Middle: Manolo Blahnik pumps, Steve Madden heels, Ann Taylor heels c/o
Bottom: Steve Madden sandals, Halogen lace-ups, Ann Taylor sandals c/o
The beginning of the year is always such a humdrum time for me, style-wise (snow boots and big scarves on repeat, anyone?). With the sparkle of the holidays long gone, most of us are just trying to survive winter one day at a time. I dusted off some spring favorites from years past while re-organizing, which definitely got me in the mood for warmer weather. If you’re looking to do some pre-spring shopping, there’s some great sales going on this holiday weekend. I’ve rounded up my favorites below, along with some recommendations from each store!
Ann Taylor: 40% off full-price items and extra 50% off sale items with code WEEKEND. I’ve been waiting for a good sale to share their latest shoe arrivals which are so good. They brought back several styles from before which I loved, plus some on-trend new styles. If you’re looking for leg-flattering neutral shoes … look no further!
Last year I wore these caramel suede sandals non-stop (see on me here, here, here) and got so many compliments on them. They had sold out quickly, but here’s 3 versions available now in time for Spring:
– Leda sandals in the same “aged copper” color as mine (just slightly darker than my natural skin tone and looks great with a tan), with a stable block heel and lots of good reviews.
– Esme sandals with the same slender heel as mine and a tassel ankle wrap.
– Gigi sandals with a pretty crossover front and block heel, also from last year.
I plan to try some of these on soon to gauge fit and comfort (and certainly hope quality didn’t change from last year), but wanted to post early since small sizes always sell out first! Another style I love that’s been brought back is the May patent sandal with a low block heel (see on me here and here). The patent leather needed a little breaking in for me, but these eventually became some of my most comfortable sandals for walking around the city.
J.Crew: 30% off your purchase with code WEEKEND, with some exclusions. I did notice with disappointment that their size 000 petite wasn’t produced for the past few rounds of new arrivals. As ridiculous as that size sounds due to vanity sizing issues, I did love having one place to buy pencil skirts and pants that didn’t need waist alterations! Brands produce based on past sales data, so unfortunately there must’ve not been enough demand (although it seemed to me that size was always the first to sell out!)
ASOS: 20% off with code PREZ20. I love browsing their petites department (sizes tend to run small) and have gotten so many unique pieces from there! Swimwear season is coming up too, and I’ve seen a lot of cute arrivals already. Pieces will vary in quality and fit since ASOS carries numerous different brands, but I’ve never had an issue with returns. Someone also asked recently where to buy petite lingerie – they’ve got it there! (It runs short in the torso in my experience)
Express: 40% off everything, no code needed.
– Cutaway blazer – close dupe for a beloved white one that I wear all the time, plus with no sleeve alterations needed because it’s already 3/4 length! I tried on some Express blazers in size 0 and they were a fairly close fit, so a 00 in certain styles should work well on someone my size.
– Wide leg soft pants – I recently posted on Instagram stories about getting these Talbots rose pants taken in. Several of you were interested, so I also wanted to share a budget-friendly option from Express (starting in 00 short) which I came across afterwards! The Talbots pair is in a beautiful lined suiting material, but their sizing tends to run a little big – I usually need waist alterations on bottoms from both brands.
– Classic trench coat – Still one of the best trenches I’ve found at this price point, even at full price. The lined material is good quality, similar to that on higher-end options, and it has many of the classic trench details on the shoulders and back. It does not have any traditional sleeve cuff details, which actually can be a good thing for easier sleeve shortening alterations. I received the trench in Express’ new petite sizing which wasn’t perfect for me (would still need alterations), however their team was very receptive to feedback so I’m curious if updates will be made! It’s still an excellent option, and the sale price helps offset any tailoring needs.
– Crochet pencil skirt – for those who loved my skirt from this post, it’s back in three new colors! I made DIY alterations so it’d sit higher up on my waist, and shared a photo of the stitching in the aforementioned blog post. Black should be the most versatile, but the dark green looks really lovely as well. This might be one of my all-time favorite pieces – see it also styled on me here, here, and here.
Banana Republic: 40% off your purchase applied at checkout, no code needed.
Anthropologie: extra 40% off sale items, discount applied in your cart. Not bad for Anthro!
Nordstrom: Winter sale for women, men + kids with prices as marked. Lots of sale pieces available in smaller petite sizing!
LOFT: 40% off regular-priced items + extra 50% off sale items with code HAPPY. Their swimsuits are in regular sizing, but I find some of their 1-pieces to run shorter in the torso (as you can see on the model above!) and are petite-friendly as a result! I also like that they usually have lightly padded or at least lined bust cups for decency…
Hi Jean, I am an avid fan of your blog! I especially love your taste in neutral boots and heels and have been inspired by you to make quite a few shoe purchases. One of the problems that I have run into (and I'm sure you have dealt with in the past!) is storing all my shoes. I absolutely love shoes and would like to sort my favorite neutral shoes by shade and display them like in your picture above; however, it seems like a very space consuming task and I don't know where to place my shoe shelf (I'm also a college student living in a tiny dorm haha). I am currently using a white 9-cube organizer with two pairs of shoes per cubical, but it's very crammed and I don't have a place to put taller boots or sneakers. Do you have any advice about shoe display/storage? Where do you store yours? Could you do a home tour and show us how you keep your clothing and accessories organized? Thanks!
Love the shoes, thanks for sharing all the good deals!
jennnngo | twitter | insta | latest post
So resourceful…as always!
Hi Jean, I'm looking for something more casual chic, i.e. nice enough to go to a cute (but not necessarily fancy) restaurant or a show in SF. I work in the tech industry so the offices are pretty casual (people come in jeans and running shoes). I often find myself kind of overdressed even though I've dressed down already from my East Coast and Hong Kong days! Flexible about open toe or closed: Depending on the design and material, toe boxes of closed toes shoes sometimes squeeze my feet…
Thank you for those discount codes! There are some fab sales on right now! Gosh I love those Steve Madden booties in the middle row – they are exactly what I'm on the hunt for at the moment!
Sarah Lilly | The Lilly Mint Blog
Yes to Asos and Nordstrom! I am constantly on their websites for their sales!
https://officiallychic.com/
It stands for "care of" which is a disclosure that I received the product as a gift or press sample.
Hi! What style of shoes are you looking for? ie. more professional looking vs casual, open toe vs closed ?
These are all so perfect! I have two of them, and they're my favs!
Katie | Willow and White
What does "c/o" mean in the photo caption?
Hi Jean, do you have recommendations for really really comfortable heels and flats that also come in size 5 or 5.5? (I'm fine with 0-2" heel height, so hopefully that helps a bit.) It's tough enough when many brands don't even make sizes smaller than 6; worse when my ultra-sensitive feet pretty much reject 90% of the shoes in the market. 🙁 Thanks!
Can't wait for Spring to come! Great finds on deals!
MISS LUCIA | Fashion & Lifestyle
Hi Emi! Sorry I meant to say the petites line in general still needed alterations on me, but the trench was one of the best-fitting pieces from the collection. Note it's a shorter trench and petites sizing came just to the bottom of my butt, and I'm a little under 5 feet tall. If you're taller and want a longer trench, maybe try the regular on too for comparison!
May I ask what of the petite trench not fit properly? Does it fit better on petites than the regular sizing?
Hi Heather! Personally I don't think it runs small. But I can't speak for everyone, so it doesn't hurt to try on two sizes in order to decide what suits you best!
Hi Alex! Yes, definitely with both. I wear the thinner-heeled version I have with all sorts of bottoms. The round toe suede pumps are beautiful, too! THey'd be better in professional settings due to the closed toe.
Loving the suede sandals from Ann Taylor!
Diana | http://www.thechicdiary.com
All of these shoes are so cute, I love all of these neutral tones!
http://ariadibari.com
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm interested in the Express trench. Reviews say it runs small esp. In shoulders. Would you recommend to size up?
Great post, as always!! A little too tempting! lol
http://www.kategetsdressed.com
Thanks for sharing! I've shared some of my favorite picks for the weekend/Monday sales as well.
http://www.porkandcookies.com/presidents-day-sales/
Good to have another petite person to share ideas with! Love your shoe collection 🙂
These shoes are lovely, neutrals are a must in every closet! <3
http://www.pamelayaquelin.com
<3
I've been a long time fan for Ann Taylor's shoes. With the super soft padded insole, their heels are the ones I could wear for a long day without feeling any soreness. Not to mention how elegant most of their designs are!
Julia || Closet de Jules || Recent Post – Your Must-Have $22 Cardigan for this Spring
Just bought the Leda's! Jean, do you wear them with slacks/jeans, too? I debated between these and the Eliza Round Toe Suede ones for awhile in caramel tan….
This reminded me of how much I want new shoes!
Briana
http://beyoutifulbrunette.blogspot.com/
Great picks! Lovely shoes!
http://chicglamstyle.com
I love the colours you've picked for the shoes! You have a great eye.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
All lovely blush pink neutral looks for shoes. Simply beautiful! 🙂
❤LA BIJOUX BELLA❤ | BY MIA | A Creative Lifestyle Blog
These are great finds! Thanks for doing the digging for us, Jean!