/ Uncategorized

To help me with defining my style and continuous closet purging I am starting a new feature of showing how to wear one item 3 ways. I know a lot of you try to also use this idea when making/keeping purchases. These will be items I currently have or have recently purchased and am on the fence about keeping. I will show everything “IRL” so you can see the true items and colors together.

The first piece was part of an outfit I wore last week at home and then to dinner at a Pizza Garden that evening. I find that my outfits consist of three things: a top, bottom and shoes. Very basic and simple because the need for jewelry or other layers doesn’t fit my work-from-home life. I paired the Natasha Blouse in Gardenshade Floral with hemmed Matchsticks and Cece Ballet Flats in Black (but probably should have done the Navy instead). This is a blouse I was sad I missed out on last Spring but happily found it on ebay a few weeks ago.

As the weather cools, I can add a cardigan for inside the house and to run errands. This is the Jackie in Landscape Green and is a great match to the Natasha Blouse. 

I added the Navy Schoolboy for a more polished look, still keeping my three basics, and the Jackie Cardigan. 

For work, I kept the Jackie and changed to the Sterling Skirt in Crimson Maple, that I was able to purchase from a fellow JCA, and my Louboutin’s in Cranberry. A black heel will work as well. A Nude could work but I think a darker heel is best for this outfit. This green and burgundy pairing is beautiful, don’t you think? Buttoning the Jackie at the bottom helps you look more polished and leaner.

And, finally, to edge it up a bit I removed the cardigan and added my new Leather Moto Jacket in Cabernet. It’s amazingly gorgeous IRL and from Victoria’s Secret. I’ve been looking for a leather jacket for a very long time but could never find one I loved. Dark jeans like the Midrise Toothpick Jean in Carbon replace the Sterling Skirt and, again, the Louboutin’s in Cranberry finish this look. I only have gray Moto boots but short Black ones will do as well. I didn’t want to the look to be too edgy and I think the Moto Jacket in a different color suits the style without trying too hard.
So there you have it. The Natasha Blouse styled three ways (ok, maybe that was four). It’s a keeper. 
I hope you enjoyed this feature. If you have any suggestions or want to see an item styled 3 ways please leave a comment or email me. If I have the item or something similar I will be happy to feature it.
Have a Great Sunday!
/ Uncategorized

Hi everyone! We are in the home stretch of holiday shopping. Is everyone ready for Christmas? I have some presents to wrap and a few more gift card/stocking-stuffers to buy. I’ll do that on Friday, after grabbing my Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks.

I was summoned to the office for the last visit of the year and was able to wear my flair skirt again. I’ve worn all three of mine at least twice each this month. I think my they are my favorite purchases of the year and probably the most worn!

Cardigan: J Crew Cashmere
Blouse: J Crew Natasha in Savannah/Wildcat
Skirt: J Crew Flair Skirt, Heather Acorn
Shoes: Cole Haan Booties
Tights: Forever 21
When I got home I changed into jeans and un-tucked the Natasha before heading out to dinner.
Jeans: J Crew Bootcut Jeans

Today, I have on the most coziest sweater from Anthropologie. I hope to post an OOTD of it tomorrow!

Merry Christmas!

/ Reviews

I stopped by J Crew Friday morning to do some returns and try on a few new arrivals.

Heart Me Sweater – #54949, Acorn Black, Medium – I know some like this and it’s a cute sweater but I don’t really want a heart on my chest. I tried this on over the perfect shirt and it seemed to fit well in my usual Medium.

Perfect Shirt in Tartan – #35236, Black, 8 – I missed out on this last year. I had too many plaid shirts and just couldn’t justify another one. Glad it came back this year.
City Mini – #50305, Black, 6 – On sale in store $59.99 +30% off – I liked this skirt when it originally came out and now it’s on sale. I took the 6 even though I could wear the 8 for a touch more length.

You can laugh at the next one…it’s o.k.
Merino Cambon Cardigan – #57758, Heather Acorn Black, Medium – This also comes in Heather Graphite Black. I actually like this sweater and have added it to my wishlist. The fit was good and I would wear it layered like I am now.
Blythe Shirt – #37871, Neon Azalea, 8 – Wow, is this bright. Adding the leggings doesn’t help of course.
Homestead Waffle Leggings in Thermal Stripe – #57941, Neon Azalea, Medium – These are very comfortable but I’d only wear them to bed or around the house with a long sweater. Never outside.

Natasha Top – #54024, Creamy Peach, 8 – I have this in a few colors in a size 6 which is the better fit for me.
No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Harvest Tweed – #55821, Camel Coral, 6 – Pretty skirt with a nubby tweed. I have the Café capri in the Olive Mint. My normal size 6 fit well.

Natasha Top – #54024, Creamy Peach, 8
City Mini – #50305, Heather Aluminum, 6
Fair Isle Sweater Leggings – #60057, Flame, Medium – I am glad I was able to see this IRL. They were comfortable and perfect for lounging. Not sure how I would style them. I liked it from the catalog but I have a feeling I can find something similar at Forever 21 or at least cheaper elsewhere.

Tweed Bow Skirt – #55689, GMU, 6 – This is a new skirt in-store right now with a cute little big bow in front. The pattern is plaid and the material is 100% Wool. This fit a little snug. I couldn’t tuck in the top and I was afraid to sit down. The size 8 fit a little looser.

Size 8

Whew! So that’s my last review of the week. What do you think of these new items? I think the bow skirt is cute and is reminiscent of the Double-Serge Bow skirt from a few years ago.

/ Uncategorized

My order finally arrived today from the 25% off at J Crew last week. As much as I wanted to order more, I didn’t NEED to order anything. Even now, I’ve perused the sale section and there’s nothing I need, have-to-have, or like/love. It seems kind of blah right now. I’m sure once more Holiday arrivals come in there will be another big push to sale.

Anyway, here’s what came from my Brown Sancho (aka the UPS man).

Two Jackies – Pacific and Maraschino Cherry – I didn’t like the Pacific blue color IRL. I don’t have a color like it in my closet but nothing came to mind when I tried to style it in my head so it will go back. As for the Maraschino Cherry, the red is pretty and I’ll think about it for a while. Naturally, it will be great to pull out and wear during Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

Vintage Matchstick Cords – Vintage Violet – Such an beautiful color.

And then I stopped by my other B&M today and found these.
A scarf I have had my eye on since I first saw it in the store. I was able to snag this on sale plus 30% off.

A new Natasha blouse in a Leopard print. Love it! – $98, Color SAV, #60637

Stretch Vintage Bootcut Cords – $69.50 (promo), Color DAT Deep Atlantic, #50025 (This color is not online.)

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Royal Paisley – ABC was so right about this skirt. It has so many colors and goes with so many things. See her posts here and here about styling and colors. And I love that both the skirt and lining are cotton. I can wear this into Spring and possibly early Summer.

My PS has put away some more Holiday 1 new arrivals so I should be checking those out tomorrow.
Have a Great Evening!

/ Reviews

Lots of pictures below so let’s get to it.

Blythe Blouse – Extravagant Green, 8 – Love the color and took my normal size in L/S shirts. 

Silk Elodie Blouse – Paradise Blue, 8 – Another great color to go with several items already in my closet (Lolli pants, Cafe Capri in Camel, Viridian Green Pencil Skirt)

Silk Scarf Tank in Floating Rose – Rouge, 4 – I also tried on a 2 in this blouse. I was more comfortable in the 4. I did not like that it was longer in the back. Pass

Natasha Top – Vivid Poppy, 6 – Lovely silk chiffon cami/blouse in THE J Crew color of the season (Almost that I might not be loving it as much. Just bring out the RED already!) Purchase – Versatile blouse to wear alone or layered as we transition to Fall.

Sequin Slouchy Tee – Tawny Sand, S – Cute but it is not lined so you can feel the stitching. Also, I the sequins weren’t laying the same way and I would hate for it to snag on something. Pass

Silk Polka Dot Tee – Navy, 8 – Even though I just wore it for the first time, I quite like my Silk Striped Tee. I did size up due to the smaller cut in the sleeves. Purchase

Puff-sleeve Popover – Vibrant Flame, 8 – I really wanted this shirt. I think the puff-sleeve is so cute but the sleeves are cut smaller and it has a button closure. I even tried on the 10 and was not comfortable in it. Check your stores because this is on sale in the B&M. Sadly Pass

Vintage Matchstick Cord – Vibrant Flame, 30 & 29 – The matchsticks seem to be cut a little differently this year. I am quite comfortable in both the 29 & 30. Again, a great color to welcome Fall. Purchase in the 29
Cafe’ Capri in Plaid Wool – Deep Navy/Blackwatch, 8 – I didn’t realize these were not online so I didn’t get a picture of the tag. These are the Cafe’ Capri in a lightweight wool but are cut a bit smaller. I have the Camel in an 8 and they fit great. These are a little snug for some reason. My PS did say she had to size up too so it wasn’t just me. I really wanted to buy these since the skirt didn’t work out for me (see below). Wishlist Purchase

**Update – This is the Cafe’ Capri in Plaid Wool. It is selling out which is why I couldn’t find it online. Check or call the B&M if you like these pants. I went back and tried on the 8 & 10 and found the 10 to be loose but comfortable and the 8 to fit “just right”. Go figure. Must have been bloated or something on the I first day I tried them on. Needless to say, I did purchase these.
 
Wool Lounge Pant – Heather Charcoal, Sz 8 & 6, #47328, $138 – Now, these are oddly cute. They have an elastic waistband and hem. They are Favorite Fit and run a size big IMO. The 8 was really baggy while the 6 fit much better (2nd/3rd pic). I tried them with my sandals to give a visual of them in heels. I think they would be cute with heels but for the price I’ll Pass.
Jester Sweater – Saddle Flame Carbon, M – Cute but Pass
Flair Skirt in Double-Serge Wool – Cool Pine, 6 – A-line shapes are usually my friend but the Flair Skirt is not. I think it might be where the pleating is but I will not be purchasing this in any color or patter. Pass
No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Blackwatch Plaid – Deep Navy, 6 – This is not a typical pencil skirt. The waist is smaller and there’s pleating below the waistband so it made my normal size 6 in JC pencil skirts a pass. Also, take a look at the side-view picture. There’s some bunchy-ness going on. You’ll probably need to size up one.
Flair Skirt in Plaid – Warm Bark, 8 – A great pattern for the Flair Skirt. Pass
Origami Mini in Check Wool – SGR, 8, #47743, $128  – Pass
Cowlneck Poncho – Grey White, XS – A very cute poncho that is super cozy (shown with the Liquid Silk Skirt in Bright Dahlia). But I just wasn’t comfortable in it. It would a hassle to have to take it off and on while running errands. I would have to make it my main clothing item with a tee or cami underneath. Pass
Double-Breasted Sweater Jacket – Vibrant Flame, M – This is so very Anthropologie. I had a boiled wool cardigan/sweater I purchased from there by Casch. I loved it but it got too small for me. This is reminiscent of that cardigan. The buttons are somewhat difficult because the hole is smaller than the button. Weird. And it leaves fuzz every where. I like it though. Purchase-but may return for the Navy
Streetscape Cape – Saddle Black, S – This is so lovely, but I need a Sherlock Holmes cap and a pipe. And, I felt like 1) doing the robot 2) I had T-rex arms. But I like it.
Metallic Foil Jacquard Dress – Gold Saddle, 8 – The shape is similar to the Darla dress which I tried on here. Cute and material seems nice but I wasn’t a fan of the Darla. This has an exposed back zip but it matches the material (gold). Pass
So, four purchases out of the 19-20 items. I am waiting on my online purchase of the Wool Cafe’ Capri in Maraschino Cherry. Those were immediately back-ordered but should be shipping in a week or two. I can’t wait to see them.
What has caught your eye with the J Crew Fall Arrivals?