Spring 2018 Wardrobe Additions
Madewell flannel ex-boyfriend shirt (via Poshmark; seen here): $30 (retailed for $82)
Madewell Palisade button-front midi skirt (seen here): $78 (originally $98)
Amour Vert Kim dress (seen here): $110.50 (originally $138)
Amour Vert Salome top (seen here): $78.50 (originally $98)
Everlane kick crop jeans (review here; seen here, here, and here): $78
Everlane slim classic French terry crew (review here): $40
Everlane linen scoopneck tee: $35
Grana pima lindis wool wrap cardigan: $89
Grana French linen A-line dress: $79
Earth Ibiza perforated sandals (c/o; seen here and here)
Earth Tierra sandals (c/o; seen here)
Spring 2018 Total = $418 ($618 - $32 Everlane credit - $168 Grana credit)
$500 (quarterly budget) - $418 ($383 March + $0 April + $35 May) = $82 left over
After shopping lightly in the winter months, I purchased quite a few new items during the spring (and summer is already off to a spendy start thanks to Memorial Day sales, which you can read more about at the bottom of this post!). I managed to not go over my quarterly budget thanks to store credit at Everlane and Grana. I decided not to roll over the amount that I left unspent at the end of winter, and I don't think I will roll over what's left from spring, either. I'm glad I can stay under my self-imposed budget! I still have a ton of money earned from Poshmark sales that I can dip into if needed.
These past few months, I tended to buy things in multiples of two...can you tell? I got two things from Madewell, two from Amour Vert, two from Grana... I bought four items from Everlane but only kept three. Kinda weird how that worked out! Read on for the details on what I ended up keeping, what I tried and returned, what I recently received but am still deciding on, and what I recently ordered. It's a long one!
What I kept:
Madewell flannel classic ex-boyfriend shirt in Akiva plaid (via Poshmark): I snagged this shirt in a size small when the seller put it on sale at the end of February. It's so dreamy! Madewell's thick flannel shirts are the best. I highly recommend this one if you find it secondhand (it's from a few seasons ago and no longer available).
Madewell Palisade button-front midi skirt (available at Nordstrom): I ordered this during a promo for Madewell Insiders back in March. I debated a while between this rust color and the indigo (chambray-like) color. I decided to be daring (for me, lol) and order the rust in my usual size 0. I surprisingly don't mind the length on me! It's slightly longer than my other midi skirt. The waist fits a bit tight when I tuck in tops, but it's not unbearable.
Amour Vert Kim dress (on sale!): I really only bought this dress because of the name, but I was also intrigued by the wrap and tie in front. I purchased the anthracite color in size small just so it wasn't too tight, and wow—it's basically my new favorite dress! It's so soft, and the wrap/tie in front is so flattering and camouflages my belly pooch. Highly recommend this, especially now that it's on sale!
Amour Vert Salome top: I mainly placed an order at Amour Vert for this top in particular, but the dress above ended up being my favorite from the order! I also got this top in anthracite but opted for a size XS, which is my usual size. It fits well, almost a little big. The fabric is soft and substantial (same fabric as the dress), so it's more weighted and less floaty over the body.
Everlane kick crop jeans: I was excited to see Everlane offer a new denim silhouette! I ordered the kick crop jeans in bone in my skinny jean size (25). At first they fit snug, but now they almost fit big, especially in the front around the zipper. I'm not a fan of the extra fabric. Mine also unravel a considerable amount every time they're washed, which is kind of a bummer, but I'm probably going to end up cutting them an inch anyway! You can read more in my review.
Everlane slim classic French terry crew: I'm slowly trying to upgrade my loungewear, and this basic sweatshirt from Everlane is a great starting place. I love the bone color; it's not harsh at all against my skin. I ordered it in a size small for a little extra arm length in case of shrinkage but I love the cozy feel of the larger size, too. I've worn this a ton on the weekends and even once to work when I wanted to feel particularly comfortable.
Everlane linen scoopneck tee: I love the heather grey scoopneck linen tee I purchased last year, so when Everlane released new colors I jumped on them! I'm really into the green trend going on right now, so I bought it in the surplus color in size XS. I wore it the day after I got it, so yep, it's another winner! :)
Grana pima lindis wool wrap cardigan: I used some of my Grana credit to pick up this cozy wrap cardigan. I picked the heather grey color in size XS. I plan to wear it over tees and tanks on cooler summer days (the arms are loose and breezy so I won't be too warm). I think it will also be worn a lot in the cooler months under long-sleeved tees.
Grana French linen A-line dress: What can I say? It's a linen dress! And it's green! This purchase was relatively impractical since I can't wear it to work, but I used credit so I don't feel so bad about it. ;) It's not my favorite cut (it doesn't cover bra straps at all pretty much), but I decided to own it and wear it with a black bra since it peeks out. The shape is perfect for when I do a lot of eating, and I love the length; it balances the A-line shape nicely. The major downside, of course, is that it's linen and wrinkles very easily. I don't let it bother me. I also got this dress in a size XS.
Earth Ibiza perforated sandals (c/o): I worked on a couple of outfit posts in collaboration with Earth again this spring and picked two pairs of sandals. The amber-colored Ibiza slide sandals were a surprising favorite! They're extremely comfortable and go with everything. I got them in my usual size 7, but I think a size 6.5 would have worked, too (they can sometimes feel loose when I'm walking).
Earth Tierra sandals (c/o): The multicolored Tierra sandals were my other sandal choice. These lean on the dressy side compared to the Ibiza sandals but are, of course, super comfortable and easy to wear. I also got these in size 7.
What I tried and returned:
Amadi flared skirt (via Amour Vert): I ordered this skirt in navy along with the dress and top seen above, but I didn't keep it because it ran very small! I purchased an XS (my usual size in Amour Vert garments) but could barely breathe once I had it on. I decided not to exchange for a larger size because the tag said dry clean only and I'm trying to avoid dry clean only items right now.
Everlane linen scoopneck tee in black: I ordered this with the surplus linen tee above, and the black is surprisingly see-through. I think the surplus and heather grey colors I have (the latter purchased last year) are close enough to my skin color that my bra isn't noticeable, but it's super noticeable when I wear black. I don't want to wear a tank or other top under the tee, so back it goes... Wah-wah.
What I'm still deciding on:
J.Crew Factory striped cotton-linen midi skirt: I'm trying to beef up my midi skirt collection as we head into summer, so I ordered this skirt in both colors (red stripes and blue stripes) to figure out which one I liked the most. I sized down to XXS due to reviews, and they fit well but I think my usual XS may have worked, too. I have a feeling that it's going to be hard for me to pick one and that this is going to turn into an Instagram stories poll...HA.
J.Crew Factory tie-waist midi skirt in gingham: This was definitely an impulse purchase. I'm a fan of gingham in the spring/summer, black gingham is a classic, and it's a midi skirt I could wear to work. I'm just not sure I'll get a whole lot of wear out of it because it is such a statement piece. The tie in front isn't removable, which limits its versatility. I ordered it in my usual size 0 and it fits just right without anything tucked in (yikes, I need to workout!).
J.Crew Factory chambray tie-waist pant: Cotton-linen pants are the best in the warmer months (if you have to wear pants to work, of course), and since wide leg pants are trending, I decided to order a pair to try. I'm not 100% sold on them; I think I would need to have them hemmed for them to look right on me. I'm also not used to seeing myself in any pant leg silhouette wider than boyfriend jeans, haha. I ordered these in my usual size 0 and they fit just right.
What is currently en route:
Hunter original gloss chelsea boots: I've been holding onto a coupon for a couple of months now, debating between ordering the packable tour boots in green (I have them in yellow and WILL buy them in green someday) or a pair of short chelsea boots for the warmer months. After what was probably my most-answered (and closest) Instagram stories poll thus far, I finally decided on the glossy chelsea boots in navy, though I went back and forth between the glossy and matte versions for way longer than I'd like to admit! I ordered them in size 7, which is my normal shoe size and the size I have in my yellow boots. The yellow boots are a bit roomy so I hope these fit more true to size. We've been having such a rainy/stormy spring and it will be nice to have a pair of short boots, but you know that the rain and storms will stop as soon as my boots arrive haha!
J.Crew Factory open-front sweater blazer: I'm always looking for work-appropriate layers, and this sweater blazer got rave reviews. I ordered the heather oatmeal color in my usual XS, and then I realized that I already have a beige blazer (the linen blazer I purchased last year from J.Crew Factory), but I think they are different enough that it won't matter if I end up loving this one.
J.Crew new lightweight sweater blazer: Can you tell I'm all about the sweater blazers? It doesn't seem right considering we're going into the hottest months of the year, but the A/C at my work is fierce and these will be very appreciated! J.Crew's most recent version is made of a cotton blend, so it's lighter than their fall/winter version. I ordered it in heather grey, size XXS after studying the reviews. Really hoping it fits!
J.Crew linen wrapped cardigan sweater: I'm kinda into the wrap silhouette right now, so I ordered this cardigan in "ridge khaki", size XS. (Though I think the "dark seaweed" color is gorgeous!) I think it will make a perfect summer-weight cardigan over tank tops and pair especially well with midi skirts, high-rise jeans, and even dresses. I'm kind of worried that it will stretch out with wear like most linen tends to do, which is why I stuck with my usual size. Fingers crossed! :)