A Girl Named Katie Gently Loved Collection

Today I have another post about A Girl Named Katie, a small clothing and accessory store featuring items handmade with ethics and the environment in mind.  If you don't remember, last time I posted about this business I was reviewing a handmade kimono style shirt!

Katie has recently started a new collection called Gently Loved. This is a mini collection filled with recycled clothing and home decor hand selected by Katie to go with the overall aesthetic of her handmade designs.  She has picked out some really adorable outfits, and I would have bought more if I had the budget! 

I purchased a flowy black blouse and a candlestick holder shown below:

 

The above are her pictures because they are just so nice way better than mine, haha!

I've wanted a candlestick holder for a long time and was thinking I needed to go to a thrift store or something similar to find a nice one, and just a few days later Katie announced she was adding home decor to her Gently Loved Collection along with a 30% off coupon and I knew then it was time to place an order.

 In addition to the candle stick I also bought the flowy blouse. Due to the nature of the top, this is not a good shirt to take a picture of laying flat, believe me it looks much better when worn! I had been eyeing this top for a long time and was super excited to finally take the leap and purchase it.  It is definitely unlike anything I own but I just fell in love with the sleeves from the model picture. It also has a little upside down V decoration at the collar which is a nice touch.  The bottom is elastic allowing for the fabric to fall in a flowy...type way? I am not good at describing clothing....

And here is a mediocre quality picture of me modeling the blouse with two different looks, dressed up and dressed down.  On the left I paired it with a dark purple lace skirt from Loft and black leggings.  As you can see the sleeves are just amazing and I am in love with them.  On the right I paired it with Loft skinny jeans and black boots.  This was the outfit I actually ended up wearing and it looked so casual yet nice. The blouse is a bit short so it must be worn either with a high waisted skirt or with a tank top underneath. I wore black this time but I may experiment with other colors. The only downside that it is a bit small around my shoulder and head area.  I have to put it on before I do my makeup because the collar does not stretch and my head just fits through.  The shoulder issue I'm used to as I know I have annoyingly disproportionate shoulders and upper arms. However, I'm not worried, as I can get it on and off just fine and it looks great!

If you want to find some really adorable and affordable second hand clothes and house decor while also supporting Katie in her business endeavor please head on over to A Girl Named Katie and check out her products!

A Break From Makeup: A Girl Named Katie Kimono Style Studio Jacket

Reviewing clothing....this is definitely a first! 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a fashion blogger and do not possess the necessary materials to take decent fashion pictures.  Please excuse the full body shots! :P

I tend to spend my money on makeup and as a result I shop at thrift stores or the clearance section of H&M or Loft.  It is very rare that I will spend my money on expensive clothing, but this time I made an exception. 

A Girl Named Katie is a handmade clothing and accessory store owned and operated by a very talented woman whom I went to high school with.  If you missed my coffee post she also owns Fellowship Coffee Co.

Her bags are absolutely adorable and I'd love to own her Orchid Suede Town Bag but unfortunately I don't use purses enough to justify the purchase, so instead I went for the purple Kimono Style Studio Jacket.

I'm taking this image off of her Etsy site because her pictures are way better than mine could ever hope to be. This jacket comes in four colors, Black, Eggplant, Blue, and Pumpkin. As well as 2 sizes, S/M and L/XL.  I bought the S/M jacket in Eggplant!

And here is my embarrassing attempt at photographing it.  

It is a very beautiful reddish purple with a cute light purple lace trim on the sleeves.  The sleeves are wide and the jacket has a nice length to it.  If I was shorter I could probably wear this with a pair of leggings. The fabric is really interesting and wasn't what I was expecting at all but I love it! It feels very heavy and sturdy to the touch but when on feels light and very comfy.  It is unlike anything I've experienced before.  On her site Katie says its made from a ponte knit. The neatest thing about this fabric is that it doesn't wrinkle. My biggest issue with going back and forth from my parent's house to my apartment is that my clothes end up wrinkly, but this was stuffed in a bag all weekend and when I pulled it out, it looked perfect!

But the absolute best thing about this jacket is....IT HAS POCKETS!!  I adore pockets. :D 

Here is a close up of the detail. I love lace so this little addition made me very happy.  

And here is a close up of a pocket.  They are sewn into the side and very roomy.  I can easily fit my apartment keys in one pocket and my phone in the other with room to spare.

And now for my attempt at modeling.

Here is one way the jacket can be worn. If you want to rush out to the store or are feeling a bit chilly you can quickly throw it on over a tank top or t shirt and instantly become fabulous.  

Also sorry for the state of my mirror. It is incredibly cheap.  I wiped it down twice with Windex and I still couldn't get the smudge off of it..so I gave up. :(

My personal favorite way to wear it is belted with a nice pair of skinny jeans. I bought this with the intention of wearing it casually but I actually like it way more as a fancy top.  

Pockets!!!

Anyway...as far as fit I am 5'5" with a bust/waist/hip ratio of 35/25/36 and this fits a tiny bit big on me, especially in the shoulders.  I catch the one side trying to slip down every now and then, but its really not a big deal at all.  Therefore if you are a bit smaller or bigger than me the S/M should fit you perfectly fine.  Also if you are going to belt this I would not recommend wearing this dancing as your arm movement is restricted somewhat just because of the nature of the sleeves.  I can see wearing this often to fancy dinners or nights out on the town.

This is a close up of the tags pinned to the jacket and sewn inside.

As you can see this top is machine washable which I would not doubt at all because of how sturdy it feels.

If you love handmade clothing and accessories and supporting small businesses I highly recommend checking out A Girl Named Katie.

Where to buy:

http://www.agirlnamedkatie.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/agirlnamedkatie

Price:$35