Shopping Reviews, Vol. 21

Let’s talk about stress shopping. Do you do it? Normally I can avoid it, but the month of April was a little overwhelming for me and it unintentionally resulted in more spending than normal. It’s also been a lot of returning, but my mint account basically thought I was going crazy and trying to bankrupt myself.

On that note, there are a lot of pieces for you to look through in this post, so enjoy!

Old Navy Hi-Lo Open-Knit Sweater, XS

I’ve been looking for a loose, open stitch white sweater for a while, so I was excited to try this on in stores. It fit true to size and I’m a big fan of the hi-low. This will be perfect to throw on over tanks in the summer.

Verdict: Buy

Old Navy Relaxed Peplum Tank, S

When there’s no XS, you try on the small and see what happens. The fit wasn’t too bad, but I could tell that a XS would be perfect. The overall fit of this tank is great though. I’ve been a fan of peplum, but could never make it work for me, so I really like this looser peplum fit. And needless to say, as soon as I got home, I ordered the xs. 

Verdict: Return, order XS

Old Navy Tulip Back-Tank, XS

All I can think about lately is how hot DC will probably be this summer, so I’ve been on the hunt for looser, breezy tanks. This one fit the bill perfect. The tulip cut in the back goes all the way to the neckline, so be careful, but the two flaps over lap enough that you’ll generally be fine and your bra’s back will not show.

Verdict: Keep

Bobeau Stripe Sleeveless Swing Top, XS

I ordered this top in blue and gray because I was curious about both colors and I wanted to see which would work out better. The blue stripes were a little overwhelming, but I like how the gray faded into it. The material is thicker than I was expecting and lined. Also, note that since this tank is a “swing” tank, there is a lot of material in the back.

Verdict: Return blue,still deciding on gray.

Elodie Stripe Tank, XS

This is going to sound weird, but I could not get over how soothing the colors in this tank are! I was honestly ready to keep it based on that alone. However,the tank is a little too short, and won’t tuck into pants or skirts as well. Also, I wasn’t the biggest fan of how the neckline and sleeves were cut on top.

Verdict: Return

Elodie Grommet Detail Camisole, XS

Between how see through the tank was and how wrinkled it was, I couldn’t keep this tank. I know I could have ironed it, but over all the tank wasn’t doing it for me. However, I LOVED the rope detail for the tank’s strap. I almost kept it for that strap detail.

Verdict: Return

Lush Stripe Linen Blend Skirt, XS

You might remember from my last budget, that I got a skirt from Gap, that’s pretty similar to this one. I actually got both of them around the same time so I could compare the two. The two were both very similar with a stripe print and pockets. The blue in this one was much duller than the gap skirt though. It was also shorter than the gap skirt.

Verdict: Return

Topshop Scallop Frill Tee, 4

I’m always on the hunt to try out a new version of a plain white tee, so I was excited to try out this scalloped one. The material it was made of was incredibly thin, a little see through, and felt cheap. While the scallops were fun, the shirt was short. Also, the scallops were raw and unfinished, so I was afraid that they would easily tear.

Verdict: Return

H&M Stripe Tee, XS

Yes, yes and yes. For $10 this top was an amazing steal. It was fitted, but not overly tight and I love the addition of the black neckline.

Verdict: Keep

Ann Taylor Floral Lace Skirt, OP

I oddly enough wasn’t turned off that much by the mustard color of the skirt that I was expecting. What I was turned off by was the fact that this skirt made me feel like I was surrounded by lace. I just felt way too overwhelmed in this skirt and I couldn’t make it work.

Verdict: Return

Ann Taylor Lace Swing Skirt, 0

I thought I could get away with ordering this skirt in a regular size and not petite, but…lesson learned. Petite is the way to go for me in the land of midis. This skirt was too big, too long, and too much fabric. Which was a real shame, because it was beautiful.

Verdict: Return

Ann Taylor Lacy Short Sleeve Sweater, XSP

I really liked this sweater, but there were two things that concerned me about it. First, the lace sleeves went back and forth between being fine and being itchy. Second, I can sometimes pull off the white/creamy color and sometimes I can’t. At the end of my decision making though, I wasn’t ready to pay $40 for it.

Verdict: Return and wait for a lower price.

Ann Taylor Eyelet Peplum Shell, XSP

First, let’s get this out of the way. The entire tank is see through. If you want it, you have to wear a tank underneath. End of story. Next, the front of this tank was matted jersey, which was cute,but also not very flattering. If you really like this tank, I would say size up, wear a tank underneath,and go for a looser fit.

Verdict: Return