The snow has melted, the buds are on the trees, and the flooding state of emergency is in full force in Montreal. Yup, it must be spring.

I’m actually in the midst of packing for a move this year. So I’m in wardrobe-purge mode more than in shopping mode, trying hard to limit the acquisition of new items until further notice. However, I still recently picked up a few items from a GAP/Banana Republic/Old Navy sale, and I wanted to post a short review.

The classic jean short

I haven’t owned a pair of shorts in years. Many, many years. I’m super self-conscious about my hip and thigh area, and I’ve long felt more comfortable in capris, dresses or skirts in the summer. Shorts just feel so… short.

But, on a whim, I picked up this pair of classic 5″ denim cutoffs from the GAP, thinking I might appreciate the casual ease of a pair of jean shorts when the weather gets hot this summer:

Shorts: GAP Denim, size 27P, $39 CAD (reduced from $64.95)

On me:

Well, they’re really short. I expected these to be mid-length shorts that would hit mid-thigh, but they’re actually quite a bit shorter than I expected them to be. Like, uncomfortably so. Also, the waistband gapes at the back a bit.

I’m a bit torn. I can see them being practical additions to my wardrobe. But I can also see myself not having the courage to actually wear them. I may return these. I’ll see.

The fleece quarter-zip

Old Navy Active is one of the only brands that offers petite-friendly activewear, well, anywhere. (Actually, sister brand Athleta does too, but only in the US; its clothes aren’t available in Canada). Anyway, the low prices and the great fit make Old Navy a go-to brand for classic staples like this black quarter-zip fleece pullover:

Pullover: Old Navy Active, size PS, $20.79 CAD (reduced from $34.99)

And here I am in it:

This is definitely my favourite item from this order. It’s a lot thinner and lighter than I expected it to be, but the material is so soft and it feels a lot warmer and more expensive than it is. This is one of those wardrobe staple items that I can already tell I will get a ton of wear from. I can wear it to go for a run on a cooler evening, to layer under a jacket in early fall or late spring, or to pull on over a t-shirt when there’s too much air conditioning. It also packs down to nothing, meaning it might become my new favourite travel mid-layer. Plus, it was only 20 bucks! I love this and am tempted to order one in every colour.

The floral summer dress

Also from Old Navy, I picked up this little floral sweetheart-neck with cutout shoulders:

Dress: Old Navy, size PXS, $16.78 CAD (reduced from $24)

I don’t really need another summer dress. I have plenty. But this one’s cheap and cheerful and I think it’s pretty cute on me:

To be fair, it’s cheap and it shows. This is unlined, it sits a bit funny, and it’s not going to convince anyone that it’s couture. But it’s lightweight, comfy, and easy to throw on in the hot summer weather, and I can dress it up or down. I’m keeping it.

The denim dress

My splurge item of the season was this basic denim fit-and-flare dress from Banana Republic:

Dress: Banana Republic, size 4P, $101.50 CAD (reduced from $145)

And here it is on me:

It fits perfectly. It’s a heavier denim that has a nice weight to it, making it sit smoothly. It feels expensive. The tailoring is perfect. And it’s about as basic a wardrobe item as it gets — I can dress this up or down with the right shoes and accessories. It will go seamlessly from work to weekend.

And while it does give me slight flashbacks to my sixth grade uniform, I think I can successfully style it to avoid those memories.

Definitely keeping this. Just don’t expect me to wear it over leggings and an Oxford shirt with Doc Martens, mmmkay?