the same size. The color wasn't quite "my" dark olive, and I didn't like the style as well as the chunkier Rag & Bone. Very lightweight shoe.
- Hobo small draft leather cross-body bag, gray. Darker in person, not in the stone family I'm looking for. It looked a bit smaller than I'd hoped, too, but I didn't open it up.
What I didn't try or order:
- Camper Milah penny loafer. I ran across these in black at another store last week, tried them, and could not get my foot into them, either in 37 or 38. I have a high instep, and these shoes must be quite shallow. They weren't at my Nordstrom, but I didn't bother ordering them.
- AllSaints crossbody bags, Ida and Allington. These weren't available in the store, and I'm not sure about online. But I ordered another bag this past week from Madewell (Puff crossbody bag) that I think will work.
- Vince bermuda shorts. These weren't available in store, but the SA said she thought they were more tan than what I'm after.
The sold-out items on my wish list that I won't bother to stalk:
- Madewell Balsam Cap-Sleeve Sweater
- Avec Les Filles Cocoon Tweed Blazer
- Barbour Rosalind Quilted Trench
Just don't need any of these!
Well, that's a lot of stuff! I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to ask questions about any of the things I saw.
p.s. I forgot: I tried on the Frame Le Crop Flare raw-hem jeans, which the SA picked for me. Size 27. They are stretchy and soft, and I liked them, but am not into this look right now. They remind me of Mother jeans I've had that I really like.
UPDATE: I wasn't sure about the fit of the loafers when I wore them around the house, so I ordered the 38 to compare again. I reconfirmed my in-store decision: the 37.5 is the better fit. Yet it's not comfortable enough. The heel fits nicely, but my toes feel a bit cramped. In the 38, the heel slips (and I can see a little gap), but the toes are comfy.
I've ordered the same style name, in leather rather than suede, with lighter color and sole, to try--on sale from Bloomingdale's. I figure it doesn't hurt to try; they can be returned, too.
