/ Bella Picks

J Crew has finally released new arrivals for the first big roll-out of the year. I was able to grab the latest Style Guide over the weekend and liked some of the pieces. These are the items currently in my shopping cart.

~ Betty Sunglasses, Gray ~

I am always looking for a good pair of sunglasses. Over the last year, I’ve found lower priced sunglasses have held up very well, including minimal to no scratches on the lenses. I had some Marc Jacobs Aviators and they were pretty scratched up within months. I like the style of both the Betty in Gray and the Irving in Blush Crystal. Those I saw in the Style Guide and knew I wanted to see them IRL.

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~ Irving Sunglasses, Blush Crystal ~

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~ Collection Silk Top in Tie-Dye Print ~

I saw the Silk Skirt in this print first and then swooned over the more-practical-for-my-life Silk Top. I can imagine this under one of my Navy Blazers or Ivory Lexington Blazer. I don’t mind the no collar look as I tend to get make-up on my collared shirts very easily. This also comes in a Patio Pant though the price of $395 certainly seems quite a bit inflated, don’t you think?

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~ Striped Polo Sweater-Dress in Merino Wool ~

I saw this on Ema’s Instagram and knew it would be one of the first items I bought. I do wish the stripes were Navy and not Black since I have a Tory Burch with black/gray stripes already. Here’s to hoping Navy will be released in one of the next coming roll-outs.

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~ Chateau Trench, Barley ~

I do not have a trench coat and all the ones I see don’t have a hood. I don’t see the point in having a coat that will repel rain if you still need a umbrella for your head. Is that just me? I love the gingham lining and hope the Chateau Trench looks as good IRL as it does online. I prefer the neutral Barley/Camel shade but the Fiery Sunset sure looks bold and exciting.

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Of course, there are a whole lot more items I like, and added to my wishlist but these 5, especially the Striped Polo Sweater-Dress in Merino Wool and the Chateau Trench are the two I’m excited about the most.

What do you like from the latest J Crew roll-out?


/ Reviews

~ Midweight Striped Boatneck Tee, Cherry Red/Ivory, Medium ~

This next tee is what started the Stripe Sickness. The Cherry Red is a true red and very saturated in person. I have maybe two items in red and this will be the third. This also comes in Navy as well as a Colorful version, which is Jade/Navy/Ivory. The Medium fit well through the shoulders and arms but is boxy through the body. I don’t think I could size down to the small without stretching the arms and chest some.

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~ Patio Pant, Vanilla White, size 6 ~

I’ve tried these on several times, in different sizes. I tried on the 6 and 8 this time and only found a difference in the waist and hips. The length was still about the same. I think $30 is a good price for them to then add a $10-12 hem job (I can’t do it myself). If suspect the white may move back to full-price once Spring rolls around. That and the Navy are great staples for Spring.

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They both look great with the Gemma Flats in Stripe (still not online).

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A few more Red, White and Stripes options for you. I think the Halogen Flats are my favorite.

I really love this Cherry color of the Midweight Striped Boatneck Tee. I may even have an opportunity to wear it this weekend when Husband and I go antiquing in the Hill Country.

/ Reviews

~ Striped Boatneck Tunic, Heather Slate Black, Medium ~

This is the Medium in the Boatneck Tunic. At the time, I felt more comfortable in the Medium but now think the Small would be fine as well. I like this colorway as well but am partial to navy. I rarely wear black and prefer navy if I wear a dark color.

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~ Collection Cropped Wide-Leg Trouser in Check Jacquard, size 10 ~

These were a return and I grabbed them for fun to try on. I figured the 10 would be big on me but because these have several pleats, they actually fit very well. I love the check jacquard pattern and material and the 21-inch inseam is perfectly cropped on me. Because the pleats are in front and not near the sides of the pants, I don’t feel they add any visual weight to the hips. These are sold out online but if you are looking for pop-backs and in-between sizes I would definitely take the larger of your two. There are some similar pants in Italian Satin and there’s the Wool Culotte in Sequin.

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In case you were thinking of wearing a top over the pants. Normally, pleats would puff out on any top I wore over the bottom but they don’t with these pants. Everything still looks a bit slimmed down.

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Have you tried the Striped Boatneck Tunic yet?

/ Reviews

~ Fine-Striped V-Neck Cardigan Sweater, Ivory/Navy, Medium ~

When I originally saw this cardigan and felt it, I thought it was cotton but it’s actually Merino Wool. The wool is very fine making the cardigan thin and not feeling like the Tippi. I know we are in Winter but the lightweight feel of this will be a great transition into Spring. The other color in this is Ivory/Ash which is light gray. I prefer the Ivory/Navy.

The length hit at the hips on me and though the sleeves are a little long I felt comfortable in my normal Medium.

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~ Striped Boatneck Tunic, Small, Navy/Ivory ~

My store only had a few left of this tunic in both the Navy and the Slate/Black. And I know why. It’s amazingly comfortable and the stripes are a good width apart. It’s cotton and has a sweater texture but isn’t super thick or thin. The lone reviewer only states it the perfect mix between a tee and sweater and I agree. I felt more comfortable in the Medium (reviewing later) but looking back at these pics the Small doesn’t look too bad on me. At $55, it’s a great deal and something I will probably wear at least twice a week. I’m rotating between 5 sweaters right now and don’t feel like wearing anything else in my closet. This will be good to break up the routine.

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~ Lookout Highrise in Sanford Wash, size 29 ~

I like the Lookout jeans in general though prefer the crop version, if it’s available. I ended up tucking these under about 1 1/2 inches so they didn’t bunch at the bottom. The 29 fit me just fine and I like this darker wash with a limited amount of fading. I am looking for new jeans that are not skinny but not overly wide-leg. I still love my Wide-Leg Crop pairs I have an am hoping to find something similar to those but at a floor length.

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~ Fine-Striped V-Neck Cardigan Sweater ~
~ Striped Boatneck Tunic ~
~ Lookout Highrise in Sanford Wash ~
~ Gemma Flats in Stripe (Leopard, Glitter) ~

Right now the Gemma Flats in Stripe are in-store only. My store received a few pair and they are lovely. I used to have the Factory Addie Loafer in stripe but never wore them. I did size down to a 6 1/2 and they fit much better than my size 7 Glitter. The 7s fit but are a little loose. The 6 1/2 still has the length but don’t feel as wide. They are absolutely adorable IRL though. As much as I like the Gemma in Stripe I really don’t think I’ll wear them enough.

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~ Fine-Striped V-Neck Cardigan Sweater ~
~ Striped Boatneck Tunic ~
~ Lookout Highrise in Sanford Wash ~
~ Gemma Flats in Stripe (Leopard, Glitter) ~

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With a return I made I bought the cardigan and ordered the tunic in a Medium.

What do you think of these striped items? Are the Gemma’s so cute?

/ Bella Picks

Hola and Happy New Year! I have been enjoying my time off but am ready to get back into my hobby. I visited some fitting rooms over the weekend and found myself channeling Gigi and getting a bit “stripesick”. Stripes need to be a certain spacing for me or I won’t wear the item. The Boy won’t wear them at all. Ever since he was old enough to speak he fussed over having to wear stripes, and that included plaid. He’s opened up to plaid but don’t even suggest a striped shirt. Kids are so odd.

I liked the Midweight Boatneck Striped Tee in Cherry because, well, it was not Navy, which I always choose over any other color. Other than a Tippi and a pair of jeans I have no red in my closet. The Striped Tee w/Back Zip also has faux leather going down the length of each sleeve. There’s also a Navy version with wider stripes, the Rugby Striped T-Shirt with Back Zip.

IRL, I preferred the Ivory/Black/Gray over the Blueberry/Burgundy/Navy of the Mixed Striped Tee. The Burgundy is the back of the tee and almost doesn’t seem to match. My store did not have the Oversized Stripe Turtleneck which I wanted to see. I’m picky about turtlenecks as I don’t want them to be overly tight at the neck.

I’m excited for the new year though I don’t have anything big planned yet. I’ll be back tomorrow with some of my “stripesick” reviews.