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!

An oldie but goodie

Today I had one of those days where you just don't know what to wear. On those days, I go one of two routes: yoga pants, or a dress. Both are extremely easy, one is just more comfortable than the other and can be worn in any season without having to wear tights! I decided to go with my "new" J.Crew Wool Flannel Watercolor Floral Dress.

New to me, that is. A recent eBay find, made even better because it was Goodwill that was selling it on eBay. I've never found something so awesome in my local Goodwill, so I love how they sell some of their better items on eBay and reach a bigger audience. Pretty smart if you ask me! Does anyone else love these dresses as much as I do? I also have the Golden Roses and abstract rose print ones. Lovely!

My J.Crew factory Cece suede flats are a perfect match! I've never been a huge factory fan; I prefer the special pieces from regular J.Crew made of lovely fabrics and pretty prints over the utilitarian, often boring factory items. But I made an exception for these shoes because there is no difference between them and the regular ones, they are much cheaper, and I could actually try them on before buying. My local regular b&m does not carry shoes (or purses, or most of the clothes...) so I am out of luck there!

Are there any oldies but goodies you are still pining after?

OOTD 4/26/12 by jcrewjd featuring ballet shoes