The Fab Life

Making every day fabulous

  • J.CREW
  • OOTD
  • BANANA REPUBLIC
  • GIVEAWAYS
  • TRAVEL

J.Crew Teddie Pant in Mirrored Floral

February 1, 2016

Hello! My online order of recent new arrivals arrived today – including the Teddie Pant in Mirrored Floral. My local store only received the solid color of these pants so I am glad that I ordered these to try.

I ordered the pants in a size 12, which as I stated in this post with the February new arrivals, is the same size I take in the Campbell cotton capris and trousers, Minnie pants and Martie pants. For most suiting, I tend to need a 14.

E9027_WP9754_m_Fotor

In person, the print reads a little duller than the website in my opinion. The pink is more of a salmon pink and my brighter pink shoes were not the right match with them. The blush shade worked better. I like the grey sweater and pink shoe pairing in the photo above and I think the Tippi Sweater in Heather Breeze or the Lightweight Wool Tunic Sweater in Flamingo and Peri would also be good pairings with these.

20160201_125137_Fotor

For today’s try on, I went with what I was wearing, which was a black turtleneck, which aside from their cropped length could bring them more in to early spring.

20160201_125107_Fotor

Sweater: J.Crew Shrunken Wool Turtleneck / Necklace: J.Crew Twisted Pearl Hammock Necklace / Shoes: Banana Republic Ninah Pumps / Watch: Michael Kors

I liked these a little better in the shorter length than the solid ones and I still want to try the solid ones in the tall length. These don’t come in the tall length and I found them to be a little less stretchy than the solid ones, as they are cotton and spandex vs. the solid ones being a cotton/viscose/elastane blend with more give to the fabric. I still was ok with the 12 in these. I’m not sure why they made the two styles of pants a different fabric composition but the difference was noticeable to me.

PhotoGrid_1454369591985_Fotor

I personally like the look of them better with heels but tried flats for a comparison. I think if they were a little longer I could get away with flats in them and if these hit lower on your leg, flats would work. I felt like I was wearing floods and felt a little stumpy in the flats with the flared leg of the pant. Paired with a lighter colored top and shoes these will carry through spring. I would have liked to see more concentrated colors in this print, the faded colors get a little lost in the black background in my opinion. I’m surprised we didn’t see this print in a blouse, but there is an A-line midi skirt, scarf and a very pretty Silk Cap-Sleeve Dress which really isn’t the exact same print even though it’s called the same thing.

So, what do you think? Are you a fan of the new Teddie pant? How about the mirrored floral print? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

signature

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW, review

Work to Weekend Fair Isle

January 13, 2016

So I admit, I’ve had a thing for fair isle lately. So much so, that last weekend I wore it two out of three days of the weekend (yeah, let’s consider Friday night the weekend). Being that our winter waited until January to show up, I’ve been a little slow on my sweater game this year. My latest sweater purchases have been of the fair isle variety and after receiving the J.Crew Fair Isle Crew Neck Sweater in ivory, I knew I could wear it to work on a chilly Friday.

20160108_083755_Fotor

Sweater: J.Crew Fair Isle Crew Neck Sweater /  Blouse: J.Crew Silk Pocket Blouse / Pants: Banana Republic Drapey Pants / Shoes: J.Crew Contessa Snakeskin Bow Flats (old) / Necklace: J.Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace / Watch: Michael Kors

I almost didn’t post these photos because these Banana Republic pants are too big on me. It was of those things where I tried them on, thought they looked ok and then when I took photos I realized they were big and as the day went, on, I got increasingly annoyed about how big they were. So yeah, while I love the color and that they have an elastic waist, they’re a size too big. By the time I take photos in the morning it’s too late for me to change without totally losing my mind. But, from a color standpoint, while I think it’s really brown in this sweater and not burgundy, I had an easier time pairing it with burgundy pieces. I have since re-ordered the pants in a smaller size (12) and they are perfect! I love that there’s some pink in this sweater as well. And with it currently being $30 with the sale, it’s a classic piece that I know I will wear for years.  I think the sweater runs  a tad small, as the large was a perfect fit.

20160108_083942_Fotor

Necklace: J.Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace / Blazer: J.Crew Tipped Hacking Jacket (old)

After a full week of work, we had a low key Friday evening, walking to a local restaurant for dinner (in chilly, rainy weather) so I switched it up to a vest and flats (flats also being a poor decision with the later rain; luckily it wasn’t so bad). I affectionately call this my Marty McFly vest because…well…you can see why. I also tried this with an ivory vest and liked the look of that as well, but liked the contrast of the burgundy vest.

PhotoGrid_1452295721081

Jeans: Paige Skyline Ankle Peg Jeans / Flats: Tory Burch Ambrose Flat (similar here) / Vest: J.Crew Shiny Puffer Vest (old)

And lastly, I wore the J.Crew Sequined Fair Isle sweater on Sunday for a family party. I’ve said it before, one of the perks at shopping at primarily one retailer (especially J.Crew) is the uniformity of colors across seasons and the ability to coordinate. This sweater was a PERFECT match with my necklace and shoes, both purchased in the last year. We ended up with more wintery weather later on Sunday so these shoes were strictly for indoor purposes – don’t be fooled, I’m in socks and boots when I venture outside!

20160110_152038_Fotor

Sweater: J.Crew Sequin Fair Isle Sweater / Jeans: J.Crew Vintage Straight Jeans in Old Relic Wash (old) / Necklace: J.Crew Crescent Floral Pendant Necklace (old) / Shoes: J.Crew Jeweled Gemma Flats

Both of these sweaters are on sale right now and the sequin sweater has been popping back regularly in all sizes. Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

signature

 

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW, outfits

Feeling Festive

December 17, 2015

In addition to weekend holiday parties, it is also the week of work related holiday activities – potluck, lunches, dinner…basically all things food related! At work I actually do work for two different teams so I end up getting double duty on the work holiday festivities. This year, everything fell within a few days of each other. First, I had potluck at work followed by dinner so I wanted a work appropriate outfit that could take me right on to dinner. I had ordered the J.Crew Drapey Silk V-Neck blouse in Belvedere Red to pair with my J.Crew Elsie Plaid D’Orsay Pumps but my blouse did not arrive in time for my dinner so I had to come up with another option.

I ended up going with the trusty white and cream combination again, wearing a statement bracelet, simple necklaces and the Tartan Plaid Elsie pumps. While I liked the outfit, I do think these plaid shoes need to be paired with ankle pants to show them off. I also amazed myself getting through a whole day of eating and drinking with these winter white pants on. And holy cow did my feet hurt after a day in these shoes. I have the Glossy Elsie D’Orsay Pumps and they are so comfortable – I have comfortably gone all day at work on to evening activities in these shoes and I was disappointed to find the plaid shoes didn’t prove the same.

20151216_081944_Fotor

Sweater: J.Crew Cashmere Cascade Sweater (old), Pants: J.Crew Collection Wide Leg Trousers, Shoes: J.Crew Plaid Elsie Pumps with Obi Bow, Bracelet: J.Crew Crystal Rosette Bracelet, Watch: Michael Kors, Necklaces: Rocksbox

20151216_082156_Fotor

I seem to never be able to get my lipstick and my necklaces in one photo so here’s a photo of my red lipstick. Darker red lipstick is my comfort zone, so doing the bright cherry holiday red is something new for me. I went with the Stila Liquid Lipstick in Fiery and even with a day of eating, only needed minimal touchups.

PhotoGrid_1450358004975

Lipstick: Stila, Necklaces: Rocksbox, Sweater: J.Crew Cashmere Cascade Sweater

I got home from dinner to find the red silk blouse waiting for me so of course it was time to wear it for the holiday lunch I had the next day! The red was sold out in a lot of sizes in this blouse and I have a size 12 in the blush color but I tried the 10 Tall in the red blouse and it is also a great fit. I have longer arms so the sleeves go right to the end of my wrist but they aren’t too long and I am always ok with a little extra length. I didn’t find it to be smaller through the body than the size 12 so I will have to keep this in mind for future purchases. At first I was leaning towards a paisley pair of J.Crew pumps that I found on eBay last fall, the Collection Falsetto Silk Printed Pumps (which are amazingly VERY comfortable.  Then I thought, ok, I can do one more day in these uncomfortable plaid shoes. Then I couldn’t decide which to wear.

PhotoGrid_1450360221935

Blouse: J.Crew Drapey Silk V-Neck Blouse, Pants: Banana Republic Harper Boy Crop Pants, Coat: J.Crew Double-Cloth Lady Day Coat, Necklace: J.Crew Crystal Rosette Necklace, Lipstick: Stila Liquid Lipstick in Fiery

So I put some red lipstick on while I decided, added my J.Crew Lady Day Coat in Oasis Green that I got for a song a few years ago and I think this may be the epitome of a festive holiday outfit for me.

20151201_081611-1_Fotor

A close up because why not??

As I said, I usually tend to go towards the more garnet shade of red so surprisingly when the holidays roll around I don’t have a lot of cherry red in my closet. This blouse is a great addition to my closet and I think it may make another appearance on Christmas Eve. And update – I gave the plaid shoes another spin with stockings on and they were much more comfortable which is a big relief! I think wearing them barefoot made them rub more on my feet which is no good!

PhotoGrid_1450364338645

Blouse: J.Crew, Necklace: J.Crew, Lipstick: Stila

So, how are you dressing for holiday work events? Which of the shoes do you like best with the red blouse? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

signature

4 Comments CATEGORIES // BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW, outfits

Holiday Weekend Fab

December 15, 2015

We have officially hit that time of year where the weekend (and during the week) is full of holiday related activities. While I love getting all dressed up, some holiday parties call for being holiday appropriate as well as comfortable and as we had a triple header evening this past Saturday (yeah, don’t be fooled, we’re not that popular), I wanted to keep my outfit pieces simple and then dress it up with a statement necklace and shoes (namely flats, so I could make it through several hours of the evening). I tend to go for heels when I know I’m going to have a seated dinner to rest a bit but I knew I would be on my feet all night so flats it was. And since we’ve had zero snow this winter, I could take advantage of not skimping out and wearing boots, which is often what happens when the weather gets cold and dreary.

20151212_120238_Fotor

Necklace: J.Crew Corded Statement Necklace (old), Blouse: Banana Republic Boatneck Top (current), Shoes: J.Crew Sloan Striped D’Orsay Flats with Obi Bow

Don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of laying dirty shoes on my white blouses, these are brand new and hadn’t yet seen the dirtiness of the outdoors. After seeing the red version of this blouse on a friend of mine and after accidentally shrinking a similar J.Crew ivory blouse, I decided to try it out. It has a boxier fit, so I sized down to a medium per the reviews. It’s a little longer in the back too. I debated trying the tall version of this for a more tunic look, and I still might try the red version in a tall since this blouse is currently on a pretty good sale.

20151212_124417_Fotor

Blouse: Banana Republic, Pants: Banana Republic Sloan Pants, Shoes: J.Crew

20151212_124512

I took my regular J.Crew shoe size in these flats. At first I thought they might be a bit large as I did have a little room in the top area of the shoe, but after wearing them for a full evening, they proved to keep their shape and be incredibly comfortable. I found these to fit a bit better than the Suede Sloan Flats as it would appear that these have more material in the toe area and they are a little sturdier than the suede version. My suede Sloan flats are looking a little bent in the toes. These shoes definitely read holiday with the gold but I think you can get away with wearing them for a longer period of time than some holiday tartan (although I guess that’s always debated as well!) I finished the look off with a holiday red lipstick and red nail polish.

PhotoGrid_1450147693587

Lipstick: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Gash

Lastly, here is an outfit I wore two weekends in a row…one week for Sunday fun activities – our neighborhood tree lighting and hanging out with friends and this past Saturday going out to run errands. We’ve been so incredibly spoiled in the Northeast with temperate weather this winter. My go to weekend outfit that is usually reserved for fall has gone right in to winter. This outfit combo is a tried and true favorite of mine- I have several of these vests and have been hooked on my Pixie Pants for weekend wear.

PhotoGrid_1449946856011

Vest: J.Crew Factory Excursion Vest , Blouse: Ann Taylor (old, similar here), Pants: J.Crew Pixie Pants (I size down one size) Necklace: J.Crew Crystal Chandelier Pendant Necklace (old but you might track it down on eBay) Boots: Tory Burch (these actually fit my queen size calves!)

This is a busy time of year for me work wise as well, so while I do love getting dressed up and planning outfits, having some go to outfits on the weekends helps me stay on track from a schedule perspective. Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

signature

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Ann Taylor, BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW

Layered Love

December 7, 2015

If you’ve been following me for a while, either on the blog or on Instagram, you know I love my layers. We’ve been having a snowless winter so far, which means that I’ve gotten to rotate my outerwear collection and not gravitate towards the coats I save for snowy weather only. However, I had to break out my J.Crew Chateau Parka this past week as it was the perfect compliment to my Friday layers. After swooning over this coat at the beginning of last winter and telling myself over and over again that I did not need a new coat, when it (finally) went on sale in April, I bought it and stuck it away until winter. Ok, I want some snow to wear this beautiful coat more!

PhotoGrid_1449236155649

Blouse: J.Crew Tartan Perfect Shirt (old, similar J.Crew Perfect Shirt in Stewart Plaid) Pants: J.Crew Collection Wool Flannel Trouser, Shoes: J.Crew Roxie Glossy Pumps, Sweater: Banana Republic (old, similar here), Coat: J.Crew Chateau Parka in Stadium Cloth, Lipstick: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella and Audacious Lipstick in Audrey

It’s also time for tartan! I usually wear this shirt layered under another top but after seeing it on an Insta friend paired with red shoes, I wanted to try the look for myself. These J.Crew trousers are one of my current favorite pair of full length pants. I still love my ankle pants but it’s nice to be able to wear some full length pants! Here’s a closeup of the shirt and my lip color, NARS Audacious Lipstick in Audrey layered over the Velvet Matte Lip pencil. I am a huge fan of the Audacious lipsticks – they’re pricey but they last all day and even longer layered over the velvet matte lip pencil.

20151204_082951_FotorLink Necklace: J.Crew Factory (old, similar here), Bar Necklace: Sophie Harper via Rocksbox (get a free month here!)

20151204_083439 (1)_Fotor

My other favorite coat of the season is the J.Crew Stadium Cloth Cocoon Coat. I sized down one size in this coat and it is the coat I find myself reaching for morning after morning. This is another one that I held out to buy until the end of the season and I have been wearing it non-stop. I am also a huge fan of the Factory version of this coat, the J.Crew Factory City coat, which is lighter and shorter but was the perfect coat for fall in the Northeast. I am wearing a lot of older pieces today, the J.Crew Polka Dot Blythe Blouse, Tipped Lexington Blazer and Cap Toe Everly Pumps.

PhotoGrid_1449496346484

Coat: J.Crew Stadium Cloth Cocoon Coat, Scarf: J.Crew Ribbed Infinity Scarf, Shoes: J.Crew Everly Pumps (old, similar here), Blouse: J.Crew Blythe Blouse, Blazer: J.Crew Lexington Blazer (old, similar here)

So there you have it, some layered looks with my favorite outerwear. Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

signature

1 Comment CATEGORIES // BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW

Finding Balance

December 2, 2015

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here, having given most everything up for the ease of Instagram. But I’m hoping to get things up and running again, even if it is posting duplicate outfits between here and there, hopefully giving a little more insight and trying to get some reviews started up again. Every week ticks by and I think that perhaps I will post less on Instagram and I can’t seem to give up the daily outfit post. So if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll likely see duplicate content here but I want to try and share the love with those people not on Instagram as well!

I’m not sure how to get back in to this so I guess I’ll dive right back in with a few of my recent favorite outfits.

20151021_081301_Fotor

 

Blouse: J.Crew Cascade Blouse (old), Pants: J.Crew Paley Suiting Pants, Cardigan: Tory Burch Simone Cardigan,  Shoes: J.Crew Patent Loafers (similar here), Necklace: J.Crew Icicle Pendant, Lipstick: Nars Audacious Anna Lipstick Watch: Michael Kors Bradshaw Chronograph Watch

I have been feeling my style shifting as I try to stay professional and polished at work but still keep the interesting details. I still love my pattern mixing but I’m finding myself reaching for simpler pieces in the morning, more neutrals, and kicking it up with interesting shoes or a statement necklace. I am also finding myself wearing less on my wrist, opting for just a watch and maybe a bangle or one big bracelet.

IMG_20151118_083856

20151119_082721Sweater: J.Crew Factory Charley Sweater (similar: here), Blouse: J.Crew (old, similar here), Shoes: J.Crew Collection Calf Hair Elsie Pumps (similar here), Coat: J.Crew Factory City Coat, Pants: Banana Republic Harper Boy Crop Pants, Necklace: J.Crew Pearl Tassel Pendant

 

20151130_083842_Fotor

 

Sweater: J.Crew Dot Tippi Sweater (old, similar here), Necklaces: J.Crew Twisted Pearl Hammock Necklace and older statement necklace, Pants: Banana Republic Harper Boy Crop Pants Shoes: J.Crew Printed Roxie Pumps

As you can see, I’ve been loving my ankle pants and heels lately…but I’ll share soon how much I’ve fallen back in love with full length pants! Finding pants is always a challenge for me but I’ve had good luck with Banana Republic pants and some of J.Crew’s full length pants. So, there’s a few of my recent late fall/early winter outfits. If you’re still reading, thanks for sticking around!

signature

 

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // BANANA REPUBLIC, J.CREW

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

CATEGORIES

BLOG ARCHIVE

POPULAR POSTS

  • Stripes and Sparkle
  • Reviews: J.Crew Factory Pleated Maxiskirt and Half-Flower Fringe Necklace
  • Fab and Not So Fab - J.Crew Retail Dressing Room Edition
  • More Summer-Fall Neutral Fab
  • Review: J.Crew Silk-trim maxidress

INSTAGRAM

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

- THEME BY ECLAIR DESIGNS -