Zara, Banana Republic, and Loft Finds

I was on a mission to find some holiday outfits...


I tried on Zara's lace tulip dress (left) in XS and fell in love with it instantly. The lace details, hourglass shape, and above the knee length were all perfect. I'm impressed by the quality! This dress is currently sold out online. If you're interested, try calling brick and mortar Zara to check on its availability. Here's the link in case it comes back in stock online.

For a more casual holiday event, I tried on Loft's petite Yolk Lace Tee in XS and sequin black skirt with elastic waistband. The lace top runs very large, XS was still too big for me. The sequin black skirt runs large as well, but they had a XXS on hand that fitted well. I ended up getting the skirt, not the top.


I paired the tulip dress with two multistrand pearl necklace from Forever 21 and pouchette from Louis Vuitton for a holiday party.


I love flowy blouses, I find them rather feminine. I tried on the same blouse in two shades and sizes at Banana Republic, silver gray version in XSP and the purple version in XS. You can see that the size difference is pretty noticeable. I liked both colors, but ended up with the gray for the fit. This blouse isn't available online for some reason.


A sparkly sweater is nice for the holiday season. I tried on BR's Embroidered pearl-trim sweater in SP. The sweater comes in gray or cream/beige (see below, right side). It fits well, but the material is thin. Sweater retails for $79.95 in store vs. $99 online, it's currently marked down to $64.99 in store. I couldn't decide on the color for this sweater, which one do you guys like better?


I tried on a similar Scattered Gem sweater at LOFT in SP. The sparkly trim is very attractive, but the sweater is super itchy. The sweater is noted as 3/4 sleeve on the website but is actually full length. I thought about it for a while and placed it back. What would you have done in this scenario? Would you buy a not so comfortable but pretty sweater?


I was considering a cream/white ruffle blouse to pair with my red cardigan. Loft's ruffled tied neck shell (left, sold out online) in XSP is really cute and fits well, while Zara's TRF tied neck blouse (right) did not work out. They both worked much better with a blazer than a cardigan. Now I'm on a separate mission to find a red blazer....


These cute nude flats are part of Zara's current collection. The blush toned pair (left, from TRF section) comes with a nice cushion sole ($29.90, also available in black). The sparkle suede pair (right, from regular section) is pretty, but not as comfortable ($35.90, also available in black). I like both, but may return the suede pair due to comfort issues.


Banana Republic Izzy pumps from the Mad Men collection is currently marked down to $84 in store, they're sold out online. I grabbed a pair (size 6) last week when they did 40% off original price. They're comfortable, and look great. They shouldn't be too hard to find, I've seen them at several Banana Republics with a good range of sizes still available.

Loft has 40% off everything in-stores and online (with code TAKE40)
Banana Republic is offering up to 50% on select styles (no codes necessary)
Zara has a small sale going on but is limited in variety and sizing

I highly recommend checking out the stores in person, I'm seeing more availability and better markdowns.

Use eBates for Loft and Banana Republic if you order online for additional cash back.

XOXO, M