Thursday, January 30, 2014

J. Crew Review: Spring Arrivals

Okay. I have sad news to report. Spring is looking ugly. I've said it. I was so excited to see some of the new arrivals at my store (that sale stuff has been hanging around for way too long), but most of them were duds on me! Nothing that I thought - yes - I am in love with that print/style/fit. Maybe I'll warm up to it after a while but my biggest complaint was fit! Weirdly oversized and dumpy proportions. I do not go to the gym so I can wear clothes that actually add pounds. Harumph. Hopefully some of you will have better luck with these styles. And maybe the next rollout will be more tempting :)

 Jacquard Floral Sweatshirt (XS)
 I'm starting off with something that is pretty unobjectionable. It's very comfy and has a cute little shape to it, slightly cropped. The pattern does not call to me but if they did it in a different pattern I think I would like it. Maybe even something really funky like the antique floral?

 Merino Silk-Panel Sweater in Antique Floral (XS)
 This is another one that I liked on the whole. I'm having mixed emotions about the Antique Floral print - I can't tell if it's nice or too much my grandma's couch covering. What I do really like about this sweater is the fit (so maybe I lied about everything having a fit that is off). The wool is SOOOO lightweight and yummy on this one so it draped on the body beautifully. I'm a little confused about combining silk and wool. I don't know why but it feels weird to me.

 Linen C'est La Vie Tee (XS)
 Definitely size down on this one like the other linen tees. I'm not into the french messages but I guess they're big right now. Check out Madewell: Bien Fait, Bien Fait (again), and Bien Sur! I guess I could picture wearing this at the beach. I do like that they incorporated the Antique Floral in there. Pretty detail.

 Embroidered Bib Peasant Top (size 2)
 I knew this would be a hot mess but tried it on anyway. I was hoping the heaviness of the embroidery would make it lay nicely on the top of my body. From the side I look like I'm pregnant on the front and back! I'm not sure who could pull this off but I am certain that they would have to have a smaller chest.

 Here's a closeup of the embroidery. Quite dense.
Linen Baseball Tee in Lovebirds (XS)
 I love birds. I thought I would love this - but... these birds look a little pissed, no? They do not look like happy little love birds, au contraire! They look like they are grumpily awaiting some bonbons or not talking to each other after a fight.

 The shirt itself is fine and I like the color of the sleeves and the extra length.

 Silk Cat-Print Blouse (size 2)
 Here's where I started to get sad. The one thing I was really drawn to is the cat blouse because I do love a good cat. Here's another fit issue - look at the width on this thing! Plus, it's a little shirt and the rouded color makes it unsophisticated. Lastly the color is almost a periwinkle blue and does not feel very modern to me.

 Great, yes please, add some width to my frame. The cats themselves are cute...."We are Siamese if you please...". Anyone?

 Tiered Dress in Blurred Floral (size 2)


 It is concerning when one of my favorite items from this try-on session is a dress that felt more Hee-Haw than J Crew. "Oh yes, I would love some more sweet tea, thank you. And do-si-do, and-a promenade. Hope I don't drink too much Crewlade"
The fit is nice. I would say it might run ever so slightly small since I'm usually in between a 0/2 in dresses and this fit pretty spot on. I like the shape overall but the tiered effect on the skirt feels a bit too youthful.

 Silk Dress in Antique Floral (size 0)

 I like this print best in the dress although looking at the pictures I feel a bit Mrs. Roper from Three's Company. With my arms down, the dress looks like a cute basic shift dress. But, when I raise them you can see that there is a LOT of extra width. Maybe I got a mis-labeled one? The slit in the front is a nice counterbalance to the overall covered-up nature of this dress but it comes dangerously low.



 I think the "sunburst" effect of the material is really beautiful. The light blue looks like little shadows from the pleats (in fact I had to double check to make sure it really was another color).
 The problem again is the fit. I probably shouldn't have tucked my shirt in. This calls for a nice sweater with a tight ribbed bottom to throw on top. The pleats in the back did not lay well.

 Trellis Floral Skirt (size 0)
 I did definitely find this to be more a-line than the usual J Crew fare. It's very comfortable in my normal size and a nice thick material. I don't know why but I just felt frumpy in it. Somehow it looks like it should be a mini or a pencil or something. Maybe it's not enough a-line?

This is the best picture I got of it. You can see the flare at the bottom. Still not loving it but it might help if I put some better accessories with it (and lost socks).

Whew. That was a lot. On a side note, I have to recommend the shoes I was wearing that day.
I am not a heels girl at all - my feet start hurting very quickly. These cute little booties are the most comfortable things I own. I wore them from 8:00 in the morning until 6:00 at night and they never gave me trouble. Plus the color is a divine, goes with everything green/gray. HIGHLY recommended.

Anything you have your eye on from the newest rollout?

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Anthropologie Reviews: Neve Peasant Top, AG Ballad Slim Boot,French Knot Cardigan, Brushstroke Blossoms Dress and Iridescence Shirt

I usually make a poor choice with my birthday discount so this year I decided to use it on an online order and try a bunch of stuff. Well, unfortunately most of that didn't work out either but I'm glad I tried! The biggest disappointment was ordering the Foxy Tights only to have the Chouette tights sent to me instead. Sadness. After all the post-holiday sales, I think I'm finally getting shopped out. Plus, with the cold weather, all I really want to wear is a sleeping bag. I didn't even take my parka off for part of my work day today. Brrr... Love looking ahead to spring... wishful thinking :)

Iridescence Shirt (XS)

 There were a lot of bad reviews for this but I don't think it's terrible. The main problem was that the hips were too tight. I'm not without hips but I rarely have this problem. The color is beautiful but the shirt just didn't lay correctly on my body. The neckline also rolled a bit. Overall felt a bit cheap but would be cute for a night out on the town... in a place with dark lighting.

 AG Ballad Slim Boot Jeans (size 26)

 This are ridiculously comfortable. Like wearing your favorite leggings comfortable (is it possible to have a favorite pair, or just a pair?). Because the material is so soft and forgiving, I don't feel like it holds me in as well as some of my other skinny jeans. Nonetheless, I think overall they are pretty slimming. I like the slight boot cut at the bottom - not too much but enough to differentiate them from the 10,000 pairs of skinny ankle jeans out there. Tall women will like these because they are quite long.

 I slapped on some heels so you could get the overall effect. There's my attempt at a sassy pose at the end of a very long day.

 Neve Peasant Top (XSPetite)

 Bummer. This is not something I ordered. It's so beautiful. Clearly you need a cami. The XSP still had a plenty of room in it so I imagine most people could size down on this. I don't know what it is but I found it to have just the right amount of romance to it. It draped quite elegantly on the body too.

 Brushstroke Blossoms Dress (size 2)
 This fits sooo well. TTS to slightly snug in the waist but wow - really cuts a flattering shape. I even liked the sequins and lace combo up top. I wish the print on the bottom was different. I don't mind how bold it is but the colors and the "brushstroke"-ness of the pattern are a little harsh to me. Reminds me of something you see when you look in a microscope. Angry little ebola viruses...

 Pockets! Divine. Please make this dress again with different colors and prints. (fat chance I know but a girl can ask)

 ?????
 I'm not even sure what you would call this or why I was compelled to try it on but I almost bought it. I love the colors and the very 70's macrame poncho vibe. Fun for the right outfit.

 French Knot Cardigan (XS)
A bit snug to be sure but I thought it would make a lovely cardigan over a dress for evening. Something a little fancier. The buttons are cute and the material is soft with a lot of stretch.

Draped Jersey Dress (XS) in Black

OK. So I don't have any pictures of this. I got this for $16 with my birthday discount. I'm not sure about it yet. It's super flimsy but it's very comfortable and easy to belt and perhaps good for maternity should I need that again.


How do you use your Birthday Discount?


Sunday, January 26, 2014

Madewell Review: Outbound Jackets and Marled Contrast Dress

I love the idea of a little simply, throw-on, military-inspired jacket for the spring/fall. Of course, right now, buried under about a foot of snow it's hard to imagine wearing anything less than a parka!

All-Weather Outbound Jacket (XS)
I got this for a steal during 40% off. It was on promo price - 40% no final sale for around $74. It is adorable. One problem - it is wee bit tight in the chest and the weather-proofing makes it very stiff. It will probably soften up over time but just thought I'd mention it. Also the green is quite dark and not necessarily the best shade on my skin tone. It's really cute and hits the mark on so many levels but may not be perfect for me.

 Marled Contrast Dress (size M)
I have been waiting for this to come back online for forever but to no avail. Lo and behold there were about 5 of them that magically appeared in my store the other day. The medium is 2 sizes above my normal size but I think I could take either a S or XS depending on how fitted I wanted it to be. The material is stretchy terry sweatshirt like material and is so super cozy and comfortable. I can see why this sold out so quickly.

 Outbound Jacket (XS)
This is the regular outbound jacket without the weather proofing and it is quite a bit softer. The color is also a lighter green than the other one. I still have a little bit of snugness in the chest area. The fit is very straight down the front so there isn't a lot of room for a chest.

 Outbound Jacket (S)
I sized up to a small to see what would happen. With the cinched waist it looks fine, but it definitely felt a little bit. The shoulders didn't fit quite right and that always bothers me with jackets. It is still super cute and spot on for this type of trend. Both jackets are back to full price right now but I have no doubt that they will soon by on promo price or sale for a while.

What do you think of the Outbound Jacket?