Every once in awhile I try to mix things up here on the blog. Many outfits are experiments as I dip my foot out of my comfort zone. As a result, many looks are misses more so than hits. Today's trial item is a pair of leggings. I've been tucking skinny/straight jeans into boots, but can never avoid the bunching around the knees. Leggings solved that issue, but now I have no idea what to wear on top. I don't own any long sweaters or tunics, so that left a makeshift dress belted to resemble a tunic and a long boyfriend cardigan. Final verdict after seeing photos? Ehh.

How do you like to pair leggings?

I dug deep into my closet for today's outfit. Everything but the bag and pants have not seen the light of day in a long while. This is a much-needed reminder that I've been shopping too much lately... and well, old clothes need loving too *sheepish grin*

All of these skirts and (useless) dresses were bought in December, so I'm still doing ok with my resolutions ;)

First is the LOVE 21 Tiered Waist Skirt in mauve, size XS (currently sold here). It looked promising on the model, but I knew it was going to be a return the minute I opened up the package. There were loose threads in multiple places and the fit just did not look flattering on me. The more I look at the photos, the more the pockets look like Dumbo's ears.

Next is the J.Crew Factory cotton Nico skirt in soft sandalwood, size 0 (currently sold here). I was really looking forward to this because a cute cotton skirt in a neutral-khaki color goes with practically everything. When I tried it on though, a muffin top I didn't know I had popped out! All the fat I had around the stomach area was pushed in by this thick rubber-band-like waistband. Not flattering at all. When the skirt is worn above the waist though, it looked a whole lot better. In the end, I still decided to return this skirt.

This J.Crew Factory Cotton-Silk Shimmy Dress in ivory, size 0 was a final sale item. I loved the ruffles and the Victorian look, but let's be honest here, it could pass for a nightgown, lol. Mostly, I loved the potential of the dress --- I could already imagine styling it multiple ways.

The dress came in 3 parts, the actual dress itself (quite sheer), a slip (sheer as well), and a black sash. There is no zipper opening for the dress, just a small keyhole in the back with a button closure. I was a little worried because I sometimes have a hard time getting my shoulders in and out of dresses without zippers (darn wide shoulders!) J.Crew's size 0 is a hit or miss for me, so I crossed my fingers praying it won't be too big. The shoulders seem to fit me fine, but the rest feels a bit big, but could be remedied by the sash around the waist. What do you think though, should I pay to get it slimmed? If anyone has experience, how much would that roughly cost?

I also picked up this Bensoni Silk Asymmetrical Ruffle Dress in coral, size 0 from Gilt, also a final sale item (note to self: I really, really, need to stop buying at final sales). I fell in love with the dress on the model and despite some reservations on the bright color, I figured I should be dark enough to pull it off.

I would say the color is more of a bright salmon-y pink instead of coral. The V-neck is not too low, which I appreciated because I'm flat as a pancake. But I was expecting the neckline to not be dead-center given the asymmetrical name. Half the ruffles around the waist was also pushed downwards, which I didn't notice until now, but a quick iron should fix this. I thought the fit was pretty good overall, except the armholes. Is that worth $ for alterations?

I recently bought these Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pump in black, size 6 (currently sold here). Thank you Jean @ Extra Petite and Cari @ Sisters Sincere for the suggestion! I'm now the proud owner of non-witchy black pumps.

Right out of the box, I was impressed with how shiny these pumps looked. I could see my own reflection! These pumps looked and felt more expensive than they actually were. I'd recommend them as a great Christian Louboutin Simple pumps look for less with their almond-toe and straight heel.

Many reviews suggested ordering a half-size smaller than your usual size, but I stuck with my normal US size 6 (never in my life have I ever worn size 5.5 shoes!) The fit was perfect, so I conclude that I must have normal-to-wide feet. The footpad had plenty of padding and is as comfortable as 3" heels can be. After paying around $100 for these pumps, I felt gypped for all my other shoes at this price point, lol. For the quality and comfort-level, I could see myself buying other pairs... that is, if I ever switch to a job that requires dressing up :)

Today's outfit is inspired by Kim Kardashian -- the girl simply never looks bad. I can't get enough of wearing this dress as a top ;) I've paired it with practically every skirt in my possession and not once have I worn it out as a dress lol. I love the color combo of Kim's outfit, but alas I had to make do with what I have. Hey, at least her top kinda matches my tights!

*Kim Kardashian image courtesy of The Look 4 Less

Looking through my past couple of outfits, I sure do own a lot of greys,  blues, whites, and blacks. My eye seems to shy away from brighter colors and patterns, and instead drawn to cooler colors. If nothing else, at least those colors all go well together =) Have you looked through your closet lately? Are there color(s) that you wear most often?

Petite Fashion Challenge #2: Wear it Now, Wear it Later has us going into our closet and creating two outfits, one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter, both centering around one item. In my case, I've selected my LOVE 21 knotted shift dress.

Bottom left is my summer outfit where I wore the dress as a top. What I love about summer is the ability to accessorize with bright, fun colors against crisp white. Oh, and of course, getting away with wearing short skirts ;)

Bottom right is my fall outfit where I wore the dress as... well, a dress :) The color itself transitions well into cooler weather. Add a blazer, tights, suede wedges, and I'm ready for work.

I've been looking for a decently-priced, machine washable, black pencil skirt for the longest time (whew that's a mouthful!) So when Gap had a code a couple of weeks ago (with free shipping nonetheless), I ordered this Gap Classic pencil skirt in true black, size 00. I actually also ordered the same skirt in 0P but it's on back order, so I won't be receiving that until the end of the month. Unfortunately 00 is a bit too big at the waist and longer than I'd like, so this will be going back. Now I'm regretting not also ordering it in 00P... because I have a feeling 0P will fit great length-wise but maybe still big at the waist. Other sizes are still being sold online, but not the ones I'm looking for.

I'm a sucker for draping :D This Gap Knit tulip skirt in cast iron, size XS is made of really soft and thick jersey-like material. I just want to snuggle up with this skirt and take a nap haha. It does make my hips look bigger, but I'm leaning towards keeping it and just pairing it with voluminous tops to balance things out. It's definitely worth checking out if you have a straight shape.

I also picked up this LOVE 21 Knotted Shift Dress in grey, size XS. Their site says this line "offers a more sophisticated, modest fit than Forever 21" but I could not resist the neckline draping. It's absolutely gorgeous on the model. Imagine my surprise when the dress end up fitting me pretty well. The neckline dips a bit too low, so I may fix this with a tank top underneath or double-sided tape. No biggie. The armhole also wasn't an issue (thank goodness). Overall, I'm very happy with this buy and can't wait to wear it :) It's still up for sale on their site.

Finally, the last item :) I thought this Forever 21 Beaded Bib Necklace in brown/grey looked great online, but when I received it, it was so much smaller than I imagined! D'oh! It's completely my fault though... should've consulted the online measurements. I was expecting it to be a statement necklace, but it turned out to be quite a bit smaller. Too bad it's final sale, or I'm definitely returning it.
The lighting is a bit off in this picture, but even in person the "grey" part looked too much like the "brown" and nothing like their stock image. Boooo. It's okay though. It's still currently being sold on their site.