GAP broken-in straight surplus pants review

GAP Broken-in Straight Surplus Khakis

Dark green size 0P (current sale $34.99)

I'm in a "pants-wearing" phase lately and am on the lookout for more comfortable straight-leg styles (yes, I'm tired of skinny hugging pants now). I had thrown out my old skinny olive cargo pants that gave me gas problems from the tightness and was needing a replacement. Since I had a positive experience with "GAP broken-in khakis" in the past, I decided to give this year's version a try.

Sizing: I stuck to my 0 petite size and the length is perfect for me at 26" inseam (the side and back-view pics above shows the full unrolled length). The waist is a bit loose (~14.5" measured across laying flat) and low-rise, but works fine with a belt. The hip and thigh area are on the baggy side, so will be better for those with more curves.

Quality: I already washed these pants in the regular washer and dryer and they do not shrink. The fabric is thick and sturdy (almost feels like winter pants) with a soft velvety touch on the outer.

Overall: I decided to keep these because I love the dark green color and they are comfortable and great for casual "I don't care" outfits.

What kind of pants are you into lately?

The man in me

I don't know what is in me lately, but I'm attracted to the way men's clothing are layered. Again, in the J.Crew December 2012 catalog, I kept flipping back towards the men's section for outfit ideas.

Other looks from the J.Crew men's section I'm loving:

from page 105

from page 120

Makes me wonder if women styled these men, or I'm turning masculine, haha.

Other inspirations:....I found these guest judges from Project Runway All Stars Season 2 Episode 3,  Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra to be adorable!

Fashionable lumberjacks, layering with plaid and checks is wonderfully perfect for this time of the year. But it looks like these guys always look like this though...who knew they design such pretty women clothing (http://www.costellotagliapietra.com)!

Racing red LOFT tee review

A random UK Harper's Bazaar August 2012 issue just happened to pass by me today. All I took away from this editorial is that "RED" is on trend. Yay! One of my favorite colors to wear.

Now to the more practical version of red. I purchased this Ann Taylor LOFT Slub Cotton Origami Pleated Neck Tee (on sale for ~$17, cheaper in-store I believe) in Racing Red. Thought I'd do a quick review here:

This is how the regular size XS fits on my petite 5'1" 99lb frame

The color is a super bright tomato red in person. 

This slub tee material is on the thinner side. I noticed the white tee in-store was see-through. But the other colors are fine. Since the red is so vivid, there's no issues with bra-showing. However, beware of the stitching at the hem underneath....some of the threads are loose....so I had to re-sew some to prevent them coming undone in the wash.

Overall, this is a casual top that I can wear to work or for play, and is breezy and comfortable for the remaining sweltering hot days. I also like the long length so that I can tuck under skirts and shorts. Here's how I styled it with my Forever 21 paperbag-waist shorts and H&M sandals:

Are you loving the red-trend or the maroon/berry-trend this coming Fall?

 ***

Ooh, I also like this look (kind of eighties-ish star-trek?):