Denim Skinnies with Zips for Petites

Over the course of the last three years, from my pregnancy to now (my active toddler is almost 2 years old), I've spanned 4 different sizes as I ballooned and contracted to a size I hadn't seen since college. It was frustrating to say the least, to have certain favorite items in select sizes only to realize it didn't fit me anymore, and needed to be stored away. I realized that that meant I had slim pickins when it came to my jeans, because many of my favorites when I had been in the middle of my range of sizes were now too big. Annoying especially when you know you have a shopping problem and have lots of clothes....but my problem is that now it's never in the right size!

Enter Shopbop's 25% Friends and Family Sale. Those who know me know I stalk Shopbop all of the time. It's my go to for the latest and greatest in cocktail dresses, shoes, accessories, tops, bottoms. I especially love the end of season 50% to 75% sales. I'm a sucker for those. I especially swore by Shopbop when I was living in NYC - even in spite of all of the sample sales it was often too expensive to shop in the city (unless it was Uniqlo, H&M or Zara). Stylish on a budget. I probably received a package every day - our doorman would cheerily announce,"Celicia, you have a package(s)!" and I would grin sheepishly. In addition to just great editing overall their free shipping is a deal closer for me. They've partnered up with Amazon Prime so I too now get free 2-day shipping because I've been an Amazon Mom Prime member over the last few years (essential when you have a toddler. Who has time to shop for the best price on diapers, anyway?).

In dire need of some wardrobe staples, I've always been a big fan of skinnies with side zips. I like how it breaks up the uniformity and makes it a little special and tough.  My issue with denim is that it's gotten too premium and just too expensive. Don't get me wrong, I love me some designer jeans, but who am I kidding - shelling out $250 for a pair of J.Brands, Current Elliotts, AG, or Rag & Bones isn't exactly affordable. I suppose I could justify it as long as I wore it everyday, but I'm likely not to do that like I would carry a wallet or a bag or a pair of shoes. I'd really only even think about buying a pair (or pairs) when it was deeply discounted and under $100. When I lived in NYC I lived in Uniqlo's and Cheap Monday's skinnies. Now I'm a big fan of Blank Denim because of how affordable they are. And because I'm petite (read: short) and I favor inseams of 26 to 28 inches, I tend to go for the Ankle or Capri versions - perfect length for me as I can't be bothered to get my jeans hemmed. At $88 a pop with another 25% off, these were $66 a piece.