A Few Outfits from the Past Week

I have a few cute outfits that I wore last week to share.

I wore this one at the beginning of the week (don't remember if it was Monday or Tuesday but it was definitively before the rain came) after school. I am not a legging person but this tunic-dress is too short to be worn without something underneath, even for me. It's a cord dress from Old Navy and made some buzz in the blogosphere last year. They have a similar version this year here that you can see on Gigi and also a drawstring-waist version. I could have sized up but I ordered it without trying it on and by the time it arrived it was completely sold out. Thus the leggings (I wore it without the belt):





The next outfit is pretty unusual for me. It's a knit dress by Zara and I think it's the only knit dress that I own. It has been hanging in my closet for years (bought it before baby) and the neckline now is very low as the fabric stretched out. I wore it Friday morning to a "coffee meeting" at school. I wasn't sure how the other moms would show up so I thought that a dress was a pretty neutral solution (in the end it was very casual but I didn't feel too dressed up anyway). I paired the dress with the JCrew whirling ruffle cardigan from last year (which is exactly the same color and texture of the dress) and the blossom belt that I just bought on supersale (after stalking it for quite a long time):



It was very dark in my bedroom that morning, so I also took a pic while I was in the fitting room at JCrew where you can better see the details:



It was raining so I topped the outfit with an old classic trench (also by Zara) and a vintage Hermes scarf (that my aunt had offered my mom years and years ago and my mom gave to me):





I always get a "Inspecteur Clouseau" feeling when I wear this trench (any long trench actually). For years I fantasized about buying a classic Burberry trench but then I realized that it's not for me, I am just too short to rock this look (but at least the Zara one keeps me dry). I will let you guess about the boots that I am wearing (post coming next).

And on Saturday night I broke out my new wool crepe cropped pants in bronzed twig to dinner with friends (love them). It was warm, so I didn't wear a jacket but only a cardigan. The top is the ribbon-front top from last year that I can finally wear because I finally found a cardigan long enough (the Loft v-neck cardigan) but not too long on me as the Infinity/Eternity one. I also broke out the BR heels. I have to say that these are not the most comfortable heels that I own, actually quite the opposite so I will save them for short walks. My husband thought that the heels were "funny" (he also asked if it was normal that my pants were that short. Guess he doesn't quite get the concept of cropped pants):



Have a happy Tuesday!

Wednesdays at the Gap: 30% Off Edition

You have probably heard by now that Gap is running a two-day 30% off promo that ends tonight (code SAVEBIG), so I went in to try a few things to show you while my daughter was at school (full schedule this week, yay!)
I didn't buy anything as I am trying to do the opposite of what many who haven't received the JCrew 25% off card are doing: I am grateful and I have decided not to shop anywhere else but at JCrew until expiration of the card. Because I am overspending at JCrew and at least I am not spending also at the Gap ;-).

I have to say that I saw/tried very few things that I would buy for myself. In fact the Mariner top is my top pick and the only thing that I would be tempted to buy:




It's more a sweater than a tee, made in a thick cotton like the Saint James that was sold at JCrew. It runs a little bit small compared to other Gap tops IMO as I was trying a small in the pics above. It's a great piece for the price, especially with the 30% off.

Another cute sweater is the Shoulder zip pullover. This one is pretty popular on the website and almost sold out in this color. The fabric is very similar to the JCrew side-zip seatshirt and I liked that the zipper is golden and not silver. I am trying a S as they didn't have a XS (I would need a XS in this one):




Then the Cascade ruffle cardigan, very similar to Jcrew dream open-collar cardigan, but less overwhelming IMO. Is a cotton-modal blend, and it is quite substantial. It was FP in store but it's on sale on the website. You can play with the collar and it looks nice belted:





I also tried the Ultrasoft v-neck (merino?) sweater. I tried it only for you as I don't wear v-necks. Fits TTS. This is the XS and it was just a tad short IMO:



I am a fan of Gap blazers so this time I tried the Tipped tuxedo jacket. The piping is not a felted wool but a sweatshirt-like cotton. I am trying a 2, which is my regular size in blazers:





It's a fun and well-made jacket with nice details. However, I didn't like that it's one-button, because you can see that much of shirt between the button closure and the pants:



The top that I am wearing with the jacket and the sweater above is the Ruffle lip-printed top. Very cute print and fun top. Not extremely flattering but we have seen worst in tops at JCrew and I like that the ruffles are only on one side. Hre is a close-up of the print and the ruffles:



The Puffer jacket is the long-sleeved version of the Puffer vest that I own in the brown mustard color and I have been wearing a lot. Like the vest it is very thin and if it's OK for a vest I think it's going to be too light for a jacket. Trying a S in black (I would buy a XS in this):




I tried some tees but the only one that was vaguely interesting is the Zipper tee. It has a zipper-like trim around the neckline and a zipper in the back that you can actually unzip to make the tee looser:



However, I found the fit of this one unflattering with the two seams that along the sides (it was also extremely long):



But my best pick for this promo is actually a BR one. I went in because I had half an hour to kill before pick-up and I fell in love with the Fair isle sweater jacket. The website pics don't do this sweater justice. It is really beautiful IRL and the color seemed more cream/black than the navy pictured on the website. This is the XS:



It's so soft and cozy, the perfect winter/holidays sweater. If they were still running a 40% off promo at BR I would probably buy it but $140 is just too expensive (of course you can get it online with the 30% off - which comes to $98 - until midnight).

By the way, I have great news for those living near a Gap store: the 40% off one regularly-priced item Wednesday coupons are back! The promo starts tomorrow and goes through the end of October. If I can get more coupons I will give them away, so stay tuned.

OOTD: The Carly Dress Goes to (Mid)town

So it wasn't that difficult to download pics on this computer after all. I have a review of a new item coming up but because I have very little time I'm going to show you my outfit of the day.

This morning I went with my daughter to the Rockfeller center to meet my parents neighbors (of all people) who know me since I was a little girl and are here on vacation. When we left, the air was still frisky but I knew that by lunch it would be very warm (HOT in fact). It was the occasion to break out my Carly dress! I have to say that I didn't like this dress the first time that I tried it on, probably because I tried it in the amethyst color instead of the grey (which is much more flattering on me); but after seeing and liking it on many JCAs (especially Dinagideon and DaniBP) I decided to give it another try. By then, the grey was almost sold out in stores but luckily I found one in my size after a few tentatives. Well, I am very glad that I changed my mind on this dress because I really like it and it's perfect for my lifestyle (I think that the grey is more casual than the amethyst, which for me it's always a plus).

As many have said, this dress needs a belt, which is fine to me. However, what I find a little bit challenging is wearing a cardigan with it, because of the fabric (a chino cotton) and of the ruffles that tend to bulk up under it. I tell you, I tried almost every cardigan that I have and wasn't satisfied with any of them. In the end the "less worst" was this Theory open cotton cardigan, which is a little bit chunky itself so less prone to let the countours of the dress show underneath:





I tried the belt over the cardigan, but it added weight and accentuated the "cupcake" shape of the dress.
Anyway, it's definitively prettier worn by itself (or the right jacket). And don't you think that my BR purse is perfect with this dress and this belt?



In case you are wondering, I didn't go out barefoot but I was wearing a pair of BR grey perlarized ballet flats from last year that I wore to (almost) death (very comfy). As usual I took my shoes off before/after taking the pics.

For those who own this dress, what do you wear your Carly with? Did you find a cardigan from the current JCrew offerings that goes with it (I would be interested to know)?

Our Easter weekend has already started (my husband came home earlier), so I don't think that I will be able to publish anything else before Monday.
I hope that you all have a Happy (and sunny) Easter!