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!

Wish App Haul Review Video

Hello everyone! This is my first Haul from the app called Wish, which can also be found online at Wish.com. Watch me review all the things I bought!

I hope you enjoyed my review of the myriad of random things I purchased and hopefully it helps you decide what you do or do not want from this app/website.

The links to all the items I bought are in the Youtube description so you can check out the exact item I purchased.

Like Twice, My Clothing Experience

My mom has been subscribed to Stitch Fix for a few months now and I've been jealous of the cute high end outfits she has been receiving.  I looked into subscribing but almost had a heart attack at the prices.  I am a poor student, I can't afford $90 jeans!! So I started browsing the internet for a cheaper alternative.  I love the idea of a stylist picking out clothes for me so I can go outside my comfort zone but I don't need insanely expensive pieces.  I shop at thrift stores and the clearance section.....

Well I couldn't find anything quite like that but instead discovered Twice, a clothing store that specializes in selling high end pre owned brand named clothing.  I hopped on and browsed the site, quickly finding all sorts of items in my size between $8 to $12 a piece. I filled my cart until I reached $50 to get the free shipping and placed an order for 9 articles of clothing.  I had the 40% off sign up discount so.....NINE pieces for FIFTY dollars.  That averages to about $5.50 a piece and I didn't even have to browse through a thrift store. Here is my order info to give you an idea of how much I saved.

   Subtotal                        $83.55

  Coupon                        -$33.42

Shipping                        Free!

   Total                             $50.13

The way it works is that people sell their lightly used and undamaged items to the company and they put them up for sale. You can add an item to your cart and it is held for an hour before it goes back into the clothing pool.  To give you an idea I added about 20 things to my wish list and then had to go out for dinner with my family.  when I returned about 25% of those items had been sold, some that I really liked :(

So I quickly added everything that was still available in my wishlist to my cart and looked through to find the things I liked the best and that I felt were closest to my measurements. I deleted the things I didn't absolutely love, releasing them from hold and allowing someone else to add it to their cart for an hour.

I made my purchase on May 10th, it shipped May 11th, and I received my items on May 16th.

Now the real test will be how well these items fit and their overall quality.  Let's check it out.

Ann Taylor Loft

Purple 3/4 Sleeve Blouse

SIZE XS • ORIG. $48.99

$7.95

So this shirt fit really well, as I expected because it was in my usual Loft size. The material is kind of silky smooth, which I wasn't expecting but I kind of like it.  the whole point of this order was to go outside my comfort zone a bit and I definitely did with this material.  I'll definitely have to be careful not to let this wrinkle however.  It will be really nice in the Fall.

Ann Taylor Loft

Blue Tank Top

SIZE 0 • ORIG. $34.30

$7.95

Unfortunately this was unwearable...it was unbelievably small. My boobs need to be about two sizes smaller to get into this tank top, I couldn't zip it up the whole way.  I know I am a XS/S in Loft sizes but this tank top was sized in numbers.  I should have known better than to assume I was a size zero in anything.  Because this was a final sale item it cannot be returned.  This is stated clearly upon purchase so it was my own fault for taking a sizing chance on a non returnable item.  However I am a bit annoyed that its bust measurement was 30 inches, as was most of the items I bought so I really thought I was safe.  Moral of the story....do not order from a brand that you do not know for sure what your size is from them and if you do make sure it is a returnable item.

Ann Taylor Loft

Black "Marisa" Shorts

SIZE 2 • ORIG. $55.15

$7.95

These were a bit longer than I expected.  I really should have payed attention to the length measurement provided.  Regardless I still really like them and they will make a really comfy summer dress pant.  I wore these to my boyfriends birthday dinner!  The only weird thing about these is that the button is on the opposite end of what I'm used to so buttoning these up is always a bit awkward. I'm not sure why as I've never had this happen with Loft jeans.

Ann Taylor Loft

Purple Solid Mini Skirt

SIZE 0 • ORIG. $69.00

$11.95

This skirt is so adorable and is a material similar to the 3/4 sleeve Loft blouse.  I do not own a skirt in this material but it is very light and smooth and will be very cute in the spring and summer, and maybe even the fall with a pair of leggings.  I'm not yet sure if I'm going to wear clothing over or under this skirt.

Urban Renewal by Urban Outfitters

Purple Plaid Mini Skirt

SIZE M/L • ORIG. $38.00

$9.95

This skirt is my favorite.  It is so cute and fits so well! It is also wool which is a material I have never owned before.  It has a nice smooth internal lining, making this a brilliantly adorable skirt for fall and winter...or maybe even a chilly spring day. It may be a bit too hot for summer though.  

BDG by Urban Outfitters

Solid Maroon T-Shirt

SIZE M • ORIG. $39.20

$11.95

So this shirt is the only one I got that was a bit too big.  Now I know at least that I am a small at Urban Outfitters.  I've never shopped there before so I had no idea going in. I wish they would include a waist measurement.  It fits fine in the arms and boobs but is way baggy around my waist.  Since they pin the mannequins its impossible to know how the fit will be.  It isn't a total loss though.  It is very warm and will make a great snuggly comfy sweater in the winter time.  Calling it a T-shirt was pretty far fetched as it is definitely sweater material.

Express

Striped Grey Tank Top

SIZE M • ORIG. $34.30

$9.95

This tank top is so cute and fits jut right! It isn't super tight but isn't awkwardly baggy anywhere either.  To my dismay it had a shelf bra but it actually fits comfortably over my boobs, which has yet to ever happen with a built in bra, usually I have to cut them out.  I'm happy! :D

I'll be wearing it this summer for sure! (That awkward bulge at my hip is the internal tag that will need to be cut out).

Velvet

Pink T-Shirt

FITS SIZE S • ORIG. $77.60

$7.95

I think this shirt is my absolute favorite! It is so cute and fits so well! I don't own much pink and I own nothing with this sort of style.  I'm not wearing anything under it here but I definitely will when wearing it out.  I paired this with a blank tank top and the black Loft pants for a nice dinner with my boyfriend and his family. The sleeve decoration things are a bit out of my comfort zone but I'm trying hard to rock them! This is perfect for spring and summer.

Jones New York

Green T-Shirt

SIZE P • ORIG. $47.20

$7.95

This is another one that I got that was out of my comfort zone.  I don't think I own anything this color but oh my gosh I love this shirt.  I always thought I was too broad shouldered for poofy sleeves but I'm trying to embrace it and not feel negative about my body.  This fits perfectly and is very adorable. I showed my mom this one and she said "I thought you said these were used?" I said, yep they are! and she said "Wow, I'd never have been able to tell!" :3

This is adorable for both spring and summer.

I don't know if it will help in your Twice shopping endeavors but my measurements are 35", 25", 36" and all of these outfits fit fine except when mentioned otherwise.

So overall I think I did pretty well.  Out of the 9 outfits I got only one that didn't fit.  Unfortunately its not one I can return so I'll be seeing if I can sell it to my brother's girlfriend for $4 to get some of my money back.  She is the only person I know how is smaller than me so I may have to look to Ebay if she doesn't want it.
I had quite a few that I absolutely adored and a few that were pretty ok, but I will wear all of them (minus the tank top) for sure!
If you would like to get $10 off your first order click this link and then I'll get $10 off as well! We both win! Yay!
 liketwice.com/QO1H2

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