J. Crew Review: Sparkle Cardigan and Mark Alary Songbirds Bracelet

Just a few quickies...

Sparkle Cardigan (XS)

I had to stalk this forever in the XS. I still wish it was a little less than $40 as I can see it snagging on stuff. It's really lightweight and the material is not exactly soft but I do love it. Perfect length and the sparkle is just lovely. It also has a lot of give which is great for right now. I can even wear it buttoned!

 Marc Alary for J. Crew Songbirds Bracelet 

I am a little bit bird obsessed so I knew I needed to try this bracelet. It's very cute. You have to wrap it around twice and then fasten the hook on the chain. I have wrists the size of a small child so I put it as tight as possible and it felt pretty good. The "leather cord" does not really feel like leather but more like cheap fabric (I guess it's suede) so I'd be a little nervous about this bracelet standing the test of time. Once you wrap the bracelet around you sort of have to adjust the birds so they are spaced out a bit more evenly (see next to last pic). Again, it's cute but even the clasp felt flimsy so I just couldn't shell out the $78 for it. If it went on sale, I would definitely snap it up.

J. Crew Factory Reviews: Short-Sleeve Pocket Sweatshirt, Anchor Sweatshirt, Cropped Zipper Jacket and Banana Collector Tee

I had a few returns to make and quickly threw on a few items. The whole store was 50% off and I still feel like the prices should be less for the quality on the most part. Maybe I'm just getting cheap in my old age ;)

Factory Short-Sleeve Pocket Sweatshirt in Navy (XS)

 This was on clearance at something crazy like $29.99 and extra 60% off. It's totally cute and comfortable but I wish the neck was a little wider. Nothing less flattering than a high neck and a large chest. I was tempted but couldn't really tell whether the S or XS would fit post-preg so I passed.

 Factory Short-Sleeve Pocket Sweatshirt in Navy (S)

 Here it is in a small which was way more comfortable. Again, it's basically cute but nothing to get super excited about.

 Factory Anchor Sweatshirt (S)

 This is adorable. I almost bought it. Even though I'm pregnant, I still think I might size up to a small because I like it a little relaxed looking. It's very soft and not too thick (so actually appropriate as an extra summer layer) and the neckline is perfect!!! Love the wide open neckline. Yes please.

Factory Cropped Zipper Jacket (size 4)

 A little stiff but overall pretty nice. I could actually (barely) get the size 4 zippered so I imagine you could stick with your normal size on this one. It felt too much like a look for me and a little too reminiscent of a leather biker jacket I owned in the late 80's but overall it's a nice piece.

 Factory Banana Collector Tee (S)

 Nice soft cotton (as opposed to the linen of the original) and I really liked the fit. I preferred the extra small as there was less bra peeking out.

 Factory Banana Collector Tee (XS)

 Very cute. There is just something about this bananas that feel inappropriate to me. Felt that way about the retail still feel that way. I want to love it but I really wish the banana were flowers. That would totally fix the problem for me.

 Just one more shot of the Short-Sleeved Sweatshirt as layering piece. This is probably how I would wear it (although not with this shirt). Something feels slightly off about it but that could just be the way I'm filling it out right now :)

Stopped by the store today and they were indeed running the 50% off. There were so many amazing deals to be had but sadly I passed on most since I hate trying to guess what size I will be in 4 months.

Have you grabbed some great deals lately?

Madewell Reviews: Penfield Hazelton Jacket, Baseball Season Sweater and Western Jean Shirt

Just a few quick sale finds from my Madewell trip the other day. They are producing lots of slouchy silhouettes right now that sort of still work during pregnancy but I'm trying just to look not buy :) I have a feeling that July will bring some super markdowns so I might just try to wait and treat myself to a few things then. BTW, I was surprised to find the Racerback Maxidress in Stripe in the sale section for only $49.99. With an extra percent off this would be a real steal and a great throw on and look summery and fresh item. See my review here.

Penfield Hazelton Jacket (XS) $99.99 in store

People seem to be really disturbed by the large flaps at the end of the hood (according to the online reviews) and while I found them odd, I didn't think they were terrible. This jacket is SUPER lightweight - nothing heavy or particularly warm. I like the pocket on the arm and the drawstring waist. In general, Penfield products seem to be pretty high quality. Cute little jacket for the summer.

Baseball Season Sweater (XS)

I love baseball style tees and sweater. I really appreciated that the center section of this was blue so that it wasn't completely transparent. It's made of a thick, but loosely woven lineny/cottony material. Good transitional piece into fall or for a chillier summer night. The fit is true to size but relaxed and overall I thought it was super cute!

Western Jean Shirt in Pond Wash (XS)

This was marked down to $29.99 in store and was so tempting but it was TIGHT. I think it would fit after things go back to normal but I'm not actually sure. Thus TTS to slightly small. I love the wash - just faded enough to be cool but not too bleached out. Plus, I love snaps. Material is super soft. Overall adorable.

Just a few tempting sale finds at Madewell. What have you liked lately?

J. Crew Review: Puff-Sleeve Blazer, Jacquard Back-Zip Sweatshirt, Crab Sweater, Tank in Fruit Salad and Linen High-Low Sweater

I only have a few items that I'm really stalking during all the recent sale promos, and really I'm just waiting for them to go down to an insanely low price point. We'll see if I have success with that ;) I keep on perusing my local store's sale section and not only is it all the same stuff, it's still not marked down. Sweaters have been lingering for months and many of them are still $59.99! If they would just do some 2nd cuts, I would be tempted. Anyway, I do think patience will pay off for most of the items I want (I did bite on the Cove Floral Pants and Sparkle Cardigan but I'm hoping they'll get reduced further). Here are a few new arrivals and a few sale items I tried on:

Puff-Sleeve Blazer in Seersucker (size 4)

I was amazing I could get this buttoned. It's cute and the material is substantial and if I recall correctly, lined. I sized up in this blazer with the regular colors and I did the same with this one. While I might fit into my regular size 2 I don't think it would be as comfortable. The material is very stretchy and has quite a tailored, waist-hugging fit. The puffs are definitely too much for me but besides that I think it is adorable.

 Jacquard Back-Zip Sweatshirt (XS) in Heather Grey Salt

I apologize for the first photo - that is a lot of information about my body. This definitely runs on the fitted side so if you're looking for a bit of slouch, size up. the material is SOOOO soft and I like the little notches at the side and on the arms. Would prefer the neckline to be a little wider and that the zipper not go all the way down. It was so cold against my skin!

 Linen embroidered Crab Sweater (XS)

I grew up in Maryland and spent my summers on the Eastern Shore. I have fond memories of spending the day crabbing and actually catching enough of the little suckers for dinner (something, sadly, I wouldn't be able to do anymore). So, maybe that's why the crab isn't very appealing to me. I just think it's a bit funny to be wearing a crab on your chest. The fit is quite boxy and loose typical to their other linen summer sweaters so I would probably size down.

 Linen Swing Tank in Fruit Salad Print (XS)

Usually I won't touch anything with the word "swing" in the description, but this is very cute. The colors are lovely and slightly muted. I would say true to size since it's supposed to be loose. Double plus for armholes that fit.

 Linen High-low Hem Sweater in Garment Dye (XXS) in Light Pond

Usually I size down in J Crew Linen Summer Sweaters but not so with this one. I really liked the shape and the high-ow hem (which is hard to see because it is so tight). The color, which is completely faded in this pic, is really lovely. A perfect ice blue for summer. I would get my normal size XS in this.

Overall some cute summer items. Since I'll be wearing maternity clothes, I'll probably pass on most of them but I'm still enjoying checking them out.

What are your favorite new arrivals?

J. Crew Review: Maxi Tank Dress in Stripe

Yes, I have totally reviewed this dress before... but it just keeps sticking in my mind. It is so soft and stretchy and darn comfortable and I love the shade of blue. I remember trying on the XS and feeling like the armholes were too low so I thought I'd go back and try again. It wasn't marked down in my local store but is on promo for $88 online. I think this is an okay price for a maxi (with the additional percent off) but I'm trying to only pay rock bottom for things right now in case a) they only fit for about a week or b) they don't fit post baby. Anyway, here's my size comparison.

Maxi Tank Dress in Stripe (XS) in Heather Blueberry

If it was just my belly that had grown, I would buy this in a heartbeat. I think what really bothers me is the way the stripes sort of s-t-r-e-t-c-h across my chest. Anyway - you've seen this before - nice fit, not too tight. The straps are slightly long so you do get a bit of bra going on underneath the arms although not as bad as I remember it. I really like the side slit to give it a bit of movement.

Maxi Tank Dress in Stripe (XXS) in Heather Blueberry

Here's the XXS. It's so hard to tell what would fit better post-preg. I like the armholes much better on this one but I don't think I'd be comfortable wearing this right now. It's quite slim fitting and I think this is supposed to be a bit more easy breezy.

The back is racer style which I like the look of but is not great for, oh, every single bra I own (It really is frustrating that they do not make racer back styles for the more generously endowed).

I don't think this dress is flying off the shelves so you might be able to wait for a better promo. So soft and comfy and I like the light shade of blue so the stripes aren't so harsh.

What do you think of this maxi?