Review: Feathered Village Skirt

If I would buy only 1 skirt this winter, the Feathered Village Skirt would be the choice.

This beauty is even better in real life than the one on the picture.  The fabric has a sateen feel and gives out a soft glow under the light.  I also like the weight on the fabric.  The whimsical print remind me of children's book illustrations, although I can't pin point which one exactly.  Maybe Harold the purple crayon when he was felt lost in the city scrape and wanted to go home.  The background olive tone was a easy color to pair, which is also a big plus.  The print is catchy enough to feel special, but not over the top so it can still be wear in daily life.


I am somewhere between 2 to 6 and size 4 on this one fits perfectly so I'd say it fits true to size.  It does flare out more than the picture even though I don't have much of a hip.  Sits on Natural waist and hits just slightly below my knee. I may want to try out the petite just for comparison.

It is well made.  No complain about the quality.  There were so much details take into consideration even inside of the skirt.  Both the waist and the rim of skirt inside are reinforced by a red satin band.  I think it helps weight down the rim so it doesn't The bottom part of the lining has two layers of ruffles.  That's probably what supports the flare.

Overall, I love the skirt and took it home with me. I also order one on line just to see if I would like the like the petite better, I will let you know once I find out.

Also Zulily has poetic licence shoes sale.  I have not try on Poetic Licence shoes so I can't say how comfortable they are and I don't like some of those over-the-top grandma print, but I do like the polka dot and the love letter pumps.

Review: Anthropologie Ruffled Demi Turtleneck

This top grabbed my attention among all the new arrivals for the fall. With its interesting gathering folds up at the neck, it feels like a good step up from an ordinary turtleneck.  The color is more rust than orange, makes it a nice addition to the fall outfit. I ordered it at the regular price item during the free shipping. In real life it is a disappointment. The rib texture was more prominent than the picture. It brings the overall color lighter, which washes out my face completely. The fabric is thick. It is very fitted. Even with sizing up to S, it feels tight. So definitely size up. Because it is fitted and ribbed, not only is it unforgiven for body flaw, especially if your trouble area is around the tummy like me, but also adds volume. I would much prefer the top being a smooth modal type of shirt with similar cut on the top and slightly flares out. I would also prefer the color to be a shade or two darker. Even the ruffle gathering felts stiff with the ribbed texture.   I think this could be very elegant for someone slim.  Unfortunately it is not for me.



There is a 25% additional off for sale items at Anthro right now, did you pick up anything? My recommendation would be this dress.  The color feels very fall, you can easily put a cardigan over it.  The print is very pretty. I think it is more green than brown, but the undertone is very muted.  It wasn't popular, but maybe because it is rayon?

I also liked this Pixel Impressionist Shift and the Sea Nettle Shift, but it wasn't available any more by the time I looked.

Anthro Review: Goldfish Bowl Skirt

I tried a few items when I visited Chicago.   It has been oh, a month? Unfortunately my phone is often at a out of battery state, so those are the two items I manage to snap a picture with before the battery ran out.  The timing of my visit is also a bit off too.   Anthro is full of boring stuff at the time, not many exiting item in the store anyway.


Goldfish Bowl Skirt

This little skirt attracted my eyes with the little fish print.  I thought that was pretty cute and fun.  The color is beautiful.  The golden color seem to be what I am drawn to these days.  It reminds me of a chinese fairy tale.  In the story,  a magic baby jumping out of a  fish bowl and fishes out whatever treasure he wish for. Of course there is always evil greedy landlord try to take away the fishbowl and was punished at the end.

First thing about the fit, size up.  I have to go up to a size 6 although I could possibly squeeze into a 4, but I don't like wear anything high waist.  Length wise, it hits on my knee. Fabric is silk outside with lightweight cotton lining.   I somehow like a bit of weight on a skirt, but that is just personal preference, so this skirt is too lightweight for me.  It would make a good summer skirt however.    Judging from the material, it might wrinkle quite a bit at the end of the day.   There are two pockets, but I don't see myself putting anything in there with such light weight fabric. Here is another shot with the cardigan. Love this cardigan, was going to review it but then it is completely sold out so there is not much point reviewing it any more.

Sunrise Shirt Dress-$168
This dress looks very beautiful and delicate on hanger.  It also came with the attached slip which is a nice detail to have.  However I felt like a  Little Bo Peep in it.  I even try a belt with it, and still no good. The fitting is fine.  A size 2 fits snuggly but not too tight.  However, it makes me look at least 10lb more.  It is another one of those beautiful as it is, but not flattering item anthro often has.   For someone needed that extra 10lb, it might work out well.

So here you have it, two not so exiting review.



Here is an past outfit.  With the weather warming up, I was really in a mood for yellow for some reason.

Top: Katie eyelet cam in white (buy it here)
Sweater: Anthropologie Sparrow cardigan
Jeans: J Crew Bootcut
Shoes:  Classiques Entier® 'Tamara' Pump (buy it here. These are great, perfect heel height for me and super comfortable)

A day off (includes a Nostalgic Asterisks Dress Mini review)

Before I start let me say this.  I am totally in awe of stay-home mothers.  They are so busy all the time and yet manage to maintain their calm and patience.  A lot of people including their dear husband probably don't even realize it.  They do this day after day without much vacation.  For those of you stay home everyday caring for your little ones and the family, please please give yourself a break from time to time because you so deserve it.

I took the day off because my daughter had the day off.  Her school was having parent teacher conference.  I didn't want to stress out about watching her at the same time working and risk losing my temper. It is supposed to be her day off too. So what did I end up doing all day?

Driving.... Driving in the rain....

That is how I felt I spend my whole day. Here is the detail run down.

My daughter got up really early in the morning.  Ever notice kids always get up early during weekend on non-school days?   I made her breakfast and then help her with the new tune for her piano class a little bit.  We played a few round of Zingo in between and it is time for her dentist appointment.

We drove to the dentist place in pouring rain.  Luckily she didn't get cavity this time.  Yay! We then went to a pizza joint I saw from yelp for lunch.  My daughter loves pizza but doesn't get to eat it often because of her brother's wheat allergy problem.  I thought it would be a nice treat.  Turns out she is so used to school's cheap pizza, she doesn't quite appreciate the Chicago style thick crust.

Back home picking up my badge so we can get cooperate discount, we headed to the Children's discovery museum. Time really flew by fast there.  To the right is the end product we made using colorful pipes.  On our way back, rush hour traffic started already and it was worse when it rains.  After eating a bottle of yogurt for snack and changing to her tutu, we rush to the ballet class and only to find out we forgot her ballet shoes. I  told her to go in first and rush back to get her shoes.  By then I was totally late for the parent teacher conference which is schedule tightly at 15 minutes after her ballet class starts.  I called the school to notify them my lateness while sitting in front of the red lights.  By the time I got to there,  my allotted 20 minute slot is almost over. Luckily she had two teachers, so one was able to talk to me while the other talks to the parent in the next time slot

I walked out the school and it is 5:30.  Wait... how did the day go by so quickly? I felt I haven't even done much.  I haven't had any time for myself.  At least at work I get a break at lunch and in the afternoon, I get myself a cup of coffee.


Her school is close to Anthro store so I went ot return a few things.  Normally I just walk out without trying on and this time I decided I deserve to have a little break.  This is what I picked.


Nostalgic Asterisks Dress


The vibrant red color of the dress is what grabs my attention at first.  The print is modern and not overwhelming.  Cotton, check, machine wash, check, side pocket, check, lined, check.  All the elements I like about anthro dress are there.  Thanks to the elastic in the back, I was able to fit into 2 without much problem even though it is size zip.  However the chest area fits poorly on me.  Maybe I am just too flat chested or maybe the spigetti strap is too long.  The front area sags and lumps like an empty pouch.  Not flattering. Although it doesn't work for me, it does look gorgeous on other blogger .  See it on Roxy  and Kay  and Liz.

After dinner, just when I got ready to call it a day.  my daughter said, "mommy, didn't you promise to buy me a gift if I don't have cavity in the next dental exam?"  Yes I did, and that was half year ago.... They never forget.  Sometimes parent really owe their children.  

"Can we go?" 

"Now?" 

"Pleaseeeeeeee?"

OK, I do owe her.

Review: Macy's Kinder Aggugini for Impulse Silk Georgette Sleeveless Dress

I received another Kinder Aggugine for Impulse dress over the weekend. Here is how it looks.

The color in the picture does  not reflect the pink very accurately.  It is a very soft pink.  There is a lot of detail going on with this dress. The slip of this dress has polka dot.  Those dots are so sweet that I almost wished I could wear it inside out.   The top layer is see through, but with the pleat, you can't see them easily. I find it very taunting.  The split neckline does reveal the polka dot.  The black tight waist is removable.  I might or might not interchange it for a different belt, but it is good to have options.  I know I didn't tight it very well on the picture.   The skirt part of the dress is a bubble skirt, but because of the thin and drapery material, it does n't add much volume.  Another thing you probably notice about this dress is how short it is.  It is very short!  I am only 5'4" and it hits well above my knee.  I had to put on the tights to take the picture so it won't be too revealing. Worth mentioning is that this brand didn't seem to be consistent in its sizing.  This is a XS and it fits loosely with room to spare. With the ruffle blouse from the same line, I couldn't button up with a XS.   Overall I like this dress.

Anthropologie Fantastic Field Skirt Review

I had a bunch of returns so I ran by the store over the weekend. I couldn't help browsing through it is supposed to be a quick return trip.  To my surprise, there wasn't many items I wanted to try and the Fantastic Field skirt with its stricking bold print of red flowers grab my attention.

First thing notice is that the size runs small.  I got the size 4 at first.  I was able to zip up  but the back of it wouldn't lay flat so I have to get a 6.  I think I read somewhere Moulinette Soeurs usually runs small.  The fabric is pique. It is thick and a little bit stiff, almost a canvas like feel. I am not sure if it would wrinkle after a day's wear.  It also claim to be machine washable, although I am sure it would need ironing after the wash.
It sits high, right on the natural waist. I wouldn't size up more because the skirt would pass my knee if I wear it on my hip (I am 5'4" for your reference).  The shape and length is flattering. The bold print is a good tummy minimizer because it distracts your attention from the bumps. I really love the print on this skirt.  The color is as vibrant as the website. However if you are picky you might want to go to store and pick out your favorite flower arrangement as the flower position seems to vary skirt by skirt.


There are two things about this skirt bothers me.  One is that the side print doesn't conect up so it has the disconnected feeling.  The other thing is on the waist part of the skirt, the "butterfly-pleat" of the skirt Anthro's webpage refereing to,  forms a triangle with the black waistband. It is not obvious in the picture because the picture quality of iphone is poor on the low light of anthro fitting room and my top is dark.  However, you will see it against a lighter color top.  If you wear a shirt over the skirt, the pleate would bulk the waist a little bit.  If you wear the skirt over the lighter top, the black waistband will standout, which has a unfinished feeling. Not really a deal breaker, but I would like more details to be taken care of with a $88 skirt.

Review: Weekend Respite Henley

This review is for  Weekend Respite Henley from Anthropologie's  Lounge wear selection .  This litte Tee comes in black and cream.  It is no longer listed on line but the store still have it. There are size avaiable in M online last time I checked  and the item # is 19333251.

This shirt by Eloise measures 31" L so it wears more like a tunic. I really like the length of it as it works well with skinny jeans.  The water-mark like flower pattern gives the shirt a uplifting detail without being too busy.  However the pattern did leave the shirt see through so you will have to wear a cami under. The fabric is spa soft.  Color is more cream than white. Notice shoulder and the lower edge as well as the sleeve are solid cream color to give more sliming lines to the overall simple tee. The neckline is low enough to be flattering without being to revealing.  For your reference I am wearing a S because I don't want a such comfortable piece to be overly snugged. Roller up sleeve hits a bit over elbow.  When the sleeve is roll down, it is 3/4, not full length either.  Overall, this is a unfuzzy little Tee that is flattering in a casual way.

Wow, it is very wrinkled....

Review: De Chelly Dress and Sun Shades Dress

De Chelly Dress:

This dress has a 5 star review on Anthropologie's website.  I can see why.  It is simple and sweet.  The cotton material gives more a casual every day look. The diamond motif looks like polka dots at the first glance.  The cotton of this skirt is pretty heavy weight and the lining is pretty thick so this would not be a skirt for hot summer as it might look.  The skirt is quite full and the inner lining gives more body,  adding some curve to straight shape, which is what I needed  The neckline is cut well so it is flattering, but not revealing.  Shoulder strap is wide and has buttons to secure your bra.   The peachy flush adds a little bit color to the overall neutral color. As you can see, it hits right about knee.  It could be a inch shorter, but no big deal.

My biggest problem with this dress is the zipper. It is not that the dress is tight or anything,  it just doesn't run smoothly because the sewing around the waist area.   The size 2 has room, but the side zip choke up on the waist.  I should have try another size 2 but my little one is getting impatient.   The Size 4 zip up, but still not without some effort. Shoulder strap became bit long with the sizing up to 4.  (5'4, ~120lb)

Sun Shades Dress:

This Dress had earn its name.  My daughter loves the color and prefers this one over he De Chelly Dress.  I think the color really brightens up you mood and somehow it felt very Kate Spade.  This dress is cotton and machine washable which is a big big plus. I tried a size 2 as the store ran out of size 4.  The zipper is in the back and I couldn't really zip it up myself.  To my suprise, once it is up, it if very fitted and not tight at all.  Like the De Chelly Dress, the skirt is full and the lining is fluffy.  The cotton is thick so it is really not a hot summer day dress.  The length hit a little bit below the knee.  I think it can be a bit shorter, but I am OK with the length. I would have prefer wearing this with a Dark Blue or Black Cardi just to set off the color of this dress on the shoulder area, and small ruffle around neckline might be a good addition too.

Both dresses are wish listed and hopeful the day of sale will come before it gets sold out.  On the other hand, I had so  much trouble with the zipper, with the morning chaos, it might add more annoyance to happiness for owning one.





Finally I leave you with my OOTD.   The color is a bit of mess I know.   But it has 3 of my favorite things: An old Chord Jacket from JCREW, The Lucky Brand Boot cut Jeans, and the Anthro Scarf, which is my very very first Anthro purchase.

Top: Anthropologie Palacio Blouse
Sweater: JCREW femme cashmere cardigan
Coat: JCREW Chord (Really old, can't remember the name)
Jeans: Lucky Brand Bootcut
Scarf: Anthropologie

Winter Fern Sweatercoat - a review

I was returning the pinafore pullover the other day.  The Winter Fern Sweater coat stands out among all the pretty things in the store.  I was wearing the kindred spirit dress that day, naturally the bright red print in the Winter Fern sweater coat lifted the whole outfit and I was immediately in love.  There was a lady with her son passing by commented how cute it looks on me.   Despite it is full price @$228, I brought it home with me because it is such a stand out piece.

Here is some detail about the sweater. It is by Lia Molly.  It is not very warm or thick although in the picture it might look warm and fuzzy.  According to the description on Anthro's website, it is made of rayon and cotton.  It is very silky and soft to the touch, almost like a silk cotton blend.  The knit and the pattern is very beautiful and detailed. Lia Molly is known for its fancy knit and this piece certainly stands out.   It is between crimson and rusty orange, not as deep as in the picture.  There is a large hood in the back.

After I cooled my head a bit,  I decided to return this item.  Or maybe also because when I try it on the second time I was wearing jeans.

The hood and the length give the whole sweater a very bathrobe feel, although a nice luxury robe.  The fit is weird.  I sort of know that at the store because I had Initially try the XS in the store.  Although finding the top part to fit well, when I button it, the waist area feels tight. I upsize it to the small.  The top feels loose on the bust area  and the sleeves are a bit looser  and the waist still a bit tight. At the store,  I attribute it to the attached belt on the kindred spirit dress.  But with the jeans, it is still the same problem.  The sweater looks good unbuttoned.  When it is buttoned, it became very unflattering.  This is largely due to lack of curve and structure in this sweater. It is a rather straight cut and the waste band in black doesn't stretch much. Aside from that, the length of the sweater is a bit too long and draggy for my height.  For your reference, I am 5'4".

I think the reason it had worked with the Kindred spirit dress is because a) I wore it open b) the dress flares out a little bit, giving the sweater a bit of curve.  This sweater being so thin, drapes nicely with the dress. However with $228, I want to spend on something look nice universally with a lot of outfits instead of just one dress.  

Sale season starts early?

There seem to be many deals going on right now.  Many offers 30% discounts.  Gap just finish their round of Give and Get promotion.  Right now JCREW has save extra 30% on sale items promotion using the JCREW promotion code. I didn't see anything particularly stand out for myself but did get to score something for my son.  Many are gone instantly like the military jacket for $38.   Still available is the Boy's Sherpa hoodie

Jcrew's Sherpa hoodie is of very good quality.  I have bought other brands of similar product, such as Crazy 8 and Gap, none has the quality that would remotely compare.  It is very warm, enough for the winter here in SF bay area and is super soft.  It withdands many wash without getting thin out.  Of course this is a gender neutral piece that can easily pass down to my daughter.  Highly recommend it for its quality.  With the discount it came out to $30.24.  It is still expensive.   Considering boys don't get to have many cloth,  I felt it is worth the splurge on a few piece he constantly wears.

Ann Taylor also has the friends and family 30% off promotion.

I strongly recommend the Luxary Drape Wrap.  I have a thing for unstructured wraps.   This is such an interesting piece because it can be wear in so many different ways  and is very soft and warm.  I got the gray color after drooling over it for sometime  and loved it.  The current addition of carmel color adds lovely warmth to the tone.   It is slightly itchy so I would wear a long sleeve inside though.


I have also noticed that the store sometimes have the sale item cheaper than online so if you have time it is probably better to go to the store.

Kindred Spirit Sweaterdress - a sale review and request for styling suggestion

Apparently my taste is quite different from the rest of the Anthro-loving population.  Kindred Spirit Sweater dress although went on sale for half of its original price, still have plenty left around.   Why is that?  I think the deviation of my taste also explains the lack of followers.  Ha!

Back to the topic of Kindred Spirit Sweater dress.   This is one of the two piece hubby pick up with me during my birthday (which is in the middle of the summer) and I didn't end up returning.  The other one is the acting out skirt.

There are two types of cloth.  One is so beautiful and fancy looking that it is like a piece of art.  I think Anthro has plenty of those items.  However the fanciful detail sometimes took all the attention away from the person who is wearing it. On another word,  the cloth is wearing the person. The Kindred sprit sweater dress does the opposite.  It is of an almost dull color of green, but the dark color also helps with sliming the figure as well as making it a bit more work appropriate.  It shas enough detail such as the gathered collar with the buttons.  The neckline is just lovely.   Low enough to be flattering, but not so to be revealing.  The material is soft, no itchy at all, thanks to the cotton and cashmere blend.  The dress drapes very nicely.  It  does not show lumps and humps like some sweater or jersey dress do.  The cut is superb.  It is so figure flattering that it really makes you felt you had trim down 10 lbs.   I did not find it clingy even though it is unlined.  Worth mentioning is that this dress run slightly larger than the  usual size.  For your reference, I am wearing a XS here.  In comparison, I wear XS in the popular camellia dress but a 4 for Botanical Stroll dress.

The biggest draw back?  The belt.  I think it has received enough complain.   It is attached, so I am not really sure what to do with it.  I felt this dress can use a somewhat more defined belt to dress up a bit more.

So why I haven't wore mine?  It wasn't cold enough.  Now it is cold enough, I don't know how to layer it.  I end up with this Simple J CREW V-neck Cardigan.   Any other suggestions?

And can you guess what my daughter is doing?  Don't answer putting her arm up or taking a picture :-P That would be too obvious. A penny for the correct answer.

The disappointment of the Pinafore Pullover

I had ordered the Pinafore Pulloever as a gift for myself for taking care of two kids by myself while hubby is in China for the whole week.   This is sweater is so sweet and romantic looking.  I really love how it looks in the catalog.

Before I got my order, Cat from Anthrosdottir did a review on this sweater and I thought "oh, no".  And She is right on with the sweater. Here is the result.  Front is pretty sweet although the sleeve is a bit long. For reference, I am wearing a S.

Here comes the problem.  I think this just invites question like "when is the due day...."

I am not sure sizing down would make this problem go away.  On line has sold out on this sweater, but I am sure there will be pop-backs. At least mine will go back.

This is what I wore that same day with the same side profile.

This outfit is more than 10 years old and I still love it.  I had gotten the sweater the skirt as well as the boots when I visited Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is really a shopping heaven.  This outfit and a pair of wool tight are among of the favorites I have.  Some how the color is very off in the picture, the sweater supposed to be grey and skirt and boots are supposed to be deep purple.  I had wear this in response to Cindi's purple request and in recognition of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month after reading Cindi's post.  I guess I'll have to come up with something more purple than this.

Review: Frill Force Jacket

After missing out on the Klinton Trench, I thought Frill Force Jacket is my second chance when it show up on the website.  I got the chance to try it out at the Seattle downtown store.

First of all, the color of this jacket is a bit drab.  It doesn't agree with my asian skin tone too well. The color on my screen was a bit more brown, which is more to my liking.

Then comes the issue of fitting.  I tried size 4, considering I might want to give some layer underneath in the winter.  It is unstructured, nor does it flare out much, which is what I needed for my straight figure.  The length is hitting at a odd spot for me too.  I'd like it to be slightly shorter, so I think the petite version might help a bit in this case.  I also felt like there should be another roll of buttons somehow, but it could be just the angle my daughter took the shot from. The sleeves are a bit long for me and might get fix by going with a petite size.

I do like the hood, which can be useful with the rain we have in the winter.  It might be better if the hood is removable however.  I also like the material, it is not as stiff and slippery like the Klinton Trench.  It is pretty heavy weight for a jacket but lighter than a coat.  It is the right warmth level for what I wanted.  I am not too sure about the ruffles as I am a bit ruffle-out these days. This jacket in general feels more casual than the Klinton Trench.

Frill Force Jacket has some good potentials, but it is a pass for me.  I might consider trying out the petite if it ever goes on sale.

Review: Tea & Sweets Dress

I was looking for a dress to wear for my friend's wedding. These days I don't get to invite to weddings any more.  I even passed the baby shower stage and is more entangled with birthday parties.  Kind of shows my age a bit there.  There will be friends I haven't seen since college there so it has some of the reunion element to it.

I wanted something nice, but I can wear it more than the special occasions.   Also hubby is probably not going to wear a suit, so I don't want to look too dressy when he look so casual.  Has to sync up a bit.  This dress seem to fit into that category. It is a very delicate piece, soft and elegant. I fall in love right away with it.

I ordered two size, xs anbd s, not knowing which one fits better. But I got to try it in store when I visit Chicago before I got to my shipment. The XS is too tight around the rib. The S fits with not much room to spare. Just for comparison, breakfasting and camellia dress are both a XS for me. I can't say it is TTS because I really don't know what my true size is any more. My size with Anthro is just all over the place these days. But if you are familiar with GAP/JCREW, I am mostly a size 2.

The bottom drapes nicely.  Even with all the pleate , it doesn't bulk up like the breakfasting dress. The color was a bit pale against my skin tone. I look better with a light weight navy sweater over it and I think that is what I am going to do should I decide to wear it at the wedding. I like the texture difference between the eyelet top and the floral print bottom. The strap is a bit long and curves in a little bit so it makes the shoulder appear wider. The zipper is not very smooth.  My mom has to help me with that.  It seem to be the problem with a lot of the dresses lately. I wish the waist ribbon is black like breakfasting or camellia dress, which would accent the waist line a bit more, but what it is is works fine too. The rosette feels very romantic and I am a sucker for this type of embellishments.

Overall I like the feminine yet casual feel this dress brings. It can be dress up or down.  I also like the fact it is machine washable, although I would probably leave it to very delicate cycle. The $168 felt a bit pricy so if something else came along, I might change my mind.  For now, I think that is what I will be wearing to the wedding.