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Thanks for all the comments on my posts from earlier in the week. I have had family in town since last Friday and they are all, finally, gone. I love having everyone over but the kitchen needs to be scrubbed and I have loads and loads of laundry to do. I was glad to have had some posts ready to go so the blog was not neglected. During the week I received several orders from recent promos so you’ll be seeing those reviews over the next few days. The first one is from Madewell.

They had a 40% promo a few weeks ago and I found a couple of shirts to order that looked like they would be suited for my closet.

I ordered a Medium in the Curved Collar Top in Organza Stripe. The Organza stripe sleeves are what sold me on this top. It makes this plain white shirt interesting. It also comes in Green Stripe.

The fit runs small across my 34C chest. The arms were also a little snug. This almost seems a-line to me as just below the chest the shirt flows away from the body and is somewhat boxy. I thought I could keep it thinking it would work after a little toning up but then I saw the back. 
As you can see, the third button is pulling. I would be afraid it would come undone and I’d have no way of knowing. Also, the neck is really tight with the top button closed. Though my hair would be down and would cover the open button, I don’t think that is how this shirt is meant to be worn. Sizing to a large would only fix the upper portion fit issues but make the blouse look even larger on me. Sadly, this will be returned. I would say this runs small unless you don’t have upper body fit issues (larger chest, thicker arms, broad shoulders). 

Since the Linen Collared Tee in Stripe looked like it ran big I ordered a Small. The fit was a little tight in the arms but fit loose across the chest and waist. The shoulder is a dropped-seam and, due to the snugness in the arms, could really be noticed.

I do like the shirt in general and I would recommending sizing down if you can snatch it up. This will transition well through the Spring and early Summer.

As of posting, all sizes but XL are sold out so look for pop-backs on it if you’re interested. There could be some in-store so if you’re interested after this review, call around. 

Both shirts are currently on sale and the 40% off sale promo works for them. I am still trying to assess sizing from Madewell and because we do not have a local store I’ll have to keep ordering online.

Have you tried either of these blouses? How was the fit for you?

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This year I tried my best to post a lot more outfits aka Que Bella’s. Here are some of my favorites.

January – I loved pairing the City Mini in Dublin Tartan with the Navy Tippi. It made is less of a Christmas skirt.

February – Best thing I ever did was have these Cafe’ Capri Pants hemmed.

March – March was as blur as Dad had just passed away. I think this was my first real outfit of the month.

April – This was my anniversary outfit. I’ve since sold the dress in favor of the skirt and the heels are Louboutin.

May – Another outfit that didn’t make it to the blog but was one of my very favorites of the year.
Tipped Linen Schoolboy Blazer, Embroidered Eyelet Tank, Matchstick Ankle Jeans, Seville Wedges, Elephant Necklace

June – This Deco Pendant had such wonderful colors in it. Some of my favorite jewelry pieces this year weren’t issued online.

June New York Trip – The Tipped Linen Schoolboy and the Embroidered Eyelet Tank make their appearance again, this time with a Seersucker Pencil Skirt and Cece Ballet Flats. I had a Short-Sleeve Cardigan under the blazer which was perfect for the afternoon.

August – My first Madewell purchase which prompted me to get another in October while in California. This skirt is so very neon and the shape is beautiful.

September – Simple Navy and Ivory is what made this a favorite for September.

October – Everything about this outfit is comfortable but I felt so chic in it.


October Vegas Trip – A snapshot of these two made it to Instagram.
1) Lucky Brand Leather Tee, Fluted Skirt, Kate Spade Clutch, Janey Flats
2) Sequin Scoopneck Tee, Cafe’ Capri in Tile Jacquard, Janey Flats
    
October California Trip  – An all gray day on Halloween

November – The Schoolboy Blazer in Black is a fast favorite in my closet along with the in-store only Dorado Necklace.

December One and Two – There were two outfits that I loved!

I promised I put on decent clothes in July but I think I lived mostly in shorts, tee and swimsuits.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year in review. I cannot wait to style for next year!

Happy New Year!

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I am so totally copying Kendi with my Black and Blue outfit but the two colors together are fabulous. I have been looking for just the right chunky sweater and found it in the Men’s section of J Crew Factory last month. I ordered a Small in the Fisherman Cable Crewneck Sweater and it’s just big enough to be loose and slouchy but still fit nicely. Sadly, it has since sold out but you can find a similar one here, here and here. My Madewell Striped Pleat Skirt finally came out to play as well and I finished my look with my Harper Boots.

I loved this outfit so much I wore it a few days later for a evening of Christmas shopping. I am not done and am spending the rest of today trying to finish so I can wrap all weekend. How did Christmas sneak up so quickly?

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My first retail stop of my day after getting a blow out at Dry Bar was Madewell. I was really excited as I have never been to one and just have the Western Jean Shirt I found at the outlet. Other than that one shirt I didn’t have any idea as to how sizing would run. Being a sister company under the J Crew brand I thought things might run smaller than J Crew so I am very happy to have been able to try on different items to gauge sizing.

I found the Western Jean Shirt again, this time in Gravel. I tried on a Medium, since that was the same as the outlet find, and the fit was perfect. I love the ease of wearing this shirt and the snap-buttons make this so easy to put on.

The Berry Plaid Boyshirt is sold out on Madewell.com but you can find it on ShopBob. This shirt feels soft and very comfortable on. I’m wearing a Medium and wouldn’t size up. The darker red you see is more Cranberry or even Maroon. It paired (very bottom of post) very well with my Factory Clare Cardigan in Cabernet.

I loved the over-sized look of the Viewpoint Sweater. I have on a Small in the first two pics and an Extra Small in the third pic below. As you can see, I’ve also layered this sweater and it is still really over-sized. Since my normal Madewell size seems to be a Medium I would size down two sizes and get the XS. It is currently included in the 25% Off All Sweaters promo, through 11/11.

My favorite item was the Striped Pleat Skirt. I have on a size 8 in the first pic and a size 6 in the 2nd and 3rd pics. The 8 was loose and the 6 was perfect in the waist. The length was not too short for me and this has pockets!

Image was lightened some so you can see the contrasting navy/black stripes.

Another skirt I liked was the Structured Pleat Skirt. The website says this is a “Midlength Mini” and “24 inches long”. I am wearing an 8 and could size to a 6. You can see the length is just below the knee on me. The Striped Skirt above is more fun to wear and that’s the one I chose.

Lastly, the Leather Pocket Mini-Dress was an item I saw online before I left and really wanted to try on. I have on a Medium in the first two images and a Small in the second two. The length on the Medium was great but the fit was loose through the chest, waist and hips.

 

The fit of the Small felt much better. The length came up about an inch in the Small but I will be wearing leggings and tights under this dress.

  
I purchased the shirts and the tunic as I was limited on space in my bag. At the time, I knew Madewell was having 40% off sale items but the store had a limited sale section. When I was back at the hotel I looked online and saw the Striped Pleat Skirt was on sale, and included in the 40% off so I quickly ordered it along with the Linen Los Angeles Tee, to qualify for free shipping. And now the cozy sweater is on sale so I’ll have to decide whether to buy now or wait for a sale or pass altogether. 
I also fell in lust with the Barnwood Boot in Golden Spinach. It looks gray but has a shade of green in it. And go see ShOperaRach, who also has some Madewell items reviewed. 
Have a Great Day!
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And I found it at the J Crew Factory Store of all places! I had a three-day office visit and one evening my friend and co-worker S were shopping the outlet. Of course we stopped in J Crew. I knew that they had new arrivals for Fall but nothing caught my eye until we were walking out of the store. That’s when I saw the Madewell Western Jean Shirt in Nightsky Wash. Only one Medium was left among the Smalls and Extra-Smalls so I grabbed it to take to the fitting room. 

Though the online description states a shrunken fit I found no issues getting it on and moving around. The denim is very soft and I can’t wait until it becomes like a fine wine…better with age. The buttons are all snaps, just like a western shirt should be. The best part was that it was also 40% off of it’s price of $59.99. 

I loved my purchase so much I wore it the next day with the Collection Embroidered Neon Floral Skirt. The neon is pretty bright I love how the denim beautifully contrasts with it. I am wearing a size 8 in the skirt and could have probably sized to a 6 so I would say this is TTS. I finished off my outfit with my Lanvin Espadrilles. Shockingly enough I only brought 3 pairs of shoes with me compared to my standard 5 (one for each day, sandals for evening and an extra pair in case I change my mind on one of my day pair). Yes, crazy I know but you never know when you might need a different pair of shoes.

I’m so very happy with my first ever Madewell purchase. Other than a Tote I had been eyeing, nothing peaked my interest. Now I’ll really have to give them a good look in the future. 
Have a Great Evening!