I don’t tend to look for summer classics at Chico’s, but this season, I found some great ones. Many women who shop at Chico’s are looking for pieces with a touch of boho or lots of creative touches in bright colors. They certainly have that this season, but they also have more options, so let’s take a look at what I tried on for you.
A dressing room diary is when I go into a local store for a try-on session to show you what’s new and how it looks on a woman over 25. For reference, I’m 5’4″ and weigh around 144 lbs. I have broad shoulders with straight hips, a long torso, and long arms. I often buy one size larger on top. I tell you what sizes I am wearing to help you understand how things run. Chico’s sizes are 000(0/XS), (0/2– XS), 0 (4/6 S), 1 (8/10-M), 2 (12/14)-L, 3 (16/18-XL), 4 (20/22-XXL. Chico’s also carries many garments in petite and some in tall.
It doesn’t get much more classic for summer than a black and white gingham button-up with a white linen skirt. This shirt is made of their fabulous no-iron fabric, so it will travel beautifully. I usually wear a size 1 in their shirts and blouses, so this one is a bit too snug across the bust for me. The fabric is crisp enough to maintain a popped collar, which I love to do. FYI- How to Pop Your Collar and Keep it Up. It’s nicely made, and the plaids match across the front.
The linen midi skirt is maxi on me, which I like for the summer. It’s a pull-on style with no side pockets. This skirt is not lined, so I would wear a slip, although the linen is pretty opaque for white. Both pieces would be workhorses in a summer wardrobe, which could be mixed and matched to create multiple looks.
Here is the same skirt with different tops in the same print. The top on the left is pretty, but I don’t like its fullness with this skirt. It’s a satiny fabric with a slight gleam, which I’d prefer to wear with slim jeans. Because the skirt has a wide elastic waistband, I chose to tuck and blouse the one on the left, which just creates more volume and looks sloppy. The simple tee on the right easily covers the waistband and slims the torso.
Here’s the same tee as above, this time with a pair of girlfriend shorts in this gorgeous blue. These shorts are a cotton/poly/spandex blend that is super comfy. The inseam is long enough to cover your thighs but short enough to flatter your legs. The gently frayed hem keeps them casual-looking. They also come in Madeira red, which is a show-stopper. I’d love to see the red shorts with this embellished tee for a festive look.
Here’s a great, classic pop-over linen dress in a bright, cheery print. I found this opaque enough that you could skip a slip, but of course, that’s individual preference. The weight is substantial, but because it’s linen, it will be breezy and cool in the hot weather. This kind of one-and-done dressing makes outfit choices so easy. Just add fun earrings, and you’re done. The background is alabaster white, not pure white, so it has a soft effect with the muted florals.
The classic styled shirt is 100% cotton and comes in this navy or white eyelet. I’m showing the shirt tied at the waist over this navy tank and hanging straight. I usually prefer my shirts tied at the waist, but this shirt is shorter, and I prefer it loose with this skirt. It has long sleeves with button bands to hold the sleeves folded up.
This cotton maxi skirt is fully lined and covered in gorgeous applique and cut-out work. I’m wearing the regular, which is 37″ long, and it comes in petite, which is 24.5″ long. This is such a perfect skirt for summer you could easily dress up or down and stay cool in the heat.
This pretty blouse caught my attention the moment I walked in the door. It’s an all-over chiffon embroidered shirt you could easily dress up or wear with jeans. It’s got a great feminine vibe with 3/4 sleeves that you could dress way up or down. I’m wearing it open over a color-coordinated microfiber tank. These tanks are like potato chips…you can’t just have one. Chico’s color coordinates them to go with each collection, plus carry the basics. I like to size up in these so that they’re not too body-conscious.
And because many readers love the ease and comfort of pull-on jeans, I am styling it with this pair of jeggings in the Inverness Indigo wash. Pull-on jeans will always be super popular because there’s nothing comfier.
Here’s the no-iron gingham shirt styled with wide and narrow pants. Both are a classic silhouette that has a different vibe. The 100% linen culottes come in regular and petite, in black and white. They have a pull-on elasticized waist and a relaxed feel. The regular inseam (what I’m wearing) is 24″ and the petite is 22″. This wide leg would be fun with sandals, tennies, or even work as a bathing suit coverup.
The slimmer, straight-leg Juliet pant is also cropped with a pull-on waistband. These have plenty of stretch and give a more polished appearance. You could dress these up for work or an evening event with the right top. These come in 7 colors with a 23″ inseam.
These cotton poplin culotte pants have a nice amount of stretch which will make them super comfy. I tend to think of culottes as closer to the knee, so they resemble a skirt, but this is what Chico’s is calling them :). The fabric has a crisper, polished feel to it. They’re not totally opaque in the front, so I chose to style them with this striped henley, which covers that area. The tee dips lower in front and back with a shirttail hemline, which I like wearing untucked. I think these would also be nice with the navy eyelet shirt. The stripe on this henley is slate and white, which has a soft, low-contrast look.
These straight-leg crops are ankle length on me, which could be seen as a hazard or benefit of having short legs. I tend to like this length, so it works for me. These are the same as the black ones I styled above. The Juliet fabric feels a smidge thicker than the Brigitte to me, which gives the white more opacity.
I’m wearing another one of those tonal microfiber tanks in gray, which coordinates with the cardigan. I can’t locate the exact link, so perhaps they will load it to the site later. This summer romance cardigan is a shorter length than years past which looks better with wider leg pants and crops. This cardigan has a lot of the soft slate color, with pops of pink, red, yellow, blue, and pale blues, so it will coordinate with lots of bottoms. It would even be nice over a simple tee dress or tank and skort.
Have you checked out Chico’s lately? Which sort of style resonates with you?
MORE SUMMER FINDS AT CHICO’S
Thanks for reading. and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.
