Talbots Shetland Blazer & More

Long time, no see! Hi to everyone who is still reading :D

I stopped into Talbots last night on my way home from work to try on a few items on my wishlist. Anything I like will be purchased much later on super sale, of course!

The item I was most excited about was the Shetland Blazer.

Talbots - Shetland Blazer | Jackets | Misses   (clipped to polyvore.com)

I mean, look at that adorable shirring at the back, it reminds me of J.Crew's 2008 Maggie jacket:

Talbots - Shetland Blazer | Jackets | Misses   (clipped to polyvore.com)

Love. I had the teal on my wishlist and the color is just as pretty in person. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the jacket in general. It is pretty thin and flimsy, which would be ok if it was about half of what they are asking for it. The styling was boxy, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised - this is Talbots we're talking about. I am really spoiled by my J.Crew Lexington jackets which are so structured and flattering, it's ridiculous. Anyway, here is what the jacket looked like on me in a size 6:

I wanted to try a 4 badly but they didn't have a single one in the store. Actually, alot of the items I wanted to try were sold out in a 4! Talbots is HORRIBLE with vanity sizing. I could even wear a 2 there sometimes, which is completely ridiculous. So I think that's why the smaller sizes sell out so fast... they are really middle of the range sizes at every other store which I think are generally the most common!

So, the 6 was definitely too big, while at J.Crew I could never wear smaller than a size 6 blazer. Keep in mind I am 5'9". I might order this on sale (over 50% off) in the teal if I can get it in a 4, but I won't shed a tear if it slips by me. It would probably be too short in a 4 anyway.

I also really liked the bird sweater, so I tried that too.

Talbots sweater   (see more talbots tops)

Look how cute! The colors in this sweater allow for endless outfit possibilities. Here it is on me in a small:

Sorry, I was on my way to work out so yes, those are spandex tights I am wearing. Try to ignore them :) This was very fitted, surprisingly. I always wear a small in Talbots sweaters. I'd probably still get this size because this sweater could easily veer into frump territory if it was too large. Closeup of the bird to show the semi-crappy job they did of knitting in the bird:

See the line right by the bird's chest and another by the twig? Well I guess it's better than most of the cheaper intarsia sweaters we see at Old Navy and the like. The blend was slightly itchy and reminded me of the blend used in the J.Crew Factory intarsia sweaters, only this is a tighter weave. I will definitely be purchasing this on sale, it's just so cute!


I also came across this adorable vest, reminiscent of a plaid used by J.Crew back in 2007:

Talbots vest   (see more red plaid vests)

Doesn't it remind you of the Bridget shirtdress?

Paris Catalog J. Crew Vanessa Bridget Shirtdress September 2007   (clipped to polyvore.com)

Anyway, it was so cute I had to try it. I do not own any vests because I find them highly impractical, but the plaid sucked me in. And it looked so cute w/ the bird sweater!

This is a small. Very cute, a little short, but that is normal for me. This is VERY thin. Thinner than the J.Crew excursion vests. I'd say it is for looks only... very little warmth!

Even after finding a few cute things I may buy later on, I left the store disgusted at the horrible service I received. 5:00 on a weeknight, Talbots is not exactly bustling at that time. I was ignored by all of the sales associates and when I approached a woman who looked like maybe she worked there, to asked if she worked there/for help, she acted so annoyed! She checked for a size 4 in that jacket and then came back out, announced they had none, and that was it. No offering to order it on the phone, which you think she would have at least tried since they were having the BOGO 50% off sale. Nope. I said Thanks, she said nothing and scowled, and I left. This store is usually terrible with the service. They seem to go out of their way to help older customers and ignore/act downright rude to younger ones. I don't get it. Why not just be polite and warm to everyone? Isn't that your job!? Ok, rant over.

Have you tried anything from Talbots lately?

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I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I traveled to a dear friend's wedding (and got to wear my multicolored flower lattice necklace.) It was fabulous!

Enjoy the short week, my American friends!

J.Crew Scattered Dot Shift Dress & Happy Birthday to me, courtesy of Marshall's

A surprise love for me is the scattered dot shift dress from J.Crew. Well, I  knew I'd love the style and shape but I thought the length would be a dealbreaker. Surprisingly, it's short, but not too! I guess it hits me the same place it hits the model, give or take. I had to wear some footless tights to make it work appropriate, because no one wants to see your bare thighs at the office. No one.

I took my current regular size 6 and it fits just like a shift dress should. I love it, but if I could change one thing it'd be the lining (it is polyester). I have been sweating in this thing all day which means it will have to be cleaned after every wear... not thrilled. Why oh why couldn't they have lined it in cotton? I don't care about poly linings for sleeveless dresses but for one with sleeves... we're talking direct pit contact... NOT PRETTY. Do you think I could hand wash this puppy? It says dry clean, (not dry clean only, phew), which to me means hand wash, because I loathe dry cleaning for many reasons.  But with the textured, woven fabric, I don't know. Anyway, here are some pics.

OOTD 5/7/13 by jcrewjd featuring j. crew jewelry

I wore it with simple jewelry which I think works, but I may wear a patterned scarf next time. Here it is on gigi and m from Shopping with M.

Had to show the shoes because they are one of my all time favorites. They are old school J.Crew. I paid over $100 for them which I rarely do for shoes, but they are worth every penny. The all leather construction is so comfy and I just love the color. I wish they'd bring this style back, only with the older, higher quality snakeskin instead of the cheapo stuff they use now! Or they could just do leather... I'd buy them. They are dressier than a sandal, but not as stifling as a closed flat. Perfect for wearing to casual offices in the summer.

***

Speaking of rarely paying over $100 for shoes, oops, I did today. But it's cool, because:

a) it's my birthday this month, and thanks to audreybella, I am calling these my birthday shoes;
b) They are just over 1/3 of the original price, deal!;
c) they are almost the exact shade and style of the peacock J.Crew Juliet heels, which I will never ever find in my size because they came out over four years ago; and
d) they are actually better than the Juliets, because they have a leather lining and sole. See? Totally justified. Ha!

I go to Marshalls at least once a week. It is just down the street from my office, and a worker told me they get four trucks per week. I don't want to miss anything good! And it is a higher end store, in an affluent area, which means they get the good stuff. Like Kate Spade Shoes. Today was my lucky day, I guess, because they had these beauties for $129.99 (OUCH, I am cheap, and it hurt, but worth it):

Kate Spade New York Shelly (see more round toe heels)

Oh, hello. You are beautiful. Compare to Juliets:

Women heels Juliet patent-leather midheels (see more patent pumps)

They even have the exact same heel height! I am thinking they will look great with my biennial and J.Crew knockoff groopdealz necklace, too. 

Untitled #501 by jcrewjd featuring a rosette necklace

I have really wanted a pair of turquoise heels or wedges for a while and after trying several from J.Crew and Madewell which completely sucked, I think I finally found a winner. I don't really enjoy heels over 3" which is so limiting, but I am grateful some designers make cute lower heels!

The only problem is, now I want all of my shoes to be super nice, all leather like my new Kate Spades. Sigh.

How do you like my new shoes? Have you splurged on anything lately that was completely worth it?

J.Crew San Remo Print Dress - It's finally mine!!!

My personal shopper (not really, but she keeps finding me great stuff on eBay) and friend Megan found me this dress. I bid, not expecting to win for the minimum but I did!!! I got it today, and I literally jumped up and down when I opened the package. And then some more when I tried it on.

See, I wasn't sure it would work because it's a 10. But it fits really well, though an 8 would have worked too. It is short, but hell, I don't care. In every other way it is perfect and if it was longer it may look dowdy.

I just wanted to share my glee with someone who would understand!!! Have you found any long lost items on eBay lately?

J.Crew Factory Reviews - April 2013

J.Crew Factory Reviews - April 2013 by jcrewjd featuring a lace shift dress

Here are some quick reviews of the factory items pictured in the above polyvore set:

Eyelet skirt: WINNER! I have never had success with factory pencil skirts cuz they are always too short. This hits at the top of my knee and fits like a dream. TTS, took a 6.

Dotted chambray shirt - wow, this fits well! Lately, I have taken a small in factory perfect shirts. This was no different. The tailoring is exceptional.

Blue/purple plaid shirt - this is the dressy shirt material. I was drawn to this for some reason. Not getting it, though. Don't need! TTS in small. 100% cotton which is nice.

4" garment dyed denim shorts - FABULOUS! Size down, I got a 4, and for reference, NONE of my existing size 4 bottoms fit me right now. They feel like they'll stretch out a bit with wear. These are extremely flattering.

Factory ceces: these aren't online, but there is a dupe of this color at factory and they seem the same as retail.

Factory layering tank = exactly the same as vintage cotton tank.

Factory linen shirt - loooove this. It is really long and so great for a tall person like myself. It did pull at the bust in a small, though, so I got a medium. In the medium, it was still nicely tailored enough to not look baggy. The white was not see through and the material is nice and substantial.

ALL of the dresses were SO HIGH WAISTED. Ok, so I am 5'10", but even on someone who is like about 5'7'" these would probably look ridiculous. They were all TTS, the lace cora slightly larger than the rest. They were all very pretty, and I am mad that I can't wear any of them. Boo hoo.

**

Have you bought anything from Factory lately? Their offerings have improved greatly over the past couple of years, if you ask me. My #1 pick from this batch of try ons is the linen blouse. It is so nice and I wouldn't be surprised if J.Crew is the only store in the whole outlet mall offering women's 100% linen shirts, let alone for such a low price (on sale). 

OOTD, review of J.Crew Matchstick jeans, eBaying, and Orla Kiely bedclothes!

OOTD 4/22/13 by jcrewjd featuring j crew

I am no wallflower when it comes to wearing bright colors, but I never would have thought to pair these pink shoes with this yellow cardigan. Thanks to a coworker for suggesting it. I feel so bright and cheery in this outfit!  

I am wearing the J.Crew matchstick jeans in old glory wash, which are on sale for $79.99 right now (and mostly sold out, but we all know they will pop back!) I bought them on a whim because I feel as though I can never have enough jeans, and I think they are great. I bought a 30 tall, which is a size larger than normal, and it was a mistake because they are a bit loose. So they are definitely true to size. They are really soft, and the perfect shade of not-too-dark, not-too-light denim. I think the J.Crew photos accurately depict the color, for once. I washed them and they did not shrink in width or length, which is a big plus. 

This photo shows the color quite accurately. They are great.

Anything catching your eye with the sale that's going on (25% off everything) at J.Crew? Me, not so much. I have been doing a lot of my J.Crew shopping on eBay lately:

Ye olde J.Crew of yore! by jcrewjd featuring j.crew tops

And it is turning out quite well! I am really scouring for the old version of cafe capris, as well as any of the older, knee length cute dresses. Amazingly, there are still some out there that are new with tags! I also have a JCA friend who noticed all my looking to find posts on the mothership, and has found so many things for me on eBay that I ended up buying, so thank you Megan! 

One more recent purchase, I bought this to try after reading all of the glowing reviews:

Ann Taylor necklace   (see more sparkle jewelry)

Seems to be aimed at the bride crowd, but I think it will be lovely for any special occasion! Can't wait to get it and see if it is worth the dough. Ann Taylor had $50 off $100 purchase today, so that softened the blow. (hey, that rhymes!)

I guess I am just really in a shopping mood lately. Ha, what else is new?? 

Ooh, one more thing. I need your opinion. I saw this in TJ Maxx today and I feel as though I need it:

Full price on BBB.com

I have read the reviews, I hear people's quality concerns. But it's just SO CUTE. And maybe they wouldn't have been so picky if they paid the TJ Maxx price, which for the F/Q mini set (comforter plus shams) is $79.99. I love, love, love Orla Kiely prints. Do you think this is worth $79.99? The whole display was just so lovely. Should I save myself a bunch of money and just console myself with the Orla Kiely for Method dish soap on my kitchen sink?

Tell me, what are you buying lately?  

DIY J.Crew Flower Lattice Necklace

If you've been reading my blog for a little while, then you might know of my obsession with the J.Crew flower lattice necklace.

J Crew necklace (see more vintage jewelry)

I think it is my most coveted piece of all time, behind even the library dress, skirt, or penelope heels. Or maybe I just feel that way now because I own all of those items after long searches... But, anyway, the flower lattice necklace is the rare piece of J.Crew statement jewelry that is substantial, well made, and timeless - I have similar rhinestone jewelry from the early 20th century, and I really don't think it will ever go out of style. Unfortunately, it also sold out while I was hemming and hawing about buying it. I did manage to snag the peach version, but to me the real stunner is the multicolored. My dream is to wear it with the fuchsia Dani dress, like such:

Too much? by jcrewjd featuring pointed-toe pumps

In my googling for possible knockoffs to purchase, I came across this amazing DIY that a blogger of the blog Bromeliad created.

She took some vintage brooches that she had laying around (wish I had some!) and made a non permanent gorgeous flower lattice inspired necklace. Check it out in full here.

Here is her final result: 

Source

I am seriously in awe. The possibilities are endless here. I mean, I have seen piles of brooches at Salvation Army, and while they are probably not vintage and not that great looking on their own, grouped together they could be really beautiful and for only a few dollars and hours! I am definitely going to try this so I can have different colors to wear with different outfits.

So, thank you google, for helping me discover a new blog and a new way to repurpose old pins and brooches.

Anyone else going to try this? 

Spring is here - time for printed pants

After so many long months of cold, cloudy misery (can you tell I hate winter?), today the high is 77 glorious degrees! I will be going out at lunch to enjoy the weather before it goes back down to the 40s for the weekend. Here is my outfit for this glorious spring day - of course it involves cropped, printed pants which are my favorite spring outfit staple:

7FAMK Denim Jacket, old
J.Crew Factory artist tee
J.Crew Factory printed toothpicks
J.Crew pave link bracelet

I have not worn this jean jacket in about 5 years... but I still love it! It is seven for all mankind and I bought it circa 2005 at Marshall's for about $80, which I thought was a huge splurge. Totally worth it. The dark wash is timeless and it is super comfy.

I guess I am sort of wearing a Canadian tuxedo though, since my toothpicks are denim... hopefully no one will notice! (Does anyone know why denim on denim is called that? I can't say that I've ever seen anyone in Canada dressed that way... while I have seen plenty of Americans donning the CT.)

In case is anyone is wondering about the pants, you can still buy them here for $54.50 right now, which is almost half off. They are substantial yet really comfy. I took my regular toothpick size (30) and I could ALMOST size down, but they feel nice in this size. I ordered the tresco floral toothpicks which will be arriving soon - cannot wait to try those! I'll try to post a review for anyone wondering just how crazy they look in real life. What can I say, I really enjoy printed pants. Here is my current collection, which is always growing...

Printed Pants for spring and summer - can't wait! by jcrewjd featuring capri pants

You can't see, but I am wearing Toms on my feet today... not quite ready for sandals yet!

What's the weather like where you live? Have you transitioned into sundresses and sandals or are you still wearing your puffy coat? Do you love or hate the tresco floral pants?

A little about me, courtesy of the Liebster Blog Award (Thanks, Andrea!)

Thanks to the wonderful Andrea of Life's Divine for giving me the Liebster blog award. I am flattered! 

This Award is designed to be passed along by bloggers to bloggers to help share blogs you love and discover new ones. It is specifically for blogs with no more than 200 GFC subscribers.

If you are nominated, the idea is for you to write a post including 11 facts about yourself, the answers to the questions the blogger who nominated you asked, the 11 blogs you would like to nominate, and the 11 questions you would like those bloggers to answer.

I don't follow/know of any blogs who have not already been nominated for this award (I clearly do not read very many blogs - would love suggestions for new ones to read in the comments!), so I am not going to nominate anyone... it seems like it has already gone around quite a bit. I will say that my favorite blogs are those that do have few followers, because they are usually more *real*. So thank you, ladies, for keeping me entertained!

 Also, I am too lazy to come up with 11 random facts about myself, so you get 9 instead.

9 random facts about me:

1. I've never smoked a cigarette.

2. I loathe those stick figure family stickers people put on their cars. 

3. I am a candy addict. This relates to question below about what you would tell your teen self. I created many bad habits back then that I still cannot break!

4. My car is a stick shift and I love it even though it is a pain when I am wearing heels!

5. My dream is to open an animal shelter.

6. I'm a lawyer. But you probably already know that.

7. My favorite foods: jelly donuts, mac and cheese from Panera, cheese in general.

8. I was a cheerleader in high school.

9. I don't like peanut butter.

If you were only allowed one make-up product, what would it be?

Mascara. Most days, that's all I really wear. (Also, I am totally not counting lip balm as makeup for the purposes of this question .)

If you had to live somewhere else, where would it be?

Had to? More like if I got to. In a fantasy world, I'd like to go live in Denmark because they are the happiest people on earth.

What do you wish you could tell your teenage self?

In 10 years, you will not be able to eat whatever you want and still be super thin, so lay off the mountain dew, ding dongs, oreos, and other assorted junk food already!

What's a health/fitness tip that just doesn't seem to work for you?

Most of them don't work for me - I just try to be reasonable.

What was your most listened to song of 2012?

Party rock anthem. Best song EVER. (Try not to judge me too harshly for that :D)

What is your favorite smell or fragrance?

The Body Shop Satsuma scent. Sooo good.

Share your best home organization tip!

You are asking the wrong person. My house is messy pretty much all the time.. really wish I had the organization gene.

What is your favorite post work-out snack?

I am never hungry after I work out so I usually just have water. That's bad, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to eat to help build muscle and stuff? oh well...

What made you smile yesterday?

My fiance bought me a fancy cupcake

What is your go-to outfit for everyday?

Honestly, I don't have one. My outfits change drastically from day to day. One day I will wear J.Crew pixie pants and a knit top, and the next day a pencil skirt and heels (mostly pixie pants though). There is no real dress code where I work so I get to wear whatever I feel like wearing that day!

What do you really like to bake or cook? Or what would you like to learn how to bake or cook?

Cakes! And let it be known that fondant is disgusting - buttercream all the way.

So, thank you again Andrea! 

Again I ask you readers who are much more hip and up to date than I, what new/small blogs am I missing out on? Do tell!  

A cozy OOTD, J.crewlet review, and Flower Lattice Necklace Knockoff Alert

Ever since my dog broke my mirror, I've pretty much stopped taking OOTD photos. But I had one outfit I really liked, and then I bought a top I wanted to review, so we'll have to make do with horrible bathroom photos here.

I bought some merino leggings from Madewell and they are holding up beautifully after multiple wears - not a pill in sight!

The best part is, it looks like I am wearing real clothing, but it feels like I am wearing soft, comfy pajamas. I even got a compliment on this outfit, which I was not expecting at all! The dress is also merino from last year, J.Crew., and the scarf is the wide cashmere wrap from J.Crew.


I perused the new spring offerings from the J.Crewlet, and there is much to love. Since it is still freezing outside, I restrained myself and only bought one thing which sadly does not seem to be available online. Shame on them, because I think it would be a great seller! It is an oxford perfect shirt in a similar print as these printed toothpick jeans in "indigo tile vines". I wore it the other day and just loved it - and I am not a button down shirt person. But the oxford material means if you take it out of the drier immediately, there should be no need for ironing! I don't do clothing that needs to be ironed.

It fits the same as other crewlet perfect shirts. I am a 6/8 in regular perfect shirts and I took a small in this one - and it didn't even gape at the bust. It looks nice with the fuschia tippi, I think!

It is 100% cotton and I think was $69.50ish. The material is thick and sturdy, typical oxford material. I love how pretty and feminine the print is. Do you like it too?


One last thing. Y'know the flower lattice necklace, the one that I've been pining over for months now? The one that sold for $450 on eBay? (RIDICULOUS. It's costume jewelry, people!)

J Crew necklace   (see more j crews)

Well, I found a knockoff at TJ. Maxx. Behold:

Ok, so it's not exact, but it has the same sentiment. It is not quite as weighty as the real deal, and it isn't as grand, but for $39.99, I am keeping it. I googled the Leslie Danzis brand and apparently it is sold at Nordstrom Rack and other stores, in addition to TJX stores. I have seen many other J.Crew jewelry knockoffs at TJ Maxx that were by this brand and were exact copies. So, maybe you'll get lucky and find a coveted piece for less. It's a little shady that they blatantly rip off J.Crew, but if J.Crew would make more of the multicolored flower lattice necklaces, I would happily buy one at full price (which I know is something I never do... but I would make an exception). Are you listening, J.Crew?