For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to find clothes to update my wardrobe. I want to be comfortable, but I want clothes that can look both casual and professional, and preferably my entire wardrobe would be mix-and-match so I could wear any top with any bottom. I'm very tired of looking like a high school/ college student. It's time I dressed like a "real" person.
I checked out Kohl's, Old Navy, Target, and New York and Company. All were duds for one reason or another, and I walked out of each of them having found nothing to wear. Then on Saturday, my friend Amanda invited me to go shopping with her at a new (to Fayetteville) store--Maurices. I checked it out online first and thought, "It could be cute, but watch it be like Old Navy, where nothing fits my body shape." I was happily wrong. Almost everything I tried on fit perfectly and most of it looked good on me. The clothing quality isn't the highest standard, but it's far from low and the prices were pretty decent. (I mean, if you're going to pay $10 for a shirt, don't expect it to last too long, unless that was just a great sale price. So the prices in the $20-$30 range were a happy medium for me.) I'm considering it an investment in my professional wardrobe.
Here's what I got:
Some of the tops are more casual than the others, but they can still be dressed up with khakis or gray pants. The red sweater looks amazingly cute on, and will be my tribute to the Razorbacks. The long cardigan (last photo) is actually a beautiful dark gray. I've never worn one like it before, but I've always wanted one. As for the white camisole, I wouldn't normally pay $20 for one, but this one is actually high enough that it's modest. It frustrates me when I wear a camisole to keep people from being able to see down my shirt, only to have to spend most of the day discretely pulling it up.
All in all, it was a very successful shopping trip. All I have left on my list to get is a gray skirt, a navy cardigan, and a trench or pea coat with a flattering cut (this probably involves a coat with some sort of belt). If the price is right, I'll pick up a couple of solid t-shirts or button-up shirts, but that's it. I'm so excited to be weeding out my wardrobe and replacing it with cuter, more classic pieces.
Next step, affordable accessories.
I totally found a nearly-new, gorgeous black pea coat at a Goodwill outlet store in Seattle. I probably paid $5 for it. It is my new favorite coat (even though I haven't really had a chance to wear it, since it's still kinda summer ;) )
ReplyDeleteThey look beautiful! Congrats on the good finds! I love it when I find a store with clothes that fit me perfectly. I favor longer shirts, and when I found a store where basically all the shirts were long, I just about bought out the store :) Especially when the shirts were about $5 a piece (you don't buy a lot of high quality wardrobe as a mom - just cute, cheap stuff that you don't mind throwing out when one of your kids spills apple juice or strawberry smoothie all over it. Or poops on you. Just sayin' - sorry to be graphic ;) )