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I really want to try to make getting dressed easier. I have a really big walk-in closet and it’s currently stuffed with clothes I don’t wear. I have quite a few “save for a rainy day/cocktail party/fancy dinner/etc” items. I have been trying to purge/sell/donate anything I can. For me, I think silk tees, especially in the Spring will jazz up a pair of jeans or shorts.

Though not worn yet, I do have the Windowpane Silk Tee, finally settling on a size 8. I liked the print of the Moonglow Paisley Silk Tee so I ordered the same size. My thoughts were that it will go well with Navy, White and Black bottoms. I think it is cut a little wider than the Windowpane Tee but haven’t directly compared the two.

The print and color seems a little “old lady-ish” to me so a neutral bottom will probably be best. The arms fit fine but the body seems a little wide. I would have liked to have seen it a little less boxy.

I like the feel of this shirt but am still on the fence about it. I would like to try the shorts to see if I would like those better. I have way too many Linen and Cotton Graphic Tees so I’ll stay away from the Linen Tee.

Have you tried the Moonglow Paisley Silk Tee or the shorts? I’d love to hear any feedback about those.

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After New Year’s I am thinking of two things: 1) Getting Fit and 2) Finding a new swimsuit or two. The two thoughts actually go hand-in-hand as I should be getting fit to look good in my new swimsuit.

Right about now, retailers and designers are offering Resort items. I have found more swimsuits I’ve liked during Resort than the actual Summer Collection. Last year J Crew offered the Scroll Print Bandeau. I missed out on it and eventually settled on the Punk Floral Bikini. I also missed out on a Tory Burch one-piece, the Eden.

During the 30% promo I ordered two J Crew bikinis, in what looks like a new top style, the Sculpted Halter. I bought it in the Windowpane print (Top and Bottom) and the Solid in Deep Hyacinth (Top and Bottom).

For the top, I ordered a Medium, which has been consistent for me through the years. As for the bottom, I ordered a Small, though I am a 6/8/Medium in clothes. I find the bottoms stretch a bit and then start sagging in the back.

I do like the Windowpane print and the Deep Hyacinth looks great against my skin-tone. I find the lining is sufficient. But I also have two other bikinis in the Punk Floral and Royal Paisley that I love so I’ll need to decide which one to keep.

I also get a new One-Piece or two. This year I ordered the Boria One-Piece by Tory Burch. I liked the print when I saw it online but in person and on me wasn’t very flattering. Compared to the next suit this had a straight boyish cut instead of a little curve at the waist. This will be going back. I may try the One-Shoulder Maillot instead. 
Lastly, I ordered the Printed One-Piece by Jean Paul Gaultier. Click through to see a few IRL pics.

Though a bit more expensive, I love the print and the halter neckline. I have some really bad acne scaring on my chest so until I can get some Dermabrasion treatments I would prefer to cover this up. This would definitely be a suit I would wear when guests are over. 

And here it is on me! I ordered a size 42 which seems to be a Medium (maybe a Large) but the fit is perfect. I have a few of the J Crew Ruched Femme Tank suits but the ruched part in front gets really saggy and ends up making my belly look bigger. I think I need to size to a 6 instead of an 8 as I do like the ruching. Anyway, though this suit is smooth, the spandex and the print do well in concealing my belly; at least until I Get Fit (see #1 above).

The back is a little lower than where a bra strap would be so that means tan lines are a little lower too. The booty has full coverage, even more so than the J Crew Bikini bottoms, which is a plus for me.

As soon as the weather is warm, Husband and I are in the pool every weekend. I try to swim a few laps in the evenings when I can too.

Have a Great Weekend!

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I added the Silk Diamond Tile Skirt in my cart for a little ride-along with some Christmas gifts. I liked the print immediately in these colors. The silhouette reminds me of the Little Skunks Skirt, which I returned. I ordered a size 8 and the fit is good to slightly big. Currently the size 8 is sitting on my hips and it’s meant to sit at the waist.

The length is perfect and there is no puffing out at the waist or in the back at the booty.


I went in to the store and found the size 6. It is a much better fit in the waist. The length is a little shorter but still perfect for my height, sitting just above the knee.

I have been taking an 8 in skirts like this so I would recommend your smaller skirt size or if you are consistent, size down one. 
Because of the pink and blue colors this will transition well into Spring. It is also great to wear with tights, boots and a cozy sweater. 
There is also a Tipped Silk Tee and a Dress but in blues with no pink. The dress looks big. Normally the shift dresses are shorter in length on the models, the Jules Dress, but this dress is long on the model. It looks sloppy. 

Have you tried the Silk Diamond Tile Skirt? 
Have a Great Day!

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As I said from my Shoes-day post, the Factory has been rockin’ with their offerings and deals. I have bee wearing my retail Toothpick Jeans in Dolphin Gray so much that I felt I needed another pair. When I saw the Factory had their own version, the Skinny Jean in Gray, for way way less than the retail I placed an order. I took my regular Toothpick size of  30. They fit well, almost exactly like my retail jeans. They could use a little hemming to fix the bunching at the bottom.

The heel is from Zara, the Pointed High Heel. They are a great dupe of the Vince Claire Heel for way way less. I saw the Cobalt in my store last week and grabbed those as well. They will be great to punch up an all gray or all black or neutral outfit.

   

Because the Gray version did so well I ordered the same Skinny Jean in Black.  Now, I have the retail Toothpick Jean in Coated Denim but since those are trendy I wanted to have a backup pair in a non-embellished black. Again, I bought my normal size of 30 but I am debating on trying the size 29 as I have a little room to give. The denim is just a little different than the gray which probably accounts for the sizing difference. As with the Gray jean, I will need to hem these just a touch to fix the bunching at the bottom.

   
I could not stop looking at the Factory Printed Collared Popover. I don’t know if it was the color or the print but I had to order it just to try it on. It’s 100% poly and the size 8 fit well on me. It looks to be slightly shaped and not as boxy as most popover and pajama-style shirts but I am still on the fence with this one. I like the print and don’t mind the material and the sleeves hide my upper arms but there’s just something about it that I can’t put my finger on. I’ll probably return it but it is really cute. 

Now that I know my size for the Factory Skinny Jeans I will probably buy those instead of the retail versions. They seem to be just as well made at a much lower price. 
Have a Great Day!

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J Crew Factory has been rockin’ it with their offerings this year. So much that I am trying to figure out what current retail items to not buy now in hopes that they come to the Factory in a season or two.

The Sylvia Patent Leather Wedges in Cabernet have been eluding me in-store so I finally ordered them during one of the many amazing Factory promos. The retail Martina sister are surprisingly nice. I was expecting more of a plastic-y feel to the patent. I’ve tried the Paulina Pump (sister to the Mona) in-store and they did feel plastic. Those have a Patent Polyurethane Upper. The Sylvia are a bit stiff compared to the retail version but still a great shoe.

I ordered my normal size 7 and though there is a tiny, maybe 1/4-inch, gap at the heel they fit TTS.

The Cabernet color is beautiful and will pair well with my Factory Skinny Jean in Gray. I haven’t had the opportunity to wear them yet so I will have to report back on the actual comfort of them for more than a 5-minute try-on. 

Have you had any experience with the Factory Sylvia Wedge or any other Factory shoes?