Wow, you have an eye for fashion, Allison! Yep, it's Ann Taylor. I think Jessica is onto something about matching a print to a person's size because (I think) you're pretty tall and could carry off a print like the Ann Taylor dress beautifully. I like the flowers a lot (but not the geometric) but I'm afraid that I'd look like a sofa in it, being a shortie. Come to think of it, I have very few items with any print at all.

Seriously, I DOUBT you'd look like a sofa, Meg (attempting to visualize--it just isn't computing!). But you're right--the big prints do work better on us tall folk.

I['m with Meg - can't carry off big prints at all! I don't have a lot of anything with prints at all. Seeing this thread made me remember that I need to order some things from J Jill while their sale is still on.

I tried on the flowered dress at Ann Taylor last weekend. I looked...ok...with a jacket over it, but without the jacket I looked like a bedspread. Even in the petite version.

I did get a floral skirt at Ann Taylor outlet, with an orange sleeveless knit top that matches the color of the flowers. The other colors are tan, very dark brown and white. I have a brown Talbots jacket that matches it perfectly. This is only the second print I've bought. My usual reaction is like Meg's: I'd look like a sofa! Also found a fantastic pair of camel colored pants at the outlet for $19.00 !!!!

The big geometrics just look too 1960's to me. Been there, done that. They remind me of Goldie Hawn in laugh-In days.

My office is always freezing! I can't dress for summer even if it's warm and toasty outside

Mel

It's official -- I have too many clothes! Six years of nonstop clothes shopping, combined with an old house with tiny closets -- makes for a disaster. I'm swapping out summer clothes for winter clothes and it looks like a department store exploded inside my house. Heavens, piles of clothes here and mountains of sandals there ... (the cats are loving sleeping on my sweaters ) I've got plastic sweater boxes under the bed, plastic bins in my tiny closet, pants hung on those drop-down hangers, double closet bars, and it's still not enough.

So I'm taking a vow of shopping abstinence, at least until I can get things sorted out. What I need to do is make outfits, like they always say on What Not To Wear. I've got the pants, sweaters, sandals, tops, jewelry -- now I have to pull them together. I have my "go to" outfits that I know work and I feel good in, but I need to make everything into an outfit like that. So my goal is to take everything I have and put it together, all the while channeling Stacy and Clinton!

Or get rid of it! Funny how the very first things I bought once I reached goal don't really suit my style any more. It was harder than I ever would have expected to figure out what to buy once I could wear anything and I reflexively shopped for camouflage, even though it wasn't necessary. Now I look at those very first purchases and it's kind of bittersweet because I still remember buying them and the wonder and awe of fitting into little sizes. But I'm being tough and sorting out things that really don't work for Goodwill, even though I feel sentimental about them. Story: the first time I bought a size 4 dress, I had tried on an 8 and then a 6 before I got to the 4, and I stood there in the dressing room and bawled. When I took it out to the cash register, the sales clerk said, "oh, since you're a size 4, you know you have to grab the little sizes right away" ... and I didn't know, because I had never been a size 4 before! Yet she was acting like I was a small person, like I was a normal person!! I'll never, ever forget that.

Enough blathering -- got to get back to work before the Red Cross declares this a disaster area.

wow Meg,
That is a touching story about your size 4 dress.
I am still in the grab whatever fits mode now and then.
The problem is ...I never even shopped for clothes. I just wore whatever my 13 yr old niece grew out of. And now I am shopping, i do not seem to be able to get myself into a store. But i do enjoy shopping at goodwill otr the thrift store. I might even graduate to outlets in the far future...who knows.

Good luck with the outfits

Rabbit

Our clothes shopping thread has been unusually quiet this spring and perhaps this is why: Clothing stores feel sharp economic pinch

The article concludes with this depressing observation:

(emphasis added)

What a sad commentary on the state of our health!!

I don't know about everyone else, but the reason I haven't been spring clothes shopping is that the spring colors and trends are ugly this year! Who wants to wear black and dark colors in spring? Not me, that's for sure. I'll have to go shopping for tops sometime soon though. Maybe by then they'll have summer colors in.

Meg, that is so sad.

I did score on Land's End. They had a short "no shipping costs" period, coupled with a sale on knit tops (i.e. nice t's). I have 3 lovely new shirts for work - all in light colors!

I've been buying like crazy, starting with the after Christmas sales and still going. I had to -- nothing fit me any more! (In a very GOOD way, I shrunk!) So, I'm definitely doing my bit to prop up the clothing economy ...!

I've been trying to save some money recently and I haven't bought anything in ages. I do want a couple of new summery outfits.

I want ALL OF THESE, but sadly can't afford them all. Thoughts?

Turquoise/white flippy skirt from Fair Indigo - I already have a summery turquoise twinset that should go perfectly. I've never ordered from them before, and I'm leery about sizing.

I want this with the orange sherbert sweater!!! They also have really cute pointelle camisoles. I got a 20% coupon in email (if anyone is interested, PM me and I'll email it to them!) that I can use in stores this weekend. I plan to mosey over and see if I can save some shipping charges.

Printed Swishy Skirt - I love practically everything at Boden, but I've never ordered from them and the Euro sizes freak me out. I hate returning stuff, it's such a pain!

So, I went shopping today and Ann Taylor did not disappoint (as usual). I got 3 gorgeous skirts (2 on sale), a cute stretchy black top (on sale), and a blue sweater to match 2 of the skirts. I also used my 20% coupon at J. Jill and got the cute skirt with the orange sherbert sweater.

Haul:

http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/pro...ategory=Misses

http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/pro...ategory=Misses (not on sale, but it looked so unbelievably cute ON and I was already getting a sweater that matched...just could not resist).

I can't find the sweater I got online, but it was this style in a blue that matches the skirt: http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/pro...ategory=Misses

I also got a super cute silky skirt with huge red roses (I have the perfect black twinset to wear it with). The 6 was too small through the hip and I had to go up to an 8. I almost didn't buy it, but I told myself that was ridiculous - the skirt looked lovely as an 8!

Oh - and this top! http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/pro...ategory=Misses

I was tempted by the tiny little shrug sweaters that Ann Taylor has but my boyfriend was pretty funny - he said "you're cold all the time, why would you go for a SMALLER sweater?" which is true! All the clothes were really cute and stylish (love the colors at AT) but none of them were very "air conditioner" proof, which means I'll be hiding under a cardigan anyway.

Oh - what I really need is a dark, true navy summery twin set. Has anyone seem one?? (or not necessarily a twin set, I can always wear a cami under a nice sweater).

I like this one - but 5 weeks wait and I'm not sure what size to get? ugh.

http://www.bodenusa.com/col.asp?styi...&gen=1&col=NAV

Glory, I really like the ruffled cardigan - it's so cute and different than just a plain old sweater set.

Talbots always seems to has that deep navy (they call it ink) and I found these four cardigans for you:



here



here



here



here

Now I'm off to look at all your clothes - what a fun way to start the morning!!