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Three bottles of nail polish by Londontown lay flat on a light-colored wood table.

Nail Polish Review: Londontown Lakur & Instant Smudge Fix

Published by welcomeobjects

I’m not a beauty blogger, but I do enjoy nail polish, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on some new (to me) products I tried from Londontown USA.

Most of the nail polish that I’ve purchased over the years have been Essie or OPI. Those were the brands I saw in salons and they were easily obtainable at Target and drug stores. I wanted polish that was cruelty-free and 3-free, meaning that they didn’t have the “toxic trio” of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, and toluene. Both brands met these criteria.

However, earlier this year I learned that Essie and OPI, owned by L’Oreal and Coty, respectively, had both entered the Chinese market. China requires cosmetics companies to submit to animal testing, which meant that these brands were no longer cruelty-free. While I didn’t throw out my nail polish (that would be wasteful), I vowed to stop buying these brands and to find new ones.

I checked out Cruelty-Free Kitty’s nail polish list and other blogs. Somewhere along the way, I heard about Londontown. This brand is not only cruelty-free, but 9-free, which means in addition to the “toxic trio,” its products are also free of formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, parabens, and acetone. (For a skeptical take, read this piece by a Refinery 29 writer who asks if 9-free is a gimmick).

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Londontown’s origin story centers on a family botanical formula called Florium Complex. It’s in every product and supposed to improve the quality of your nails and manicure. Here’s what I tried:

  • Lakur Nail color (Lady Luck)
  • Kur Protective Top Coat
  • Kur Instant Smudge Fix
londontown nail polish review

Londontown Kur Protective Top Coat – $18, Kur Instant Smudge Fix – $14, Lakur in Lady Luck – $16, Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat

Application

Here’s how I tested them. I cleaned my nails as I normally would with rubbing alcohol and applied an Essie base coat. (Hey, I have half the bottle left to go.)

I then applied two layers of Lady Luck, which went on pretty opaque. It wasn’t streaky as some nail polish can annoying be.

londontown nail polish review

I’m pretty average at doing my nails. I have graduated from applying light colors only, and will attempt bolder colors. But, results vary. Often, I fuck up a nail with a smudge or dent and have to start over on it.

londontown nail polish review

But that’s what the Instant Smudge Fix is for so, I gave it a try.

Dear reader, it worked. I was amazed.

Here’s what you do: While the smudge is fresh, brush over it several times with Instant Smudge Fix and watch it melt away. It’s as magical as it sounds.

If you have a very deep dent, it may not work as well. But in this test (and other applications later), it worked!

londontown nail polish review

Here’s a before and after photo. See, the dent is gone!

The nail color dried relatively quickly — I wouldn’t say super quick, but respectably quick, and had a glossy finish. The Protective Top Coat (one coat) made it even glossier. Prior to the Londontown top coat, I used Essie’s Gel Setter top coat. They’re similar in glossy level, but I feel like the Londontown one dried faster, though I can’t be sure.

Results

Here’s my fresh manicure. (Don’t look too close; I’m still practicing.)

londontown nail polish review

Around the fourth day, it started to chip around the edges of my index finger.

By the seventh day, it looked like this:

londontown nail polish review

That’s pretty good for me. Usually, my manicures are destroyed within a week. This lasted longer than the usual home manicure and about the same length of time as a salon manicure. Considering that I have middling nail-painting skills and applied the coats thicker than they should have been, this is actually pretty great. Maybe it would have lasted even longer if I used all Londontown products, including the base coat.

Though this brand is pricey (a regular nail color goes for $16), I think it’s worth it. It’s made in the USA too. I’m currently coveting this mauve color and curious about their Kur Gel Genius Top Coat. I’ve found Londontown to be the highest-quality, longest-lasting nail polish out of all the brands I’ve tried (not that I’ve tried a lot, but I’ve sampled about 7 to 8 brands).

A pair of mustard colored suede Everlane V heels lay on a blue and white rug.

Vintage Vibes: The Everlane V Heel

Published by welcomeobjects

When I saw promo photos of the Everlane V Heel, I have to say, I felt kind of giddy. As much as I love Everlane, I don’t own any of their shoes. They’ve never worked out for me. The Street Shoe? Too narrow. The Modern Point Flat and Editor Heel? Uncomfortable. The Day Heel got close. It was the first Everlane shoe that felt comfortable on. But I didn’t love the way it looked.

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I very much love the way the V Heel looks though, with its sexy V-cut vamp and almond toe. (Pointed but not too pointy.) It’s got a vintage vibe that I adore.

And it looks like it has the same stable block heel as the Day Heel, which means that it might be comfortable too. We’re lucky to have an Everlane store here in San Francisco, so I stopped by to investigate.

The V Heel is only available in suede and it comes in four colors: black, mustard, light blue, and light pink. I’d love to see Everlane make this shoe in regular leather too. It has a 1.5″ heel, which is half an inch shorter than the Day Heel.

Everlane V Heel as seen worn from above and reflected in a mirror

I tried on a pair of these Italian-made babies and damn, if it didn’t transform my wide-ish, not particularly attractive platypus feet into lovely, dainty feet.

You might be wondering how the V Heel compares to the V Slingback, a flat which Everlane released earlier this year. The vamp and almond toe are pretty much the same. (Looks like they’re made in the same Santa Maria a Monte factory in Italy as the slingbacks.) Slingbacks are not really my thing, though. (I don’t really like the look of slingbacks, plus they rarely stay put on my feet.)

In the V Heel, I tried my usual size and a half size up and they fit true to size. Even with my wide-ish feet, I felt my usual size fit best. It was tight in the toe box, but will probably stretch. I walked around a bit and … my feet didn’t hurt. They felt fine. The footbed feels more cushioned than the slingback version (though I wouldn’t describe it as particularly cushioned, if that makes sense) and the heel is very walkable. To me, it felt more comfortable than the Day Heel — and without the pesky elasticized back.

Could this possibly be true? Has Everlane finally made a pair of shoes that work for me? Hooray!

Even though I’m in love with this shoe, I didn’t buy these right there on the spot because well, I’ve made a rule for myself. In my ongoing attempt to buy less, back away from fast fashion, and be a better consumer, I now make myself go home and really think something over for a while before I buy it. (One exception to the rule is if I’m shopping at a place like Nordstrom Rack where there’s only one of an item and you have to snag it before someone else does. But even then, I think it over when I take the item home.)

Also, I already own quite a few shoes, so I told myself I had to take a shoe inventory first.

I have a feeling that I will be buying a pair though. (When I do, I will update this review.) What color should I get? Decisions, decisions.

UPDATE 10/14/18 — Well, I spent a few weeks thinking it over, decided that I still liked the V Heel, and felt that it would work well in my wardrobe, so I ordered the mustard. Shipping took a reasonable week or so.

A pair of yellow suede Everlane V Heels in a gray shoe box.

The shoes arrived with a sticker and plastic layer on the bottom to protect it. They’re ethically made in a 45-person factory in Santa Maria a Monte, Italy, where they also make the V Slingback and the new Boss Flat, Boss Mule, and Square Toe Slingback.

View of the bottom sole of an Everlanen shoe. There is sticker that says, "What is this? Your shoe is protected by this sticker to avoid scuffing during shipping. Please keep it on if you need to return the shoe. Otherwise, remove for wear and enjoy."

I put them on, and boy, they were tight, especially in the toebox — at least for my slightly wide feet. So the first thing I did was put shoe stretchers in them overnight. I have two kinds and prefer the wooden one on the left, similar to this stretcher, for the simplicity. The other kind has an additional piece to stretch the shoe length wise, but I never have that problem with shoes. They I sprayed a suede protector on them to protect them from stains.

Two suede mustard yellow-colored shoes with shoe stretchers in them

If you, like me, have wondered if suede protector actually does anything, the answer is yes, I think so. I was a bit nervous buying the mustard because I’m hard on my shoes and was afraid that I’d scuff them up badly. On a color like mustard yellow, that would show up easily.

Sure enough, I got a scuff within a few days of wearing them. I rubbed a little soapy water on the spot and poof, it went away! (I’m not sure if that’s what you’re supposed to do, but it worked for me. You can also remove dirt by gently brushing the shoe.) This is not definite proof, of course. I didn’t have a similar untreated shoe with the same scuff to test against, but I think the suede protector helped to make the scuff easier to remove.

Upon wearing the V Heel out for the first time post-stretching, they were still tight, though not as tight as when they first arrived. The first 30 minutes or so of wearing them, they were weirdly making my feet itch. (I think that was due to the tightness.) They also felt stiff, but they relaxed and loosened up a bit with wear.

I’ve been wearing them for about two weeks now. They did require some break in time. While they didn’t give me blisters, they came awfully close. One evening, when my feet were swollen as feet tend to be at the end of the day, I could feel my big toe on my left foot rubbing against the side. Luckily, I was close to home, so I averted a potential blister situation.

As public transit is my main mode of transit, I walk a fair amount. The heel height is quite walkable. I even ran half a block to catch a bus in them no problem. I love how they look and the yellow is surprisingly easy to wear with many colors. They look really cute with jeans and pants. They go with skirts and dresses too, but a version that was three-quarters of an inch to a full inch taller would be even better for that.

Some downsides: the sole on the V Heel is stiff (and makes a crisp clicking sound against the pavement) and that hasn’t really changed over time. It also doesn’t have great arch support, and I wonder if the stiffness of the sole has anything to do with that. This shoe is not an outlier for me in that way — lots of shoes feel like they lack arch support. So I’d say they’re average in that way. But if arch support is a big issue for you, these may not work for you. I added adhesive arch supports to them, but honestly, I don’t think it helps that much.

Still, I’m glad I got them. I really love the look. I’m able to wear them most of the day, though my arches are tired at the end of the day, so I wouldn’t wear them two days in a row. These would not be the shoes I’d pack for a week-long vacation where I had to walk a lot. But they’re a stylish option for a typical day around town and I find them fine for a light amount of walking.

I like them so much I might buy them in another color. Everlane probably won’t make these in an animal print — that’s not really their thing — but I’d love to see that.

View of shoe as worn from above. Shoe is against a black pavement with white paint lines.

If you find my reviews useful and are new to Everlane, please use my referral link to make your first purchase. (Create your account first before browsing.) Thanks! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

A model, a light skinned black woman, wears the everlane cotton tank dress in navy.

Weekend Wear: Everlane Cotton Tank Dress

Published by welcomeobjects

Today I’m reviewing a laid-back dress that’s perfect for weekend wear or vacation: the Everlane Cotton Tank Dress. As I wrote in my post about packing light for vacation, I love maxi dresses for their versatility and comfort when traveling. So I was glad to see that Everlane reprised their tank dress. (They’ve made a version of this dress in prior years.) It’s sweet and simple.

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Let’s pause here for a second to acknowledge that this model is not 5′ 10″ and stick thin like most Everlane models. I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen a model on their site who is 5′ 4″ — like me!

The dress is priced very reasonably at $25 for solid black or navy and $3 more for black and white stripes. It’s produced in this factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

A black and white striped tank dress from everlane folded into a rectangle.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress – Stripes – $28

As always, I debated which size to order. I am a dress size 4 and wear a small in Everlane’s Cotton V tee (reviewed here), but sometimes I go down a size. Once I even went down two sizes. So, I ordered both the XS and S.

A comparison of the Everlane tank dress in 2 sizes as modeled on someone and seen from the front.

Here’s a side-by-side comparisons of the sizes. I’m wearing XS on the left and the S on the right. As you can see, the S is a few inches longer.

A comparison of two everlane tank dresses in 2 different sizes, worn by the same person, and viewed from the side.

From the side, the S has more of a tent shape. I appreciate that this dress falls far enough away from the body that it doesn’t cling to you and show every bump. Me and my food baby are thankful.

A comparison of the Everlane tank dress in two sizes, worn on the same person, as seen from the back.

From the back they seem pretty similar, except again for the length. The dress has a relaxed fit. Both sizes feel comfortable, but the S was looser all around and seemed too big around the armholes for me. I decided to keep the XS. It’s slim in a size down, but not in a way that makes me feel self conscious.

Someone wrote in a review on the Everlane site that she uses her dress as sleepwear and I can see why. It’s super comfy. The fabric is 100% cotton and thin — but not too thin. It’s not as thin as the Everlane Cotton V Tee and it’s thick enough that you can wear regular undies, not seamless ones, with it. I like that the rounded neckline is low, but not too low that it shows cleavage. (Speaking of boobs, I found the fit across the chest fine, but if you’re busty, it will probably be too tight.)

There’s no slit on the dress, so I have to take smaller steps than I usually would in this dress. That doesn’t bother me too much; I don’t feel restricted by it. But I can see how someone could find that annoying. Overall, I’m pleased with the cut and the quality so far. Some people have said that their dress shrunk a bit when they tumble dried it. I’m a fan of hang drying most of my clothes and didn’t experience any shrinkage that way. (Hang drying or laying flat to dry saves energy and helps your clothes last longer.)

A womean wears the striped Everlane tank dress with a straw hat, a brown belt, and sandals.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress // The Flexx Sandals on sale // Uniqlo Braided Belt [similar on sale] // Hat [similar]

You can run out the door in it just the way it is with sneakers or sandals for a super casual look. But there’s so many ways to style this to elevate the look. I like accessorizing with a belt high on my waist to create the illusion of longer legs.

A woman wears an everlane tank dress in black and white stripes with a denim shirt and peeptoe sandals.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress // Uniqlo Chambray Shirt [similar ethical option] //  Baggu Circle Purse [review] // Target Polka Dot Wedges [similar]

I also think it’s cute with a denim jacket or a chambray shirt tied at the waist for those days you want an extra layer. This is such an easy dress to wear. No wonder it’s sold out in a few colors and sizes already!

If you find my reviews useful and are new to Everlane, please consider using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thank you! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

Flatlay of a dark blue puff sleeve sweater from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Review: Halogen Sweater & Tops

Published by welcomeobjects

My order from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale arrived, so here’s a quick update from my first post. It’s easy to get carried away with all the sale hype, but I am getting better at resisting! I think that’s the most important thing to remember when trying to shop sustainably. A few years ago, I would have ordered a bunch of stuff, and then I would have ended up not wearing a chunk of it. This time I ordered true wardrobe staples: a few tops and a sweater. I did end up putting one fanciful (to me) item in my cart, a leather fanny pack, which hasn’t arrived yet.

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Halogen Boatneck Cotton Top

Two boatneck tops laying on a surface. one is blue and the other has black and white stripes.

Halogen Boatneck Cotton Top – $24.90 (regularly $39), comes in petite and regular sizing

First up is this Halogen boatneck shirt. I originally saw a version of this shirt in a sweatshirt-like material in the store and ended up ordering the 100% cotton version online.

I’m wearing the XS petite here. (I’m a dress size 4 for reference.) It feels a bit big. While I love an elbow length sleeve, the sleeves seem too long.

For some reason the same shirt in the same size but in stripes made me look way wider. I should have sized down. The shirt is currently sold out, though. I’m sure they’ll restock it as people like me return their orders, but the sale might be over by then. (Prices go back up on August 6.)

The shape of the shirt reminds me of some of my recent Uniqlo collaboration purchases (like this Marimekko one and this Supergeometric one). Like the Uniqlo ones, the Halogen shirts are made out of a medium-weight cotton fabric that feels smooth. The Halogen ones are made in Vietnam, the Uniqlo ones in China.

Closeup of the split side of the Halogen boat neck top. It is lined in ribbon on the underside.

One difference is that the Halogen shirts have a split on each side, and the underside of each split is trimmed in thick ribbon. I prefer the Uniqlo shirts, though, for fit and price. I measured the Halogen tops and the Uniqlo ones and they’re both about 18″ across the chest in XS. This surprised me since the Halogen ones seem so much wider. This is proof that the cut makes all the difference!

At $15, the Uniqlo ones are $10 cheaper than the sale price of the Nordstrom ones. And it’s not like the Halogen ones are organic cotton or produced in an ethical factory. At the moment, Uniqlo doesn’t carry their boatneck tees in solid colors. I think I’ll wait and see if they make a similar tee with a boatneck.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater (and some thoughts on materials)

Stock photo of a model wearing a crew neck sweater with puff sleeves.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater – $45.90 (regularly $69), comes in petite and regular sizing

Next up, this puff sleeve sweater, also by Halogen, which comes in 10 colors and is still in stock.

They weren’t kidding about the puff sleeves. This is more drama than I’m used to, but I am into it. Again, I’m wearing the XS petite. The material is thin yet warm. It’s half merino wool and half acrylic, which sucks because acrylic is a synthetic fiber.

I know I’ve said this before, so please bear with me if you’ve heard this. Not only do synthetics take a lot of chemicals to make — though it’s true fabrics of all kinds involve chemicals in the process; cotton is guilty of this too — but washing synthetics pollutes our water and wildlife with tiny plastic fibers.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was still buying synthetics like the cute floral print dress in this post. I would think, “Oh, this is cute. It fits me. It’s in my price point,” so I’d buy it. Now that I know how horrible plastic is for the planet and how much of it there is, I’m trying to reduce my consumption.

But I’m not going to purge everything with synthetics out of my wardrobe because that seems wasteful. (It would also leave me with no bras or swim suits!) I try to steam clean my synthetic clothing instead of throwing them in the wash, but sometimes you have to throw things in the wash. I just learned that Patagonia sells a mesh bag called The Guppyfriend that’s supposed to catch microfibers. I’m going to try one out and will report back. [UPDATE: here’s my review of the Guppyfriend.]

Anyhow, this is all to say that now that I read clothing tags for fabric content, I realize synthetics are everywhere. They’re often blended with natural fibers, like this sweater.

Me, a woman with black hair, wearing a puff sleeve sweater and pencil skirt.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater // Uniqlo Below Knee Pencil Skirt [similar] // Vionic Ankle Boots [on sale in limited sizes, similar]

Ugh. I really like this sweater. Look how cute it is with a pencil skirt! I guess I could buy this cashmere one from Chloe instead. (Just kidding, I don’t have $800 to spend on a sweater.) Sigh. I’m torn. I want to keep this. It fits well, is cute, and in my budget. But I’m trying to have principals. Ha. Fall is coming, so I’m sure other brands will make puff sleeve sweaters too. Pssst, Everlane. I have an idea for you!

A woman wears brown wide leg trousers with a striped shirt.

Wearing Wide Leg Trousers When You’re Petite

Published by welcomeobjects

As I mentioned in a recent review of linen pants, I’ve been skeptical of wide leg pants on petites. I always doubted I could pull off the look. As a skinny jeans devotee, the farthest I’ve strayed is an occasional pair of joggers (such as in this review and this one). But sometimes, you don’t want your legs encased in close-fitting pants, especially in the summer. Wide legs convey effortless elegance and I wanted that look too. Could I wear them even though I’m not tall and willowy?

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On a recent trip to Target, I saw this mannequin’s outfit, which made me think I should give wide leg pants a try. My size was unavailable at that store, so I went home and jumped on my computer. That’s when I discovered that these pants, by Who What Wear, also come in olive green. Decisions, decisions.

Who am I kidding? I ordered both colors.

Who What Wear Wide Leg Tailored Crop Trouser // Uniqlo Palm Print Silk Shirt [similar] // Eileen Fisher heels (on sale!)

My first impression of the pants is that they seem surprisingly well made (they were made in China). They looked more expensive than the $32.99 price tag. The pants are 100% cotton, a medium weight, and while not stiff, they had some structure to them.

Who What Wear seems to run a tad smaller than other Target brands. My normal pants size fit, but I wouldn’t want to visit an all-you-can-eat buffet in these. They are a touch snug at the waist and the fabric doesn’t have any give, but one size up was definitely too loose. Described on the website as mid-rise, these trousers actually seemed high rise to me. I measured the rise and it’s about 12″ and they go up to my navel, even a little above it.

They held up well after a day out and about. Yes, they wrinkle a little bit. After all, they are cotton, but yay for cotton! (I’m trying to stop buying synthetic fabrics as they’re bad for the environment.)

Who What Wear Wide Leg Tailored Crop Trouser // Uniqlo Striped Boatneck Cotton Shirt [similar here, ethical version here] // Uniqlo Braided Belt [similar on sale] // Leopard Print Flats [similar]

Why These Wide Leg Pants Worked on Petite Me

  • The inseam was about 25″ and while the pants fall higher on the mannequin and the 5′ 10″ model, the length is not bad on 5′ 4″ me. I think the trick is that they fall just around my ankle bone.
  • The high waist gives the illusion of a longer leg.
  • Wearing a shoe that exposes the top of your foot also helps — anything to elongate the leg!

I’m pleasantly surprised that these work on me. A petite person can wear wide leg pants after all!

If you’re interested in these cropped trousers, I’d snag them while you can. At the time of this post, the olive is available, but the brown is already running out of sizes. They seem like a good wardrobe staple that you can easily build outfits around.

P.S. How ethical is Target? Looks like they are taking it seriously.

A collage of items from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, including 2 shoes, 1 bag, 2 coats, and 1 top.

2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

Published by welcomeobjects

It’s that time of the year for the hugely popular Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. The Anniversary Sale always tests my resolve to cut back on shopping because, well, sale! And it’s a decent sale too, with things usually marked down to a third off. I’m trying to wear the things that I already have more and shop less. And if I do buy something, I try to make sure it’s something I’ll get a lot of wear out of. So far this year, I’m doing pretty good (for me). I’ve only bought 16 articles of clothing, not counting undergarments and socks. But I love a good sale. So I went to look. Uh, it can’t hurt to look, right?

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How to Shop the Sale

In case you are not familiar, the way the sale works is that Nordstrom cardholders get first dibs, starting July 12. Then the sale begins for everyone else on July 20. Prices revert to their normal amounts on August 6. Things go fast, so if there’s something on your must-have list and you’re not a cardholder, you can apply for a card to shop first. (Do note that every time you open up a card it affects your credit score, though.) Since sizes can sell out, my personal policy is to just go ahead and buy something if I’m remotely interested, think it over, and then return later if I decide not to keep it.

Shoes

I’m not a super trendy shoes kind of person, so I looked for classic styles that seemed comfortable and cute.

Eileen Fisher Ives Boot – $159.90 (3 colors)

I have come to appreciate Eileen Fisher’s stacked heels on many of the brand’s shoes. Maybe it’s a sign of my getting old. I want a stable heel. Oh well, so be it. But I also like them because they’re an ethical brand with a fair trade policy.

Eileen Fisher Tilda Pump – $149.90 (4 colors)

I don’t personally own any Blondo shoes, but they make waterproof boots at a reasonable price. My feet are slightly wide, and the Blondos I tried on last year were a tad too narrow for me. (I ended up going with La Canadienne last year. This year, there’s a La Canadienne short boot and a tall riding boot in the sale.) There are six different Blondo short boots, one knee-high boot, and one over-the-knee boot on sale. All are waterproof.

Blondo Lila and Verona Booties – $99.90 (There’s also a bootie with a taller heel and a suede one that comes in 3 colors, including a great dark gray)

Other shoes that caught my eye:

Coats & Jackets

J. Crew Olga Boiled Wool Topcoat – $184.90 (5 colors, regular and petite sizing)

Did you know that Nordstrom now carries J.Crew items? They’ve been doing that with Madewell for a while, so I guess it was only a matter of time before they added their sister brand, especially since J.Crew has been struggling. I’m a fan of their coats — and the fact that they come in petite sizing, like this topcoat. Classic and definitely a wardrobe staple.

A mirror selfie of a woman wearing a dark green field jacket at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Halogen Zip Front Field Jacket – $79.90 (2 colors), Plus Size – $89.90

Sorry for the blurry-ass photo. If I were a better blogger, I wouldn’t post such a crappy photo, but to retake it means going to Nordstrom over the weekend during the Anniversary Sale and that’s just madness. This cotton field jacket is one of my favorite picks from the whole sale. If you don’t have something like this in your wardrobe, I would snag this. I find myself wearing this style of jacket all the time. The light weight makes it great for layering. This is regular sizing and it fit petite me petty well. The sleeves aren’t too long. (Wow, a rarity.) For reference, I’m a dress size 4 and I’m wearing XS here.

Pssst: If you are in want of a faux fur leopard print jacket, I turn your attention to this and this.

More!

Moto Jackets

Per usual, the Anniversary Sale is full of moto jackets. If you are looking for one, now is the time to strike! Since I bought one at last year’s sale, I refrained, but here’s a few that caught my eye.

I am into this light gray color. However, Halogen jackets tend to run wide in my experience. There was also this interesting boiled wool moto jacket, also by Halogen, a Nordstrom house brand.

The leather on this one’s so soft. Seemed well made and it usually goes for $700! So it’s a splurge, but hey, a splurge at 33 percent off, and a piece that you will probably wear forever. While the collar is big, it’s not too big and was cute on. It runs a bit small, though. I tried on an XS (my usual size) and the sleeves were tight. I’d go up a size.

Trouve Drape Front Leather Jacket – $199.90 (3 colors)

I tried this leather jacket on because the color was different and it’s the same brand as the jacket I bought last year. The leather is soft. It also comes in black and gray. But I think the collar is too big on me. I could see this looking cute on someone else. (Big collars seem to be a thing this year, huh?)

Here’s a vegan leather version that fit well. The faux leather felt OK and didn’t seem too stiff.

Sweaters

As this is a sale for the fall season, there are sweaters galore.

This oversized Vince cashmere sweater is soooooo fluffy soft. It also comes in a camel color, but I love this purple berry color.

Vince Merino Blend Knit Sweater – $189.90 (also comes in off white)

This caught my attention for its bright color. I also like the wide neckline and texture.

Joie Leopard Print Sweater – $218.90 (also comes in black/white)

I’m digging the more subtle colorway for this animal print sweater. It’s of medium thickness and seemed well made, but the materials are mostly synthetic (viscose, nylon, and acrylic).

Like last year, there’s a scallop edge sweater ($39.90) by Halogen. It’s a cotton and synthetic mix and comes in six colors. One sweater that I was looking for, but seems to be online only (or at least nowhere near me) is this Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater ($45.90), which comes in regular and petite sizing and in nine colors. It’s half wool and acrylic. I ordered it online.

I’m telling you about the fiber content because I’m trying to pay closer attention to it. Synthetic fibers are toxic to make and generate plastic bits in our oceans. But it seems to be everywhere. So many clothing items I picked up were entirely synthetic. I figure the partly synthetic items aren’t as bad, but maybe they’re just as bad. OK, they’re probably just as bad and I should return these sweaters when they arrive. Sigh. I guess I also shouldn’t be posting about leopard print faux fur coats as faux fur is always made out of synthetics. But damn it, I really love faux fur.

Other Things

OMG, is this post over? I feel like I’ve been writing forever (or at least most of my morning). This section will be quick though. Avoiding synthetic fabrics actually cuts out a lot of stuff. There were cute shirts and jumpsuits and pants, but they were all made from synthetic materials like polyester and rayon (and the many other names rayon goes by like viscose.)

Halogen Cotton Blend Boat Neck Top – $33.90 (egular and petite sizing, also comes in navy)

For example, I liked the cut of this top. (Y’all know I love a boatneck as I shared in this post about an Everlane sweater.) It was made out of this interesting sweatshirt-like material but it’s partly polyester. Doh. When I got home, I learned that there’s a thinner all cotton version ($24.90), so I ordered a few of those to try.

(An aside: On this visit, I noticed that Nordstrom is now carrying ethical brand The Reformation. None of it was on sale though.)

Madewell Mini Transport Tote Perforated – $109.90 (two colors), Rebecca Minkoff Keith Satchel – $196.90 (3 colors), All Saints Mast Shoulder Bag – $218.90 (2 colors)

I don’t need anymore bags. I don’t need anymore bags. Sigh, I love the looks of these three bags. But I DON’T NEED ANY MORE BAGS! Gotta say, the Madewell one is really light, which is nice. I was very tempted by it.

After my walk about the store yesterday, here’s the one thing I ended up walking out with. (OK, two things. I also got a Stila eyeliner and lip color set, which is one of my beauty staples; the eyeliner alone is usually $22 so the whole set for $20 is a great deal). Deborah Lippmann is a cruelty-free brand that makes high-quality nail polish. I also love the fact that these bottles are small as it takes me forever to finish a regular sized bottle. I know my spouse is going to laugh at me because these colors are all so similar. But I love a gray-purple, and can’t you see they’re all different? If these were sold separately, I probably wouldn’t have picked them all up, but hey, it was a set.

After I got home, I ordered the sweaters and tops I mentioned above, plus this leather fanny pack (oh, excuse me, I mean belt bag). I’ll report back when they arrive. What are some of your favorite items from the sale?

The contents of a Lively T-shirt Bra on a gray surface. There are 2 bras.

Lively Review: My New Favorite T-shirt Bra

Published by welcomeobjects

Today I’m reviewing two bras from Lively in my ongoing search for the perfect bra. I heard about this brand from another blogger, Kayla from Freckles in April, who wrote a detailed post about several lingerie brands she tried. Lively launched in 2016, founded by a former Victoria’s Secret employee. Like other startup brands, it doesn’t have a physical store and does all its business online. According to this story by Racked, the company actually owns the factory (located in China) where they make their bras. I hope this means they can ensure ethical production.

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A few months ago, I put in an order for Lively’s T-shirt bra and the All-Day Deep V No-Wire. (I used the referral code from Kayla because that’s a nice way to say thank you to a blogger!) Now, I don’t feel like I’m asking for much when it comes to my undergarments. Mainly comfort. Also, durability. Not expensive too, please. And cute would be nice, but that isn’t even a requirement for me. I’ve reviewed a few brands so far — you can read all my bra reviews here — and they all didn’t work for one reason or another, so I wasn’t expecting much out of Lively.

My order arrived about a week after I placed it. The presentation was nice. Upon opening the shipping box, I found another box.

A Lively T-shirt Bra Box.

The box has a magnetic closure. It opens like so:

An opened Lively T-shirt Bra Box with a card on top of contents.

The packing slip was in the sleeve on top and my bras underneath.

The contents of a Lively T-shirt Bra on a gray surface. There are 2 bras.

The Lively T-shirt Bra (in navy) and All-Day Deep V No-Wire (in toasted almond).

The order came with a dust bag and a perfume sample as well.

Lively All-Day Deep V No-Wire

I generally wear underwire bras, so this wireless bra was a risk for me. My hope was that it would turn out to be a better version of the Uniqlo wireless bra I had tried. (That bra had a fatal flaw.)

I ordered my usual size, but this bra just didn’t seem to fit me right. The cups were nicely lined and seemed like they would hold their shape, but the middle front of the bra didn’t stay flat against my body. It gaped. Also, I didn’t find it that comfortable; the band felt constricting. Perhaps it’s the V aspect of the bra that made it not fit as well. Maybe I should have ordered the similar Mesh Trim No-Wire bra instead. Aesthetically, I don’t love the mesh. For some reason, it reminds me of something medical-like. It did seem like a decently made bra, though, and I could see how it might work well for someone else. I also appreciated that the bra was tagless.

Lively T-shirt Bra

Next, I tried the T-shirt bra. First, I have to say that I just love that it comes in this navy color, which seems like a rarity for underwear. The design has a bit of lace on the back, which is a lovely cosmetic touch, though honestly, I could do without it too. (I’m practical when it comes to bras.) Because the lace is on the outer side of the straps, it might peek out under some sleeveless tops.

I put it on and — hey, I think this might work! The underwire placement was good on me. The band didn’t feel too constricting, and the lightly lined cup seemed true to size. While ThirdLove gives me the best fit when it comes to the cups, their bras haven’t worked on me for other reasons. The Lively one seemed a happy medium. While it’s not the most perfect cup, it’s fine and the band feels better to me than any other T-shirt bra I’ve tried up to this point.

One of my big problems with bras is the straps slipping down all the time. With this T-shirt bra I still encounter this problem, but not as often. The straps were tighter when the bra was brand new so I didn’t have much of a problem in the beginning. Over time as the bra loosened up a bit, the straps have started to fall down now and then, but not as badly as other brands.

Also, Lively has one huge advantage over other brands when it comes to this problem: the strap adjustment is on the front of the bra, not the back. That means that if I have to tighten the strap, I can do so while keeping the bra on. With other bras, I have to take the whole bra off, adjust the straps, and put it back on. Or, ask someone else to do it for me. Have you ever had to ask a friend to reach into the back of your shirt and adjust your bra strap for you? Well, with Lively, you can now avoid that whole awkward situation.

The back of a navy Lively T-shirt Bra.

Another nice thing about both styles of Lively bras is that there’s the option to wear them as racerbacks. I am all about convertible items and getting more uses out of one thing, so I was pleased these had J-hooks to convert them. Sometimes when you convert a bra to racerback, it feels too tight like it’s tugging up on you or riding up the back. But I didn’t experience any of that with this bra. It felt as comfortable in racerback form as it did as a traditional bra.

I’ve worn this bra for almost three months now and so far, the Lively T-shirt bra is the winner in my bra quest. It’s the one I reach for again and again. Does it feel like you’re not wearing a bra? No. I still want to take off my bra as soon as I get home. But does the bra that’s so comfortable that you don’t want to take it off really exist? I think that might be a myth.

More good news: this bra was $35. Yes, $35! I think that’s a reasonable price. Plus, there’s a discount for buying multiples. (Two go for $55, and three for $75). Lively also has a loyalty/rewards program called Perks. I do love a pun.

The bra has held up well after washings. (I hand wash bras with Forever New, which is biodegradable.) Overall, I’m very pleased with my purchase and the price. I would definitely buy this bra again. Now I’m curious about their other bras and bralettes. They also make swimwear. Had it been an option, I would have exchanged the Deep V No Wire bra for another T-shirt bra, but Lively doesn’t offer exchanges at this time. I sent the wireless bra back, along with the box and dustbag. (While I appreciated how nice all those extras were, I didn’t need them). They processed my refund in a timely fashion.

UPDATE 10/28/18 – Lively now makes a version of the T-shirt bra without the lace embellishments. It’s called the All Day T-shirt Bra. I like this version even better as you don’t have to worry about lace peeking out under sleeveless tops. However, it comes in only three colors.

UPDATE 2/24/19 – Looks like the prices have gone up a bit (2 bras for $60, 3 for $80). Lively also seems to have expanded its partnership with Nordstrom, which is carrying its lingerie and swimwear. A few locations also have a Lively mini store inside.

If you found my review helpful and want to try Lively, consider using my referral code, which will give you $10 off your first order. You can also read all my other bra reviews here.

Uniqlo wide cotton linen pants, with a fabric belt

Fitting Room Review: Uniqlo Cotton Linen Pants

Published by welcomeobjects

My recent vacation plans spurred a search for cotton linen pants. I have to confess that I’m not a fan of linen. It wrinkles easily and I detest ironing. Living in a moderate climate, I have no use for it. But I worry about what to wear in warmer climates, and linen is known for keeping you cool. OK, fine. I guess I’ll try linen.

So, I dashed into Uniqlo since they are one of my go-to spots for basics. (Yes, I know I said in a recent post that I was trying to ease up on my wandering-into-Uniqlo habit. In fairness, though, I walked in this time to look for a specific item. Also, as a petite, I appreciate that they include hemming free of charge on pants $20 and up.)

Cotton Linen Relaxed Pants

The store stocked two types of cotton linen blend pants. First up: the Cotton Linen Relaxed Pants, which feature a drawstring inside and elastic on the back. I must be getting old because elastic sound great and comfy to me.

Here’s how they look on me. (I’m 5′ 4″ for reference.) From the front they seem OK if not terribly exciting or particularly flattering. They seem to be mid-rise, which is not my preference.

From the back though, these were a disaster.

They were all sorts of baggy. Too relaxed-looking on me! Pass!

Belted Linen Cotton Wide Pants

Next, I tried the Belted Linen Cotton Wide Pants. I had more hope for these because they reminded me of the high-waisted belted skirt I bought from Uniqlo last year. I loved the skirt so much that I bought it in two colors.

Here’s how it looks on the model and on me.

It does seem to be high-waisted, which I think looks better for me.

The back side seemed more flattering than the other pair. Of course, the length is too long on petite me, so I folded the bottom up to see how it might look cropped.

Hmm, not bad, though I’m not sure this is me. I have generally avoided wide pants under the impression that they would look silly on me, a short person. However, I’m beginning to rethink that. Perhaps I’m too harsh in outright banning the whole category.

Each pair of pants retails for $29.90 and there’s even a promotion taking place at the Uniqlo site now where they’ll take $10 off two pairs of pants. In the end I passed on these, though, because the quality of the fabric didn’t feel great. This particular cotton linen blend felt rough and itchy to me. Personally, I’d rather spend more on higher-quality fabric that feels better and lasts longer.

A few words on the environmental impact of linen: Linen is made from flax. As you can imagine, growing flax utilizes fertilizers and pesticides (although less than growing cotton does). At least these are both natural fibers, which has one advantage over synthetic fibers: washing them doesn’t generate bits of plastic in our oceans.

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For other, higher-quality options:

How to pack light for vacation: A woman stands on a brick walkway. She's wearing a mid dress, a long sleeve shirt tied at the front, and a hat.

How to Pack Lightly (or, what I packed for 1 week in Mexico City)

Published by welcomeobjects

When it comes to packing a suitcase, I try to keep it light. I often struggle between my desire to keep things to a minimum and the what-if-I-need-this mindset. But more often than not, I’ve found, you don’t need that thing. When in doubt, leave it at home. I thought I’d share the contents of my carry-on suitcase from a recent trip to Mexico City in case it’s helpful for anyone else trying to travel light.

Check the Weather

The first thing I do is check the weather. In June, Mexico City has highs of 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, but it cools to the low 60s at night. It also threatened to rain every day. With this in mind, I figure out how many articles of clothing I should pack. My vacation was a week long, with two of the days being travel days. That meant I had five full days of vacation. Of those, four I spent in the city and one I spent at the ruins of Teotihuacan.

How to pack light for vacation: A dress, 2 t-shirts, a skirt, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket, 2 pairs of pants, a hat, a bikini and 2 pairs of shoes -- all laid out on a rug.

Stick to a Color Palette

Next, I pick a color scheme, making sure that all components of my wardrobe can be mixed and matched. In this case, I went with blues. I ended up packing:

  • maxi dress
  • 2 T-shirts
  • button down cotton shirt
  • a light jacket
  • skirt
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 pair of joggers for hiking
  • 2 pairs of shoes
  • a bikini
  • a packable hat

Actually, I wore an outfit on the plane (jeans, a shirt, the jacket, a pair of shoes), so I didn’t even pack all of these items into my suitcase.

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Here’s the base of my wardrobe (all my tops and bottoms for every day street wear). I figured that since it wasn’t too hot, I could re-wear everything a few times, so I only packed two shirts. Both my dress and skirt are midi or maxi length, which I love for traveling as they’re appropriate for higher temperatures during the day, but provide some warmth at night. It was perfect for the weather in Mexico City, which cools off substantially in the evenings.

If living in San Francisco has taught me anything, it’s that layering is key. I brought two layering pieces. One was a gauzy cotton button down shirt which I could wear on its own or as a layer over another shirt. I also brought a light jacket with a hood that was helpful for light rain.

How to pack light for vacation: a bikini, pair of pants, hat, and two pairs of shoes, all paid out on a rug.

Old Navy High Waist Bikini [similar bottom and top] // North Face joggers [similar on sale] // New Balance Sneakers [on sale] // AGL Oxfords [similar style in 3 colors, 2 colors on sale] // Target Packable Hat [similar style in straw]

Other Must-Haves in Your Suitcase

Lastly there are shoes and active wear items. Since I was going on a hike, I packed hiking pants even though I’d only get one day’s use out of them. But it was important to be comfortable during the hike. I also needed a comfortable pair of shoes for hiking, hence the sneakers. I made sure to bring a pair that weren’t overly running-shoe-looking that I could also wear with my skirt around the city.

Perhaps I could have gotten away with wearing sneakers every day, but that’s not really my style. And what if I were to go out to a nice restaurant for dinner? The oxfords worked nicely, as I could pair them with both jeans and the skirt or dress. They’re fairly comfortable for city walking, though I wouldn’t want to wear them several days in a row.

A packable hat is a must for summer! Mine, from Target, wasn’t even advertised as packable. It’s a cotton hat with wire in it, so I can squish the hat down into my bag but reshape it when I want to wear it.

Also, I believe in always packing a swim suit. Swimming is my main form of exercise and I’m always on the lookout for a pool when I travel. (In this case, I ended up booking an apartment that had a pool in the building.) But even if I didn’t swim for exercise, I’d recommend packing a bathing suit. It takes up little room and is hard to buy on the spot if you find yourself suddenly with access to a pool or hot tub.

Not pictured are my bags. I carried a light backpack on the plane. When I got to Mexico City, I transferred its contents to an Everlane tote bag (the Pocket Tote, reviewed here) I had in my suitcase. I used the tote bag for days when I was in the city and the backpack for the hiking day.

Also not pictured: a super cheap rain poncho from Daiso, the Japanese dollar store, which I opted to bring instead of an umbrella because it weighed less. I found it to be more practical as it gave me more coverage than an umbrella too.

Packing tips from Welcome Objects: a woman wears a navy skirt and top with gray sneakers and a gray tote bag.

Uniqlo Drape Tee (7 colors) [review] // Uniqlo Cotton High Waist Skirt [review] [similar style in cognac] // New Balance Sneakers [on sale] // Target Packable Hat [similar style in straw] // Everlane Pocket Tote [review]

My Daily Outfits

My daily outfits went something like this:

Saturday – Travel day – jeans, button down shirt, jacket, oxfords
Sunday – Day 1 (city) – dress, button down shirt, oxfords (pictured at the very top of this post)
Monday – Day 2 (hiking ruins) – white T-shirt, joggers, jacket, sneakers
Tuesday – Day 3 (city) – blue T-shirt, skirt, button down shirt, sneakers
Wednesday – Day 4 (city) – dress, button down shirt, oxfords
Thursday – Day 5 (city) – blue T-shirt, skirt, button down shirt, sneakers
Friday – Travel day – jeans, white T-shirt, jacket, sneakers

Every day, I’d hang all my clothes up to give them a chance to air out for a full day or two before I repeated the outfit.

This packing scheme only worked because the temperature was moderate. In hotter climates where I’d be sweating through my shirts, I’d want a clean shirt every day. Or I’d make sure I had access to laundry facilities. Still, in that scenario I’d more or less keep the same number of bottoms, swapping out the jeans for cotton pants.

One more packing tip: I’m a fan of packing cubes. My favorite are from Muji for their simple design, but there are plenty of brands. They keep my suitcase organized and if I want to use the dresser in a hotel, I just transfer the cubes into the dresser.

Hope this has been helpful! What are some of your tips for packing light?

Everlane day heels in coral

Picks for Everlane’s Choose What You Pay Sale – Summer 2018

Published by welcomeobjects

Woot! Everlane’s Choose What You Pay sale is back. Like many things Everlane, their sales are not conventional. However, you can’t just pay “what you want, what you really, really want.” (This is perhaps my first time ever quoting the Spice Girls.) Everlane offers items at three different discounts and you pick the one you fancy out of those options. (I have to wonder if everyone just goes for the lowest price, though.) There’s a few things in the sale this time around that I actually recommend.

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Everlane cotton v tee, as worn in red by a white woman with dark hair.

1. The Cotton V-Neck. My love of Everlane began with just a T-shirt and this one in particular. I own it in several colors. The red one is on sale. My review here.

Everlane box-cut pocket tee

2. The Box-Cut Pocket Tee. If you’re looking for a boxy tee, this is a good option. It’s made out of the same soft lightweight cotton as the Cotton V-Neck. It has a roomy fit. I tried it on in store and couldn’t decide between my regular size and a size down. Either looked good.

3. The Heavyweight Tee. As I enthused in a prior Everlane review, I love love love a boatneck! If I didn’t already have a shirt like this, I would get this. It also comes in burgundy, but I particularly love the nautical look and feel of this white and blue colorway.

4. The Cashmere Crop V-Neck. This sweater is on sale in six colors and you can snag one for as low as $60. I love the fit of this sweater, but it didn’t work out for me because I have sensitive skin and I found it a little bit itchy. However, if that’s not an issue for you, this is a great buy. My review here.

Everlane square wallet in silver color sitting on its end.

5. The Square Zip Wallet. Earlier this year I compared square zip wallets from several ethical brands and Everlane’s made the cut. With this metallic silver color, you’ll never lose your wallet in your bag again. Review here.

6. The Day Magazine Tote. I’ve been really happy with my other Everlane totes. While I don’t own this one, I’ve tried it in the store and it’s not crazy heavy like some leather bags (a pet peeve of mine). You can get this color for as low as $116, which is a pretty great price for a leather bag.

7. The Day Heel. Sometimes it feels like everyone is wearing the Day Heel (at least here in the San Francisco Bay Area). But does everyone have it in this fabulous coral patent leather? I’m into this color. It reminds me of a peach, which makes me happy. Review here.

If you find my reviews helpful, please consider using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thank you! See all my Everlane reviews here.