Before I get started today, Shay's Shopping With Sheaffer and Shay post is already up!
GAP is currently having a sale, and since all of her picks are all from GAP,
it's a special Monday edition!
Click HERE to see all of Shay's AWESOME finds, and stay tuned for mine coming up on Friday!
I gotta say, I found some pretty great things!
Oh, one more thing before we get started.
You guys need to go HERE and check out a fabulous new blog that is making it's debut today!
It's called Everyday Cheer, and it's a collaborative effort between 8 super popular bloggers,
and one of them is Shay! SO COOL! They are going to cover topics ranging from DIY projects, to getting dinner on the table, to gift guides, to party planning... pretty much everything you've ever wanted in a blog!
Click HERE and start following along!
Okay.
Take a deep cleansing breath.
It's a big day today because I'm naming a new MUST HAVE.
Cue the hysteria and get out your credit cards.
This is a good one people.
A little background first.
A couple of Mondays ago I did a post on leggings,
and it's one of my TOP 3 FAVORITE posts I've ever done.
Click HERE if you missed it.
I basically revealed the formula for what I feels makes a successful leggings outfit.
THE FORMULA INCLUDES 3 IMPORTANT COMPONENTS:
1) BOOTS
(Although there was some discussion on how you can pull off a great leggings outfit with flats,
and I do agree.)
2) LAYERS.
Lots and lots of layers.
3) A GOOD QUALITY PAIR OF LEGGINGS.
(And of course the UNDERSTOOD 4th component that leggings ARE NOT PANTS.)
Ryan Gosling thought that my message was so important that he even stopped by to
weigh in on the matter.
(Let's just all agree that if Ryan talks, we should listen.)
And just to be clear (because there was some discussion on this too),
leggings can in fact be worn as pants......
AS LONG AS THE CROTCHAL AREA IS ADEQUATELY COVERED.
Let's just act like "crotchal" is a word.
So.....
I felt it was my civic responsibility to find a "GOOD QUALITY PAIR OF LEGGINGS" to help fulfill the #3 requirement for ladies everywhere. I'm a giver.
Because no matter how good the rest of your outfit is, if the leggings are bad,
then THE WHOLE THING is bad.
I talked about several different pairs of leggings (all with great reviews) on the initial post, but I hadn't yet decided which pair to get for myself.
I read the reviews carefully and decided on THESE.
The reviewers all LOVED them, and they were under $40, so I went for it.
Well.
They came on Friday.
And now I would like to declare that every day before Friday will now be referred to as BUWWHL.
Before Ultra Wide Waistband Hue Leggings.
Yep. I'm all sorts of serious.
So, drum roll please, introducing to you girls, MUST HAVE #5....
THE ULTRA WIDE WAISTBAND HUE LEGGINGS
found HERE.
I may have been a little excited after putting them on.
Allegedly.
And on Friday night at 9:30 p.m., I might have been in my bathroom putting together 3 different layered outfits with my new (and already much beloved) leggings. Again, allegedly.
What? You don't spend your Friday nights doing this?
Don't you just love all 3 looks?
If you're freaking out over the COMPLETE AND TOTAL AWESOMENESS of the look on the right, I totally get it. You should be freaking out. In fact, I would be worried about you if you weren't freaking out. Stay tuned for details on that outfit.
Here is my review of the leggings that I left on nordstrom.com:
These are by far the best leggings I have ever had on my body. The leggings are a nice OPAQUE black and do not become too thin or sheer when put on. The material doesn't sag or bunch, and they hug my body perfectly without being too tight. The "ultra wide" waistband puts the leggings into the PERFECT category for me. It hugs my tummy without being constricting and they are SO comfortable. I am 5'4", a size 4 in pants, and the size SMALL was perfect for me. They were a couple of inches too long, but I plan on only wearing them with boots, so I didn't mind just folding them up. (And I think this is a good thing for taller ladies!)
The wide waistband is SUCH A NICE touch.
Seriously.
BEST. LEGGINGS. EVER.
I promise.
One review said,
I don't normally like leggings. They are
usually too tight in the leg, too long in the leg and too constricting
in the waist. None of that exists in this Hue ultra wide waistband
legging. I bought four pair, two black, one gray and one navy. Versatile
and warm, excellent with booties and tunic tops.
DID YOU HEAR THAT?
This chick isn't even normally like leggings, and she bought FOUR pair!
Another review said,
...the wide waistband stops muffin top cold.
Ha!
It sounds like these leggings help fight muffin top crime! I love it!
Some reviewers said they run large, but I did not find this to be the case.
I'm a size 4, and the SMALL was perfect on me.
Shay is a 0-2, and the X-SMALL was perfect on her.
We are both 5'4"ish, and they were long on both of us...but that is great for you taller girls. I couldn't wear mine with flats, but I don't mind folding them up for my boots! If you're taller, then I'm guessing you could choose to wear them with flats.
BLOG UPDATE! I got these next two messages from sweet readers this morning and wanted to share them:
Sheaffer -
I've
been following your blog for a few months now, and I LOVE it! I've
bought several of the pieces you've recommended and I love everything.
But I wanted to tell you that I really really LOVE the Hue extra wide
waistband leggings. I got mine in the mail on Friday, and I wore them on
Saturday from 4:30am until midnight. It was a long day of traveling,
tailgating...etc. and they held up SO well! No stretching or gaping and
they were super comfy. It sounds like you and I are about the same size
and the small was perfect. A little long, but under boots it's no big
deal. I'm a stay at home mom of a 4 year old and a 9 month old and I
know I will LIVE in these things all winter. I just ordered the gray
ones this morning since the black ones were so great. Keep up the good
work!!!
Abby Szklarek (from Chicago)
Funny thing about the "blardigan"- the people that make it also make baby blankets!
We received the blankets as gifts when both my babies were born and I
tell you what- softest/best blanket, EVER! I'm SO glad that company
finally figured out how to make it into a wearable piece of clothing!
Totally ordering it right now...
Meg A.
ANYWAY.
LADIES.
Believe me.
And if you don't believe me, BELIEVE Abby and Meg!
THEY ARE A MUST HAVE.
YOU MUST HAVE THEM.
Click HERE for these MUST HAVE ultra wide
waistband leggings.
They come in black, espresso, and graphite.
And when you put the leggings in your cart, you HAVE to put either THIS scarf or THIS scarf in the cart too. They are only $20, and they are the perfect layering piece to pile on while wearing the leggings. And since they are both infinity, they are totally no fuss!
And listen, even if you don't think you are a "leggings person", I feel strongly that you need to give these a try. They are under $40, and ordering a pair is NO RISK.
With Nordstrom's FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS, you have nothing to lose! And if you ARE a leggings person, even if you already have a pair you like,
I still think you need to try these babies for yourself.
Your leggings future could be kicked up like 1,000 notches.
Even if you don't wear them out like I plan to with boots and layers,
you can wear them at home with hooded sweatshirts.
And think about for travel this holiday season!
Car trips, airplane trips, whatever!
Now let's break down the 3 outfits I threw together on Friday night.
They all have boots, layers, and a covered crotch.
CHECK. CHECK. and CHECK.
OUTFIT #1:
HUE ultra wide waistband leggings HERE
cognac wedge boots HERE
chandelier earrings HERE
white button up tunic HERE
I ended up ordering a medium in this shirt so it would be roomy enough and long enough for leggings. I have a short torso so this shirt wouldn't work with leggings
for everyone, but it does for me!
AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE it in the grey too!
waffle weave fringe scarf HERE
THIS IS THE SCARF! THE BEST SCARF EVER THAT WAS MY VERY FIRST SANTA ALERT.
Get one for yourself and one for every lady on your Christmas list!
OUTFIT #2:
HUE ultra wide waistband leggings HERE
cognac wedge boots HERE
chandelier earrings HERE
J Crew Factory denim tunic HERE
grey and white striped long tank (very old, think it was from Target)
light pink infinity scarf HERE
I just bought this scarf on Friday, and I love it! Almost as much as I love the taupe fringe scarf.
It is light and airy and perfect!
I LOVED this outfit!!!
It would have been TOTALLY boring without the scarf, right? The scarf added just the right amount of interest and color to make the whole outfit work!
OUTFIT #3:
HUE ultra wide waistband leggings HERE
cognac wedge boots HERE
chandelier earrings HERE
Click HERE for the long cardigan that I will tell you all about in just a minute!
(It actually comes from the lingerie department, but don't let that confuse you. TRUST ME on this when I say you need this for outerwear.)
long grey t-shirt HERE
(Only $18, long enough to wear with leggings, and a PERFECT layering piece!
I ordered the medium.)
light pink infinity scarf HERE
Now listen.
If you saw the picture above and liked the long cardigan thing that I'm wearing,
let me just say that YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
Seriously.
NO FLIPPING IDEA.
Maybe this next picture will give you a bit of an idea.
Yes.
That's Shay. Cuddling the cardigan in the middle of the mall food court.
It feels like THE MOST LUXURIOUS BLANKET in the whole entire world.
And because of this, I have named the item a BLARDIGAN.
Somebody should probably call the people at Webster.
Click HERE for the midnight ombre that I'm wearing.
Click HERE for all of the solid colors.
I recognize that it's pricey at $90, but I'm thinking that it's totally worth it, because if I know most of you ladies, and I think I do, you are going to find a way to wear it constantly.
It can be worn lounging at home, but it can also be worn out!
And if you think it looks cozy, YOU SHOULD FEEL IT!
(In the above picture I'm wearing the MUST HAVE JEANS and the MUST HAVE SHIRT.
I recommend the black in the must have shirt so it won't show wrinkles. And remember to order a full size down. Mine is an x-small.)
I really can't do this BLARDIGAN justice by telling you how soft and cuddly it is.
You really HAVE to just feel it for yourself.
Now listen.
If you're a tall girl who has trouble finding things to cover your hiney when wearing leggings,
LOOK NO FURTHER.
THIS IS IT!
If you're shorter than 5'4", then I'm afraid this BLARDIGAN isn't for you if you plan on wearing it out. At 5'4" it was a little too long for my liking with my jeans, but that might be because I have an incredibly short torso.
HOWEVER, if you just want it for lounging around the house,
WELL THEN BY ALL MEANS...ORDER THIS BABY IMMEDIATELY!
Check out just a couple of the 5 STAR reviews.
I was most worried about how this piece would hold up with washing, but one of the reviews totally erased any fear I had!
*
This is softer that most of the cashmere pieces I have and is machine washable (wahoo)!
*
This has got to be the most blissfully
comfortable garment ever created - next to Ugg slippers! I bought the
amethyst on impulse & have been wearing it daily for months now.
It
wears well with no pilling & stays exactly as it was when I bought
it.
*
Finally...I can wear my robe in public!
(THIS ONE HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE.)
*
The Best Gift Ever Under $100.00
I
have received this as a gift and loved it so much that I have given it
several times over! Everyone I have given it to raves about it! It's a
winner and cannot be copied by any other brand, so it must be BAREFOOT
DREAMS! It is so super soft and cozy, you will want to wear it all the
time! It's great for every climate and you will want one in every color.
There were some people in the reviews that said that although they wear it almost every night at home that they wouldn't wear it out. I totally disagree. I think the only reason they wouldn't wear it out is because they ARE wearing it at home. If they weren't, and it wasn't stuck in their head that it was loungewear, they would totally be wearing it with jeans or leggings and boots!
I LOVED how it looked with both my jeans and my leggings.
I have a strong feeling that this will become one of the most worn and by far FAVORITE pieces in your closet. I mean, come on. It's a BLARDIGAN people.
And because of that last review, I decided to use a SANTA ALERT.
Because getting this gift would be amazing,
BUT THINK HOW FUN IT WOULD BE TO GIVE IT!
The oooohs and ahhhhhs would be off the charts!!!!
Click HERE for the midnight ombre that I'm wearing.
Click HERE for all of the solid colors.
Several other things that you need to know about the Blardigan:
1)
The arms are fitted and the draping is so SO flattering.
So, even though it's a roomy piece of clothing, it still shows your shape nicely.
2)
Think about how amazing this would be for your holiday travels. You could wear it on a car or airplane trip, wear it out to dinner, and then lounge around in it at your fam's house too!
3)
Since there are only two sizes: small/medium and large/x-large....the sizing is very forgiving, which makes it super easy to order it as a gift
4)
My
very pregnant friend Nikki (gonna pop any day now) tried on mine and it
looked GREAT on her too! It kind of just molds to your shape! If you're pregnant, this could be GREAT for
you both DURING and AFTER your pregnancy!
(Several reviewers even said how they wore it home from the hospital after having their baby.)
5)
Notice how long it is in the back. It hits mid-thigh which means it would totally cover your bootie and would be PERFECT for layering with leggings!
****************
Also, FYI, I'm going to keep a running list of all of my Santa Alerts!
If you look on the top right hand side bar of the blog, you will see this Santa Alert button.
Click on it, and it will take you right to all of the Santa Alerts in one place!
My Santa Alerts will range in price from $20-$100 and will all be things that you would be thrilled to give or receive!
Click HERE to see them so far!
And just in case you are new here, in honor of our NEW MUST HAVE (the HUE leggings), I thought it might be fun to review all prior MUST HAVES.
MUST HAVE #1: WEDGES HERE
I strongly recommend the putty color.
MUST HAVE #2: Kut from the Kloth DENIM JACKET
sold out in specific color, but dark denim HERE and medium denim HERE.
MUST HAVE #3: SHIRT HERE
MUST HAVE #4: VIGOSS JEANS
HERE (clean cuffed) or HERE (for all other Vigoss options)
MUST HAVE #5: Leggings HERE
That's it for today friends!
Now go and buy yourself some MUST HAVE leggings!
(and maybe a scarf or two...and maybe a blardigan!)
And if you feel the need to send me a thank you note after you put on your leggings or your new blardigan, you can private message me for my address. :)
xoxo,
Sheaffer :)