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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?

How to Shop the Sale

In case you’re 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 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.

Some ankle boots on a display table in Nordstrom.

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. But I also like them because they’re an ethical brand with a fair trade policy.

Suede pumps with ankle wraps in several colors on a display table.

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.

Several ankle boots in black and a brown suede on a display table.

Blondo Lila and Verona Booties – $99.90 

Coats & Jackets

A brown coat with patch pockets hanging from a hanger in a store.

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 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.

Motorcycle 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% 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.

A person with black hair wearing a motorcycle jacket with a large collar, taking a selfie in a mirror inside a store. There is a rug on the sales floor behind her and someone walking away in the background.

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.

A bright yellow-green crew neck sweater with a textured horizontal pattern.

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.

A leopard print sweater hanging on a hanger on a clothes rack in a clothing store.

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.)

A heather gray boat neck top on a hanger

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.)

Leather gags organized on a table.

Madewell Mini Transport Tote Perforated – $109.90 (two colors), Rebecca Minkoff Keith Satchel – $196.90 (3 colors), AllSaints 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. 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.

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 with a stylized L on the exterior.

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.

Packing Light 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°F (23.9°C) 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 where I only had half 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.

Everything I packed for 1 week in Mexico City. (Not shown: bags, underthings, and a rain poncho.)

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:

  • midi 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.

How to pack light for vacation: a dress, 2 t shirts, a skirt, and a pair of jeans all laid out on a rug.

Base Garments: Universal Thread Dress (on clearance, also comes in green) // Muji Organic Cotton T-shirt // Uniqlo Drape Tee [review] // Everlane High-Rise Jeans [review] // Uniqlo Cotton High Waist Skirt [review]

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 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.

How to pack light for vacation: a long sleeve shirt and a jacket laid out on the floor.

Layering Items: Universal Thread Button Down // Uniqlo Hooded Jacket

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.

Shoes & Other Items: Old Navy High Waist Bikini // North Face Joggers [similar] // New Balance Sneakers // AGL Oxfords [similar] // Target Hat

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.

My Daily Outfits

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

Uniqlo Drape Tee [review] // Uniqlo Cotton High Waist Skirt [review] // New Balance Sneakers // Target Hat  // Everlane Pocket Tote [review]

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.

A Final Packing Tip

One more packing tip: I’m a fan of packing cubes. My favorite are from Muji for their simple design and light weight. They keep my suitcase organized and if I want to use the dresser in a hotel, I just transfer the cubes into the dresser. I used to do the rolling method to save space, but I prefer the cubes for organization. If I were only traveling with just a backpack, though, rolling is the way to go to save space.

Hope this has been helpful! What are some ways that you try to pack light?

Uniqlo SPRZ Graphic Tee worn by a woman. The T=shirt is gray with white lines.

Styling a Graphic T-shirt Two Ways

Published by welcomeobjects

One thing that I’ve tried in my quest to consume less is to stop walking into clothing stores at random. I used to shop as a past time, especially during a sale. Now, I try not to go into a store unless I have a specific need in mind. But … sometimes I slip. Last week after a much-needed haircut, I was walking down the hill to catch public transit when I passed by Uniqlo. Dear reader, I popped in.

Three mannequins at Uniqlo wearing T-shirts from the supergeometric line.

I was immediately drawn to this line of geometric tees, part of Uniqlo’s SPRZ NY line. According to the tags, “the project centers on our 5th Avenue NYC flagship,” whatever that means. In practice, this seems to mean that the Japanese retailer licenses the works of artists to create T-shirt designs. (BTW, that store is HUGE and worth a visit if you’re a Uniqlo fan and find yourself in New York.)

Stacks of shirts folded on a shelf at Uniqlo

They’ve featured designs by Eames (yes, the furniture-making Eames), Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Right now they’re showcasing Barry McGee and this collection here called Supergeometric, which features designs by two artists: French abstract artist Francois Morellet and Finnish artist Niko Luoma.

4 Uniqlo SPRZ Graphic T-shirts folded, placed on the floor.

SPRZ NY Supergeometric Tees – $14.90

Uniqlo SPRZ Graphic T-shirt as worn in a fitting room selfie. Two images: the same woman wearing the same shirt in XS and S.

I fell in love with this design by Niko Luoma. Cut and fabric wise, the shirts are similar to the ones from the Marimekko x Uniqlo collab (reviewed here). They’re boxy with longer-than-average short sleeves (though the Marimekko sleeves run longer). The fabric is 100% cotton, a medium thick weight, and smooth to the touch. It felt the same as the Marimekko fabric. One big difference is that the Supergeometric shirts run a bit smaller. In the Marimekko T-shirt, I fit an XS. Here, I’m wearing XS on the left and S on the right. You can see that the XS is actually a bit tight on the arms, so I ended up going with the S.

The medium thickness of the cotton makes this T-shirt appropriate for summer or for fall. Here’s how I’d wear it for fall (or just a regular chilly summer day in San Francisco) with skinny jeans and a moto jacket.

Uniqlo SPRZ Graphic Tee as worn by a petite woman. Gray graphic t-shirt worn with black jeans, black heels, and a black moto jacket.

Uniqlo SPRZ NY Supergeometric T-shirt // Club Monaco Jacket // Uniqlo Jeans // Everlane Tote [review] // Eileen Fisher Shoes

For summer I’m pairing it with a brightly-colored skirt and heels.

I love how versatile this top is — and it’s just a T-shirt! OK, you totally got me Uniqlo.

P.S. I’m trying to be better about my shopping choices, so with each post, I try to include info about ethics and sustainability. Uniqlo was cited for abusive practices in 2016. It has since said it’s putting better processes in place. Cotton takes a lot of water to produce so it’s not the most sustainable fabric, but I figured at least it’s not generating tiny plastic fibers that end up in the ocean as synthetic fibers do.

Two racerback bras, one black, one "nude" against a red background.

Racerback Bra Review: ThirdLove vs. Target

Published by welcomeobjects

It’s summer, which means that you might want to stock up on some racerback bras for cute shoulder-baring tops. Also, if you, like me, have that bra-straps-always-falling-down problem, maybe a racerback is the answer. I didn’t have much success with ThirdLove’s 24/7 Classic T-shirt Bra (review) because of the straps, but I otherwise found it comfortable, so maybe the racerback version would be the answer to my bra problems.

** this post contains affiliate links **

Two racerback bras from ThirdLove. One is "nude" and the other is black. They are on a red background.

I ordered the 24/7 Classic Racerback Bra in two colors and they arrived pretty quickly.

The front of a racerback bra in a "nude" color with clasp in the front.

The advantage of ThirdLove is that they make bras in half cup sizes. I found that a half size down from my usual size fit best.

The back of a "nude" colored racerback bra.

Two things I liked about the bra: the back is seamless and it’s tagless.

Closeup of gold-colored clasp at the front of a ThirdLove bra

The front-closure clasp is metal, not plastic — shiny gold metal at that.

Third Love racerback bra unclasped

The cups are constructed out of “ultra-thin hybrid foam,” which has memory foam on the inside to form to your body. On the outside is a different kind of foam for support. They’re lightly padded and the padding thickness seemed perfect to me.

ThirdLove says their racerback “fits exactly like our most popular, classic bras,” but I didn’t find that to be the case. While the cups fit great, the underwire dug into me in a way they didn’t with the T-shirt bra version of this bra.

Two racerback bras. Both are black. One is from Target and one is from ThidLove.

Visually, the bra seemed very similar to Target’s Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Racerback Bra (review here) (shown on the left) so I thought I’d compare them.

The backs of two racerback bras, both black. One is from Target and the other is from ThirdLove.

The Target bra is made out of bulkier fabric. See how the fabric has gotten bunchy after being worn a few times? I prefer the seamless, stitch-free material on ThirdLove’s bra.

Closeup of the strap attached to a cup on a black bra.

The details on the ThirdLove bra seem nicer. The strap on the Target bra is stitched right onto the corner of the cup.

Closeup of the strap attached to a cup on a black bra.

The ThirdLove bra has trim on the cups, so the stitching blends in better. This probably has no effect on functionality though. I did prefer the cups on the ThirdLove bra, not only for the half-cup size, but for the light hybrid foam.

Is the ThirdLove racerback bra better than Target’s? Yes. The materials and details seem nicer. However, ThirdLove’s bra retails for $68 (if you buy one, purchasing multiples triggers a discount) and Target’s goes for $15. Is ThirdLove’s bra 4.5 times better? No, at least not for me.

At the end of the day, I found the underwire on both brands constricting. (To be fair I didn’t wear the ThirdLove bra as long as the Target bra, which I had already purchased because I need something, so the comparison isn’t perfect.) At $68, a bra better be perfect, and it wasn’t so, I returned the ThirdLove ones. (From the time I dropped them in the mail to when I received a refund was about two weeks.)

My bra search continues. You can find all my unsponsored bra reviews here.

A Baggu Circle Purse in a light brown color on a table at the Baggu store.

Round Out Your Wardrobe: The Baggu Circle Purse

Published by welcomeobjects

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite little purses, the Baggu Soft Circle Purse. There’s something about the shape that endears it to me right away. If this purse were rectangular or square, I wouldn’t be into it as much.

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On most days, I carry my Everlane Pocket Tote or Twill Zip Top Tote (both reviewed here) because I schlep a lot of stuff around. But when I need just the basics with me for an event or dinner with a friend, I turn to my trusty circle purse. The one I own is an oxblood color from a few seasons ago; I believe it’s from fall or winter 2016.

The bag’s diameter is about 8.75″ diameter; it’s 2″ deep. That’s plenty of room for my square-zip wallet (reviewed here), phone, lip balm, and a few other things.

I love the outside slip pocket — and the fact that the Baggu logo is small and tastefully stamped.

Inside are two interior pockets, one on each side of the purse. Each slip pocket has a divider down the middle, so it’s actually more like four pockets. Gotta love pockets! I do wish the interior liner was a lighter color, though, so it’d be easier to view the contents of the bag.

The strap has a 22″ drop. You can wear it on the shoulder, or depending on your height, crossbody. The stitching on my strap is not 100%  straight, but this is a small quibble.

On the older versions of this bag, like mine, the strap is adjustable.

The most recent iteration of this bag has a 21″ cord strap instead of a flat one. You can only adjust the length of the strap by knotting it.

The newer bag also has a leather pull on the brass zipper pull, and the cord strap is not stitched onto the side like the flat strap, but those changes seem to be the only difference between the different versions of the bag. The general design is the same. Even though the cord strap looks cleaner in the way it attaches to the body of the bag, I prefer the flat strap for the ability to adjust it without knotting it.

The purse is made out of natural milled calfskin leather and it is soft! The texture is pebbled, but not overly so (I’m not a fan of leather that’s really pebbled). Since the leather is unfinished, Baggu recommends conditioning it once in a while. I’m happy to report that Baggu is an ethical brand and makes its leather goods in the USA. Overall, the quality seems nice.

The bag retails for $180, though you can wait and snag it on sale like I did. You can buy directly from Baggu, but many other retailers carry them, including big department stores like Bloomingdales and  Nordstrom. If you, like me, prefer the flat strap version, you can still find the earlier version online (for example, in black here)

Baggu also makes a canvas version of the purse that comes in a small size (7″ diameter, now sold out) and a larger one. Want a matching circular wallet? Baggu makes that too.

I love this bag for the minimalist take on a pleasing shape. It’s also holds more than I thought it would — a pleasant surprise!

UPDATE 10/7/19 – Just noticed that Baggu now makes two sizes of the circle purse, the size I reviewed and a mini version that’s 2″ smaller. They also seemed to have updated their manufacturing process. The description now reads, “This bag was made using DriTan™ water efficient technology, and is estimated to have saved 4 liters of water during production.” I also noticed that the cotton canvas lining is now light-colored and 65% of it is recycled. The price of the larger circle purse has gone up slightly from $180 to $188.

Three S'ip by S'well water bottles laying against a red background, next to a book and a plant. The book is "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng.

My Favorite Water Bottle: S’ip by S’well

Published by welcomeobjects

Carrying a water bottle has become second nature to me. I always keep one in my bag to stay hydrated (drinking more water is actually one of my new year’s resolutions) and to avoid single-use plastic bottles. Since I’m picky about my water bottles, I thought I’d give a shout-out to my favorite kind — S’ip by S’well — and compare it to other brands that I’ve tried.

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Is There a Difference Between S’ip and S’well?

S’ip is the sister brand of S’well, which makes stainless steel insulated water bottles. Both lines come in an array of designs, though the S’ip ones seem more playful. Both don’t sweat (by that I mean create condensation on the exterior). The S’well line is more upmarket and sold at upscale stores like Nordstrom. A 17-oz bottle retails for $35 while a 25-oz size is $45.

By comparison, the S’ip by S’well bottles come in a 15-oz size and retail for $25. They can be found at Target, where they were exclusively sold at first (and where older designs often get marked down, like the navy one with the gold cap shown above and this one and this one.) You can also find them at other retailers now. S’well and S’ip bottles are similar in size though different in form factor. Both brands also make travel mugs.

S'i[ by Swell versus Swell water bottle. One of each, side by side for comparison

Is there any difference between them besides the price? Construction wise, the S’well bottles are triple walled. They keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 (so says the S’well website). The S’ip bottles are double walled, so while they’re insulated, they’re not quite as insulated.

UPDATE 10/11/19 – A reader asked how long drinks stay hot in the S’ip bottles. I did a quick test with the travel mug, starting with boiled water at 200 degrees. It lost about 10 degrees an hour, so it was still hot 4 hours later, and warm 6 hours later. I will do a more detailed test later.

The S’well is a little bit taller and heavier than the S’ip. (On my postal scale, the S’ip weighed in at 11 oz and the S’well at 12 oz). However, the S’well has a slightly larger capacity at 17 oz versus 15 oz. Even though the S’ip doesn’t perform as well as the S’well, I found it’s good enough for me, especially since I usually refill my bottle several times throughout the day. I tested its insulation one day by filling it with ice and water. Although the ice had mostly melted 24 hours later, the water was still refreshingly cold.

Both brands seem well made and never leak, a problem I’ve had with other bottles. Reaching into my bag and realizing its contents were wet would dampen (ba-dum-bump) my day. While I’m sure the problem could be attributed to user error, I’ve never had this experience with a S’ip bottle (either the water bottle or the travel mug.)

I tested the S’ip by S’well mug recently by leaving it full of coffee on its side for hours. It didn’t leak one bit. (BTW, for some reason the green one shown above is on sale at Target now at nearly half off, same with this design and this one.) The only complaint I have about the mug is that sometimes when drinking from it, particularly when I’m trying to consume the last of my coffee, I’ll have to tilt the mug up more and the opened latch touches my nose.)

Other Water Bottle Brands I’ve Tried

In comparison, here are some other brands I’ve tried: Sigg, Nalgene, and Klean Kanteen. Here are their capacities and the diameters of the openings.

Sigg – 15 oz, 1”
Nalgene – 14 oz, 1.75”
Kleen Kanteen – 18 oz, 1.75”
S’ip by Swell – 15 oz, 1.25″

The Sigg has the smallest opening, which was problematic when it came to getting ice into it. I can get my bottle brush into it, but with some amount of force. After owning a Sigg bottle for many years, it also started to smell bad. I tried baking soda, lemon, vinegar, all sorts of things to try to clean it, but the odor never quite went away.

The Nalgene and Klean Kanteen feature wider mouths. No problems here with ice cubes! Made out of BPA-free plastic, the Nalgene is lightweight and the cap is attached — handy for those prone to dropping things. But I also found the Nalgene smelled after a day or two. Washing it took care of the odor, but that meant I had to wash the bottle daily.

With the Klean Kanteen, the main problem for me was leaking. I guess I didn’t tighten the cap all the way and I often found myself taking everything out of my bag to try to clean up a water spill inside.

Since switching to S’ip, I haven’t had that problem once.

The Ice Cube Factor

At 1.25″ the mouth opening on the S’ip is a bit narrow; same goes for the similarly-sized S’well. Ice cubes from a dispenser (such as the kind built into refrigerators) fit, but they aren’t going to make it into such a small opening without some help. I found I had to dispense the ice into a separate glass and then insert each ice cube by hand, one at a time. If you use ice from a standard ice cube tray, they’re too wide. I now own an ice tray specifically for making long and narrow ice for bottles.

But that’s my only complaint about the S’ip. As a fan of cold water, I love that my drink stays cold — and never spills.

How the S’ip Has Held Up

I’ve been using my S’ip bottles daily for several months and they’ve held up well. The paint does chip from use, particularly on the bottom and the edges, but otherwise, they’re fine and still performing well. (The paint job on the S’well seems of higher quality and hasn’t chipped. Then again, the one I own is stainless steel at the bottom, so it’s not fair to directly compare them.)

The packaging claims that S’well responsibly makes its bottles in China. Bonus: S’well also partners with UNICEF USA to donate funds towards clean and safe water access. Its website says it has committed “$800,000 since 2015.” This year, S’well is supporting water programs in Madagascar, a country where nearly half of the population lacks access to clean drinking water. That’s something I’m happy to support with my purchase. I’m even thinking about getting one of their smaller 10-oz-sized ones (like this adorable rocket print one) to use on days that I carry a smaller bag.

A woman with black hair wearing the striped Everlane cotton collarless belted shirt dress. Her hands are in the pockets.

Summer Stripes: Everlane Cotton Collarless Belted Shirt Dress

Published by welcomeobjects

The weather’s warming up, so I’ve been looking forward to stepping out in a dress. I’ve had my eye on Everlane’s Cotton Collarless Belted Shirt Dress for a while and actually bought one back in December when my size was restocked, but I haven’t had a chance to wear it until recently. In general, I love shirt dresses for their versatility. They convey a polished vibe when worn with pumps, but you can also wear them casually with a change in footwear. Wear them to the office or to a park.

A white model with brown hair wears a navy poplin shirt dress, which falls above her knees.

The dress retails for $75 and comes in navy or in stripes (navy and white). I opted for the stripes, which felt clean and modern. Here’s how the shirt dress looks on a 5′ 10″ model.

A white model with brown hair wears a blue and white striped shirt dress with white sandals

And here’s how it looks on 5′ 4″ me (with the belt wrapped around twice).

That this dress worked for a petite pleasantly surprised me. Some of Everlane’s clothes definitely seem to be made for taller people (ahem, GoWeave Easy Pant) and their prior shirt dress offerings looked awfully long and rather shapeless.

The fabric of the dress is 100% cotton (an Oxford cloth, Everlane says) and made in Japan. The dress itself is sewn together in a 1,500-person factory in Shenzhen, China and looks beautifully made. The stripes on the dress more or less match up from front to back.

A closeup of the everlane cotton collarless belted shirt dress. It has navy and white stripes and is against a gray background.

I felt that the fit was pretty good, at least on me. I ordered my usual dress size and it was true to size, though a bit on the roomy side. The cut was good in the bust. It didn’t gap in the chest. I don’t love the collarless style, so I folded and ironed the area to create a collar.

Since there’s a bit of room, I probably could have sized down. (Elaine from Temporary-House Wifey felt that there wasn’t much difference between the two sizes that she ordered, fit-wise.) However, I worried that one size down would mean a shorter length (something Elaine confirmed was true.) I’m usually a knee-length dress kind of gal, so I didn’t want the dress to be any shorter.

A person with dark hair wearing a striped poplin shirt dress, unbelted.

Unbelted the dress is OK. But it’s so much cuter with the belt defining your waist.

What I like about this dress: The elbow-length sleeves, which are an elegant way to hide upper arms if you don’t have Michelle Obama biceps. I also liked the medium thickness of the fabric. The weight is perfect and it’s thick enough that you don’t need to wear any special seamless underwear. The fabric hangs nicely off the body and keeps its structure. Super bonus points for the fact that this dress has pockets. (Rejoice!)

A person with dark hair wearing a blue and white striped poplin shirt dress, belted. She has her hands in the pockets.

What I think they could improve: I wish this shirt dress were at least two inches longer. This is not a dress that you can bend over in to pick something up without inadvertently flashing your undies. The last hidden button on the dress is about 6″ above the hem, creating a front vent. This means you have to be careful when seated, too. If you’re tall, this dress will probably be too short. I’m surprised, frankly, that they didn’t design the dress longer given that most people are taller than me. I also wish the fabric belt was a little longer. With the current length, I can wrap the belt around me twice, but barely.

If you’re curvy on the bottom, this dress might be too tight across the hips for you. The cut is pretty straight and the fabric doesn’t stretch, but perhaps you could go up a size since the belt defines the waist anyway.

A woman with dark hair standing outside, wearing the Everlane cotton collarless belted shirt dress with oxford shoes.

This dress has a bit of a uniform vibe going on — not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind when styling it so you don’t veer too much into a uniform look (unless that’s what you’re going for.)

After reading some of the reviews on the Everlane site, I worried that the dress would wrinkle a lot, but I found this wasn’t the case. While it does wrinkle a little bit, it’s within the realm of normal wrinkling for a cotton dress. Overall, I think this dress is classy and comfortable. And while it often isn’t warm enough in San Francisco to wear it on the regular, I’m packing it for visits to warmer locales this summer.

UPDATE 7/5/18 – Just noticed that Everlane added two new colors: an Oxford blue and a red and white stripe.

Find all my Everlane reviews here.

Flat lay photo of a black racerback bra with silver earrings, a makeupbrush, and red lip gloss.

How These $15 Bras From Target Stack Up

Published by welcomeobjects

Bra shopping is the worst. Since last year (well, you could say my whole life, really) I’ve been on the hunt for a better bra. I’ve tried ThirdLove and Uniqlo with no success. A friend of mine swears by Target bras. Even though I shop at Target often for all sorts of stuff, I never considered them for underwear. For one, when I did browse the bras, I never saw my size. I assumed they just didn’t carry it. But I was wrong. They carry a bigger range of sizes online than they do in stores.

(An aside: I just want to give a shout out to the ladies of Ripplu in New York, who sized me. Like many women, I was wearing the wrong size. Several years ago I visited them and learned my proper size. They really know what they’re doing. If I lived in New York, I’d probably just go to them to find a new bra.)

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Anyhow, I’m looking for an every day bra — nothing fancy, nothing lacy, nothing with adornments. Target’s house brand, Gillian & O’Malley offers the Everyday Bra and the Everyday Racerback Bra. They both received many good reviews online, so I put in my order.

Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Bra

Target Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Bra – Comes in 21 sizes from 32A to 40D – $14.99

My first impression was that this looked like just what I wanted: a simple smooth T-shirt bra with very lightly padded cups. The fabric is soft and comfortable and the band has stretch. The adjustable straps work well (as in when you adjust them, they stay in place).

The back of a brown bra on a white background.

However, I found the clasp area just a little scratchy. I ordered this in two sizes: my usual size and one cup size down. The cups in my usual size fit alright. Not as good as Third Love (which makes half sizes), but not bad.

The back of a brown bra on a white background. It is unclasped.

I also found the underwire not quite right for me. It just didn’t sit comfortably on me. I was aware of it all the time. Upon a closer read of the reviews, a minority of people complained that the underwire broke or moved around, so it sounds like quality may be an issue with this particular bra.

Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Racerback Bra

A black racerback bra with a front clasp on a white background.

Target Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Racerback Bra – Comes in 21 sizes from 32A to 40D – $14.99

Since one my big problems with bras is that the straps are always falling down, a friend said I should look at racerbacks. Duh. Why didn’t I think of this before? So I tried the racerback version of this bra. I was glad to see it has a sturdy metal clasp on the front, not plastic.

Again, I ordered it in my usual size and one cup size down. This bra is definitely true to size because at one cup size down, the clasp kept busting open. It was just too small. In my regular size, it stayed shut. I felt like the cups fit better in this bra than in the T-shirt bra version. Again, it’s a lightly padded cup — just enough to give you coverage.

This bra has tags on a side panel, but they didn’t bother me. The straps do indeed stay in place and don’t fall off my shoulders, so that’s one problem solved. People seem to love this bra. Someone on the Target site says that it doesn’t even feel like they’re wearing a bra. But that’s not my experience; I can definitely feel the underwire on my rib cage.

I’m keeping this bra for the time being since it fits decently, costs $15, and I desperately need a bra. However, I don’t love wearing it. It’s just not that comfortable as I’m aware of the underwire all the time. At the end of the day, it leaves marks on me — a clear sign that it’s too constricting and not the right bra for me. Maybe I should have tried it in a larger band size?

These bras were made in China. Are they ethically made? Hard to say, though Target was named an ethical company in 2010 by Ethisphere Institute.

At $15, I think these are worth a try. If they work out for you, what a deal! (Though I do wonder about their longevity.)

Since it seems that I’m going to be searching a while for a bra, I’ve decided to start a post that gathers up all my bra reviews. You can find the list here. Every time I review a new bra, I’ll add it to this list.