Afternoon delight: Another great promo at Banana Republic

Banana Republic is running a super sweet promo right now! From now through April 2 you can take 40% off your online order or in-store purchase, though as usual exclusions apply. Use the code BRSPRING online.

I recently talked about some of my favorites at BR. Today I stopped into the Rockefeller Center (NYC) Banana Republic store after making my Anthropologie run and found several more delights to stock up on my spring work/casual wardrobe. And then when I got back to my office, I placed an order for some coordinating items. I don’t plan on keeping everything but I did buy a bunch so I can try it all on together at home, in front of a non-retail mirror, and figure out what to keep.

Inside, what I purchased.

When I reviewed a bunch of Banana Republic stuff late last Fall, I mentioned that some versions of the Sloan pant are curve-friendly. These tend to be the pairs that are 56% Viscose Rayon, 39% Cotton and 5% Spandex.

Today I picked up two pairs in similar color schemes. The Sloans shown above are the New Sloan-Fit Geo Slim Ankle Pant (now $90) which are a great deal at $54 with the promo factored in! I’m currently taking a 12 in this pant; the 12 fits loosely in my waist but the 10s aren’t making it over my butt these days. Ditto the beautiful floral printed New Sloan-Fit Floral Slim Ankle Pant ($88 before the promo) which for some reason are $98 in-store…??? I was so pissed when I got home and saw the price difference! If you buy these, get them online to save that $10.

Then I bought a bunch of tops to go with these pants. Quick reviews of each:

Pleated Chiffon Cami ($58 before the promo) in black: This top cuts across the widest part of my hips, and the pleats help diffuse my silhouette in a good way to look longer and leaner. I love the adjustable shoulder straps. I took a size M.

Floral Lace Peplum Top ($68 before the promo) in white: This top isn’t quite as short-waisted as it looks online, but it’s close. This top looks especially cute with the Floral Sloans I mentioned above! I was torn on what size to get; the small fit best overall but I liked the length of the medium a bit better…it hit just below the widest part of my thigh in a flattering way. In the end I settled on the S, because the fit is better. If only the shirt came in a long!

V-Neck Ruffle Tank ($68 before the promo) in mint: This top has a super flattering v-neck and is a good length. It’s not sheer, but darker bras show through clearly. I purchased this top in a M — the S felt too narrow across my shoulders. I considered buying the white version as well, but found it more sheer than I wanted, so instead I got the…

Ruffled Peplum Top ($68 before the promo) in white: I chose this top in white instead of the V-Neck Ruffle Tank, because both of them are equally sheer-feeling. A nude bra under this will be fine and yes the dark pants do show through a bit. I have the striped version of this top already and love it.

And finally, I also purchased three pairs of shoes to try with these outfits: the Hedy Slingback Pump ($128 before the promo) in violet; the Honey Fringe Sandal ($148 before the promo) in mocha latte and the Dakota Lace-Up Pump ($138 before the promo) in mocha latte. I took a size 9 in all of these. Interestingly, the color I chose in the Honey Fringe Sandals and the Dakota Lace-Up Pumps is excluded from the promo online, but I was able to get the promo price on both in-store. I plan to keep one of the three pairs after figuring out which will be the most versatile for me.

Next I went to the more casual side of things, where this Bold Stripe Cutaway Tank ($50 before the promo) caught my eye. My usual size 6 fit wonderfully. When I came home and saw this styling online, I decided to purchase the New Sloan-Fit Garment-Dye Slim Ankle Pant ($88 before the promo) shown with the top, above. Unfortunately, I haven’t the slightest idea how these are going to fit. The online reviews mention that they seem to fit more loosely than other Sloans…but they’re 98% cotton so that has me worried. So, I since these are not available in any of the NYC stores I ordered them in sizes 10, 12 and 14. I’ve never been a 14 in pants but who knows how these will fit me, or if they will fit me. Sometimes the ankle tapering is too much.

I’ll update this post once I receive the pants. If those don’t work, the Boyfriend Chino Crop ($78 before the promo) in Iguana Green are my backup plan.

The last part of my haul is two pretty dresses. First, I decided to splurge on the one thing I originally went to Banana Republic looking for the — the Timo Weiland Collection Tree Print Dress ($298) you see above. This dress is unfortunately excluded from the 40% off promo, both in-store and online.

You may recall that Timo Weiland collaborated with Anthropologie back in 2012. I loved that collab and I like this one too! This dress fits nearly like a dream — like all Timo Weiland pieces, I found it ran very small through the bust. So instead of my usual 6 I purchased this in an 8. Also, it is much longer than me than it is on the model. It hits me tea length.

I like the nude sandals shown styled with the dress here. I already have a similar pair from LOFT that I will wear with this dress. Yes, I decided to buy the dress. For a few reasons: firstly, it’s nearly sold out online. Secondly, I plan to wear it next weekend. Thirdly…thirdly…well, I loved the dress! Does there really need to be any more of a reason than that?

So now I’ll sort through my haul and decide what to keep (the Timo Weiland Dress and two pairs of viscose Sloan pants are definitely keepers) and what gets returned. I’m not usually one to buy and then return like this, but the fitting rooms in Rock Center are small and the staff was not the most helpful I’ve run across. I had to ask several times for sizes, to the point that I finally gave up and grabbed them myself. So buy and figure out what to keep it is!

I wanted to highlight a few sale items, available in limited sizes, that are amazing deals after the extra 40% off is applied:
Asymmetrical Ruffle Midi Skirt, sidewalk grey, sizes 0-6 ($50 – 40% off) — this skirt runs 2 sizes big
Crepe Fringe Top, cocoon, size XL ($75 – 40% off)
Desiree Strappy Pump, Faded coral, size 8.5 ($70 – 40% off)
Shirred Silk Dress, size 10, Shenandoah taupe ($100 – 40% off)

If an item you want is sold out, keep checking back as Banana Republic updates its online inventory about once per day.

Do you plan to shop at Banana Republic during this promo?