Petite Blouses: $36 Ann Taylor Silk Ruffle Blouse

I've been keeping my eye on Ann as of late. I used to think of it as a "mom" brand laden with twinset sweaters, maybe a brand that I'd wear to work 10 years down the road. But they've recently revamped their offerings to be more feminine, flirty, and contemporary.

After revisiting a store for the first time in years, I was surprised to find that the stuff was quite nice and not at all what I remembered (Loft hasn't changed, though). If pricing were not so steep (a good 40 ~ 50% more than BR), I would try more of this brand.

Ann Taylor Silk Sheer Ruffle Blouse, on sale for $36 from $100!

This blouse from Ann Taylor was a winner for me. It is 100% silk, has soft ruffles and a delicate detailed neckline, and the cut runs small. The store by me (sold out online) had this blouse in petite sizes galore and even 1 XXSP!

Ann Taylor Silk Ruffle Blouse in XXSP, H&M Skirt

I snagged the XXSP and even ended up getting a XSP because I'm a sucker for this color (sleeves may need to be shortened and slimmed, though):

Ann Taylor Silk Ruffle Blouse in XSP

Love it with skinny jeans as well:

Ann Taylor Silk Ruffle Blouse in XSP, H&M Kids Jeans

For some reason, other than the sleeves the two sizes didn't feel very different on me. When I got home and actually measured, the differences were indeed negligible. Between an XSP and an XXSP, the entire body from armpits down was only half an inch slimmer, sleeves were a half inch slimmer, and the sleeve length was only half an inch shorter! Shoulder width was exactly the same on both. Hrmmm...which means women more petite than I am probably can't wear Ann Taylor without alterations.