More Elie Tahari for Kohl's Fitting Room Reviews

Since I had to take something back to Kohl's today because the security tag was left on, I decided to try on more of the Elie Tahari collection while I was there. Here is my first set of reviews from Friday. Everything pictured here is an XL.

Open-work chenille sweater on sale for $48

Funny story. I didn't realize I had this sweater on backwards. The split is supposed to be in the back, which I think I would've liked a little better. As is, it highlights my biggest problem area - my mom gut. Check out the product photo to see how it should look.

Ombre convertible cardigan on sale for $66

I tried this cozy, comfy sweater on Friday but forgot to get a picture of it. I still like it - the gray version and the cream version. The scarf is detachable. I didn't purchase it, but I did add it to my Christmas list.

Drape-back mixed-media top on sale for $36

Quite a few of the tops in this collection were wrinkly in the store - this one included. It's fine, but it does nothing for me. You can't really tell in the above picture, but it has some extra draped material in the back.

Mixed-media high-low hem tee on sale for $33

I like this T-shirt and almost bought it. I had it in my cart but later reconsidered. The notch detail in front is cool and different, but where the black part hits me is not the most flattering. It was made from a very comfortable material, too, but I had to pass it up.

Faux-fur sweatshirt on sale for $55.50, Textured midi skirt on sale for $40.50

Another wrinkly top. I actually really like this sweatshirt, in theory, with the faux fur panel in the front. It's just not something I needed. Plus, my daughter watched Tarzan on repeat all weekend, so I couldn't help but think "gorilla" a little bit (GO-RILL-A). But besides the wrinkles, I thought this was a cute, casual sweatshirt.

I ended up buying the sweater skirt! I loved the stretchiness and the length, and I felt bad for taking so much into the fitting room that I had to buy something. With a coupon and a $10 reward, I ended up getting it for $22. It's described as "midi," and I s'pose it would be on shorter ladies. On me, it hit right below my knees.

Chenille sheath dress on sale for $58.50

This sweater dress is something else I tried on Friday but forgot to get a picture of. It could've worked with Spanx, but eh. I would like it on someone else though.

Mixed-media sheath dress on sale for $63

Such a cool dress. The sleeves are made of a stretch fabric, but the dress is not and fit me pretty much how every sheath dress fits me - loose on top and tight on the bottom. The zipper details on the bottom half add some edginess. I much prefer this black patterned version to the solid blue version. If I had anywhere to wear this dress, I might've just bought it and took in the top to fit better. But alas.

Mixed-media sweater on sale for $45

Ew. The notch detail at the hem made my hips look wide, and slouchy doesn't really work on me. This could be cute on someone else, though. On the other hand...

Ribbed funnel neck sweater on sale for $48

I can't see how this would be cute on anyone. I don't even like it on the model.

Elie Tahari for Kohl's Fitting Room Reviews

Hi! I'm back for an ad hoc post on the Elie Tahari for DesigNation collection at Kohl's, which is in stores and online now. I'm about 3 weeks postpartum (check out my Instagram for pics of the new baby!), so right now I'm in size 18 pants and probably size 16 dresses for reference. I grabbed everything the store had in an XL, but one thing I did miss out on because they didn't have my size was the skyline fit & flare dress - not that I need another dress in my closet anyway. Also, lately I've only been buying and wearing things that are nursing friendly.

Mixed-media pleat-back sweater on sale for $48, French terry jogger pants on sale for $37.50

The sweater was huge and unflattering on me, but the pants were fun. The pants ran big, so I would size down if you're interested in those. You could probably size down in the sweater, too, if you didn't want it to look quite so huge. I passed on the sweater obviously, but the pants were my one purchase from the collection since all I basically wear on maternity leave is yoga pants. Now I can mix it up a bit.

Graphic mixed-media tee on sale for $36

This t-shirt was fine. Not very flattering on me, but I could see how it would be cute on someone else. The two XLs I picked up were both kind of wrinkly, but laundering it once may remedy that.

Ombre georgette tunic on sale for $48, Mesh ponte leggings on sale for $37.50

For people with a straighter shape, this tunic would be great. On me, it was tight in the stomach and hips area but fit fine in the chest. The sleeve length was perfect. Usually shirt sleeves hit me somewhere around the wrist. I see online that these leggings come in short and long lengths, which is intriguing to me. I did like these, and they would fit even if and when I did lose more weight, but I just didn't feel like I needed them.

Faux-suede motorcycle jacket on sale for $75

I have no complaints about this jacket. It fit well and looked chic, but the length was tricky on me. Plus, it's not something I needed. It also comes in cream.

Chrysler building chiffon top on sale for $40.50, Mixed-media leggings on sale for $40.50

This top didn't interest me at all on the hanger, but I love it on. I have no use for it right now because it's dressy and not nursing friendly, but I'm hoping it'll still be around when I go back to work. The pants - ick. The color showed every lump and bump - I'm not sure if these would work on anyone besides the model. They certainly weren't for me. To be fair, the leggings also come in gray and black.

Mock-layer sweater on sale for $48, Rock & Republic mesh scuba leggings on sale for $36

I liked the idea of this top, but the proportions did not work on me. The Rock & Republic leggings were fine - I just grabbed them to have something to try this top on with. They seemed to fit a little snugger than the Elie Tahari leggings.

Want more reviews? Check out part two.

Fashion Week MKE - Music Icon Night

Milwaukee's first Fashion Week took place last week; and while I would've loved to attend all the events, the only one I made it out for was Music Icon Night, held at Spin Milwaukee. Fans of Project Runway may remember Spin, the ping pong nightclub, from the episode last season where owner Susan Surandon came on and asked the designers to create uniforms for the staff. Uniforms which, by the way, the employees were not wearing.

My friend Sabreen joined me, and we also met up with our friend Katie who was on the Art Bus, which made a stop at the party. After buying some drinks at the bar, we dodged the ping pong tables (I only got hit with a ball once - not too bad, hehe) and shuffled over to the runway area to find a spot since we were not VIP enough to be on the bleachers, haha. We ended up in a pretty prime location behind the press area at the end of the runway.

Guests were encouraged to dress as their favorite iconic musician, but I only saw a handful of people dressed up, including the fashion show emcees dressed as LL Cool J and Beyonce. The main event of the night was a T-shirt fashion show with designs from MILWAUKEEHOME, American Greed, Wiskullsin, Reginald Baylor Studio, I Am Milwaukee, Get the Led Out, Wisco Kid, Newd Clothing, and Love Nail Tree. For some reason, all my pictures of the male models turned out better than the ones of the female models.

Sabreen and I had America's Next Top Model on the brain since we were missing it to go to this event, so we couldn't help taking the role of the judges a little bit. Our favorite walker was definitely her:

Larry Sanders from the Milwaukee Bucks closed the show.

After the show, a little bit of lip sync karoake kicked off, starting with LL Cool J, Prince (seen below, highlight of the night), and then Beyonce. I also saw a Madonna and Katy Perry wandering around.

You can see the rest of my pictures from the show in my Facebook album. Hopefully, we can look forward to Fashion Week Milwaukee for many years to come. It's definitely an exciting time to be a fan of fashion here. Now I have to get some of those awesome T-shirts to flaunt my MKE and Wisco pride.

Here's what I wore:

Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad (Kohl's); Tank Dress: Forever 21; Pants: Rock & Republic (Kohl's);
Shoes: Vince Camuto via Boston Store; Clutch: Melie Bianco via DSW; Cocktail Ring that you can't see: c/o Wantable

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I was originally planning on going as Celine Dion because I thought it would be easy. Then, I ran out of time and couldn't curl my hair, so I had to make do with tons of back combing, bobby pins, and hairspray. Plus, I wanted to wear my new leggings right away. Funnily enough, Corleen and I were both wearing the same leggings except hers were from H&M. Great minds think alike!

Four Stylish Concert Outfit Ideas

Every once in awhile, most likely when Hanson's on tour like right now, I'll see in my blog stats that some people found this site by searching "what to wear to a Hanson concert." The post they likely see is this somewhat tongue-in-cheek one I did a couple years ago. This time (around), I wanted to give some serious suggestions for Hanson concert attire (or any concert, really) for those of you looking for advice. I'm going to my 48th and 49th Hanson shows in a few weeks, and I still have no idea what I'm going to wear, so maybe this will give me some ideas, too.

Everything I've shown here is under $50 except for the TOMS wedges.

1. I bought some faux leather leggings yesterday, so I'm all about those right now, but coated denim is also a great option. Less flashy but still cool. Pair these pants with a slouchy T-shirt or tank top, a knit jacket for easier range of motion in the arms, and jewelry. Credit where its due, this look was inspired by Kendi.

2. This outfit is more appropriate for a seated show or one where you plan to hang out in the back by the bar. Or maybe be outside the venue for most of the night (it happens). With the long sleeves and over-the-knee boots, you would surely overheat amid the crowd.

The first two looks are definitely my style, but the blazer in outfit #1 maaayyy be a little much for a Hanson concert. Let's try a couple things outside of my comfort zone.

3. I'm not a huge camo-print fan myself, but I can't deny that it is trendy right now. You could substitute any printed or colored denim here. And this top, which says "Rock n roll stole my soul" is a subtle nod to the lyrics in Hanson's song "Been There Before" or any of the other songs where they mention rock n roll and soul.

4. Sneaker wedges. They were huge last year, so let's lug those puppies out again to give you some height so that you can see the stage from the middle of the crowd in shoes you don't mind getting a little knocked around. It was hard for me to find a pair of these I didn't hate. Thank goodness for fashion bloggers giving me inspiration because this is exactly what I was envisioning. I also like the sneaker wedges with a short, full skirt, but I'd recommend wearing shorts underneath at a concert just to be safe. Unless safety is not what you're going for; in the case, by all means take your chances.

Catherine Malandrino for Designation at Kohl's Fitting Room Reviews

Although the Catherine Malandrino for Kohl's collection isn't on sale online until September 27, you can already find it in (some?) stores! I had to check it out for myself as soon as I saw Corleen's Instagram post about it. If you're a francophile or a lover of black and white, this collection is for you. As excited I was for the Phillip Lim line for Target, I was even more excited for this one.

Since the individual items aren't for sale online yet, I didn't link to them in my reviews, but you can see all the looks on Kohl's preview page. I found all the prices and product names here.

Deep v-neck dress $78, size large
This sweater dress was pretty cute. I probably should've sized up to an XL. It has a nude slip underneath, and I think it would look nice with tights or leggings and boots. While I am on the hunt for the perfect sweater dress, this wasn't it for me.

Embroidered mesh dress $120, size large
This dress came with an attached beige tank dress. It's pretty and fancy, but it's not really me, nor would I have any place to wear it if it were "me."

Appliquéd dress $130, size large
This was something I haven't seen before. The dress had spiral cutouts over a beige layer. Kind of cool looking, but again, not anything I need or can use.

Lace peplum top $58, size large
I do love a peplum, but this one was all wrong on me - this was more of an empire waist top. It would be great for a maternity top, not so great otherwise.

Jacquard pullover sweater $68, size large, and sweater skirt $50, size XL
This is when I started getting excited. I thought the sweater was super soft, thick, and pretty. It would make a great Christmas present. *Wink* any family members that may be reading... I wasn't expecting to think anything of the skirt - I grabbed it just to have a bottom to try on besides the boring pants in the collection - but I kind of loved it. Especially with the next couple sweaters. I ended up buying the skirt.

Paris je t'aime oversized tee $36, size large
I was holding up my arms in the first picture to show you that this T-shirt is basically a rectangle. While I usually prefer a fitted tee, this would look cute with skinny pants. My casual wardrobe is lacking compared to my work wardrobe, so I could use definitely use something like this. However, I did not purchase it.

Asymmetrical striped pullover sweater $68, size large
This sweater was really hard to leave behind. I literally started bouncing in the fitting room because I was so jazzed about how cute the sweater and the skirt look together. I'm not sure that comes across in this photo, so you may have to take my word for it. Not only that, but the sweater is long enough to wear with leggings, and I bet it would look killer with leather leggings, had I a pair of those (someday). It wasn't quite as soft as the jacquard sweater, but I thought it was still pretty comfortable.

Printed Eiffel Tower pullover sweater $58, size large
This one's a much thinner knit than the jacquard and striped sweaters but thicker than the sweater dress I showed first. And it's adorable. I'm wearing a large here, but I also tried on and XL, just to check. The XL was huge, and I ended up buying the large one pictured here. I can't wait to wear it with the sweater skirt and my new red pumps from Payless. (What? I'm done shopping for awhile now...)

Printed blouse $68, size large
When I saw this shirt online and in the store, I was certain it was going to come home with me. Having just tried on the Phillip Lim floral shirt, though, which is such a great piece, I wasn't as excited about this one. The material isn't as nice as the Phillip Lim one at Target, and I didn't like the shorter length as much. It's still a nice top, just not worth $68, in my opinion. It probably doesn't help that I was wearing the sweater skirt with it.

Ponte side zip top $48, size large
The thing I liked about this top is that it's so different with the zip-up mock turtleneck, slight ruching at the shoulder, and asymmetrical zipper detail. It's just a chic, cool top. It's nothing something I felt I had to have, but I definitely appreciate the design behind it.

Some of the looks that weren't in store that I wanted to try on were:

• Eiffel Tower embroidered mesh dress $78
• Front-snap dress $70
• Fit and flare pleated dress $78

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Fitting Room Reviews

When I leisurely pulled up to the Target in Grafton this morning, I wasn't sure what to expect. Five cars were already parked near the front. As I finished off my chocolate croissant from Starbucks, I watched a few more cars pull in after me. The crowd included three older ladies, two 20-something girls by themselves, a 20-something couple, two middle-aged men not there for Phillip Lim, and me. 

A minute before doors opened, I got out of my car and claimed my spot as #8 in line. We respectfully walked toward the collection like non-crazy, normal people and began making our selections. I was delighted to find that a couple bags in each color and size were available. I snatched up both gold versions and tried to decide which I was going with. I ended up choosing the mini satchel. Here's what else I brought into the fitting room:

Silky Skirt -Animal Print $29.99, size 14

This was adorable. I didn't expect to like this skirt as much as I did. It was way too short for work, and the zipper stuck a little; but if I had a place to wear this, I would've absolutely bought it. As you can see, the silky material has some wrinkle potential, but if that doesn't bug you, it's a very fun skirt that I thought was pretty true to size.

Long-Sleeve Blouse -Floral Print $29.99, size large

Since this was one of the items on my wishlist, I had high hopes for this shirt. The print may be a bit much, but the silky material felt like it was high quality. There was a stray thread sticking out on the shoulder, but nothing a scissors can't fix. I liked the longer length so that I could leave it untucked over skinny pants or tucked into a skirt. Although I hesitated at the bold print, this one went home with me.

Sparkle Sweater -Navy $39.99, size large

This sweater was so ridiculously soft and comfortable. The rhinestone detail at the neck was also a cute detail that makes this not just another sweater. And it looks adorable with the printed skirt. The shape was not flattering on me, but if you're in the market for something like this, I highly recommend it.

Ruffle Tank -Navy $26.99, size large

Originally, this top wasn't on my radar, but the more I saw it on people, the more I realized how versatile it would be in my own closet. Perfect for work. It's also a nice, silky material like the floral shirt and feels high quality despite a stray thread. This one ended up coming home with me, too.

French Terry Sweatshirt -Boom Print $29.99, size large

I kind of expected this sweatshirt to me as comfortable as the Prabal Gurung for Target + Neiman Marcus one was, but this one definitely did not live up to the Prabal Gurung one. Cool design, but not for me.

Sparkle Dress -Black $49.99, size large

This dress looked très horrible on me, but I wanted to try it on just so that I could review it. The straight silhouette is more appropriate for basically anyone but pear shapes. But hey, the dress has pockets, so that's a nice perk.

Shirt Dress -Floral Print $39.99, size large

Finally, the shirt dress, which was also on my radar. Pros - I liked the more fitted waist. I was expecting it to be a straighter style, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was more shape to it. It also has a zipper instead of buttons, which is kind of cool. My problem with shirt dresses is button gape, which I wouldn't have to worry about with a zipper. Cons - Once I got it unzipped, I had a hard time getting it zipped back up. Also, the hemline was kind of weird to me - weird in a way that made the sides stick out off my hips in an unflattering way. The material is substantial and very nice quality, though. Even still, I passed on this one.

Other items that were in the store but I did not grab were:

• Green long-sleeve blouse, which looked gorgeous
• Navy silky skirt
• Black sparkle peplum top
• White ruffle tank
• Navy and green pullover
• Gray sweater dress
• Blue sparkle dress
• Gray sweatpants
• Both of the scarves, which also looked nice

So, what did you guys think of the collection? Did you get everything you were hoping to get?