June Shopping Reflections

This was another shopping-heavy month for me, though I'm still a bit under my $170/month budget for the year so far. Because of the pay cut I'll be taking when I start my clerkship, I'm actually hoping to stay solidly under budget in future months, but we'll see what happens. 

Note: this post contains affiliate links that may result in a few cents commission for me if you click. Thank you for your support!

I wasn't expecting to make another purchase at Grana (referral link: you get 10% off your first order and I get $20 in store credit if you make a purchase) quite this soon, but I ended up received some store credit when readers signed up (thank you so much!) and I thought the navy silk tops would be a nice addition to my work wardrobe. As I mention in my review of the silk raglan tee, the product measurements on Grana's website are generally accurate. I prefer the look of my "true size" raglan tee over the sized up ones I bought last month.  My other purchases were mostly summer clothing. I also made that off-budget work shoe purchase I mentioned last month.

I don't have much shopping planned for July, outside of picking up a black slip (maybe this one from Free People or this one) to wear under that Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress (similar, but I purchased mine on consignment from TheRealReal) I bought last year. I might do a review of that classic item sometime in the next few weeks, but my general impression is this: I might be a bit too busty for the DvF silk jersey wrap dresses despite sizing way up, so I always need at least a black camisole under mine. I also recently found that there was more than a moderate danger of wardrobe malfunction with the dress's skirt as well, hence my current search for a full slip. I might also be contemplating a jewelry purchase that I'll share later this week. It isn't that ring from Envero Jewelry on Etsy, but another "made in the USA" piece from a woman-owned business. The next post in my "Transitioning to the Workplace" series will go live next Tuesday. 

Fashion - (TOTAL: $109.37)

• Grana: $39.00 + $49.00 = $88.00 - $40.00 (referral credit) = $48.00 
• Grana Silk Raglan Tee, navy, S - I love this cropped, more casual design, see my review. Note, however, that this top is a bit boxy and doesn't tuck in that well, so one of Grana's new silk tees might be better for many work wardrobes. 
• Grana Silk Classic Shirt, navy, S - While the product measurements for this are accurate, I find that the design of this one runs a slightly higher risk of gapping at the chest than the silk collarless shirt, despite somewhat similar measurements for size S. 
• J. Crew Factory Striped Flounce Skirt - $25.67 - I reviewed this here. This is a nice and light all-cotton skirt with a cotton lining and it was a good way for me to experiment with the a-line midi skirt look. Do note that it's actually navy and white, not black and white, which makes J. Crew Factory's description misleading!
• Lou & Grey Summer Kimono Cardigan - $35.70 - I purchased this linen and cotton blend cardigan because I needed another summer-weight cardigan for work. I also tried a cotton-viscose-silk blended Loft open cardigan, and while that was light enough for summer, I preferred the flowy look of this. One annoying detail: the allegedly removable waist tie is actually sewn in and not adjustable, so it dangles awkwardly when this cardigan is worn open. I'd think about cutting it off, but I also like wearing this cardigan closed.
• Cole Haan Catalina Wedge - off budget - These are on sale most places, I ordered them for around $119 on Amazon only to realize that Nordstrom Rack still had my size for a fair bit cheaper after I already started wearing them. They run a half-size large, i.e. I'm a size 7.5 for almost every shoe, but I'm a 7 here. I find these extremely comfortable and they took no time to break in, unlike some of the comfier-looking Cole Haan flats I owned in the past. I actually have a heinous time breaking in Cole Haan round toe shoes, and I can't figure out why because they aren't especially narrow.

Beauty - (TOTAL: $32.66)

• Hada Labo Gokyujun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion - $12.62 - I've lost track of how many times I've refilled this product because its been a staple in my skincare routine for ages. It isn't a miracle product, but it's a very reliable moisturizing toner that is good for adding an extra moisture boost to almost any skincare routine. 
• Timeless 20% C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum - $15.04 - I typically use the Paula's Choice C15 Vitamin C serum, which has been good for my skin and helps with fading dark spots left over after acne heals up, but it sure is expensive! That $48 bottle only lasts me about five months of daily use in the morning. I've tried the Korean O.S.T. C20, which is cheaper, but broke me out. This Timeless C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum is a dupe for the ultra-ultra-pricey Skinceuticals C + E Ferulic Serum. Because the Timeless serum is quite concentrated, both the friend who recommended this product to me and I found that our skin had a hard time adjusting. My friend started out using this daily and had a huge breakout that disappeared as soon as she stopped, though she's no longer getting any adverse effects when using it every other day. I've been having some bad skin days due to work stress and I can't tell if testing out this Timeless serum every morning is a contributing factor. 
• CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch - $5.00 - I reviewed this product and explained how I use hydrocolloid bandages as part of my acne-fighting routine here. It's a staple product for me, and I find that it sticks better and is thus more useful than the Nexcare version that is more commonly found. Note, however, that both kinds only stick well on clean, dry skin with no other products applied. It might also be more cost-effective to purchase standard hydrocolloid "blister bandages" and cut them to size, but I need these pretty rarely so I'm fine with buying the CosRx or Nexcare ones once every few months. 

Linking up with Franish and the Budgeting Bloggers this month, as usual. Please do go and check out what everyone else bought!

Shopping at J.Crew Factory

Today's post is a quick review for two items that I recently tried on from J.Crew Factory. I ordered these for about $26 each during a recent additional percent off sale. This is my third time shopping at J.Crew Factory, with their graduate student and entry-level professional-friendly price point, and while their wool sheath dress didn't fit me well (my review here), I quite like their breton striped shirt (my review here) and now this striped midi skirt. For fit reference, I'm 5'3'' and roughly 36''-26''-37''. 

Note: this post contains affiliate links that may result in a few cents commission for me if you click. Thank you for your support!

To the left, I'm wearing the Factory Striped Knit Dress, size S, in black stripe. The 97% cotton and 3% elastane material is about as thick as that of the 100% cotton breton striped shirt, but a bit softer and stretchier. It runs big: I would likely need a XS here, as the S has noticeable extra fabric at my hips and is roomy everywhere else. I'm typically a S in all the J.Crew Factory tops I've tried and was in the M size range for their fitted wool dress. I returned this because, while its comfortable and the material and quality seem good for the price, it doesn't have a place in my wardrobe. The material's too thick for my preference in humid and sticky NYC summer weather, even if its mostly cotton, and I don't see myself wearing it with the black tights I generally wear throughout fall and spring. 

To the right, I'm wearing the Factory Striped Flounce Skirt, size 6. To get the intended slightly above the waist fit, I probably should have bought size 4, but I sized up for comfort and because I don't like when my skirts sit that high. The waistband of the 6 generally rests right at my waist or a little lower. The only colorway for this skirt is labeled "black white stripe," which, as the reviews point out, is inaccurate. Worn with my black Everlane Ryan Tank above, its clearly navy and white. The skirt and lining are both 100% cotton and feel light and summer-friendly. When zipping it, I often think that it feels flimsy, but I might just be unaccustomed to zipping up a skirt that's a light summer piece. (All my other skirts with zippers have synthetic outer fabric or lining except for one J.Crew cotton skirt somewhat similar to this, but heavier because of having even more pleating that's sewn in.) This skirt is also machine washable, which is great. 

This totally isn't the more formal solid-colored midi skirt I dreamed of, likely this one from White House Black Market, with my goal of finding something similar to the one worn so fabulously by Adina. This skirt was a nice low-cost way to experiment with the silhouette. While I enjoy wearing this, I'm not sure the experiment is a success. I generally find this and other full a-line skirts unflattering, though there's a chance I'm just being nitpicky and critical because I'm unaccustomed to the shape. I generally feel like full a-line skirts are just less flattering on my waist than pencil skirts and the side view of this one is a bit awkward. 

Although my intention with this year's shopping budget was to upgrade my work wardrobe by relying more heavily on secondhand shopping through Ebay or TheRealReal, I've had a hard time making the leap. With secondhand shopping, my general goal is finding higher-quality items which, even after the discounts from being bought secondhand, are generally pricier than items I typically buy. There's also the added risk of buying items at that higher price point from Ebay (no returns!) or even TheRealReal (decide within 14 days, ship within 21, you pay return shipping by whichever method you choose, not to mention the $11.99 shipping fee for each order). and I find TheRealReal's product measurements generally strange and likely inaccurate. This is despite previously having a good shopping experience, when I bought an Equipment blouse (similar) and a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress (similar) last February after verifying size information on blogs and other retailers' sites. That difficulty is compounded by my impending clerkship pay-cut: While my $170/month budget allows for judicious designer purchases on TheRealReal, I'm not actually sure its wise to spend all of said budget while clerking. 

Has anyone else had trouble with following through on a  plan to spend more on fewer items as a way of upgrading one's wardrobe? 

Sunday Reading 6/26/2016: Women and Money

Olivia Palermo carrying a Birkin

Alas, I'm proving unable to maintain these posts as a weekly feature. I'm finding that I have a propensity for serious topics, which require a fair bit of thought and editing time before I'm ready to post. Thus, these will be a "Sunday Reading" thing, on an irregular schedule, especially now that I'm back to posting more regularly throughout the week. I have a few posts lined up for the near future, and I hope that these will continue to be interesting and inspire discussion!

One aspect of sexism is that hobbies associated with women are seen as frivolous, and (if expensive) extravagant. We see this with in discourse about makeup and fashion. When people hear about, say, Hermès Birkins, the inevitable reaction is sneering at how insane it is for there to be handbags that cost that much and extravagantly wasteful and out of touch women who buy them. Never mind that a small category of the highest-end designer products are "investments" in the sense of having a positive rate of return. In the case of the Birkin, that rate of return even rivals that of the S&P 500. Many designer products hold their value pretty well in the resale market, possibly better (with less depreciation) than, say, cars or electronics. I, like many other young professionals, cannot currently dream of shopping for that type of product... ever, really, but there is some financial rationale there, or, at least, some valid financial post-hoc justification for it.

That's a roundabout way of getting to today's topic, a meandering discussion of a few things related to the theme of "women and money." I don't think I'm imagining it when I say there's a general stereotype in American culture that women are bigger spenders and consumers than men. Sexism plays a role: even as society places high expectations on women in terms of their dress and grooming, it decries women for their extravagance when they follow those expectations. (Male politicians being criticized for the price of what they wear is almost unthinkable in contemporary American society, I think.)

I'd like to share one blog entry that touches on that paradox, where women are simultaneously expected to and even obligated to spend more on certain things while also being seen as inherently less frugal or less good with money. That blog, Frugalwoods, is in the "financial independence" genre. Financial independence (distinct from financial self-sufficiency) is, on a basic level, the philosophy of saving (and investing) as rapidly as possible so that, upon retirement, one can live indefinitely off of investment returns without touching the principle invested. A yearly withdrawal rate of up to 4% is potentially safe, taking into account average market returns over time, so $1 million could theoretically support a lifestyle costing $40,000/year. Mr. Money Mustache is the most famous proponent. There's often a large frugality component, which facilitates a sky-high savings rate and needing less upon retirement. The goal is often to retire early so one can spend their time doing what's important to them. Financial independence in that sense is not my goal (too much future uncertainty makes the required math difficult), but I read about it for inspiration for increasing my savings rate now because the years I spend in biglaw will likely be the highest-earning in my life. The Frugalwoods lifestyle is, of course, extremely different from the one I choose, but it's fascinating food for thought.

Less potentially controversial is the point that all women, and all people in general, benefit from having an emergency fund or "fuck off fund." It's a basic enough point, but important. I have been fortunate that I've yet to need to dip in to my fairly robust emergency fund (6 months basic living expenses), but the point is that it's there, and it makes the significant pay cut during my clerkship relatively stress-free. My future co-clerks and I were asked to start a month or two earlier than expected, which throws off various financial calculations (fewer biglaw paychecks, more clerk paychecks at the lower "new graduate" salary before I'm "promoted" to the "one-year experience" salary). I decided take the leap with an one month earlier start date, and my emergency fund facilitated it.

Finally, because I found Equire's "Four Men with Four Very Different Incomes" piece very educational a few weeks ago, I thought I'd share their equivalent piece for women. Unfortunately, I don't think this one's as good: They awkwardly pulled out quotes from the highest-income women to support a point about the "pay gap," except that the interview subjects in question reported that they specifically did not see themselves as victims of a gender-based pay gap. The first saw herself as a businesswoman whose income naturally fluctuates based on her own efforts, while the second chose to go part time in her day job as a doctor to care for her children, which accounts for her reduced income there, relative to people who do it full-time (she's also a real-estate investor on the side). I'm obviously in favor of vocal criticism of all aspects of sexism at the workplace, this was just an awkward article to attempt it in.

Do you ever encounter negative gender stereotypes about women and personal finance in your own life? Do you worry about a gender-based pay gap in your field?

Review: Grana Silk Raglan Tee

Top: Grana Silk Raglan Tee, Navy, S

Pants: Loft Marisa Fit Slim Ankle Pant, 4P

Shoes: Vans Slip-On in Perforated Leather, black, 7
Watch: Skagen Anita (exact, similar, I reviewed mine here)

When I ordered these from Grana (referral link: you get 10% off your first order as a new customer, and I get $20 store credit, thank you for your support!), this was their only silk tee. They've since expanded their collection to include a longer silk tee with traditional sleeves and a cap-sleeve top. I wish I'd waited, because while I love the more casual, cropped look of the raglan tee, the new designs are more suitable for work, i.e. for tucking in to pencil skirts or slacks. Because the last restock was weeks ago, the silk raglan tee is not currently available in all size/color combinations, but you can sign up for email notifications for when they restock. I'm wearing size S in the navy blue above and M in the mulberry below. For fit reference, I'm 5'3'' and roughly 36''-26''-37''.

Some general brand pointers: Between this tee and the silk blouses, Grana's product measurements appear accurate. Many r/femalefashionadvice readers report that Grana run smaller than Everlane, but I'm a S for most silk tops from both. (I need to size up for silk camisoles or tanks from either, because of how they fit on the chest.) The perception of Grana's smaller sizing could come from Grana's core designs generally being shorter and boxier than Everlane's similar styles. Quality-wise, the general consensus is that Everlane silk is nicer, but Grana is the better value. However, based on my Everlane silk dress (reviewed here) and these tops, both brands seem to be of equal quality when it comes to dark-colored silk clothing. Grana's pricing ($39-$49 for silk tops) is then a significantly better value. Grana does not, however, take a particularly clear stance on whether their clothes are ethically produced.

Top: Grana Silk Raglan Tee, Mulberry, M

Pants: Loft Marisa Fit Slim Ankle Pant, 4P

Shoes: Vans Slip-On in Perforated Leather, black, 7
Watch: Skagen Anita (exact, similar, I reviewed mine here)

I originally ordered M because I worried that S would be too short for my intended purpose of incorporating these into my work wardrobe, where I generally prefer to tuck tops into my skirts. I was also worried that Grana's products might run smaller than the measurements suggested, though that proved unfounded. Because this tee is designed to be boxy, sizing up actually results in a little too much extra fabric when I tuck it in. While I don't mind this terribly much because I like looser-fitting tops, it suggests that the new slimmer, longer tee and cap-sleeve top are more suitable for tucking in to work-wear skirts and pants. When I wear M untucked like I do above (my preferred way to wear it with pants) you can see the extra fabric and length are not quite as flattering as the slimmer-fitting S.

Note: this post contains a few affiliate links that may result in a few cents commission for me if you click. Thank you for your support!

The off-white silk raglan tee, my photo here, has strangely prominent shoulder seams (where two layers of the not-sheer-but-almost fabric are sewn together and more opaque in contrast than the rest of the shirt's one layer of material), which I don't love. This isn't noticeable on the mulberry or navy, but I suspect it could be an issue with any light color raglan tee. The design of the cap-sleeve and new tee look as if they won't have this problem.

Now that I own both sizes, I prefer the S and love the cropped, slightly boxy fit, which I even find rather flattering. I was shocked that something this shape worked for me, as I've always assumed  that something short and boxy would make my chest look awkward by hanging straight down from the widest point of my chest and making the rest of me look larger. It probably helps that silk drapes better on the body, which isn't especially apparent in these photos. It isn't suitable for being tucked in, as its too short and a fairly close fit for my chest, but I like the outfit above and it even works with some skirts untucked. 

Overall, I recommend the raglan silk tee for those that like that cropped, slightly boxy look. The new tee designs are, however, likely a better choice for more conventional and versatile business casual wear. The value is great and the quality reasonably good, with silk that's roughly equal to Everlane, a and a little nicer than Madewell. If you're interested in trying out Grana, shopping with my referral link will get you 10% off your first order (and I'll get $20 store credit). Thank you for your support!