Outfits Of The Yesterdays (Pants, Pants, Pants)

♫: I Spy - Mikhael Paskalev

I am never quite sure if I should classify myself as a petite blogger or not; while I am short and bring my defect up quite regularly here, I often skirt the issue by not really delving into different sizes and fits of the things that I wear. 

And, well--I often literally skirt the issue. By wearing skirts. I hate that a lot of petites feel they need to be pigeon-holed into a certain retailer or style of clothing because of their height, but at the same time I "get it"--dressing when you're short can be a unique challenge. Often times Most of the time, it ain't easy. 

While I enjoy wearing and using different brands (including many that are not petite-specific), I do often turn to skirts in my outfits because as a shorter person, I think that they are by far the easiest type of bottom to both style and wear. Unlike with pants, I don't have to worry about knee breaks, or inseams, or the fact that the ones that fit in the waist don't fit in the butt/thigh (and the ones that do fit in the butt/thigh never fit in the waist). The right skirt can cover up all that mess, easy--often with no trips to the tailor (or gym) required.

But skirts are not always feasible in Colorado, and so sometimes pants must be begrudgingly worn. I usually stick with crops, since their 26-28" inseams seem to work well with my stature. If they are slightly high-wasted, even better--I have a really long torso and short legs, and so anything that can trick the eye upward is a bonus.

If last year was the 'Year of the Blouse', this year is the 'Year of the Pant'. Printed pants seem to be the bottom du jour, and I have been fairly hesitant to try them due to my shorter stature. Prints can be overwhelming on a petite person, after all, so it's tricky--do them right and they can look all fashion-y and great! Do them wrong and you'll be the idiot-envy of alllllll the local 9-year-olds, wondering why the fuck you're wearing heels with your jammie-pants.

I really like these jacquard pants from ASOS for a few different reasons: they have a slightly fancy cut (a little high-waisted with pleats), they are a pretty good length for petites (I'm 5'2", so go from there), and they are made out of a jacquard fabric that is a bit dressy without being overly ostentatious.

Husband also says the print reminds him of basketballs. March Madness, shoot me:

 Jacket: Nordstrom, old (similar at F21) (similar at ASOS) (similar under $50)

Top: Madewell, old (similar by Splendid) (similar here, under $50)

Pants: ASOS (buy them here) (similar by Robert Rodriguez) (and another option at Anthropologie)
Belt: ASOS, old (similar at Topshop)
Ring: YSL Arty in Silver/Gold (buy it here)
Bracelet: Ann Taylor LOFT (buy it here)
Bag: Diane Von Furstenberg Tonda Clutch (buy it here) (similar here) (similar by Brahmin)
Pumps: Christian Louboutin Piou Piou Pumps (buy them here) (similar here, under $100)

And hey, let's throw some brightly-colored pants into the mix as well:

Jacket: J Crew Canary Tweed Jacket (similar here) (similar at The Limited) (similar at LOFT)
Blouse: GAP, old (similar here by Equipment) (similar under $100)
Jeans: Forever 21 (similar here)
Necklace: Auden Devon Necklace (similar here) (a fun option at Topshop)
Watch: Michael Kors (buy it here) (similar at Zappos for $150) (tip: you can sometimes find MK watches cheaper on Amazon!)
Bag: Marc Jacobs iPad Case in Coral (buy it here) (similar by Rebecca Minkoff in Coral) (similar by Kate Spade in Coral)
Shoes: J Crew Perfect Patent Pumps (similar here) (similar for under $100 by Nine West)

And some kinda-normal pants, too:

Blouse: GAP, old (similar here by Equipment) (similar under $100)
Pants: Ann Taylor LOFT (buy them here) (similar here) (similar at The Limited)
Necklace: Auden Devon Necklace (similar here) (a fun option at Topshop)
Watch: Michael Kors Oversized Rosegold Watch (similar here) (similar by Fossil)
Bracelet: Ann Taylor LOFT (buy it here)
Bag: Diane Von Furstenberg Harper Day Bag (similar here) (similar by Cynthia Rowley for under $150)
Shoes: L'Wren Scott Tropical Maryjanes (buy them here) (similar by Marc Jacobs) (similar by B Brian Atwood) (similar under $150)


Will you be rocking the printed/brightly-colored pants trend this spring? Have any personal tips on how to wear them? Share in the comments! ♥

Outfit Of The Yesterdays (Get Your Gold, Girl)

Just a super quick post for today with two recent outfits--enjoy.

Blazer: Nordstrom's junior brand (similar here + take 20% off with code "SNOWDAY") (similar here for $40) (similar here for $40)

Top: GAP (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar at Shopbop) (similar at ASOS)

Pants: J Crew Bi-Stretch Wool Minis in Warm Redwood (buy them here) (similar here for $30) (similar at Old Navy)

Belt: ASOS (buy it here)

Shoes: J Crew Perfectly Patent Pumps (similar here) (similar here in light pink patent, under $100) (similar here in suede)

Ring: F21 (similar here)

Bag: DVF Harper Bon Bon (similar here) (similar here) (similar here, under $100)

Polish: Nars Polish in Versailles (buy it here)
♫: Doomsday - Elvis Perkins

Jacket: Rachel Zoe Military Jacket (buy it here) (similar here + take 50% off) (similar at Forever 21)
Blouse: Urban Outfitters (buy it here + take 20% off with code "SNOWDAYS") (similar at ASOS + take 10% off with code "LATE10") (similar here for $35)
Skirt: J Crew Vintage Violet Classic Mini in Felted Wool  (buy it here) (similar here)
Belt: J Crew (similar at Banana Republic)
Watch: Michael Kors Oversized Watch in Rosegold (buy it here) (similar for $195) (similar for $115)
Rosegold Bangles: Seasonal Whispers Crystal & Metal Bracelets in Rosegold (buy them here) (similar by Vince Camuto) (similar under $20)
 Cuff Bracelet: GAP (similar here)
Vine Ring: Gorjana (buy it here)
Necklace: Auden Devon Crystal Necklace (buy it here)
Flats: Lanvin Python flats (buy them here) (similar by Steve Madden in "gold snake") (& similar here) 
♫: Doomsday - Elvis Perkins

Outfit Of The Day (Never So Big, Never So Tall; Never So Big When You Are Small)

And another study on petite proportions.

I've mentioned on here precisely 07q878q47q32984271891 times that I have a pretty weird body.  I make no bones (hardy-woo-ha!) about it, even if my self-deprication only serves as a thin-and-rather-obvious veil to shroud my insecurities. I have a long torso! I have the shortest legs ever!  My head is huge!  One day I saw in my trackbacks that someone was talking about me on a German forum dedicated to gloves! And I had no idea what they were talking about since it was in German! But I'm going to guess it was probably really weird because it was a german forum dedicated to gloves! Nothing normal ever comes out of somethin' like that, right? Right.

I wore the outfit below for a lovely night out furniture shopping (hence the flats) and stuffing my face at The Cherry Cricket + D Bar Desserts. Good times!

Once I took a look at the OOTD pictures after the fact, however, I then spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out how my camera somehow morphed me into an Oompa Loompa. My torso--so long!  My legs--so short!

When I (obnoxiously) asked my homies that were with me that night if I looked that distorted in person, they all replied no. No Chloe, they said, you did not look like you had a bad wrestling accident with a cheap carnival fun house mirror. Every single one of them said it; they all denied it. I have such good, honest-to-god-lying friends--the best type of friends to have.

But oh well. In spite of my obvious need to find some high-waisted denim skinnies ASAP, I still really like this outfit and will probably wear it again. The GAP jeggings are ridiculously comfy, and sometimes I just get tired of paying attention and following rules when dressing myself. Sometimes I just want to embrace my body and all of its goofball proportions, and not think so hard about it, and I suppose that the outfit below is a great example of doing just that.

Also, rusty-orangey-red has always been one of my favorite colors for fall. It's popping up everywhere this year, and so I am happily collecting everything I can find in this hue. This J Crew blouse is a great example, and it goes quite well with the shop-vac in the background (if I do say so myself):

Blouse: J Crew Silk Lucinda Blouse (buy it here!) (similar style here) (and a pretty style from Vince)

Belt: J Crew (similar style here, on sale)

Jeans: GAP Gummy Jeggings (buy them here + take 30% off with code "GAPFALL") (similar style here at Old Navy) (and here for $30)

Necklace: Topshop (buy it here) and J Crew Biseau Necklace (buy it here)

Ring: ALDO (similar style here)

Flats: Miu Miu (similar style here by Vera Wang) (and here + take 20% off with code "SEPEVENT") (and here at DSW) (and here on sale for $40.70)

Bag: Chanel Classic Flap (similar style here) (and here on sale by Rebecca Minkoff) (and here for $50)

Next up we have a bit of the opposite. I have been slightly obsessed with the Pilcro Superscript flares over the past few months, even going as far as to try them on every single time I found an Anthropologie. I tried them on in Denver! I tried them on in Minneapolis! I tried them on in Denver again!  And again!  And again!

I finally gave into the temptation a few weeks ago after my 100th time of trying them on. I have been boo-hissing Anthropologie most of this year due to their suddenly strange inventory (I am not paying $500 for a blanket of a coat that runs XS-S-M-L, thanks) but....oh these flares. They are fun and ridiculously comfy, with a good amount of stretch to keep them snug but cozy, too. They are totally worth having to break my Anthropologie ban.

The only problem? My inseam hovers between 29 to 30 inches; in the pictures below I am teetering around in 4.5" heels and I still need to get them hemmed up a bit a lot. I snapped these pictures right before I sent them in to the tailors and until I get them back, I promise that I have feet. You'll just have to trust me here, guys:

Blouse: GAP (buy it here) (similar style here) (and a splurge by Parker here) (and here at Old Navy for $15)
Belt: J Crew (similar style here) (and here by Michael Kors) (and here for $15)
Pants: Anthropologie (buy them here) (similar style here for under $60) (similar here) (and here for $39.60!)
Shoes: Dior Lolita Booties (similar style here) (and here + take 20% off with code "SEPEVENT") (and here by Calvin Klein, on sale)
Necklace: Ann Taylor (similar style here) (and a stunning splurge from kate spade here) (or design your own here!)
Bag: Lanvin Sweet Dora (buy it here) (similar style here, on sale!) (and here for $45)

(Currently Listening)

Outfit Of The Day (The Green Scene)

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend so far; just a quick update for today!  I gave into the much-loved AG Stevie Ankle Jean from Anthropologie a few weeks ago after finally making it to the mall to try them on in person.  I was super impressed and could immediately see why they get such great reviews--they are incredibly comfy, soft, stretchy, and the 27.75 inseam makes them great for petites!  They are also a little dose of fun for the ol' wardrobe, even a bit of a challenge perhaps, as I tend to stick mainly to a safe, neutral palette. Look at me here getting all wild & randy--look out! Next up I'll be all out of control and drinking regular soda (not caffeine free!) and staying up past 10pm, I just know it.

I also picked up this mix fabric crepe jacket by Kimchi Blue at Urban Outfitters in the same shopping trip.  It is light, airy, and perfect for layering over tanks in the heat of summertime. I do think it runs a little small--I sized up one size, and could have probably gone up even one more size if I wanted it to fit as  loose as it does on the website model. I prefer my jackets to fit tight however, as if it they are giving me a firm, permanent hug, so if you were hugged enough as a child and like a looser fit, adjust accordingly. I also grabbed it in orange, as it reminded me just enough of this beautiful Diane Von Furstenberg blouse that I've been lusting after in a similar color.  So pretty!

I would also like to note that for those of you that missed out on the J Crew Perfect Patent Pump a few years back, it's back!  Kinda. They've made a few small changes (it isn't patent and they have now dubbed it the "Valentina")  but the overall concept is the same with a sleek pointed toe and a low-enough-to-be-comfy-but-still-high-enough-to-not-be-boring heel.  The "weathered rose" color is beautiful, isn't it?

Valentina Pumps - J Crew

I have a pair in "vibrant coral" currently sitting in my closet and I think that they fit  pretty darn true to size for J Crew shoes. They are a little spendy for basic pumps, but so worth it--I've literally worn holes into my dusty rose Perfect Patent Pumps from wearing them so much over the years! They are absolutely my favorite comfy heel to wear, bravo J Crew.

And last but not least, I neglected to notice that one pant leg was kind of rolled up when I took these shots; now  my secret of being a super pale-white-girl-homie-mang-in-disguise-still-trying-to-make-it-happen-like-it's-2007 has (apparently)  been ruined. Sigh. Please forgive:

Cardigan: Kimchi Blue (buy it here) (similar style here for $44) (and here) (and here at F21)

Tank: J Crew (buy it here)

Belt: J Crew Skinny Patent Belt in Golden Amber (buy it here) (similar style at ASOS for $17) (and here)

Jeans: AG Stevie Ankle (buy them here) (similar style for $58 here) (and here, select colors $35) (and here in a flare!)

Shoes: J Crew Perfectly Patent Pumps in Dusty Rose (similar style here) (and here for under $100!) (and here for under $100!) (and here for under $50)

Bag: Lanvin Sweet Dora Crossbody (buy it here) (similar style here) (and here) (and here, under $50)

(Currently playing)

Outfit Of The Day (A Short Scalloped & Leathered Story)

If you've been a long-time reader of my blog you probably know how much I love shorts. Especially short shorts--and before you get all weirded out and huffy and COVER YOUR LEGS  DAMNIT WOMAN about it, let me do some 'splaining.

As a vertically-challenged person with a freakishly long torso and even freakishly shorter legs,  shorts can be incredibly leg-lengthening and flattering.  They can!  You just need to know how to do them the right way.

Here are a few of my tips:

1. Shorts do not have to be dowdy, denim, or insta-Camp-Anawanna.  Stick with shorts in soft, drapey fabrics like silk, chiffon, and linen.  Pair them with ruffly or lace blouses to dress them up, or with a basic cotton T and a statement necklace for a casual-cool vibe. Jeweled flats and pretty heels can also help take them from frumpy to insta-fabulous in no time.

2. Not a fan of your lower half?  Much like jeans, not every pair of shorts is going to look great on every shape or body size. There are lots of options out there and sometimes it takes trying a few different pairs to figure out what works best for you! From frilly to ruffly to peplum-hemmed to sequined to draped to pleated to all of the above (and all at the same time), there are tons of fun shorts out there to try. I personally love shorts with ruffles or  pleats around the pockets, as they give rulery-shapes like me the much-needed illusion of hips and curves. 

3. Don't like wearing shorter inseams?  No problem!  There are lots of shorts out there with longer inseams. Just make sure to stick with a higher rise, especially if you're petite or have short legs. Low-rise shorts do nothing to help lengthen legs or shorten torsos (and put people like me into immediate oompah-loompah territory).  Higher rises draw the eyes up and are almost always the most flattering.

4.Self tanner, self tanner, self tanner.  Lots of it. 

5. And last but not least, an old styley rule--keep things classy and show off one body part at a time. If you are going to go super short with the shorts, try to keep your arms and chest (mostly) covered. This rule is (obviously) null and void if you live on a beach, anywhere where it's over 90 degrees, and/or in South Dakota.

I also happen to really like my legs, so this is a no-brainer for me. In our society it is much more common to hear about things that we don't like about ourselves (and oh, my list is long), but I am going to go ahead and say it--I really like my legs.  I like them, woo-ha!

So!  Here are two pairs of shorts I've recently gotten my hands on that I will be wearing lots this summer; the first being a pair of leather shorts.  Leather shorts started to pop on to the scene last summer, but now they're everywhere for this spring. Leather shorts are really fun to wear (they give any outfit a bit of edge) but remember to keep them slightly big/over-sized because if there's one thing we've learned from watching MTV's highly educational TV series about the oddly tan indigenous tribes in New Jersey, tight leather shortie shorts are never flattering. 

I decided to keep my outfit here simple with jewelry and instead play up a coral lip and nude "mannequin nails" (added after I snapped these pics, but this will give you the idea).  The shorts I'm wearing are from Urban Outfitters, are super duper supple and soft, and I'm wearing a size up from my normal size.

Also showing off the new Miu Miu's, meep:

 Top: Ann Taylor (buy it here) (similar style here)

Shorts: Urban Outfitters (buy them here + take 10% off with "THEMUSICISSUE") (similar style here)

Bag: J Crew Galaxy Bag (similar style here) (and here)

Shoes: Miu Miu (buy them here) (similar style here) (and here for under $100!) (and here on sale) (and here + take 25% off with code "MIN125")

 Nails (not shown): OPI Samoan Sand (buy it here)

Lip color: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in Tender Peach (buy it here)

On to the second look, which includes a pair of scalloped shorts.  Scalloped shorts were also a trend last year that has lasted right into this year, so if you already have a pair hooray for you! If you don't, definitely check out these cotton scalloped shorts from Urban Outfitters.  The rise is perfectly high and the pleats give this short a little bit of shape, too!  I'm wearing them in my normal size here (x-small) but be warned - when I first got my hands on these, I freaked and thought there was no way they'd fit around my waist, let alone my upper arm.  The waist is extremely tiny, but thankfully extremely (extremely!) stretchy. These are supposed to fit comfortably tighter around your waist.

My only problem is that my brain literally shuts down over the color navy (I have a  grand total of 3 navy-hued pieces in my closet for a reason, apparently) so...this is as good as it gets for now. It is not my most exciting outfit, but you get the idea here, hm?

I need something to spice this outfit up, like a bold lip color. Or a fancy turquoise belt.  Or a blingin' ring.  Or a baby tiger cub named Mooses McGee to carry carefully in my purse:

Blouse: ASOS (buy it here on sale!) (similar style here)

Shorts: Urban Outfitters Pins and Needles high Rise Scallop Shorts (buy them here + take 10% off with code "THEMUSICISSUE") (similar style here) (and here)

Belt: J Crew (similar style here for $12)

Bracelet: Forever 21 (similar style here)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Maria Ballet Kitten Heels (similar style here) (and here for $130) (and here, on sale for $50)

Bag: Fendi B Bag (similar style here) (and here)(love this, too)

How do you like to wear shorts?  Do you have any tried & true tips or tricks on wearing them? Share in the comments!