I hadn’t been to Old Navy in years, mostly because it’s not at the mall that I frequent and Brian buys most of the kids’ clothes at Target. WELL… NO LONGER. I was honestly blown away by how good some of the stuff was. I, of course, vowed to buy NOTHING because I don’t have the lifestyle anymore to need as many different clothes, especially nice work clothes but not only did I find some great pieces for those of you who do leave the house for a job where you need/want to look nice, but there were a few pieces that I literally couldn’t not buy. If you want to read my philosophy of consuming RE fast fashion it’s at the end. But for now, here are some standout pieces that I found.
What I don’t need in my life is another striped linen shirt, but for $40 I couldn’t believe how good this was (and my other one from 2 years ago is a little too snug right now so I justified this one quickly). I’m wearing a small, FYI, so it’s pretty oversized. The jeans were so good – high-waisted, wide-leg and I cuffed them because I don’t love the puddle look that many people are into right now. But I LOVED these jeans and if I had a job where I left the house needing to impress anyone I would get these.
A cute cotton skirt (elastic waist, flattering tummy) and a boxy sweatshirt. I’m not totally selling it in these photos but we all agreed that this was such an easy/cute spring outfit to wear. I skipped the skirt since I do like showing off my legs when it’s warm out, but bought the sweatshirt because it’s boxy and super comfy (the color looks icky under their fluorescent lighting, but its a really nice olive).
This outfit feels sharp but effortless. The cropped button-down hits right above the waistband of the jeans and gives just a peek of shape. The fabric is crisp but comfortable, and I could easily wear this running errands or out to lunch.
Stephanie’s Tip: Cropped button-downs are a petite girl’s friend, no extra fabric to tuck in, and no weird bunching at the waist.
This set was so soft and comfy! The Fleece Half-Zip Sweatshirt has a relaxed, roomy fit and works great with joggers or jeans. The SleekTech Joggers are more polished than traditional sweats, kind of like if yoga pants and joggers had a baby. I sized down in the joggers for a slimmer fit.
Re my fast fashion philosophy. Not everyone can afford to buy from the brands that are making beautiful clothes with the best sustainable practices. I wish that was different. So if your budget doesn’t allow for those pieces, then “fast fashion” tends to be one of the main options. Yes, there is of course secondhand but that can be limited depending on your location and even size. And everyone deserves to look and feel good. With all that said, just because something is considered fast fashion doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to end up in a landfill. I’ve had some of those pieces for years and that is the hope of this post, to help us all find really good, affordable pieces that we’ll want to wear for a long time. As with everything we consume, we need to do so mindfully and do the best we can with what we have.
