SUMMER FASHION FAVS - JULY 2015 EDITION

Over the years one thing I have learned when working in a business environment is how to make the most of my wardrobe and my budget. Especially when I am trying to find clothes that will easily transition from a Monday morning business meeting to a casual Friday night out with my girlfriends or even date night with hubs all without spending a fortune. One of my favorite stores to shop for these types of clothes is Ann Taylor. 

Now Ann Taylor is not a cheap store. They carry better to high-end quality clothes with a mid-range price tag. So to get the most savings I would advise one to subscribe to their emails and sign up in-store to be notified of upcoming promotions and sales.

Here are a few of my favorite tops for Summer that I recently purchased in store and online (I'll include links for each of the items as well).

image: AnnTaylor.com

Scoop Neck Tee -
When I see the word "TEE" I instantly think of a plain white cotton t-shirt so don't let the name of this top fool you. Even though it is considered a "TEE" the look and feel of this top makes it more like a short sleeve shell blouse and it is the perfect layering piece. It features a scoop neckline which is nice and not so low as to be too revealing. With a straight hem it can be tucked in when worn under a suit or left out when worn with a cardigan, jacket or blazer. The fit, the fabric is a touch of spandex with a cotton - modal blend, is fitted but flatters the figure even us curvy gals. (FYI: Cotton Modal fabrics have a softer feel, shrink less, and are more absorbent than other pure cotton fabrics.) Typically I wear a medium in tops but this one does run small so I purchased it in a large. It comes in six colors and I purchased three: sky, black and white. STYLE #369769

image: AnnTaylor.com

Etched Rosette Tee -
This etched floral top features a scoop neckline, short sleeves and a shirttail hem. With this top the cotton - modal blend fabric flows and fits loosely around the waist. It does run a tad large so I purchased it in a medium. The cute floral pattern design of this top (which I LOVE) and the shirttail hem definitely evokes the comfort factor for me. It still falls under work appropriate when paired underneath a suit but I can definitely see wearing it tucked in with some ankle pants for a more casual Friday vibe as well. Or even left untucked adding a touch of jewelry to glam it up a bit and then pairing it with jeans or shorts for an evening out. STYLE #384995

image: AnnTaylor.com

Paisley Scoop Neck Tee -
This paisley top features the same scoop neckline, short sleeves and shirttail hem as the one above. What sets it apart is the fabric. It is a linen and cotton modal blend which gives it a crispness and drapes closer to the body. It does run small so I would advise going one size larger. I went with a large just so I could tuck it into a pair of dress pants comfortably and not worry about it coming untucked. For a more casual look I would pair it with some white cropped pants or ankle pants and then for a more relaxed evening look I would opt for some white denim shorts to pair with it. STYLE #369780

image: AnnTaylor.com

Bumble Bee Cotton Tee -
How cute is this top! I love the gold bumblebee motif and pair the top with some gold jewelry will really amp up the wow factor with this one. The top features a scoop neckline, short sleeves and a straight hem. It does run true to size. I purchased it in a medium and it fits perfectly. Keep in mind though, the fabric is 100% cotton so I would advise washing on gentle cycle and allowing it to air dry as opposed to drying it in the dryer. This will help reduce shrinkage and fading. STYLE #376622

image: AnnTaylor.com

Floral Medallion Tee -
I first saw this top at the Ann Taylor store in the Northlake mall. It is part of their new arrivals collection which consists of key pieces designed for the upcoming Fall 2015 season. The top has a scoop neckline, short sleeves and a shirttail hem made up of a cotton - modal fabric that drapes the upper body nicely. It does feel a tad big but it runs true to size so I purchased it online in a medium (the store was sold out of my size). The poppy colored accents found within the floral medallion design allow this top to transition beautifully from Summer to Fall easily. STYLE #385000

image: AnnTaylor.com

Etched Floral Tee -
This etched floral top is also part of the new arrivals collection for Fall 2015. The combination of varying shades of blue and poppy colored accents make this gorgeous floral top such a beautiful "Must Have" for Summer or Fall. It has a scoop neckline, short sleeves and a shirttail hem. The fabric is a cotton-modal blend but unlike the other tops this one drapes closer to the upper body and isn't as free flowing. For comfort I went with a medium and it fits true to size.
STYLE #385001

image: AnnTaylor.com

Lace Halter Top -
Now while this top definitely doesn't fall under the work appropriate category I still love it! This was my splurge but it didn't really cost that much. My husband and I have date night once or twice a month so I wanted a top that was both sexy and cute that I could pair with jeans, shorts or capris depending on the weather. This top is perfect for such an occasion. It features a halter style neck, it's sleeveless and the back has a keyhole tie. The material is a cotton / modal blend that flows loosely, has a shirttail hem (higher in front and lower in the back) and comes in sky blue and dark blue. I bought the dark blue in a medium. It runs a little big on me and I probably could have gotten away with a small but the store only had XS and medium left so I opted for the latter. STYLE #373336

GRAND OPENING CHARLOTTE PREMIUM OUTLET MALL - MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT TO EXPECT and HELPFUL TIPS

Overview -
This past weekend was a fun-filled day of shopping for my family. The Charlotte Premium Outlet mall had just opened their doors on Thursday, July 31st and they were offering shoppers a 4-day celebration of awesome deals and sales. The list of stores at the outlet mall is quite impressive and every store has a ton of people ready to assist you. Many stores were offering 20-40% off your entire purchase with some stores hosting giveaways and contests. While other stores would offer a small discount up front and then offer even bigger discounts at a later date to try and entice you back with the promise of additional savings.

This is the newest mall to be built since Northlake mall opened in 2005 and although there are several outlet malls in surrounding areas I believe this is the first outlet mall of its kind for Charlotte. The new outlet mall is quite impressive - a size of approx. 400,000 square ft (with an additional 125K square ft available for potential expansion), over 100 new stores to shop, and the main anchor store is Saks 5th Avenue Off Fifth. At this time there are 2,000 parking spaces for shoppers at the outlet mall and three overflow parking areas located in surrounding neighborhoods (Berewick Elementary School, Radiant Church and Shopton Square Shopping Center) with shuttle buses operating from 6 am to 11 pm taking shoppers to and from the outlet mall.

What to expect trying to get there -
Opening day, Thursday, July 31st, shoppers showed up as early as 6 am in the hopes of scoring some awesome deals. It was the same on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with police routinely shutting down surrounding entrances and roads into the mall to allow time for parking spaces at the outlet mall to clear out. Depending on the time of day, the shutdown could be for as little as an hour or two or at its most extreme it could be for several hours. On Saturday, the traffic fiasco was made even worse due to a special guest appearance by Bethenny Frankel, who founded Skinnygirl Cocktails. Roads were shutdown for three to four hours at a time.

Our experience trying to just get there -
Getting to the exit for the outlet mall didn't take us long - we took I485 south to exit 4 on Shopton road. We tried to turn right going towards the mall but the police directing the traffic diverted everyone away from the mall - either go back onto I485 or travel down the road in the opposite direction of the mall and then make a u-turn. After having to sit in traffic for well over an hour we finally made it to the road leading up to the mall entrance only to be turned away once again. According to police, the mall was closed. By now, it was around 5 pm and we were tired, hungry and beyond aggravated about the outlet mall closing so early. We decided to get a bite to eat before heading home and coincidentally there was a Bojangles directly across from the road leading to the mall entrance so we stopped there.

While we relaxed and ate our food cars kept pulling into Bojangles thinking they could park there and walk to the mall. Not so, the managers at Bojangles were patrolling the restaurant parking lot and turning people away who weren't there to eat at their establishment. On the roadways it was even worse, people were abandoning their cars on the sides of the road and making the really long walk to the mall. It was sheer madness! We stayed at the restaurant for about 45 minutes all the while we watched as scores of people walked along the roadways heading towards the mall. We also saw hordes of cars exiting as well but the police were still not allowing cars into the mall entrances. It was during this time we realized the mall hadn't closed it was just filled beyond capacity with too many cars and not enough parking spaces. Well, I guess we timed it perfectly because just as we were leaving Bojangles the police decided to reopen the main road leading to the mall entrance. By then hardly any traffic remained so we were able to park and shop at our leisure.

Helpful tips -
For right now the best time to shop at the outlet mall will be right as they open. Any later in the day and a person runs the risks of not being able to get in due to the police presence and them shutting down the entrances to the mall. I wouldn't advise going close to closing either as the majority of the merchandise will be picked over and not worth it.

This is an open style mall with some areas covered and some open. If it rains an umbrella or a rain jacket will be needed. If the weather is cool or hot then it might be necessary to dress in layers to accommodate the ever changing crazy weather. Also, there are plenty of places to rest with seating and benches all along the middle of the walkway.

There were a few snack shops open such as Great American Cookie and Auntie Anne's but not much else in the way of food. The food court wasn't open yet but several food trucks and food vendors were readily available along the perimeter of the mall with overpriced food similar to what one would find at the ballpark. Take for example Chick-fil-A, they had $5 dollar sandwiches with your choice of spicy or original chicken and for an additional $2.50 you could get a bag of waffle chips. One thing noticeably missing were soda machines or drinking fountains. Those were located in a few of the restrooms situated midway on both sides of the mall.

Shopping was extremely easy with a few of the more popular stores having long lines such as Kate Spade and Nike. There was a line just to enter the Kate Spade store but once inside shoppers could freely roam the store without feeling crowded or rushed. Overall there was plenty of sales associates to assist shoppers and to expedite the checkout process.

Our shopping experience -
My husband and son shopped mainly for clothes at Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle and Aeropostle while I shopped at stores such as Coach, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor, Talbots, Kate Spade and Michael Kors. We did purchase quite a few items from various other stores such as Wilson's Leather, Eddie Bauer and Adidas as well. The prices were definitely in line with what one could expect from an outlet mall so that was nice as well. Overall we were really happy with the deals / sales that were being offered and we saved quite a bit.

Be sure to check back - I'm super excited to show you everything that I got.

CURRENTLY CRAVING / ON MY WISHLIST / DEALS AND SALES

GIORGIO ARMANI -

Today is the last day for the Giorgio Armani Friends and Family event. Get 20% off with code FAMILY14 once you spend $75 or more. For an added bonus spend $125 or more and get 5 deluxe samples. One of the items I've been loving from this brand are the Rouge Ecstasy lipsticks. I currently have 508 Daybreak (check out my review here) so I totally took advantage of this offer and picked up a few more lip products. I also wanted a few more Cheek Fabric blushes, I have 506 (check out my review here) so I was going to purchase 503 and 507 but unfortunately they are waitlist only right now. Anyway I'll probably get those later when they are back in stock. Another great item to add to the shopping list are the Fluid Sheers. I have a few of those and they last a really, really long time (I'll post the review links below) and the same goes for the Maestro Fusion blushes too. The last two items I wanted to purchase are a few of the single eyeshadows and a couple of the eyeshadow quad compacts. I haven't tried either one before so these are definitely at the top of my shopping list.

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID SHEER 8 SPRING 2013 COLLECTION - SWATCHES and REVIEW

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID SHEER 9 SPRING 2013 COLLECTION - SWATCHES and REVIEW

400 GIORGIO ARMANI MAESTRO FUSION BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW 

500 GIORGIO ARMANI MAESTRO FUSION BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW 

NARS -

Another new product I'm really excited about are the Nars Dual-Intensity eyeshadows. OMG, they look gorgeous! There are twelve shades to choose from, they retail for about $29 and they contain .05 oz of product. These are shimmer eyeshadows that can be applied dry or wet depending on your personal preference. The eyeshadows are already available for purchase on the Nars.com website but if you need to see it and swatch it in person then they should start popping up in stores starting tomorrow, July 1st. 

 

NORDSTROM -

Over the weekend I made a quick trip to Nordstrom for some sandals. I needed a cute pair for the upcoming July 4th weekend only I didn't have any luck finding anything I really liked. So after I got back home I checked online and I found these: MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Gage' Flip Flops. How cute are they! They come in two different colors: Vanilla and Brown and they were only around $59. Another bonus is the thick sole (I just hate a flat shoe) and they look so comfy! I'm super excited to be getting these! Now I just need to find a new purse to go with them! Haha! 

BEYOND THE RACK: SKINNYGIRL PRODUCTS on SALE TODAY!

For more Bethenny events, check BTR TODAY and Wednesday - they are selling her skincare, makeup, and fitness accessories!

For a while now I had been looking for good quality workout wear but at an affordable price. Yesterday, when I received an e-mail from Beyond the Rack (BTR) that Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl products were going to be featured on their website at 11 AM I was so excited. Her Skinnygirl line is immensely popular and tends to sell out rather quickly wherever it is sold. She has even featured some of the products from this line on her hit reality TV show, Bethenny Ever After. So I definitely wanted to make sure that I got some key workout pieces from her line.

Here are just some of the items that I have purchased so far...

Cotton Tank In Black (Reg $22.00 Now $12.99 USD)

Item SKISG1232BK

Continuing with the Skinnygirl mantra, simple solutions for women, Bethenny created problem solving undergarments Skinnygirl Smoothers n' Shapers. The collection is the answer for women who are busy, on the go and don't have a lot of time to get ready, but still want to feel and look sexy without compromising comfort

Features breathable cotton spandex

Built-in shelf bra for support

Comfortable racerback design

Color: Black

Composition: 95% Cotton, 5% Spandex

Cotton Yoga Pant In Cherry Red (Reg $28.00 Now $16.99 USD)

Item SKISG1253CRD

Continuing with the Skinnygirl mantra, simple solutions for women, Bethenny created problem solving undergarments Skinnygirl Smoothers n' Shapers. The collection is the answer for women who are busy, on the go and don't have a lot of time to get ready, but still want to feel and look sexy without compromising comfort

Features full length pant

Foldover waistband for easy adjustment

Color: Cherry Red

Composition: 95% Cotton, 5% Spandex

REMEMBER: Use EBATES to earn an extra 3% cash back on all purchases made at BEYOND THE RACK

STYLEMINT: EXPLAINED & HOW TO JOIN

Michigan: short sleeve, asymmetrical scoop neck T.
Cabernet: 50% supima cotton, 50% micro modal Charcoal heather: 100% cotton mélange

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I first joined StyleMint in the month of July. I went through the steps for my personal profile evaluation and was really excited to see what the four shirts were going to look like. Typically, each of the shirts vary in style and design and come in various colors. I had seen previews and promo pics of some of the shirts and I already had my eye on one of them. I couldn't wait to get a better look at everything. Much to my surprise the t-shirts were so popular several sold out rather quickly including the t-shirt that I had wanted. Well, I didn't like anything else so I decided to wait for the August t-shirts and this is the one that I selected - the Michigan T.

Final thoughts:
While it is a nice looking shirt, it was rather larger than what I had thought it was going to be and the quality was a little lackluster. I can definitely see myself wearing this layered over a tank or maybe another shirt but I wouldn't wear it alone seeing as how thin the material was. It almost appeared to be somewhat sheer.

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