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As promised, here are reviews of three dresses I tried on last week. Before we get to that, did anyone else see the J Crew Factory heading with the new tag line of “The Online Home of J Crew Mercantile“? There’s a little more information about that here that also announces a store opening in Dallas this month. Very interesting, don’t you think?

Current Dress Size: 8/Medium

~ Floral Piqué Dress, size 8 ~
Well, let’s talk about the obvious first. The v-neck is very low cut showing an abundance of cleavage. Even on the model image at the dresses landing page it looks low. As pretty as this dress is, it’s definitely not a work or church dress. You’d need to button your cardigan to the top. 
Despite the cleavage, the dress is really pretty. I love the print and am happy that it comes in a pencil skirt as well as the Boardwalk Pull-on Shorts, a Printed Scarf and a Tumbler. The size 8 didn’t fit me. I couldn’t get the zipper past the seam on the waistline. Of course, sizing to a 10 or 10 Petite would only add to the neckline issue but I think either of those sizes is what I need. Maybe I could have it brought up from the shoulders to help raise the neckline? 
 

The material is a piqué cotton and seems very well constructed. It’s also lined and has pockets. I noticed on the stock image the skirt has pleats but it doesn’t on the dress in-stores. The length hits me just above the knee. Despite the neckline issue, I really like this dress.

~ V-Back Ponte Shift Dress, Fresh Raspberry, Small ~
I liked the fit of the Small though I would wear some Spanx to smooth things out. The Fresh Raspberry color is very pretty IRL and this also comes in Grey and Midnight Shadow. The length is about two inches above the knee and will hike up a little more when you sit down. Since this is a ponte-knit you could stay in your normal size, which for me is a Medium. 
 

~ Drapey Knit Dress, Heather Pewter, Small ~
I was unsure about the drapey part of the dress, since it looks like a wrap, but it is just another piece of material over the full body of the dress. The Small actually fit quite well and I’d stay with that size. The length is about two inches above the knee on me. The Woodland color looks very pretty for a Fall season transition. The material is a cotton-blend and feels soft, not scratchy but not jersey either. 
 

 

I really wish the Floral Piqué Dress had worked out, especially since dresses were an additional 40% off in-store.

Which of these dresses are you interested in? What do you think about J Crew Mercantile?

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I was not able to try these next few shoes on but I did want to share some pics of them so you can see what the look like IRL.

These immediately caught my eye both online and in-store. The navy and burgundy stripes are so very menswear-style. 

I was surprised at how much I liked these IRL. I thought that the calf-hair looked a little cheap in the online pics but IRL they are really nice. You can see the pattern doesn’t match but I don’t mind that as much since spots are not tiny.

These were interesting. I’m not sure how much I like the colors of the stripe pattern. I guess if you needed to jazz up a neutral outfit these would be good. I’m on the fence with these 

I’ll have some dresses reviews, including the Floral Piqué Dress, later this afternoon.
Happy Shoes-day!

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Today, I’m starting with the Factory Metallic Elephant Sweatshirt. When I was shopping around the Factory store I tried to make a simple outfit with items so the reviews were a little more concise. Next time I’ll try to add shoes!

The sizes I am wearing now…
Shirts/Sweatshirts/Sweaters: 8/Medium
Pants/Jeans/Skirts/Shorts: 8/29, preferably short inseam

~ Metallic Elephant Sweatshirt, Medium ~

Despite wearing a Small, at times, in retail sweatshirts, I am consistently a Medium in Factory sweatshirts. This sweatshirt is no different, especially since I layered the Homespun Popover Shirt with it. I ordered this sweatshirt during the Early Access and now know I’ll be happy with it. I didn’t get the retail tee for myself but did for MamaBella. She loves hers. The metallic elephant seems about the same on both the tee and sweatshirt. The fit is true-to-size, especially if you layer. The material isn’t too thick or heavy either. Pretty standard for the Factory.

~ Homespun Popover Shirt, White Plaid, Medium ~

This color is not available online. The material is a light and airy but not gauzy. It’s looking a little big on me in the sleeve length and through the body but the arms and shoulders felt nice. I probably would try a Small if I was going to wear this by itself. But since I would probably layer it, the Medium is fine for me. 

~ Corey Wash Straight & Narrow Jean, 29S ~
These are the Factory Matchstick Jeans. The “short” inseam equals 31 inches so I’d need to have these hemmed. The fit is ok, but I’ve worn a 30 in the past in the Matchstick Jeans. There is a little stretch to them so they might fit a little more comfortable after a few hours. I’m all set on denim for a while. 
 

I haven’t been to the Factory in a long time. Promos were ranging from 30-40% off – (30% – Shirts, Knits) (40% – Skirts, Winnie Pant) ($10 off Quilted Vests). The sale section was pretty big and an additional 50% off, if I recall. Dresses may have also been 40% off. 
Were you able to see the new Factory items over the weekend? If not, I’ll have a few more reviews coming in the next few days!

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~ Seersucker Tile Print Shirt, Moody Blue, Small ~

This shirt is textured as well as printed and I was worried The Boy wouldn’t like it but he surprised me again. Of the Old Navy and Gap shirts I bought him, he likes this one the most. Again, size Small is TTS for him. 
 
You can see the texture a little better in this pic.

~ Oversized Palm Print Popover, Blue Surf, Small ~

I didn’t realize it until after it arrived but this shirt is similar to the J Crew Shirt in Jasmin Floral He already has so I’m not sure if he will actually wear it. I’ll give him another week before I return it. 

~ Lived-in Sketch Floral Shirt, Cucumber Peel, Small ~

I liked the colors and small floral print on this one and The Boy said he liked it but we’ll see if he wears it. I’ll give him a couple of weeks before returning it. This one is called Lived-In and is really soft. It was hard to choose which print to get since I liked them all but I chose this green and red floral print to give him a color other than blue. 

The Boy is back off to college in a month and he’s asked for another pair of pants, jeans, and shorts. He says he wants to dress a little better for classes this year. I am happily surprised by this.

Have a Great Day!

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I decided to try introducing The Boy to some short-sleeve button-down shirts to wear instead of tees and polos. I have tried this before, when he was in high-school and he was not a fan of me even suggesting it. But I brought the following three shirts home last month and he was surprisingly receptive to them. His favorite is the first one, the Secret Wash Shirt in Blue Jasmin. He even asked for more shirts like this so I decided to give Old Navy and Gap a try.

~ Slim-Fit Linen Blend Shirt, Bluetification, Small ~

The Boy is very slim and is a Small in shirts. This specific shirt is a slim-fit and fits him just fine. You can see how the shirt slightly tapers in a bit just below the chest. He said the shirt fit him well and felt comfortable on, not too itchy. 
 

~ Regular Fit Linen Blend Shirt, Midnight River, Small ~

The color on this is a true Navy though I captured the color badly. This regular fit shirt also comes in Just So Cerulean – a baby blue – and White. This one is a little more roomy but still fits TTS. 

These linen-blend shirts have washed and dried well in the machine already.  He’s been adverse to wearing linen shirts in the past, especially when we traveled to Italy but it seems he’s gotten over that and likes both of these. He even specially asked for me to iron/steam the solid one so he could wear it to work. That took me completely by surprise but I’m glad he has decided to step up his dressing game.

I’ll have the GAP shirts review later this evening. I think he’s humoring me with those since I went a little overboard with the prints.

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