Elevated basics: Woven Sandals + Padded Tee

I’m not usually one to follow trends, but two I’ve been absolutely loving in my winter to spring transitional wardrobe are the padded shoulder tee look and woven / quilted slide sandals! Since I tend to dress more simply these days with a lot of jeans & tee pairings, I look for small details that help elevate basics. The textural woven material is a nice change from my usual go-to patent leather sandals, and the pleating and structured shoulder pads make a basic tee much more chic!

Quilted slide heels

In Pecan tan, black, or white, sizes 5 – 10 (I’m wearing size 6)

Pictures don’t really do these justice – they’re a shoe that you just might end up wanting in every color. Both the insoles and strap area are cushy and padded and very comfortable around my feet. They’re a great look-for-less for designer sandals at a fraction of the price, especially when on sale, and look and feel nice quality in person. The squared toe and heel shape are on-trend and I have seen the “pecan” color look super flattering on both lighter and darker skin tones. These pair with so much from jeans to dresses, I have seriously been contemplating the black color too!

Size 5 gets restocked once in a blue moon but always disappears quickly. I’m usually a 5.5 but got a 6 due to availability, and they actually work and do not slide off my feet at all when walking (if you’re usually a smaller 5, then a 6 probably won’t work). The mid-heel is elongating but still a fairly comfortable, walkable height.

Petite-friendly high rise jeans

In regular, short, petite and long inseams. See my full review. 

These have a flattering high rise and very petite friendly fit with no hemming needed! For reference, I’m about 5 feet tall and these hit right at the top of my ankles. The denim is a stretchy, medium weight fabric in a washed black / dark grey color with just a light amount of fading. Note that for this particular style, I tried on both the Petite and Short fit and the measurements were actually identical, so either one worked! Size 0 Petite or 0 Short have a 24.75″ inseam and 10″ rise, and fit TTS at the waist.

padded shoulder tee

In 5 colors, starting in size xxs. 

I’ve tried on maybe half a dozen padded shoulder tees since the trend first caught my eye, and some have been comically overwhelming on me! This is one of the few options available starting in xxs, and feels a lot more proportionate but still with the visibly strong shoulder look that I want. Note this tee is a thin / very lightweight fabric (100% supima cotton), good for the summer heat. Black was my first choice for a modern tee like this, but went with beige due to sizing and also love how this color looks with white or blue denim!

A few other Transitional Spring Picks:

• Pleated color block midi skirt – finally on sale! Pictured on me below, but read my review in this post
• High waisted pleated ankle pant – 5 colors, regular, short, petite and long inseams. I found the high rise and pleats on this in my usual size 00 Short to be surprisingly flattering. The material feels so light and fluid against the skin, and the white color has pockets with beige lining so they don’t show through!
• Satin gathered neck top – drapes beautifully and is simple yet elegant for work with trousers or a skirt! Will try to take fit photos soon.
• Body contour tops in square or crew neck – classic, slimming basics with a good amount of “hold”
• Everyday tee shirt dress with a flattering twist detail at the waistline
• Lightweight, soft “sueded” jersey collection including the high rise joggers + relaxed tee I tried on below!

Thank you to Express for partnering on this post.