Career Clothing Try-On Session – Ann Taylor

Hello and welcome to Dressed for My Day. Today I’m sharing a recent try-on session from Ann Taylor. Saturday I went to Ann Taylor just for the purpose of trying on career clothing. While I work from a home office, I know many of my readers have jobs in the workplace and need to dress professionally. So, while I didn’t need to purchase any of the items I tried on, I wanted to share my career clothing finds with you.

***Ann Taylor has extended their offer of 40% off your entire purchase through Monday, August 20th. Yay!!*** Use code HELLONEW.

Sizing information: I’m 5’8″ and weigh 148. I have a medium build and rather balanced body proportions. Usually I wear a size 8 in Ann Taylor pants and a size 6 curvy in their jeans. I fluctuate between small and medium tops. Often I wear a small in blouses, but a medium in sweaters.

Casual Friday

So let’s start out with an outfit for the best day of the week…Casual Friday! Really, I just grabbed these beautiful skinny jeans in vino from my rack of clothes first. But I have to tell you, I love them. Unfortunately I missed my chance to order them. I’m wearing the Modern Skinny jeans in a size 6 here, and I really need the size 6 in the Curvy fit, which they don’t have in the stores. Alas, they sold out online before I could get them in vino. They’re back in stock in all sizes except 00. But they still have them in a really nice moss green. Otherwise, there are plenty of sizes available in both the modern and curvy cut.

I did take a rear view shot, but the lighting was so bad that you can’t tell anything from it. So you’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that they really look nice from the rear, too. I love that these jeans don’t seem to bunch and wrinkle up like so many do. The fabric is soft and giving, but I don’t think they would stretch out as you wore them.

I’m wearing the lacy tie cuff blouse in light dusty blue. It’s also available in winter white and night sky. I like the way this blouse fits better than the camp shirts you’ll see later here. I’m wearing a small blouse and it fits well.

***Ann Taylor has extended their offer of 40% off your entire purchase through Monday, August 20th. Yay!!*** Use code HELLONEW

Ankle Pants

Next I tried on the ankle pant in dash plaid. I love, love, love these pants. They fit nicely, have just enough give and stretch and look classic, but modern.

I’m wearing the ankle pant in dash plaid with a chevron short sleeve sweater (size medium) in tender blossom. It’s also available in white. I added this plaid silk little scarf, and it would look great with the white sweater, too. In fact, it might look better with the white sweater. You could wear black or gray pumps or flats with this ensemble. I like these black Frannie suede bow pumps or these lower kitten heel pumps in portobello. Or you could go with these Ada suede tassel flats.

Next I tried the ankle pant in dash plaid with this short sleeve sweater in light apricot whisper. I’m pretty sure that here I’m wearing a small, but later I switched to the medium and liked that better.

Once again, I have on the ankle pant in dash plaid with the short sleeve sweater in black. It’s also available in winter white. Here the sweater is the medium. And unlike the messy mirror in my Trunk Club unboxing, this dirty mirror is not my responsibility! But I’m sorry for it all the same.

Pardon my big ol’ bare feet, but I wanted you to get to see this plaid up close. Really, I can’t say enough nice things about these pants. I just really like them. I don’t need any of these clothes and I managed to escape without buying any. But I really wanted to take these plaid pants home with me.

The Chelsea Skinny Pants

I wanted to like the Chelsea skinny pants, but they just don’t work for me. I have very muscular calves (at least that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!) and so these end up looking more like leggings than pants on me. I’m all for a skinny pant, but these made my legs feel like sausages stuffed into casings. If you have thinner legs – and many women do – then these would probably be beautiful on you. They’re a nice heavy fabric and very elegant. But not when you look stuffed into them. I’m wearing the 8.

I don’t even have a good head-on photo of these pants. You know when something doesn’t fit the last thing you want to do is take a photo of yourself in them, so…

I also really wanted to like this camp shirt in desert bloom. Unfortunately, they didn’t have it in my size, so this isn’t a very good representation. I’m wearing a medium and clearly I need a small. The color is gorgeous, however.

***Ann Taylor has extended their offer of 40% off your entire purchase through Monday, August 20th. Yay!!*** Use code HELLONEW

Ankle Pants in Herringbone

Because I didn’t like the Chelsea skinny pants on me, I switched to these. This is the ankle pant in herringbone. Once again, I like the ankle pant. But this one doesn’t feel quite as amazing as the dash plaid pant does. It’s just a slightly different, less giving fabric.

Here you can see how big this medium camp shirt is on me. But in the next photo I have on the camp shirt in a small. Much better fit!

But a terrible photo. Sorry about that. And I wouldn’t necessarily where this camp shirt untucked with these ankle pants. That looks a little too boxy. I’d have to see it with some heels. But you can see that the camp shirt, here in Savannah floral, really is a nice shirt. It is silky and has a nice drape.

Next I tried the flutter sleeve top in desert bloom with the ankle pants. I’m wearing the medium, and I think I would need a small. The top is also available in winter white. I like the top okay, but I tend to stay away from tops that add fullness in the upper arm. I’d rather have a long sleeve with flutter near the cuff. Also, if you were to tuck in this top like this – and I do think that’s best with this one – you’ll want to wear a belt.

Plaid Button Tab A-Line Skirt

Okay, moving on to another piece I had to really resist going home with. I love this plaid button tab skirt. This is a classic a-line skirt that falls nicely, skimming your body and not sticking out too far nor clinging to you. It feels great on and moves with you easily. You can tuck in to see the button detailing at the top or leave your sweater or shirt hanging over it. I’m wearing the skirt in a 6 and it fits nicely.

I’m wearing the short sleeve sweater in winter white, and I have on a medium.

Then I tried on the light apricot whisper short sleeve sweater with it…and the black short sleeve sweater. Why? Because I love this skirt! And I wanted to buy it. But I actually have a similar one stored away with my winter clothes. I just couldn’t justify buying it. But you might could. And I will be so jealous. *grin*

Which sweater do you like better with it? Of course the beauty of it is that you can wear all three!

Cheetah Dot Flounce Back Pencil Skirt

And here’s one more piece I really had to fight taking with me. I love, love, love this cheetah print skirt. And it fit like a dream. I’m wearing the 6.

And here’s where things fell apart…fortunately. What I love is this cheetah print skirt with this wrap top. Looks beautiful, right? Well guess what! This top is not black, like I thought it was. It’s a dark tea green! And I never would have known that except the sales person pointed it out to me. So it just doesn’t go together. The top also comes in white, and that might work. But they didn’t have one in my size in the store. I’m wearing the small top.

So next I tried on this sleeveless peplum sweater with the skirt. It works. Nicely. But I would prefer something with a sleeve for the fall and winter. So I think maybe a sweater set would work or another long sleeve or 3/4 sleeve blouse. In fact, this linen tie front tee might work splendidly. I think it’s probably from the summer line, but it could definitely work. This wide neck flutter sleeve top is another viable option. Also, I think this ruched sleeve square neck top is a contender. Hmm. Now that I’m finding possible black tops to pair with this skirt, I may have to order it. Y’all, it really is a nice animal print skirt.

So that’s all I had time for Saturday. And this weekend Ann Taylor was offering 40% off your whole purchase. As I’m typing up this post on Sunday night I’m hoping they’ll continue the sale a couple more days. You never know. I’ll update the post if they do.

Meanwhile I should at least tell you this. I also tried on career clothing at Talbots that day. And while I’m normally a big Talbots shopper I have to admit I didn’t try on anything there that I just had to pull myself away from. But it took everything I had to leave the ankle pant in dash plaid, the plaid button tab a-line skirt, the cheetah back flounce pencil skirt, all three short sleeve sweaters and the skinny jeans in vino. I can highly recommend all five of those pieces, and some of the others would probably be on that list if I could have tried them in the right size. So Ann Taylor has some nice career clothing right now.

***Ann Taylor has extended their offer of 40% off your entire purchase through Monday, August 20th. Yay!!***

I hope this post was helpful for you, especially if you’re a working gal. Don’t forget to save it to your Pinterest board for career clothes.

I’ve linked today’s post with other great bloggers at the Style on the Daily weekly link-up. Be sure to check some of those great fashion ideas out.

Of course I used affiliate links in this post for your shopping ease. When you shop through them I make a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting my work here by reading, commenting, shopping, sharing and subscribing. I’m so glad you spent some of your day at Dressed for My Day! Have a great one!

Blessed for My Day

Priorities. Do you struggling balancing your to-do list and prioritizing what really deserves your attention most? I do. Some days I get so much accomplished but then I wonder if it was the right things. Or was it just a busy and strenuous waste of time. Do you ever do that? I learned a few years ago that in the original language, the word priority is always singular. In other words, there is no such thing as priorities, plural. Only one thing can be priority. Everything else is secondary. In fact, many things can be important, but only one can be priority. Actually that makes sense to me. But if there is only one priority, what should it be? Well, I think you and I both know the answer to that question. Truly, when we make following the Lord our one priority, everything else does fall into place. Even He acknowledges that other things are important. But when I choose first to love, serve, worship and obey Him, then I’m better able to determine what is really important and what can wait. What is your priority – singular – today?

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ~ Matthew 6:33