Retail Therapy: What's black and white and has a wedge heel?

For some reason, I wanted these zebra booties.  Nevermind that they're insane.  But they weren't too expensive and weren't final sale, so I decided to order them and see what happened.  Of course, ordering online from Forever 21 meant that I had to get up to the free shipping amount so I bought some other stuff too.  (PS. Thank you F21 for the free shipping to Canada!  You're awesome and I love you!)

I generally don't buy a lot online, because I really like to try things on beforehand and make sure they fit.  I also like the process of going out and shopping, and I find it to be a pain to have to return and exchange things you don't like, or that you need another size in, etc.  I was really lucky this time around though, and everything more or less fit, even the pants! (!!!)

When I opened this coral tiered dress, I was worried about the material.  Online, it looks like a chiffon-type material.  And it kinda is.  Every other tier is chiffon-y, and the rest are jersey.  But I showed my mom and she approved.  I've worn it twice since I've gotten it and it’s a definite keeper. (Does not come with sash.  That is my own doing.  Also someone should really pull their dress/shirt down when taking back views.  Just saying.)

I originally saw these white flared jeans (does it bother anyone else that I actually typed 'genes' first and had to correct it?) in red and wanted those, but I already had a pair of red jeans and no white ones, so I made a decision with my head.  They fit well through the hip and thigh, although they are loose in the waist (story of my life).  It's not too bad, but I hope they don't bag out!  They're also obscenely long.  I'm wearing my most giant wedges (probably 5 inches) in the picture and they still touch the floor.  Definitely need to be hemmed.  I can see them being perfect in the summer!  I'm wearing size 27, but I'd probably go for 25 or 26 in the future (they didn't have them in stock when I ordered).

Retail Therapy: Let it flow

Smart Set (it's a Canadian brand; sorry Americans!) has been having a fantastic sale since around Christmas.  Many things are marked down substantially, with a further 50% all clearance prices.  I mostly stick to silhouettes that are closer to the body, as being petite means that more loosely-fitting clothing often overwhelms me.  However, lately there's been lots of great blousy and flowing stuff in-stores and I've been tempted.  Smart Set in particular has a lot of dolman sleeves and cape-type stuff right now.  I bought a few things for my mom during Christmas but walked out with a few more things for myself (!).  At that time, they were offering a further 25% off all clearance prices, but since the 50% promo, I've returned and bought more things (not helped by the fact that I also received $20 savings cards with no minimum purchase).  The good news?  Nothing I got was over $15.

Here's part one of what I bought (yes I bought that much stuff, don't judge).

Chiffon back dolman top
This is a fairly plain top with two distinguishing features-- the dolman sleeves and the sheer chiffon-like panel at the back.  It's definitely looser but with a good drape.  I like relaxed fit and the length, and imagine it would look good with leggings, skinnies, or tucked into a skirt.  It's a sort of turquoise colour, but not too bright.  The chiffon panel at the back (sorry for the lack of photo; you can see a bit of it on the shoulder of the above right photo) starts at the top of the shoulders and goes down to about the armpit and there is definitely an issue with bra straps showing.  I've got a nude bra and some clear straps, so I think I'll be OK there.  The fabric is a thinner jersey knit, which is good for the drape, but probably won't last too long.

Retail Therapy: Bright Blazers

Bright blazers are a big trend for Spring 2012.  I love love LOVE blazers and I believe my count is up to about 16 now.  I'm always lusting for blazers that are a bit different than the usual neutrals (as I own a blazer in most neutral colours), and in mid-January, I saw a fantastic hot pink boyfriend blazer at the mall on sale for $10!  Granted, the quality wasn't great, being a stretchy jersey knit, but I'm always up for a blazer for $10.  I tried it on and liked how it looked, so I grabbed it in royal blue as well.  However, upon approaching the till, the sales associate asked me if I knew those blazers weren't actually $10 right?  I wasn't willing to pay the $30 for something that was not great quality, so I sadly departed.  But for the next two weeks, I was obsessed.  (I typed 'hot pink boyfriend blazer' into Google how many times?)  So I found a 15% coupon, signed up for their loyalty card to get an extra 20% off and bought my blazers (plus a dress).

The hot pink is my favourite and adds a great pop of colour.

I'm really loving the stance and the more casual fit of these blazers.  Although I'm not crazy excited about the longevity of the knit material, it's really cozy and feels like a cardigan.

I bought this blazer at Sirens (a Canadian chain), but I saw a much better quality version at Jacob and have seen versions at Forever 21 and Zara.  Apparently Gap's got a pink blazer as well, but I'm not sure as to the shade.