Ohmyword, I just processed a TON of orders for spring clothes! Today I’m reviewing lots of items for the office, activewear, comfy casual days, and more from Amazon, Target, and Nordstrom, ALL UNDER $30! ?? I ordered and tried probably 3-4x this amount, some of which aren’t even worth showing you, and some of which will be in a Part 2 very soon. For now, check out some of the affordable goodies below!
SIZING REFERENCE: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes. All sizes listed with each item below.
Amazon Try-Ons
Lightweight Hoodie – size M
First, Ella sighting! Hehe what a cutie.
Anyway, this is such a SOFT and comfy hoodie for activewear! It’s not too heavy, so great for spring. And goodness, it’s smooth and soft and stretchy. On me at 5’6″, it’s long enough to cover my rear in leggings. It has thumbholes, a hood, and one pocket that has openings at both sides but connects in the middle. And it’s only $20!!!
It comes in 7 colors which you can see HERE!
However, as great as it is, I returned it as I have yet to figure out if I need it. If I do, I’ll definitely reorder it. And if you are in need of activewear, check it out. It’s great!
Side Split Tunic – size S
There were some great things about this one, but overall I liked the one I’m gonna talk about below more. It’s lightweight which again is great for spring, and soft and comfy. On one hand it’s really nicely fitted while at the same time being too fitted…? I don’t know how to explain it, but overall I just didn’t quite love it and couldn’t put a finger on it. Perhaps it was that the neckline was a little high or that the whole thing just needed to be a TAD looser. Not sure. Also, it was barely long enough to cover my rear.
Going a size up was not flattering at all, so I passed on this one. It’s only $18.99 though, so it was definitely worth trying with free return shipping! Comes in 8 colors HERE.
Tunic – size S
If you’re looking for a tunic you can wear with leggings in the spring, definitely try this one. It’s a fairly thin, soft, sweatshirt material. Very comfy! And it’s only $16.89! It’s a bit longer than the previous one, doesn’t have the x-stitching at the neck, and I felt the neckline was a bit more open. Even though it had drop shoulders (where the seam extends past your real shoulders), the stitching wasn’t super thick so I didn’t feel it was that noticeable.
I really liked this sweatshirt, but ultimately I decided I didn’t need it because I have enough tops to wear with leggings in the spring. And I don’t think I’d wear it with jeans because the buttons and belt loops would create bumps through the top. But if you want tunics to wear with leggings, check this out!
Comes in TONS of colors, and there’s a short sleeved version! See them all HERE.
Lounge Shorts – size M and S above, keeping size M
I’m always interested in finding shorts that are roomy enough around my thighs and aren’t so short that they show my bum (WHY is that so hard to find with shorts??) These surprised me and fit the bill! They are incredibly soft, stretchy, and comfortable. The waistband is thick and lays flat against you, rather than digging in. It’s fully elastic with a drawstring. The fabric is a medium to lighter weight. They also have huge pockets.
People say they workout in them, though based on material, I’d be more likely to lounge around the house in these. Or maybe do some light workouts in?
SIZING: I’m between sizes and could go either with S or M. Comparison pics above. The small fits my waist perfectly and has some room around thighs, but they end up being a little shorter on me which I don’t love. The medium is roomier around my waist, which I don’t mind at all as they still stay up, and they offer more room around my thighs. Also they are a little longer, which I prefer. The ultimate decider was that as I moved around in each size, the S rode up and gave me a slight wedgie (TMI? Sorry, haha!) while the M didn’t.
They come in several colors that you can find HERE.
Amazon Yellow Skirt – size 6
Someone in the PMT Challenges Facebook group (hi Ali!) mentioned ordering this skirt from Amazon in hopes that it was a less expensive dupe for the yellow ModCloth skirt (which I remixed several ways HERE).
The Amazon skirt only costs $23.80 while the ModCloth one costs $59! Huge price difference. Overall, I prefer the ModCloth skirt, but for the price of the Amazon skirt it’s not too bad! The Amazon skirt’s material doesn’t feel as great and isn’t as flowy. The skirt drapes a bit poofier than the ModCloth one, and it doesn’t have fluid of movement as ModCloth’s, which are probably results of the difference in material.
As far as fit, I’m wearing size 6. The waistband looks better on me on the Amazon skirt, but that’s because the ModCloth one is a tad too big for me after FASTer Way to Fat Loss! I’ve gotta try a size down in the ModCloth skirt.
Based just on looks, it’s very comparable. But in person, how the material feels and how the skirts move is different enough that I’d stick with ModCloth skirts. HOWEVER, if I had never owned the ModCloth skirt, I’d think the Amazon ones were fine. I wouldn’t even know what I was missing, know what I mean? That’s to say, if price is a big factor for you, give the Amazon skirts a shot! So affordable! But if that feel and drape and movement of a skirt is important to you, I’d recommend trying ModCloth’s skirt. (ModCloth offers free return shipping, so you can try them and return at no cost.)
Amazon skirts come in a variety of colors HERE. Mustard yellow appears to be sold out already (eek sorry!!), but other colors are worth trying. ModCloth skirts also come in tons of colors HERE.
(BTW you can find my striped tee HERE. Only $8! I sized up to M for a looser drapey fit.)
Nordstrom Try-Ons
Everleigh White Tunic – size S
I wear a white tunic by Lush that I absolutely love. It’s been one of my closet staples for years. Nordstrom moved it to Nordstrom Rack instead HERE. Not sure why, but hoping it’s not because they’re getting discontinued!
Anyway, I tried this white Everleigh tunic in hopes it’d be a great alternative in case my beloved Lush one is discontinued. Unfortunately I didn’t love this one. I wasn’t into the collar or neckline—I felt it came up higher than I wanted it to, wasn’t as open as the Lush one, and the trim around the V was more noticeable than I wanted it to be. Not sure if the trim around the V would be less noticeable in other colors.
Also, one thing I LOVE about the Lush tunics is how well they drape. They just fall in the most perfectly relaxed way while still looking put together and like you tried. You can see the comparison between the Everleigh and Lush tops above.
The white is a bit see-through. Above I’m not wearing a cami, just a nude bra.
But, the Everleigh tops have such great reviews, so it seems I’m the odd one out in my thoughts. With Nordstrom’s free shipping and free return shipping, it still might be worth trying it yourself. Perhaps it might fit you differently! I might also try one size up to see if I get a looser fit around the neck.
Comes in tons of colors that can be found HERE. The Lush one is available in lots of colors HERE–I wear size M even though it’s an oversized top. I feel M fits my shoulders the best, and the drape is so nice that even with it being very oversized it still fits me in a flattering way.
Caslon Batwing Sweatshirt– size S
Hahahaha okay, no. This was so silly I couldn’t even keep a straight face! ? I ordered this during Nordstrom’s recent Bonus Points thinking it’d be a fun sweatshirt for casual outfits. I knew it had drop shoulders and kind of winged out, but I didn’t know how extreme it’d be. The color is really pretty, but the material is interesting and a little strange. I don’t even know how to describe it! But more importantly, the sides are awkwardly wide. No thanks! 😛
Target Try-Ons
Grey Pants – size 6
Lately I’ve been showing a pair of grey pants for work from LOFT that many people have asked about. Unfortunately, they are no longer available, so I’ve been looking for an alternative for both you and me! (The LOFT ones are getting a little too big on me these days.) These pants are from Target, and they’re…okay. Not amazing, but not terrible. I really, really like the color and the texture, but the material is just okay. The color is more or less what you see on Target’s site, perhaps slightly darker in person.
The material has *some* stretch, but I wouldn’t rave about them being “soooo soft and stretchy and comfy.” I’ve encountered plenty of work pants and jeans that feel like yoga pants, but these do not. They are also on the thinner side, and just don’t feel as great as most other LOFT pants do. (See my reviews of 9 different types of work pants HERE.) Like I said, these are okay.
Fit–I’m wearing size 6, and while they fit fine initially, they loosened up within several minutes of wearing. As I wore them longer, the knees got a bit baggy, which isn’t always great for a polished work look.
Overall, I really like the color and MIGHT keep these depending on how problematic the knees become with more wear. Also, I’d only keep them more as a transitional piece to have grey pants as I continue to look for pants with better quality material. (Or as I just wait for Old Navy or LOFT to make pants in this color. :P) The material is such that I don’t think they’d last long in my closet, honestly. If you just need a pair of affordable grey pants, these are at least worth trying. The knees might fit you differently. But if you are looking for something that you want to keep in your closet for a while, I’d pass on these.
Find them HERE.
(Top is from LOFT last year. Not available anymore, sorry!)
Black Joggers – size S
These are jogger sweats, and they’re comfy though the inside is not the fuzzy kind of sweatshirt. Overall these have a fairly slender and flattering fit, yet there are a few things that I don’t love. Like, the leg opening flares out a little more than I’d like, or the waistband is nice and wide but does not offer much stretch—I have to work a bit to get these over my hips. Neither are dealbreakers, especially since these are much more flattering on me than other pairs I’ve tried over the years.
My biggest question was whether the knees got baggy. I wore them initially for a couple of hours, and while the knees bagged a bit, it wasn’t terrible! I was glad and excited! And THEN…
Towards the end of my trial, Ella threw up on them (not a stomach bug—rather, she’s been really sick and coughing so hard that it makes her throw up), so by default I had to keep them. That’s fine, I was leaning towards keeping them anyway or else I would definitely not have worn them while around sick kids. I had to wash them, which made them shrink. I was totally okay with that and was 99% sure they’d stretch out again, which they did. But this time, the knees got much baggier than the first couple hours I’d worn them. ??
Overall, the bagginess at the knees isn’t all that bad, and it’s even less significant if you’re just going to wear these around the house. But wanted to tell you because I know some of you really care about whether knees get baggy.
Anyway, just saw these are on clearance for $13.73 (!!!) sooooooo at that price, these are definitely worth it! Haha! Find them HERE.
(My striped tee is from H&M several years ago. There’s a scoop neck one for $8 at Target right HERE. I size up to M for a looser fit.)
Mustard Jeans – size 4
I’ve been wanting yellow jeans for YEARS, but hadn’t been able to find the right pair. So, when girls from the Spring 2019 Challenge were talking about these jeans, I HAD TO try them. They’re by Universal Thread, which is Target’s knockoff brand of Madewell.
These jeans are fairly thick and extremely stretchy. They have a higher waist, which I personally don’t prefer since I have a short torso—high waist pants cut into my stomach—but they’re loose enough on me that I can live with them.
On the note of looseness, these run quite large! I’m wearing size 4, and they are not as fitted as I typically wear my jeans. I have extra room in the waist, and add in how high-rise jeans don’t work well on me, there’s even more extra material. The legs also have a bit of room. Not deal breakers though, especially given how long I’ve wanted yellow jeans! I’m tempted to try size 2, though I’m wary of super tight jeans in a color that looks close-ish to my skin tone lest I look like I’m not wearing pants. ? I do love that these are fairly fitted at the ankle, especially compared to a pair of yellow LOFT jeans that I tried a few weeks ago which had a very wide ankle opening.
After wearing for a couple hours, these stretched out a tad, but not a ton from initial wear.
Overall, not completely perfect for me with the higher waist and being a tad loose, but definitely keeping! I’ve been looking for mustard jeans for SO long, and these are the best yet!
Find them HERE.
UPDATE: I tried the size 2’s! They fit REALLY well, with that perfectly skinny ankle. And as far as whether or not I look like I’m pant-less in them…uh, it’s questionable. ? The verdict in my Instastory poll from yesterday was split around around 40/60 saying they looked fine, which I was shocked by. Because every time I walked by a mirror in the size 2’s I thought I looked like I didn’t have pants on. Haha!
(My striped tee is from H&M several years ago. There’s a scoop neck one for $8 at Target right HERE. I size up to M for a looser fit.)
Olive Joggers – size S
I really, really want a pair of olive joggers for summer, but these, unfortunately, are not it. They were tight at the waist but not fitted down the entire leg, which made for an unflattering fit. Nor was Ella impressed. ? Otherwise, these were soft and a lightweight material that would be great for spring and summer!
Polka Dot Dress – size S
I recently showed this in an outfit post, but in case you missed it, this dress is all sorts of goodness! Soft, stretchy, and so, so comfy! It’s one of those dresses I love to call “pajama dresses” because they’re so comfy that they might as well be pajamas. 😀 Most of the “pajama dresses” I wear these days have a loose swing silhouette which doesn’t work well for many women. This dress has a lot more shape. The the faux-wrap (really just a cross-front), tie at the waist, and slight a-line down the legs create a flattering silhouette. The cross-front is easy to breastfeed or pump in–just gotta pull to the side.
One note is that I found the bust was loose and needed to wear a camisole with it. But, I have a small chest, so if you have a bigger bust that may not be an issue.
This is great for a comfy business casual outfit or dressy casual outfit! See it HERE. Get the dress HERE.
Alright, that’s it for now. Anything piquing your interest? Stay tuned for another try-on with more to come!
(My red flats are only $26.99 from Amazon HERE.)
Join the PMT Spring 2019 Challenge!
This is a reminder that the PMT Spring 2019 Challenge starts on Monday, April 1st! If you’ve been thinking of joining, sign up soon! Read all about it and see the capsule wardrobe we’ll be using for it HERE.