White Jeans + Printed Scarf (& H&M 35% off coupon)

H&M jacket (alteration tutorial), tee, clutch, and belt from dress, thrift store scarf

Old Navy jeans in petite, Target sandals (old) (similar for $40)

Just wanted to say a quick hello and apologize for my lack of responsiveness over the months. I will do my best to respond to your comments and messages in June. Today's post is just another casual studying outfit. I study at my office for about 12 hours at a time, and must be comfortable, but not too comfy in fear of dozing off! By putting on a full outfit complete with accessories (even if only my books will get to see it), I feel more in the right frame of mind to be productive. Anyone else feel the same way?

To spruce up a simple jeans + tee combo, I added a silk printed scarf scored for about $3 at the thrift store, my fave buckle belt, and some strappy sandals. For anyone who scorns H&M and Target items because they are low-quality...I can't even count how much wear these 3-yr old $20 sandals and $17 clutch have gotten, while still looking fairly pristine. If you are selective with design and materials, there are definitely gems to be found at fast-fashion and discount retailers...


This is my second pair of Old Navy rock star jeggings (see black styled here) (gave away russet to my cousin in China), and I have developed mixed feelings about them. On one hand, I definitely appreciate that they run small and are available in several inseams and colors (although ON needs to do a better job of restocking!). I also like the price tag of $30-$35 plus their frequent discounts. On the other hand, the fit is inconsistent and the design & material in my opinion don't compare to some of Gap's legging jeans (here's an option in a nice dark wash). The material of my ON jeans feel stiff in general, and the black pair attracts lint like none other. Gap definitely has their material and sizing inconsistencies too, though, so you never really know until you try a style on.
On a separate note - H&M lovers can print out this coupon for 35% off (highest I've ever seen from them) one item. Technically it's for email subscribers, so sign up for their emails to receive coupons going forward. Thanks so much to SewPetiteGal for tweeting this during her early-morning sale alerts. She was so kind to also message me directly just in case this H&M lover missed it : )

Armed with my coupon, I popped in at lunch and was soon ready to leave empty-handed. I tried on some cute, colorful bracelets (the petite wrist-friendly mint and peach bangles are a set), but wasn't enticed enough to buy. I was also sorely disappointed by the tent-like winning Fashion Star dresses - I guess runway looks don't translate well for shorties in real life! Here's a 2 on me (per the model this dress is supposed to be around knee-length) for shits and giggles:

On my way out, I spotted a flash of neon out of the corner of my eye and was thrilled to see these highlighter yellow sandals (item # 067212) fully stocked on a shelf. I had called around for them after this post with no luck, and assumed they had come and gone quickly. They are definitely more neon yellow-green in person than the warm yellow shown in the picture, which is too bad, but I might alter the color later. I grabbed a US 5/ EUR 36 (feels like a 5.5) for just $22.75 after the coupon. They are quite fun and look sturdy (more so than F21 shoes), and are a very welcome addition to my collection of neutral heels.

Readers - Please share any good finds with your H&M coupon!