The ATL Denim Maxi-Dress

While we are at ATL, I wanted to share another find from two weeks ago. Well, it's not really a "find" in the sense that the price is higher than anything I saw at ATL so far, but luckily I had my $25 off card to spend so I got it for cheaper.
Actually, I did the silliest thing: I went in to return the V-neck ruffle dress that I have blogged about in one of my previous posts (I couldn't find a XS petite and decided that the XS regular that I had bought was too big on the chest) and also to see if I could spend my coupon (it was the last day) but after browsing a few racks I didn't find anything worth it (it had to be a full price item and I had to spend $50 minimum). So I returned the dress and the SA took out the coupon that was stapled on the ticket (I had "earned" the coupon with the purchase of the dress) and put it aside in a drawer.

Of course, just when I was about to take the door my eye was caught by this beautiful denim maxi-dress. There was only one left and it was a 0. I expexted it to be too big or long but when I tried it on I really, really liked it. I have a hard time finding maxi-dresses that fit me well, ie are not too long and I don't look pregnant in, and this one fitted the bill.
But I hesitated because the price tag read $79 and I had just said bye-bye to my $25 off coupon. So I decided that I would buy it only if the SA at the register gave me my coupon back (it wasn't won in advance because while the store manager is very nice but wasn't there, the SA are pretty harsh). While I was in the line I reharsed my little story (which was true but she could have said that because I had returned the dress I wasn't entitled to the coupon any longer; to which I could have responded that I would have waited to return it had I known. Still...). Anyway, the SA was nice enough not to give me a hard time on that, so I got it for $54, which is a much better price.

I like that it's in a dark denim wash, but not black. It has a double-tier on the bottom but it's not overwhelming:



It's in a very soft and lightweight denim, so it doesn't feel heavy to wear. In the pics I have styled it with the Jcrew pearls and glass necklace and espadrillas in a neutral tone, but it's going to look very nice with gold accessories to brighten up the dark color (I'm waiting on a pair of Tory Burch gold corks that should go perfectly with it):


I really like the fit on the bodice:


I have looked up the style number on the website but it says that this style "is not available online at this time" couldn't find it (I only found the Tiered Chambray skirt (style #233631) in the same fabric). Last Saturday when I picked up the "rose" tee, it was still full price.

Do you like/wear maxi-dresses? Do you like this one?

A Great Find: the ATL Rose Chiffon Tee

You know that I normally don't blog on weekends but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to share my latest find with you.
I have great news for those who are still eagerly looking for the rose chiffon tee on ebay or the JCA exchange. Look no longer: ATL has come up with its own version of the tee and it's almost as good as the real thing. And you won't spend a crazy $130 only to find out that you don't really like it; you will spend $34.50 maximum (less if you have a coupon) and you will have 60 days to return it (they are going to change their return policy as of July 5th). Here it is:



I saw it yesterday on the table of the new arrivals and immediately took it to the fitting room. Luckely I had my camera with me. I've looked it up on the ATL website and didn't find it.
It comes also in black and the black one is nicer than the Jcrew one IMO:



OK, the flower is a little bit less abstract than the rose of the Jcrew tee (in fact I'm not sure that it's a rose), but the overall effect is the same. The cotton is a lightweight cotton like the one of the boyfriend tees, which makes it more of a summer tee. It has a twisted neckline fabric like the Jcrew Twisted slub jersey V-neck tee, which you can like or not (personally it's the only thing in this tee that I don't like that much):

.

The natural color is darker than the Jcrew one (as usual the lighting in the fitting rooms is just horrible but I will post other pics soon). I tried an XS in regular sizes and it fitted me perfectly, I'm not sure if this comes in petite:



I bought the natural one because I'm planning to wear it under a black cardigan but if you like black tees, it is really cute in black (I know, I'm repeating myself). I don't own the Jcrew one and I don't want to pay ebay prices for it (I didn't noticed it when it came out in stores, before it became the IT tee, so I didn't get it) so this one makes the deal for me.
I'm sure that this one is going to sell out as soon as word of this tee comes out in the blogosphere (I'm uninfluential of course but if for exemple one Alexis writes a post about this tee it's going to disappear from the stores in matter of days).

What do you think? Knockoff or great surrogate of the real thing? Do you have the "original" Jcrew one?

Coming up, another ATL great find ...

Yesterday Outfit of the Day (featuring Petit Bateau)

Yesterday morning the sky was cloudy and not promising at all but by noon a little bit of sun came out of the clouds and in the end we had a gorgeous summer afternoon. I was so happy! I love being in the park in the late afternoon when everything is glowing under the declining sun.

Since I knew that this weather wasn't going to last, I thought that I wouldn't pass the chance to wear a dress that I bought some weeks ago and I was dying to wear ever since (who knew that we would have two days of sun in June?) It's the perfect easy summer dress and it's from the French brand Petit Bateau.
I don't know if you are familiar with this brand that specialises in children's clothes but has also a line for adults. In France (and in Europe in general) is very popular but the in US it's quite expensive due in part to the strenght of the euro (basically the prices here are the double of the price in EU). The quality is very good though and I generally buy during the sales when they have more decent prices, and when I see something that I really like and is not on sale I ask someone of the family to buy it in Italy or France and send it by mail. The bonus is that I can exchange in store or get a store credit if it doesn't fit. In this particular case I used a store credit to pay for dress but I think that I would have bought it anyway as I liked too much (it costs $111 - overpriced, I know).

They are famous for their stripes and this dress is this year's take on the nautical theme:



The dress is in a very soft and light cotton knit and I'm wearing a size 14a. Their sizes for adults go from 12a (12 years) to 18a that basically correspond to the sizes XS to L. I could have sized down but I liked the lenght and the fact that it doesn't stick to my body (meaning that I can wear any sort of panties without the seams showing). Because we were going to the playground I changed the shoes for the Gap gladiators that I reviewed in one of my first posts (by the way, they are extra-comfortable):


It is really a dress that you put on and feel good and it's the epithome of Parisian chic to me.
If you have the chance of going to Europe this summer, I reccomend to check out Patit Bateau (even if you don't have children). In Paris they have a store in pretty much each neighborhood and it's sold in all the departement stores.

Have you ever bought Petit Bateau for you or your kids?

My Last JCrew Online Order (featuring the Tweed Mica Mini)

And I mean last as in "Last of the Mohicans". No Other Will Follow. When I woke up yesterday only to find that the final sale was back on the website I was really mad at Jcrew. I placed 3 orders in the last 2 weeks that I would never had placed had the final sale been there. OK, I returned most of the items (in fact I'm only keeping the sateen soiree blazer), but the point is that I wouldn't have ordered at all if I knew that I couldn't return anything.

But enough with the ranting! So, last week when they where running the "secret sale" promo I have ordered a few stuff. The major trigger was to get the Marjorie flats in navy that I'm sure are going to sell out at the first markdown when I'm not paying attention. It happened with the Jane flats this winter and I regretted not ordering them with one of the TURKEY or HURRAY codes because the price when they went on sale was higher than the price that I would have paid with one of the codes and they sold out immediately in the size and color that I was coveting.
Along with the Marjorie flats I ordered the Whisper cardigan in light grey, one of the new pearls and crystal necklaces and the tweed Mica mini that I had tried in store when it was FP.

The package arrived Monday (I got another UPS scare because my husband was attending his company annual picnic that day and he came home around 3.30, ie BEFORE the UPS man. I didn't find any other solution than to call the doorman and ask him to hold any delivery for us until the day after with the excuse that my daughter was having trouble sleeping and I didn't want to wake her up. I felt bad but it worked. And my daughter IS having sleeping troubles, only not at that exact time).

Well, I have to say that this time I'm going to have a hard time to decide what to return because I love everything, and especially the Tweed Mica Mini.
I ordered it when it was on promo (25% off) and with the 20% off of the secret sale the price came down to $41. The day after the secret sale it went on sale for $39.99, I think I can live without asking for a price adjustement.

I love the weight of this mini (it is lined) and the little metallic threads that give it a little bit of sparkle (sorry, it doesn't show in the pictures). It runs a little bit big but I prefer it like that so it's not too short.
I tried it with my navy jacket and the new Marjorie flats:


Then with the spice olive sateen soiree blazer and light chartreuse Greer sandals (new as well, I was eyeing them and I bought them last Saturday for $89.99. I reccomend them if you have the soiree blazer in this color and in case you're wondering, they are the most comfortable sandals ever):


I tried it with the ruffle tank for a more summery look but as you can see it's a little bit bulky in the weist. I think that it would look lovely with the soft tee ruffle top though which has only one big ruffle on the chest:


Actually the real reeason why I put the ruffle tank on is that I wanted to try the necklace:

I think that it's a real nice necklace especially for the price ($38 but I got it for $30).

I also absolutely love the Marjorie flats and I don't have any navy flats (as you know by now, I'm a big fan of navy). However, I ordered a size 6H while I usually wear 7 because I had tried the 7 in store (in another color) and they were pretty big (I didn't try the 6H). The 6H that I have ordered is not too small, just a little bit snug and I have the feeling that they are going to stretch out. If you own the Marjorie, please let me know if they do.

The only item that I'm not thrilled about is the Whisper merino cardigan. Maybe it's because it's pretty heavy merino and I don't know if I want to stock up now for the winter. Also, I think that I would have maybe preferred the slate to the light grey (it was available as well) because I have more stuff that go with it. So that's the only item so far that I'm going to return. If my husband makes me a scene I will return in the order 1) the necklace (because I can re-buy it later) and 2) the Marjorie flats. I won't return the Mica mini unless I find it in super-sale in store in my size (but it's selling out fast).

Do you own the Mica mini? Would you consider buying it now that it's on sale?

Two Outfits that My Husband Liked

My husband recently complimented me on two different outfits.
Since it doesn't happen very often (not that he doesn't like how I dress but he doesn't really care if I'm the best dressed in the room or not, plus he likes me when I'm in my simplest everyday clothes, like a polo and shorts) I thought that it was worth a post.

I wore the first outfit last Saturday when we went for cocktails at a friend's place (baby was with us). The weather wasn't nice (I'm getting used to it) but I didn't feel like wearing a jacket, so I hoped that a cardigan would be enough. I didn't take a pic before leaving, so I wore the same outfit and took a pic today, just for you ladies:





As we left the building, my husband asked me "Did I pay for that?" pointing to the tuxedo-front top that I was wearing for the first time. Well, this was a rethorical question because we both knew that the answer was yes, and I was ready for a scolding or something like that but he surprised me with this comment instead: "It's really nice, I'm glad that I paid for that". I don't remember my husband ever uttering the words "I'm glad that I've paid" so that was really special. Yay, Jcrew!

The second outfit is the Father's Day outfit that I wore yesterday to lunch (we went to a nice restaurant in the Upper East Side). It was pouring in the morning and the temperature was in the high 60s so I didn't dare to wear my daisy eyelet mini with the Marrakesh embroided top and I wore the chiffon pleated cardigan in putty instead (also for the first time, as I have bought it from a JCA at the end of the season). Once again, these are the pics that I took this morning. The only difference is that I wore a simple tank under the cardigan yesterday but that one went to the laundry room, so I'm wearing the cardigan completely bottoned up in the pics, while I left it a little bit open yesterday:




This time he said that I was beautiful (but in French it sounds better "toute belle"). I didn't really feel that beautiful because 1) I didn't have the time to wash my hear and 2) once in the street I had to go back and change my shoes for a pair of flip-flop because it was too wet and I was afraid that the leather would suffer from the rain, even if it wasn't raining any longer.
The shoes themselves got the most of the compliments this time. If you were around ten year ago you probably remember them as they are a pair of "iconic" Prada:



They were, since not a long ago, my biggest fashion regret, in the sense that I didn't buy them on sale the year when Prada made them and regretted ever since and especially these days when it's impossible to find pointy shoes. I would even have bought a knockoff if I still could find one. And then they popped up on ebay a few months ago. In my size! I got over my initial repulsion of buying a pair of used shoes and snagged them (I was the only bidder) and when they arrived I was relieved that they didn't have any sign of wear. The only thing is that they are a little bit wide in the rear and I tend to loose them as I walk so if you know a trick for that let me know.
Anyway, my husband noticed the shoes and also noticed that they were Prada (no, he's not gay) and that they didn't look new even if he had never seen them before. The conversation went more or less like that: "They are very nice, where do they come from?". "Ebay?" (I had never told him that I buy stuff on ebay, even if not often). "How much?". "64 dollars". "Wow, that's cheap" And THAT'S A COMPLIMENT.

Happy Monday everyone

My Last JCrew Purchase: the Marrakesh Embroided Top

So far I bought two of the new arrivals: one is the chambray perfect shirt that you have already seen in the fitting room pics (and also on LinsdayB) and the other one is a top that I hadn't the occasion to show you yet.

It's called the Marrakesh Embroided Top and retails for $69.50. I have to say that the first time that I saw it in the store I dismissed it without even trying it because it looked like a leftover from two years ago, when peasant tops where everywhere, especially in white (well, had I known that it was called "Marrakesh Top" I would probably have tried it, as I love Marrakesh. We had a vacation, in fact it was a road trip, in Morocco ten years ago and absolutely loved it). But while I was strolling my daughter in the park the other day I saw a lady wearing this top in navy with the lizard skirt and she looked adorable. So the next time that I went in the store, I tried it and bought it. Did I tell you that I love navy?

So here it is. It's not the reason why I bought it but I'm so happy that it goes well with the daisy eyelet mini (the first one) that I'm having a challenge to pair with anything in my closet:



I plan to wear this outfit for our Father's Day lunch if it doesn't rain.
Detail of the embroidery along the shoulders:




And this is with jeans:



Have you seen this top in your B&M?

Have a Happy Father's Day Weekend everyone!

Grocery Shopping is Bad for My Wallet (and now even more)

OK, I might be the only one doing this but each time that I go grocery shopping I can't help myself from "converting" the money that I end up spending in stupid groceries into Jcrew items that I could have bought instead. Two gallons of milk, one salad, three tomatoes, some cheddar cheese, a bag of apples = $35. That's insane, especially if you think that all that you put in your shopping cart will last about two days, while a Jcrew cardigan on sale for the same price if not less will last ... well, at least one season. Now, I know that the reasoning of grown-up, responsible people (see my husband) is: because groceries are so expensive, but necessary, you have to save in other unnecessary departements, like clothes. But on me grocery shopping has the opposite effect. Each time that I take out my credit card to pay at the supermarket I think: this is so not worth it compared to all those Jcrew beauties that are on sale now for a third of this.
I'm actaully eating that Michelle cardigan that I left behind for $14.99. So I generally leave the Food Emporium eager to spend the equivalent at Jcrew, especially if there is something that I'm coveting and is on sale. Food Emporium, you are the biggest enabler of all.
What saved me so far is that Jcrew is too far from the supermarket and the bags generally too heavy and by the time that I drop the bags at home, life catches up on me and I make peace with the Food Emporium.

So it's with a mix of excitment and fear that yesterday, as I stepped out of the Food Emporium with my load of $50 groceries, I saw the sign of a new store opening soon on the opposite side of the street. Something in the green colors was very familiar. You have guessed, it's a new Jcrew store, the first Crewcuts store in the city to be exact. And it's opening. Just in front of my Food Emporium. So, I'm bracing myself for some serious damage to come as my daughter, as you know, has just reached the age to wear Crewcuts.

Am I the only one out there thinking like this? Please come out and share (I won't tell your significant other what your secret thoughts are!)

Returnable Item of the Week: the JC jersey strapless dress (opinion needed)

This pictures-taking-while-trying-outfits hobby of mine that I have started for fun really helps me to realize what looks good on me and what doesn't. It's like going shopping with my mom or my best friend (which I can never do, sadly, because they both live in Italy).

For exemple, a couple of weeks ago I bought the sorbet striped cardigan without trying it on in the store (the line was too long). What attracted me was the low price ($29.99) and the fact that it was available in the color that I liked, which was sold-out on the Internet. However, once home, I put it on quickly as I used to do before starting the blog, ie with what I was wearing at that moment and without really thinking to the whole outfit, and decided to return it because I found that it wasn't anything special and also too lightweight to be useful as a cardigan. But a couple of days after, I was browsing all my favorite blogs and I saw Shannon's (of A Bigger Closet) post about the same cardigan (in a different color than mine) and thought that she looked really cute. So I gave it another try, this time armed with camera and different bottoms.
First, I tried it with a pair of GAP boyfriend chinos:



The problem here is that I cannot wear these chinos any longer, even belted, because as you can see they are too big for me now (BTW, they are a size 4A and they are on sale for $15 in case you're interested). So, I would need to buy another pair of chinos to wear this look, but in case I decide to buy a pair of the Jcrew ones when they go on sale, I take mental note that I could wear it with them (I know, this is kind of silly but I know that one day I will replace them).
Because of the light weight, which I initially thought of as a downside, it crossed my mind that it would be the perfect cardigan to wear with shorts. So I tried it with two of my favorite pairs of shorts, a white pair by Theory and the JCrew chambray seaside ones:




I think that the last look is really adorable and this is when I realized that this cardigan is a keeper, especially for that price (not to mention that it's also perfect with the tiered ruffle skirt).

On the other hand, last week when they were running the free shipping promo, I gave in and bought the jersey strapless dress that went on sale for $49.99. I had tried the papaya one in store and thought that it was too beachy for me (as you know I don't live anywhere near a beach and halas, we don't own a summer house in the Hamptons just yet), so I ordered the grey charcoal which is more suited for the summer in the city.
I really liked the color (especially paired with the spice olive!) and the weight of this dress but when I look at the pictures that I took, I have mixted feelings:




My first reaction when I saw the first pic was "Is that me?", and I don't mean it in a good way. I look matrony and it's not a look that I usually try to achieve. So if I have to trust these pics I would return it. However, I really wanted to like this dress so I decided to try it again without the strap and wearing flats (which is the way I would probably wear it most of the times). I can't show you this second round of pics as they don't want to come out of my camera, but I realized that what bothers me in this dress is the lenght. I think I would really like it shorter (one or two inches above the knee).

So the question now is, keep it and take the risk of having the alteration done or return it, since I don't like it the way it is now?

Those of you who have this dress, how do you like the lenght? Do you think this dress is worth the alteration? I would love to hear your opinion! Also, do you take pics of yourself when you buy something to help you to decide what you really like? Or you trust your best friend/mom better?

More JCrew New Arrivals

Saturday I went to the Rockerfeller Center store to return some stuff and I could sample a few more new arrivals that weren't available at the Madison Collection store. I'm sharing the pics with you.

They had a new "cascading ruffles" tank, that retails for $35. Several colors available, I tried the lavender and the slate:



It was cuter on the hanger than on me, a little bit boxy IMO. They also had the soft tee ruffle top (item 16068, it retails for $39.50) that has been available on the website for a while now but I hadn't the chance to try on yet. It's very cute but it runs really big (you would think that they had learned from the past). Trying a XS in fresh melon:



I liked this new jeans shirt-jacket, the fabric is very soft. But the price is on the expensive side ($98). I tried a 0 with the tweed mica mini to see if it could be worn in a sophisticated way:



Not really ... Then I tried this pencil skirt, which was selling very fast. They didn't have my size and actually the only one left was a 2:



They also had a pair of 3" shorts and a cardigan in the same pattern (BTW, the fabric of the shorts and the skirt is textured, not printed). In case you're wondering, the pattern is composed of lezards eating each other's tail (but it looks like a geo print from afar):



I have noticed that they have re-issued many items of the past catalogs in new colors. The Monterey skirt now comes in a light blue and beige vertical stripes pattern:



And the short striped cardigan now comes in navy (very cute):



I think I'm done with the new arrivals. I didn't buy anything this time. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer. Have a nice day!

My Outfit of The Week

I hope that the rest of the summer is not going to be like the past week: rainy, foggy, totally depressing. It reminds me of the first summer that I spent in NY: we used to live in a high-rise rental building near Grand Central and our apartment was on 38th floor. We were constantly surrounded by fog or living in a cloud (you couldn't see anything out of the window) and it would pour every day. And I mean every single day. I lost at least 4 pairs of shoes to the rain (I wasn't equipped with wellies, nobody used to go around in wellies in Europe). And one day, out of desperation when it started to rain after I had adventured outside in a pair of brand new flats that I was dying to wear, I fastened two plastic bags around my ankles (shoes and feet inside the bags) and I walked home like that (I had some funny reactions along the way, but I saved my shoes).
That was 6 years ago and I haven't seen another summer like that one since. So I really hope that this week's weather is not going to be a taste of the upcoming summer.

Anyway, this week I wore this outfit non-stop:



Basically my terry cardigan and jeans. I already owned one of these in white that I paid almost full price (totally worth it IMO) and I scored this one last week for $19.99 (when it went on sale I looked for another one but my size sold out very quickly everywhere). I don't remember how this color is called, but it goes with everything. The fabric feels softer than my white one, not sure if it's a different wash or what.
So, I would just change the tee and change my flats for wellies in case of heavy rain. I also wore an "evening" version of the outfit for my movie night with a girlfriend on Monday, with the luxe pleated top from this fall:



If you still don't have this cardi, I really reccomend to get one while there are still some in the stores, I promise you'll get a lot of wear out of it, especially for the current price.

Happy weekend everyone!

Calling All the Petites: Help Needed in Petite Sizing (Urgent!)

Last week I ordered two pairs of the cocktail capris, one in the summerweight chino version and one in the colored-chambray fabric. I had tried them in store a long time ago but the colored-chambray ones in my normal size (a 0) were GIGANTIC on me, so I ended up buying the summerweight chino (in dark charcoal) that were more fitted, although still a little bit loose (but nicely-slouchy loose, not I-am-clearing-wearing-a-size-too-big-for-me loose).
However I decided to return them a few weeks later because they were still full price and the idea that maybe I should have got the petite instead was bugging me (but as you know they don't carry petite in store, so I couldn't have tried them anyway).

So I was waiting for the price to go down and an occasion to order them on the website and the occasion came last week when I ordered the sateen soiree blazers. I had to reach $150 to get the free shipping and these fitted the bill.
I ordered the 00 (regular) in the summerweight stretch (the same ones that I had already bought in 0) and the 0 petite in the chambray-colored, which are now on sale for $39.99. Of course Jcrew loves to play games with us JCAs and the day when I placed my order the rose color wasn't available, so I ordered the sand (which I don't like that much but I figured that for that price I would give them a try). The day after, the pink popped up in my size (in all the sizes actually) and I was also regretting not ordering the strapless jersey dress that everybody raves about in dark charchoal (I tried it in the papaya color when it was FP and didn't get it because I felt that I wouldn't get much wear out of it for that price) so I placed another order that should arrive today.

The first colored-chambray pair and the summerweight chino arrived with the soiree blazers. In fact the dark charcoal pants that I'm wearing with the jacket in the pictures are the summerweight chino cocktail capris in 00. I would say that they fit me perfectly but I miss a little bit the slouchy look (I know that these are not supposed to be slouchy but I like slouchy over tight). I'm going to post again one of the pics that I have already used in the soiree blazer post, but now you should focus on the bottom lol:



I like them but I have the feeling that the price will go further down (I paid $59.99) without them selling out, so I'm on the fence of returning them (thus showing my husband that I am a responsible wife. When he finds out that I placed two orders in the same week for more than $300 he's going to freak out AT THE BEST but I think that if I show him that I placed the $179 order only to get the satin soiree blazer for the incredible price of $39.99, I will get away with it).

On the other side, the colored-chambray ones that I ordered in a 0P left me completely puzzled. I mean the 0R was really big, they were almost falling down to my knees but these are too small. Small like in "I can barely pull them up my leg let alone close them" small.
It's true that I am kind of a novice in petite sizing, especially Jcrew, but I thought that the rule was to size up one size in petite if the problem with the regular size is the lenght. So if a 0 regular is too long, I should take a 2 in petite. Now, since these were generally way too big in the regular size, I figured that the same size in petite would work. Apparently it was a mistake, unless it was a defective pair that they sent me (but I will find out soon as the rose pair arrives today). I can't absolutely remember if they came in 00 as the summerweight ones, but I haven't seen any popback in 00 (and I was stalking them pretty closely) and I vaguely remember thinking that it was weird that the sizing was different in the two fabrics.

Now, I wanted to re-order them yesterday with the EXTRA20 code but the 2P was sold-out and of course it became available once again today. I don't want to place another +150 order unless I'm absolutely sure that this is going to work out. The other option I'm thinking over is to return them to the warehouse and request another size instead, so basically exchange them. I have never returned anything by mail (always in store) and I'm not sure of how it works. Since I used the free shipping code, is the return shipping fee on me or on them? And the new item is shipped for free or not? Any light that you can shed on this is much appreciated.

Do you think that a 2P would fit me? What's your experience with Jcrew petite sizing in pants? Do you have the cocktail capris in petite? Thanks for your help!

JCrew June New Arrivals: Fitting Room Pics

My daughter and I just stopped at the Madison Avenue Jcrew store to checkout the new arrivals (not that my daughter cared, but what could she do? It was naptime for her and the wait for the fitting room was so long that she falled asleep in the store, yay).

I wasn't impressed with the new merchandise but I have to say that I rarely am (I typically need some days to digest the new arrivals). I was hoping for some color but there were a lot of neutrals again. The only noticeable change in this mini-collection is a shift towards navy (solid and prints).
There were a couple of new blouses that I didn't particularly like (one a little bit in the paesant style and another one very similar to the twisted cap-sleeve top but with an added necklace in the same fabric - or was that a belt?)
I picked up the pieces that I liked the best to show here but I wasn't convinced that I was going to buy any of them.

First is this silk tank, that retails for $98 (tried a 0). If 'm not wrong it was featured in the June preview slide show that Alexis uploaded on the JCA blog some time ago. It's nice, but I'm not sure why they decided to put it into production for the summer because it would have made a nice pre-fall piece (the brown is a little bit darker IRL than in the pics if I remember well). Unless it is a pre-fall piece, but I'm not sure that people are going to buy it before August when we start to think about our fall wardrobe. Anyway, this is not a fitted top and doesn't have a zip:




Another item that was featured in the same slide show is the mini pictured below. Seriously cute. It has 2 pockets cut on the front and I loved the contrast between the two shades of blue (the one in the background is a little bit darker then how it shows in the pics. I think that it is what is called "prussian blue"). The lenght is just right (not too short) and it's well priced ($65). I almost bought it, but then I realized that I rarely wear minis in my real life (although I really like to wear minis in the fitting room lol). I tried a 0 (the good thing of checking out the new arrivals early is that they have all the sizes):




By the way, as a top I'm wearing the Podna Brass Band tee. They had just received it and I wanted to see what all the fuzz was about (as expected, I didn't like it but if you're looking for this tee they have it).

Then I tried this cardi, which retails for $88. It's cuter in IRL than in the pics because my camera tends to accentuate the white component. This print comes also in shorts and in peep-toe heels. Actually I'm not totally sure that it's part of the newest arrivals but I hadn't noticed it before. I'm trying a S:




And now the item that I really liked. A new version of the cotton perfect shirt in a light blue (the color code is CNA, can't figure out what it means. Help Gigi!) Perfect fit, perfect color, perfect fabric for the summer (very lightweight cotton with a satiny finish). If you have been disappointed by the seldvege chambray shirt, you must try this one. It's not a jean shirt but a nice replacement of jeans for the summer.




I bought this (the price is $78 and it was flying off the shelves). I don't think I'm going to change my mind as it felt really great, I almost wanted to wear it out of the store!
The new jewelry is also great but I'm probably going to write a different post about it (there was a rectangular-crystals necklace that I'm already regretting not buying and I might go back tomorrow).

What do you think? Do you like any of these new arrivals? Have you seen them in person?

The Sateen Soiree Jacket

Today I lived in the fear that the UPS guy with the first of the two Jcrew purchases that I made last week wouldn't show up before 6 pm. Normally I'm the one who receives the packages, even late, but I totally forgot that I had a movie night with a girlfriend tonight and I had to leave at 6. My husband agreed to come back from work earlier so that I could go and when the package didn't arrive at noon (UPS makes two deliveries a day, one around noon and one in the late afternoon-early evening) I started to sweat. If you have been reading this blog for a while you know that my husband doesn't necessarly approve of my spending habits, especially when it comes to Jcrew so I really didn't want him to get the Jcrew box instead of me. I don't order on the website very often because he can immediately see what I buy on the credit card online statement (by the way, not to channel Sophie Kinsella's Becky, but couldn't credit cards companies give us, wives and girlfriends with illecit spending habits, a break and NOT mention on their statements what we spend on in the most embarassing details? Like it wasn't hard enough to smuggle shoes in the apartment, they have to tell our husbands that those $300 spent at a mysterious Chuckies went in a MIU MIU pair? Thank you Amex for getting us into troubles. Seriously, is there a class suit against Amex for violation of wives privacy that I can sign up for? If not, it means that the world is ruled by husbands...)
Just when I was trying to come up with a backup plan for the delivery (a plan that would only work with the complicity of the doorman), the UPS guy showed up (around 4) and saved my day.

Anyway, I ordered two sateen soiree jackets, one in spice olive and one in slate in two different sizes, a 0 and a 2. I had tried the spice olive in store when it was $99 and although I really liked it, I wasn't ready to spend that amount on a jacket because I don't get to wear jackets very often. It's funny but at $39.99 the same raisoning becomes an enabler (hey, I don't have many jackets, I should wear them more often, I should buy this one) and I pulled the trigger. In order to get the free shipping I also bought two pairs of the cocktail capris in a petite size that I couldn't try in store (the regular 0 was way too big on me).

Now, I thought that it would be useful to post a quick review of the sateen soiree blazer as many JCAs mentioned it in the "sale watch" post last week and there were different opinions about it (it seems to be a love it or hate it item). I tried it on very quickly this afternoon to post IRL pics in case some of you want to take advantage of the 20% off coupon, which makes this jacket even more of a bargain.

First of all, this was the first time that I have ordered a jacket from Jcrew and I was impressed with the wrapping and the fact that they came on a hunger (you are maybe used to it but I didn't expect that). The jackets were in pristine conditions and clearly they had never left the warehouse before:



The details are beautiful, look at the lining with the pink inserts (the inside of the sleeves are also pink, actually a bummer that it'is not supposed to be shown):




Now the fit. The most important thing to know about this blazer is the lenght. It is short (that, and the fabric, is why it's supposed to be an evening jacket, I guess) and if you have a long torso it might not work for you.
Also it's not very fitted through the waist but the overall look is very nice because of the shortness. I know that it looks plain on the website pics but it definitively has a little something, it's a fit that you don't see quite often. Here I'm wearing it with the stretch cocktail capris:



I put the Cate slingbacks on just to show the proportions (I know that the color is not good):



In store I tried it with the orange gateau skirt and the ensemble looked gorgeous. It works well with a full skirt IMO. The closest that I have to the gateau skirt is this cotton-taffeta A-line skirt from early fall 2008, but really, the effect is not the same:


The fabric wrinkled a little bit during the pic session, which means that it will definitively wrinkle a lot if you wear it for an entire evening. Which means that it will probably need dry cleaning after each wear to look fresh. If this really bothers you, this jacket is not for you.
Regarding the spice olive color, because of the tissue (sateen) I find it a little bit lighter than the same color in the cardigans. It's more light chartreuse than spice olive if you master the Jcrew color palette lol. I didn't try the slate on because the 0 is clearly my size, so I'm not going to bother (plus, I think that the spice olive is more of an unexpected color for this kind of jacket and it contributes to its charme).

I urge to try this jacket, especially now that it comes to the price of a tee shirt. For me it's definitively worth it a try.

Do you own or have you tried this jacket? What do you think?