Talbots & Ann Taylor Try-On Sessions

Greetings gals! And welcome to Dressed for My Day. I’m so very pleased that you have stopped in. Today I’m simply sharing with you my recent fitting room sessions at Talbots and Ann Taylor. Actually I don’t have that much to show you from Ann Taylor. I was in a bit of a rush, and at the time nothing was marked down. But today is a different story.

Before we start the try-on session, let me share the lowdown on my sizing. I’m 5’8″ and weigh about 150 pounds. I generally wear small or medium tops, size 8 dresses, size 8 pants and size 6 or 8 jeans (29″). Sometimes, because my shoulders are slightly broad and my arms are a little long, I need a 10 in shirts, jackets and coats. Oh, and I’m 55 years old. And I like mushrooms and green peppers on my pizza. Hehehe!

Trying On at Talbots

Admittedly, most of the items I’m showing you are not reduced in price. However, now through May 27th you can get one full price item at Talbots 40% off with code SUMMER if you are a classic awards member. If you’re not a member, join! If you shop the markdowns, you’ll get 40% off one and 50% off two or more.

I’m going to keep my descriptions very brief. Just the facts, ma’am! And I’ll provide shopping links in the photo captions. Plus I’ll have a shopping widget at the end of the section.

I’m wearing an 8, so the dress fits true to size. This dress feels great on, moves with you nicely and would be sweet for a wedding or just Sunday church. It does not include a belt, but you could easily add one – maybe a white one – if you pleased.

Again, I’m wearing an 8 in this paisley sheath dress. It felt comfortable and I thought it looked nice on. But looking at this photo now I’m wondering if I should have tried a 6. So I think it fits a little roomy. But maybe not.

That said, I loved this dress. It feels fun for vacation or just going out to lunch with the gals. It’s perfect with metallic or colored sandals. Mine are from last year, but these gold ones are similar…sort of.

This lovely eyelet sheath dress also comes in bright yellow, muted red and pale blue. It’s 100% cotton and lined in a soft cotton as well. It felt amazing on. This one needed a little ironing, but I thought it was lovely. If I had needed it at all, this one would have come home with me. And I love the idea of the red or the blue, too.

However, once again I’m second guessing the sizing. This is my usual 8 and looks a little roomy. But the 6 might have been snug. Unfortunately, I’ll never know. I apologize for not trying some of these on in lower sizes to see. What do you gals think? I wouldn’t want this dress to be tight, but is it too big??

If you have a formal occasion that still calls for something cool and summery, this sweet dress could be the one. Also 100% cotton with polyester embroidery and a cotton lining, this dress is very cool and comfortable. And the clipped embroidery looks so elegant. It’s also available in magenta and white. I’m wearing an 8.

This is the dress that came home with me. So don’t be surprised if you see me style it in a future post. Love, love, love! This 8 fit beautifully…pleasantly snug at the waist but comfortable. This cinched shirtdress may look like it has black polka dots in the photo, but they are more navy in person. Such a classic!

I do have a bit of a special occasion to wear it to this summer. Not a fancy affair, but just an event for which I want to look especially pretty. This sweet dress fits the bill perfectly. I may top it with my white linen jacket or I may find a pretty cardigan to carry. Oh, and it’s 100% cotton with a soft cotton lining. Supposedly you can machine wash and machine dry it, but I will not dry it in the drier.

Oh my word! I apologize for the blurry photo. But I did want you to see this darling casual cotton/polyester/spandex blend shift dress. My daughter owns this one and wears it often with her denim jacket. Cute!! And so comfortable. Perfect for travel. I’m wearing the small and it works well.

I’m wearing a small in this tie-back max dress and it fits nicely. The real beauty of this dress is the back, where it features a sweet little tie on the back. You’ll have to check it out on the Talbots website; I couldn’t get a good shot of it. It’s comfy and perfect for vacation or dinner out.

Once again, this knit jersey maxi dress may look black, but it is in fact navy. It’s made of a pleasantly thick jersey knit, so there’s no problem with it being see-through. I’m wearing a small and it fits nicely.

This is my final dress. Whew! Another knit jersey maxi dress, this one is 58% Cotton, 38% Modal, 4% Spandex. It’s extremely comfortable and easy to wear. I’m wearing a small. It’s a tad snug in the bodice, but I’d still probably go with this size.

This is the outfit that kinda surprised me. I only tried it on out of curiosity. But I happen to love these red denim pedal pushers. I won’t be wearing them to church or such, but I’ll enjoy them for just everyday wear. They are extremely comfortable. Often pants like this feel tight on my hefty calves, but these feel comfortable in that area, too. I’m wearing an 8, while I normally wear a 6 in Talbots jeans. Honestly, I didn’t even try on the 6s. I think these pedal pushers will be a nice option for when I just don’t want to wear shorts.

I’m wearing a small in the embroidered slub tee and it fits true to size. It’s comfortable, lightweight and versatile.

For lack of anything else in my fitting room to pair with these chino shorts, I’m wearing the same top. The white chino shorts fit nicely, true to size. I’m wearing an 8. The cotton is soft and reasonably thick. With a little spandex, they have a nice stretch. The missy size has a 7″ inseam and the petite size has a 6″ inseam.

These are the same girlfriend chino shorts in lavender. I really love these, especially with this navy slub tee. They run true to size.

I don’t normally wear Bermuda length shorts very often, but I thought I’d try them on for kicks. And I actually like these Bermuda gingham print shorts. They’re very comfortable in my usual size 8. Wouldn’t they be cute with this pink sleeveless shirt and my white linen blazer?

I keep thinking I’m going to buy some linen pants. I think they look so classy on other women. But I never feel quite right in them. Anyhow, these washed linen wide-leg pants feel great on. They are lightweight and soft. I’m wearing the 8 and they fit nicely. Also, remember I’m 5’8″ and they fall just about 1″ above the floor with my flats on.

I paired the wide leg pants with a sleeveless linen shell. It’s pretty long, but I like it best tucked in a little with these pants. The shell also comes in navy. I’m wearing a small.

Well, that’s it for Talbots. I wish the sale were a little better. A few of the items I’ve mentioned or shown you above are reduced, but most are still full price. Remember, if you’re a classic awards member you can get one full price item 40% off with code SUMMER.

You can check out my Shop My Talbots Favorites page for more selection.

Trying On at Ann Taylor

Now Ann Taylor is a different story. They’re giving you 40% off your purchase with code SUMMERTIME through May 25th. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try on much there.

You may have already seen me wear these gingham metro shorts in black. I love them. And I really like the red, so I ordered them for pick up at the store. Did you know you can do that at Ann Taylor? Yep, so you don’t have to pay shipping that way, but you can get what you want. Anyhow, when I went to pick them up I decided to try them on first. The 8 fit great as expected. But in the end I just couldn’t justify having both the red and black gingham shorts. So sad.

The red shorts are marked down more than the black, so that’s something to consider. But with either, you get another 40% off the list price.

The red gingham shorts look great with this striped scoop neck tee and it’s marked wayyyy down. This very comfortable top is just $19.99 and you get to take off another 40%. I’m wearing the small and it fits true to size.

Yes, because I don’t know when enough is enough, I also ordered the red gingham cropped pants. Ha! I didn’t come home with them either. But I’m wishing I had. I’m wearing the 8 in the modern fit and they work nicely. Lots of stretch and a nice weight.

Finally, I did pick up a pair of the white metro shorts to try, too. I don’t know why since I already own the black ones (as seen in this post), so I knew they fit.

But what I really love here is this bollywood pink linen elbow sleeve tee. It’s so very lightweight and soft. And the photo doesn’t do the color justice. It’s such a nice cherry red. I’m wearing a small. It’s also available in a nice green and navy.

I  added a few other personal favorites to the shopping widget below.

Don’t forget to use code SUMMERTIME at Ann Taylor. Let me know if you have any questions about the items I’ve shown here. Happy shopping!

Blessed for My Day

I can, but should I? That’s a question I ask myself pretty often, surprisingly. As believers in Christ we have great freedom. Our relationship with God does not hinge on us abiding within a set of laws or constraints.

But I have a responsibility to my fellow believers to live a life that not only expresses freedom, but also shows love and respect to others. I want my choices to spur others on to godliness. I want my actions to reflect a gracious concern for the welfare of others. And I want my words to cause no one to stumble. How can we most lovingly serve those around us today with the choices we make?

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ~ Galatians 5:13