Rendez-vous a Paris

I have a foot out of the door already, so this is a VERY quick post before I leave to let you know about a new graphic tee that just came out in the B&Ms. I haven't blogged about a JCrew tee in a while because as many of you I was teed-out. But this one as an Eiffel Tower on it and I have been wanting a Paris tee forever (or at least since I left Paris):



I can't tell if it's slub or ringpun cotton (it has the appearance of slub cotton and the texture or ringspun). The color is PEA (pearl).
Detail of the graphism (it says "Rendez-vous a Paris, September 1922, Toujours Votre"):



It retails for $36.50 and to be honest I think that it's a little bit expensive because besides 6 tiny rhinestones on the Eiffel Tour is hasn't any embellishment. BUT when I bought it (yesterday) it rung up at $26.50 for a graphic tees promo, that I don't know how long is going to last.
I had a hard time to decide between the XS and the S, as I like my tees a little bit slouchier but the S was very low cut on me. In the end I went with the S hoping that it won't stretch out:



Here is a pic of the tag for those interested:



I am gone. Rendez-vous in September!

Talbots: a few try-ons and product review of the lace shell

I am going to post the pics of the few items that I could try on at Talbots two weeks ago before the accident. They were from the pre-fall collection so I don't know if there is anybody out there interested in purchasing them, but I think it's interesting to see how they look on me, especially if you have never shopped at Talbots and you are confused about their sizing (very different from JCrew). I came back yesterday to get one of these items and they had received a partial shipment of the fall collection. I tried on a few things to get a sense of what to order later and in which size but I didn't have my camera with me. I must say that I really liked some of what they had, especially because the colors are very different from what's currently offered by JCrew (more in the beige-camel color palette, which is everywhere this fall) and almost no ruffles. By the way, I used the same fitting room than the last time and there was no trace of the accident.
In the meanwhile I have also received my first order, the Lace shell and I am going to review it at the end of this post.

This was the first time that I ever stepped in a Talbots store, let alone try something one and I was surprised to find out that I wasn't sized out, maybe because I am a petite. If they regular sizes (misses) generally start with a size 2 in jackets and skirts (but 4 in coats) and were too big on me, the equivalent petite sizes should fit me.
All the items in these pics are misses, except for the sheath dress, that was a 2P.

First, a silk sleeveless top that I can't find any longer on the website. The 2 was definitively too big but I kind of liked the Pierrot collar. If it came in a solid color I would have added it to my "sale wishlist":



The next one is the Gold button cardi. The white one (that was more ivory IRL) was very classic in a good way, but they didn't have it in a XS. I tried the yellow:



I really liked it (loved the buttons) and even if it wasn't very fitted, it wasn't too big either. Don't need a cotton cardigan now so a pass.

The next one is the top that I went back to get yesterday. I couldn't find it on the website but it was still FP in the store ($39.50), so it is probably offered in store only. I really like this print, it's a little bit old school JCrew and in this color more of a spring than a fall piece but I HAD to have it. I don't have many long-sleeved tees and JCrew hasn't offered a print in a very long time (only stripes and I am completely striped-out). Anyway, this is the top in a XS:



The fit (as you can see) is great. It has a little bit of spandex in the fabric so it's stretchy. If you are interested in this top, it also comes in a more fall-ish orange colorway (instead of the green) and the style number is 34140590 (unless it's the other number on the tag, 236066). I hope that the colors are not going to fade at the first wash though.

I tried a jacket to get a sense of the sizing. This one was definitively on the website but I can't find it any longer. Anyway, it was a 2:



And the last thing that I tried was a sheath dress. This one was a 2P and it was almost too fitted, maybe because of the textured fabric (a cotton tweed). It was hard to get on and off and it didn't help that my daughter woke up and started to cry when I was trying to free myself from it:



Still a little bit long on me, but I could easily hem it if I wanted to. I would have liked to try another dress in the same size to see if the fit was different but the petites section was downstairs (this one had been misplaced in the misses section) and I couldn't go with the stroller :-(. Anyway, I think that a 0P would have been too small.

And now, the lace shell. I had been wanting to try this since I saw it in the Lookbook and it was one of the first new arrivals to be up on the website. They didn't have it in the store yet, so I ordered it with a 20% off coupon. I ordered two sizes, a 2P and a 0P because even after calling their CS for measurements I was still undecided. The 0P was definitively too small (especially around the armpits) and I didn't even take a pic of it. All the pics below are of the 2P.
I tried it two ways: ladylike, with the JCrew pencil skirt and pearls and with jeans, like the model on the website.

First of all, the lace was exactly what I expected and didn't disappoint me (it's a thick crocheted). I forgot to check if the inner shell was poly, acetate or silk but it didn't register as silk. The side zip goes all the way down:



There was no gaping at the armpit holes, so I would say that it was my size:



What I didn't like is that it isn't cut straight and it widens at the hips. This is not a product fault, I just didn't like it on me:





It was also a little bit boxy, I wouldn't have minded a couple of extra inches length. It's more visible when worn with jeans:





I could have exchanged it for a 0 (that now appears to be sold-out) but I didn't like it that much. However, it's more a question of personal style (I don't see myself wearing it) than of disappointment in the product itself. If you have a more classic style you will probably love it. It just wasn't for me (it didn't pass the jeans test and there are very few occasions when I could wear it ladylike way, and I am not even sure that I would like to wear this shell in those occasions).

So, my first order ended up with a return but I am more confident in ordering at Talbots now.

What are your thoughts on Talbots and especially their sizing? Have you tried something from the new fall collection yet? Please share!

Wednesdays at the Gap: July 25th Edition

Good morning! Even if technically it's Thursday already, I want to post very quickly a few pics that I took at Gap yesterday (I ended up going quite late in the afternoon and hadn't the time to put them up yesterday night). I was a little bit underwhelmed this time as they hadn't anything really new and I didn't like most of what I tried on.

There were two things that I was interested in seeing IRL: the new Slim cropped pant and the Suede wedge bootie. The booties weren't in store yet (they told me in one or two weeks).

These are the slim cropped pants, in a size 2 (my typical size in Gap pants). They didn't have a 0 in store, but I think that if I had to buy a pair I would probably need a 2P, as the fit was good around the waist and hips but not tight and cropped enough in the leg. It's the Gap take on the Minnies, but they have a front zipper:




The top is the Cowlneck tee in flint gray (a beautiful petrol grey). This is the one of the few things that I liked, but I didn't feel like buying a short-sleeved top. I think it's going on sale soon:



I also tried the white one but again I didn't feel like buying a summer top. Plus if I bended you could see my bra and everything else (less in the gray one).

Gap is redoing a lot of JCrew Fall 09. Did you miss out on the tuxedo chinos? Gap has a version this year, the Tuxedo khaki pants. They are offered in two colors online but they also come in a lighter khaki color in store. I am trying the olinve in 0 here, so they aren't slouchy enough:




The Boyfriend sweater was one of the first fall new arrivals at the Gap and is something that I have been eyeing for a while. The last time that I went in with a coupon it was on promo, so I couldn't use the coupon on it. Yesterday the color that I wanted (the charcoal) was sold-out in my size. I tried the gold for the blog:



It runs big and it's a good alternative to the merino boyfriend sweatshirt (with the difference that it's not merino but a blend of cotton, nylon and silk). However, the neckline is VERY wide and could be annoying. Some of the colors are on sale on the website, while it was FP yesterday in store.

They had an embelished cardigan, the Vintage embellished cardigan. This comes in black and heather grey. The black was sold-out in my size, so I tried the grey. The embellishment is pretty but the blend feels a little bit cheap and not worth $59.50 IMO:




The next one was a surprise. It's the Shawl cardigan in charcoal. It looked a little bit grampaterly on the hanger, but I really liked it on. I don't need a cardigan like this one, so I didn't buy it but it was very cute:



One that I didn't like it's the Wool textured jacket, which is a sweater-jacket (unlined) a little bit in the spirit of the double-breasted boiled wool jacket that JCrew offered last year (I don't remember the name right now. Regatta? Something like that):



The Curdoroy-trimmed utility jacket was cute on but lightweight, definitively a spring-summer jacket:



Now, when you have a 40% off coupon is worth to use it on an expensive item because you save more money. So I tried one of the most expensive items at the Gap, the Leather band jacket. It was huge and not flattering on me:




And last but not least, a new color offered in the city flats, a beautiful gold:



I resisted these. In the end I only bought a pack of socks for my husband.
Do you see something that you like?

The next edition of Wednesdays at the Gap will be Septempter after Labor Day as I am leaving for Italy on Sunday.
Have a great day!

JCrew September New Arrivals (Blazers and Minis)

Hello everybody! I know that some of you were expecting a post on the Gap but I have been "distracted" by JCrew this morning. I went in to make a return and miraculously I could try some of the new arrivals on while my daughter was reading (can you believe that they keep children's books at the Collection store so the moms can shop?)
I knew that I wouldn't have the time to try everything on so I selected just a few items, that is some of the new blazers and a cute pair of minis.

I think that they totally nailed the velvet blazer this year with the Velvet schoolboy blazer. I tried the deep plum one and I loved it, and if you follow my blog you know that purple is not one of my favorite colors (in fact I have a very few things purple). The color is very rich in person and the cut is just fantastic. Totally worth the $148 IMO.
I tried a 2 which is my size in this kind of blazers (the 0 is typically too short-waisted on me and snug in the shoulders):



Next I tried the plaid wool blazer that was featured in Marie Claire some times ago (refer to this post), with the golden buttons. I didn't like this one on me (especially for the $325 price tag), it was boxy and too classic-looking but looked better on some other (taller) customers. I am trying a 0:




Because many JCAs had loved it, I tried the Donegal tweed schoolboy blazer that I had already seen but never tried on because I thought that the Donegal tweed looked itchy (not to mention that I don't need a blazer like this one). Well, I was wrong and the JCAs were right: the tweed is very soft and the fit just great. Trying a 2 as well in the aluminium color (that I liked more IRL than the moss color):



That's one of the two minis that I tried on. You wanted color for fall? JCrew listened to you ;-). This one runs definitively small. I tried both the 0 and the 2 and the 0 was not only too short but also too tight (I was still able to close it but felt uncomfortable in it). This is the 2 (even sizing up it will still be too short for many of you):



The fabric has mohair in it, so there is piling risk. It zips up in the front and has front vents and side pockets. The belt is the wild calf-hair belt in a size S:



The next one is the tweed mini that was mentioned by some JCAs in the weekly review post. This one comes also in 00 and runs TTS. The SA convinced me to try the 2 because it's short but it looked better in my regular 0 (there wasn't a big difference in terms of length. The first pic is the 0 and the second one is the 2):





Close-up on the fabric (beautiful colors and has golden threads in it). But I couldn't get past the ugly zippers:



Both the minis retail for $120, which I find a little bit steep, especially for the orange one. That's almost $140 with tax for a mini. However, I do think that they are really cute if you can pull them off and if the second one didn't have the zippers I would have probably bought it (it is kind of growing on me though, even with the zippers).

What do you think? Do you like any of these new arrivals? Any question, let me know. I have the feeling that I am going back soon ...

I'm planning to go to the Gap later in the afternoon and I hope that I will be able to post pics still today for those who have the 40% off coupons. Stay tuned!

Product Review: The Gusto cami

The Gusto cami retails for $98. Sorry, scratch that. The Gusto cami retails for $78. Sorry, scratch that too. Depending on where you buy it, the Gusto cami will cost you $98 or $78. The higher price is the online price and the lower price is the in store price. Now, I know that we have seen price discrepancies before but that's a 20% difference between the online and store price, which is A LOT. I hope that they will fix the online price (and won't hike up the store price, even if that's what they usually do). To be honest, I don't think that I would have bought it at $98. But for $78 is a quite fabulous evening cami. And I am pretty sure that waiting in this case isn't a good strategy because the price will probably go up instead of going down. So if you like it, get it for $78 while you can (if you are nowhere near a store, you can call a store and have it shipped to you for less than the current online price).

I have to say that when I saw it online, I didn't care much for it. Another ruffled top, I thought. But when I saw it in store I fell in love. And my closet lacks of this kind of stuff. I don't know why but I struggle to find nice tops for the evening that can be dressed up or down. I tend to gravitate towards tees or daywear tops. Truth to be told I don't go out THAT much, especially in the winter. But when I do I am a little bit at a loss and I tend always to dress down.
So not only I really liked it but it fills a gap in my wardrobe. But you need to know a few things before ordering it (besides the price discrepancy).

First, it has a zipper in the back and it is an exposed zipper. They mention it on the website but there is no picture of the back of the cami, so you might not register that the zipper is exposed when reading the description.
This is how the cami looks in the back:



Detail of the zipper:



If it can be of any indication, I normally don't like exposed zippers but this one goes well with the style of the cami and at least is on the small side and not sewn on a big of black tape as we have seen on other items.

Second, and this is the major problem of this cami, it looks really good only when it has been steamed to perfection. It wrinkles very easily and the creases tend to fight with the ruches and create flaws in the design and the fit of the cami, which is otherwise quite flattering. Also, the front ruffle can look a little bit sad if not fluffed out and de-wrinkled. By the way, the front ruffle is made of three separate pieces of fabric, which can have some advantage to it (see later on).
So I recommend to spend some time to steam it before trying it on if you order it online (I can't even imagine how it must look after being shipped in one of those paper bag).

Third, I see it more like a summer cami than a fall/winter cami, at least in the cobblestone color that I bought. The rose dust is really lovely and more of a winter color but the cobblestone really looks better on my skin tone. The cobblestone looks great with white and that's how I will be wearing it, at least now:





Do you see the pouches under the underarm? That's an effect created by a vertical crease in the fabric from being folded in the bag. The ideal to avoid this kind of imperfection would be walking out the store wearing it ;-).

It looks really good under a long cardigan (BTW, this one is by the Loft, currently in stores, and I find the length more proportioned on me than the Forever/Infinity one):



And also under a jacket (this one happens to have a shine to it but I think that it will also look good under a wool one):



As I was saying before, the good thing about the ruffle being in three pieces is that you can let it play peekaboo from under a sweater:





(by the way the heather cobblestone color is surprisingly not a good match for the cobblestone of this cami IMO).

I think that for the store price is a fabulous cami, but it's not for perfectionists (who are going to freak out at the first wrinkle). It is a little bit high maintenance even for the non perfectionists and has some details that could turn you off, like the exposed zip, so I would say that it's probably one of those love it or hate it items. Some (like me) will see a great evening piece where other will see a hot mess. If you see the potential in it and have a good steamer, give it a try with a free shipping code or in store.
I still have to receive the Khloe cami that I have preordered a while ago also in the cobblestone color so I will take a final decision on the Gusto cami after seeing the Khloe as I probably don't need two cobblestone-colored camis even if the Khloe could look very different (that's also the reason why at the beginning I was jmore drawn to the rose dust color when I tried on the Gusto).

Do you own or have tried the Gusto cami? Do you think that it's for you or not?

Weekend Outfits

Hello everyone, I hope that you had a great weekend.
I wanted to start the week by sharing two evening outfits that I wore this weekend.

I wore the first one on Friday night on a yacht. For the records, it doesn't happen very often that I am invited on a yacht (especially living here in NY), but a client of my husband (from Texas) had chartered a private yacht to have a dinner cruise on the Hudson river with his family and invited my husband. I had been on a dinner cruise around Manhattan before, that's something classic that many NY companies do for Xmas parties, but this time it was just the nine of us and it was a motor boat built in 1926, with original details and decor. I didn't take pictures but I found some pics on the Internet:



This is exactly the table where we had dinner:



But what to wear, what to wear? Our guest told my husband to dress casually but I wasn't sure that the ladies (his wife and sister in law, whom I had never met before) wouldn't be all dressed up. In the end I stuck with the dress code that we were given (at least I could have said something like "My husband told me that it was casual!") and I wore a navy blouse (by Zara) and white jeans with golden accessories. What's more appropriate than white and navy on a boat, right?





I was very comfortable in my outfit and the other two ladies were dressed pretty much the same way. I have to thank my husband who dissuaded me from wearing my wedges, as not only the other ladies were wearing flats but it got also pretty shaky on the boat and I would have looked like a fool trying to keep my balance on my high-wedge sandals (especially after a few glasses of wine). Husbands aren't always wrong after all!
Everything was perfect and we spent a wonderful evening (very good company too) and I am glad that I didn't give up and tell my husband to go alone that same morning when I still hadn't found a babysitter (I found one at the last minute thanks to a friend).

On Saturday we had an early family dinner in the Meatpacking district. We walked on the HighLine with our daughter and then we went to the very popular Standard Grill, which is surprisingly kid-friendly, at least at 6 pm. Because when we eat out with our daughter I always end up dirtying my clothes, I figured that I could wear a dress that I had already wore during the week to another restaurant and got a streak of butter on it already (another stain wouldn't change anything and at least I would wear it twice before giving it to the dry cleaning). Normally I don't reason like that, but I really wanted to wear a nice dress and I didn't want to ruin another one. So here it goes, my double-stained but still fabulous H&M dress:





This dress is really gorgeous. A couple of ladies at the table next to us complimented me on it and when I told them that it was H&M they looked at me in disbelief. So I didn't tell them that it was $24.99, I let them believe that it was a $49.99 dress, lol!
I didn't wear the shoes that I am wearing in the pictures (I wore the TB Miller sandals that I am also wearing in the previous outfit) but I wanted to show them here not only because they go pretty well with the dress but also because they are the cutest flip-flops ever:



They are by the Brazilian brand Melissa and are a gift from a Brazilian friend of mine who spent the summer there and just got back. Flip-flops with a bow, what a nice gift! I had never heard of this brand before but I googled "Melissa" and found that you can get them in the US too (they are pricey though).
Now I need another beach vacation to show them off ;-).

Wha do you think of the yacht outfit? Do you wear already-stained clothes when you go out for dinner with your kids? Have you ever heard of Melissa?

Have a great week!