J. Crew Review: New Sweaters, Tops and a Jacket

Hello! Finally I am back after a longer hiatus than I had planned. I have not really been in the mood to shop or try on clothes lately thus the lack of blogging. Why, you may ask? Well, I have big news. News that seems to get bigger by the day. I am pregnant! We finally decided to add to our family and while I am super excited I am also dreadfully tired and nauseous. Plus I am in the weird stage of pregnancy where I don't really look pregnant, just sort of lumpy and different. Awesome. I will also say that when your body is doing this for the second time, it doesn't wait, it just gets right down to business. Whoomp - there go my breasts. Whoomp - hip expansion in the first trimester, oh yes please! And I believe my belly is not going to go unnoticed for much longer.

I'm not sure what this will mean in terms of my little blog but while I can still pretend to wear real clothes, I will review them! I finally decided to treat myself by looking at some clothes that I think could work during and after pregnancy and I'm glad I did. It's sort of a fun challenge right now and I am in no rush to wear my old maternity clothes (although apparently my body is).

So here is the first of a 2 part J Crew Review. For sizing reference, while I have not gained much weight yet, my hips are definitely wider, my waist a bit thicker and my cup size has increased by one. Hope this will be helpful for those of you who are similarly sized :)

Hooded Basket-Weave Jacket (XS) in Royal Indigo

 I don't know why, but I sort of love this jacket. It's not really anything special but I like it's cute casualness. You could probably size down on this one but I'm not sure if that would cause the shoulders to be too tight. It's definitely cuter buttoned rather than open. It's currently $199.99 in-store but I didn't take it home because it's not waterproof. If I buy a casual jacket, it at least has to be waterproof.

 Lace-Sleeve Sweatshirt (XS) in Sugared Ivory

 I like the idea of high-low mixed together and the fit was fine in my usual XS. I wish the lace was softer so that it lay better on the arms. I think I may officially be over the "dressed-up" sweatshirt thing. Not sure I was ever totally into it in the first place :)

Merino Texture-Panel Sweater (XS)

 There's something about this that I like. The bright springy colors, the sections that are knit as almost a mesh - it's interesting. I like the more open neckline. The fit is slightly slim.

Marled Linen V-Neck Sweater (XXS) in Marled Navy

 I'm a big fan of J. Crew's linen sweaters - they are the perfect throw-on layer for a cool summer night. I don't mind the oversized nature of this one (this is one size smaller than my usual size) but I do mind how cropped it is. It's really short and I'm afraid it would end up as a midriff top if I washed it. I really like the look of the one in Marled Meadow - so fresh and happy for spring.

 Embroidered Stripe Tunic (XS)

 I've tried this one on before. It's just so darn cheery! It doesn't look as good as it did before because my ever-expanding chest is casuing it to look like maternity wear instead of a cute swimsuit coverup. Nonetheless, highly recommended. Cute and just different enough to be fun!

 Cutout Floral Sweatshirt (XS)

 This was on sale for a very reasonable price with discounts. As far as a sweatshirt goes, this is pretty cute. My usual XS felt slim and flattering. I'm not sure what to do about the cutouts though - you'd have to choose what color you would want showing carefully or wear a cami?

 Merino Triple-Stripe Elbow-Patch Sweater (XS) in Sky Purple

I never even noticed this before but I thought it was adorable. I'm a big fan of elbow patches and I like the overall relaxed shape of this sweater. Usually I am not a fan of drop shoulders but this one did not bother me. A really cute casual little sweater!

Piped Andie Chino (size 2)

 I'm a big fan of the Andie chino. I sized up in these because I thought it would just be upsetting to try on my usual size - I've already sort of lost any semblance of a waist and don't think I could button my usual size. One size up still fit fine. I like the piping a lot but am not a huge fan of tight pants in khaki - show too much lump and bumpiness. As I mentioned, my hips have already widened a bit so I think this accounts for the tightness in the rear. The material of these felt slightly less dense/stretchy than the original Andies. I like it - felt like it had the potential to be less "grabby".

More to come plus some Anthro reviews on the way. Have you been picking up any of the new arrivals?