future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

This past weekend I went to Anthropologie in order to take advantage of my 15% off birthday discount before May rolled in. I tried on quite a few lovely things, but had to resist hauling it all to the checkout.

You see, I too-recently splurged on some lovely shoes (which you'll see sooooon!) as a belated birthday gift to myself and could not have possibly afforded an Anthro splurge as well without resorting to selling a kidney or two. So, only two lovely things came home with me -- the top you're about to see and the Spring Shelter cardigan -- which, for the record, may just be the softest, most comfortablest (it's a word that now exists just to describe this item), oversized sweater in existence.

bright future top, anthropologie

cord skinnies, j.crew

sandals, target

necklace, aerie

ring, f21

leaf ring, from australia

bangle, kate spade

I sized up with this top because I wanted it to be ludicrously huge and billowy. It was already huge and billowy, mind you, but I wanted MOOOOORE.

It is incredibly comfortable, and sheer enough for any colored or patterned bra to shine through clearer than Las Vegas on a clear night. With a nude bra, though, you can't really tell that it's sheer, so I'd say it's safe to wear without a cami as long as you wear a bra that closely matches your skin tone.

I'm wearing it with just skinnies here, but it also looks great tucked into a maxi skirt (which I tried but decided that one maxi skirt ensemble this week is enough). I didn't try it with a pencil skirt yet, but I figure that there may be too much excess material, which we all know is a prime cause of the dreaded Butt Bumpies in form-fitted skirts.

ANTHRO REVIEWS

Hello hello! Popping in over the weekend to put up some new reviews that a few ladies may find useful.

So here's the outfit:


And here are the pieces:

Jeweler's Choice Cardigan, $148:

YAY. I know this is on the wishlist of many (including mine!), and let me just say that I can see why! This cardigan is every bit as beautiful as it appears online. The beading detail is absolutely stunning, and even though it reads as reddish in my pictures, it is actually a nice coral hue. I was worried at first that the beading detail would be overwhelming, but it's a nice size that adds a pop of pizazz to an otherwise straight-forward cardigan without being too over-the-top. I can definitely see this working with a variety of outfits effortlessly. The knit is slightly scratchy on my sensitive skin, but it's nothing intolerable. I'm wearing my regular size in this photo and the buttons are pulling, but it's mostly because I've kind of -- gulp -- put on a few pounds recently, so I'd wager that if I were my regular size, there wouldn't be a button-pulling issue. All in all, it runs TTS and a winner! I'm stalking this and crossing my fingers that it'll make it to the sales rack!

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Amhara Skirt, $68:

YAY. This little number didn't catch my eye at all online, but in stores, the bright colors and canvas-y material just called my name. It did not disappoint! The skirt is fun, and its light material makes it a perfect summer skirt while the colors make it easy to "autumn/winter-ize." On my 5'3" frame, the skirt hit about 2 inches from my knees, which is the perfect mini length for me, but taller gals may need to see for themselves whether this is too mini or not. I'd say this fits TTS. I can imagine wearing it with a utilitarian jacket and white v-neck tee, or with a nice gingham button-down for some awesome pattern mixing. Waiting for a sale!

As always, leave any questions you may have in the comments or e-mail me. Have a great rest of the weekend!