Some Items from LOFT and Ann Taylor Summer Collection

**If anything piques your interest, Ann Taylor has 40% off (excludes select styles) with code APRIL40 through 4/29 and LOFT has 40% off with code SHOP40 through today 4/28.**

I’m still waiting on one more item from the Ann Taylor and LOFT Friends & Family sale, but the rest have arrived, so here we go! I’m really loving the colors this spring, and LOFT hasn’t been disappointing. The bright mixes of tangerine with more muted shades of plum were really speaking to me, so I picked up a few items to test drive. I’ll start with the striped short sleeve sweater in both colorways.

This color is the “summer plum”, and the one I was most excited to try. It looked like a cute and muted way to wear the bright tangerine hue that has become the color du jour this season.

And here is the much brighter “hibiscus”, which is just the reverse colorway of the “summer plum”. When I first tried on both colors, I was convinced summer plum was the way to go, but the bright hibiscus is growing on me. Just think how cute it would look with white jeans or shorts.

One cute detail that the product page description didn’t mention were these back buttons. It was a nice surprise to flip them over and see this nice detail.

The sweater is 100%, light weave cotton, which makes it nice and airy for spring and summer. The sleeves are not a separate sewn on piece of the garment, but one continuous part of the torso, which adds to the light, drapey look of the top. The torso is loose, with a tighter ribbed bottom hem, and it’s a bit short, so ladies with a long torso may not like the fit.

I’m wearing the size petite xxs, but I wish the torso were a bit more fitted on me, which is the only reason I’m not 100% convinced about it. The fabric tends to pool right around my waist, which can make my already short torso look boxy. I’m wondering if a good shrink in the wash will help…hmm…

Note: shrinking light weave fabrics such as this tightens the threads, which changes the texture. Shrink at your own risk!

I definitely like this top. The colors are rich and vibrant and the airy cotton will be great for warm weather. Ladies at least one size bigger than myself will probably find the fit I’m wishing for, but I’m sure there are plenty of ladies who would be fine with the slouchier fit.

Next up…pants…

I’ve been looking for pants for some time now, and after not finding a good fit with J.Crew, figured I’d give these similar cuts from LOFT and Ann Taylor a try. Please excuse the bright color clash going on. My camera battery was threatening to die at any moment, so I just rushed through without changing my top.

These are the LOFT Marisa Slim Cropped Pants in size 00P. I love the plum color, machine washable cotton blend fabric, and front pockets. I’m not so in love with the fit in the crotch, which every time I moved, folded and creased in unflattering ways. I don’t have a body shape that plays well with standard pant cuts, so I’m not surprised, but bummed nonetheless since I really like the color and would have considered altering if the crotch were not so ill-fitting.

The waist would need taking in, and the thigh and legs would need slimming for a sleeker silhouette.

These pants are unlined except for the pockets, and a heavy cotton, which makes them a little stiff. I also noticed these were magnets for pet hair, which is yet another reason they’re not a good choice for me. I’m sure these will look very nice on the right girls, but sadly, that girl is not me.

Here we have the Ann Taylor Compact Doubleweave Cropped Pants in size 00P. The online reviews said the legs ran slim and I’d have to agree. The fit is much sleeker than the LOFT cropped pants, and the fit in the crotch is much, much better. There are no front pockets, which makes me sad, but I know many women hate pockets anywhere near their hips, which have the tendency to flare or poof out.

The color looks a bit bubble-gum in these photos, but in real life, there is a little more purple in the pink.

The look is much sleeker on me, and the fabric has a nice drape to it, compared to the stiff thick cotton of the LOFT pants. These are quite a bit more synthetic (53% cotton, 41% polyester, 6% elastane), but the fabric feels softer and much nicer. Again, these pants are unlined, except for the back pockets.

These would still need some alterations on me, like the waist taken in, and I’d like to slim the thigh and leg slightly, but it’s a much better fit than anything else I’ve found as far as capri non-denim pants goes. Looking back at my J.Crew post, I think these may be a better fit than the Minnies.

I was considering if they are worth keeping and altering, but now I’m leaning towards no, since the color isn’t one that really excites me, and I’m not sure if they’re even all that flattering on me in the first place. Maybe I’m just not a good candidate for pants and should stick with jeans.

Did anyone else shop the Ann Taylor and LOFT Friends & Family sale? What did you pick up?