OOTD: Like an Easter Egg

I recently bought a "spring coat" at Zara on very deep sale. I was very excited as it looked very Chanel-esque to me but when I showed it to my good friend, partner in fashion mischiefs, she said that I looked like an Easter egg. Well, I still liked it and if it looks Easter-y, I will wear it on Easter, I thought.

Yesterday the weather cooperated, it was sunny and warmer than it has been in the last week, so I took it out to lunch downtown (my husband rolled his eyes when he saw me). What I like in this coat is that it has a very modern and streamlined silhouette, I agree with my friend that the fabric (that containes metallic threads) and cut could make it look matrony but it doesn't, in my opinion. And remember I paid the price of a JCrew tee shirt. I also plan to wear it out to dinner later in spring as technically I don't have a spring coat (it is lined in a silk-like material but it isn't something that you put on to keep you warm as it is very lightweight).
I wore it with a JCrew cashmere cardigan in a similar shade of pink:






So what do you think? If you agree with my friend it's OK, I will still like it and you ;-).

Happy Easter to you you all!

Collection Embroidered Eyelet Top, Smocked Top, Carrie Cami And Superfine Merino V-neck

I wanted to post a few pics before the LOVEJCREW promo ends tomorrow night. This is a good promo to try stuff on before they sell out in your size and go on sale. For many of us it is too early in the season to even think about sleeveless tops but many times I kicked myself for not trying things when I could have.

So without further ado, the one thing that really caught my eye in the new catalog is the Collection embroidered eyelet top. I wanted to order this one but because of the high price tag I hesitated, then I went to my store and they had it, so that saved me money and a disappointment.
The eyelet and embroidery in this top as exquisite but there are several issues with the fit. I tried a size 0 first and I couldn't get the attached cami over my boobs. However the outer layer of the top was clearly my size as it fit perfectly. It is VERY short and high-waisted (even on the model) so this would probably work better if you have a very short torso. On me, it looked like I had picked it out of my daughter's closet, it looked ridiculous. So I tried a size 2. The size 2 fit considerably better in terms of length (and no problem with the cami) but was looser overall and I didn't find it very flattering. Still short but acceptably short. I think it is meant to be worn with high-waisted shorts and jeans but almost all my jeans are low-rise and for $250 I want to be able to wear it with what I want. Also, the color has yellow undertones to it and I prefer white for the summer.
This is the 2 (it doesn't look that bad in these picks but I didn't feel pretty in it):



Next one is the smocked top. I was afraid that this one with give me maternity vibe but it didn't. However, in the pics below I sized down to a 00 and it just fits in the armholes and at the chest. I liked this one a lot and kept thinking about it but given that it is really a late summer top I thought that I would wait and get it on sale. It is overpriced at $88 (it should be $59) but it is really a nice and breeze top for those hot summer days. The ivory is probably obscenely sheer but navy isn't thanks to the strategic placement of the smocking (I would wear it without a cami):




In this size it is a bit too short to tuck in (it won't stay tucked in in real life):



I realized how much I liked this when I looked at the website yesterday and to my surprise found out that the navy was sold out in most sizes (or had suddenly disappeared). It is back on the website again this morning so I ordered it. I think I am going to wear it a lot.

Another top that I wanted to try and my store had is the Carrie cami. They were out of small sizes but I really wanted to order this one so I tried the navy in the smallest size available, a 4 to get an idea of the fit. As you can see in the pictures below, the 4 almost fits:





What a beautiful top. The racerback detail in the back is sexy and sophisticated at the same time and it doesn't read underwear because the silk is a heavy silk, not the thin silk of their other silk camis. Unfortunately they didn't make it in black and I have enough navy camis, so the only other color that I know I would wear is the ivory even if I was almost sure that it would be obscenely sheer. I received it yesterday (I ordered a 2) and I can confirm your worst fears ;-). I think that for the price they could have lined the top portion, they would have sold much more. Now, if I can get it on super-sale I probably will to wear on vacation with thos things that you apply on your nipples? Have you ever tried those?

Last try-on, the Lightweight merino V-neck. I tried a color that is currently sold-out and I think is called sweet papaya. It looked awesome with my tan but I know that I wouldn't wear it when my color is back to its paler self so I ordered the navy. I am not a V-neck person because I don't like to layer but this one is too thin to layer and to me is meant to be worn directly on the skin. The V-neck is not cut too low so you can wear it like this. Awesome fit, very slimming (this is the XXS):





That's it. Have you ordered any of these with this promo?

A Beach Pedi And A Tiger

Coco Blue by Chanel pedi
 

I am back from my beach vacation, we got back Sunday night already. It seems incredible that only a few days ago I was with my feet in the soft sand of Bavaro beach in the Dominican Republic. What can I say? We had great weather, I got a nice tan, the beach was just gorgeous and we loved the resort. The only negative note has to be the (unusual) presence of mosquitos that left me scratching my legs for days.
Every beach vacation is a bit different from the previous one and a bit of the same and if I had to name the most important thing that makes a beach vacation memorable to me I would say a good book. I tend to remember or date each vacation by the books that I read, that's why choosing a good book to put in my suitcase is as important to me as choosing the clothing (for example last year was the year when I read "Freedom" by Jonathan Frazer).

Well, I was in a bit of a panic this year: usually when buying a book to take on vacation I pick from a list that I already made up in my mind but this year I had no clue so I went to the bookstore literally hoping that a book would jump at me with the promise of an engrossing read that I would not regret once on a beach. While I typically want to take advantage of a vacation to read books that challenge a bit my imagination and that I normally wouldn't read at home, for lack of concentration, I don't do very well with the too unfamiliar, either in the past or geographically, I tend to read contemporary stories set in the Western world (for example I could never read "The kite runner"). So it was a bit of a gamble when a little voice pushed me to buy "Life of Pi", a book that in the past had never picked my interest despite the high praises. Maybe seeing the images from the Ang Lee movie made the book more relatable to me even if I normally don't go for castaway tales, especially if they involve the presence of tigers. But 7 million readers can't be wrong.

I am so glad that I picked this book, this is a book that everybody should read, it brought tears to my eyes. Of course the Caribbean sea was the perfect background to read a story like this one but it really is one of the greatest stories that human imagination could come up with. And the author voice made the life of Pi in India, pre-castaway, so vivid that I thought I was a friend of the family. This is probably the reason I could go through it: the first part of the book, describing the life of Pi and his family in India, lasts 100 pages or so and by the time Pi is in the middle of the Ocean you know the character very well and you. It wouldn't have worked for me if it had started "in medias res" and proceeded by flashbacks, I would probably have abandoned. Now I can't wait to see the movie!

Anyway, the book and the vacation are over, I am back to my routine even if my daughter is still on Spring Break and I have to keep her busy and take her to playdates around town. I was a bit bummed to see the JCrew promo when I came back because it catapulted me in my habit of the checking the website and making a list and going to the store a little too soon (this time I didn't check my emails at all during the whole vacation and it was very relaxing). But on  a positive note I have new pictures to share with you soon (after the laundry, that vacation nemesis, is done). Stay tuned!

Have you read Life of Pi? Watched the movie?

ps: I have a new friend at school who works for Chanel and before I left she gave me a few nail polishes, including the Coco Blue one that you can see on my sandy feet above. I really liked this color for a beach pedi, a nice change from orange and gold.

Ahh, Bazaar!

It has been kind of a weird week. I always find the first week of Daylight Savings Time difficult to get adjusted to but particularly this year, maybe because we have been more busy than usual and I have been going out during the week. All the family is struggling to make up for that one hour of sleep that we lost this past Sunday (when we had to get up early to go to a birthday party) and I find myself really wanting to sleep more when it's time to get up in the morning. Right when we were getting back to a semi-normal routine we had a day off from school for parents-teachers conference and that was very disruptive again. Add to that the fact that the weather has turned freezing cold again and I think that it is safe to say that we are all ready for a vacation! Luckily spring break is just around the corner, and we will have time to rest and recharge the batteries in the sun (we are leaving on Sunday for Dominican Republic).

In any case, this week flew away and I had no time to post whatsoever (I have a OOTD post from this past Sunday that I still have to finish and publish but could also never happen). I have a lots of fitting room pics to share but since the new arrivals are not-so-new anymore and some of them even went on sale I think that I will skip my new arrival post altogether. But I really wanted to show you the items of the "bazaar print mini-collection", as I haven't seen them on other blogs and the pants are probably an exclusive of the Collection store.

So, the pants. They are lovely but the price is really crazy. I mean, I thought that the pewter paisley cafe capris were obscenely expensive and these are the double if you take the sale tax into account. When did that happen that it is OK for JCrew to sell $600 pants? These are really designer prices, you can get Gucci for that price.
Truth to be told they fit like a dream in my regular size (0). If they ever go as low as $150 (a girl can dream) I will probably add them to my collection of crazy pants. The fabric is much more substantial than the pewter paisley but not $300 more substantial ;-). I can't remember if they are lined but I think yes:



I know, it wasn't the greatest idea to try them with the matching popover but what I had on that day was even worst. The popover is a more affordable option (in the JCrewniverse) and I immediately fell in love. I love the placement of the print and I love that it has the right amount of exotic vibe without being a resort piece (difficult to wear in the city). I was trying to avoid expensive full price purchases since everything goes on sale sooner than later (I am talking to you gilded brocade top) but I had to have this one (it helped that my ps applied the 20% off tops that is currently in store even if technically it rang up as a "tunic" (excluded from promo) and not a "shirt" (included in the promo). She just told the cashier that I was a good client and to give me a break. That's why sometimes it is useful to have a ps).
The popover is also a 0. Here is with jeans to give you a better idea of the fit (some of you will find it a bit sheer but because the print covers the chest area I am find with a bit of sheerness):



If I have time I will share some of my sale picks but I am officially in frantic packing mode now so we'll see.

Since I don't know if I will be back before my vacation, I have to share a movie recommendation that is related to very recent history. By now you have probably heard that "Habemus papam" (we have a Pope). While I can't really comment on the choice (he seems like he is going to be a good Pope and I like his open and honest face), I can recommend a movie from Italian director Nanni Moretti that is available on Netlix and will change your perception of the Vatican. Nanni Moretti is one of the best living Italian directors but he is not very well known outside of Italy, probably because his movies have always a political underlying that is hard to grasp if you haven't lived in Italy (he is best known here for a movie he starred in but he didn't direct, "Quiet Chaos"). A few years ago he made a movie called (guess?) "Habemus Papam" (with French actor Michel Piccoli) about a newly elected Pope who goes through a personal crisis and is filmed with the witty humor that is the characteristic of his movies (he plays the role of the psychologist in the movie). I think I am going to watch it again tonight!

Have you ever tried any of the bazaar print items? Anybody has watched "Habemus Papam" or knows Nanni Moretti?

Peplum

So apparently the peplum trend, that started in spring 2012, is here to stay or at least is still going strong this season. I really enjoyed wearing my cheap peplum Zara evening top last winter so I thought that I would look for a summer one. Even if every other retailer put out a version of the peplum top for spring, to find one that fits really well is no easy task: sometimes the peplum is too overwhelming, too high-wasted or the top itself is too oversized (or the materials used are cheap). Personally I don't understan tops with a peplum at hips level: the peplum is supposed to enhance waist definition but if it starts at the hips you will look like a tube with a ruffle. There are quite a few higher-end versions that look nice, like this one at Rebecca Taylor (I am in love with the whole Collection BTW), but who wants to spend $350 on a top and one that could go quickly out of fashion? A little bit out of desperation two weeks ago, thinking that I wouldn't find anything better without spending much more money, I bought a Joe Fresh peplum tee that fit quite nicely but didn't convince me 100% because it looked a bit sloppy (basically it was a regular tee in a thin cotton with a peplum attached to it).

I didn't think I would find the perfect peplum top at JCrew, as they usually don't do this style well, but I did. I went in last Saturday to check out if there was something worth buying with the 20% promo and my eye caught a top that I had never seen before. It was a sleeveless peplum top offered in navy and a off-white. It looked nice on the hanger, but with peplum tops you never know, you have to try on to see if the peplum starts at the right spot, etc. Well, I am happy to report that this top is perfection, the really nailed it. The great thing about it is that it is a knit, made in a very sturdy cotton (with a 7% of spandex), that is structured enough to look like a woven linen top, but has all the easiness and comforts of a knit.
It is priced at $78 and the style number is 84643. The color is called Ivory but is almost white (no yellow undertones in it, just not an optic white). I went with my regular size, a XS, that fits perfectly without being too tight in the chest:






Side view:



It has a zipper all the way down in the back that is covered by a flap of fabric. I don't understand zippers in the back (impossible to zip up without help) but at least it is nice that they covered the otherwise exposed zipper:





I plan to wear it just like above or with a big statement necklace, like the rose beaded one. BTW, a reader asked me if I am enjoying the necklace but to be honest I wore it only once as the weather has been disgustingly cold and I didn't have many occasions to accessorize (except for the two last nights out):



If you don't open the zipper completely, you can pass it through your head like a regular top (which defeats the purpose of the zipper but, hey, I don't have live-in help and husband is rarely around when I get dressed).
I am not sure that it can be layered, the peplum doesn't lend itself to be topped by a cardigan (simply because you can't tuck it in and the peplum outline will show and create bulk under the cardigan) and it is a touch too long to wear under a blazer like the schoolboy. I tried it with my tweed boucle peplum jacket and the hem is slightly longer than the hem of the jacket. I can still wear it if I really want it but I prefer my jacket hems to cover my tops entirely:



This top should be included in the knits and tees promo until tonight (I didn't check so call ahead if you want to make the trip to your B&M only to get this), which brings it down to $62. For this price is a great top, especially if you are in the market for a peplum that is "barely there".

What do you think of the JCrew peplum top? Are you in the market for a peplum this season? Please share!

OOTE: Green, White and Red

I am sorry I have been a bit busy and I couldn't re-write the post on the new arrivals that I lost the other day. So I have a quick OOTE for you instead, but it is a funny one.

I just tried the outfit below and I think it is going to be perfect for the school event I am going to tonight with my daughter:





I know it is a bit late (or early) in the season to dress up like a Xmas tree but in reality I am not referencing Xmas. I am trying to dress in the colors of my country:



That's the Italian flag, also known as the Italian tricolor (not to be confounded with the Irish flag, that uses orange instead of red). And why on earth do I want to wear the colors of my flag, you may ask? Well, it's the first ever "International Night", to celebrate all the different countries that are represented in our school and we have been invited to dress in the traditional costume of our country. Uhm, I don't even know what that would be, honestly, as Italy is made of different regions that have their own traditions, languages, cuisine and costumes. The Sicilian costume is probably the one that is more widely known and that comes to mind, but I am not sure I want to show up in something like this:



Much better to go with the Italian flag, especially since the Talitha/Talia/Scoopneck blouse in wreath is the exact same color used in the flag. The bubble necklace provides the white component of the flag I was struggling with:





Unfortunately I don't have any red or white or green closed shoes, that would have been awesome to only wear these three colors (luckily I haven't thought of it before. otherwise I would have bought a pair of red shoes and that would have been a mistake!) I think I will just wear boots.

So, what would you wear if you had to dress in your country traditional costume?

OOTE: Springy in The Snow

As many of you I am done with winter and winter clothes. I want to wear light colors, take all my coats to the dry cleaning and wear sandals on my feet! It's March and in the big scheme of things it means that flowers should be blossoming and the temperatures should be steadily warming up. Too bad that the weather isn't cooperating and is throwing cold and even snow at us (we expect a snowstorm for later tonight). Well, I feel rebellious: I have a Mom's Night Out tonight and I have no intention of wearing black or gray or any of the usual wintery attire.

I have a little weapon on my side: last week I took advantage of the free shipping no minimum offer to buy another pair of velvet toothpicks. As you know I have and love my navy ones and I have been playing with the idea of getting another pair in the mauve blush color for some time. The mauve blush soldout pretty fast in my size (before Xmas) and I was never able to catch a popback. So when the price finally went down to $49.99 last week I pulled the trigger on a pair that was available in my size but in Tall. I know, I know, I am 5'2" but these are so short that I thought the Tall size couldn't possibly be THAT long and per description on the website the inseam of the Tall was to be believed only 2" longer than the regular in the same size. They arrived yesterday and they fit perfectly, like regular pants (which makes me think that really tall ladies are completely sized out in these). The mauve blush color is lovely and while it typically washes me out if too close to my face, it is perfectly fine in a bottom. The advantage of these is that 1) the color is very springy so I have the feeling that I am actually wearing a spring outfit while the velvet keeps me cozy in the snow and 2) the color is ideal to wear with a navy top.

So, snow or not, this is my "springy" outfit tonight:





Some of you must have recognized the top, it's the exquisite Keyhole jacquard top from last year. I bought it at the sample sale last summer for $40 but it was already too hot for a long-sleeved silk top so it was waiting patiently in my closet. I am wearing a 0 in this top and while the style is a bit "dramatic" and gives the impression that one should size down, I could not have sized down because it would have been to small around the chest.
The shoes are the Martina patent wedges and while they look more of a nude compared to the pants (they are a shade of blush without any "mauve") they go well with the pants. Unfortunately tonight I will have to wear booties, just in case there is snow on the street when I come back:





That little clutch is a very old Zara that I never wear because I have nothing in that color or that pairs well with that color besides black (and I end up wearing a black clutch). When the pants arrived they immediately reminded me of the clutch and I was thrilled that even if not exactly the same color, they are made for each other.

That's it (now I am late). How are you coping with the long winter and this new round of snow and cold weather?
I wrote an entire new arrival post yesterday with plenty of pics that I deleted by mistake (damn AutoSave). I will try to summon up some energy tomorrow and type it again. Stay tuned!

A Few Factory Reviews

I ordered a few things from the factory website last week when they were having their new arrivals "special discount". Ordering from factory is a real gamble, not only because we don't have stores around here but also because the prices go up and down like crazy. I learned from the past that the discount that they offer for a few days on the new arrivals is one of the lowest price you can get before things sell out or go straight to final sale, so it is actually better to buy sooner than later at factory, at least to check the styles out. In this case I also had a 20% coupon that I could use on top of the discounted price so after much deliberating I decided to order the factory version of the cupcake necklace, the factory crochet eyelet top (aka, last year ring-around eyelet top) and the factory crystal stud necklace. Just to give you an example of what I was saying, the crochet top is now back to FP ($58) while with all the discounts I paid $32. You can still get a percentage off with code MOREPLEASE, but it isn't as good as it was last week.

Let's start with the top. I was actually hoping that the factory website would offer a version of the ring-around eyelet top. I own the blue grotto and it was one of my favorite tops last summer. I wore it to death and I regretted not getting the ivory colorway. I prefer my summer tops to be white and that's the reason why I never got the ivory (before regretting it). Well, they read my mind at factory and they offered it in three colorways, including a pure white. I went with my regular retail size and it fits exactly like my retail one, except for the sleeves that are a little bit tight and shorter, if my memory serves me well. The cotton in the sleeves and back is slightly thinner than the retail version but all in all I would say that there isn't much of a difference, so if you missed on this top last year I recommend the factory version.
Here is on me in my regular XS:





In the last pic I am wearing the cupcacke necklace. I was shocked to find out that this one looks exactly like the retail version except for the fact that the stones don't go all the way around, at some point the chain starts so the overall effect is a bit less stunning. Still, the colors, stone size and overall look of it is exactly the same:




For $30 something I will take it! I purchased the cupcake necklace as an early birthday present to myself last year but I didn't know if I would get a lot of wear out of it and it was expensive so I ended up returning it. I am thrilled that they made a factory version of it that looks exactly the same as far as colors and design go! The other necklace is backordered until mid-March and could be redundant because I purchased the spearmint color as well but if I like it enough I will keep both.

And now a factory item that I purchased a few weeks ago and I don't know if I am going to keep. It's the washed cotton army jacket, that appears to be currently sold-out. I ordered this one as an alternative to the more expensive retail military jackets out there and it is fairly well made. The fit is good in my usual XS (I wouldn't size down) and I liked the fabric, which has a subtle herringbone pattern. However, I don't know if I like the look of a military jacket after all. It isn't refined enough to look like a modern take on the military jacket and I have worn something like this in my old days. Basically, it is a military jacket that looks like a military jacket, lol:





I don't feel particularly well dressed with this jacket and jeans like above but I like it over a maxi. I think it needs a light colored bottom (it would look great with white jeans as well):


I had decided to return it because I can do better, I think, but we have just booked our 15th anniversary memorable trip to.... Jordan and I feel like I might need it (although it is going to be very hot at the end of August). Thoughts? By the way, if you have been to Jordan and Amman in particular, I am having a hard time to chose an hotel there. It looks like all the luxury hotels are deprived of local charm and are pretty far from the touristic attractions so I am almost inclined to go the B&B way. If you have a recommendation, let me know. It would be only one night (two full days) as we are spending three nights in Petra.

Ok, that's it. What do you think of these factory offerings? Have you found something at factory recently? Please share.