First Impressions

The holiday season is quickly upon us and the sales are better than ever. Now, even before the pandemic I was never one to get up earlier than the crack of dawn to be one of many in the crowd of Black Friday shoppers. I do my best shopping online where nothing is too high up or out of reach. This year it seems like most stores are launching their Black Friday sales earlier than ever and I, like many, many others, am taking full advantage. My first packages arrived from Express and Anthropologie and I wanted to share with you all my first impressions as I tried everything on. 

I have a love/hate relationship with Express. I love their clothes. I hate how, sometimes, their sizing doesn’t seem to make sense. I mainly shop there for tops that can easily be dressed up or dressed down for work or play. In my opinion, they have the perfect mix of basics and special pieces. 

First things first, this special hoodie. This came in early, ahead of the rest of the order, which is why I took the picture outside rather than in front of the wall. I saw the fur (fake, of course) sleeves and was immediately sold. I’ll confess that I felt a rush of nerves when opening the package because I didn’t know how, or if, fur sleeves could be altered. I tried it on and was so happy that it fit and to discover that the hood was lined as well. 

Next was this cream and ivory pieced sweater. I love the blend of hard and soft, the vegan leather front panel and knit sleeves, along with the high slits and hi-lo hemline. The sleeves, as expected, are a little long. Normally with long sleeves I just bunch or roll them up but, with this piece, I think I will sacrifice the ribbing detail on the cuffs to have them hemmed to the right length. 

The third sweater I tried on was this white (neutrals are clearly the color scheme for winter 2020) sweatshirt with a mock neck and cap shoulder. I love its coziness and how the cap shoulders elevate the basic sweatshirt silhouette.  As you can see, the sleeves are definitely too long- there is too much fabric to bunch up. Hemming these sleeves is easier said than done- the cuffs would have to be cut off, the sleeves shortened, then the cuffs re-attached. Is it a hassle? Yes. Would it be worth it? Yes. 

The fourth and final piece I got from Express is this beige faux-fur embellished sweater. This sweater was so cozy, so comfy. I was ecstatic that the sleeves were the perfect length so none of the jewels would wind up on a cutting room floor. Will I wear this sweater for Thanksgiving? You’ll have to wait and see. 

The second package came from Anthropologie. Anthropologie is a store I love to wander through but never wind up buying anything. However, going through my wallet I discovered an unused gift card and took it as a sign that I needed to try and make something work. 

The first item I tried on is this gunmetal foil top with a cape sleeve (You all know how much I LOVE a cape) and banded bottom. I am usually skeptical of tops with a banded hem because they are almost always too long or too short, but this top fits just right. I love the shimmer of the top and how it goes with everything.

Last, but certainly not least, I am so excited to talk about these taupe satin joggers. Yes, they are too long, but that is always expected. Like the sleeves of the cap-sleeved sweatshirt, I will have to cut the bottoms off then reattach the cuffs to maintain the jogger look. Luckily, no pockets will have to be sacrificed in the hemming of these pants. I wish you could tell from these photos how these pants seem to change color as you twist and twirl in the light. I am so excited to get these pants hemmed as I’m sure they will quickly become a staple in my closet. 

All in all, my first round of holiday shopping was a success and I’m excited to see what other sales pop-up as we get closer and closer to Cyber Monday.

See you then!