Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

My October Stitch Fix: FALLing in Love Again

It’s STITCH FIX TIME!

Am I a little excited?
YES I AM!

Am I making super corny pun’s in the post title?
Heck YEAH!

That’s right… there’s shouting. And arms waving. And even a bit of booty shaking. Because I LOVE doing these posts and hearing back from you guys!

{For my new friends, if you’re wondering what a Stitch Fix is, please check out this post. If you want to know why I spend money to have a stylist send me clothes and whether I’m getting rich off these reviews, click on this one. If you’re wondering if I ever regret a Stitch Fix purchase, give a clickty click over here. If you’re feeling super stalkery and want to see ALL my Stitch Fix posts, you get on with your bad self and click around here. Okay, all caught up? Let’s join the rest of the class now…}

In the notes section for this month’s Fix, here is what I put: “Stylist: Sara J again. This month’s Fix will come right before my anniversary weekend at a B&B with my husband. I’d love something sassy to wear to go to dinner and walk around Baltimore. Fall transition options would be great and please no more sleeveless tops for now. Check out my pinterest page!”

So, did I end up with anything to wear for our upcoming weekend?

Check out the FASHION SHOW and YOU be the judge!

Item #1: Olive & Oak Mulliken Raglan Striped Knit Shirt – $48
I have been dying for an awesome mixed-stripe shirt! Remember how sad I was when I had to send the sweater from last month’s Fix back?! I’ve had a couple striped tops on my Pinterest board FOREVER and recently pinned this exact shirt, so I was super excited to get it in my Fix.

This shirt is SO incredibly soft – putting it on is like slipping into a well-worn pajama top. The colors are so pretty and there is even a band of burgundy around the neckline. I styled it for two kinds of date’s with my hubby. The first would be a normal dinner out with Jack – my distressed jeans (Stitch Fix) and my green chucks make this outfit cute, but also appropriate for toddler wrangling. The second look is something that I could wear this weekend – pretty sparkly necklace (J.Crew) my grey skinny jeans (Kate Spade) and a pair of leopard print heels (Target).

My only issue with striped tops (and this could totally be a me being crazy thing) is that when you have a larger chest it kind of drives me crazy keeping the stripes straight across so that they don’t get all wonky and look weird. Also, um… do the stripes make me look kinda chubby? I haven’t been doing so well with my diet and I’m up a couple pounds… which all seem to have found my tummy.

Keep or Return? I’m leaning towards buying it. What do you think?

Item #2: Gilli Kary Drape Front Knit Dress – $64
I HAVE been on quite a dress kick lately and love one that is comfortable, but work appropriate. When I first saw this one, I thought the cobalt blue color was beautiful and would transition well to winter with some black tights and a sweater.

My stylist recommended I wear it with my quilted faux leather jacket from my last Fix and I really like that she thought about what was already in my closet when sending it. For each picture I’m wearing a statement necklace (J.Crew) and sassy leopard heels (Target). Unfortunately I’m not a fan of knit dresses, because they cling in all the wrong places. You can’t tell in the pictures, but I’m totally sucking my stomach in so hard that I was in danger of passing out. Also, if I turn to the side, the high waist makes me look like I could be wearing a maternity dress.

I styled this one for a date night, with and without the jacket. I have to admit, it does look pretty cute in the pictures and I could probably make it work with some hardcore spanx underneath.

Keep or Return? As much as I love the color, I’m going to have to pass on this one. While it’s okay to break out the confining undergarments on an as-needed basis, the last thing I want on our anniversary weekend is to feel totally uncomfortable the entire time.

Item #3: Mystree Maiya Canvas Jacket – $88
Now this jacket is something I would never even pick up in a store to try on, but the mix of materials is really cool and interesting. My stylist recommended that I try the jacket with the two tops she sent, so that is exactly what I did. For the first two looks, I’m wearing my distressed jeans (Stitch Fix) and a pair of grey boots (9 West). For the third look, I’m wearing a pair of Kut from the Kloth bootcut jeans that I recently picked up at Nordstrom Rack. I never even heard of that brand before I started getting Fixes and now I’m in love with their jeans!

This jacket feels like a super comfortable sweater when it’s on and I was super tempted to add it to my coat collection. However, it is too similar to the Mystree Skylar Asymmetrical Jacket I received in July. Even though fall is my absolute favorite and I’m a sucker for a cute jacket, winter is coming soon and I don’t really need another lightweight option.

Keep or return? I really like this jacket, but it’s too similar to one I already own.

Item #4: 41Hawthorn Mission Abstract Dot Print Blouse – $68
Speaking of loving fall, this shirt is like fall exploded all over it… in a good way! I love the rust and orange colors – it reminds me of a tree changing color. The fit is okay, maybe a little tight in the bust if I move around in weird positions. The neckline is pretty though, kind of like a curved v-neck. For the first styling, I’m wearing a date night outfit of skinny jeans (Kut from the Kloth) and wedges (Toms). For the second look, I’m all set for the office in a navy pencil skirt (Banana Republic), canvas blazer (Anthropologie) and heels (DSW). My only question is… is it TOO fall? I’m on the fence with this one.

Keep or return? I really like the colors of this top, but I’m not 100% loving the fit on me. I’m looking to you guys to tell me what you think!

Item #5: Toma Floral Print Short-Sleeve Blouse – $44
Oh my gosh, I’m in LOVE with this shirt. It is that magical mixture of floral and fall/winter appropriate. Its short sleeved, but would look fantastic under a cardigan or blazer too. The fit is great and there is no pulling at all on the chest area or arms. There is even a cute little tab-sleeve detail that I love (you can see it on the close up picture at the top of this post).

I love this shirt so much that I styled it three different ways. First, if the weather is nice I would absolutely wear this walking around Baltimore for our anniversary weekend – bootcut jeans (Kut from the Kloth) and that pair of leopard heels (Target) that keeps showing up. I’ll probably bring flatter shoes if we will be doing a lot of walking through. For the other two looks, I could wear either of these to the office. The middle look has a long necklace (Wantable) and a cranberry colored pencil skirt (Banana Republic). The last look has my swing skirt from a previous Fix (Stitch Fix), the same necklace and a colorful belt (Banana Republic).

Keep or return? I’m pretty much making googly eyes at this shirt, so I’m going to have to buy it!

Help me!
Now it’s time for you to chime in and tell me what I should buy! I’m leaning towards buying the striped shirt and the floral shirt. I’m undecided about the fall blouse and I’m passing on the jacket and the dress. I’d love to hear your feedback, so please leave me some comments below and tell me what you think!

Also, I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to the person who used my referral code a couple days ago. Because you were so nice as to use my code when signing up for your own Stitch Fix, I received $25 in my account. So anything I purchase will be $25 less. Thank you!

10/16/14 Update: Thank you ALL for your feedback! I appreciate each and every comment that you guys take the time to leave! After much deliberation I decided to JUST buy what I love… so I bought the floral top. The fit was perfect, I can imagine it with lots of different outfits and {best of all} I’m already planning when I can wear it! Stay tuned for my next Fix… I have it scheduled to arrive Thanksgiving week!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction!

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!

My New Favorite Lip Color Product EVER

I’m not really a lipstick person.

I mean, I love the look of lipstick in photographs, but in real life I’m more of a Chapstick or Carmex kinda girl. I’ve actually been known to wake up in the middle of the night, slop some Carmex on my lips and then go back to sleep. I’m kinda hardcore like that.

I did find one lipstick I really liked at Sephora last year and whenever I remember, I put it on before taking pictures. Usually, the moment I’m done I wipe it back off. I just like the FEEL of lip balm over lipstick. I’ve been looking for something that I could actually wear all day and I think I finally found it!

I was perusing through Walgreens the other day and came across these Maybelline SuperStay 24 2-Step color lipsticks:

In theory, they sounded like EXACTLY what I was looking for. You put the color on, let it dry and then it stays on all day through lip gloss applications. In fact, the stick had the color on one end and the lip gloss on another.

I grabbed up a few colors and raced home to play with them. Actually, I also grabbed a package of candy corn because it’s mandatory when doing a fall Walgreens stop.

Here’s the color I was trying to match, it’s called Sephora Rouge Shine No 33.

According to the directions, you must first make sure your lips are totally dry when you start. Since I’m always wearing Chapstick, I just wiped it off really well with a tissue. Fine, who am I kidding… a piece of toilet paper.

Then…

Use the applicator to draw on your lipstick. Pay extra attention to the lines of your lips, because you don’t want to make mistakes and give yourself crooked lips. That would be weird. Wait 2 minutes for the lipstick to dry, then swipe on the lip gloss. It’s okay if the color looks a bit uneven before you apply the lip gloss, because the shine smooths it all out.

That’s it. The lip color is sticking around ALL DAY. Even if you don’t use the included lip gloss and use Carmex instead. Even if you eat. And kiss your toddler. And drink. And eat some more. It doesn’t budge! And it doesn’t taste yucky because you can use your own gloss over it!

So you may be asking yourself, “HOW do you get it off?!” Well, makeup remover. And not every makeup remover will do it. I tried my normal Almay eye make-up pads and it didn’t do a thing. Luckily, I had some of Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover sitting around, because it took it off with just a swipe or two. My lips felt kind of greasy afterwards, so I used some hand soap to wash them off and then lathered up on the Carmex to re-moisturize.

Here’s my try at all three of the colors. What do you think?

The top red is super saucy, but my husband hated it. He then tried to back-peddle and say that maybe it was just that it didn’t ‘go’ with the shirt I was wearing (it was navy blue… so he’s totally wrong!), but I think he’s just not a fan of bright lip color. The second color is the one I’ve been wearing lately on instagram and at my friend’s wedding. The third one is much more subtle and makes for a great work look. Or, you know, a non-threatening look for the husband to get used to!

What do you think, is the red too scary? If you had to pick one, which would be your favorite? Do you have a makeup product you’re obsessed with? If so, share it in the comments so we can all try it!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I purchased the lip color with my own money and was not compensated for writing about it. I didn’t even include any Amazon affiliate links for ANY of the products mentioned because I want you guys to know that this is NOT a paid commercial of any kind, I just LOVE these lip colors!

Reviewing eShakti: A Dress Made Just for Me

{This is not a sponsored post. eShakti is not paying me to say nice things about the company. I don’t actually accept money from anyone with the instructions that I have to say nice things about them. eShakti provided me with a dress of my choice for review purposes – whether my experience is good or bad. All thoughts and opinions are my own}

I am not a mannequin.

I never really know what size I am when I go into a store and typically will try on two sizes of the same item to try and figure it out. Sometimes three sizes. And I might not even find one that fits properly.

Does this sound familiar?
Like, pretty much EVERY lady out there has the same issue, right?

Which makes me kinda mad… because if EVERYONE has issues with clothing sizes WHO are they supposed to fit?

So, when a nice person at eShakti reached out to me, I was intrigued. Using their website, you can customize your clothes to your size and style. And for my Canadian friends, they ship to the US AND Canada.

Let’s say you see a dress you like, but aren’t a fan of the neckline? Well, you can switch it out to a different option. Maybe you need something more modest than a miniskirt shown on a design you otherwise love… you can pick to have it made into a longer skirt!

The best part though is the sizing. For those who just want a standard size, eShakti offers everything in sizes 0-36W. However, you can customize any piece to your specific size and shape by giving them your measurements! It only costs $7.50 to customize, but for your first order it’s free.

I had a really hard time narrowing down the dress options, so once I got it down to three I asked my Facebook friends which one I should get.

The one in the middle, the Colorblock Graphic Print Poplin dress ($79.95), was the clear winner. It looked like something that was totally my style, but like NOTHING else already in my closet. Normally I would just pick a size and cross my fingers that it would fit when it arrived, but this time I decided to make sure. I used eShakti’s instructions for how to measure myself and added each of my measurements into the customization form. In addition to giving them my personal measurements, I also had them shorten the dress to knee-length since a calf-length skirt is not very flattering on me.

I was hopeful, but a bit apprehensive about the order. I had googled eShakti blogger reviews at some point after I placed my order and come up with a mixed bag of experiences. I figured since the company was giving me a dress for free to review, at least I wasn’t losing anything. I know you guys expect fully HONEST reviews from me (as you should), so I knew I’d have something to write about… even if I hated the dress!

When I heard the delivery man at my front door, I bounded down the stairs and threw the door open like I was expecting the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol! {Is that still a thing?} Luckily the driver had returned to his truck so quickly, otherwise he may have been frightened by a crazy-haired, pajama-wearing lady with coffee on her shirt and cookie butter smeared across her face. {It’s been a difficult week. Okay?!}

I was in no shape for pictures at that moment, but I did Instagram it. Check it out, instead of a size tag it says ‘Custom’ because it’s exactly JOULES-sized!

Well, it took a couple days but I finally have a fashion show for you:

For the first styling I just let the dress shine all by itself with no jewelry and just a pair of simple black wedges (Adrianne Vitadini). And um… do you see that thing that gets every lady’s heart excited? POCKETS! Man, do I love a dress with pockets!

The fit is PERFECT. There is not an extra bit of fabric anywhere – it fits my bust, my waist and my hips with no room to spare. Just the fact that it fits all three is pretty much amazing for me. Typically, I will have to have a little extra room at the waist in order to get the bust to fit correctly.

For this picture I added on my favorite bright yellow necklace to add some color (found on etsy). Even though apparently bubble necklaces aren’t cool anymore, I don’t care because it makes me happy. I also threw on my pair of gold heels (Loft) that I’ve nicknamed my “Wonder Woman Heels” because I feel like I can kick some butt in them. And be sexy too. And yes, the fact that the skirt is flipped up on the side is driving me nutty.

This is probably what I’m going to end up wearing for my friend’s wedding this weekend. It’s super cute, comfortable for the 1+ hour drive to get there and has a fun skirt to twirl around on the dance floor.

Here’s my ‘work’ look. I toned it down a bit with a black cardigan (Banana Republic), but kept the hourglass shape by buttoning just the middle buttons. I also added a pair of beaded hoop earrings (Sasa Designs by the Deaf), a bright green bracelet (World Market) and my favorite gladiator wedges (Franco Sarto). Oh and my hair went up in a messy bun, because I’m ready for WORK people. WORK IT!

Just kidding. My hair went up because I got all sweaty running up and down the stairs getting the accessories for the pictures.

Here are my pros:
I’m in love with this dress. I’ve never had a dress that has fit me so perfectly and this one fits me like a glove. When I saw on the website that your order would be delivered within 14 days I was a bit skeptical that I’d get a great quality dress made to my custom measurements, but that is EXACTLY what I got. The best part is that because I customized the dress to fit my style, I know I’ll be the only one at the wedding wearing it. Not like when I find a great skirt at Loft and then see it on three of my friends {true story}.

Here are my cons:
There are only a couple things that I don’t really like about the dress. First, the zipper is on the left side of the bodice, so it is really awkward to zip it up and I’m kind of terrified that I may get a chunk of my skin caught in there if I zip too quickly. I’d much prefer a back zipper, even if I might need help to get it zipped up. The other thing that bothers me is that I requested knee-length and it’s just a smidge too long. I think it would be better if it were an inch or two shorter, but it’s not enough to make me dislike the dress.

eShakti is supposed to send me a special reader promo code for you all, but I haven’t gotten it yet and really wanted to get this post up. As soon as it comes through, I’ll add it for you all. If you visit their website, they are actually offering a $25 gift coupon for any new customers… so you might want to check it out!

Do you have trouble finding dresses that fit your figure? Have you ever tried eShakti? Do you also get a little giddy when you realize your skirt or dress has pockets?

10/3/14 Update: I now have a super awesome coupon code created exclusively for my readers! Use pocketfulofjoules to get 10% off when you shop at eShakti between 10/3/2014 – 11/3/2014. Enter the code in the promotional code box upon checkout (it’s not case-sensitive) and it can be used any number of times until it expires. It can also be combined with ANY other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order (unless explicitly specified), so you can use it with their $25 gift coupon for new customers! (The code is not applicable on previous purchases. The code is also not applicable on clearance/sale, gift cards and overstock categories). Happy shopping!!

{Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. eShakti provided me with a dress of my choice for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own}