The Glam Scout: Old Navy Haul

Old Navy is one of those stores that I forgot about in recent years. When I was growing up, the nearest mall with any store worth visiting was at least an hour and a half away, it was a solid two hours to get anywhere near a Nordstrom or a Gap with a decent selection. Less than a mere hour-long drive, however, was a glorious mecca (for a high school kid with a serious shopping habit): a city that contained both a Target AND an Old Navy. It was like Christmas all over again whenever we were in town and got to stop by to peruse the racks of affordable and semi-trendy clothes. Add to that equation the fact that they carried plus sizes, which was a blessing in my heavier teenage years, and it was the perfect place to find a few fun pieces and a whole lot of "work staples" (what the hell did I need work staples for, I was 17; pull yourself together, woman).

And then I grew up.

I moved out of my parents' house after college. I got a job, and then I got a better job. I started to shop more with an eye toward quality, though my budget tended to prevent me from truly fulfilling my caviar dreams. I popped into Old Navy now and then, a pair of skinny jeans here, a stripey top there, and then it was out of my mind as quick as it had come.

Over breakfast with my husband's family this past weekend, my sister-in-law mentioned that she wanted to pop into the Old Navy two doors down "just for two seconds". Smash cut to an hour later; we had torn apart the dressing room and each emerged with an armful of yeses, steeling ourselves to walk past our husbands to the registers, avoiding eye contact if at all possible.

The moral of this story is, I went into the store hoping to find some black skinny pants and a chambray shirt. I left with a whole bunch of new staples to add to my spring wardrobe. Breakdown below: