/ Reviews

Today’s promo at J Crew is TUESDAY and you can take 40% off select styles as well as sale items. Unfortunately, none of the pants below are included in this promo. Cashmere sweaters are included (huh?!) and women’s swim is excluded but not men’s/girls/boys. This promo makes no sense except that the off-the-shoulder Ratti Dress is included along with the Chambray shirtdress.

~ Rory Pant, Navy, size 6 ~
~ Rory Pant, Fern, size 8 ~

I mentioned in Monday’s post how I did not like these pants. They bunch just below the waist, in the back. You can see it somewhat in the image below and it’s very noticeable in the size 8 in Fern. These are  pull-on pant with a little give in the waist. The tie at the waist is not removable and would probably look best tied at the side. The size 8 was still decently cropped on me, with an inseam at 20-inches, but I wasn’t a fan of how the wide-leg draped. The material is a cotton poplin and machine washable.

~ Cropped Wide-Leg Pant in Heavy Linen, French Blue, size 8 ~

I was excited to try these pants as the color looked gorgeous online and a heavier weight linen would be good for work. They also went with my new #shinyponies. The size 8 was a great fit. The front has pleats and the back is elastic. They were full-length on me and I like how the wide-leg draped. They were lined in cotton in the same color as the pant. The french blue color took on a shade of purple IRL. Of course, they got super wrinkled but they are linen. Though I really liked them, I ended up returning these as I didn’t see myself wearing them as much as linen shorts.

~ Gazebo Pant, White, size 8 ~

I’ve tried these on in the 8 & 8 Petite in navy and vintage kelly. I really wanted these in white and my store finally received another shipment with the size 8. These are a little longer than I want them to be but they fit well. The white is lined but still seems a little see-through. I ended up buying these in the size 8 since the Petite size has been sold out for a while in this color.


The Rory Pants were a dud but the Linen Pants were a hit. The Gazebo Pant should be a permanent staple for J. Crew. I hope this comes out in the Fall/Winter in wool

/ Reviews

Sorry for the delay. The work days are really stressful and long right now and I can’t find the energy to do anything but chill in the pool. But I did want to share some of my embroidered finds with you.

~ Madewell Embroidered Top, Bright Ivory, Small ~

This looked like it ran a big large on the rack so I grabbed a Small to try on. It was a decent fit though I still don’t like how it looks on the side of the chest. It’s not as gathered at the chest as the Alma Peasant Blouse was which caused the chest to run tight. I like that this Embroidered Top has detail at the shoulders and sleeves. It makes the top a little more visually interesting.

Madewell-Embroidered Top

~ Madewell Embroidered Cotton Shift Dress, size 6

Though I didn’t buy it, I really liked this dress. The sleeveless is nice for Summer. The length works for me as well. The size 6 fit really well. This dress looked quite large on the hanger so I recommend sizing down one. The front is embroidered along with selective spots all over the dress. The sleeves and hemline also have a little embroidered detail. It also has pockets! There’s a 25% off select dresses promo at Madewell right now, code UNIFORM, but this dress is excluded.

Madewell-EmbroideredDress

~ Joie Quixota Embroidered Blouson Dress, Medium ~

This is a cute little embroidered peasant dress by a brand I’ve never tried, Joie. I liked the print and style of this dress but I didn’t like the neckline of it. I wish it had been more v-neck, like the Madewell dress above. The Medium fit well to just a little big. I pulled down the waist a bit because this was short when I had it pulled up a little to give it that blouson feel.

Joie_QuixotaDress

~ Joie Vork Cotton Blouson Dress, Medium ~

Another blouson dress from Joie, though this one is not embroidered. You can see how the neckline looks much better compared to the Quixota Dress above. I adjust the waist on this one to make the dress more blouson-style and you can see how short it can get. The Medium fit big compared to the dress above. I think I’d need to size to a Small but then I’d have to make this a tunic and wear leggings or skinny jeans on bottom.

Joie_BlackPrintMiniDress

~ Alice & Olivia Jolene Dress, size 6 ~

Of course I would love this dress…it’s $400. I really wanted to try it on and the size 6 just fit. The arms are tight and the chest is slightly pulling. I’d want a size 8 for a better fit all over. I’d also want a sale price for this dress. I love the drop waist, peasant-style and colorful embroidery.

Joie-EmbroideredPeasantDress

Although, apparently I couldn’t find any other embroidered tops to try on other than the Madewell Top. Sorry about that! Here’s pretty Collection top from J Crew and a familiar looking embroidered shorts, this time in pineapple embroidery. Johnny Was is a great brand for embroidered tunics and dresses. There are so many options for embroidered dresses and tops out there. You have a choice between color, thread color, shape, style, low or high end. The list is endless.

Happy Shopping!

/ Reviews

A few weeks ago I stopped by Tory Burch to try on an off-the-shoulder top they had. I knew it would match the J.Crew linen shorts in Byzantine Copper perfectly. They also has the matching embroidered skirt in-store so I grabbed that to try as well.

TB_EmbroideredSkirtTop

TB_EmbroideredSkirtTop

~ Eliza Embroidered Top, size 6 ~

I found the top to fit surprisingly well in the size 6. I thought it would be tight across the chest when the top was pulled up, like in the second pic below. I know some off-the-shoulder tops are needing to be adjusted quite a bit to stay off the shoulder. Unfortunately, I was tugging on this one all day the first time I wore it. But in the top’s defense, I was holding a baby or playing with little kids most of the day. I think if I had worn this when I wasn’t so active then it would have stayed put.

TB_EmbroideredTop_3

It looks just as good not off-the-shoulder, making it wearable when that trend goes away. The top also comes in a bright red. The white is on sale here.

TB_EmbroideredTop_1

~ Cassie Embroidered Skirt, Medium ~

The Medium was a nice fit and wasn’t too full at the hips but I could have sized to a Small due to the elastic waist. The sides of this skirt are a little shorter than the front and back. Both items are embroidered in bright thread, making it stand out against the white background. This embroidered pattern also comes in a jean and dress. I found the skirt on sale here.

TB_EmbroideredSkirt_1

The sandals I’m wearing are the Pecha Sandal and sold out everywhere online. I’m wearing a size 7 and they were very comfortable for such a high heel. They also blended well with my skin-tone. I did have an issue with the ankle strap being too short so I passed on buying them. I’m happy with the J Crew Factory Stacked-Heel Sandals. There is a Pecha Mule available that my store had plenty of as well.

TB_EmbroideredSkirt_2

Shop more of my picks from Tory Burch! I have the Miller Sandal in Snakeprint but I also think the confetti print is cute for Summer.

I was given a gift card for my birthday so I am trying to decide from the picks above what I should buy. I’d like to buy on sale to have the money go farther and am leaning towards the striped Jackie Tank, and the embellished Hit the Road Tee.

/ Reviews

Last up from the Factory are two dresses and some Summer shoes.

~ Polo Shirtdress, Navy, Medium ~

I really liked this shirtdress. I wished it came in white or a kelly green as well as the Vibrant Flame. The Medium is a great fit. Take your normal Polo shirt size. I’ve already worn this several times with both flats and the Gingham Wedges.

JFC_PoloDress

~ Chevron Striped-Dress, size 8 ~

I recall no difference between this dress and the retail version from last Summer. Down to the small exposed back that causes the material to not lay flat, it’s the same dress, different tag. I was really hoping the issue where it wouldn’t lay flat would have been fixed. Otherwise, the size 8 is a perfect fit.

JCF_ChevronChambrayDress

~ Stacked Heeled Sandals, Dark Cedar, size 7 ~

I don’t prefer ankle-strap shoes but I wanted some neutral/brown sandals for Summer. These are going to work well for me. The size 7 fits well across the toe though the ankle strap is too short. I have it buckled in the last hole. But, when I tried them on I loved them. And since I was already dressed for date night, I kept them on. The heel height is just at my threshold and I was pitching forward just a bit when walking but they’ll be fine to wear for a few hours.

JCF_BrownSandal_1

JCF_BrownSandal_2

~ Leopard Espadrille Wedges, size 6 1/2 ~

I have these in the same size in the Gingham Wedges and the fit is very different. The Gingham Wedges fit just like the retail Seville Espadrilles but the Leopard Wedges are too tight. I double-checked the size when I got them to be sure they were not a size 6. Maybe I received a defective pair but I would take your normal shoe size in the Leopard Wedges. (Mine is a 7).

JFC_LeopardEspadrille_2

The Leopard Wedge is cute. The background color is really light, almost yellow. Though the pattern doesn’t match on the toes, it is not too noticeable. I have the Sevilles in several colors and wear them a lot. I returned the Leopard Wedge because I wear the Metallic Seville Wedges several times a week.

JFC_LeopardEspadrille_1

Today and tomorrow, online only, you can take 30% off your purchase with code CUTESALE.

/ Reviews

J Crew Factory is having a flash sale, through June 2, with code CUTESALE. I’ll round up my Factory reviews today, in case you are shopping this sale. There are some hits and miss with tops today. Take a look below.

~ Embroidered Peasant Top, White, Small ~

I recall the retail version just barely. The Small fit surprisingly well so I would say this runs a size large. It’s loose all over, including the shoulders and chest. I didn’t like the square neck, preferring a v- or crew-neck. It’s really boxy with no shape at all. The linen didn’t seem too thin. This also comes in Fiesta Orange, which I think I would have preferred but the Mercantile store was limited/sold out in sizes and colors.

JFC_WhiteBlouse

~ Short-Sleeve Linen Sweater, Pozzoli Pink, Small ~

I grabbed this to try on with the various shorts and quite liked it. The Small fit how I would want it, though I could also wear a Medium to have a little more room in the arms. The retail had a cable knit linen sweater several years ago and it was really thin and see-through. The linen seems to be knitted a little tighter and is not as sheer. If I lived in a little cooler climate I would have probably bought this in a few of the four colors, including this pretty pink. It went well with both the Summer Plaid Shorts and the Flamingo Shorts.

JCF_SweaterMadrasShorts

~ Linen 3/4 Sleeve Blouse with Lace Hem, Vibrant Lemon, Small ~

I feel really dumpy in this blouse. I like it in the yellow but is very wrinkled from just try-ons and the neckline is elastic. I thought that maybe it could be an off-the-shoulder but it doesn’t look right if you try to stretch it any. The Small was the best size, so it also runs a size large. The 3/4-sleeves are hitting me just above my wrist. The White colorway looked sheer on the hanger.

JCF_LinenPeasant

~ Gingham Shell Top, Bright Red, size 8 ~

I liked this one immediately online and it was just a pretty in person in the Bright Red, which looks more like a dark pink to me. The size 8 was a great fit though I wish it had a little shape to it, even a few darts in the back would be good. I passed on it when I was in the store but it is on my wishlist.

JCF_GinghamTop

~ Printed Embroidered Tank Top, Neon Seamist, size 8 ~

I can’t remember the colors from the retail version of this top but I really liked the Neon Seamist that the Factory/Mercantile is offering. I could do without the tassels. I originally thought this fit a little loose on me but seeing the image from the front tells me this is a good fit as there is no pulling across the chest. The Reef Blue looks pretty online but it was not available in-store.

JCF_EmbroideredSleevelessTop

~ Scalloped Embroidered Linen Shirt, White, size 8 ~

This was a little more visually interesting with the scalloped hem and sleeves as well as the embroidered front. The size 8 fit good. I wouldn’t size down in this. The linen, especially in white, doesn’t seem too sheer. I know that’s an issue for some. This comes in four colors and with the Sandy Reef having a contrasting thread for the embroidery and scallop detail. Again, I wish there were some darts to give it a little shape.

JCF_EmbroideredBlouse

I didn’t bring any of these home with me though I did like the Gingham Shell Top and the Printed Embroidered Tank Top.

Anything you’re liking here?