More Boden

So I had a very bad week. My husband was travelling and I came down with a cold, which gave me a very bad migraine that lasted two days. In addition to that I received some distressing news and I had to go to school evening events in the cold. Let's just say that on Thursday I ended up throwing up in the bathroom of a friend of mine (I should add that this friend is a stay at home dad) while I was changing my daughter who had peed in her pants on our way to a drop-off playdate at his place (I had to carry her for three blocks and I got pee all over my puffer, which probably triggered the throwing up, that was already threatening due to the migraine).

In other news I received three more packages from Boden and I am afraid to say that there were more misses than hits.
One of the items that I was really excited about in the Boden Spring catalog was the Notch neck tunic. I have the version from two years ago which I LOVE and you can see here, so when I see that it had made a comeback in a beautiful yellow I immediately pulled the trigger. I ordered my regular size, a 2.
First of all the color is not the bright and sunny yellow seen in the pic with the tunic worn by the model; it is more of a mustard-y yellow as the color swatch shows (when you click on YEL to make your selection). This was already a disappointment, but the fit is also a little bit off. Not nearly as flattering as my other tunic, for some reason that I can't pintpoint exactly. I would say that the waist (which is actually an empire) gathering sits a little bit higher and because of that the tunic doesn't flow as nicely from there. All in all it appears a bit shorter everywhere. It could be that my body as changed in the meanwhile, or also an effect of the color. In any case, I don't like it enough and I don't think that ordering a size up will drastically change the result in a positive way (it will be too big on top).
Here it is:

The other item that I received (besides a pair of ADORABLE ballet flats for my daughter) is the Pool party tunic from the clearance section. I had already ordered this tunic last year in the yellow colorway when it came out but didn't like it enough for the price. It is now VERY CHEAP, so I thought that I would give it a try in the Rosebud Pavillon color. At the last minute I threw in another one in the Aqua Pavillon colorway, in case that the pink colorway would be too similar to my other Boden tunic.

I don't know what to say bout this one. The fit is good but when they say "Hello Mrs. Robinson", they really mean it. It is fairly sheer, so it can only be worn at the beach/pool or in a resort setting. What I don't like in this tunic is the neckline. It is almost a loophole but an asymmetric one and it just sits weird (poor execution IMO). Plus, they sew "rhinestones" all around it, but they are the same quality as the jewels that you can buy at the Craft store around the corner and that my daughter uses for her "projects". If I had to keep it, I woud probably take them off. I like the colors though, especially in the pink one, where the green is more of an aqua, and I think I could wear on vacation even in the evening with a pair of sandals (the Aqua Pavillon colorway looks more like a cover-up to me). I am tempted to keep it (sans jewels) but I would appreciate any opinion that you might have on this one!

Rosebud Pavillon:

And Aqua Pavillon:

I also ordered another item from the clearance section, the Colourblock tunic in the red colorway (this one was really a popback in my size). This was so bad on me that I didn't even take pics. The fit was all wrong (it was supershort and unflattering) and as I told a friend of mine, I felt like a menopaused woman who wants to go out and have fun one last time. Too bad because on the other side the color was really great and I really wanted it to work, since I don't have any red dress.

OK, I think that this ends my Boden adventure. I don't think I am going to order anything else for a while. After the week that I had and these failures I needed a pick-me up and I caved on some fs items at JCrew that I am pretty sure I am going to like and won't make me feel... menopaused just yet.

Have a good Sunday all!

Boden Border Print Tunic Review

Last week I placed an order at Boden for two items from their newly released Spring Collection and I just received the first package (pardon me, parcel). This one arrived in fours days as it was sent from their US warehouse in Pennsylvania. The other package parcel was sent from England and it may take weeks to arrive, so instead of waiting and reviewing the two items together I thought that I would just go ahead and show you this one, since it seems to be popular.

If you follow my blog regularly, you know that I am not the biggest Boden fan out there. I would say that I order one or two items per season maximum. Most of the prints are too bold for me and some styles on the other hand too classic. But every once in a while I find something to love, at least in the catalog pages, and I have learned that it is better to order early, especially with the incentive of a good promo, because sizes go fast and the waistlists are loooong.
So the first item that caught my eye and ordered as soon as it came out is the Border print tunic. I am usually a 2 in Boden but this one also comes in Petite sizes and I had an hesitation. However, since I was planning to wear this mostly as a dress and not over leggings or pants, I went ahead with a 2R. I ordered the same color that the model is wearing (I must admit that that pic really sold me on the tunic as I find it lovely) which is called "pewter passion flower".

So I am happy to report that the 2 fits as expected and the length is just perfect to wear it as a dress (it is a little bit longer on me than on me model, which is actually better). It is extremely flattering even if this kind of fabric tends to be clingy. I threw on some sandals just to see the effect (granted they are not the best style for this dress, but that's what I could find in my scavenger dressing search):

I am a little bit weary of this syle of dresses because they tend to give me (and I am sure not only me) the pregnant look. But not this one. This is a side view pic to show you that I don't have a bump in this dress ;-)

If I was immediately sold on the fit I was a bit disappointed in the color. I was expecting another color, more brownish/muted while the main color it really is grey and the flowers are very peachy. All in all the print is more contrasted than how it looks online or in the catalog. The picture above (with the side view) and the one below are more true to life in terms of the color than the first two (I adjusted the setting of my camera after the first pictures even if it couldn't capture the color exactly):

I don't know if it is just that I was expecting something else and I have to adjust to it but I was a little bit taken aback and I have to decide if I like it enough and I would wear it enough. It isn't a color that screams summer to me and I am tempted to order the olive colorway to compare (I know that olive doesn't scream summer either, but the other shade in the "olive passion flower" colorway seems to be a blue/turquoise and the global effect of the print could be more summery).
Besides the color it is a great dress (I say dress and not tunic because I think that anyone could wear this as a dress). It is the perfect thing to wear to go out for drinks and dinner with friends in the summer (the problem is, I don't do that that much anymore). I think a little jeans jacket would look terrific with this dress (I am on the search for the perfect little jeans jacket for the summer, since I don't have one, and it looks like I don't have to look too far because the JCrew Nolita might be the one, with its perfectly weathered look).

What do you think of the Boden Border print tunic? Is it tempting you? Please share!
I will be back soon with some JCrew fitting room pics. Have a nice weekend all!

OOTD (Let's Go Party!) And Boden Cashmere Cropped Cardigan Review

So yesterday night we had this big party to attend and I wasn't in the mood at all. I decided what I was going to wear at the last minute (which never happens, normally if I have a party to go to I start to think about the outfit very early, even if as a last-minute person I typically change something before leaving).
Anyway, because the venue is one of the most beautiful party venue in the city and the dress code said "dress to your best", which was a big vague, I decided that you can never go wrong with black in NYC and pulled out a JCrew party dress that I had bought a long time ago at a sample sale and was waiting for an occasion to be worn. I kept the accessories to a minimum, I was feeling "less is more":

I bought that little minaudiere in Italy last summer (with the matching flat sandals), it is by Max Mara and it is a re-edition of an original design from the 60s. The best part is that it has a chain (that can be hidden inside) so when you want to have your hands free you can wear it across the body.

Because I had been sick all the week I didn't want to risk to catch a cold again, so I topped the dress with the Boden cashmere cropped cardigan. I had been eyeing this cardigan since it came out and finally pulled the trigger when I saw that the quantities were getting low and a 20% off came around. It was waitlisted until December but I received it last week. I have to say that when I opened the package I was a little bit underwhelmed: with all the favorable reviews of Boden cashmere (compared to JCrew) I was expecting something more. I might be partial to the JCrew cashmere but I found it a little bit scratchy and I didn't like the buttons at all, so I put it in the "return pile" without really trying it on with a dress.
Yesterday night I ended up wearing it a little bit out of desperation, since I don't have any other "little black cardi" (I have a love/hate relationship with black sweaters) and in the end I really liked it. It hits at the perfect spot and I noticed for the first time the velvet trim on the button placket. I still dislike the buttons, so I think that I am going to invest and exchange them with some more "dressy".
This is the US size 2 (the smallest), which fits me perfectly:

I might buy more colors if this ever hits the sale section. By the way, today's "Catch of the Day" is sweaters but unfortunately this one is an exclusion (however, the more pricey Embellished cashmere cardigan, which is not cropped, is part of the promo)

Now, let me tell you something: you can never be overdressed at a party in NYC. I saw some spectacular dresses yesterday nigh, even if the predominant color was black with some all-gold sequin numbers and two or three red dresses (really over the top).

OK, have a nice weekend. After being waken up at 5 by my daughter I came back to bed around 7 and slept until 10.30 this morning. Yay!

Fourth of July Sales Misc (Boden and Talbots)

Hello everybody! I wanted to post a few of my 4th of July sales picks before the end of the weekend. Great sales everywhere coupled with my birthday coming up (next week) generally mean that I go a little bit crazy at this time of the year and this year is no exception ;-).

I will start with my sale pick at Boden. I am not a Boden babe but there is an items that I have been eyeing all the season and wanted to try once it hit sale. It's the Fringed Tweed Jacket. I am crazy about tweed and this jacket looked great on Tabitha, who reviewed it in this post. It also didn't seem to sell very well, so I was sure that it would get marked down big time and in fact it went straight from 188 to $74. I ordered it in the blue and cream colorway in a size 4 (the reviews recommended to size up and I am usually a 2 in blazers).
Right out the box I knew that I would keep the blue one, the colors are just stunning IRL (the pics don't do it justice and there are subtle metallic threads that doesn't come up in the pics) and it reminds me very much of a Chanel jacket worn by Blake Lively in a recent issue of the French Vogue:

It is lined in blue cotton (sleeves are acetate) with a pink piping:

Size-wise I could have gone with a 2 probably, it is a little bit roomy in the chest/shoulders but I think I will keep this one (the shipping/returns are not free during the Boden sale and I am not sure that I want to spend another $10 in shipping only to find out that the 2 is too snug) as I will probably wear it with a sweater. I tried it very quickly with a pair of jeans, so this is not an "outfit":

This is the cream in case some of you are interested:

I have also shopped the red hanger sale at Talbots and ordered the Patent leather pointy-toe pump in the cameo rose color, which are a dead ringer for the popular Jcrew perfect patent pumps in dusty rose, but with a higher heel. I have only a pair of classic pumps, in black patent, and I have been looking for a light colored pair. I had already ordered them in my regular size a while ago, when the price dropped below $100, but I found them to run a bit big (there was a little bit of room between my ankle and the heel), so I took advantage of the new markdown and free shipping to reorder them in a narrow fit and also half a size smaller. I had a real hard time but I ended up keeping my regular size in the narrow fit. Here I am trying them with a little Theory strapless dress that I plan to wear to a "fireworks party" tomorrow (but I will probably wear flats as there is a little bit of walking involved):

I really reccomend these for the current price ($44) if you can still find your size (free shipping is automatically applied to $100 orders until tomorrow), they look more expensive than they are and as far as I can tell tehy are comfortable (for a pair of pointy-toe shoes). At first I was a little bit thrown off by the high heel, but I got used to it pretty quickly.
I also bought in store a pair of their Signature Fit Garment-Dyed Capris in the cafe au lait color. I was looking for a pair of pants in this color, which reads like a light cream and couldn't find anything similar at Jcrew (the closest to this color is the natural of the Oxford scout chinos but I don't like the fit). These are very soft and comfortable to wear (the fabric is very similar to the Oxford cotton) and I like the hardware. I am wearing a size 2 regular (that "just" fits) with the Calypso tied-dyed sweater:

I have more sale picks from JCrew but my time is up and I will post them in another occasion. If I don't come back before Tuesday, have a great 4th of July all!

Are you shopping the sales this 4th of July weekend?

More Stripes (Boden and a JCrew New Arrivals)

Is there something like "death by stripes"? Because if there is, I have to be careful. I am close to having an overdose but I can't resist buying stripes. I should change my New Year resolution number 4 into "You shall buy only stripes (and nothing else"). It should work.
Speaking of New Year resolutions, I apologize for the lack of comments to my last posts but I have started a new routine in the morning that basically is taking all my "blogging time" (I am making a. We bought a Wii console this past weekend and a Wii Fitness Plus program and I have started to exercise (half an hour of effective exercise). So far so good, it is really a good incentive (but if the damn machine doesn't say today that I lost some weight, I am going to return it as defective).

Back to the stripes, I have ordered a few things from Boden for my daughter taking advantage of their 20% off promo and added two tunics for me to get to the minimum for the promo to apply. One of the shipments arrived already and it contained the Stripy Tunic (WL597) in the Sea Green color. At first I was a little bit disappointed because I thought that it would be more substantial, while it is the weight of a tee. I ordered a 2 (which is Boden's smallest size) and it fits me perfectly, althought I find it to be a little bit short for the city (not sure if it's an effect of trying summer clothes while outside is snowing (so to speak) or if it is really too short). Because it has three quarter sleeves I think it won't work for the hottest summer days in NY but I am going on a beach vacation soon and it qualify as resort attire. Taller ladies might want to size up for more length:



Love the pockets:


I am waiting for the other tunic (the pool party one) to be here before making up my mind. I will report back!

The other striped item that I couldn't help buying is a new arrivals at JCrew. It isn't online yet and it just hit the stores. It is a short-sleeved version of the vintage bateau and retails for $39.50. It has cap sleeves and a slouchy fit but what really suckered me into buying it is the brownish color. I miss brown!!! Technically it isn't really brown, more sepia (color code: ESI) but I will take it:




The best part of the top is in the back. It has adorable buttons all the way down:




I tried to resist it at first, but then I thought that I would end up buying it anyway so better do it while it was easy and my size in stock (this is an XS).
I bet it will come out in the next rollout online but if not and you are interested, the style number is 37810 and the color code is ESI (the ticket says "stripe back button tee").

Now I am off exercizing. Have a nice day!

Our Day Trip to the Sample Sale

So I went to the sample sale again to exchange the-dress-with-giant-hole on Friday. With my daughter. To be honest when we left I wasn't sure that we would actually make it to the sale. It was a beautiful day and my plan was letting my daughter have fun first and then try to get the damn return done as quickly as possible. After all it isn't her fault if mommy spends way too much time shopping and then has to spend even more time to make up for her mistakes.

The great dilemma was: stroller or not stroller? Because leaving for an entire day without the stroller is very risky (she is a good walker but obviously she can't walk as much as I do and when she decides that she's tired I have to carry her. Not to mention that she still naps in the afternoon and the stroller comes handy when we are out and she needs to nap). On the other hand, I was planning to take the bus first to the zoo and then from the zoo to the sample sale and back home, so not much walking involved and even if she did fall asleep in the bus (it's a long ride) I would have had to wake her up anyway because strollers are not allowed in the sample sale premises. So in the end I left the stroller at home and prayed that I wouldn't regret it.

First stop, CVS where we stocked up on lollipops and other treats. Second stop, the Collection store where I made some returns, including the Lady Day coat that I had bought with the 30% off (beautifully made, but not my style). You must think that it wasn't really necessary to stop to make returns that day when our schedule was already pretty busy, but I needed to put some money back on the gift card because my PS (at another store) had put some stuff on hold for me and I had zero budget for new purchases. This was actually the longest walk of the day; then we hopped on a bus and we stopped at the zoo.

The Central Park zoo is so much fun, not only for my daughter but also for me. They have two red panda bears that are one of the cutest things that I have ever seen in my life and we always make sure that we go and see them. But this time around the big attraction were the polar bears, that we had never seen that close (they were hiding in a spot were we usually can't go because of the strollers):




Yes, my daughter was carrying the Crewcuts tote that I had bought still in the summer as a stroller bag for school. She insisted on carrying it after I put inside some sandbox toys (in case we stopped at the playground too, which in the end we didn't). The windbreaker is Boden (from last yea) and I was wearing the "matching" JCrew striped tee (I knew that that tee reminded me of something). Unfortunately I don't have pics of the two of us together.

After the tour of the zoo it was already 12.30, so we had a quick lunch at the zoo restaurant, that has an outside terrace. Can you believe that a bird defecated on us? My daughter screamed as if she was auditioning for a horror movie (for a moment a wave of panic spreaded through the crowd that was happily having lunch around us) and we had to go inside to finish our meal.
After this episode I seriously thought that we wouldn't make it to the sale: she was tired and whiny but NYC saved me. While I was dragging her to the bust stop at 59th Street we passed by the colorful art installation at the end of Central Park (called the Ego and the Id) and as soon as she saw it she run away from me to play with it. Kids! One moment they are all sleepy and the moment after they are full of energy again. She was delighted by the fact that one of the two pieces of the sculpture (the one that was accessible actually, as the one was being repainted) was the same color of her jacket. Of course it was also a good subject for a picture:



Fifteen minutes after we were waiting for the bus and two "statues of liberty" that were standing a few feet from each other fighting for their audience entertained us; then we got on the bus, we sang the wheels on the bus and we finally arrived at the sample sale (I had to carry her from the bus stop to the sale but it wasn't that bad).

Once inside I went directly to the accessory corner (where I had found the scarves, belts and necklaces) and besides a few necklaces that I wasn't interested in, everything was gone. No belts AT ALL (when they had two big boxes full of belts the day before). No scarves besides a very few oldies that looked all sad. Then I went to the shoes area (where my daughter had a lot of fun climbing on the chairs that were not meant to be climbed by a toddler but to try the shoes on) and again, very few shoes left, almost no flats and nothing that I would have bought (at least not for $99). I started to panic a little bit because besides a cashmere long-sleeved tee that started to pile I didn't see anything that I could exchange my dress for. But trading a party dress for yet another cashmere tee that I didn't need or really want felt like a waste of money. So I started reluctantly to look at the dresses again. I found a gorgeous strapless cocktail dress in a size 0 and almost got that one but it had a tiny spot on the skirt where it had been mended and even if I really liked it I wanted a flawless dress this time around, on the principle. So in the end I went with a party dress that is strapless (even if I didn't want to do strapless) but at least is silk taffeta, it is spotless and has all the tags attached (this must have been an overstock and not a sample). I knew that I was taking a risk again with the size (it was a size 2), but at least it was something that I could resell or even return in store. I also scored a Lea cardigan in addition (I couldn't let it go because I always regretted not getting a Lea) so all in all I was satisfied when we left.

On our way back we stopped at the Rockefeller Center store to try on the new arrivals and the stuff that my PS had put on hold for me (when my daughter understood how to open the fitting room lock and started to bang the door I knew that my time was up), so when we finally got home it was 6 pm already. What a day! It was fun and we didn't have any major crises but I wouldn't do it again tomorrow.

By the way, I guess that you want to see the dress. As I said it's a size two and the bodice is a little bit loose this time, but it's an easy alteration. It is also a little bit shorter than the dress that I had in mind but I have at least three parties to attend this spring and I am sure that I will have the occasion to wear it:




I hope you enjoyed the post! Next, the new tee and the new blazer. A lot to blog about this week ...