Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Madewell Reviews: some new (ish) arrivals

I am having trouble keeping up with all the "new" arrivals in store. Madewell seems to get some more stuff about every 2 weeks at this point and unfortunately I like most of it! They are really onto something there - laid back and slightly young/slouchy but not overly so. Anyway, I've been holding onto these pictures for a while but I've been so busy/tired I haven't motivated to put them up.
Tonight was a big concert for my school and I had some pretty challenging stuff to play so I've been concentrating on that (which is probably a good thing :). When you get nervous, do you forget to breathe? I've noticed I do that when I play piano so every concert I play I've been focussing more and more on just breathing. In and out. Ahhh... Then I try to remember to enjoy it! For heaven's sake, I'm playing piano and getting paid! Isn't it so hard to remember why we got into our work lives in the first place? Anyhoo, amidst the fall craziness and daily affirmations, here are some clothes:

Ridgestripe Skirt (size S)

It's just a stretchy little skirt with stripes but the paneling seems to do some favors. It's a little "grabby" from the side but that seems to loosen up once I sat down and moved in it a bit. I don't find it obscenely short but I'd probably wear it with some tights and boots just to make sure.

Ivy Embroidered Tee (XS)
Madewell describes this as having a "close to the body" cut but I don't find that to be true. It's your standard little boxy top but the material is fairly heavy and has a pretty nice drape to it. I think it's too thick to tuck in and I'm not sure what I would pair it with. Jeans?

Merino Sweatshirt (XS)
Please, Madewell, read my review and make this sweater in every color. Perfect! It has that adorable sweatshirt styling with the little triangle at the neck but the knit it just thick enough to make it hold its shape beautifully. Plus, adorable little elbow patches on the sleeves! I die. Need, want, whatever. Must have.

Silk Director Shiftdress in Brushstroke Floral (XS)


This dress really caught my eye on the most recent rollout but it looks even better in real life. Just a great, easy little shiftdress and the print is more vibrant than it looks on the website. Cute little pockets on the side and this nice little button that can be undone (see last picture) if you wanted to wear some sort of cute little cami underneath. I'd be curious to try on the XXS to see if I liked it better but I think it would probably be a bit snug at the bustline.

Long-Sleeve Sweatshirt Dress (XS)

I would like to try on a size up from my usual XS. Somehow the dress just didn't lay properly. The pleating sort of pulled a bit and the top was quite snug. Yet, there was this weird extra material under the arms. The knit is quite stretchy and thick - not like the sweatshirt dress from last year that was most of a terry cloth. It's cute I think I just need a little more room for my curves.

Gamine Sweater (XS) in Heather Camel
Bistro Mini (size 2) in Black
Another adorable sweater! What a great basic - a little on the thinner side and pretty soft. Has some extra length to it which I liked. The color is the perfect shade of camel. The skirt is also really cute. This is my normal size 2 but I think you could go regular or down on this one as the material is super stretchy. I appreciated that the pleats laid correctly and the drape was flattering instead of widening.

Coffeeshop Cardigan in heather sage (XS)
 Another cute basic wool cardigan. I like this better than the Journal Cardigan because it's a bit longer and more form-fitting.

Cargo Tunic Dress (XS)
 Tried this on before but thought I'd try again. It's basically cute but just doesn't light my fire in any way.

???
 Darn it I forget what this is called. Some sort of football tee or something. This is size XS and it was HUGE. It is was just a little less oversized it could be cute weekend wear.

Lacepleat Top (XS)
I love the crispness of the cotton and the little peekaboo panel down the front. My normal size XS was slightly snug across the chest which made the pleat lines sort of bow in and out there. There's something about this shirt that I really like - the different textures and play with opaque/transparent really works. Would work better on me if I had a smaller chest.

All in all, Madewell continues to please. I've gotten spoiled with their 40% off sale. May have to wait until after the holidays to shop there :)

What did you pick up during the latest sale?

11 comments:

  1. The 40% off sale was nice, now there's 25% off all sweaters. Thanks for the reviews, will be on the lookout for a couple of the sweaters you liked, they look great on you!

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    1. Thank you! I am really digging on their sweaters but trying to be patient until they go down in price a bit more

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  2. and...breathe! Did you see that recent video of the pianist reacting to the orchestra playing a completely different piece than she had rehearsed for? Total pro.

    I am dying over that merino sweatshirt- it looks perfect. I want it in that exact shade of grey.

    I also really like that cargo tunic dress- it looks like a great base piece for different colours and accessories...watching it for sale...

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. http://youtu.be/CJXnYMl_SuA

      I guess it was quite awhile ago, and then there was a flurry of articles about it last week...

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  3. The sweatshirt dress is an interesting concept but I'm kind on on-the-fence about it. It's a regular ole sweatshirt on top, but the rest of the dress is kind of business-y and is a bit out of place - like, should it be cas or dressy?

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    1. I think you hit the nail on the head - it can't make up it's mind. I think I'd rather it be casual and less fitted.

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  4. Great reviews. What is your chest size? I am thinking about getting the lacepleat top but also have a larger chest (32D) but am usually a 0/XS in shirts, sometimes sizing up to S if its too fitted.

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    1. HI Erica, Sorry for the delay. I'm usually a 2 or XS in shirts and my bra size is one cup bigger. It just barely pulled so you might be fine with the XS. If you don't mind a little extra room in the body as a compromise for comfort in the chest go for the S.

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  5. Thank you for your reviews! What colour is the coffeeshop cardigan in sage like in person? It seems to be more grey than green.

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    1. Sorry for the delay! It is definitely green - like a heathered forest green with little touches of brown I would say. Very pretty and earthy.

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