The Fab Life

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.

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.

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Hi! As promised, here are the rest of the photos from my latest try-on session at J.Crew featuring items from the December 2016 style guide. Apparently we will have another rollout to look forward to the week of November 21, featuring more sweaters and seasonal items. Woo hoo!

First up, the Waffle T-Shirt in Stripe Combo. This also comes in a green/yellow/white/navy stripe combination.

Yes, I know. Stripes. I purged several striped items from my closet yet I seem to have re-accumulated more. This is a smaller weave waffle knit (not sure how to accurately describe it). It’s not as nubby as some waffle knits but it’s still technically a waffle knit top. I could tell looking at it on the rack that it ran a bit small so I’m wearing a size Large and it fits if not a bit on the snug side. But I found the longer length to be slimming and for the price point with the in-store discount, this came home with me. I’m also wearing the Billie Demi-boot crop jeans in Brookdale wash in a size 32. I have the white ones from over the summer which were a bit big in a 32 and stretched out a fair amount so I had originally tried/returned the 31s in these because they were a tad snug. I hadn’t worn them for several weeks so they went back but I still have my eye on them.

Next up, the Regent blazer in Black Watch with satin lapel.

Jeans: J.Crew / Booties: Sam Edelman

I am a recent convert to the Regent blazer. I had a few from last year but my first purchases were the heavier wool Regent blazers and I hadn’t quite wandered over to the lighter wool versions. Well, I love them, and this was no exception. I’m wearing a size 10. This has a black satin lapel. I have a Black watch Schoolboy blazer from Factory so I don’t need this but I won’t lie that I spent a long time deliberating over having two black watch blazers. But, their season is limited so it was a pass. If you’re in the market for a plaid blazer, this is a fantastic style and I find the plaid to be a little more muted and very versatile.

Keeping in the vein of Black watch plaid, next up is the Black Watch Excursion quilted vest.

I’m wearing a medium in this vest and it is a good fit. Another thing I don’t need are more Excursion vests but I’m liking the colors and patterns offered this season so I wouldn’t be surprised if one gets added to my closet before the end of the year. I really like the Emerald pool color .

Next up, the Tippi sweater in festive fair isle.

This was ok for me. I don’t mind the print but I didn’t love all of the stripes on the sleeve. I’m wearing a medium and could have sized up to a large to layer another shirt under it which is probably how I would wear one of these printed Tippi sweaters. I think I own more Tippi sweaters than Excursion vests and striped shirts put together so…I’ll leave this one.

Next up, the Lady Jacket in Metallic Tweed.

The photo really isn’t doing this jacket justice. I’m wearing a 12 and it is a little too cropped for my liking. If it came in tall I think that would be perfect. I do like it over the longer black top though and perhaps would pair with a black suiting dress or a black sweater/pants. There is a coordinating dress in this same tweed, which they’re calling shimmer tweed (again with the different names for the same pattern!) Up close, it is fairly metallic in person but not obnoxiously so and I thought the tweed was very pretty in real life. There’s quite a bit of silver in it but it looks more grey from a distance. The inside of the jacket is lined in a pinstripe material. The sleeves in the website photo make it look like the fringe is really long but I didn’t find that to be the case on this one. I tend to like a more form fitting jacket so these styles are usually a pass for me.

Next up, the Holly Sweater in Fair Isle in pebble mist. This also comes in a bright red (poppy hazelnut) with a lot of other very saturated colors.

I am wearing a medium in this sweater and was running out of steam at this point and didn’t try the large for comparison. I tried the Holly sweater last year and also found it short. I would probably layer another longer button down under it to compensate for the length and I may try a size up for a little more length but even though I had seen some reviews say it seemed a bit longer, it’s still slightly cropped on my 5’8″ frame. The wool wasn’t terribly scratchy but I also tend to not be too overly sensitive to wool.

And one more striped top – the Oversized striped turtleneck. I have last year’s version of this top (of course).

I like the wider stripes and also the camel/navy combo but I resisted this one. I’m wearing a medium which was still slouchy but I like that the sleeves are a bit more fitted to balance out the loose body of the top. This year’s version seemed softer to me than last year’s version too.

Last up, the lace peplum top in Fuchsia bloom.

I tried this on to compare the difference between the regular and tall version. It looks ok in the photo but it definitely felt short on me. I’m wearing a 12 and had some room through the chest as well but I couldn’t have sized down in the regular length. I do like the bright pink – it reads more summer to me but I’m always a sucker for hot pink and let’s be honest, if this hits a good enough sale it’ll probably be mine. In the meantime, I’m happy with my decision to purchase the black. And the lace matches last year’s lace items so that’s a plus.

Well, that’s it for now…any favorites from this rollout? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

Hello! It’s that time again…time for the holiday rollout at J.Crew! This is one of the rollouts I most look forward to every year – mostly because of cozy sweaters and fun holiday wear (lace, sequins, glitter…I can’t get enough!) This holiday rollout is the first of two for the month of December – the second will be the week of Thanksgiving and I’m told more sweaters and winter wear, which I’m excited about since we’ve only seen so many cold weather items on the last few rollouts. Ok, enough rambling and on to the clothes!

First up, is the Shift dress in multicolored tweed. This was one of the first items I ordered with the rollout and it was included in the 30% off promotion. J.Crew always does a great tweed dress and I liked that this had flecks of red and gold which made it a little more holiday appropriate.

I thought the dress was black but upon arrival I saw that it was navy. But I still like the navy and it is a darker navy so I could definitely get away with black tights with this dress. My first thought was red shoes, so that’s what I tried first. I took a size 12 in this dress which is my regular dress size and I will say it is cut more generous in the hips that other shift dresses from J.Crew. Usually I’m juuuust fitting in to the skirt in these shifts but this one I had plenty of room and I probably could afford to have a little bit nipped in on the top. It’s cut very similar to the Foulard Shift dress from earlier this fall which was also a good fit on me. So…yay for the curvy girls but probably some alterations required if you’re cut more straight and narrow. This is a keeper for me. Here’s a close-up of the tweed:

Onward to the store…next up is the Lace Dress with Pockets.

Booties: Sam Edelman

Shift dresses are usually a disaster on me and this dress was actually a good fit. I’m wearing a size 12 and it’s right above the knees but not so much so that I wasn’t comfortable. This dress also comes in tall and petite. But…the pockets. Why, oh why did we stick four pockets on this dress? I maybe could have handled two on the chest or hips but all four, they seem unnecessary. However, I will say that they don’t add any bulk to the dress so that is helpful and if you like the look, I wouldn’t worry about the pockets making your hips or chest look bigger, they’re placed well. I do like the collar on this dress (which unfortunately I’m blocking to get the right photo) but the pockets are a no for me.

Next up, the Pleated Ponte Dress.

Booties: Sam Edelman

When I saw this dress online, all I could think of was an ice skating dress. This dress comes in a pine color and vibrant flame (orangey-red) color as well as a heathered grey. The first thing I noticed when I tried on the dress is that it is heavy! It is a thick ponte knit and would be perfect for winter with tights and booties. I sized down to a 10 in this dress – the 12 fit ok but was a little loose in the midsection and chest. The pleats on this dress are cut very flattering and don’t add any volume to my hips which is usually my worry with pleats. I also like that the zipper in the back is a hidden zipper and not exposed like so many dresses we’ve seen in recent years. This is definitely on my wishlist. I don’t need a black long sleeve dress but I might for the right price.

Next up, the Pintucked pencil skirt in lace in Emerald Pool. This skirt also comes in faded teak (beige/ivory) and black.

Seeing this skirt online, I was immediately wary of the pintucks. Then seeing it in store, I thought they looked a little less pronounced so was a little more optimistic about this. I also like the bright green added in to the holiday mix this year. I tried a 12 in this skirt. Unfortunately, the pleats in the front aren’t working for me. I liked the length on the regular length, the skirt hits right at my knees. I’d say this runs a tad on the small side since it pulled a bit across my hips. I think it looks nice on the website model so I think if you have a straighter bottom half then this skirt will work and the pintucks could add some visual interest. My store had the lace peplum top paired with the black version of this skirt and it looked so cute. So of course, I went home and tried the Lace Peplum top with my Banana Republic skirt as well as the J.Crew lace pants from last year. Cute and cute! I am wearing a size 10 Tall in the peplum which is perfect.

Top: J.Crew Lace Peplum Top / Pants: J.Crew (this year’s lace pants here or Factory version here) / Pencil Skirt: Banana Republic (Similar from J.Crew here) / Necklace: J.Crew

Next up, the Silk Twill Pant in Wolfstooth.

Pull on pants can be tricky for me but these were a pleasant surprise. They’re a lighterweight silk twill material and I tried a size 12 in these pants which was a good fit. I like the oversized houndstooth print and I could see these integrating well in my work wardrobe. I had plenty of room in the rear as well, they weren’t pulling at all. I might have liked to see a heavier material in the pants as the silk will be a bit flimsy for  a northeastern winter but if you’re in a warmer area these will be fine for you through a milder winter climate.

Lastly, the Flounce silk dress in wolfstooth.

While the photo of this dress doesn’t look horrible, this dress was a total miss on me. It was really tight in the hips and the ruffle hem hit right below my rear end making it a complete disaster from the back. This dress comes in petite and tall and I could perhaps try the tall length of this dress. I think I’ll be sticking with the pants in this print. This was similar to the paisley dress of the same design that was a complete miss for me. The drop ruffle hem does not work with my figure. I am sure a lot of girls will look cute in this dress, I am not one of them. I am wearing a 12 in this dress. It is the same material as the pants.

Well, there’s part one of my dressing room reviews for this latest rollout. I’ll have another one up shortly with a few jackets and more casual tops/sweaters. What are you loving from this rollout? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!