Hi! I stopped by my store this week to check out some of the new July 2016 catalog arrivals. While I am feeling fairly set with summer clothing, I did want to check out a few items that are on my wishlist. At this point, I’m waiting for items to go on sale before I purchase any more summer clothing…but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun trying some things on!

First up, the Mixed-Stripe Pencil Skirt and the Cotton Jackie Cardigan in Embroidered Palm.

Sandals: Corsica Tumbled Leather Espadrille Wedges

I had the skirt on my to-try list and the Jackie cardigan is paired with the skirt in the store, so I tried that on as well. I’m wearing a size 12 in the skirt and a Large in the cardigan, which are my usual sizes. The cardigan is a tad loose but I think you’d want to wear this one button so i would opt for the larger size. I’m personally not one for tropical style prints (maybe it’s living in the Northeast) but I can see why there’s a lot of love for this cardigan and as an outfit liked it (not with these sandals – I had them on to try for size). I should have grabbed a full shot of the skirt without the cardigan covering it but I personally was a fan – there isn’t a lot of stretch in it but I was able to wear my regular size without having to size up which I do need to do sometimes in the non-stretch skirts. I like the horizontal/vertical stripe mix. Do I need another striped skirt? Probably not, but it’s a good way to mix it up and I’ll watch for this one to hit sale. The skirt and cardigan are both black.

Next up, the Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirtdress.

Necklace: J.Crew Long Oval Link Necklace / Sandals: Corsica Tumbled Leather Espadrille Wedges

After seeing this on a few ladies on Instagram, I really wanted to try this out. This dress runs S/M/L and comes in petite and tall. In the oxford cotton version of this dress, I went with a Tall Large but that wasn’t necessary on this dress and the Large was comfortably long enough for me. It is on the looser side, but I don’t think I could have sized down with my hips. I’m 5’8″ and this is right above my knees. The wrinkles of course take a little something away…when is my Crew going to learn to steam everything?? Regardless, I like the lightweight but not too lightweight fabric in this. Yes, the wrinkles are a little concerning but this is definitely staying on my wishlist. It’s such an easy summer weekend dress. I tried the Corsica Tumbled Leather Espadrille Wedges on for size which I loved paired with this dress – I’m a fairly solid 9.5 in J.Crew shoes and they only come in whole sizes and while the website suggested sizing up, sizing down a half size to a 9 was the right call. I have my eye on the light gold version of these shoes but my store was sold out in this color.

The next item I tried on the request of a few friends – Ruffle-sleeve top in Ratti® Into-the-Wild print.

Jeans: J.Crew Billie Demi-Boot Crop Jean in White / Sandals: Target Edyth Gladiator Sandals

The largest size they had in my store was a 10 so I tried that (I’m usually a 12 in blouses). The 12 would have been a better fit – while this wasn’t tight through the arms or chest, it felt a little skimpy on me and I would have appreciated the extra room in the 12. The 10 Tall might work as well. The sleeves are very fluttery and the material is a lightweight cotton. It isn’t terribly sheer but it is lightweight you can see my (white) bra in the photo – a skin tone colored bra may fix that issue but note that the cotton isn’t opaque. Personally, as I said, I am not a tropical/critter type print person. However – a lot of people will like this. I wish we had seen a pencil skirt in this print. It’s a pass for me but I’d say it’s true to size and a great summer print for those ladies who like the tropical prints.

Next up, the Ruffle-Hem Silk top in Gingham.

Necklace: J.Crew Long Oval Link Necklace / Jeans: J.Crew Billie Demi-Boot Crop Jean in White / Sandals: Target Edyth Gladiator Sandals

I tried this in a 12 which was the right size, although I did feel like it was a bit short. It’s a very lightweight silk. Personally, I don’t think the website shot of the model wearing this top is terribly flattering so I didn’t have high hopes for this one but I liked it better on than on the hanger. I think the fact that I have curves helps this top a bit, but I am content with my gingham Martie pants and the gingham cashmere cardigan I snagged in the online pricing mishap.

Next up, the Indigo Gauze Popover Shirt.

I tried this top in a size 12 and it was loose without being sloppy. I often find popovers to not be long enough but this seemed to be a little longer than most that I’ve tried. It’s very lightweight but not sheer at all and in person it looks like a lightweight denim shirt so the “gauze” naming surprises me. I should have hid the silly tag in the front for the photos.

Last up, the Short-Sleeve Popover in Vintage Plaid.

I’m not usually a plaid in the summer person but I liked the colors in this one. I tried a 12 and as you can see it is HUGE. I didn’t love it enough to try a smaller size but definitely size down in this one. I liked that this was lightweight without being see through and if it were not cut so boxy I might have reconsidered it.

So…there you have it, some of the new July items. Do you have any favorites? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped in J.Crew last night to make a few returns and tried on a few items from the last rollout. I was mostly looking to kill time while waiting to meet up with a friend and hadn’t been in store since the last round of spring clothing was released.

First up, I tried the Ruffled Bell-Sleeve Shift Dress in Stripe. I’ve seen the top on a few people and thought it looked cute and really I was curious to see if this would be surprisingly cute or a too-short disaster. I went with a size large.

Shoes: Flats: Gap Lace-Up Ballet Flats (sold out – similar at Banana Republic here) / Watch: Michele Deco XL (with black leather strap) / Ring: Bauble Bar @ Nordstrom

Shockingly, it was not too short. It was, however, very large in the arms and chest area. I couldn’t have sized down to a medium or I would have been squeezed in there. The sleeves are a bit too much for me. My SA took one look at me and shook her head. I did like the material, was on the stiffer side with a little bit of stretch but not too much. The website bills the length on this to be 35 1/2″ and I think I’d have to question that as this hit just above my knee. I think this will look cute on others if it fits better through the whole body but it wasn’t for me.

Next up, the Contrast Eyelet Dress. I didn’t remember seeing this online or in the catalog but figured I’d try it. I am not loving the pleated skirt, I would have preferred a regular A-line skirt.

The material is a white and black eyelet material – I should have grabbed a close up. This wasn’t a love for me. I could have lived without the slit in the neck as well. I liked last year’s punched eyelet dress much better. This is a size 12.

Next up, the Tipped Sheath in Dotted Jacquard. This is a size 12 and juuust fit. Maybe some Spanx required to smooth me out in the midsection. This is a good dress for work, but I didn’t love it so I would wait for sale on this one.

The material doesn’t have any stretch and is a cotton poly blend. I also had a little bit of pancake chest going on but I did appreciate that it falls to the knee so kudos to longer dresses!

Next up was my surprise love – the Wide Leg Ponte Pants. The largest my store had was a size 10 which is a size down from my regular pant size so that’s what I went with. I’m also a size 10 in the Pixie pants, and these are the same material as the (original softer) Pixie pants.

Top: J.Crew Structured Flutter Hem T-Shirt (Size Medium) / Flats: Gap Lace-Up Ballet Flats (sold out – similar at Banana Republic here)

They are incredibly comfortable, side zip and while I felt like I had a little bit of pulling in my midsection, they would be too large in a size up. I could see these working for weekend and work – they were really fun with the lace up flats but I’d wear them with a blouse or Tippi and heels to work as well. The black was a little tough to capture in the dressing room but they hit me above the ankle and I am 5’8″. I didn’t buy them last night but I can’t stop thinking about them!

Last up, the Embroidered top in white. This was cuter than I expected as well, a little on the sheer side but I’ll wait for this one to hit sale as well. I’m wearing a large which was a good choice. I’m usually not in to pom poms and a lot of “stuff” on my shirts but I liked it for a white summer tee.

Jeans: Paige Kylie Crop (from Nordstrom Rack – similar Paige Skyline crop here)

So, what do you think? Have you tried any of these? Any loves? Not so much? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

While we’re living in a winter wonderland, more spring arrivals are rolling out so I stopped in J.Crew to check out the offerings from their March 2016 catalog. Due to weather, the store was a few days behind their scheduled rollout so when I stopped in, they were literally pulling stuff straight from the boxes. So, I didn’t ask the SA to dig through too much stuff but I did request a few items to try. A few items I want to try appear to be online only, including the Drapey Pant in Polka Dot and the Collection A-line silk twill skirt in watercolor floral. I am still very much in winter clothing mode but it was fun to try a few items for spring and think about warmer weather.

First up, the Martie Pant in Gingham and the Tippi Sweater in Neon Dahlia.

Shoes: J.Crew Elsie Suede D’Orsay Pumps / Watch: Michele Signature Deco XL Watch / Ring: John Hardy

This Neon Dahlia color keeps calling to me…I loved Silk Clip Dot Blouse in the same color (you can see it in this post) and it is still on my wish list. I grabbed the sweater to have a top to try on with the pants. I am wearing a size Large in this Tippi and a size 12 in the pant and while I now think I’m solidly between two sizes of Tippi sweaters, knowing that I wash them and they shrink a tad, I’m ok with the larger size and I liked the way L worked with these pants. The pants are a little higher waisted so I liked that I can cover the waistband with them. While I have one or two gingham shirts, I admit it’s not a pattern that I can’t get enough of, but I really liked these pants and I loved them paired with this sweater. I think the length on them is good for warmer weather, although thinking about them after looking at photos again, I would be curious to try the tall version of these. I also really like the catalog cover shot of these pants with the Tippi in Heather Spearmint and white sneakers.

Next up isn’t a new item but there was one left in my size so I tried it on; the Chateau Trench Coat in Barley. I have the Chateau Parka which has quickly become a favorite winter coat, even though I wish I had sized down to a 10 in it. This is a size 12 and I would agree with other reviews that it runs slimmer than it’s winter counterpart. I wouldn’t go any smaller than this and I only had one layer on underneath. I like that it has a hood, and the gingham lining is adorable, even though the sleeves are too short with them rolled to show the detail. The flare at the bottom isn’t overly exaggerated and gives the coat a different shape. It’s a cute alternative to a khaki trench, although I would really like to see it in navy. I’m still thinking about it though.

Pants: Martie Pant in Gingham / Shoes: J.Crew Elsie Suede D’Orsay Pumps

I wanted to try the Paneled Geometric Teddie Pants or the Pencil Skirt, but my store had the Paneled Geometric Dress so that was my option. This is a size 12 and it has zero stretch. The tag said it was 95 % cotton/5% polyester. The material is a woven black and and ivory/natural, the white it isn’t bright white. This wasn’t a perfect fit on me so it’s a pass. The hips were definitely tight but the waist and mid-section were a bit loose.  The length on it was perfect, right at my knee. I’d probably have to size up in the pants or the skirt if I wanted to try that. Props to this dress being all cotton though and the woven material was very substantial.

Dress: Paneled Geometric Dress /Shoes: J.Crew Elsie Suede D’Orsay Pumps / Watch: Michele Signature Deco XL Watch / Ring: John Hardy

Here’s a close-up of the material at the shoulder and hem.

Next up, the Bell-Sleeve Crepe Dress in Dark Papaya. This dress has been online for a few weeks but I think is only just featured in the current catalog. I tried a 12 first but it was loose all over so I tried a 10 which just fit, it was a little tight through the shoulders and shorter than I would have liked. The size 10 is on the left (photo with the necklace) and the size 12 is on the right. Looking at the photos – it’s tough to tell the difference but the size 10 was at least an inch shorter on me and smaller through the arms. I had plenty of room in the bust in both dresses which is a rarity. I think a 10 Tall would be the perfect size for me in this dress. I felt like I was straight out of an episode of Mad Men in this dress. It has a fuller skirt than we’re used to seeing in most of J.Crew’s suiting dresses and between the flared skirt and the flared sleeve it’s a little too cutesy for me. Maybe in black and I know the shell pink would be way too light on my skin tone.

Lastly, the Pleated Midi Skirt in Polka Dot. I have the striped version of this skirt from last year in a size 12, and never tried the size down, so I tried a 10 in this skirt, which worked well. I would say you could take the smaller of your two skirt sizes. It hits below the knee for me at 5’8″ and the website lists it at 29″ long for the regular length. I’m wearing a size Medium in the Tippi with the skirt – the size large looked way too sloppy with the skirt and I can never quite get the half tuck right. I liked the trimmer fit of the size medium with the skirt. I would probably opt for my smaller Tippis as I do with my striped midi skirt. This was a cute skirt – I wore mine in to early fall last year. The polyester material seemed similar to last year’s striped versions. It’s not a must have for me at this point so I’ll wait and see how the polka dot pants work out on me.

So…just a few things to share, hopefully I can get back in the store to try more items once they get the full rollout in place. The gingham pants and the Tippi did find their way home with me. It’ll be a while before I can wear the pants – but hoping maybe when I get to travel south for warmer weather in the coming weeks! How about you, anything you’re loving from the latest rollout? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!