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Did you know I have a page where I share all my exclusive promo codes for retailers? Also there I share links to popular retailers, and also have links to reviews I have done for said retailers. You can access this page for Wardrobe Oxygen promo codes and where I shop at this link, but it's also in the menu at the top of the website under “About.”
This page will continue to be updated as I acquire new promo codes and complete more reviews. While I occasionally receive temporary codes (some brands offer them for a weekend or sale), this page will only have the long-term codes and promotions. The Friday Shop will continue to be where I share short-term and sale-specific promotions!
Sale Alert
Y'all know I love Colleen Rothschild beauty. I have gone through a period where I am trying to use up what I have and ran out of Colleen Rothschild Extreme Recovery Cream and my skin FELT IT. I forgot how sensitive my skin used to be, how it breaks out with too greasy of creams, but needs a lot of hydration. This does better than anything else I've tried to keep my skin happy.
Well, Colleen Rothschild has a sale this weekend of their anti-aging products and one of the products is the Extreme Recovery Cream! Also, their Retinol Oil is included; this is my Colleen Rothschild Retinol Oil review I am clearly a fan. And my husband loves CR's glycolic pads, he calls them his “grown-up Stridex” and likes how they keep his skin clear and promote cell turnover.
Farmacy Beauty has a promo through March 16: Get a free Mystery Bag with orders of $85+! This 7-piece gift features a set of Farmacy's mini best-sellers worth $51 in a signature canvas pouch. For those not familiar with Farmacy, it's a highly rated cruelty-free farm-to-face skincare that uses organic and non-GMO ingredients. If you're new to the brand, my two favorites are the Honeymoon Glow and the Honey Halo.
Banana Republic started their Friends and Family sale today with 50% off practically everything and you don't need to be friends or family to take part in it! And if you have a Banana Republic card you get an extra 10% on that!
TBH I haven't shopped Banana lately because everything is beige with a light dash of parsley, turmeric, and paprika; we all know that isn't my scene, though no hate to those who rock such colors. But this sale made me peruse their selection and there are some truly beautiful things.
If you are looking for luxe-feeling loungewear, washable wardrobe staples, base layers in a great range of skintones (hello washable silk slips!), or comfy yet polished workwear, this sale is for you. Banana Republic goes up to size 20/XXL with several styles in petite and tall.
Birchbox has a cool promotion going on. If you love subscription boxes, Birchbox continues to be one of the most popular and good value. If you prepay for 12 months, you will get 20% off your subscription with promo code 12MONTHDEAL20. I've found subscription boxes to not just be fun for myself, but to gift to others. Each month a treat and they think of you!
American Eagle has 30% off online-only styles and 25% off all jeans. I liked AE before for trendy denim and placed an order with them plus scored some spring/summer pieces for my kid. We'll see how their jeans work out for me!
What I Bought and What I Thought
I keep hearing about Alex Mill, an apparel brand that prides itself on creating clothing that won’t go out of style. Alex Mill also upcycles their unsold inventory, uses upcycled fabric, and looks for ways to reduce manufacturing waste and recycle fabric scraps.
I love a striped shirt so I ordered this. I got an XL (a 14/16 on the Alex Mill website), even though the site says to have a looser fit with this shirt size up. I already have relaxed/looser fit stripes; I wanted a trim fit, one that would look great tucked into full skirts, worn under blazers and overalls.
I practically busted a seam getting it over my head. This tee was tighter than a late ‘90s baby tee and clearly made for small noggins. It barely hit my waistband, puckered over my breasts, and my arms squished out from the sleeve hems like popped containers of crescent rolls. The tee went right back into the package and returned the same day it was delivered.
While Alex Mill goes up to XXL, a scan through their Instagram account and tagged photos makes me realize few people in double-digit clothing sizes wear their clothes. Maybe I got a fluke, maybe Alex Mill is awesome and that t-shirt (which was kind of thin and pretty ordinary) is not representative of the brand. Have you shopped Alex Mill? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
My daughter goes through black leggings so fast. She has never been one to like “hard” pants, even as a toddler, and black leggings have been part of her signature look since she was the age to find colors and prints “too baby.” It seemed every week she'd come home from school with a pair of her leggings having a hole in the knee or suddenly two inches too short.
Even having a year at home, she's tough on her black leggings. And over this year at home she has gone from wearing kid's sizes to adult sizes. I've been replacing all her outgrown and threadbare black leggings one by one from different brands, seeing which would be the most comfortable, durable, and fit her well. But knowing how hard she is on leggings and how fast she grows, it doesn't make sense to spend $50 on a pair so I've been looking budget and clearance.
We have had a lot of fails (the worst were Lou & Grey which were transparent and got threadbare after three washes), but the recent win is these leggings from Muk Luks. I didn't expect much from a pair of leggings that cost less than $10, but these are super nice.
They sort of remind me of Soma Essential leggings, though softer/less performance feeling and not as thick/durable. They're uber soft inside, but not linty, incredibly opaque, stretchy, and long enough for her long legs. She is a size 2 and we got the Small-Medium and they fit great, but I think they'd still fit great if she was a size 6, though they may not be as opaque.
Continuing my hunt for new jeans (wanting faded, straight or relaxed leg, some distressing) I have now tried on top of my Madewell denim haul:
- Levi's 501 Skinny in size 33: couldn't fit over my ass. Looked… fine. Like a pair of faded brand new jeans.
- MOTHER ‘The Dazzler' Yoke Front Ankle in size 34: fit over my ass, was able to button and zip. Would be okay breaking them in to truly fit, but the '80s inspired front wasn't high enough rise to look cool on me and just looked like weird pockets. I think if I had less ass/stomach they would be the right rise and look cool. These had great distressing, a gorgeous gray-tinged wash, felt and looked as expensive as its pricetag.
- Talbots Slim Ankle Jeans in size 14 petite: In a dark wash, these are a favorite for fit. But these in a faded wash that was free of distressing and a bit too blue/bright for the season felt dated. But a plus: they fit the same as other washes, which is rare for a lot of denim brands.
- Frame Le One Skinny in Size 2: These claim to fit sizes 29 to 34. I am on the cusp of these fitting. And they fit terribly over my curves, sliding down, giving muffin top, saggy bum, painted-on calves. That being said, they're hella comfy when hitched up to the right spot and the faded wash is really nice looking for stretch denim.
The hunt is still on. In the Madewell post, a reader suggested the Universal Standard Bae jeans as an alternative to the Madewell Balloon jean. They are sold out in my size but I put myself on the waitlist. With the Banana Republic sale, I went to see if they had any great denim and they too have a balloon jean but not in petite and even in regular they didn't have my size in stock (or a color I desired). I'll keep ordering and reporting on my findings!
I’ve hovered on the Alex Mill site a few times. Once, they were having a sale and I actually added 5 things to the cart before I abandoned it. I just wasn’t sure about the sizing. I really liked some of their cardigans — Bleecker (but feared it might be too cropped for me), this one nautical looking cardigan with lots of buttons and pockets (I really wanted it, but it sold out and they didn’t bring it back), and then now maybe that Cup of Jo collaboration reading cardigan. Thanks for reporting back on your experience — I was concerned that their preppy-ish, straighter cuts wouldn’t fit bustier/curvier as well.
I can’t wait to read your AE review as I’m curious about their denim. The Tom Girl jeans intrigue me but it says they’re rigid denim so that makes me pause. I have their Khaki Midi Shorts and love them. Thanks for your opinion on Alex Mill. They’ve got some cute things but I got the feeling their sizing skews small, plus they seemed a bit high priced. I’ll pass on them for now.
Thanks for the heads up on the Colleen Rothschild sale! Because of you, I am hooked on the Retinol Oil. I buy multiples when you give me these alerts. I also love their Vitamin C, but seem to use it up too quickly for my budget.
As for BR, I do like a lot of their clothes these days, but I seem to have aged out of their fits with my midsection. Petites are too small, regular sizes too long in the torso and never fit in the bust/shoulders to hang right. Too bad, because I’m actually liking their new minimalist stuff.
Alex Mill. I was tempted in the before times. Bought 4 or 5 pieces from Nordstrom and the fits/quality were wildly inconsistent. I have one lightweight terry striped top that I love and returned everything else due to fit/quality. Ordered the lightweight terry top in another color, same size and it was two sizes smaller. Won’t order from them again. I’m tired of brands that are the opposite of vanity sizing. I tried Alice + Olivia due to a cute instagram influencer and their XL is barely a size 12. Aargh!
I am watching your jeans search like it’s a soap opera! Can’t wait for the next episode.
Remember when Detroit was producing lemons? Implementing 6 Sigma in the industry helped fix that.
What I’m reading in comments & Alison’s Madewell review makes it clear that the women’s fashion industry needs to implement 6 Sigma in its manufacturing.
Lol. Right? I guess there are brands that are fat phobic. Lots has been written about it. And then, of course, I can’t lie-I do like “vanity sizing”.
Your skin looks AMAZING.
I follow the Instagram group selltradeplus, and it has really introduced me to a lot of small, ethical clothing brands that I had never heard of before. One of these is called Big Bud Press, based in LA. I just checked them out and ordered this striped long-sleeved T:
https://bigbudpress.com/collections/clearance/products/long-sleeve-stripe-tee-blue-crush
I love the colors of the stripes, so I hope that it works out. The clothes on the site are unisex, colorful, and lean toward the casual and/or athleisure end of the spectrum. Check it out!
I’m curious about your American Eagle review too. My son is now wearing some of their hoodies & really likes them. I’ve heard good things about their jeans but had not thought of them for myself. I meant to comment on your Madewell post yesterday but forgot. Madewell makes some of my favorite jeans—the Stovepipes. So soft, comfortable, & stretchy (in a good way). But I haven’t seen them in really light or vintage washes, so they are likely not what you’re looking for. With that said, if anyone is looking for a straight leg jean that’s not too baggy, try the Stovepipes. They fit my curves well, even my larger calves, and are comfortable all day long. For some reason, I can’t wear Madewell skinny jeans at all—they are so horrible on me. I’ve also had good look with some other straight pairs from there in white & charcoal/faded black. I’m also having good luck with J Crew’s straight leg/vintage style jeans (comfy, stretchy). Thank you for reminding us that it’s the jeans, not us! Jeans are just so hard, so once I find some I like, I tend to stick with them.
I like Madewell stovepipes too.
I’ll be curious to see what you think of the Bae jeans when you’re able to get a pair! I’m about the same size as you, about 4 inches taller, and I didn’t care for them – they hit me at an odd place on the leg, and the fit around my mid-section was off. To be fair, I bought them in a 12 and probably should’ve exchanged them for a 10.
I have some Alex Mill clothes, and I think they are a bit overpriced and they could be cut better. I have one white dress shirt I scored on sale at Nordstrom. I like it to wear with jeans in the summer, but it’s definitely a bit short and not that nice for what the full price was supposed to be. I also bought this striped top:
https://www.alexmill.com/collections/womens-tees/products/puff-sleeve-mariner-tee
I saw Claire Saffitz wearing it and couldn’t resist. I love the fabric and the bracelet sleeves, but there is no way I could wear it tucked in, it’s way too short for that (I am long waisted and 5’7″, and I usually wear an M/8).
I also ordered one of their work jackets last season when it was on sale, and the cut was too boxy and the sleeves too loose for it to be flattering. I’d say if you can score a piece on sale, go for it, but not otherwise. I also tried one of the jumpsuits in a store once and it gave me instant wedgie. Better be short and thin for this brand.
Looking forward to your American Eagle jeans review. I LOVE the look of their Artist flare jeans (I’ve always enjoyed wider leg jeans, trendy or not). My son has worn AE since he could fit and still loves them. At least for guys jeans, they’re well made and last forever.