Review: Ann Taylor Compact Double Weave Cropped Pants

   You all must be sick of my reviews by now. I am too. But not to worry, there will only be one more review post after this one and then [hopefully] there won't be any for a while due to my self-imposed shopping ban until at least mid-June. As a result of a trench coat purchase in combination with some irresistible sales this month and an emergency shopping buy (which I will discuss later in this post), I doubled my May budget for shopping. =/


   During the Ann Taylor Family & Friends sale a few weeks back, I made a trip to my local AT store to find some goodies. I've been craving some colored bottoms all spring, so when I read that online reviews that these Compact Double Weave Cropped Pants in Ann Taylor's Regular sizing ran tiny, I had to give it a go since petite pants are always too short for me.

      I actually found the pants in size 0R. Unfortunately AT does not carry 00R in their B&M stores, so I prayed that the 0R fit. They did not...but it was close! So close that I ran to a computer and tried to see if I could make a purchase in 00R, but to no avail. I even called customer service hoping that there would be a return somewhere to be found, but it wasn't in the stars.


   So a few weeks ago, with a 30% off code, I decided to purchase the same pants in both black and white, as well as the Chelsea Crop pants, which I will review in the next post just because it is easier (for me). Here's what happened:


    In white:

In black (a bit blurry, sorry, I think had the camera on the wrong setting):

    The fit was pretty good. It wasn't the most amazingly flattering pants, but with a little shrinkage and pressing out of the wrinkles, the butt could be better. The waist was a little bit too large, and the leg opening was also a little too wide for me, but I could slim the legs easily easily (and actually did slim the white ones a day later). The pants are made of 53% cotton/41% polyester/6%elastane. The material has a slight sheen to it, to make it look a bit dressy and suitable for work, rather than something super casual. The polyester helps ensure that it doesn't stretch out (and I didn't notice any when I wore it around the house). The belt loops are a little wider than average, with rear besom pockets, but no front pockets. There is a seam going down the back of each pant leg, a detail that doesn't bother me, mostly because I can't see it when I'm wearing it. 


     The white version wasn't too sheer. Nude underwear could not be seen though them, but I could see the side seams of the pants seen as well as the rear pockets. Despite the few minor flaws, I was pretty happy with them and contemplated even keeping the black until my fashion disaster. 


   What happened, you ask? Well, I decided I was going to wear my brand spanking new white pants, freshly altered by moi, to my god daughter's baptism on the weekend. The pant leg wasn't sitting quite the way I liked because of the crease down the front, so I decided to press it out using my mom's iron. I ignored my instincts to iron on the wrong side of the pants, and of course, there was rust on the metal plate of the iron that got pressed into the pants leaving a nice stubborn rust stain. Neither I, nor my mom, who is a stain-removing magician, could get the stain out. =( Since I was only home for the weekend, I only brought one outfit that was appropriate for the baptism, which I obviously could no longer wear. As a result, I ended up at the mall looking for a replacement item. I did find one, however, I spent much more than I would have preferred, hence being unable to keep the black version. =/ Oh well. And the white pants? We'll find out tomorrow whether my dry cleaner could get it out. The whole experience might not have been so painful if the pants weren't brand new. *sigh*


   Here are my exact measurements of the black and the white pants. Although the measurements are almost identical, the black actually felt a bit tighter around the thighs:

                               White       Black

Waist:                       26"           26"

  Rise:                        7.5"         7.25"

 Hips:                         33"           33"

 Leg Opening:          11.5"         11.5"

 Inseam:                    27"         26.5"

The Compact Double Weave Cropped Pants in white and black can be purchased at Ann Taylor currently on sale for $49.50.


     Do you have any fashion disasters similar to my own? How did you deal with it?


     P.S. Don't forget to enter my eShakti giveaway!