Free People Flares – Size 28
I’ve mentioned that while I like the flare trend, I’d really just prefer to find a pair of bootcut jeans to replace my trouser jeans that no longer work with my post-labor hips. I’m not sure how long the flare trend will be around, but bootcut jeans are sometimes a more tame version of flares, and bootcut is classic and will be around forever.
I saw these Free People flares on another blogger, and while they looked amazing on her, they weren’t what I was looking for as they are super duper flared! They looked more relaxed on the other blogger and therefore not as flared, but my thighs are bigger than hers are, proportionally, so they don’t look relaxed on me. Besides being too flared for me, they were too tight around my waist and my thighs.
These would be way better for someone with more slender thighs than me and who wants huge flares. Other flares I’ve seen that look like this are over twice the cost of this pair. One note though is that I felt like the zipper felt a little cheap. It functioned fine, like it didn’t get stuck, but it didn’t zip up smoothly like jeans normally do. I’m not usually picky about stuff like that, so if *I* noticed it, then it was definitely noticeable!
Dark Wash LOFT Flares – Size 6/28
I tried a bootcut pair from LOFT in the last shopping review (HERE), but I ordered flares to try too. These felt decent in terms of material, but even though I like medium waist jeans, these had a *tad* too much material for me. The flares were smaller than the Free People pair above, but still definitely flared.
I would still prefer a liiiitttle more room in the thighs, but I prefer this option over the Free People pair above in terms of how the material feels as well as price! At full price they are roughly the same, but LOFT often has 40-50% off sales. I think they’re slightly longer than the free People pair, but also come in petite and tall.
Wit & Wisdom Bootcut Jeans – Size 8
I already shared about these, but I would just like to reiterate that THESE ARE SO COMFORTABLE. They feel like yoga pants! They’re totally stretchy, including the waist.
Oh, and did I mention they make my legs look 5 miles long? They flare out a tiny bit, but are actually bootcut, so I think I can wear these for a while well past the flare trend! You can see how I’ve worn them a couple of times HERE.
LOFT Denim Leggings – Size 6/28
I’d been wanting to try these for a while because they look so good on the model and on Kendi. Blah, they don’t work for me. And they’re not even really that stretchy–for a pair of jeans OR for leggings. The ankle is really fitted, but in a way that’s too fitted for me. That, combined with them being like an inch too long for me, just meant they awkwardly bunched up at the bottom, which you can see in the side pic. Overall there was a little too much material in weird places, like the waist, parts of my thighs, and at the bottom before the ankle hem. I’m assuming they’d be better for someone who is a tad taller than me so that the bits of extra fabric lengthen out.
In the end these only confirmed for me that keeping the finding the Lucky Brand skinny jeans (HERE) really was indeed lucky! Those are stretchy, the perfect length on me, and the ankles are fitted without being too fitted and making my legs look like sausages. Case closed, and dark wash skinny jean wanderlust over!
Riding Boots – size 9
These Vince Camuto boots are freaking 50% off right now and fully stocked in all sizes–$112! The color is great as it’s much more cognac than shown in my pics. It’s closer to the color on the product site.
BUT. Gosh. I wanted to love these boots. The heel is comfortable. The boot shaft is 14 3/4″ which is perrrrfect for me. The calf is 14 1/2″ which is narrower than most boots but is again perfect for me. BUT, the ankles felt weird and caved in on me, and honestly, I thought they felt cheap and flimsy. I dunno, man…maybe I got a bum pair that had been folded up and was flimsy or something, but given that they are originally $228 I was expecting a lot better quality. SO SADDDDD because otherwise they are perfect!
I’m normally 8.5 to 9 and 9 fit best.
Aqua Utility Blouse
I recently reviewed this top in a deeper teal (HERE), but re-ordered because I wanted to do a direct comparison to the Nordstrom top below. I also wanted to see what the aqua color (the one above) was like in person.
Both colors on this top were gorgeous! But ultimately the cut wasn’t for me. I’ll explain why below…
Green Blouse – Size M
This is the top from Nordstrom I’ve been posting about (HERE). It’s a little darker and more muted than the LOFT one above in green (HERE), and while I prefer the color of the LOFT blouse I like everything else about this one more! (For me, that is. The LOFT blouse is beautiful!)
LOFT’s blouse is too long for me in the front, and the rounded hem accentuated my hips in a way I didn’t like. The Nordstrom blouse above is straight across in front with a curved hem in back. (The part popping out near the back of my waist in the side view is a tag from the jeans.) While I think the curved neckline on the LOFT blouse is really cute, I like that the v-neck on this blouse elongates my neckline a little. Lastly, the LOFT blouse has full-length sleeves while Nordstrom’s are bracelet sleeves. Overall, there is a little less material on the Nordstrom blouse, like a shorter hem, shorter arms, and a deeper neckline, and all of that seems to be more flattering on me. This is a winner for me, but I imagine if you’re taller than me, the LOFT blouse would look SO pretty on you!
Peplum Sweater – size M
I’ve already reviewed this, but this sweater is beautiful and super classy for the holidays. It’s much more expensive than I’m used to, but at least it feels quality and like you’re getting what you paid for. The peplum detail is adorable!
Paired with the Wit & Wisdom bootcut jeans I reviewed earlier.
Green Sweater – Size M, exchanging for L
This green sweater from ModCloth is a beautiful color! I purchased this with leftover money on ModCloth gift card from doing a sponsored post, and I was so thankful for that because I love this sweater. I’m wearing M in these pics, but I exchanged it for L. I like my tops slightly looser because, if you look from the side view, a snugly fit top like this kind of tapers out from the side on me since I have a smaller chest. I don’t love that look, so when it happens, sizing up usually fixes it for me.
Someone asked if I buy pullovers a size up in order to layer over tops, but I usually don’t. Instead, I just get stretchier sweaters if I plan on layering. This sweater has enough stretch so that layering things even while wearing Medium was not a problem.
I know some people in colder climates NEED full-length sleeves, but I love that these are 3/4!
Red Toggle Coat – Size M
I reviewed this coat recently (HERE), but I just wanted to include another look at it from the side. (This was purchased with ModCloth credit for that post. I’m pretty in love with this thing!)
Polka Dot Coat – Size M
Along with the red coat I tried this navy polka dot one. It had such good reviews, but the flared bottom was too much material for me. Also, given that I have broader shoulders, the puffed shoulders weren’t working for me. In the reviews people that were both curvier than me and less curvy than me looked great in this thing, so it seems like I’m the odd one out! Too bad for me because it’s really cute and pretty sturdy.
Cream Sweater – Size M/L
This was also purchased with the leftover ModCloth gift card, and I just love this piece! It’s laid back and easy to wear, cute, and totally has that cozy holiday feel. It comes with a bottom through the front, but a couple of notes. First, beware, the sleeves have legit holes in them, so your arms might get cold if you’re in cooler climates! Might have to wear a long sleeved shirt underneath. Second, the lining isn’t stretchy, so if you have larger hips it might not fit well. However, I have larger hips and the M/L worked fine for me.
I’ll do a Black Friday post tomorrow, but in the meanwhile, have a lovely Thanksgiving!
