the details: top, denim shorts, sandals, cuff, watch, sunglasses
Can you believe it’s almost July!? *faints* Words cannot even express how excited I am for a long weekend and to spend some time drinking rosé in the pool.
I have always been a huge fan of J. Crew’s striped tops (aren’t they the best!?) and one of my absolute favorite ones is getting older (I’ve had it for 3 years……) so I figured it was time to pick up a few new ones to make the heartbreak a little easier. Truth be told, I really wanted the pink version of this striped top, but it was out of stock so I settled for this fiery red and I’m obsessed! It adds such a fun pop of color for the summer and the weight of it is perfect, even on those chillier mornings. I love it paired with my white denim shorts for a cute and casual 4th of July look without looking like a walking American Flag and it’s cute to wear throughout the summer, whether or not it’s a holiday!
I have been dying to shoot these shorts for a couple of weeks now so that we could discuss the real struggle of short shopping. If you’ve been around these parts for awhile now, you know I love my J. Crew denim. I’m petite and have curves. The butt and the thighs are REAL and sometimes (all the time) it’s a real struggle to find jeans that fit me correctly but J. Crew’s denim fits me like a glove (praise) so I always gravitate towards it to eliminate the hassle and crying in the fitting room.
Rewind to a few weeks ago – I figured it was time to get some new shorts, specifically denim shorts. I didn’t own a pair that I felt 100% comfortable in so I headed up to J. Crew figuring that since their jeans fit me so well, I should have zero problem with their denim shorts. I grab a few pairs, head to the fitting room, and get changed. I kid you not, I turned around to check them out in the mirror and tears started streaming down my face. The shorts fit perfectly in the waist but the cuffs around my legs made my legs look like a sausage being squeezed out of its casing. YUP. I was horrified, then I realized I was crying in the fitting room and felt ten times worse about myself. It’s safe to say I stormed out of the store and laid in bed the rest of the day feeling sorry for myself.
I decided to put the whole short fiasco past me and a few weeks later the temperatures hit 90° so I knew that I *had* to find shorts before I melted. This time I enlisted my mom to come and support me and headed to Nordstrom. I knew I wanted to try on the Levi’s denim shorts and grabbed a few pairs and headed to the fitting room. For reference, if you have never worn Levi’s, you’ll want to size up a size or two. I started with a big pair and worked my way down until I found a size that fit me perfectly. I left that day with these cute shorts (I went up two sizes!!). Since I had such good luck I decided to head back to J. Crew and try on some more shorts. I mean, I already found one pair that fit great, what harm would be done by going back to the place that made me cry??
Since I had to size up in my Levi’s, I figured I’d size up in J. Crew’s shorts as well and maybe that would work. AND GUESS WHAT? IT DID! I ended up leaving that day with these white shorts that make me feel like I can conquer anything and since I went up a size, they’re looser on my thighs making my legs look thinner than they really are. HOLLLLLLA. Moral of the story: size up in your denim shorts to avoid crying in the fitting room.
At first I wasn’t going to share this traumatic day with you, but looking back I can’t help but laugh (I can’t believe I cried in a fitting room….) and realize that this is something that everyone struggles with. Not everyone has cute little hot dog legs that look amazing in everything they put on. I am so happy with the body that I have, even if that means I will cry in the fitting room from time to time (but I really hope I never do, ever again).
What is your biggest struggle when shopping for clothing?
SHOP THE POST:
J. CREW STRIPED BOATNECK T-SHIRT IN IVORY VIVID FLAME / J. CREW HIGH-RISE DENIM SHORT IN WHITE / JACK ROGERS WHIPSTITCHED FLIP FLOP IN PLATINUM / J. CREW GOLDEN CUFF BRACELET / KATE SPADE MINI GRAMERCY WATCH IN TWO-TONE / RAY-BAN ORIGINAL AVIATOR
Photography by Katie Salerno