Jewels + bows (plus holiday weekend sales!)

LOFT sweatshirt (extra 50% off, review), Banana Republic sloan pants blouse, Manolo Blahnik bow heels (2013 version), Ann Taylor tote
I hope those who celebrate are enjoying a wonderful Canadian thanksgiving or Columbus day weekend! This is an outfit I wore to work last week which falls on the more casual side of business casual. When I bought this sweatshirt I never intended it to be a work piece, but a few people complimented my "sweater" so I figured why not treat it as one. I layered it over a more conservative collared blouse to offset the casual material, and will be repeating this pairing over a pencil skirt.

There are numerous sales this weekend at my usual favorite stores, including 40% off storewide at Ann Taylor. I stopped by to try on this cropped cable sweater which comes in 3 neutral colors.
I love my shorter tops for highlighting higher-waisted bottoms without drowning out the waistline. This sweater has poor reviews online for the cropped style but I actually loved the fit. On someone 5 feet tall it's not quite "cropped" like on the model, but is definitely shorter and less bulky for pairing with skirts when compared with regular sweaters.

Ann Taylor sweater, Gap jeans, Aquatalia boots (old style - the Upswing fit the same)
The fit of an xxs petite was also perfect and slim in the torso and sleeves. Ann Taylor usually runs a little big on me, so as a result I'd say this is more fitted than their usual sizing. For colors I liked both winter white (nice and fresh ivory) as well as the winter oat heather (versatile neutral). PS - these legging jeans are usually excluded from sale, but are on promo for $35 again!

J.Crew field jacket, belted puffer coat, lady day coat (see 2012 one on me)
J.Crew is having 30% off full priced items with select exclusions (code WEEKENDPLANS), and their Factory store has 50% off most womens items plus free ship at any price (code OURBDAY). I wanted to point out the lightweight downtown field jacket for those with milder fall weather. I finally had the chance to try one on in xxs petite (misplaced my photos but will share if I find them) and it was very slim-fitting in the torso and sleeves. Despite the straighter cut through the waist, I thought it was flattering, plus would require no alterations on someone my size.

J.Crew Factory down jacket ($99!) and Factory skirted coat in 2 colors (both avil. in petites)
I've also gotten a few requests for "stylish" puffer coats - although I haven't tried any myself, I noticed J.Crew's flattering option on one of my friends throughout last winter. They have a regular store version this year which is higher-priced and poly-filled (also with a lot more pockets and hardware details), and a Factory version shown above that's currently on awesome sale for $99 and is listed as down-filled. I'm a little confused as Factory items are usually made of lower-grade materials, so if anyone has tried either version this year please share your thoughts!

Last but not least, Anthropologie has 15% off full-priced dresses and free ship on orders over $150 with code TWOTREATS. They have a good-sized Petites department where I've made several past purchases which I love (plus fit with no alterations needed). The promo is not much compared to other stores, but rare for Anthro!