/ Reviews

After a quick stop to the room to drop off my bag, I settled on El Jardin Tequila Bar & Restaurant for lunch. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for outdoor seating (all they have). Mango was the fruit choice of the day as I ordered a yummy Chile Mango Margarita and the Baja Fish Tacos with a Mango Salsa and Avocado Sauce.

 The real deal…no Photoshopping these images.

I was so tempted to order another Margarita but you would have had to pick me up off the floor. Delicious with a nice kick to it, due to the Chile, but, hello Tequila.

After lunch I stopped by J Crew in Westfield Valley Fair Mall across the street and picked up this versatile necklace.

 I cannot stop wearing it. It just seems to go with everything, even my Apple Print Tippi Sweater I wore yesterday. It’s almost becoming second nature to grab this necklace to wear with whatever I have on. The receipt stated this was the Dorado Necklace. I have no idea if this will show up online Wednesday or if this is in-store only. My VPS said they had it for about two seconds before they were sold out.

Then I was off to Anthropologie, as Husband and I had stopped in Kate Spade the day before. I was able to find a few items to try on. They had quite a few party dresses and items out already.

Guimauve Top, Sz Medium – This fit well but I’d like to try a Small to be sure. This was really cozy on and would look great with some dark jeans and heels. Wishlisted.

Beaded Poeme Top, Sz 6, Ivory – A great little top for Holiday parties but definitely needs a cami underneath. It also comes in Pink. It’s also a little heavy due to the beading. I vary between a 6 and 8 in tops and felt this was a great fit. Wishlisted

Emperor Kiss Sweater, Medium – Oh this is such a super cute sweater. I doubt it will make it to sale. This would fit in well with all the black and gray I’ve been wearing lately. Wishlisted

Joyeux Dress, Sz 6 – This was a perfect fit and beautiful for the upcoming Holidays. I don’t have a need for it but would love to find one. Wishlisted
   

Violante Dress, Sz Medium – This is another dress that would be great for any Holiday dinners. The Medium fit a little loose in the bust so if I were to get this I would like to try a Small or Medium Petite to see if that works any better. Wishlisted

Emerald Founce Skirt, Sz 8 – I was excited to try this skirt on as I loved the color. Sadly this skirt was all kinds of wrong. The waist was a little loose, the hips were really tight and the flounce I just didn’t like on me.  Pass

Odette Skirt, Medium/Small Petite/XS – This skirt was right in front of the store on a display. I walked around twice before I actually found it and grabbed a Medium to try on. That is the larger pic of the three and it was loose in the hips and too long. The back is pleated on this sweater skirt with a felted wool swan. I asked the SA for a Small and she brought a Small Petite. It’s still a little big on me so I sized to an Xtra Small. Though I was Spanxing it that day, the XS was the best fit. I can’t explain why. This was also after lunch too.

 I purchased the Odette Skirt but may return it as I don’t really have a great need for it. I do have plenty of Cashmere sweaters in various colors to go with the skirt as well as plenty of shoe options but it doesn’t fit in to my day-to-day life.
What do you think of these items? Anything catch your eye?
Have a Great Day!

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My next stop after Madewell was the C. Wonder store. I’ve purchased from them before and have loved what I have so far. I knew there was a store at Santana Row but the Grand Opening wasn’t until the Friday I was leaving for San Francisco. I was happy to see that the store had opened early and I would only miss the festivities of the Grand Opening and not the soft opening of the store.

The store itself was bright and beautiful. I was immediately drawn to one of the front mannequins that had the Blackwatch Jeans (below). I did a walk-around first and grabbed a few items to try on. I have been hesitant to order clothing from them in case sizing was smaller or larger than what I think I am.

Plaid Wool Blend Hacking Jacket, Size 8, Wintergreen – I am finding I vary in Blazer sizes depending on the material. The size 8 was a good fit, especially over other layered items. I loved this Blazer and the only reason I didn’t get it was because I didn’t have the room in my bag for it. As soon as there’s a promo I will definitely snatch it up. I love the mint throughout the pattern as well as the Mint lining. And it has perfectly placed elbow patches.

Metallic Wool Blend Blazer, Size 8, Coffee – Coffee is brown. This is Gold. Despite the name color discrepancy this is a beautiful blazer. If I had a need for a Gold Blazer (i.e. Didn’t work from home but in an office.) I would get this/wishlist this blazer.

Polka Dot Silk Pullover, Size Medium, Wintergreen/Navy – I brought this in to try on under the blazers and ended up liking it. Not enough to purchase there but it’s on my Wishlist. I cannot resist Mint. (Yes, C. Wonder has a Wishlist. No waiting around for years.)

Cabled Crewneck Tunic Sweater, Size Medium – The Medium was a good fit and I could probably size to a Small if I wanted. I love the high-low hem but I can’t recall if this was long enough in the back to wear with leggings/Pixie Pants, cause I am covering that booty.  (All sweaters currently 30% off through Nov 11)

Silk and Jersey Ballet Neck Sweatshirt, Size Small???, Navy – This was an unexpected like. It’s very cozy and has an elbow patch. The arms are a little snug which makes me think I grabbed a Small and not a Medium. I do like this better than the full Silk Sweatshirt offered by J Crew.

Stretch Skinny Blackwatch Jeans, Size 29 – This size was a good fit and sizing up would be a touch loose and even more so throughout the day. This is my J Crew Matchstick size. I was also Spanxing it that day and probably would even when I wear these just to smooth out certain places. I love the Blackwatch pattern and have several items in my closet to wear with these jeans. For my day-to-day, the jeans are a much better option than previous years J Crew and Factory offerings of Trousers and Cafe’ Capri Pants. 
 

The Evil Eye Bangle was too kitschy to pass up. I wore this the rest of my vacation.

C. Wonder has only been around for a few years with a store or two in New York and an online presence. They are now expanding and opening stores throughout the country. I hope they come to Texas! 
If you register for an account you can add items to your Wishlist AND also review items on the site. If you register for emails you will receive 20% off your full-price purchase. If you share an item (Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) you’ll receive Free Shipping. I don’t think you can stack promo items (20% + Free Ship) but the Free Ship would be good to use when they have a percent off sale or specific items. Lastly, there is no promo code to remember when they have one. Promos are automatically applied at Check-Out! 
C. Wonder always has items I like and I love their Monogram Shop. I also purchased the Stencil Initial Letter Cuff as they were having 30% off all Monogram items and have already worn it several times. If you have a pup, they also have the most adorable sweaters, jackets and accessories! As far as sizing, they are in line with what I wear at J. Crew. I can now happily add clothing items to my wishlist without hesitation. 
Right now, C. Wonder has 30% off sale items and 30% off full-priced sweaters through Nov. 11.
Have you been to C. Wonder lately? Do you have a retail store near you? (Jealous!!!)

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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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I made some returns to J Crew and I found a few items to try on from the new arrivals.

The Pleated Stretch Flannel Dress caught my eye online and I’m happy I was able to try it on, in a Size 6. I could Spanx it in a 6 but I would prefer a little wiggle room and would size to an 8. The material was flannel with a little stretch. I like the fit-and-flare shape and am a big fan of A-line skirts. I would also probably buy the Heather Indigo instead of this Heather Flannel color.

My VPS suggested I try on the Stretch Herringbone Skinny Cargo Pant, Size 8. I liked the Herringbone part of the pant but this was a little too skinny for my hips and thighs. The 8 was the right fit.

I was not a fan of the Lace-Trim Swiss-Dot Top in the Style Guide but liked it once I tried it on. I have on a size 6 and this seems to run big. I would normally be satisfied with the 8. The body is lined while the sleeves are not. This would be a good work top but also work well with denim, I’m thinking my new Toothpick Jeans in Dolphin Grey.

The Toothpick Cords in Neon Amethyst are gorgeous IRL. I fell in love with this color and it was on sale too! Sadly for me, I already have a similar color, not as bright, from a few years ago so I passed on these. I took my normal size 30 for the Toothpick Jeans/Cords.

I own the Matchstick Cords in Sea Salt and love the color, size 29. I debated on whether or not to get a second pair in this same color but decided against it. I paired it with the Jaspe Tunic in Heather Silver, which looks more Ivory/Cream IRL, and the Houndstooth Baseball Cap. Now, I know the Jaspe knits are comfortable but I originally thought this was the Vintage Sweatshirt and about choked when I saw the price tag…$118! The size Small was a good fit in the Tunic but major pass on this Tunic.

What do you think about some of these? Interested in any? 
Have a Great Day!
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I stopped in to Anthropologie to peruse the sale section one day and found some non-sale items to try on. The sale section was small, like everything had been purchased or shipped elsewhere.

The Starlit Stripes Dress by Leifsdottir caught my eye immediately. I knew I would need a size 8 but there was only a size 6 to try on. I could not get it zipped past my rib cage so an 8 is the correct size for me, in Leifsdottir. The sparkly top with the beautiful teal and black striped metallic midi skirt is so pretty. I love the color combination and will try to recreate it with something else. Unfortunately, the length is all wrong for me. The model online has 6 stripes on the skirt so I’m betting it was altered to get it to just-below-the-knee length for her. I so wish I could wear this dress. I’d have to alter it and remove 4-5 stripes and that would probably throw off the shape of the dress, maybe making the bottom even fuller than it is. This will be a wonderful party dress for taller ladies, like my friend Catalina. Sadly, I have to pass on this dress.

     

The store styling has a glittery belt and the Swirled Fur Cowl in Cream. Just gorgeous!

Another item that caught my was the Lattice Blossom Top by Weston Wear. I tried on the Black in a Small and the Ivory in a Medium. This was so pretty in both colors but I liked the fit of the Small and the Black color the best. This will be wonderful dressed down with denim or cords or dressed up with a silk or sequined party skirt.

I have lots of time to kill today so I’ll be in lots of fitting rooms for some show-and-tell next week!
Happy Halloween!