Fitting Room Pics: Holiday Edition (Part 1)

Hello everybody, as promised I am back with a special treat today. I finally had the time to go and spend some time in a store (in the last few weeks I have been so busy that I only went in for quick returns/purchases) and got to try on (almost) the whole holiday collection. It was nice to see all the new stuff and I had a lot of fun, even if ended up not buying enything besides two items that were on sale. I hope that you will have some fun as well.

Today I am going to post the pics of the regular stuff while later tonight or tomorrow it's going to be party time!
Let's start with the Heart me sweater that many loved in the last rollout but received some bad reviews on the JCA. I understand why: the fabric is really sub-pair for JCrew, it is a thin blend of wool, nylon and cashmere and I bet that the cashmere content is 5%. Anyway, I kind of liked it (you will see it a lot in these pics because it is one of the only tops that I grabbed, and the neutral colors made it a good match for many bottoms) but I bet that this will go on sale before Valentine's Day (I feel that the only occasion to show up with a big heart on my chest is a kids Valentine's party). I am trying a XS in the acorn/black colorway, it fits TTS:

Another top I was curious about is the Wynter sweater in sequin stripe. Initially I wanted to try the black/ivory colorway but the clay blue was more special (although more difficult to wear, because it isn't really an evening sweater in these colors and sequins in daylight are soooooo 2010). This one runs SMALL. I am trying the S here and it just fit:

A top that I admired in the catalog is the Cashmere fair isle sweater I loved, loved, loved this sweater in the catalog and website pics and also when I saw it in store. The cashmere feels very plus and the colors are great. However, this is the most strangely-fitting sweater ever, in that the sleeves seams are very low, like a dolman-sleeve but not . It has to do with the intarsia patterns that runs across the chest and through the sleeves. This is the XS:

Last sweater, a in-store only offering (I think). Sort of a mix between a sweatshirt and a sweater, in a "nordic" pattern. I thought that some of you would find this kind of cute but I forgot to look at the tag yesterday and when I saw it today again at the Collection store I was shocked to find out that it retails for $148 and (wait) has a 84% acrylic content (12% wool and 4% nylon or vicevera). Really? Anyway, this is the XS:

Let me say just a word on the striped leggings that I am wearing with the sweater: AWESOME. These are on sale and I have always been strangely attracted to them but I thought I would never dare. They are superslimming (I know I am fairly small but I don't always look good on leggings)> This is the XXS and they are perfect on me because there isn't any extra fabric, which is always a issue with leggins for us petites. The fabric is 30% wool and 70% rayon and I really recommend to give them a try if you can get them with the 30% off. Now I have only to find something that covers my butt to wear them out:

Let's continue with the new arrivals. I hadn't taken the Cafe capri in wool plaid in the fitting room because I wasn't interested but a lady in another fitting room had just tried them and they were my size so I gave them a try while I was at it. LOVE! They were unusually flattering and fun. However I know I wouldn't reach them very often because they are very loud so I didn't buy them. They seem to run big. This is the 00 and I am usually a 0 in pants with very few exceptions:

On the other hand the much talked about Cafe capri in leopard jaquard were a disaster. Too high-waisted, baggy and plain unflattering (size down for sure). This is a 0:

Speaking of leopard, I saw the Leopard sweater-dress at the Collection store today and tried it on. This is very itchy (it's mohair), sheer and borderline hooker (and all this for $225!) What were they thinking? The fit is good though, this is the XS:

I also couldn't resist trying the No.2 Pencil skirt in harvest tweed when I saw it. It was thinner in texture than I expected (which is good for the fit IMO), even if I had tried on the pants in the other colorway. This is a 0, it fits like a dream. I don't reach my pencil skirts that often so I am not going to buy it FP but I will try to catch it on a good sale. I tried it with my sweater untucked and tucked:

There are a few golden metallic threads in the tweed that I hadn't noticed at first (I tried to take a pic but they don't show):

They also had the tweed pencil skirt with the bow that was mentionned on the JCA recently. I didn't like this one as much (the colors are a little bit drab) and it didn't fit me as well for unknown reasons ;-). This is a 0 as well (the bow looks a little bit sad but maybe it was this one in particular):

This is retail-only for the time being and the price is $148. Someone on the JCA mentionned that it's called No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Glen Plaid (Item #55689).

Last, many JCA were curious about the Fair Isle merino leggins. I have to say that they looked much better than expected (wool leggings is generally the type of leggings that add weight and shorten my figure) and they weren't itchy (at least not while I was trying them on. I think they are something like $95% merino and 5% spandex). What I didn't particularly liked is the camel hem that gives the illusion of something cropped (it looks like a piece of leg). This is the XS (there was a little bit of extra fabric but not that much):

Personally, I wouldn't spend that much in a pair of leggings but if you are a fan of the fair isle pattern and are in Canada or NY, Joe Fresh has a much cheaper alternative (albait a black and white) for $29:

Congratulations, you made it to the end of this post! If you have any questions let me know and stay tuned for the party items!

What's your favorite item from the holiday collection? Which of the items that I showed in this post did you like most?

Seeing Red

By now all of you must know that red is going to be THE color of this Fall (and certainly holiday) season. All the major fashion houses and brands have at least one red item in their collection, as well as our dear JCrew.

Even before seeing the Fall previews I had sort of a heads-up. One day back in the spring I was strolling around in the neighborhood with my daughter and I happened to witness a photo shooting for some fashion magazine. I couldn't help taking a pic myself, the model outfit was so beautiful, don't you think?

That's when I understood that we would probably see a lot of red in the Fall. Unfortunately red is not for me. Even if I wouldn't say that red is exclusively for brunettes (the Versace dress that January Jones wore at the Golden Globes put the word end to that conception, I think:)

it is a color that fights with my warmer skin tone and hair. I can do a bottom but not a dress or top and certainly not in that particular shade of crimsom red that the model is wearing.
Luckily for me the red that Jcrew is using this season (vibrant flame, decadent red) is much more orange-y. I can do orange, as far as it is a warm orange, in fact it's one of the most flattering colors on me.
However, as we all know, sometimes JCrew uses the same color code for shades that look quite different. For example, the lovely Teddie dress and the beautiful Origami sheath dress in wool crepe are supposed to come in the same "decadent red" shade. But they look quite different, at least on my computer monitor:

This is the perfect example of what I was saying before: I can do a red like the Teddie but not a red like the Origami (if the website pic is in fact a good rendering of that shade. I haven't seen it in real life, so I cannot be 100% sure). Too bad because I could actually have some use for the Origami (a more classic and elegant dress), but not for the Teddie (which I really like, don't get me wrong, but can't see myself wearing, at least not in red).

So, I think I will limit myself to a red accessory, like a scarf or a bag, to satisfy my "red craving". As many of you I was drawn to the Edie purse in flame but I really can't stand that handle and the price is too high for something that is more of a craving as I said that a real need. So when I was shopping the Zara sale back in July I saw the perfect candidate: a small cross-body bag in the perfect shade of red, with a shape that is more attuned to my taste than the Edie and very cheap ($29.99):

The reason why it was so cheap is that it isn't leather but poliurethane (basically, plastic) but it looks like leather and I am not picky as far as it doesn't look cheap (it doesn't). I think it will look great with my camel coats and as I said I don't want to invest in a red bag.
In the picture above I am wearing another Zara find. Do you remember this Look from the Fall previews?

I remember someone saying on the JCA that she didn't know why anyone would want to look like a big pumpkin. In any case, the long skirt is another big trend for Fall and another one that as a petite I should be careful with. I don't want to be sucked in and put a lot of $$$ in something that will probably last only one season and is not even particularly flattering on me. However, I was drawn to this Zara skirt, that I had seen/tried several times before and finally bought on sale (I would have bought it before but it was a "size M fits all" which means that it needs alterations, so I waited for a sale). Ironically, it's the color that I really liked, a beautiful strawberry red. This was part of the spring collection (it is unlined) but the fabric is substantial enough to be warn through Fall with tight and boots and has a beautiful draping.
Now don't laugh, because I am not going to use it to wipe the floor like in this pictures (I am having it hemmed):

And with the beautiful cashmere cable sweater in heather camel, which is the only thing in the JCrew early Fall collection, along with the cafe capris in yatch blue, that I wanted so badly to pay FP. I am wearing the XS:

Camel and red make such a beautiful pair that I am tempted by the Classic mini in felted wool in decadent red:

but I will resist because I have the atomic mini from last year (I don't think I can pull off the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Double Serge Wool in the vibrant flame color, but it's beautiful).

Are you "seeing red" this season?

JCrew New Arrivals, February Edition: Fitting Room Pics

Good morning! I hope that you had a great weekend and if you live in the NE you are staying warm.
Are you ready for a looooong new arrivals post? I went to a JCrew store this past Saturday morning and the store was EMPTY (it was coooold outside), so I tried on virtually everything that was in store and I hadn't tried on yet. I am also adding a few pics of items from the previous rollout (January catalog) that I hadn't the chance to post before.

Let's start with the Silk Blythe blouse. Finally a ladylike blouse! I loved at first sight in the catalog and it didn't disappoint IRL. Fits TTS (I am trying a 0). I tried both the white and the navy and liked the navy better on me but I think that it will make it to the sale section:




And the white one, casual with cords and with the Timber tweed pencil skirt (that I didn't get):




Another item from the January rollout that I hadn't tried on before is the Canvas military skirt. I had a few requests about this one so I tried it for my readers but I wasn't interested for myself. I am trying a 0 in the spruce color. The fabric is quite substantial (I apologize for the rolled socks, it isn't easy to try winter stuff with these temp outside):




The top is the cotton version of the Lisette sik cami but it is more low cut than its silk counterpart. I am pretty sure it retails for $48. I would size down in this one (I am trying a XS and a large part of my chest was exposed under the lace trim but I was wearing a nude bra so it doesn't show on the pics). See it better here (but I liked the sage color better, it is more summery):




Another item that has been on the website for a while (even making it to the sale section at some point and then going back FP) is the Lighthouse cardigan. I tried it on for a friend but I was pleasantly surprised. Please note that it is much shorter on me than on the model, so if you like a longer length I would size up (it also fits a little bit small in general). This is the XS in white ash (an ivory with a slight pink-ish undertone):



The top that you see peeking out of the cardigan is a new tank. Very, very cute but overpriced for a tank ($39.50). It comes in this red stripes, navy stripes, grey stripes and green stripes (if I am not wrong). I would go with your perfect-fit tank size. Here I am trying a XS but I couldn't button the last button as you have probably noticed. See it here with a new skirt:




I don't remember what size I was trying in this skirt (I don't remember if it was numerically or alpha sized) but it was a substantial cotton canvas and the hemline was definitively longer than the minis that we have seen this past winter. I think that it retails for $69.50 and it came in other colors. Sorry, I will try to provide more infos if any of you is interested.

For those who aren't striped out yet (raises hand), the following was one of the things that I liked most from this rollout. It's a cotton cardigan with an ultra-feminine silhouette, a little bit like the femme cashmere one (but longer). This is the XS and it retails for $59.50 (I would have bought this at $39):



Speaking of stripes and sweaters, the Sailor sweater just hit the stores. I wasn't interested for myself (strangely) but I know that it's pretty popular, so I tried it on for you. I liked the seaweed color more than the black one. Here I am trying a XS (it is pretty slouchy but I wouldn't size down):




Someone asked about these ballet flats in another post and since I didn't have the chance to answer I will answer here. I was actually trying these in the store. They are the Kerrinton ballet flats from last year (in bright orange) and they still popback on the website for $49.99. The in-store price was $69.99 the first time that I tried them on and because they were a little bit small in my regular ballet flats size (the only one that they had) I didn't want to take a chance with FS. But they still had them this Saturday and because I had seen them on the website for $49.99 they matched the online price and with the current 50% off they came down to $25, so I decided that I would give them a chance for that price.

Another item that created a buzz even if it hasn't been released on the website yet is the striped knit blazer that was featured in a magazine some time ago. The first time that I caught a glimpse of it in another store I mistaken it for the striped hoodie pullover (the stripes are very similar) and didn't take it to the fitting room, but this time around I looked for it. It is sized XS-XL and I am trying a XS. I have to say, it looked much better on the hanger than on me. I think it would have benefitted from some padding in the shoulders and a more defined waist. Plus the sleeves were very long on me and because of the buttons it would be a hassle to have it altered. In any case I wasn't really interested in this one for myself as I have a similar knit blazer from BR that I never wear (even if I really like it).




When I saw the Bonnie double-breasted blazer, I thought it would be at the top of my wishlist. Both the fabric and the buttons are luxurious and it really looks much more expensive than it is. However, when I tried it on it was a disaster. Granted, I should have grabbed a 2 (which is my size in the schoolboy blazer) and not a 0, but its is not the look I was going for:



A little bit better when left open, but still:



The pink top that I had under the blazer is the Retro shell in popsicle pink. This one is very nice and I think it is going to be a good seller, especially in this color. The fit is TTS to slightly big in the body. I am trying a 0 and I think that the 00 would have be too small in the chest area, so if you have something there stick with your size:



I also tried the navy with the Pinstripe mini-shorts. These fit a little bit big IMO but I liked them more than I thought. This is the XS:



They had this new cardigan that looked beautiful on the hanger, in an olive color with a metallic net trim down the placket. It is priced at $89.50. I am sure that on the website they will show it open because instead of having buttonholes it has loops that are sewn into the trim and that ruin it for me because the buttons pull on the fabric with a unsightly gaping effect (I don't think that sizing up would be a solution):




If you need to take a break, go now ;-).

They had two dresses that caught my eye. One is a knit ruffled dress that I tried on because it looked an easy resort/beach dress. I didn't look up the fabric content but I am almost sure that it is rayon and not cotton. Very, very comfortable to wear but it was a tad small in the bodice and it was compressing my boobs. It was priced $69.50, I think, and this is an XS (I am not sure what other colors this comes in):



The other dress that I tried on is an occasion dress in the same popsicle pink than the retro shell. If you can pull off the puff sleeves, I really recommend this one for a spring wedding or event. I was expecting this to be much more expensive but it was "only" $128. This is a 00 and I honestly though that I wouldn't be able to squeeze in but it fits perfectly, so I would size down as I am usually a 0 in dresses:




Last, my favorite pick, the Candy plaid perfect shirt in candy moss (I didn't care for the other color). LOVED this and I had to use all my willpower to leave it at the store (it helped that it is $72, which I find very expensive for this kind of shirt). Trying a 0 here, it fits TTS:



And if you are going for that "real camper" look, add the Twill utility vest:



I am joking because I really liked this one too and it is on my sale watchlist.
It looks like I'm loving green this season because the only tee that caught my eye is this one (it says Nu-tri and that's a weigh with some ingredients on it):



I realized that I was trying a XXS and that's why it looks smallish. It's a nice tee but priced at $39.50 I think it will easily make it to the sale rack (it doesn't have any embellishment). In any case the style number is 37270.
The pants are the New cafe capris in a 0. I am sorry I only have this pic but they fit like the old ones IMO (I have always been between a 0 and a 2 in these and the 0 was a little bit snug). The pockets didn't bothered me.

That's it. I am sure that there will be new arrivals on the website that I didn't see or try but I hope that it helps in case you are on the fence. I will try to update this post with links once these items become available.

What do you think? Did you see anything that you like? Any question let me know.
My husband just left for a five days business trip and I will be more available than usual, especially in the evenings.