Life with PAG: Fashion Thursdays (and meeting IamKhatu)

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of watching my friend model at a local swanky hotel. That afternoon, I peered into my closet and was suddenly alarmed - I had nothing fabulous to wear. As I am aging, long gone are the days of partying past 2am on weeknights. My wardrobe has slowly been whittled down to about 90% professional attire, plus some casual stragglers. There's no excuse for this tragedy...I hope to infuse some fun pieces into my wardrobe this year.

I was relegated to wearing this old H&M sz 4 (yes, 4...it runs so small) bandage dress plus black ankle booties.

My glamorous bff doing her thing:

The fan corner:

Taupe OTK boots (sadly, not pictured) topped off her lovely ensemble:

I also had the pleasure of meeting up with IamKhatu. If you haven't checked out Khatu's blog yet, you're in for a treat. She wears delightfully trendy outfits and is a testament against the excuse that tiny ladies have a harder time being fashion-forward. I was blown away to see how petite she is in real life. The photo above is us kicking our shoes off to compare height (I was in 4" booties, and she, in 6" platforms). Being that I'm 5 feet tall, dare I say Khatu is 4'10" or below?

Khatu talked about how a lot of her clothes are still big for her, but it's all in how you wear the garments, stand, and carry yourself. She also does a lot of DIY alterations. Below is her trademark strong-shouldered coat from Zara that is big on both of us. The coat is undoubtedly wearing me and swallowing me up, versus Khatu who is wearing and rocking the coat.

And oh yes, I can knock something off of this list now. It's not gray or small, but I think it filled the void in my heart nicely and will get lots of love for years to come.

Life with PAG: Fashion Thursdays (and meeting IamKhatu)

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of watching my friend model at a local swanky hotel. That afternoon, I peered into my closet and was suddenly alarmed - I had nothing fabulous to wear. As I am aging, long gone are the days of partying past 2am on weeknights. My wardrobe has slowly been whittled down to about 90% professional attire, plus some casual stragglers. There's no excuse for this tragedy...I hope to infuse some fun pieces into my wardrobe this year.

I was relegated to wearing this old H&M sz 4 (yes, 4...it runs so small) bandage dress plus black ankle booties.

My glamorous bff doing her thing:

The fan corner:

Taupe OTK boots (sadly, not pictured) topped off her lovely ensemble:

I also had the pleasure of meeting up with IamKhatu. If you haven't checked out Khatu's blog yet, you're in for a treat. She wears delightfully trendy outfits and is a testament against the excuse that tiny ladies have a harder time being fashion-forward. I was blown away to see how petite she is in real life. The photo above is us kicking our shoes off to compare height (I was in 4" booties, and she, in 6" platforms). Being that I'm 5 feet tall, dare I say Khatu is 4'10" or below?

Khatu talked about how a lot of her clothes are still big for her, but it's all in how you wear the garments, stand, and carry yourself. She also does a lot of DIY alterations. Below is her trademark strong-shouldered coat from Zara that is big on both of us. The coat is undoubtedly wearing me and swallowing me up, versus Khatu who is wearing and rocking the coat.

And oh yes, I can knock something off of this list now. It's not gray or small, but I think it filled the void in my heart nicely and will get lots of love for years to come.

Petite Lookbook: Embracing the Lace

My Target order arrived this weekend and I'll be reviewing things slowly. First up is a definite keeper. I wasn't so sure about this affordable lace cardigan at first, but after trying it on with pieces in my closet I fell in love. I first wore it to work over a simple black sheath dress and got numerous compliments. Even my friend who was originally disgusted by my purchase now wants one!

Cardigan: Xhilaration (Target juniors) Lace Cardigan sz XS (buy here)

Skirt: Banana Republic Paper Bag Skirt sz 0P (similar here in 00)

Booties: Adrienne Vittadini Suede Ankle Boots - sz 6

Belt: BR outlet   Bag: Chanel WOC   Cameo: Peri

The key is to not wear it over a contrasting top a la the hideous Target model pic (but thank you, Target, for the awful photo because that's why this cardigan is now so cheap). I paired this with a simple black cami, a neutral skirt, plus some basic black accessories. If I were to nitpick, I'd complain about the slightly too-long sleeves. However, they are very easy to scrunch up, and I prefer them at the elbow anyways to make the overall look less lacy.

Funny story about this skirt - I was shipping my blog sale items when I noticed one address was 3 blocks away from my apartment! I offered to meet up in person to do the exchange, and she came bearing a gift - a Banana Republic paper bag skirt that she had allegedly outgrown. I have nothing like this skirt and already wore it (and got compliments on it) several times. The belt loops and bunchy nature of the skirt allow me to make the 0P work. Thanks so much, Jenny!!

The silhouette of this skirt resembles the J.crew wool bell skirt(still left in sz 00), so if you ordered this cardigan and own the J.crew skirt, I highly recommend trying the two together : )

Here are photos to show how the cardigan fits. I would not wear it over jeans (much prefer it tucked into skirts and over dresses), but these give you an idea of the longer length and overall snug fit. If you are bigger than me, I'd recommend sizing up to a S as the XS is fitted on me all-around. 

I highly recommend this cardigan to anyone who wants to add something "different" to their wardrobe. The brown did not work out for me, but I can see myself wearing the black with many different ensembles. At just $11.98 (plus other discounts and ebates), this is a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

PS - one new item was added to my blogsale, and prices on other items have been lowered.

Readers - did anyone else pick up this lace cardigan? If so, how are you styling it?

Petite Lookbook: Embracing the Lace

My Target order arrived this weekend and I'll be reviewing things slowly. First up is a definite keeper. I wasn't so sure about this affordable lace cardigan at first, but after trying it on with pieces in my closet I fell in love. I first wore it to work over a simple black sheath dress and got numerous compliments. Even my friend who was originally disgusted by my purchase now wants one!

Cardigan: Xhilaration (Target juniors) Lace Cardigan sz XS (buy here)

Skirt: Banana Republic Paper Bag Skirt sz 0P (similar here in 00)

Booties: Adrienne Vittadini Suede Ankle Boots - sz 6

Belt: BR outlet   Bag: Chanel WOC   Cameo: Peri

The key is to not wear it over a contrasting top a la the hideous Target model pic (but thank you, Target, for the awful photo because that's why this cardigan is now so cheap). I paired this with a simple black cami, a neutral skirt, plus some basic black accessories. If I were to nitpick, I'd complain about the slightly too-long sleeves. However, they are very easy to scrunch up, and I prefer them at the elbow anyways to make the overall look less lacy.

Funny story about this skirt - I was shipping my blog sale items when I noticed one address was 3 blocks away from my apartment! I offered to meet up in person to do the exchange, and she came bearing a gift - a Banana Republic paper bag skirt that she had allegedly outgrown. I have nothing like this skirt and already wore it (and got compliments on it) several times. The belt loops and bunchy nature of the skirt allow me to make the 0P work. Thanks so much, Jenny!!

The silhouette of this skirt resembles the J.crew wool bell skirt(still left in sz 00), so if you ordered this cardigan and own the J.crew skirt, I highly recommend trying the two together : )

Here are photos to show how the cardigan fits. I would not wear it over jeans (much prefer it tucked into skirts and over dresses), but these give you an idea of the longer length and overall snug fit. If you are bigger than me, I'd recommend sizing up to a S as the XS is fitted on me all-around. 

I highly recommend this cardigan to anyone who wants to add something "different" to their wardrobe. The brown did not work out for me, but I can see myself wearing the black with many different ensembles. At just $11.98 (plus other discounts and ebates), this is a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

PS - one new item was added to my blogsale, and prices on other items have been lowered.

Readers - did anyone else pick up this lace cardigan? If so, how are you styling it?

Chanel Reviews: Petite Shopping Tote and Wallet on Chain

Although handbags can "make" or complete an outfit, I rarely show them on my blog. I have a very small collection -maybe 4 to 5 total- so you guys would surely get sick of seeing them! After college I purged all of my bags (many of them awkwardly-sized) and started fresh. I wanted to invest carefully in pieces that were beautiful and timeless, that were suitable for my size, and most importantly - were functional.

 

Video review:

1. Petite Shopping Tote (PST) 9" width x 9" height x 3" depth

Beautiful, classic tote - but for reasons mentioned in the video, is not too functional for me.

2. Wallet on Chain (WOC) - 7" length x 5" height x 1" depth

This bag wasn't even on my radar until I discovered (non-petite) Anh of 9to5chic. She always looks effortlessly polished, and her WOC makes frequent appearances in outfits for all sorts of occasions. The WOC satisfies all of my requirements. It can be worn as a:

-long shoulder bag

- clutch

- double-chained purse; or

- cross-body bag

Dress: J.Crew paisley sheath sz 0P (altered)

Suede Booties: Adrienne Vittadini "Adam"
YSL Arty Ring in Turquoise, sz 5 (taped)

I purchased both of these pre-owned, from ladies in Boston. I don't discriminate against pre-owned Chanel as long as it's in excellent condition and comes with all the original packaging (box, dustbag, tags, auth card). I have plenty of other things to spend the money saved on. I got a few questions on YT asking about the current retail prices, and honestly I'm not sure. The Purse Forum is a good resource for questions like that.

Here is an oldie but goodie from Alterations Needed on the East/West and classic medium flap. I'm interested in getting a taupe or colorful small flap next, but the original small size seems hard to come by these days.

Readers - What is your favorite go-to handbag?