Natalie Wells

I love shopping. I might love returning things even more. I’m no longer interested in convincing myself to keep something because it was on sale, because I might wear it someday, or because it’s *almost* right. If I don’t love the fit, the fabric, the color, or the way I feel in it, back it goes. Being incredibly picky is practically my entire personality at this point. Follow for very opinionated clothing reviews and a lot of things that don’t make the cut.

In my defense, I knew they were cropped. I just didn’t think they’d be cropped on ME. The Reformation Olina pants are everything I want. The color, the texture, the dramatic silhouette. Unfortunately, they’re also exactly the length they were advertised to be. And somehow I’m still disappointed. Being a tall girl is mostly just convincing yourself that the inseam measurements are lying to you.

Hot take: you don’t actually have to wear athletic clothes to take your kids to athletic activities. I’m all for comfort, but somewhere along the way we started acting like leggings were the only practical option for moms. I’m here to argue that you can chase a toddler, sit through swim lessons, and run a million errands in an actual outfit. Because I refuse to save all my favorite clothes for the occasional dinner reservation. If you’re into getting dressed for your actual life, you’re in the right place. Comment for links.

Somewhere along the way, leggings became the unofficial uniform for motherhood. And listen, I have nothing against being comfortable. I just don’t think comfort and getting dressed have to be mutually exclusive. Most of my days revolve around preschool drop-off, swim lessons, errands, and whatever else my toddler has on the calendar. If I waited for an actual occasion to wear my clothes, I’d never get dressed. So yes, I’m putting together an outfit to sit on the sidelines. Comment LINKS if you want them.

There’s nothing more inconvenient than trying on an expensive piece of clothing and realizing you understand the price tag. These are the La Ligne Colby barrel pants, and I bought mine secondhand because I wasn’t quite ready to commit to the retail price. But as someone who is incredibly particular about pants, especially the length and proportions, I have to admit these are really, really good. The barrel shape is just dramatic enough, the fabric falls beautifully, and they’re actually long enough on my 5’9” frame. I’m not here to convince you that expensive automatically means better. Half the time, I think we’re paying for a label. But when something genuinely gets the fit right, I’ll give it credit. Follow for more extremely picky clothing reviews, regardless of price tag. Comment PANTS for the link.

I really wanted to tell you that you don’t need to spend this much money on a pair of pants. Unfortunately, these are making that argument very difficult. I bought the La Ligne Colby barrel pants secondhand, and I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But the shape, the drape, the proportions, THE LENGTH. As someone who is 5’9” and constantly disappointed by pants that are supposedly full length, I appreciate when a brand actually gets it right. I love a good barrel leg, but so many of them either feel exaggerated in the wrong places or end up looking like accidental capris on me. These somehow manage to feel interesting without being difficult to wear. Would I prefer they cost less? Absolutely. Would I pay full price knowing what I know now? Unfortunately, yes. Comment PANTS and I’ll send you the link.