I’ve been on a little bit of a wallet lock down lately between buying holiday presents and saving for some bigger purchases, but here are a few recent yays and nays for me.

Hits

I always have a pair of “commuting shoes” that are lightweight flats that keep me comfy to and from work and keep my high heels from getting unnecessarily worn down. They get a decent amount of wear so I try to pick something inexpensive because they typically last about six months. I recently replaced my last pair of classic Toms with these Avalon Slip-Ons. They are a most substantial version of the classic that fit more like the classic Vans style sneaker slip-ons that are making such a big comeback right now. I love them! They are metallic, a.k.a. neutral, and the sole is a lot more cushioned and supportive than the classic Toms. Winner!

I’ve been between favorite sports bras ever since Nike retired the style that I like. (Isn’t that the worst!?) So I was excited to try this new silhouette from Athleta because they billed it as “high impact.” I don’t think this is my new absolute favorite, but it does provide some advantages that I’ve been looking for. Chief among them- it has decent support, and pretty good all around coverage in the front (no excessive cleavage which is kind of a foreign concept for me) . What you can’t see in the above picture is the back has a cool design. It’s a great option to pair with some of the skimpier strappy work out tops.

This season it seems like every sweater is oversized and kind of sloppy. I was having trouble finding sweaters that are work appropriate, so I was happy when I found this mini cable knit sweater from Ann Taylor. It’s a great light/mid weight, and it’s very easy to pair with a pencil skirt or slacks for work. I think the mini cable knit adds a little bit of interest and gives you more of an “outfit” rather than just wearing a plain merino sweater.

Misses

I ordered this shirt online during one of Ann Taylor’s sales. I was really excited about it because I have several draped/ruched long sleeves that I love and wear all the time. This one- not so much. It was not flattering on me. It accentuated my bust which is like bringing sand to the beach, and the draping just looked awkward. This might help add curves where there are none, but I am all set in that department. I wanted to love it but it’s a return for sure.

West Elm‘s customer service: Ugh. I hyped West Elm a lot in my gift guide posts and I’m a big fan of their general aesthetic, but this holiday season I had a lot of trouble with them. I ordered several items for multiple people on my gift list several weeks before Christmas, all had delivery dates well in time for Christmas. Long story short, two items ordered on December 5th and with a delivery date of December 18th showed up several days after Christmas. And one item that showed up just in time on Christmas Eve was monogrammed incorrectly and required returning. This fiasco included several calls to the customer service line, several promises for Christmas delivery that were not kept, with no attempt at accommodation just a lot of the word “sorry.” Was I offered compensation or discounts for any of these late or incorrect items? No. They simply shifted blame to their shipping operation. At the end of the day, due to no planning fault of my own, I was down three presents on Christmas day and it seemed like West Elm could care less.

Anything you’re loving or returning right now?