Was it worth it?
12: Splits59 leggings, Zara leather slippers, a Mango jacket that doubles as a top, and more.
When I spend money—whether it’s on clothes, food, experiences, or something else—I like to feel good about it.
As much as possible, I try to be mindful of what I buy. I love finding a good deal, but I also don’t mind spending a little extra from time to time if it means better quality. I read a lot of reviews, pay attention to recommendations and try to base my purchases on their perceived value. I’m always asking myself, was it worth it?
Here are some thoughts on what I bought recently. What was money well spent, and what gave me buyer’s remorse?
Splits59 River high waist airweight stirrup leggings
Years ago, almost all my outfits revolved around a pair of leggings, and then I went through a phase of hardly wearing them. These days, most of the leggings I own are Lululemon ones that I wear to work out or lounge in, but it’s a struggle to make them feel “styled” in any sense. I’ve been wanting to buy a new pair that strikes a balance between comfort and style and finally decided to pull the trigger on these stirrup ones, which I’ve been contemplating for months.
I’ve seen them recommended as an alternative to the Leset Rio leggings, and even though they’re marketed as activewear, I’ve been inspired by how others have dressed them up. The material feels luxe and buttery, and while it’s a bit thinner than expected, they’re not see-through at all. I also like how high-waisted they are without being too restricting.
If you’ve never worn stirrup leggings, it takes a minute to get used to the style. I thought they looked a bit funny (for lack of a better word) on me at first. Once I figured out the different sweaters and tops I could wear them with, I was sold. I’ve worn the leggings a few times this winter with boots, which kind of defeats the purpose of the stirrups, so I’m excited to style them for the spring with flats. They’re definitely an elevated legging, and I love that I can dress them up or down.
Zara leather slippers
I love a good ballet flat, but sometimes, they can feel a little too dressy and dainty. I’ve been looking for a pair of flats that were more casual, something I can just slip on when running out the door for school pickup. I was considering a few options and narrowed it down to leather slippers (mules?), which was probably somewhat influenced by this photo of Laura Harrier.
There are designer options if you wanted to splurge (I love these from The Row and Proenza Schouler). Personally, I just didn’t have the budget for it as I’m trying to prioritize some summer pieces I need to add to my wardrobe: a nicer pair of flip-flops than my Havainais (debating between these and these) + a pair of off-white denim (leaning towards these).
Going back to the leather mules… I saw these on sale at Zara for under $50 after Boxing Day and quickly snatched them up. They’re sold out now in the black, but they have them in a gorgeous chocolate brown here. I’ve only ever worn them around the house because it’s still a winter wonderland outside, but so far, I’d say they’re definitely worth it. They’re comfortable, the leather is so soft and I love the ease they bring to an outfit, similar to flip-flops in the summertime.
Zara plain knit sweater vest
I’ve been obsessed with getting a brown sweater vest after seeing Kendall Jenner style one, so I ordered this Zara one, along with the leather slippers. I wasn’t sure how much wear I’d get out of a vest like this, so I didn’t want to commit a lot of money to it and thought I could maybe make this Zara option work. To make a long story short, I couldn’t, and I ended up returning it. The vest was itchy, too boxy, and overall, looked cheap.
Mango leather-effect jacket with pockets
This was kind of an unplanned purchase, but jackets that can double as tops have been on my mind for a while and I didn’t have anything similar in my closet. I sized down to an xxs because I never know with Mango’s sizing and I wanted to be able to wear it as a top without it looking too bulky. It’s a tad cropped, so I would suggest getting your regular size if you prefer something a bit longer.
I had my reservations about the quality because the jacket is 100% polyester. However, again, since this was unplanned, and I knew I wasn’t ready to invest in a piece like this right now, I was OK with something that wasn’t real leather. Also, I was debating between black or brown, but ultimately decided on the brown because I figured when I do invest in a leather jacket in the future, it’ll probably be black.
I think the quality matches the price, and I absolutely love the style of the jacket. It works perfectly buttoned-up as a top and for layering as a light jacket. Love the versatility and how many outfits I’ve been able to create with it using other pieces in my closet (thinking of doing a post on this soon!)
FYI—if you’re looking for a spring jacket, Mango has so many great options right now, it’s worth a look.
MERIT bronze balm sheer bronzer + flush balm cream blush
If I were to do one of those ‘in my empties’ makeup posts, it would be mostly MERIT products. The thing I’ve realized about MERIT is that all their products work seamlessly together (that’s how they get ya!), so I’ve been pretty much wearing their stuff exclusively.
I wear makeup 3-5 days a week and have been using their sheer bronzer in the shade Seine and their cream blush in Mood for more than a year, and I’ve only had to replenish both recently.
Both products melt into your skin and are so easy to apply, but they’re pretty sheer, so I find you have to do several coats. I usually apply 3-4 swipes of the bronzer right below my cheekbones, and 2 coats of the blush on the apples of my cheeks (this video is very similar to how I apply their products.) Some friends have asked me questions about MERIT, and I’m wondering if I should do a deep dive on what I use almost daily and some tips I’ve learned having used their products for a while.
SOAK detergent + spray
I hate hand washing (who has time for this?) and have purposely avoided clothes before with those care instructions—until last year. When I started buying nicer sweaters and knits, they were all “hand wash only”, so I started looking into detergents and fabric sprays that would make the process (my life) easier. I crowdsourced some recommendations in a Substack chat, and almost all of them mentioned Soak (a Canadian brand!)
I bought their scentless Laundry Soap and Smoothing Spray and can’t recommend both products enough. I’ve only used the detergent for hand washing, but you can use it in a washing machine, too, and a little goes a long way. I pour 1 tsp in cold water and let my item soak in it for 15 minutes. It’s a gentle detergent but cleans so well, and the best part is that no rinsing is required, which has always been my least favourite part about hand washing bulky sweaters. I use the spray in between washes to keep my sweaters fresh, and even though it’s “scentless”, I’ve noticed there’s a mild, clean scent, which I really like (it’s not irritating at all.)
Tripod stand
The content side of running this newsletter involves me taking photos from time to time, which I’m always reluctant about. I do it because personally, I prefer seeing clothes on real people vs. in a flatlay, and I assume others might feel the same. One thing I wanted to improve on with this newsletter was my photos, and I thought using a tripod might help, so I bought one from Amazon that came with a ring light for $40.
I normally feel very awkward in front of a camera (my husband and I have had some good laughs from him taking my photos), and the tripod didn’t help ease my discomfort in the slightest. It probably takes more time getting used to, but it just felt so unnatural, which showed through in the photos I took with it. Wasn’t worth it for me, and now the tripod is somewhere in our closet collecting dust. All this to say—sorry, you’re stuck with more mirror selfies for now!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small percentage from anything you purchase through a link, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help support the work that goes into these newsletters, and I carefully select recommendations based on what I love and would wear, regardless of a commission.
In my recent style session with Reva she was RAVING about those stirrup leggings and the outfits you put together with them feel so cool to me. I love the Mango jacket too, I bought a leather one similar and have never thought to button it all the way and wear it as a top! Now I want to try that!
My little trick for stirrup leggings is to wear it OVER a low heel. So like swing the stirrup part over the shoe and under the archway. I love the way it looks! PLEASE do a Merit deep dive -I am so curious about their stuff but haven’t bought anything yet xx