Happy Friday, friends! I have a new try-on haul for you today. I’m waiting on quite a few packages to come in, so this one’s a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it out to you today because Nordstrom is doing Bonus Points for Nordy Club members.
Be sure to sign in (or sign up!) to earn rewards on all of your Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack purchases, and you may want to reference my Nordstrom Finds & Favorites that I posted yesterday.
I also have a post on Everyday Jewelry Worth Investing In that you may want to re-read. Most of these pieces never go on sale, so I like to at least earn Bonus Points on those purchases. I’ve linked a bunch of those items below, as I wear them so often.
Okay, let’s get started! I work from home and live a very casual lifestyle, so I wear a lot of denim. I’ve been feeling like I need some new tops to add variety to my life, so I ordered a few to try.
Fall Tops & Sweaters I’ve Ordered Recently
SIZING NOTES: I’m 5’5″ and I usually wear a small in tops and dresses, a 29 in jeans, and a size 8 shoe. If you have any questions, let me know, and I’ll do my best to help you out!
Caslon Cozy Knit Top
at Nordstrom (S) // MOTHER denim (29) // flats (8) // PAIGE denim (29) (25% off) // boots (8) // Lagos earrings // ring // bracelets one & two
This cozy knit top is aptly named; it’s very soft and comfortable, and I love the color, but the length and shape makes it tricky to style. It has a relaxed fit with a straight hemline with side slits, and it’s 24 1/2″ long.
A front tuck accentuates my waistline and helps to balance out the proportions of the ankle-length jeans, but because of the side slits, it still hangs rather straight across the front. Maybe I can adjust it to get a bit of a curve, which I find more flattering.
I do, however, like the color with the medium wash denim, and I appreciate the set-in sleeves. There’s just a tiny gather at the shoulder, but not enough to offend my Plain Jane sensibilities, and I like the 3/4-length sleeves with a banded cuff for transition season.
STYLE TIP: Conventional wisdom states that 3/4-length sleeves are universally flattering because they end between the elbow and wrist, thus highlighting the smallest part of your arm, and drawing the eye up to the waist rather than down to the hips.
For more on sleeve lengths, and a fun discussion in the comments, visit Angie at YouLookFab.
This top comes in 4 other colors, but as for this pretty shade of burgundy, I wanted to try it with a darker bottom, so I changed into the PAIGE Claudine ankle flares in Black Lotus, and swapped my tan suede flats for black leather ankle boots.
SALE ALERT: These exact jeans are 25% off at Bloomies.
I like this look a lot, although I was picturing this top with more casual looks. I guess it can go either way, which is always nice.
VERDICT: Probably gonna keep this one. It’s easy and comfy, and the color is really pretty. Plus, it’s a good price. It should look good with light wash jeans and sneakers, too.
Caslon Waffle Organic Cotton Blend Henley Top
at Nordstrom (S) // MOTHER denim (30) // sneakers (8h) // PAIGE denim (29) (on sale at Bloomies) // clogs (8) // Lagos earrings // ring // bracelets one & two
SALE ALERT: These sneakers are 25% off at J.Crew. They run true to size for a sneaker. I’m in the 8 1/2 (it is listed as 8h on their website.)
I love a waffle knit henley top for casual fall outfits, and this one did not disappoint. It’s also a Caslon top, so the price is great, and the quality is good too. It’s a stretchy ribbed knit fabric, so I sized up to a medium.
It’s a little long untucked, so I did a front tuck with these slim straight ankle jeans, and I feel like this looks much better. When it’s untucked, it seems to cut me in half, vertically, but the front tuck makes me look more balanced.
I tried to situate it so it’s not sitting straight across my hips, but it creates a subtle curve, which I find to be more flattering.
I like the casual look with straight ankle jeans and sneakers, but I also tried it the PAIGE Sasha – a high-rise straight leg jean with a loose, relaxed column fit.
These jeans have a 32″ inseam, so I swapped out the sneakers for clogs. They still have a casual vibe, but the 3 1/2″ heel with a 1″ platform gives me the extra height I need so they don’t drag on the floor.
I played with the untucked look and a full tuck. Since the jeans have a 11 3/4” rise, they almost come up high enough to meet my natural waist, so I thought I might like the tucked-in look, but I think it just makes me look boxy. I feel like you can actually see my waist more in the untucked version.
SALE ALERT: There are a few sizes of these jeans on sale at Saks, and there are a few other sizes (not on sale) at Paige.com.
I tried adding a belt… first a wide brown belt to coordinate with the shoes, but this just seems to draw a line across the widest part of my abdomen, which is not the look I’m going for.
STYLE TIP: To quote Jen of Everyday Style School, “never put a horizontal line across the widest part of anything, unless you want it to look bigger”.
Next, I tried a narrower black belt, thinking it would blend in better, and it does, but I don’t think it’s a good look. A skinny belt tends to look more dressy, and this is supposed to be a casual outfit.
I think I like this top best untucked with the longer jeans or front-tucked (no belt) with the shorter ones. What say you?
VERDICT: I’m keeping the top, but I think I like it best with the more casual ankle jeans and sneakers. Definitely size up, if in between. It fits pretty close to the body.
Bia Sleek Henley
at Evereve (M) // PAIGE denim (29) (on sale at Bloomies) // Kork-Ease clogs (8) / Lagos earrings // ring // bracelets one & two
I’ve shown you this top before, but after trying on the black waffle henley with these jeans and clogs, I wanted to see how this top would look with them.
It doesn’t have quite as much of a body-con fit, and the fabric is slightly more elevated, so it drapes a little better around the waist area, creating more curves than straight lines. I also like the color combination better.
I tried the brown belt again, and I do like the extra detail and the waist definition it provides.
VERDICT: The top was already a keeper, but I’m still debating about these jeans. I like them, but I don’t love that I need to wear heels with them. I keep trying them with different looks to see if they have the versatility to earn a spot in my fall/winter wardrobe.
Treasure & Bond Oversize V-Neck Sweater
at Nordstrom (S) // PAIGE denim (29) // boots (8) // similar FRAME denim (29) (on sale!) // sneakers (8h) (25% off!) // Lagos earrings // ring
Now, this cozy, comfy, relaxed sweater is right up my alley! I usually don’t love a drop shoulder, but the interesting crossover v-neckline and slouchy, high/low silhouette has a really nice casual vibe.
I threw it on with medium wash bootcut jeans and black booties, and I like it. It’s simple, but it works. As an aside, these jeans are so flattering. I love a classic bootcut style, and these have an impeccable fit… at least, for me. I realize every woman is different, but this style is a favorite of many.
My exact pair is not on sale (although it does qualify for Nordstrom Bonus Points) but Saks has a slightly lighter wash that’s 25% off.
I also tried this sweater with lighter wash straight ankle jeans and sneakers, and I like this look too. I love it when a top works well with both longer and shorter jeans.
Here are a few more angles. I can see throwing this on for so many casual days this fall.
The fabric is 52% acrylic, 20% polyester, 16% cotton, 10% viscose, 2% spandex, so no wool for those who can’t tolerate it. It also comes in beige, green, and light grey. (This one is charcoal.)
I also tried it with black loafers, to see how it looks dressed up a bit more, and it works, but I really like this look better with the sneakers.
VERDICT: Keeping! This one almost makes me want sweater weather… but I can wait a few more weeks, thankyouverymuch.
Madewell Alna V-Neck Sweater
at Nordstrom (S) // KUT from the Kloth cords (6) // similar western boots (8) // lug sole boots (8) // Jenny Bird earrings // Yurman bracelet // ring
This sweater is from the #NSale, but it’s still fully stocked, and I love the color. It’s also really soft and easy to throw on with any style of jeans. The 20 1/2′ length is really nice with the higher rises that are trending.
I pulled it on with these beige cords from last year. I think this color combo is really nice for fall and winter, but these jeans are pretty long on me. They have a 33″ inseam, so even with these 2 3/4″ heel booties, they’re dragging on the ground.
I swapped out the western style booties for these lug sole booties, thinking they were quite a bit taller, but it didn’t help much. Evidently these are just a 3″ heel, so only a 1/2″ difference.
VERDICT: I am keeping both the sweater and the corduroys, but I think I will get the cords hemmed so they don’t drag on the floor with 3″ heels.
That’s all I’ve got for now, but I do have another post coming to you later today with my top picks from the Saks Friends & Family Sale, so stay tuned for that!
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photos: Alison Cornell
I loved that gray sweater on you but when I clicked through the link it looks very oversized on the model. Curious if you sized down? The big, oversized sweater look seems dated right now with all the elevated basics and “lady jacket”-vibes out there but, again, it looks awesome on you! I’m usually somewhere between an XS and a S in sweaters depending on the brand, thoughts?
Wondering the same thing! Agree it looks great on you. I am usually a small or xsmall too. I am curious about your thoughts on the “lady jackets”. They appear classic and look nice? I can’t get past they remind me of my great aunt wearing them in her 80s lol
I’m probably never going to wear a lady jacket. I can’t put a finger on exactly why, but they read rather stuffy to me. Not to say that some women don’t pull them off beautifully, but I just inherently know that I would feel frumpy and mumsy. I liked them better when they had a moment with skinny jeans, that is a look I felt like I could sort of pull off. But not with trousers or pleated skirts, the way I’m seeing them styled now.
What is a “lady jacket?”
It’s a the style of jacket you probably associate with Chanel. It is very Emily Gilmore, lol! Like this and this. J.Crew has a lot of them.
I like the *idea* of them dressed down with jeans, but they are very boxy and structured. I am looking at some of the sweatery styles, and thinking I will take one for the team and order some to try. Who knows, I might find one I actually feel good in. There are lots of options out there right now.
It definitely is an oversized fit, you could certainly size down. I am sort of in between a small and medium these days, and I like the fit of the small. I don’t think this oversized sweater looks dated because it’s a shorter length, and it looks good with the bootcut and straight fit jeans, but it definitely isn’t as trendy as more fitted styles. There are a lot of days when I just want a cozy, oversized sweater, and I think this grey one is perfect for that, paired with current denim styles.
Thanks for bringing the length of sweater into play so over sized doesn’t look dated……helps when wearing existing sweaters and sometimes why something is “off”. I bought a navy tweed short fitted jacket recently…..thinking I would wear this season but now I feel too equestrian like….tags are still on it.
I know you’re a really big fan of denim looks, but it would be interesting (even if it’s not “your thing” lol!) to get your take on pairing dressy-casual tops with (black) stretch pants. I mean: I ABSOLUTELY love my bootcut Mothers with a crisp white collar blouse anytime; *however*, the thought of wearing jeans a lot for ten hours-a-day becomes a daunting prospect when one wishes they could lose extra weight to not have it be such a hassle 🙁 . Those two v-neck sweaters would look great, IMO, with black knit leggings.
Yeah, I don’t wear stretch pants or leggings as pants. I am just not a fan. There are definitely some ponte knit pants that would work, but they read more dressy to me. I prefer the sweaters in this post with denim.
I’m with you about leggings and stretch pants. Leggings to me are like wearing pantyhose. Most women hate pantyhose yet will wear leggings in the heat of summer. I’ve seen it here in 100 plus weather. Totally baffles me.
How do you find the Vince flats fit? I want to order (again) but my normal size was so long (lots of space beyond toes), but reviews say sizing down made them too tight across foot. Do you not find them awkwardly long in your normal size? Did you try sizing down?
I did not size down, but I wish I had. They slip off my feet sometimes when I walk, so I am going to get some type of pad to put under the ball of my foot.
Ok, thanks for the feedback. I think I will order 1/2 size down to try. The toe does not seem too squared off to you?
No, I love that feature. 🙂
I like the first top best with the black jeans. The green top and cords are also cute. I recently bought bootleg cords that I need to have altered too. I agree with your assessments on the black top. I’m going to start taking selfies to check out how the waist area looks
Taking selfies of your outfits is the best way to get clarity on what looks best on you. I highly recommend it.
I have the last sweater you styled but when you first showed it, they were out of the green, so I ordered the mauve. I haven’t wore it yet, as the weather has been too warm. We have a storm coming for the weekend with lots of rain, so maybe I’ll get my chance. As for he JCrew sneaker, does the heel tab say JCREW on it? I don’t like the ones I got last year with that. I thought it wouldn’t bother me, but it does. Its in gold and the sneaker is too clunky of a style for me, so I’ve worn only once. One of those bad purchases. Great sale price though. LOL
I LOVE the Treasure and Bond v neck sweater – every way you styled it.
I’d recommend you pass on the Paige jeans you are on the fence about, they seem tough to style and you can do better!
I love your try on hauls! But I really just wanted to say that lately I’ve struggled with your site going all over the place on my phone. I just realized on this one that it’s not doing that and yay!!!
Glad to hear it! My developer fixed it, and it’s better for me, but some are still having issues.
I’m having trouble with the site jumping around on my phone. Seems I have to be really careful where my finger lands when I try scrolling or the whole page refreshes and resizes. Sometime I have to get out and start over.
I’m sorry. I don’t know why it is fixed for some and not for others.
Love your facial expressions that match your comments.