Last week at the JC Style Sessions, my girlfriend had the most gorgeous Ralph Lauren brown leather oxfords on. They were so gorgeous and I was so jealous. I started on a mission to find something similar.

I found a J Crew option that had a more spectator look but then discovered the Frye Anna Leather Oxford in Cognac. I love Frye shoes and boots and these are no exception. They have a distressed look and are all leather.

Definitely masculine but the distressed leather in Cognac is beautiful.

I bought my normal size 7 and though they are snug at the instep they are very comfortable. I’d probably wear a light sock or thin shoe liners. I love the look with rolled denim.

Ronald McDonald pose…
And a few other options…
These were $228 and also come in a beautiful dark brown too. I really like the BDG option above and the Fluevog’s too.

Are you interested in wearing the menswear trend on your feet? 

I was excited to attended another round of Style Sessions at J Crew Thursday night and tried on lots of new arrivals. So sit down and grab a nice big glass of wine and take a look.

Excursion Quilted Vest in Camo, Small – The collar is higher/larger this year than last year. I sized to a Small, just like last year’s version. I really like it and can’t wait for cooler temps.

Excursion Quilted Vest in Stripe, Small – If I hadn’t purchased the Camo Vest I would have snatched up this Striped Vest. I love the Crewcuts version of this vest with the Sherpa lined collar. Wish I could fit into those sizes. Umm, sooooo I might have bought the Factory versions in both Herringbone & Cranberry Punch so I don’t really NEED the Stripe vest. But if it makes it to sale….

Toothpick Jean in Distress Cone Denim, Size 30 Though I have gravitated to the Matchstick Jean, I am a fan of the Toothpick from year’s past. And I can’t get enough of distressed denim…though I should probably act my age on that thinking. I size up in the Toothpick as they are pretty skinny. As of this writing they are on promo for $108, from $135, I almost bought them but decided on a different pair instead.

Merino Tippi Baseball Sweater with Removeable Collar, Medium – We certainly are seeing a lot of this removeable/jeweled collar. It’s cute but not enough to make it to my Wishlist. It seems to fit a little tight in the arms in a Medium. I tried on the non-collar Baseball sweater below and it was slouchier/roomier.

Schoolboy Blazer in English Tweed, Size 6 – I knew I loved this the moment I saw it. I have a Robert Noble in Brown so I could justify this one, if I really needed to. But I will just add it to my Wishlist, since I have 4 new Excursion Vests to wear instead. This fit well but my normal size is an 8 in blazers/jackets to give me some wiggle room in the arms. 
Drapey Crepe Henley Tunic, Size 6, Ivory & Bright Cerise – This was a very cool tunic and something I would definitely gravitate towards. It’s not lightweight or see through and comes in your basic colors and a little pop (see the Bright Cerise below). I did notice a good snag on the Ivory I had on but I couldn’t tell you how easily it does snag. It isn’t a delicate feeling blouse. Wishlist in Black and Hammock Green. Check it out on Shop With M.
Contrast Knit Blazer, Size 6 – Though I’m wearing a 6 and you can see that the sleeves are a bit long and the arms are tight this was an unexpected love. I’d have to size to an 8 if I wanted to layer anything other than a short-sleeve or sleeveless blouse. Wishlist
Linen Bazaar Tee, Medium – Very cute tee but odd that a Linen Tee would be offered for Fall. Passed

Merino Tippi Baseball Sweater, Medium, Parsley Breeze – This is a great little casual Tippi to throw on with some jeans and, hmmm…what else? Oh, Excursion Vest! Purchase

Horsing Around Sweatshirt, Size Small – I could have sworn I had ordered a Medium in this for a roomier fit. The Small fits nicely but doesn’t have much room for layering. Purchased but deciding

Unknown Ruffled Collar Blouse, Size 8, IBL (Ivory Black?), #03535, $128 – This is so prim-and-proper for me but I LOVE IT! It’s not online so I may have to run back and grab this blouse. Absolutely adorable. Want now

Eaton Boy Trouser in Glen Plaid Wool, Size 6 – Love the fit of these pants! Though it’s supposed to be slimmer than the Cafe’ Capri, I did take my normal size of the Cotton version. I wear an 8 in any other blend of the Cafe’ Capri.  The solid in Pinot Noir is gorgeous! Wishlisted

An outfit idea with the Fluted Skirt in Double Crepe. I ordered this in Ivory as well.
Midrise Toothpick Jean in Carbon, Size 30 – I bought these instead but not in the store. When I came home after the event I naturally went online to see everything I had just tried on, read the descriptions, check out what else was on sale, etc. That’s when I found these, on promo for $88, down from $125. I ordered it along with a few other items, making these jeans $66…almost half off! I should have purchased a 2nd pair. 
They fit well and I really like the higher rise. I’ll have to get these hemmed just a few inches but adding $12 to that $66 is worth it.
Merino Leather-Pocket Sweater, Small, Black –  I don’t have a lot of Black items in my closet but am really loving the outfit below. I’ve lightened it so you can see how both the sweater and pants fit. I sized down to a Small and this fits great in that size. I think I would consider the Heather Granite over the Black but this color is growing on me. Wishlisted
Pixie Pant in Leather Tuxedo Stripe, Size 6 – Getting these pants on was hysterical. My friend Catalina was in the dressing room with me and I kept saying they wouldn’t fit and needed a bigger size and she kept telling me to “Keep Going. They’ll fit.” She was right. She did have to zip me up in the back but only because I was tired from all the tugging and pulling to get these things on. These felt like Spanx once I had them on. They seem to suck and tuck me in at all the right spots.
Silk Keyhole Top, Size 6, Bristol Blue – This color is divine! And goes so well with the Collection Cafe’ Capri Tile Jacquard. One thing about the top is the keyhole goes was cut down to my breast bone, showing my bra. I’d have to pin or tape this to stay shut somehow.
OH do I LOVE these pants! I’m wearing an 8 in the pants. Though there is a little room in the hips and legs while standing, when I sat down everything got a little tighter. The waist was a perfect fit. I will need to get them hemmed up as they are currently just about to hit the floor. I cannot wait to wear them. I have many Cashmere Tees and Tippi Sweaters to go with these pants, though I do love the blouse I have on in the pic too.

And of course they go with my Etta’s! I returned the mini skirt because I knew I would love the pants more.
All done! Finish your wine? So what have you tried on? What has caught your eye? 

I tried on a few new arrivals from J Crew last week. I plan on heading to the Style Session this Thursday and my VPS will have some great outfits for me to try on. I can’t wait. The last one was really fun!

The Collection Featherweight Cashmere Jeweled-Collar Waffle Sweater in Pearl Snow is currently on promo for $198 (from $238). This is such an adorable sweater. I have on a size Small and that would be the size I stick with. The sweater feels very lightweight and soft on. It was over 100 degrees outside the day I tried this on but I didn’t want to take it off. The collar is not removable. I do wish this came in another color like Navy or even a darker Gray but I do love it! I have this on my Wishlist but I couldn’t pull the trigger during the 30% off promo. It will go with lots in my closet and is perfect for our mild Fall and Winter but I think I will wait to see if this goes on .99 sale and catch it in store with a promo.

The Tie-Waist Tweed Mini is reminiscent of the Bow Pencil Skirt from a few years ago. The tweed is lightweight, the waist had no give at all. Though I’m in my normal size 8, I felt uncomfortable in this mini, and y’all know I love a good mini skirt. Pass 

I love the Paneled Stretch Dress in Colorblock. This is super comfortable and somewhat form fitting. It at least definitely give that illusion. I am wearing a 6 and would stay with this size. The length is great for my 5’2″ frame. Wishlisted

My VPS threw in the Stacked Layers Necklace and I must say I really liked it. I am unsure if the chain would get caught on any hair when I wear mine down. But it lays nicely and will definitely jazz up an LBD. Wishlist

I also ordered the Excursion Vest in Camo and the Horsing Around Sweatshirt in Navy. I am not as impressed with the Sweatshirt as I once was after seeing it on a few people. I’ll have to see it in person to make my final decision. And the vest will be my very first piece of Camo ever. I guess because I see it ALL.THE.TIME here in Texas it never appealed to me or was really my style. But this vest is too cute to not give it a try. 
I have the Fluted Skirt in Double-Crepe in Black and think the Ivory will be a great addition to my closet. I also added the Merino Leather Pocket Sweater in Heather Granite to my Wishlist. Not sure it will make it to sale and seems like Zara or F21 may do a knock-off of it. I do love this roll-out but I’ll have to see some items in person before adding any more to my Wishlist. My Stylebook App for my iPad is really helping me see what I have and wear. I absolutely love it!  
Have a Great Day! Can’t wait to see and hear what everyone else is loving! 

Heard of Stylebook? I hadn’t until my latest InStyle magazine. It had a “Conquer Your Closet” feature on how to purge, organize and shop, all to better your closet and YOU. One of the suggestions was the Stylebook App. I immediately went to the iTunes store, read a few reviews and purchased it within minutes. This App costs $4 but I have to say it is so worth it.

The App has different Categories for your Closet, Looks, Inspiration, Calendar, etc. You take pictures and sort them into the different Categories/Sub-Categories. You can also search for them on your favorite shopping sites, right in the App. You can add or remove Categories and Sub-Categories to fit your needs. For example, I’ve added sub-categories under Tops for Cashmere and Button-Down Shirts.

From your Closet you can then create various Looks, very similar to Polyvore. You can then add the look to a Calendar, one of my FAVORITE parts.

The Calendar allows you to keep track of what you’ve worn and when. You can see if you repeat certain items. You can see that I wore the Reva Elephant Tunic within days of each other.

You can shop or save items to a Wish List from your favorite sites (all powered by ShopStyle).

Two of my other FAVORITE things about this App is that you can:
1) Add information about your closet item, including size, color, brand and price and
2) See your Cost Per Wear for your item! Oh I love that part.

As you can see, my Biennial Briefcase is down to $31 cpw. I use it every time I go into the office. I know the CPW is lower than that but I need to check my expense reports to mark my office visits. And, I will be able to use my blog and Instagram to create more Looks and add those to the Calendar too.

I have been adding little by little every night. I usually try to save the stock photo of every item I purchase. Then I’ll add the details for each item. I know that my CPW will be lower than is shown because I have some items that I’ve worn but won’t be able to account for on the Calendar. But being able to keep track of that now is so awesome!
I have been looking for something like this for a while. I can’t believe it took me so long to find but Thanks! InStyle for recommending this App. Stylebook is my new bestie!
**This is not a sponsored post in any way. I just had to share this wonderful App with you!

With the WIT20 promo I ordered the Collection Dual Foulard Shirtdress. This dress is the same style as the Collection Silk Shantung Dress that I reviewed in May. I ordered a 6 as the Shantung Dress was a bit roomy in through the body in the 8. This is a thinner silk than the Shantung as well and prone to snags. I need to file my nails and caught one on the dress while trying it on…whoops.

The “dual two-tone” brings some visual interest to the dress. The two patterns are gorgeous on silk. This is a straight silhouette with nary a pleat or pintuck in sight. It’s also several inches shorter than the Shantung Dress.

From a distance the bottom pattern, also used at the placket, collar and sleeve hem look purple but is actually pink.

The dress is a definite pass for me. I just feel a shirtdress should have some shape to it. Keep the straight silhouette to the Jules Dress. The pattern is gorgeous but the material is too delicate for me. I would snag it before I walked out the door.

What do you think of the Dual Foulard Shirtdress?