I have a slight obsession right now with Old Navy maxi skirts and dresses, and they just got a few new styles in. I’m normally a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl on a daily basis, but the heat wave we just experienced led me to go shopping for something cooler, but still casual (not that I minded).
I wanted something lightweight but long so I didn’t have to worry about flashing people while bending over to help my daughter buckle into her booster seat, pick up something she dropped, etc.
Plus, honestly, I don’t want to have to worry about whether I missed a spot when I shaved my legs or whether I have a little splotchy sunless tanner action going on. I’ll worry about that if/when I get to go out with the girls or on a date with my husband, kid-free, in a shorter dress or skirt.
For me, Old Navy clothing is often hit or miss with the styles and the sizing, but there are two things they almost always do right: maxi dresses/skirts and activewear (more on that later). The new dresses and skirts are completely living up to my expectations.
They’re inexpensive so you can stock up, soft, comfortable, long enough for my 5’8″ frame, and mostly wash-and-wear (I did pick up a handwash only one by accident, so check the labels). I could go and pick up the same size in each one and expect it to fit because when something’s loose, flowy, and has a drawstring waist, there’s a little more room for flexibility in there than worrying about the fit differences between a 2 and a 4 or an 8 and a 10 in blue jeans.
So in that way, it was easy to breeze through the store, grab what I liked, throw it on in a dressing room and get a quick idea of, “Yes, this will work!” or, “This is hideous!” No scrutinizing in front of three mirrors. No trying on more than one size. No irritated little girl wondering why I’m taking “soooooooo loooooooong” to pick out a few dresses and skirts.
Don’t just check the new arrivals section if you go shopping online. When I was in the store near me a couple of weeks ago, there were other “new arrivals” then, along with some classic styles like the drawstring jersey-slub maxi skirt that I practically live in these days, that may have been pushed to the side for the most recent selection.
Photo credit: Old Navy
