Introducing the X-TN Spring Collection

Spring is the season of new beginnings and it's a great time to refresh your wardrobe. X-TN's new collection is all about defining your wardrobe around a few statement pieces to anchor your entire style. Their clothes are for someone who is unique and never boring!

*Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was received for this post.

X-TN is headed by Xuan-Thu Nguyen, who opened her first boutique in 2005 in Paris. Her creations are a mixture of modern and geometric shapes with delicate accents like handmade embroideries. I love the beautiful details of her clothes and the strong lines, like in the jacket above.

I also love this beautiful floral dress! It's 100% silk and perfect for the warmer weather that Spring brings. X-TN's collection is full of staple pieces that a woman can build her wardrobe around. They have just enough detail to be interesting on their own, but you can style them in different ways with accessories, too.

This gorgeous necklace is the perfect example of the exquisite detailing that can be found in X-TN's creations. This would look beautiful paired with a blouse or dress from the collection!

• Visit the X-TN website to learn more.
• Connect with them on Facebook.

Bottom Line: Be sure to check out the Spring collection from X-TN! Good clothing is an investment, and these pieces will be staples in your wardrobe for a long time.

Five Four Club Review and Coupon

My boyfriend, Pete, is like most men in that he doesn't usually think about shopping for clothes.  Services like Five Four Club are great for guys like him because they make it easy and effortless to get stylish, high quality clothes!

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! Post contains referral links.

Five Four Club is a men's clothing subscription that sends a package of their own brand's apparel valued at $120 or more for only $60 a month.  Their clothing is only available through this subscription and their website.  Shipping is included in the $60 charge, unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii where there is an extra $7 charge.  Shipping to Canada is an extra $25.

Five Four Club works the same way many women's clothing subscriptions do: fill out a style profile and a stylist will pick out pieces to match your preferences.  I wasn't quite sure what Pete would think of this since the clothes I saw on the site weren't exactly what he would normally wear, but we were pleasantly surprised by the first shipment!

The Alden ($60) shirt is perfect!  Pete loves thermal shirts and this one has the perfect design and texture.  It's a bit on the heavier side, but it will be great for transitioning into warmer weather.  It's still only 40°F here in Rochester.  This shirt got a huge thumbs up.

The second shirt we received was the Garnet ($60).  This is a great work shirt and is definitely something Pete could wear to the office or if we ever need to dress up for fancier occasions.  The material is lightweight and the light blue color is appropriate for all types of situations.

Since Five Four Club's clothes are only available through their website you kind of just have to take their word for it when it comes to value, but I think that the prices are fair.  I know that shirts similar to the Garnet retail at Express for $60-$70.  It might be easier to find a cheaper shirt comparable to the Aden elsewhere, but like I said earlier, the convenience of this subscription is what drew us to it.

• Use coupon code MARSAVE50 for 50% off your first month! Or...
• Use coupon code MAR15BOGO to get your second month entirely free!

Bottom Line: Pete paid $30 for this first Five Four Club shipment because we had a coupon code, but I think that even at $60 it is a great deal.  They're launching a Marvel-themed shop on April 1st, and since we're both huge Marvel fans we can't wait to see what it'll include!

What do you think of Five Four Club?

Stitch Fix Review

I have been wanting to try Stitch Fix for a while but I previously hesitated because the clothes seemed out of my price range.  I got a promotion at work a few months ago and have some extra cash to spend now, so I signed up and couldn't wait to get my first Fix!

Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! Post contains affiliate links.

Stitch Fix is a bit more involved than other subscription services.  It is a clothing service where you fill out a Style Profile and then have hand-picked items from a stylist sent to you.  You then have three days to try everything on, and you can choose to keep what you like and be subsequently charged for it, or send everything back for no charge.  You can also sign up to receive automatic Fixes each month, but you don't have to.  I'm going to stick to just ordering a Fix every once in a while for now.

The styling fee costs $20 per box, and if you choose to keep something from your Fix then the $20 is applied towards it.  So, for example, if you want to keep a top that costs $50, you'll be charged $30 extra for it.  If you choose not to keep anything you are not refunded the $20.  Currently Stitch Fix only ships to U.S. addresses.

One aspect of the style profile that I really like is that you can link to a Pinterest board, and I highly recommend that you do.  I already had a pretty in-depth style board on Pinterest, so it was nice to be able to show my stylist examples of my dream wardrobe.  On the info card that came with my box my stylist (Megan B.) stated that she picked pieces that were diverse that I could mix and match easily, but I disagree.  She also stated that she saw a "good amount" of stripes on my board...keep reading for more on that.

The first item I pulled from the box was this Look by M Taila Ombre Wrap Scarf ($34 to keep).  I love scarves, and I love the material this one is made with, but I don't love the color.  It looks more pastel in the photo above, but it was actually quite bright and almost neon in my opinion.  I sent it back.

I noted in my style profile that I like classic, clean styles but that I was also willing to step outside of my comfort zone to try something new.  I also like blazers a lot, which anyone could see from my Pinterest board.  Megan B. said that she saw a good amount of stripes on my board, and she definitely sent me stripes.  Too many stripes.  I like stripes, but I do not think that there are a ton of stripes on my board (view it here).  Not enough to warrant the amount she sent me, at least.

But anyway, back to the actual clothes.  I did not like this Market & Spruce Torin French Terry Stripe Blazer ($72 to keep) at first glance, but I always try something on just in case it looks better on me than on the hanger.  That was not the case with this.  Aside from it being a bit too small, I didn't care for the color or pattern.  This got sent back.

Ah, more stripes!  I thought that the Market & Spruce Nic Striped Dress ($64 to keep) was really cute and I did like how it looked on, but I didn't love it enough to spend $44 more dollars to keep it.  The material was soft and lightweight and I could see this being a great dress for spring/summer, but I could also probably find a similar style at a much cheaper price elsewhere.

I don't have a better picture of the Fate Dennison Button Front Cardigan ($54 to keep) because the one I took came out blurry, and by the time I realized it was a bad photo I had already sent the clothes back.  Here's a photo of what it (kind of) looks like.  The picture makes it look longer and looser than it was; mine was nipped in at the bottom and quite short.  I would have been tempted to keep this, but it didn't fit me perfectly (it was a bit too small), so I sent it back.

Last up are the Just Black Dean Ankle Zip Skinny Jean ($78 to keep).  I normally only buy jeans when they're on sale at Old Navy, so even though I know $78 is cheap in comparison to what some people pay for jeans, it was a bit of a shock for me!  I noted in my style profile that I would prefer "the cheaper, the better" for pants, but Megan acknowledged that they were a high price point, but that denim is a good investment.  Megan was right!  These fit me so perfectly, which is hard to find since I have an inseam of 28", and they were so incredibly comfortable that I ended up keeping them.  I also loved the zipper detail at the bottom.

• Visit Stitch Fix to learn more and sign up for a Fix!

Bottom Line: So my first Stitch Fix was not a runaway hit, but I did get a great new pair of jeans out of it.  When I wrote my feedback I made sure to point out that I don't love stripes that much, and that in the future I would prefer to see more diversity in my Fixes.  Megan wrote that she included diverse pieces, but three out of the five were stripes!  This was my first ever Fix, though, and I know that it can be hard to pick out someone's style perfectly on your first try.  I'm definitely going to order my Stitch Fix boxes in the future and I look forward to building my wardrobe with some great pieces!

What do you think of Stitch Fix? Have you ever gotten a box from them before?

December Fabletics Review + 50% Off Your First Outfit

I decided to give Fabletics a try since I've been working out more recently and I had extra money to spend thanks to my quarterly bonus from work.  I've always been interested in the subscription, but didn't purchase anything prior to now because it wasn't one that I absolutely had to have.

Fabletics is a part of the JustFab family and works the same way: when you become a VIP, you'll get to purchase an outfit at special pricing each month.  You can skip any month you'd like.  Outfits range in price from $49.95 to $89.95, depending on how many pieces there are and the complexity of the outfit.  The price tag had been another deterrent for me; I usually just get my workout gear from stores like Old Navy for much cheaper prices.  But since you can get your first outfit for 50% off when you sign up I decided it was worth a try.

I was surprised by the packaging, it comes in a flimsy mailer instead of a box.  I guess I just assumed it would come in a box because that's what I'm used to with subscription services.  The clothes weren't damaged or anything so I didn't mind.  Each piece was individually wrapped in plastic.  All together this outfit cost me $29.92 ($24.97 + $4.95 shipping).

I chose the "Sheen" outfit, which came with the Oula Tank.  It's very lightweight and great for cardio since the fabric is so breathable.  I chose the gray color because the capris I chose are much louder, so I wanted a simple tank to go with them.  I got a medium, but I'm used to loose-fitting tanks, and this one is more skin tight.  I would prefer a looser fit, but not so much that I'm going to return this,

I loved the fun design on the Camacan Capris, and they were the main reason why I chose this outfit.  The color scheme I picked was "Black/Chevron Print" and I got them in a size small.  When I buy capris from Victoria's Secret I get their small, so I assumed that the sizes would be similar.  I was wrong!  These are pretty tight, but not completely unwearable.  I'm on the fence about whether or not I'm going to exchange these for a medium.  Exchanges are free, I just don't know if I want to wait to send these back and get a new pair.

• Visit Fabletics and sign up for a VIP membership, your first outfit will be 50% off if you purchase within 24 hours.

Bottom Line: I like this Fabletics outfit, but I don't think I will be purchasing another one any time soon.  The clothes are good quality, but they aren't better than what I was currently buying for half the price.  I'm glad I could get this outfit for only $24.97, but I would definitely not have paid full price for it.  Fabletics does come out with new designs each month, though, so if you're active and always looking for new workout clothes, this subscription would probably be great for you!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Post contains referral links.

Le Tote Review for November

I have known about Le Tote for a while, but I never thought to give them a try because I'm a little wary of clothing rental subscriptions.  For those unfamiliar, for Le Tote specifically you pay $49 each month and they send you five items (three garments and two accessories) that equal $200 or more in retail value.  You can wear the items for as long as you want, and if you choose to keep them you'll be charged a discounted price for each item.  If you don't wish to keep any of the items, you simply mail them back to Le Tote in a prepaid envelope they provide.

I finally decided to try Le Tote after they ran a promotion where you could try your first tote for free.  Since the tote was free I have to return it by a certain date, and I couldn't find anything on the website about whether or not each tote needs to be returned after a certain amount of time before they'll charge you for all of the items (with a paid subscription).  Anyway, my box arrived damaged and I should have taken that as my first warning.  The seal was broken and the box was really dented, and I don't know if that was an error on Le Tote's behalf of the post office's.  I'm honestly leaning towards Le Tote's, because I have a pretty good relationship with my mail carrier, and they would have left a note if something happened to the package in transit.

As you can see from the photo above, the seal was entirely broken.  It looks like someone ripped it off.  After I found that none of the items inside were damaged or missing I felt better, but still -- as a new customer, this did not leave a good first impression.

Your first Le Tote comes with a nice tote bag, measuring tape, and a guide about the service.  I wasn't sure if the bag was something I could keep, but I checked on their website and these three things are their gifts to you.  The bag is actually really nice--it's sturdy and has lots of interior pockets.  I also didn't have any measuring tape prior to receiving this box, so that was a welcomed gift, too.

On to the items!  I went through Le Tote's website and selected items for "My Closet," which is what they use to choose items to send to you.  I'm hard to please when it comes to jewelry, and these two pairs of earrings are not my style.  The blue teardrop ones would be okay if they were smaller (I actually had put these in My Closet without realizing the size), but both are just too big and clunky for me.  The ones on the left are just not my style at all; frankly, I think they're ugly.  But that's okay, I was more interested in getting some cute clothes to wear anyway.

This top ended up being my favorite piece in the box.  It's the Polly Plains Blouse by French Connection.  It retails for $58, but the Le Tote member price is $44.  Most people would think this is boring and simple, but I love simple black clothes.  Tops like this are easy to wear to work or out and about and can be dressed up or down with different accessories.  I wore this once but I won't be keeping it because I know I could find a similar top for much cheaper elsewhere.

Up next is the Button Shirt by Saint Grace.  I don't think I need to point out what is wrong with this picture, but just in case I do--can you see how wrinkly this shirt is?!  I was so disappointed when I pulled it out of the box.  Not only was it ridiculously wrinkled, but there are small stains along the top of it and on the collar.  It retails for $88, member price is $64.  I wouldn't even pay $20 for this shirt in this condition!  This really, really turned me off from Le Tote as a whole.  I didn't even bother trying this on because I was so disappointed.  They couldn't have even taken the time to iron it just a little bit before sending it out to another customer?

Last up is the Lacey Dress by Willow & Clay, which retails for $88 with a member price of $64.  Again, wrinkly.  Way too wrinkly.  It's a cute dress but I haven't tried it on because I honestly have not felt like ironing it.  I know that's lazy of me, but it's also lazy of Le Tote and I think it reflects really poorly on them that they send customers clothing in this condition.  I'm glad I didn't pay $49 to get a box full of wrinkly clothes!  I'm undecided on whether or not I'm going to wear this before I send the tote back.

Bottom Line: I am 100% not impressed with Le Tote and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.  For $49 a month I expect clothes in good condition: no stains, no wrinkles.  I know some wrinkling will occur during shipping, but that Saint Grace shirt is unacceptable.  The stains alone should have been cause for it to be pulled from their inventory.  All I can say is I'm glad that this tote didn't cost me anything and that I got a nice tote bag out of it!  I definitely will not be staying on as a customer of theirs.

See more photos of my items behind the "read more."

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

ModCloth Stylish Surprise Review

Every few months, ModCloth sells their Stylish Surprise mystery boxes to clear out that seasons' inventory.  I missed their last sale, and by the time I heard about this one they only had dress boxes left.  The other options were shoes and apparel, and I probably would have gone for an apparel box if they were still available.  But regardless, I was happy to snatch up two dress boxes for only $10 each!

As I said, each dress was only $10 each, so I had to restrain myself from ordering more than two (I'm trying to be a little less impulsive with shopping lately).  I also figured that I didn't want to risk getting three dresses that I wouldn't wear, so two was a safe enough risk.  When the box arrived, they had packaged both dresses in one box, which I was glad they did since it's less wasteful.

At first glance I thought, "Hmm.  I think I'll like these!"  I noticed the color of the turquoise one right away and figured I would love it, but wasn't as sure about the lace one.  I do like lace, but I was hoping for some dresses I could wear to work (my office is pretty business casual), and lace is usually a bit too dressy for that environment.

Ta da!  I don't know the names of these dresses and I'm too lazy to go through ModCloth's site to find them, but they are both cute.  That being said, the lace one is entirely not my style.  It reminds me more of a prom dress.  I did really like the one on the right, though--the color is perfect and the style is fun without being too revealing.  Both are size medium.

I knew I would never wear the black and white dress under any circumstances, so I gifted it to a friend.  When I tried on the turquoise one, I was really disappointed to find that it didn't fit!  It has a zipper in the back, and it was just a tad bit too small and didn't zip up all the way.  If I lost a few pounds it would probably fit, but...meh.  I don't really need to lose weight at the moment, so I'm not going to go crazy trying to drop it for one dress.

Bottom Line: This Stylish Surprise box was a bust for me, but it wasn't ModCloth's fault.  I actually do think both dresses are cute, one just happened to not be my style and the other one didn't fit.  Next time I know to order a size up, and hopefully I'll have better luck!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

CrazyDog T-Shirts Review and Giveaway [CLOSED]

I come bearing another giveaway!  I am really excited to blog about this company, for reasons which you will soon discover.  I've seen other features for CrazyDog T-Shirts on other sites around the blogsphere, but I was unable to enter their giveaways (blog owners are not allowed to enter).  I viewed their Facebook page on a whim, and then realized that they are based in my home city of Rochester, NY!  I immediately contacted them about featuring them on this blog because I like supporting small businesses, especially local ones.

CrazyDog T-Shirts and their sister site, Nacho Mama Tees, offer tons of funny tshirts for everyone!  Some of my favorites are below:

I like this one that says "Stand Back: I'm Going To Try Science" because it reminds me of my boyfriend.  He's actually really good at science, he's in grad school for aerospace engineering, but I'm terrible at it and we always joke about it.

Another shirt that made me laugh is this one that says "Relax, I'm from the internet."  Pretty relevant to anyone who blogs, or is active on the internet (which equals pretty much everyone I know).

CrazyDog T-Shirts generously allowed me to choose two tshirts to review, one from CrazyDogTshirts.com and one from NachoMamaTees.com.  I chose a maroon one that says "The Drunken Bear, Anchorage Alaska," which can be found in the T-Shirt Designs section of CrazyDogTshirts.com and a navy and gold one that says "I ♥ Beers!," which can be found in the Funny T-Shirts section of NachoMamaTees.com I'm not sure if the Drunken Bear one is a reference to a tv show or movie, but I just liked the polar bear on the front.  The Beers one is clever and will make a good gift for one of my friends, or possibly my brother.

I was most impressed by how soft these shirts are.  The Drunken Bear one is a men's small, and fits me well, although it's a bit long.  The Beers one (get it, bear plus deer?  It took me a second to figure out lol) is a medium and is a little roomier but just as comfortable.  The prints are nice and vibrant.  Overall, these shirts are great quality and very affordable ($16.99 or below at full price).  CrazyDog also has plenty of shirts on sale, and a daily $6.99 shirt deal, which features a different shirt each day.

• Check out all of the designs at CrazyDogTshirts.com and NachoMamaTees.com
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Bottom Line: CrazyDog T-Shirts and Nacho Mama Tees are perfect for the jokester in your life.  They have lots of tv and movie themed shirts, as well as cute styles targeted towards women.  The shirts are great quality and made from super soft cotton, and are nice and affordable.

CrazyDog T-Shirts has also generously offered a $15 Gift Certificate to one of my readers!  Find out how to enter behind the read more.

Headline Shirts Review and Giveaway [CLOSED]

I had a half day off from work today, which means I was home to get the mail. I'm glad I was, because I had two packages delivered today! One of them was my tshirt to review from Headline Shirts (the other was my Larson Farms Naturals soaps--more on them tomorrow).

Headline Shirts had emailed me to inquire about me hosting a giveaway and I happily agreed! I had heard of them before and really enjoy their witty, offbeat shirts. They really suit my sense of humor. They offered me a free shirt to review, so I chose the No Regrets design.




But first, a little bit about Headline Shirts: they're based out of San Francisco, and as their website states, "We're obsessed with making intelligently funny tees and apparel." Their Vintageblend™ tees are hand-sewn right at their San Francisco headquarters using a poly/cotton blend. What I really liked is that they also use eco-friendly inks (they even call themselves "West Coast tree-huggers," haha). The bags they ship in are even compostible!

It took me a little while to decide which tee I wanted to try, since so many of the designs made me laugh. I really liked the following designs:





I settled on the "No Regrets" tiger because, well, I don't really know why. I just really liked it for some reason--probably because it makes little to no sense.




These tees are super soft. I ordered a women's medium, and I'm glad I didn't go for the small because it would have been too tight. The medium fits perfectly; it's snug and flattering for a woman's shape, but not too tight. The tiger image is really vibrant, too. I'm sure that the men's styles could be unisex, though, for someone looking for a looser fit.

Bottom Line: I think Headline Shirts are really clever and affordably priced. I would recommend their shirts to anyone who likes intelligent, offbeat humor!

• Check out all of the designs at Headline Shirts
• Connect with Headline Shirts on Facebook

Click behind the read more cut to learn more about the GIVEAWAY!

More FABulous Finds: Maryink and The Soi Company

I've blogged about how much I love Fab.com before, and now I'll share with you my most recent purchases from my favorite flash sale site.

I am absolutely loving Fab because they have such a variety of sales.  They're design-focused, so their sales run the gamut from clothes to interior decorating to magazines to toys...there is seriously so much stuff.  I highly recommend checking it out.



As I've said before, I've accrued a total of $215 free credits for Fab sales, and I also currently have two months of free shipping for referring so many members to the site.  I joined them pre-launch, and have achieved Prime Member status.  Needless to say, it's been really fun getting a bunch of great items for free!
The sweater in the photo above is by Maryink.  Founded in 2005, they print t-shirts and sweaters for all occasions.  All of their items are hand-printed on order on a manual press, which I think is great.  You really are getting a shirt that was made just for you!  I liked the deer design on this one; the sweater itself is a dark gray.  It's a little slouchier, which I really enjoy because it's super cozy.  Their sweaters normally retail for $42, but I think it was something like $28 or so during the Fab flash sale.

• Check out Maryink's website and shop
• Follow them on Twitter and Facebook

The second item I bought is this candle from The Soi Company.  It's mistletoe scented, and was special to the Fab sale because it was the scent's premiere.  What's cool about these candles is that they are also a skin moisturizer!  After you blow out the candle, you can dip your finger in the all-natural soy base and rub it into your skin.  It sounds weird, but it works really well.  The candles burn for about 140 hours, which is 40% longer than normal wax candles.  I really like soy-based candles because they burn so much cleaner than wax candles, too.  They're eco-friendly, hand-crafted, and biodegradable.  Oh and the mistletoe scent is perfect for winter!

• Visit The Soi Company's website
• Connect with them on Facebook

Bottom Lines: I really enjoy the products I've gotten from Maryink and The Soi Company.  I'm a candle fiend and would definitely buy more Soi candles in the future.  I also really recommend Maryink sweaters, they're super cozy!

I've really lucked out with all of my free credits for Fab, but regardless of whether or not you are able to get items for free, you'll still be getting great design for awesome discounts.  You can sign up for Fab here.

FABulous Finds!

I'm really excited about this post, because part of this review is about one of my favorite flash sale sites!



In the mail today I received all of the things in the above photo: a Pocket P'Owl t-shirt and Moe Snoe.Down print, both by Strawberry Luna. I ordered both items from Fab.com, my absolute favorite flash sale site ever. I signed up before they launched and I'm never disappointed by all of the great merchandise they feature. Everything from clothing to prints to books to, seriously, everything! I highly suggest signing up.
I ordered this merch during their Strawberry Luna sale, and got it all for only $8.95 because I had racked up a bunch of credits for referring people. I'm now a Prime Member there and have earned a total of $145 credits, and I have free shipping for two months. If you're interested in checking out Fab (they operate like all of the other flash sale sites, featuring merch for about two days at highly discounted prices), here's my referral link.



But on to the items -- love them. The Moe poster is adorable. I don't even listen to Moe, but I thought this print was so cute. I'm going to frame it and hang it up in my room. The tshirt fits perfectly and has a soft cotton feel (it's an American Apparel "Track Shirt"). I'm very pleased with both items.

All of those other trinkets were sent to me for one of two reasons -- either Allison, the owner of Strawberry Luna, sends those out with all of her orders, or she threw in some fun surprises for me because I had a hiccup in my delivery. I had placed this order back in the beginning of October, and had received confirmation of shipment a week or so after. But, here it is in November and I had no items and the tracking website said my package had never even been scanned.



I first reached out to Fab.com, who said that they would contact the vendor (Allison). They didn't hear anything from her. So I contacted her myself, and she was very quick to respond. Turns out that some of her orders weren't scanned by the delivery company, but that they were still delivered safely. All except for mine, apparently. She apologized and quickly sent me a package with my items, which arrived in about 3 days. She even wrote me a note, which I thought was very nice.



Bottom Line: I am in love with both Fab.com and Strawberry Luna! Allison's designs are so cute, and she has tons of different things available for purchase. I highly recommend visiting her website (linked in the first paragraph). She also has an Etsy shop. All in all, a great haul!