Hi! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I always have a hard time restraining myself with holiday collections – plaid, lace, sparkle, what’s not to love? So few days in the holiday season – so many cute things to choose from. J.Crew, once again, has a lot of fantastic items to choose from to make the holidays more stylish. Now, what to choose?

First up, the Martie Pant in Stewart Plaid Bi-Stretch Wool paired with the Edie Top in Textured Clip dot.

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Heels: Manolo Blahnik

I saw this top in the style guide and wanted to try the ivory/black combination. My store only had the black one so I tried it for size. I’m wearing a 12 in both the blouse and the pants. The pants were a tad tight and too short for my liking – I have the 12 Tall on order. The blouse was flowy and I probably could have sized down to a 10 but I liked the fit so that’s what I ordered in the ivory colorway. When I picked up the top I thought it looked sheer but there is a lining under the blouse so it is not sheer. Depending on how you like it to look, you’d probably have to wear a strapless bra but I didn’t mind the black straps – you could probably get away with a nude bra underneath. I haven’t tried any of the solid wool Martie pants, but I have the cotton ones and like them.  The background on these pants is grey and it’s a fairly saturated color.

Next up, the Velvet Cami with the Martie Pant in Stewart Plaid Bi-Stretch Wool.

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I liked this cami more than I thought I would. I’m wearing a size 10 which was a good fit so I’d say it has a generous fit. I would need a strapless bra with it – I’m wearing my regular bra so the cami straps look wider than they actually are. I like that the straps are adjustable on this as well. I want to add a velvet piece to my wardrobe and this would be a worthy addition. Realistically I’d have to layer it under a blazer for the northeast winter, so I might hold out for something with sleeves. This cami also comes in deep jade, dark amber and Brunswick blue (royal blue). It also comes in tall and petite but I don’t think I would need the tall length.

Next up, the Edie top in Stewart plaid.

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I’m wearing a size 10 which is the smaller of my two blouse sizes and it was still a good fit. I didn’t love this top as much in person as I did online – the blouse is a grey background and the print isn’t as bold as it is on the perfect shirt or on the pants. It looked almost slightly blurry to me. I’m sure a lot of people will like this top. I also thought the ruffles are more pronounced on the plaid vs. the black blouse and since I already have a button down in this print (and pants) I didn’t feel the need for the top. I think some of the saturation of the print is lost on polyester vs. having it be a cotton top. Edit: Apparently I was remiss in mentioning that I wore this plaid for eight years in grammar school. I believe we’ve covered this before. Apparently we’re past the statute of limitations and twenty years after the fact I’m ok with wearing this plaid in pant or shirt form. Skirt or jumper? Not sure about that. And I’m definitely not to the point where I can wear maroon and grey without thinking about my high school uniform so I guess I have a few more years to go on that.

Next up, the Lace Fringe Tweed Striped Top.

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I missed this one on the website and it was one of the first items to catch my eye in the store. It also comes in navy as well as a black/black and ivory lace combination. This top is ivory with what looks like the same tweed as the Lady Jacket in Metallic Tweed.  The stripes are only on the front and the back of the top is a ponte knit with a half zip and a small keyhole with button. I was between sizes in this one. The medium looks better in the photo but it was a little squeezed on the chest area. The large fit better in the chest for the most part but was slightly large in the arm holes and the rest of the body. I was sad to pass on this one, it’s a really pretty top in person and is weekend or work appropriate and could be layered as well with a turtleneck or button down shirt.

Next up, the Cable Pom-Pom Sweater in Merino Wool.

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This sweater comes in navy, authentic red (shown) and natural (ivory). I’m wearing a medium which is the smaller of my two sizes and this was still big on me. I didn’t try a size down as I think it would have been too short so I’m guessing this should be more of an oversized look. I think I figured out what my slight issue is with some of the sweaters this season and it’s that they’re on the thinner side. The waistband of this sweater was floppy to me if that makes any sense. It is a very bright vibrant red and I didn’t find it to be itchy.

Next up, the Mockneck Sweater in Italian Yarn.

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I’m wearing a medium and it was still a little roomy. I could have sized up to a large for a little more slouch. The colors are hard to see but the sweater is an oatmeal color with flecks of color – mostly blues and oranges. I am usually not sensitive to scratchy wool but I did find this sweater to be somewhat scratchy so I would be sure to layer it. My guess is that the acrylic and nylon in the mix is making it scratchy.

Last up, the Ruffle-Trim Shift Dress.

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Oh, the disaster. But, I’m here to show the good and the bad and well, this wasn’t good. I’m wearing a 12 and it is clearly way too clingy on my hips and it was too big in the chest. Shift dresses are usually misses for me and this one was as well. If you have a straighter figure, this should be fine. I liked the dress a lot, it was an ivory crepe looking material with a not overly flashy ruffle. This also comes in an evergreen color but I like the color contrast of the ivory with the black. The length was good in the regular but it does come in petite and tall.1

So, there’s a look at some of the J.Crew holiday new arrivals. Any favorites? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting

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