Tieks by Gavrieli Ballet Flats in Diamond White Croc!

So, I'm not a flats person really, but I've been hearing about Tieks by Gavrieli ballet flats for years.  People seem to really love them and they are known to be very comfortable.  I was trying to decide what shoes to bring with me on vacation (I'm going to Italy) and I decided none of my current shoes would work as everyday walking shoes in hot weather lol.  So I ordered me some Tieks, in "diamond white croc" print.  They are not made of real crocodile skin, just leather that's made to look like croc print.  But they are slightly more expensive than the normal smooth leather flats by Tieks.  So they are $195, instead of $175.  Either way, these are some expensive ass flats.

I didn't know ballet flats could cost more than regular shoes, but it is so.  Are these worth the price tag, you ask?  Well... that's subjective I think lol.  I can tell you that they are pretty comfortable and they do come with some bells and whistles.

First of all, they come packed in a nice box with a huge flower on top lol.  And a nice thank you card, like this:

The flower is actually attached to an elastic band that's wrapped around the box.  It's like a headband for the box:

I actually prefer the box without the flower lol:

Once you open the box, the flats are nicely compacted in there:

Along with the shoes, there are 2 other bags that are packed inside the box too - it's amazing how these all fit in the little box!

The bigger of the two bags is the carry bag for the shoes.  Though it looks really really tiny and I doubted how both shoes would even fit in it.  It seemed to me that each shoe should get its own bag lol.

And here are the shoes unfolded:

So Tieks are known for the teal bottoms, kind of like Louboutin's red bottoms.  I like this Tiffany blue, especially with a patent white leather.

I ordered my regular shoe size which is 6.  That's what they recommend, though I guess some people do size up or down depending on the width of their feet.  I think it's a good call to go with my regular size.  They are pretty comfortable right off the bat, and seem to not need a "break in" period.  I wore them for a few blocks walk and there was no discomfort at all.  

I did read that the patent leather is not as soft as matte leather though.  But I still didn't get any blisters or any discomfort.  Here they are on me:

So, as you were wondering, both of these flats do fit in the pouch thingy!  The material of this little bag is stretchy.  So it takes a little effort to shove both of the shoes in there lol.  It's a great idea though, because it's so tiny and easy to carry around now.  Here's what it looks like with the shoes inside:

Of course, it all fits inside the box for easy storage too:

Oh yeah, and the other bag is actually a tote bag.  It is very thin material, and the outside "cover" is attached to it.  

I guess it's a bag to store your heels or less comfortable shoes if you decide to change into your Tieks.

Anyway, it's pretty smart!  So these are the extra things you get when you shell out $200 for flats.  I like them though, and I am keeping mine, but I don't know about the price vs. value aspect.  They are perfect to take on vacation so that was my purpose for them.  

They do seem to be made well.  You'd get your money's worth if you wear them a lot.  But I don't know if they are really that much better than other flats you can get for like $50.  Though you can say the same about Louboutin shoes vs. much cheaper brands, and you know how I feel about Loubies lol.  So there you go!  I definitely think they belong in more of the "splurge item" category, depending on your budget!

Items from the Vince Summer Sale!

Vince is having a great sale right now!  You get 25% off on top of sale price (code SUMMER16).  I'm actually not sure if it's ended but you should try!  I got some pretty good deals, and actually went back to order more yesterday, and the code still worked.  I wanted to get some casual tops for my upcoming vacay and Vince is perfect for that.  Here are what I got so far:

Lattice Print Cocoon Tee, only $34 after the discount compared to $115 retail!

I usually wear size XS in Vince tops, but they only had size XXS or S.  I debated for a while and thought that since the top fits so loosely, size S might be too loose.  So I took a chance and got XXS.  I was worried about it but it's a good fit!  Not the same "cocoon" fit as it's intended to be, I suppose.  But it's still a nice loose fit and I'm happy with both the width and the length.

Next, I got this Mixed Media V-Neck Tee in white.  But yesterday I went back and ordered the other two colors lol (navy and a cream color).  I love this tee because it's a soft casual tee with a bit of flare on the bottom that makes it different!  This tee is now $40 after the discount (from $135).  

I got this in XS.  I think both XS and a size up would work.  In fact, I ordered one of the other colors in S just to see.  

The bottom layer is like this crinkled chiffon:

Then, I got the Cashmere Cocoon Sweater in "new buff" which is like a pinkish nude color.  This sweater is $82 now, down from $275.  Obviously, it costs more since it's 100% cashmere.  I really like it though.  I wanted to order another one, but I don't like the yellowish color that it comes in, and the off-white color doesn't have my size anymore.

This is size XS as well.  I think anything larger than this would be too loose.  It's super soft and comfortable!

Ok, next item I got is a long sleeve.  It's the Pima Modal Double Layer Tee.  It's on the thicker side, because it's truly double layer (not just the second layer sewn onto the bottom).  But it's the softest thing ever!  I love it.  It's now $51 from $115.

Again, I got it in XS.  It's literally the most comfortable top.

 

See?  The bottom gray layer goes all the way to the top!  The sleeves are only 1 layer though. 

Lastly, I got a more dressy top which is the Lattice Overlay Sleeveless Blouse.  This one now is $88, down from $295.  But I loved the detail on it.  It comes in black and dark navy.  I got black because I thought it would be more versatile.

I got this top in XS as well, mainly because the black color only had XS left.  I do wish it was S because it feels just a bit constricted in the chest.  There's no stretch at all to this material.  But in XS, it's not too tight or short so I can still make it work.

The details of this top are pretty cool!

Pretty happy with this order because I can wear all this stuff on a regular basis!  Also excited to get the next order!  It should arrive in the next couple days, I think.  I love buying Vince on sale.  Vince is pretty much all I wear now on weekends lol.

Lululemon Goal Crusher Tank

I went shopping on Sunday and stopped by Lululemon.  Tried on some stuff and came home with the new Goal Crusher Tank!  The tank comes in black, white and harbor blue.  I actually liked all 3 colors but ended up going with the white one because it's summer.

Of course what attracted me to the tank was the pretty mesh back!  I was actually thinking that since I'm going on vacation in a few weeks, I can wear this tank casually as well.  It would look cute with some shorts.

I wore a bright colored bra so you can see how see-through the back is (it's pretty much sheer):

So I sized up to size 8 in this tank!  I haven't been buying a whole lot from Lululemon lately, but my experience has been that I've had to wear more and more tops/bras in size 6 and 8 nowadays instead of size 4 like I used to.  I did try this tank on in size 6 first.  It was too tight for my liking.  I think size 8 is much better, and it's not even that loose, especially in the chest.

By the way, got the black Tight Stuff Tight, as seen in the above photos!  Funny, I just got the wine berry color a couple weeks ago, and I mentioned that I wanted these in black but they never went on sale and I didn't want to shell out $150 for them.  Well, literally the day after I wrote that, I got a super deal on ebay!  They were like $40 or something buy it now.  So I bought them right away!  And they are like brand new!  So they are the solid black ones with the reflective design on the bottom.  I'm kind of obsessed with this.  These are size 4 as well which is the same size as my other 2 pairs, but for some reason they feel a little bit tighter.  

Anyway, I am done collecting these tights!  Pretty happy with all 3 color ways I have now.  But I may think about getting the Goal Crusher tank in black as well.