Long jacket proportions

When I found this navy H&M fitted jacket on sale for $25 with further discounts with coupon codes (from $49.95), I snatched it up without a thought (thanks to my recent obsession with gold buttons).  The smallest size available at the time was size 4. I was happy that the shoulder width and sleeves length were just right, but the overall back-length felt too long. Thus, I decided to see if I can make a long jacket length work for my short frame...

Knee-length dress too dumpy.

Mid-thigh skirt is better. 

High-waisted shorts is the winner!

Then it got me thinking about how relevant "high-waisted" shorts is going to stay in fashion? It's not always comfortable to wear high-waisted bottoms all the time. Thus, I decided to test the top verses shorts waist placement...does it matter?

Ah, yes it does! If you close one eye and look at my photos from afar, it appears my high-waist shorts give the illusion of longer legs, thus more flattering proportion for my body type. I guess I better stock up on more high-waisted bottoms before they go out of style, haha!

A to Z

I'm starting to dig this heavily advertised show on NBC, called A to Z. Really cute characters and light-fuzzy romantic comedy style (reminiscent of Amelie or Pushing Daisies format). The main girl character, starring Cristin Milioti, is a fellow petite 5' 2" actress, who has a modern-day Audrey Hepburn vibe going on. Already loving the trench coat and little black dress she wore in the first episode! I'll be looking forward to seeing what she wears for the rest of the season, especially her lawyer outfits :)

Fall blazer for Spring

I recently found a houndstooth blazer on the clearance rack for $20 at my local H&M. On further inspection, I think this might be the same suit pieces as seen on Alterations Needed, Extra Petite, and Stylish Petite back in 2011! Kind of weird how it made its way to my local store now in 2013. However, my blazer doesn't have the elbow patches or the polka-dot lined inside pocket, so maybe this is a different renewal edition. Sometimes I forget that Kelly, Jean, and Annie are indeed tiny petites in their size 2's. I felt this H&M sizing definitely ran small. I had to take the jacket in size 4, with sleeves shortened (another $20 in alteration cost), and the skirt in size 6!

I was sort of bummed that I would have to store away the brown houndstooth blazer in the back of my closet to wait till Fall to wear it.....until my eyes landed upon page 135 of the March 2013 J.Crew Style Guide....men's section again....

.....granted it's a lightweight silk-linen jacket being advertised here, it gives off the same effect as a houndstooth jacket from this Fall 2012 J.Crew catalog clipping:

Both can pass as Spring looks, no?

Lastly, I was excited about the "real" chest pocket on my blazer. I don't own any handkerchiefs or pocket-squares, but I do have several handmade hair scrunchies lying around. Making scrunchies out of scrap fabric use to be my hobby back in junior high school, haha. Although scrunchies are out-of-style for a long time, who knew they'll come in handy now...

....and still useful in tying the hair back when they go awry.

Maybe I should pick up this hobby again!

Sequins

I blame it on those sequined ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz for turning me into a little girl attracted to all things glittery...and the sparkly love affair continues as an adult!

Of course, being older and wiser, I've been trying to only add "neutral" sequined items in my wardrobe. Sequins are most wearable in black, pewter, muted gold, silver grey, blush, dusty lilac, and ivory in my opinion. The most memorable sparkly items from my favorite fashion bloggers include: I am Khatu's shorts, Extra Petite's skirt, Dress Up Files' dress, Confessions of a Call Center Gal's top, and maybe Classy Girls Wear Pearls glittery heels. 

So my recent sequin purchase was this Forever21 Sequined Sheer Back Top. I'm still debating if it's a keeper or not due to loose fit. Perhaps I can pull it off...

 Sequined Sheer Back Top

$19.80

Size Small - Gunmetal

The sequin top would be great for holiday parties, girls-night-out, or in my case...dancing Xbox 360 Kinect Michael Jackson style in my brother's gaming room (by myself, haha).

Also, here's some old magazine/catalog clippings I saved in my personal scrapbook, reminding me how timeless sequins are...

ASOS Lucky Ballet Flats review

I love the gold Velda Loafers I reviewed previously, but the Anthropologie price was quite hefty, making me ponder if I should opt for cheaper metallic shoes. Thus, I decided to give these ASOS Lucky Ballet Flats in rose metallic a try. My reasoning was if they turned out better, then I would return the expensive Velda, and be happy with these more affordable $22 flats. Here's how they turned out:

I ordered size US 5, because ASOS shoes tend to run big in my experience. Unfortunately, my sizing assumption was a little off this time. My feet are a true size 6, but these flats fit like a size 5.5...so it is a bit too snug and pinchy for my feet. The pointy-toe also contributed to the pinching, especially with vigorous walking. Thus I recommend ordering your true size, if you are interested in these. The polyurethane material doesn't seem like it would stretch much over time as with genuine leather. 

On the positive side, the rose-gold color is so pretty! Here's how it compares to my Velda Loafers:

The ASOS Lucky ballet flats definitely look daintier. The polyurethane material is a lot lighter in weight than the leather Velda loafers, yet it seems sturdier...the pebbled metallic material seems like it'll last longer than the gold-paint-on-leather of the Velda (which I'm sure will scratch and rub-off over time).

The ASOS Lucky flats have good padding at the ball of the feet...but I do wish the heel was more padded, or maybe have a more elevated heel for better comfort. I've been wearing heels most of my life, so shoes that are too flat are uncomfortable for me.

The rubber sole is also very lightweight and flexible.

Aren't they pretty?

Overall, I'm convinced I need a pair of metallic shoes in my wardrobe.

Which shoe do you prefer: The Velda Loafers or ASOS Lucky Ballet Flats?