Valentine's Shopping: Ann Taylor Loft, Vanity, Target

So my birthday is coming up, and seeing as how I have a track record of rather dull birthdays, I decided to treat myself to some new clothes (Yes, I realize its an excuse. Deal with it!)

Valentine's Day was a pretty quiet affair here, I work an odd shift, so I get off work at 7 am and have to sleep during the day. I got off work, finished up my daughter's Valentine's for her class while Nate got her ready for school. After she left, we got dressed had breakfast together at a diner in town and went to Target. Where I decided to buy myself a few things. We did some more shopping around town, had lunch and came home. I went to bed while he joined our daughter for her class party. The joys of having him home!

I woke up a few hours later and decided to buy myself a few things for my birthday.


First up is Ann Taylor Loft. My husband will more than likely roll his eyes when he realizes how much I bought, but he's a good sport! I had a pretty long week at work so it makes up for it.



Cascade Ruffle Long Sleeve Top
Oxidized Grey 
Small

I have itty bitty boobs. I'm hoping ruffles + Victoria Secret will make me look more like a girl and less like some awkward strange wrinkly kid. 


Petite Basic Scoop Neck Tee
White
Small Petite

I've been in search for a nice simple white tee forever. But have yet to find anything I like. Its either way too low cut, too long, too loose, too boyish or too blah. 

We'll see if this works! 

Petite Ruffle Trim Woven Henley Tunic
White
Small Petite

Yeeeah, A lot of white, huh? Surprisingly its a color that seems to be lacking in my wardrobe as of late. 
I'm a bit concerned about this one as it seems it could be pretty frumpy if it doesn't fall right.



Petite 3/4 Sleeve Stripe Boatneck Sweater
Tomato Red
Small Petite

I know! I know! I need to stop buying sweaters. But honestly, winters here can be long and harsh. While this winter has so far been rather mild, I have fears it will let out its fury on us in the next couple of months. (And yes, it's not unusual to get snow well into the spring. The first May I was here we got snow. I was not a happy camper.) Plus, I get the distinct impression we won't be getting out of this place anytime soon.
But Libby can't say anything about me not experimenting! I've not been big on the whole stripe craze lately and that girl is Stripe Obsessed. So this is an ode to Libby. You're Welcome. 



Hooded Cable Knit Poncho
Antique Grey Heather
XS/S

Elizabeth is shuddering. I can sense it from here. She and I had a conversation about the latest poncho/capelet craze.
She is definitely not a fan. But I will admit I love it. I've always loved them and am pleased they're making a comeback. Take that E. 
Want to know a secret? I have 4 or 5 others too.


Curvy Boot Cut Corduroy Pants
Pelican Grey
26
Gray cords! How can you say no?


 Petite Curvy Boot Cut Jeans in Dark Stone Wash
26 Petite

We don't have an Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft here is South Dakota. The closest one is about 6 hours away. (Reason #234 I am ready to move!) 
So clothes shopping is difficult here. Our Old Navy closed a couple years ago, we don't have a Banana Republic or H&M or Forever 21 or pretty much anything. Finding the right size and fit is a struggle. I'm hoping these will fit. I need new jeans

Kate Flare Leg Jeans in Polished Denim
Midnight Navy
Size 4

I'm still undecided about these. They look really high waisted and a bit dowdy. But if I can pull them off, I think it will really look great with a silk shell and cardigan. Great outfit for casual squadron functions and school events. (Ladies, please for the love of God, no more pajamas and mini skirts at the elementary school. )


Multicolored Skinny Stretch Belt
Brown
XSmall/Small

I've never been big on belts. They always make me feel more hippy than I already am. And I can never find the right size. Smalls tend to fit, but never seem to wrap the way I'd like them to, Mediums are way too big and even on the smallest hole, seem to wrap around me twice. And it seems they always bring attention to my large Southern rear assets. 



But after some prodding by my husband to incorporate some color into my wardrobe. I'm going to at least try this.  It looks skinny enough not to be too distracting and will finish off outfits nicely. 


Vanity

Vanity is one of the few stores in the mall here. (I'm not kidding, I have a small selection here in South Dakota) So I tend to shop there pretty often. They have nice basics. I love their tank tops for sleep. For those unfamiliar with it, its along the lines of Forever 21, but much, much smaller and usually a tad more organized. (Then again its been years since I was in Forever 21 since there isn't one for 6 hours) 




High Low Crochet Skirt

Midnight
Small

I didn't realize this was a high low cut until I got it home. Its not extremely noticeable but it's definitely there. The fabric is soft, and the skirt is pretty comfortable. The length might be a bit of a concern as it is true to the picture and hits mid thigh. 




Rhinestone Button Premium Jacket

White
Small

A few months ago, Vanity came out with their "Premium Line" which is supposed to be a bit higher quality clothing. I've bought a few pieces and honestly couldn't tell the difference other than price. To me, the price is way too high for the store. This coat retailed at $74.80 

I have a thing for coats and jackets. Mostly because due to the length of our winters, I spend a good portion of the year in coats. The more variety the better. This is definitely not an every day coat. It's extremely white which would be difficult to keep clean trudging around in the South Dakota snow. But for a random occasion its great. The fabric is soft and surprisingly thick for the brand. 
The buttons are Rhinestone and a bit on the tacky side up close. It cinches in at the waist and has a rather pretty light pink silk like lining. 

I wasn't going to spend nearly $80 on a coat like this. But I got it on Clearance for $15.98

(on a side note, why do they insist on photographing white clothing on a white background? Couldn't they choose something with a bit more contrast? Like light blue or even grey?)



Target

I've been avoiding Target lately, mostly because I worked there for 4 years and resigned my position last year. Nothing against the company itself, I would recommend working at Target to anyone as they are a very employee centered employer and after 4 years and 2 different stores and 2 departments, I never had a bad experience. 
But, I've noticed the price of some of their clothing creeping up and they're scaling back their clearance. I spent over 2 years working in Price Accuracy (doing the markdowns myself) so I got spoiled on marked down items.  Also, their selection hasn't been terribly fabulous. Although I did snag a few items of the Jason Wu line which I really ought to blog about. I've just been feeling rather under the weather for the last month and haven't felt like taking photos. 


Anyway! I've been longing for warm weather. I've been stuck in a sweater rut since September when the weather started getting cool and while its been an extremely mild winter here, I've not wanted to tempt fate by breaking out skirts and dresses. But this summer I really plan on enjoying every minute of warm sunshine I can and with trips to Georgia and Tampa planned for the end of the year, I'm hopeful this will be a very year. 

Xhilaration® Juniors Belted Dress

Coral with Aqua Belt
X-Small

This one was more at the insistence of my husband. I was a bit hesitant of the color as I'm very fair skinned with red hair. But it worked out nicely. 
Xhilaration is an odd brand, as its sizing is hit or miss. An X-Small in one thing will swallow me as an x-small in another item of the same brand will make me look like a sausage. 

I love the A line on this. I'm not a fan of the bodycon fad but this skims the body without being too tight and revealing.

The belt is a bit too loose but it will work for now.  I was hoping to find some of the striped dresses, but this was already on clearance so I'm assuming they were gone in my size. 

Bit of trivia for you: Many retailers in South Dakota order a smaller quantity of Small and XSmall clothing than most other areas because of such small demand. Large and X Large are the biggest demanded sizes here. 


Mossimo® Womens Embroidered Eyelet Skirt

Fresh White
X-Small


Elizabeth bought this at some point and showed it to me last week. Love Love Love. 

So I bought it for myself. Its a bit longer than I was thinking, but it works. Especially with as windy as it gets here. The waist band is thick. A good 1.5 inches. Which is a bit awkward but something I can handle. The skirt itself is a heavier fabric than I was expecting, but definitely nice. I'll be able to wear it in Spring here. 

I'm sure there was more. But this is what I remember buying! 

So what have you bought lately?! Anything you want to share? 

4 comments

  1. Love it!! I especially like the white coat and the striped sweater. I wish we could have a shopping day!

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  2. Love the poncho! I have a black/gray shawl kind of like that, that I got from Kohls for like $3!

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  3. Thanks!

    I love the poncho, I wasn't expecting it to be super warm, but it really is. I'll post reviews at some point, but I did learn that I am vastly overthinking my size and all of the stuff I bought is a size or 2 too big. But I am probably going to take them to a tailor to get altered because I love them!

    and Sarcasey we definitely need a shopping day!

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  4. I bought myself a dress from Lane Bryant on clearance for $15 (original price: $70) and a pretty ruffly shell in black for $5 (original price: $35.) I also bought myself a new belt that is in Lane Bryant's smallest size (14/16) and discovered that I have lost 4 inches in band-size for my bra. Yay!

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