Aqua days: white skinny jeans + Pleione petites tunic

Pleione petites tunic, Articles of Society jeans borrowed from friend (starts in sz 23)

Hat borrowed from friend, Nina sandals (old), Goyard tote, AC necklace c/o (review)

These photos were taken at the Royalton Punta Cana resort where we spent the majority of our vaca. Compared to the last place, all the lodging, beaches, pool and restaurants here were much closer together (5 minute walk max) and the facilities were ~2 years old so still looked fairly new. During our stay, temps dipped into the 60's on occasion so I was glad to have packed light pants and sleeved tops. I tried on this Pleione top from Nordstrom numerous times in the past and liked the soft, comfy fabric (smoother on the front half and stretchy on the backside) and the tunic length for covering up the butt. I thought the aqua color would help brighten up my existing wardrobe and look nice against a budding tan.

Here's the length of an xxs petite when untucked - please note the lighter colors of this top are a little sheer. Also, my top did wrinkle on me in the suitcase and needed steaming in a hot shower. To avoid sheerness, I'd recommend this top in the basic wear-with-anything black or the gorgeous "blue mazzarine," both of which I also tried and can confirm were opaque.
You might recall this coverup dress from earlier (reviewed here) - it transitioned surprisingly well for dreary weather paired with my trusty BP ankle boots and Blank NYC moto jacket, topped off with a long black wool coat. To keep poly material from clinging to tights, simply wear a half slip skirt. Please excuse my T-rex claw as I adjust to gripping a bigger phone for selfies : )


Good white skinny jeans have been on my search list for over a year now - I've been dying to try some cold weather pairings with camel brown, printed scarves, colorful coats or just a simple black + white color scheme. I borrowed these Articles of Society jeans from a friend which were a little loose on me throughout in size 24 (I also have a few inches of length folded under). I just noticed this brand makes a size down in 23 which would probably be a perfect waist/hip/rise fit on someone my size. Material is on the thin side but not sheer, was comfy to wear, and the backside is surprisingly flattering. I'm holding out though for a pair with thicker denim, so will be trying on a few alternatives to compare. If you have any favorite white denim styles that are currently in stock, please share!

PS -  Much of the Nordstrom winter clearance is now limited in sizing, but this Vince Camuto 100% silk blouse in two of my favorite vibrant colors is still in stock starting in xxs petite. The blue is more classic while the lime is undeniably fun for spring/summer (have a version myself and love). Also these Halogen cashmere sweaters are now up to 55% off in multiple colors including this same aqua - no more petites but I don't mind regular sizing for sweaters to get a casual, slouchier look.

Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.

Petite-friendly Swell paisley dress / beach cover up

Swell paisley dress sz S (also liked this print)
Goyard St. Louis PM tote, Bric's Bellagio 21" carry-on luggage, BR sunglasses c/o

Talbots sandals (old, similar here for an extra 20% off, or here in wedge form)

Hello again finally! We decided to spend the last leg of our time off with friends in NYC this weekend. I'm a little nervous to return to Boston as I had been getting daily disgruntled texts from friends about snow snow and more snow ever since we left town. We've accepted our car's icy buried fate, but have fingers crossed for no frozen pipes or collapsed roof!

Last summer I got lots of requests for coverup and swim suggestions but rarely made it to the water (and when I did, resorted to college spring break garb that is well past its prime). So although beach/pool wear is probably the last thing on your minds now, I figured posting ideas earlier is better than never! And I actually think this particular dress can be re-styled with tights, booties and either a vest or sweater for winter.

I randomly came across Swell which was a beachwear jackpot for my last-minute packing scramble. They have cute items from a range of brands, and also their own line which is pretty affordable and mostly made in the USA. What sealed the deal for my first order was free 2-day express shipping + returns for orders over $99 (and free standard shipping for orders over $39). I had two keepers (also got this off-shoulder dress which I'll upload pics of tomorrow) that worked nicely for transitioning from pool/beachside to resort restaurants.


I had wondered how winter vacationers go from negative 2 to 80 degree weather, and noticed fellow passengers simply changing on the plane. I followed suit and chose this long sleeve chiffon-y paisley dress that is very lightweight and comfy. It's not petite sizing so the sleeves were about an inch longer than I typically wear em. I actually think the fit of a Small was perfectly fine off the rack for a casual dress, similar to an H&M sz 4. Since I am a little nit-picky, as a temporary fix, I used a safety pin on each side of the interior shoulder seams to take in about 1", as shown below:

*you can also wear this reversed for a V-neck in the front! It's not too low even as a regular dress

This effectively raised the sleeve length and the hemline a tad too. It created little gathered pleats visible from the outside which weren't too conspicuous due to the dark print. The dress is fully lined in the torso and slightly sheer in the flowy sleeves. Material is poly which felt lightweight, traveled really well and didn't wrinkle on me. Care tags say hand wash cold and line dry, with dry cleaning as a suggested alternative (no thanks for me...not for beach wear!).

Whenever we were snapping blog photos, kind passersby would insist on helping us take a photo together. We figured by the end of the trip we'd have a plethora of good shots, but no such luck! PS - I just realized the blurry print on Nick's swim trunks looks like...erm, male genitalia, but they're actually cute little lobsters, I swear! I picked them up (Sperry sold at Nordstrom) to replace his tattered pair and they were a hit.