The Mondays: Things I Bought Recently

As predicted, my recent business trip precipitated a lot of shopping. Too much shopping. Many things were purchased. Most were returned.

This seems to happen to me every time I travel. I suddenly become unhappy with everything in my closet. I decide I need new things. I buy enough that the UPS man hates to see me coming. And then, I realize my foolishness while trying everything on, and box it all up to go back, promising this will not occur again.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

But now that I’m on the other side of my frenzied buying experience, I think we should talk about the pieces that actually worked out.

This Open Stitch Cardigan from Caslon is a unique piece that is also very versatile. The fit is great and TTS. The material and construction are better than most pieces I have seen in this price point. It also comes in navy and olive.

I’ve been styling it with distressed denim or olive cargo pants and a wide strap white tank. If you like the look but you want something less casual, this pointelle cardigan from J.Crew Factory is a fabulous option.

I have already shared this affordable suit from Open Edit twice. So if it is up here a third time, then you know you need to be paying attention.

It has been a long time since I have had a 12-hour workday in office. It has been a long time since I have had to wear a suit all day. So when I put on this one and it was comfortable and easy to wear for my whole day (outlasting my shoes, my makeup, and my will to live), I was even more in love with it than I was before.

The Icon blazer runs large. I should be an M, I’m wearing an S and it is roomy. The wide leg pants ran TTS. I own the Blue Weather, and I will likely own the black by the end of the week because it’s that good and too affordably priced not to keep as a backup.

I spotted this Ashlynn Blouse in store and was immediately in love. I’d have to be at this price. Thank God it’s black, because I am going to be buried in it. And while a substantial lift price wise, it is just as glorious as I hoped, and I know I will be wearing it for years to come with suits, jeans, or tucked into black shorts.

The sizing on this is a little odd. I tried on a 4 and an 8 (that’s what they had in store), and the four “fit” okay but didn’t give me the blouse-y look I wanted. So I went with the 8 and it’s nicely oversized and could be tailored if I decide to go that route. You can also snag it in Nordstrom if you want the Note and the bonus of free returns and basic alterations.

This Boden Anita Ponte Shirt Dress in a bold red was everything I hoped it would be and more. It’s sleek, comfortable, and looks incredibly professional. It was a little long, but unbuttoning the bottom helped. (It also comes in tall and petite.) I need to have it hemmed, but even unaltered it was fabulous and easy and everything I wanted. As for sizing, I needed to go up a size, as I always do in Boden.

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