Battle of the Heritage Green Shoes: The Lucca Sandals Vs. The Valentina Slingbacks

Good morning! Today I am taking a break from the fitting room posts to blog about two pair of shoes. Some time ago I had promised that I would write a post about the Lucca sandals in heritage green, that I had ordered before my trip to Miami and with Miami in mind, but then I decided to wait for my 20% off order of theValentina slingbacks in the same color to arrive.  I thought it would be more fun (and maybe more helpful) if I did a post comparing the two pairs since they are the same color. To make things even more fun I tried both with the same clothes, so you can have a better judgement of how they look with the same things.

The Luccas, as you probably know, are made of suede and come in five beautiful colors. I hesitated between the green and the navy but then I decided to try the green because it looked more special than navy and also because I had a couple of things that I hoped matched the color:

The color IRL is exactly like it looks on my monitor and it is the same shade of green than the extravagant green in the Blythe blouse (that I have, you will see the pics below), just a touch darker. The suede is very soft. The pair that I got was very well made and didn't have any apparent flawn (like traces of glue, scratches etc). The fit is TTS and when I ordered them I was a little bit worried about the ankle strap being too short (which is an issue that I had with similar JCrew styles) but there is plenty of room. These were really perfect out of the box and also very comfortable (the footbed being a little bit cushioned). By the way, you don't need to unbuckle the two straps to put them on, one is enough to slip your foot in.
I was impressed wit the quality of these; however, probably because of the cone-shaped heel, they look a little bit like Zara shoes more than high-end shoes (but this is just my personal opinion on the look).
Anyway, this is how they look on my feet:

The real problem is that these look better with jeans/pants IMO than skirt/dresses because of the color and the style. They are a bit chunky and because of the color they draw attention on your feet. If your outfit is not offset by a similar green or bright color on top, all you can see is the shoes. They also visually cut the leg instead of elongate it (not very flattering, especially if like mine, your calves are not super-thin or very long).
Demonstration:

Better with a cardigan in the same color:

They are, quite incredibly, the same color of the Lilly Pulitzer dress that you have seen in my Miami post. When I came back from Miami I decided to return this dress (even if I really like it) because a printed merino dress has a very limited season, especially one that I would only wear barelegs (I mean if I didn't wear it in Florida where would I wear it?) Again, not very flattering:

OK, I liked the next pairing a lot, but I can't justify keeping a $200 pair of shoes only to wear with one item (and jeans). The skirt is last year factory version of the cotton double-serge in a beautiful honey color, the shirt is, quite obviously, the Blythe in extravagant green (two sizes bigger than I usually wear but for $34 I will take it and stop stalking it):

During the recent 20% off I decided to give the Valentina slingbacks, that also come in the same heritage green, a try. This was my first pair of Valentinas and I ordered my regular size. When I took them out of the box I thought that they were too small and that I should have ordered a size bigger. The pointy part of the shoe could barely contain my foot and they showed a lot of cleveage, not to mention that they were killing my feet from just standing. Then I tried the regular Valentinas in store in half a size up and they were at least half an inch too long (if much more comfortable) so I thought that I was sized out in these because with a slingback the rigth length is key (otherwise the sling will keep falling off). Truth to be told, I was so afraid of scratching them or soiling the sole (I don't have carpeted floors and wooden floors attract all kind of dust and lints) that I tried them very quickly without even walking in them. This morning, as I was about to return them, I decided to try them again and it was like trying another pair of shoes. They fit perfectly and showed less cleaveage. I think my feet were swallen the other night. As my mom always told me "Never try shoes in the evening". Also I have developped a bit of a bunion on one of my feet after pregnancy (why these things have to happen to us women who give birth?) and some days (when I walk a lot) it is bigger than other days, and it must have been one of these days when I first tried them on because it was peeking out from the edge of the shoe in a very unflattering way (and I suspect it was keeping my foot from slipping all the way down in the shoe). Probably they also need some time to break in, they are not immediately comfortable (like the NW) but I can assure you that after this try-on session I was perfectly comfortable walking in them. The heel is very thin so you may feel like you are lacking stability, but that's the price to pay for sexy shoes (the advantage of a low heel being that you can still walk without twisting your ankle even if you don't have a lot of stability).

Here are on my feet (pic taken this morning. You can still see a slight bugeon on my right foot):

Side view:

This is the last outfit that you have seen above but with the Valentinas instead of the Luccas:

With the paisley blouson dress (here they make a real difference, don't you think?):

You might think that this green is an extravagant (pun intended!) color to own for a pair of shoes and as you know I gravitate more towards neutrals for shoes, but aqua (or whatever they call it) is one of my favorite colors (I think it is absolutely speaking the color I look better in, especially in the summer) and I own quite a few things, especially dresses, that could benefit from a pair of ladylike shoes in the same hue. For exemple, one of my favorite summer dresses, the Piazza or Playa (I never remember), that I usually wear with golden, more casual, shoes:

But also this "occasion" dress that some of you will probably remember:

The surf tweed mini skirt from two years ago is also something that so far I haven't worn with heels because I didn't have a pair in a color light enough:

The fresco pants don't have the exact same green in them but it is still a lovely pairing, especially with a top in the same color (OK, I confess, I got them):

So, all in all I think I will get more wear out of these than the Luccas and they will also be a better investment in the long term because ladylike shoes don't go out of style (unlike the Luccas). I think that the Luccas are probably more suitable if you want to wear them with dresses in a light color (like the apricot mist) that "blends" into the leg but I don't need them in that color. I will maybe try to catch the navy on sale to wear mostly with pants/long skirts (if they pop back AND go on sale).

What do you think? Which one do you prefer? Do you own the Luccas or the Valentina slingbacks? Please share in the comments!

JCrew March New Arrivals, Part 3: More Bottoms

Hello everybody, I hope your week is off to a good start. I have a little bit of time this morning and still a tons of fitting room pics from my (almost daily) trips to the B&M, so I will try to post as much as I can.
I have to say I liked a lot of stuff from this rollout but the prices are getting craaazy, especially for stuff that is clearly is not worth it so I am "sale wishlisting" a lot of them (instead of buying on the spot).

An example of something that I would have bought immediately if the price was a little bit more reasonable and the quality more attuned to the price tag is this polka dots skirt (sorry I forgot to get the style number and isn't online yet, but it retails for $128). A polka dot skirt is not something that I am usually attracted to and in fact I wouldn't have tried it on if my ps hadn't insisted. But the fit and length on this one are perfect and it is really a fun skirt that can be easily dressed up or down. This is my regular size, a 0:

I really appreciate that this skirt is not a mini and not a pencil (I wouldn't know how to call it, it has gathering at the waist and goes down straight). I can really see myself wearing it, if not everyday, whenever I have the occasion to put some heels on (this kind of skirt looks better with heels IMO). So why I didn't buy it? I find the price for this a little bit excessive to start with but I would still have bought it, probably. I am not even talking about the lining (100% polyester). That's the real reason:

Thank you to my readers to make me aware of the fact that matching patterns at the seams is something I should check before buying, especially at this price point. When I showed this to my ps she was shocked. She tried to find one where the flawn would be less noticeable, but they were all more or less screwed up. So I don't say that that I will never buy this skirt but all in all I think it is on pair with H&M quality or if not H&M Zara quality. I admit that the fit of a similar skirt at H&M won't be this flattering, probably, but the markup here was shocking. I was really sad but I had to leave it at the store, I just couldn't close my eye on it. See it also on ajc here (I now notice that she had also caught the polka dots not lining up and has the style number/fabric content. Thank you ajc!) Let's move on to the next skirt, the Long No.2 Pencil skirt in abstract leopard. I typically don't like pencil skirts with the thin waistband, I find them less flattering, and this one is no exception. I also prefer to show a little bit more leg since I am petite. Here is where the 0 hits me:

The No. 2 pencil skirt in souvereign paisley has exactly the same fit, even if on the table it looked longer (probably a visual effect of the paisley print). As other bloggers have noted already, this print is much darker IRL and the pops of yellow color are really neon-y. The fabric is a textured cotton but not a seersucker like the leopard one. This is a 0 again:

I liked the skirt in the previews and the website, but it didn't speak at all to me IRL. What spoke to me was, surprisingly, the cafe capri version of this print, that I didn't like at all when seeing it on the website. This is a 0:

but I actually liked the 00 better:

These pants are a fun pair to own for dining al fresco in the summer or on vacation IMO, they have a yatch vibe a la Michael Kors. The top is the lovely Raindrop lace top in apricot mist. I liked this color, even if I have probably something similar already. You can see it better here with the Cafe capri in fresco floral sateen. I am trying a 0 in both:

I am in love with those pants, BTW. Why, oh why, they have to cost that much? Hopefully they will go on sale soon; if not I am afraid that I will need to buy them FP or with the next promo. The last bottom that I want to show you is the new Ankle stretch toothpick jean in sea blue, size 26 (my regular jeans size). The fabric is a heavier cotton than previous toothpicks, which is a little bit of a bummer for ankle-length jeans, but I liked the fit a lot. As you can see the color is darker than on the website (unless it is another color completely, I forgot to check, but I don't think so):

The top is a polka dot linen popover that is store-only and you can also see on ajc in this post. I agree with her that it is very sheer and mine was also sort of pilling (or at least had a nubby texture which is sort of expected in linen but didn't look good). Meh at $75 (also, I didn't care for the polka dots on this one but I really liked the color and fit so maybe on sale). Now, in case you are wondering what the shoes that I am wearing are, those are Valentinas in a new color available in store only for now. It's called wild mushroom (only the Mona were offered in this color so far) and it is the perfect nude-beige (the lighting in the fitting room make them appear shiny but they are buttery-soft smooth leather). I have ordered the Valentina slingbacks in heritage green during the 20% off promo but they didn't work for me (post coming soon), so I think that I am going to exchange them for these. I think the Valentinas are worth the money because of the JCrew special colors more than the style itself, which can be found at other retailers if you start to look, and until now I had holded off because there wasn't a color that was really calling my name, besides the navy that I had the feeling I could find elsewhere for much less. In fact, look at the shoes that I am wearing in the pics below (yes, I got the foulard capris. The style number is 71680 for those who are interested):

Don't they look like Valentinas? They are Nine West Andriana. I already have the leopard-print ones and I kicked myself when I saw that they also came in this navy leather and they went on sale for as low as $31. Of course they were all sold-out when I looked but I found this last pair in a store not far from the Crew. Some big or small sizes are still available on the website and I totally recommend them (they are VERY comfortable, like wearing slippers). Unfortunately they don't come in a nude (non-patent) color, so I think I am going to splurge on the Valentinas, since it seems that they are the Holy Graal in terms of shoes, that "perfect nude pump that won't kill your feet". When you find the Holy Graal, don't let it slip away or sell out.

That's it. The next post is going to be the last one of the fitting room series (but they are still receiving stuff in the stores). Stay tuned! What are you liking? What do you think of the Valentinas compared to the Nine West? 

JCrew March New Arrivals, Part 2: Bottoms (The Kercheif Paisley and The New Cafe Capris in Foulard Print)

Good evening! I still have a lot of pics from my fitting room try-ons of the March new arrivals, so I will post only the pics of the bottoms tonight. I went back today to the Collection store today to try on the Silk kerchief paisley skirt and pants since it seems like the other stores won't get them and a few people on the JCA were interested. So I will start by those and get them out of the way ;-).

First the skirt. It looks completely different IRL than on the model. Not only the colors on the print are much darker but it is fuller than it appears on the model (and shorter). It has pintucks that go down the waist and you can see in the pic below that the skirt poufs out in a very unflattering way where the pintucks stop, adding 20 pounds to my figure. Personally, I would never buy this skirt even if the price went down to $20, it was THAT unflattering on me. The fabric is a nice silk twill, the lining is 100% acetate in the same bright papaya color than the waistband. Unfortunately, I was in a very small fitting room so the proportions are little bit off in these pics as I couldn't move back to get a better perspective. I am trying a 0, fits TTS but you could try to size up.
The background looks white on the model, right? Welcome to the real life:

It's grey!!! Truth to be told there is a stock pic where it appears grey but the one that the model is wearing looks really white on my monitor. I don't like the contrast between the bright papaya (a true coral) and the grey, it is very garish IMO. Also, I don't like at all that red (oups, papaya) cross in the middle and if you notice the model is wearing the skirt a little bit off-centered in the pics, probably to hide the crusader effect:

I had higher hopes for the pants. The pants are the same silk twill but they are unlined. However, they have a nice black cotton band that runs on the inside of the waist, probably to give them some structure. Ladies, I really don't know who can pull off these pants, probably someone much taller than me and very slender, like Jenna and her model double. I can guarantee that they have been pinned in the pics because they are very baggy and the leg doesn't get narrow at all at the end but it is cut straight. Really, the pics can't capture how unflattering they were. Maybe this one will give you an idea (I am trying a 0):

I know that I am not wearing the right top to showcase these but for comparaison purposes, look at these new printed cafe capris (they had just received them today). Same top but you can tell the difference in fit, I think (this is, guess, a 0)?

The print is a red, white and navy geo-print (those are are little navy flowers but the effect is that of a geo-print) and they aren't textured. They are called cafe capris in foulard print and they retail for $118. I shouldn't be excited for pants costing $118 but as a matter of fact I am because the other two pairs that I have wishlisted are respectively $300 (the fresco floral) and $148 (the sovereign paisley). $118 is cheap these days at JCrew. I put them on hold and I will get them for sure, they go with so many things that I have, they can be dressed down with a jeans jacket but look polished with a white shirt and the print is kind of timeless (and more importantly, it is not another paisley print). Detail of the print:

OK folks, this took me longer than I though, you will have to wait for the pics of the other bottoms. In the meanwhile let me know in the comments what you think of these three. Are you a fan of the kerchief print? Do you like the new printed cafe capris?

JCrew March New Arrivals, Part 1: Dresses

Hello ladies, I had to visit a store today under excitement of the new rollout (good thing that on Thursday my daughter is at school until 2.30 so I have a more free time than the rest of the week). What really decided me to go was the appeareance of the Vintage cotton bandana tee. I hadn't been this excited for a tee in a very long time so I wanted to see it IRL. I ended up not buying it because I think that the price on this one is outrageous and I couldn't shake off the thought that it would retail for $12 at H&M. I will wait at least for a promo or for it to go on sale. I have a lot of pics to post and very little time tonight, so I am going to post only the pics of the dresses because there aren't that many and I bought one ;-). Let's start with the Fabiola dress in abstract leopard. I grabbed this dress only to try for the blog but it was really flattering on. If I had somewhere to go in it, I would buy it but I have very little use for this kind of dresses so I will wait for it to go on sale (and by that time I will probably and hopefully fallen out of love). It fits TTS to a little small in the bust area, trying a 0 here:

As you can see it is more revealing on me than on the model, so I don't think it is work appropriate unfortunately. It is a great going-out-to-dinner or even occasion dress IMO. The fabric is a woven cotton pique, or at least that's what they call it, it doesn't feel like cotton pique to me but it is definitively "bumpy" (and not a knit) and it is lined in polyester. It has pockets, that create a little pouch (only flawn of the dress IMO), but not so much so as to become unflattering. Side view:

Next, a store only dress in a fabulous yellow color. This style doesn't work on me at all and I tried a 2 because I knew that a 0 would be too high-waisted. It is a little bit little-girlish, like a sleeveless Teddie. It retails for $148 and I think it's a blend of cotton and linen (not sure, I forgot to check the label). That's not a peplum at mid-thigh BTW, it is just a crease:

The new Maritime dress in skinny stripe has been around since January in the stores and I had taken pic a long ago but decided not to post it because it was store only and I wasn't crazy about it. Now that it is also on the website it might help someone. This is the XXS, it felt a little bit shorter than last year Maritime, but maybe it was just a feeling:

Next, a new version of the Amie dress, that is in store only for the time being. I liked this a lot, this print is more elegant, in a nautical-chic way, than the previous versions of the Amie IMO. This is XXS and it retails for $110 (I didn't buy it since I have a similar Zara dress):

And last, the one that I bought. It is a 3/4 sleeves knit striped maxidress. When I saw it I couldn't tell if it would look completely shapeless and old-ladish or incredibly chic. Well, it really depends on the belt. It is shapeless without a belt, but very chic with a belt. The style number is #73211 and it retails for $98. This is the XXS (at first it felt a bit tight in the upper arms area but then I think I stretched out a bit and the sensation disappeared):

It has slints on the sides, which are great for walking if you are not a mermaid and are not too sexy because they stop below the knee:

That's it for tonight, more tomorrow. Dit you see anything that you like and would buy?