J.Crew sale dresses and shoes

I have acquired a few new items from J.Crew's sale section lately (the only section of J.Crew I shop), and I thought I'd share my thoughts, since there is a 30% off promo going on (code SHOPNOW). First up, shoes.

The lovely olympia suede sandals in grappa punch, which are now only $69.99 before the 30% off. These are lovely. The color is very bright but I am a brights fanatic so it works for me! I have worn them twice and they are very comfortable. No rubbing, though on a 90 degree day after a while my feet felt a little claustrophobic. They are all leather, including the sole, which is nice. Very flexible and easy to walk in. Highly recommend these! I took a 10, which I can usually wear in J.Crew open shoes. If J.Crew made size 10.5, that would probably be my size 99% of the time... but they don't anymore, so I have to guess between 10 and 11.

The Lena sandals are next, which I picked up in navy because, well, I don't have any navy sandals. I like the style and I don't think the wraparound straps cut off the leg too bad visually since they don't go in a straight line. I bought an 11 because that's all that was left and they fit fine. I feel like there is alot more wiggle room in sizing when it comes to sandals, which is nice! The leather is nice, nothing too special, and again the sole is leather. Very nice.

I wanted these Lula snakeskin flats for a while, and I am not disappointed! I know that these have been reviewed alot, but I just wanted to show a real life picture to show that there is very little toe cleavage. Many people are not a fan of it so here is a shoe option that covers more of the foot! Oh, and they feel like slippers on - super comfy. I purchased an 11 but I think the 10 would fit as well... these seem to run more true to size than other J.Crew shoes.

Last but not least, the tortoise lucca sandals. They are extremely comfortable with a manageable heel. I wanted to show them next to the suede luccas because the straps on the tortoise are slightly narrower. This might make them more appealing to some! I am getting really lazy with wearing high heels so these are perfect - nice and low and comfortable! Size 10 is perfect in these.

Now onto a few dresses.

The palazzo dress, or as I like to call it, the old navy tent dress that had J.Crew tags sewn in at the factory by mistake. This dress is kind of a piece of crap. I am wearing it right now because it's 95 degrees out and I refuse to wear more than one piece of clothing, but honestly, if I could return this, I would. The material is thin and not very soft, and there is no way this thing is going to hold up to repeated washings. I am going to baby it and hope for a few more wears because I like the length; I could wear this to work if I wanted to with a cardigan or something over it. Why a cardigan, you ask? Oh, because the "elongated keyhole slit in back for a peekaboo effect" is playing peekaboo with my bra. Not cool.

 I like the cute braided belt and it's a good thing they included it because as you can see in the first picture, it is a shapeless blob otherwise.  I ordered a small but an extra small would have still been more than big enough, I'm afraid. Cinch that belt!

The ella dress in petal eyelet is a steal for $49.99 before promo. Unfortunately, strapless dresses aren't the most flattering on me, but I still like the dress. I look like a big green rectangle, so I guess I'll have to slap a wide belt on when I do wear this in public. This is a size 6. I can never, ever wear smaller than a 6 in any strapless dress at J.Crew and even a 6 is pushing it. They make these things for the small busted. It has one of those inner corset things which I love because the dress actually stays up! Check it out on Jeannie - she really rocks it.

This is my favorite purchase in a while, despite its flaws. It is the Hailey dress in speckled silk, a collection piece that is marked way down to $99.99 from $288. I am a sucker for a printed dress, so I finally went ahead and ordered this in a size 6 since it looked fitted on top. Sadly, I think it is made for someone who is pear shaped because the top is tight and the bottom is loose on me.

It sticks out a couple inches on each side in the hip area! I don't mind though because it doesn't look bad...(right?). I may have to go braless, but if not, there are nice bra strap holders. I love how practical this dress is - no shapewear or special bras required!

Close up of the pretty print. Black and charcoal gray smudges.

Phew. That's all for now. Happy sale shopping! Did you pick up any goodies in the "secret" sale?

Blue light special OOTD and Land's End Shirtdress review

Ok, it wasn't really a blue light special, but my OOTD today does feature a top from one of my favorite stores - Kmart! Where I grew up, there was no Walmart nearby and only a couple of Targets, but tons of Kmarts. I don't know, there's something about Kmart, the scrappy underdog now, that I really like. I just try to ignore the fact that most of the stores haven't been updated in 20 years and that they never, EVER have enough checkouts open. Oh well, at least some of them have little caesars pizza.

I'm guessing most of you reading this have never bought an item of clothing at Kmart. Well, I'm here to tell you that you should consider it, if ever you are shopping in a Kmart store. At least look in the clothing section. Often, they have amazing basics (like this tank, my favorite, which I hope they are not clearancing because it is going away forever!)  for extremely cheap prices, and some more fashionable pieces, also for very reasonable prices. Of course, there are also lots of tent like tops in horrible prints, and elastic waist pants. But hey, sometimes you have to weed through lots of crap to get to the good stuff. Like this top.

Close up to show the real color. It also comes in purple! On sale now for $13.99, regularly a whopping $19.99. It reminds me of the Max Studio tops I always see at TJ Maxx for $34.99, but the jersey on the Kmart top is much, much nicer.

It looks kind of meh on the model, and I would never have ordered it just based on the photo, but the colors are so vibrant in person, the background a pretty teal and lots of other rich tones in the pattern. It is also extremely flattering and the jersey is very fine, soft, and lovely. Yes, it is polyester, but of course. However, it feels just like my Lilly Pulitzer silk jersey dress, so there ya go. And as a bonus, it has cap sleeves which allow for plenty of armpit ventilation, always a concern with polyester tops!

And my full OOTD. Kmart top, J.Crew classic cafe capri in 6 tall, and martina wedges in bronzed clay.

These pics were taken in the Sears fitting room where I tried on a lovely new shirtdress. The J.Crew shirtdress is a hot mess, I heard on the mothership that an SA called it a muu muu... not good. Not good at all

The Land's End shirtdress, which does not look like a muu muu, is called the woven pique shirt dress, and you can see it here.

It is $90 and 100% cotton and extremely flattering. It does suffer from tight arm syndrome, big time. There is no way I could get this in 6, which is what I tried, and is my regular size. The arms were horribly tight and the chest buttons would probably pop open if I moved... yet the waist was not too tight at all.

It also pulled at the chest, but that is typical for me. If I sized up to an 8, the waist would be loose but I could just cinch it. I really, really like this dress and I hope it goes on sale someday. I think the length is perfectly practical and the fabric is so soft and light. Just lovely.

 Thanks for stopping in to check out my cheapie store finds!

Talbots Sale: J.Crew lookalike for $200 less

I received an e-mail this morning from Talbots letting me know that they reduced prices even further on sale items. Normally, I delete these without temptation but the "80% off shoes" got me... I am a sucker for shoes, and Talbots tends to have some cute ones! However, the quality is not always on par with the prices (sound like another retailer we know?) so I don't like to pay much for their shoes.

I ended up ordering these heels:

Talbots pumps

They are the Ama patent leather almond toe pump and they come in several perfect-for-fall colors! The bad news is, they are final sale, but for $27 and change, I am willing to risk it. (Regarding sizing: I normally order an 11 in Talbots closed toe heels, which is the same as I almost always need at J.Crew. In other words, they run small.)

They look very much like the J.Crew patent mona pumps:

J.Crew pumps

But in the gorgeous color of the patent valentina pump:

J.Crew pumps

A patent heel in a gorgeous color for fall for $200 less than its J.Crew counterpart? SOLD.

This may be a glitch, but I got free shipping at Talbots, too. I was messing around with the shipping addresses and suddenly it went from charging $8 to charging $0 for shipping. Just for the record! I try not to ever pay shipping, so the mystery free shipping really made me happy!

There are lots of other cute things, too! Most of the clothes are not final sale but the super cheap shoes are. I really, really wanted this, but resisted:

Talbots shoulder bag

Crying another tear just looking at it. Those tassels! That pebbled leather! Sigh. It also comes in pretty moss colored suede. It is a big bag, a steal for $50 if you ask me.

Anything at Talbots catching your eye?

2012 First Fall rollout wants

2012 First Fall rollout wants by jcrewjd featuring j crew cardigan

Here is my tiny little list of wants. Last year there was so much more I wanted... oh well, there's always the next rollout! That blue grotto color is just to die for. Basically, it is turquoise... right?

About those fuchsia cords. I remember a similar color was released in fall of 2008 in the matchsticks, and it along with the orange languished in final sale forever. I thought they were hideous. Ha! I guess I have swallowed much more crewlade since then, because now I feel that I have to have hot pink cords! Funny how our tastes change/we are brainwashed by J.Crew!

 What goodies did I miss? Anything else spectacular you are seeing in the rollout?

Sale alert! Extra 30% off sale at Land's End and Land's End Canvas

On this, the last day of the J.Crew extra 40% off, I found myself not buying anything and actually wandering to another retailer. I guess I am shopped out when it comes to summer items and ready for fall. Land's End relieved me of a substantial chunk of money that would otherwise have been blown on pretty summer dresses at J.Crew by sending me an e-mail alerting me to an extra 30% off sale! Usually, they just have 20% off which is not enough of a discount for me, because I'm cheap. Also, I really don't need anything, so to justify a purchase, it needs to be cheap. Like, really cheap.

Land's End also marked down a bunch of items, some by 50% or more from their last sale price. So, if you're all shopped out at J.Crew (actually, I don't think that is possible, but we can pretend, can't we?) and looking ahead to fall, there are plenty of items at Land's End from last fall/winter that can be had for just a few dollars!

Use code DRIFTER and pin 4444

Here are the fall items I purchased:

Women's Ponté Cowlneck Dress from Lands' End

Women's Solid Drapey Ponté Flare Skirt from Lands' End

I bought the gray and purple colors. I am lazy, my work environment is casual, and knit skirts that don't look sloppy are therefore my friend. I think this fits the bill!

Women's A-line Skirt from Lands' End

Finally, I bought this skirt in teal and persian rose. This has been on my radar for a while but since I already have about 12 J.Crew wool pencil skirts, I wasn't too tempted. But for $27.99, they got me! It looks alot like the J.Crew Francie skirt from 2008, and I am hoping it is actually nice in person. I could really use more a-line skirts... pencil skirts get really uncomfortable when you sit at a desk all day!

But I doubt they will live up to my expectations, which are that they will be as nice as the J.Crew double serge wool and not be frumpy. But the teal, doesn't it sort of remind you of the upcoming heathered blue color that will be released this fall? KnitYarns posted about it here.

To be honest, many of my Land's End orders have been returned in their entirety, based on fit. I guess I am just such a J.Crew addict that other retailers can never be good enough unless they are exactly like J.Crew. Luckily, there is no risk involved in ordering from Land's End. No final sale, and you can return the items to Sears. Which is good, because based on the reviews, there is about a 90% chance that this baby will be a return:

Women's Scoopneck Floral Dress

Anyone else straying from J.Crew today? Do you like my picks?

Land's End Sale Steals by jcrewjd featuring flat heel shoes

Some long overdue J.Crew reviews (and some new ones!)

Man, I've had some of these pics for over a month! My bad. Here are some reviews, better late than never, I guess?

First up, the olympia suede wedges, which are currently $119.99 before the 30% off. I love a good, low wedge. I am actually thinking of selling off most of my heels, except of course for my beloved penelopes and other gems from 2008...

I got the bright persimmon, hoping it would be bright, not as dull as it is pictured.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I still like them, but I was just hoping for a less "blah" shade. Here you can see how different the color is from my Juliets and vibrant flame tippi. The fit is a little weird too. I have high arches so I rarely have the problem of straps being loose, but the third strap (the one below the ankle strap) is really loose!

See what I mean? In spite of my negativity, I do really love these and decided to keep them. The dull shade actually goes with alot more in my closet. But beware if you have low arches they will probably be too loose on you.

Next up was a factory item that I added to my order on a whim, hoping it would be perfect for an upcoming wedding. It is on sale for $49.99 right now, although as of this moment it is sold out. I'm talking about the factory schuyler candy wrap dress. The online photos do not do this lovely dress justice. I thought the waist would be too high, it'd be cheap, etc, but no. It is lovely, substantial material and I think it fits quite well. I took my normal size 6.

Ok, so it's short, but it's a party dress so I don't mind! If this pops back, I highly recommend it. It's fun and very high quality, especially for factory. The pleating is very precise. It even has the little bra strap holders. I sort of wish I had gotten a 4 so the waist would be a little tighter, but oh well. More room for wedding cake!

Finally, the foulard print maxi dress. I can't seem to find this one online, but it's probably still out there in stores. I purchased mine about a month ago on sale. It is TTS and flatters your waist, but the top is quite poofy, which I don't mind. I got my normal size 6 and could not have gone any smaller because the fabric has absolutely no give.

One more! The edie calf hair wallet! It lived up to my expectations, although I am not sure how durable it will be! It came in a big silver gift box, and is made of the same scratch prone leather as the Edie purses (the only downside). The calf hair is extremely soft and high quality and I just love the print. Gorgeous. The inner zipper is very nice quality and seems sturdy. Worth it on sale... I'm just not into paying $100+ for a freakin' wallet!

Well, what do you think? Have you purchased any of these items? Any other items catching your eye?

J.Crew New Arrivals (Summer 2012)

I haven't posted in almost a month. Not sure how that happened, but I'm still here, and still obsessively stalking jcrew.com every weekday at approximately 6:50am, eastern time for popbacks and new markdowns alike. Speaking of which, there was a huge update today, but the items I really want are still not on sale. Namely, the gingham Altuzarra dress! I need that! I ordered it a while back and planned to do a review but all my pictures were accidentally deleted. Hmph.

So, new arrivals! Hate to say it, but there is nothing I have to have in this rollout. Here are the things I would like to have if I can get them at a substantial discount (I'm looking at you, Arden clearance store).

I think most of us will agree that the Tippi cardigan is lovely and we need it in at least 3-5 colors. Right? Unless, of course, it pills horribly after two wears (2009 infinity cardigan, I'm looking at you).

Crepe knit sundress, $175

This is just cute, although it looks like it might be hard to wear even a strapless bra with it. I have the skirt in a gorg kelly green (it is a sample), and I do love it. I am just not sure where the high price tag comes from... $75 more than the skirt to add a skimpy top? Not seeing it! Also, too bad it doesn't come in more colors.

Cafe capri in kaleidoscope dot, $148

Ok, I will admit, I LOVE THESE PANTS. But the foulard capris looked terrible on me, so I don't have high hopes. Anyone else miss the "classic cafe capri" silhouette? I dunno, the legs on these new ones just seem slightly too slim. But I will probably "have to have" these when they go on sale.

How gorgeous is this bag? It seems a bit impractical, but I still loooove it:

Telegram suede mini satchel

 Reminiscent of some of the 2008 handbags, methinks.

Edie calf hair wallet, on promo for $158

This isn't brand spanking new, but I love it, and I ordered it. I have two J.Crew wallets from 2004ish and they are SUCH high quality... I'd love to add this beauty to my collection. I'll do a review when it arrives!

Did I miss any other gems/duds from the new arrivals? How hilarious is this necklace? Do you agree with my picks?

J.Crew Factory Reviews: Slim Stripe Maxiskirt, Cork Clutch & Anchor Tee

I couldn't resist the allure of the factory new arrivals for very long! In fact, I went into my b&m today to sample the goods. Here is what I took home:

This tee isn't online and who knows if it ever will be. It is super cute, I think! It is 100% cotton and I'd call it a tissue tee, but it doesn't seem like it is too fragile. The sequin anchor is navy. I bought a size medium for a slouchier look. I also noticed they had a remake of the tee from a few years ago that had a big gold fish on the front. All the tees like this were 40% off.

The skirt is the slim-stripe knit maxiskirt and it is $72.50, but was also 40% off. There is also a plain navy version that I tried but decided not to buy. I loooove this skirt! I was worried it would be too short but it is a good length, I think... though I wouldn't mind another few inches. I purchased it in a small. Please try to pretend that I am not wearing hot pink underwear... this skirt is a little sheer. It definitely requires nude colored underwear or (shudder) a thong. Totally worth it though. It is a very cute skirt, comfortable, and easy to wear. Factory just keeps churning out winners lately!

Here is the cork envelope clutch. I have wanted a cork bag of some sort for a while but I didn't want to spend a ton on something so frivolous and unnecessary, not to mention very seasonally limited. Bags are 50% off so for about $27, I couldn't resist. The lining is standard cotton twill, and it has a cool little change purse type interior. Behind that is a large slip pocket. This clutch won't hold much but it will be really cute for weddings and such this summer.

What do you think of the factory new arrivals? Anything you have to have?

Anchors Everywhere!

I love a good nautical print, and it is everywhere at J.Crew these days. But I am wondering, will this delightful sample dress ever make it to production?

I certainly hope so. I have been meaning to post this picture, and the lovely Bo Sanborn (check out her blog, FORM/FUNCTION) reminded me of it in the "Looking to find" post over at the mothership.

I am kicking myself for not buying this dress... it sure is adorable. Now I just hope it (or a similar dress) made the cut and will be in the Summer 2012 line!

It appears to be the same print used on many Crewcuts items and an iphone case.

Anchor prints by jcrewjd on polyvore.com

Cute! Thanks for stopping by!