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I ventured to Banana Republic for the first time in ever over the weekend and found a matching top for my J Crew Morse Code Capri’s from last season. I’m talking exact match!

Mad Men Collection Textured Shell – I purchased a size 6 and the fit is perfect. I tend to be a little smaller in sizes at BR than JC, not complaining. Sadly, the Mad Men Collection was not included in the 40% off the whole store but I think it’s reasonably priced at $69.50. I kind of went in to price shock…a cute top for $70, full price?! And it has the word “Collection” in it.

Compared here with the JC Morse Code Cafe Capri’s. The shell is a little darker navy but the print is exact.

Will I wear these together? Probably not but the shell will be perfect with white bottoms.
I was also able to snag this Tote in Cognac. I have been looking for a brown leather Tote and had my eye on the Madewell Transport Tote. But with the 40% off I was able to snag the Tote for about $75.

Have you tried anything from the Mad Men Collection? I saw several Navy and Green items that would go well with my NYC Color Story, including this necklace.

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During this last amazing 25/30% off run at J Crew I ordered both the Collection Shoe Sketch Skirt and the Collection Little Skunks Skirt. 
Oh be still my heart, you little skunks. ‘Twas love at first sight with this skirt. How adorable are these guys? I ordered a Petite 8 to shorten the length 2 inches and am very pleased with that decision. The silk is flowy and soft and though the color states Violet Dust, it is more pink. It’s perfect. I was afraid the pleating would widen me some but I think
with a thinner shirt (and a few lost pounds) it will be more than perfect.

Now, on the other hand, oh-hobby-of-mine-on-a-skirt, I wasn’t as pleased right out of the package with the Shoe Sketch skirt. The crepe de chine silk feels a little poly-ish. I ordered a size 8 and while the length needs to be shortened at least 2-3 inches (currently it’s 24 inches and more midi), the waist is good. The gathers at the waistband make my hips more hippy. And while Gigi says the print isn’t very strong, I agree but think it’s too busy. Maybe more spaced out like the skunks. I’m on the fence with this right now and would definitely hem it if I kept it. I pulled it up to the length I want and it looked good, but I don’t know how that and a few less pounds will affect the look at the waist. I have the scarf in this print which is now snagged to death so the skirt is not a must keep, just a currently pondering.

What do you think about these two skirts? Sketchy and skunky? Or adorable and perfect?
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I was able to stop by the Factory store recently and had time to try on a couple of things.

Charley Sweater in Lobster, Sz Small – This was only an extra $5 off but I love it. The navy is gorgeous and the sweater is very soft. The Small fit well too.

Pleated Printed Skirt in Red (Heart Throb), Sz 6 – This was a decent fit, if a little snug in the waist. The length is perfect and I don’t mind the Polyester material. Compared to the Color-Block skirts it’s not as cheap looking. AND, all skirts are 40% off in-store.

Dot-Dot-Dash Mini Skirt, Sz 8, Festival Green – This was a very pretty bright green. And wholy moly it’s lined. It was also 40% off but I passed. I would have loved a non-printed skirt in this color, because it is pretty.
Double-Serge Cotton Mini, Sz 8, Deep Orchid – This is a beautiful deep purple color, though it looks blue on my monitor. I had a hard time deciding between this and the Heart Print skirt. I chose the Heart Print because of the movement of the skirt but if this color is in-store next time I go I’ll grab it.
Pencil Skirt in Double-Serge Cotton, Sz 6, Bright Spearmint – This color is just slightly lighter than last year’s double-serge mini skirt, which I own, and also extremely similar in color to the retail No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Spearmint. I’d say EXACT. No, this is not lined but, YES, it does have pockets. Also, it was 40% off so I bought it for more than half off of the retail version. I’ve never had an issue with the double-serge factory skirts. They hold up well and I really love the pocket feature.
Heart Print Scarf, $39.50 – All scarves were an additional 30% off but I didn’t grab the style # for this. The blue is a little lighter than the blue in the skirt but it’s cute none-the-less.
Sequin Heart Graphic Tee, Sz Medium – Very cute tee and perfect for up-coming Valentine’s Day. The sequins are securely sown on. I don’t recall the tag price but all tees were on sale and I think this was $16.99 in-store.
I didn’t get a chance to write down any other discounts but the store had a percent or dollar off everything. The tiny sale section was an additional 50%. You can see more Factory options on Rose from 1 More Shopping Blog. If you have a Factory nearby, I suggest you visit it. It will save you more than ordering online.

Have a Great Day!

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With a gift card from Christmas and some cash on my Paypal I wanted to make my Anthropologie purchases special. And I must say that I did pretty well.

The Painted Carousel Blouse by Weston Wear is just the right touch of whimsical to wear alone or under a cardigan. This is 100% silk and a pull-over style with nary a button or zipper in sight. This blouse runs big and I am glad I sized down to a small. A medium would have been very loose and saggy under the arms. 
The only thing I didn’t like was the way the blouse cut off a few inches above the hem and another panel of material was sown in. Almost like the blouse was originally too short so another two inches was added instead of recutting the material. You only see this from the back in one of the online photos. The rest show the blouse tucked in. The waist of my jeans is hitting the top of that extra panel so that you can gauge the length.
The Entomologist Blouse was another great pick for me. Roxy just reviewed it here. This is also 100% Silk but more of a Silk Chiffon and oh so flowy. I love Butterflies and when I saw this print it did remind me of J Crew’s Butterfly Shorts. I ordered a size 8 and it’s a perfect fit. The arms have button-sleeves and a 6 would have been too tight. You definitely need a cami underneath as this blouse is sheer. It is a little on the short side and I don’t know if it will stay tucked in, at least on the sides.

Are you interested in either of these blouses?

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I stopped by J Crew today, first visit of the year, and saw a few new Resort items to try on. This is a tunic in the same fabric as the Maritime Dresses but it is more of a tunic and not a dress. There is a deep V-Neck requiring a tank underneath, a little bit shorter length and the sides don’t have a zipper. This blue is a Small. The Ivory below is a Medium. The style # is 69609 and is priced at $78. The blue is BIN, blue indigo maybe? I do like the fit of the Small. The Ivory would be versatile now with colored leggings and a colored tissue Turtleneck and/or belted.

Next up is the Rosie Dress in Colorblock in a size 6. This is pretty short, even by my standards, so I’d recommend this as a tunic. The silk was pretty static-y and was snug in the shoulders and arms. The ruffled trim at the end of the sleeves is a little long. I think if it was just and inch or two it would look feminine but not girlie. I’ll pass on this.
Lastly, is the Jules Dress in Scroll Print. The first image is a size 6 and the second is an 8. This fits like all the other Jules dresses and it seems that although the length bothers a lot of people there is only a size 2 left, not shipping until February.
This is truly a gorgeous print. I wish it would come out in a regular or Petite length skirt or a cardigan. The print on the sleeves match up to the print on the body of the dress. The side seams on both also match up pretty well too. The yellow is not as bright as my pictures show. There are side, not front pockets, and a back button at the top, no zipper anywhere.
Are you interested in any of these dresses/tunics?
Happy New Year! Have a Great Evening!