/ Uncategorized

I had a personal shopping appointment Saturday at J Crew and my PS did not disappoint. She pulled some great items for me and I may have changed my mind about not needing anything from the First Fall roll-out. She has a great eye for mixing prints and colors. There is just so much that I tried on I’ll start with an anticipated item for me, the Zig Zag Sequin Tee.

Blythe Blouse in Polka Dot, Pale Graphite, Sz 8 – I’ve said my piece many times about this blouse. It’s a great silk blouse and always comes in wonderful colors but I always have to size to my bigger top size due to the shoulders. Then the body of the shirt is too big. For me, this blouse is better as a layering piece. Wishlisted
Zig Zag Sequin Tee, Natural, Sz M – This also comes in Mint. This “tee” has a nice weight to it and lots of sparkle, unfortunately wearing it alone, without a layering piece is bothersome (last pic below). Every time I moved I wanted to scratch. A long-sleeved tissue tee will be best underneath this sequin tee. Or you can layer it like I have here. I think the combination of the two prints and the colors go well together. I’d like to see this blouse underneath the Mint colorway. Wishlisted-Mint
Minnie Pants in Stetch Twill, Boulevard Green, Sz 8 –  I had several pairs of Minnie Pants when they first came out and eventually sold them all as I had stopped wearing pants, especially body hugging ones. But I like the dark green of these and they are the perfect ballet flat length on me. Wishlisted-Green and Navy
Schoolboy Blazer in Wool Flannel, Modern Red, Sz 6 – Blazers have been my winter coat the last several years due to the mild winters we’ve had. The size 6 is a bit tight, especially with the layering underneath so I would go with an 8 to be more comfortable. I have so many blazers and a coral tweed one from a few years ago so this one is a Pass.
I’ll have lots of shirts and sweater layering combinations coming in the next few days. Other than the dresses those were probably my favorites.
Have a Great day!
/ Uncategorized

Shorts and lightweight skirts and dresses are a main staple in my closet for Summer. Texas hit the 100s while I was on vacation and hasn’t let up. I look at J Crew because they have an array of lengths and colors every year.
This year I found the Nautical Striped Shorts in my store in Tangier Orange, which is an orange-red stripe. These are a Linen-Cotten blend with a little bit of a higher waist, slight pleating and a 3-inch inseam. The zip is on the side which makes for a leaner look, IMO. And at $65 I wasn’t about to not give them a try.
Linen Cable Knit Sweater in Flax
Nautical Striped Short in Tangier Orange
TOMS Bennet Wedges
I loved the fit of these so much I ordered them in the Coastline Blue colorway as well. I can’t seem to stop wearing the Linen Cable Knit Sweaters from J Crew. This time I am wearing the Neon Azalea with the shorts and the Soludos espadrilles in White. I went with a size 8 as the 6 was just a bit too snug across the hips which then caused the pleating to pull a little bit. Size 8 is my standard JC Shorts size. 

And look who else likes them too?

Ali Fedotowsky helped Sauza Tequila kick-off their Regional Rescue Tour. She paired hers with a denim shirt, red necklace and cute blue wedges. (I am not a Bachelor/Bachelorette watcher so I had to Google her. I originally thought she was a soap opera actress.)
Has anyone else tried these shorts?

/ Uncategorized

After not shopping for two weeks I was ready to shop for pretty things without doing a conversion rate. It didn’t take me two days to walk into J Crew. I was lucky enough to still find a few items during the 30% off sale in-stores after I returned from our trip.

Pom-Pom Shell, Sz 6 – This isn’t on sale but I had tried it on that day. This is a tight in the bust for me so I would size to an 8. It’s not for me but I have a feeling if I saw it in the Yellow or Blue I would re-consider. It would depend on how saturated they really are online compared to IRL.

Ella Dress in Garden Floral, Sz 8, $198, $99.99, $69.99 in-store – I really liked this print on both the dress and skirt. This dress hit sale pretty quick, before I left, but I passed. When I saw it during my visit it had dropped in price again AND this was the only larger size left, in my size. It was meant to be for me. It’s silk and lovely and the colors are gorgeous and vibrant. I think this will be my birthday dress to run errands and shop ’cause turning 40 deserves a beautiful dress.

Linen Cable-Knit Sweater, Sz S, $79.50, $34.99, $24.99 in-store, Flax – I have almost every color of this sweater. Multiples? Yes please! I can get away without a cami under this color. These have been great lightweight sweaters to throw on with anything.

White Denim Mini, Sz 31, $69.50, $39.99 in-store – As I was getting dressed Saturday morning I thought to myself that I needed a White Denim Mini Skirt. Then I walked into JC and found it, on sale. I could have worn a 29 or 30 but those sizes were sold out. This size is great because I can wear it a little lower on my hips and it doesn’t feel so short, because this is SHORT. But I love it! 

And some of my favorites

Garment Dyed Linen Cable-Knit Sweater, Sz S, $79.50, $39.99, Neon Azalea
Cafe’ Capri in Sovereign Paisley, Sz 6, $148, $79.99 –  I love my paisley pants and can’t wait to wear them again.
Mona Suede Pumps, Sz 6 1/2 (purchased a 7 a month ago), $198, $54 (!), Wild Berry – So this color is back to full price but there was a color that was $54. The leather and patent Mona’s are also on sale.

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Garden Floral, Sz 6, $138, $89.99 – A gorgeous printed skirt that I would have snatched up had it been in my size on sale, in-store. Wearing it with the Naomi Top in Polka Dot.

Classic Mini in Double-Serge Cotton, Sz 8, $89.50, $79.50, Bright Spearmint & Brilliant Blue – I love this mini and this color. I am seriously contemplating the Blue.

 

Ella Dress in Porcelain Paisley, Sz 8, $298 $199.99 – This is such a beautiful dress but I have the pencil skirt and have been able to dress it down so it is a pass for me. 

Director Dress in Bi-Stretch Wool, Sz 6,Bright Dahlia, $188 $148 – This was a good fit all over but it looks like only the Black is left in limited sizes.

Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley, Sz 8, $198, $119.99 – I bought this before my vacation and didn’t get a percent off but this dress served me well on my vacation. I wore it on the plane with a denim jacket and my Birkenstock’s. I wore it in this pic with my navy striped Soludos. If my Chambray Soludos hadn’t torn I would have worn it with those too. This one is cotton so I’m not sure how the Solid Linen will fit but this size is perfect for me.

 

And that wraps up my J Crew sale picks and purchases. What did you score?

Have a GREAT day!

/ Uncategorized

Here are a few remaining items I have tried on in May so far. It will probably be my last try-on until after my trip.

May part 3

I thought the Sequin Anchor Tank, Sz S, would be like the Sequin Stripe Tank, with more sequins and a tighter fit, but this is meant to be loose and drapey and has less sequins than I expected. I like it that much more now but not for $98, so off to the wish-list it goes. The other unexpected item was the Jardin Maxi Skirt, Sz 6. I had to size to an 8 in the midi-Jardin skirt and I actually need a 4 in the maxi-Jardin. The Morning Aqua color is gorgeous. 
The Tropical Cove color is just a pretty. I’m wearing the Size 4 in it and it fits great in the waist and hits about 2 inches above the ground. This is definitely something I want in either the 4 or 6 Petite in the Morning Aqua, but I will wait until after my trip to 1) see if it has gone on sale 2) I want it after I come back. 
My mini mini skirt has a name…Classic mini in Double-Serge Cotton. I decided to try on the Brilliant Blue color, Sz 8, to see if I liked it on. If it makes it to sale I would get it in this color. It’s super-cute and I love my Mint color. 
Poppy Scarf – Not online but so cute. Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the tag.
I originally couldn’t wait to see the Tippi Sweater in Linen Stripe and then when I did I was really disappointed. I thought this was navy and white but it’s a lot darker than expected. I have on a Medium, which is my normal sweater size, and it fits great. I like that it’s lighweight but I prefer the Linen Cable-Knit Sweaters over the Linen Tippi Sweaters.
I was not expecting to like the Silk Bow Cami, Sz 6, but it’s a great little top. This was the only size 6 left in any of the colors or patterns in my store. It’s selling out quickly. The was not tight across the chest and there was enough material to make a nice big bow.
The Tessa Top in Linen, Sz 6, is another item selling quickly. I really wanted to try this in Chili but both the 6 and 8 were already sold out. This is a comfortable top and fits well across the chest and shoulders (my problem area usually causing me to size to an 8). 
The Size-Down-Two-to-Three-Sizes Peasant Blouse Whisper Gauze Peasant Blouse, Sz Small, is huge on me. And it’s selling like hotcakes. I would really need to size to an XS or even a XXS. And I really liked the Chili color too. 🙁
So, that’s it on the May roll-out for me. I am soooo ready for my trip and will be posting my final packing list in the next few days. 
Have a Great Day!!
/ Uncategorized

Now on to dresses I tried on last Friday. You can see the other two May 2012 try-ons here and here.

I love the Ella Dress in Porcelain Paisley as much as the No. 2 Pencil Skirt. The print is gorgeous. It has pockets. The fit is great in my normal strapless dress size of 8. But the price is the only detractor…$298. I’m not sure I would be able to get many wears out of it to justify the dress at that price. If it makes it to a decent sale price I’ll be all over it but for now it’s a wish-list item. 
The Lucille Dress in Lace in Bright Sun is very pretty. This fits better in a Size 8 than the Basket-Weave Shift Dress in Retro Lemon that I tried on in March. This one also comes in Navy. I can’t remember if it has pockets or not.
This is the Villa Dress in Light Emerald, still full price in-store but on sale for $49.99 online. The size Small fits well and I’d stick with that if I purchase it with a promo. I’m not sure if the knit might be a little too thick for my part of Texas once the weather gets hot this summer. 
This Blouson Striped-Knit Dress, #83380 $69.50, is very cute and is a thinner knit than the Villa Dress. It may be an in-store only dress. It has adjustable straps and an elastic waist. I am wearing a Medium but would size down to a Small as this runs a little big.
I am wearing a Medium in the Stripe Button Front Dress, which fits ok. I’m not sure that sizing down will help as it might run tight across the chest. It’s a pass for me as it seems too blah even with the stripes and belt.  
The Dree Dress in Deck Stripe, Sz 6, is not worth the $148 price tag. I didn’t even notice the price when I tried it on. It is lightweight and has some elastic shirring at the waist but this would probably stick to me on a hot summer day. Gigi just reviewed it here. I see this heading to sale and getting a deep discount.
The Cotton Embossed Dress in White, #83826, $150, Sz 6, is a very cute and casual summer dress. It will go great paired with any colored Jackie or a bright belt…and it has pockets! It came in another color but I can’t remember what it was. I’d consider this on sale.
And I completely forgot a few items in my last post so I’ll one more later today or in the morning, along with the Size 4 of the Porcelain Paisley skirt.
Have a Great Day!