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Today I have reviews of two Geo Brushstroke items. I must confess that I bypassed this print when I first saw it online. It just looked all kinds of bright and crazy. But, I knew I would try on a few items, for the blog readers, of course. There are several items to choose from including two types of tops and a very pretty midi skirt. 
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~ Geo Brushstroke Sundress, size 4 ~

Yep, you saw right. This dress is a size 4. I have no business being in this size. I originally tried on a size 10 because my store was sold out of the size 6 and 8. The size 10 was huge on me. I went ahead and asked my VPS to grab me a size 4. Even if I couldn’t zip it (side-zip) I could at least gauge if I needed to order a 6 or 8.

Turns out I don’t need either size. It doesn’t pull anywhere, including across the chest or the hips. There’s still a little wiggle/sitting room at the hips too. This dress does have pockets and is lined. The pockets are a bit big IMO and they compete a little with the lining. It may be that I’m in a size I shouldn’t be in but….anyway. The dress is the exact shape and style as the Linen Halter Maxi Dress, just shorter in length. I think that’s why I love it and chose it over the maxi dress. I actually like the print now too. 

 
~ Geo Brushstroke Short, size 8 ~
~ Perfect Shirt in Dash-Dot Ikat, size 8 ~
 
~ Perfect Shirt in Dash-Dot Ikat, size 8 ~
I only grabbed the shirt to try on with the shorts. I like that the Ikat is on a white background and doesn’t seem to clash too much with the shorts. I will say that the shirt fit me a little tight. I am a size 8 in the Perfect Shirts, or at least I used to be. I have a Linen Perfect Shirt in a size 6 and that fit way better than this one. The arms and shoulders were snug too. If I did get this I would probably size to a 10 or 10 Petite. But I rarely wear the button-down shirts I already have so I’ll pass on this one too. 

The shorts are cute. The pattern is different on every pair. These fit like the Pleated Short in Cotton from a few years ago (Factory version). There is pleating, if you can’t see it, below the waistband. My normal size 8 fit well though I did choose the dress over the shorts. I have so many pair and it’s just easier trying to find a pair of shoes to wear with the dress instead of trying to find a top to go with the shorts. 
 
I don’t know if it is that the Perfect Shirt is cut smaller now or J Crew is just messing with us. There’s a serious sizing issue going on, not only with the Brushstroke Dress above but also the Seaside Pant in Iridescent Sequin that I tried on as well. I’ll have review that coming tomorrow.
So, what are your thoughts on the Geo Brushstroke pattern? 

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I made it to my store’s First Look event on Wednesday. It was good to see a number of items I wanted to try on as well as some I didn’t expect to like so much. I’ll review everything over the next few days. You can also visit my Instagram to see a few of those items already.

~ Cap-Sleeve Top in Embroidered Sunburst, size 6 ~

~ Cap-Sleeve Top in Embroidered Sunburst, White, size 6 ~
I am a fan of cap-sleeves and really liked the look and colors of this specific. It also comes in Seashore Multi. I usually take a size 6 in sleeveless tops and that was the right size for this one as well. There’s no pulling across the chest or shoulders in this size. 

I almost expected this to have tassels at the collar. It just looks like it should. The thread used for the embroidery is red, blue, some black and metallic. The “sunburst” pattern is only at the front of the chest.

~ Embroidered Sunburst Pull-on Short, Medium ~

The embroidery thread color is the same as the top. I have been wearing a medium in the pull-on shorts but this was over-sized. The shorts felt very roomy all over. The elastic waistband kept slipping down as well. It looks like you may need to size down for these. If I do that, the inseam will be a little shorter. These are lined and the the linen/cotton blend feels pretty sturdy. Almost like the lining could have been done away with, though I’m glad it’s there. 
 

The sunburst pattern goes all around the shorts. The pockets on the side and in back are also trimmed in embroidery.

There are several options in the Embroidered Sunburst to choose from. 
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Overall, I really liked the top but even with the 30% off GOSHOPPING promo I feel it’s still a little too high in price. Also, I think the Factory will probably make a good duplicate of both it and the shorts next Summer.

What do you think of the Embroidered Sunburst items? 

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I am going to start off with a few items that have been sitting on my camera waiting to be reviewed and then I’ll get to the latest new arrivals from J Crew. 
I have this skirt in the Stripe and have worn it a total of one time, with a navy top. I have been gravitating more towards shorts and now that The Boy is home, the date nights seem to be fewer. I have a size 6 in the Stripe and this is the size 8. There’s a little more wiggle room and the length is a tiny bit longer but otherwise, I see no major difference between the two sizes. I like the Metallic sheen of the linen skirt but found a similar one in an A-line style at Loft. I’ll review that soon. 
 

I bought this when I immediately saw it in the store and was able to finally try it on and take pictures of it. I thought it was the Pleated Lattice Skirt, that I love, but the name is different and the stitching and pleating are different as well. The size 8 fit well though the fewer lines of stitching, compared to the Pleated Lattice Skirt, seem to show the pooch more. 
The length still hits just above the knee on me. I thought I would get a lot of use out of the Ivory color but found a No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Ivory that I’ve only worn once. Also, due to the stitching and pleating being a little wider, not much, the skirt doesn’t seem to flatter as much as the original from Fall. 

There are less rows of stitching and you can see the pleats are also different on the two.

The waistband is thinner and is a grosgrain ribbon.

Overall, I decided I will wait for this skirt to go on sale to consider purchasing it.

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~ Collection Japanese Raffia Tank, Champagne, Medium ~
I originally wanted the Navy in this tank but I received the dreaded “Wish we had enough” email when I did place an order. This tank went on sale last week and there was the Champagne color in a Medium available. I decided to take a chance and order even though it wasn’t my choice of color. 
This is a sweater and the fringe is made to look like raffia, though it’s not. It really does resemble natural raffia in this Champagne color. It’s only when you touch it that you know it’s man-made. The fit in the Medium is perfect. The tank is fitted so a Small would have been too tight. I’m not really liking the raffia tiers at the chest. I think those could have been spaced out a little more or done away with altogether. The raffia does also go all the around the tank. 
 

These are a really cute dressy short option for Summer. The thread used for the embroidery is a mix of black, tan, metallic and blue. The tassels are black and ivory. I’m getting used to the elastic waist offerings J Crew is doing for Retail and Factory though I still think it’s laziness to do. 
The Medium fit well though I think if you have a smaller booty or thinner thighs than me you could size down. There are no pockets on these shorts so the line is straight up-and-down. I think that if you do size down the inseam will also look like the normal 3-inch inseam. Because I went with the Medium the inseam looks longer. They are also lined in cotton to minimize the see-through of the linen. 
 
It kind of goes with the Collection Japanese Raffia Tank but I think the embroidery along with the tassels and raffia make it all a little too busy. There’s also a skirt option instead of the shorts, with the tassels at the hem.
I ended up returning both the tank and shorts. The tank wasn’t the color I wanted so I don’t think I would wear it enough to justify the still $100+ cost. The shorts were fine and I also bought them with a good promo but I have so many pairs of shorts I think these would get lost in shuffle. I also gravitate towards my shorts with navy the most. 
Have A Great Evening!

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New arrivals from J Crew posted on Monday. Below are my picks from the latest arrival. I’ve already reviewed the last three dresses.

I will attending my store’s First Look event and hope that some items are in store, like the Postage Stamp Mini in Polynesian Floral. I know that I won’t see any of the Collection items since my store doesn’t carry any but I’ve been lusting over the Inky Floral Linen Shell as well as the dress.

I like the Strappy Chambray Midi Dress but the strappy-back is not a good look for me. I also think I will finally purchase the Linen Halter Maxi Dress. I’ll need a strapless bra for it but I can’t stop thinking about it.
Overall, I am obsessed with a lot of the Collection items and very few of the actual retail items. I’ll try on a few things just to gauge sizing and fit for you.
Is there anything in Collection you are wanting? What about the overall roll-out? How do you like it? 

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