Five Easy Pieces

Today I'm packing for our winter vacation in the Caribbean. We have been going to Jamaica for the last three years but this time we are going to Turks and Caicos (very Jenna Lyons, I know, but the excuse is that it's the only place besides Jamaica where there is a resort with a Sesame Street kid's club and entertaiments. And I don't mean TV. I mean a real Elmo and Co.).
We leave on Saturday morning very early (or maybe I should say Friday night very late as our flight is at 6.50 in the morning and with the new security policies you're supposed to be at the airport three hours earlier), so everything must be ready by tomorrow late afternoon.

I have to say, this is one of the few times where I'm not stressed about packing (maybe also because I'm stressed about something else in my personal life). Because we have been going in the Caribbean for years now (being close to the Caribbean was one of the "selling points" of moving in the US for me, I am such a beach person) I master the art of packing for an all-inclusive beach vacation and over the years I have put together what is for me the perfect beach resort wardrobe. I love to buy something new each year (it's part of the pleasure and my husband is always willing to give me a budget for this) but anything that I buy especially for this type of vacation must follow a simple rule: it must be suitcase-friendly, meaning that I don't need to worry about wrinkles, and it must take as little space as possible in the suitcase.

This year I bought two new pieces. The first one is the bikini that I found at Lohemman's last week. Rule number one when buying a bikini: you must like it when you're trying it in the fitting room already. If you're buying it hoping that it WILL look good with a tan and after loosing a few pounds, you should probably leave it at the store. You must feel good and body-unconscious already in the fitting room. Tough rule, I know, but I find that it's the only one that works. Now, I know that there are people (including good friends of mine) who only buy a new swimsuit when they really need it because they can't justify the cost per wear (and also because the don't like to shop for swimsuits for the reason mentionned above). However, I think that the memories sealed in a family vacation pictures are priceless and well worth the purchase of a new swimsuit for the occasion. This to say that I didn't really NEED a new one because my old ones still fit but I'm extremely unhappy of my vacation pictures in my Jcrew bikinis last year (it was my first time purchasing Jcrew swimwear and, I think, the last one).

So here is my new bikini:



It's from the brand Tibi and normally it would have costed $200 but I got it for around $50, thanks to Lohemman's democratic prices. If you ever come across this brand online (I remember seeing a sale on ideeli last year), you should know that the fit is really small. The bottom is a size Small but I think that a Medium would have been better and the top is Medium (a little bit loose but the S was cutting across my breast). Honestly I have no idea of who can fit in their XS.

My other new acquisition (and first easy piece to put in the suitcase) is a "resort" black dress. I have always struggled to find the perfect black dress to take on vacation with me. You definitively don't want to wear something like a little black dress on a beach vacation, but sometimes you want to wear a black dress that is not too casual-looking. I finally found an evening dress with a beach feeling to it. It's from the brand Calypso, which is one of my favorite resort brands, and the "metallic rope" neck is the detail that makes it special and beach-appropriate:




It's in pleated silk taffeta and it's wrinkled by design (very suitcase-friendly).
I have another dress from the same brand that I bought last year and responds to the same criteria:



It's the perfect dress that you can wear from the beach to the pool to the restaurant in the evening (it also works worn as a tunic over jeans), and it's coming with me this year too.

The third piece is this maxi-dress, another Lohemman's find from last year (it was very cheap but it's a Pucci-worthy silk):




Nothing easier to pull on and it photographs very well. See it "in action" last year in Jamaica with ... Cookie Monster (this is one of my favorite vacation pictures ever but I have just noticed that it looks like Cookie Monster is touching my breasts. I promise I didn't feel anything):


This year I'm also taking his little sister, that I bought later in the year (same dress, different print) and you have already seen in a post back in the summer:



Last, an old favorite of mine, a DVF wrap "jungle dress". I bought this dress many years ago at a sample sale and a pregnancy later it still fits. However, I only wear it on vacation because as you can see the neckline is very low and I wouldn't dare to walk around like this in the city (but on a Caribbean beach is another story):




From the following pic you will understand what I was saying about taking as little space as possible in the suitcase:


That leaves plenty of space in the suitcase for the other beach essentials (a pair of shorts, a pair of white linen pants, a cover-up or tunic, a few solid tee-shirts, a beach sweater, a sweater and a pashmina for the evening, two good books and tons of sunscreen) and for my daughter's clothes and toys. Now that I got to share my suitcase with her, it's even more important that I limit myself and thanks to these 5 easy pieces I don't need to make a compromise between being beach-chic and overloading my suitcase (and husband is happy too).

Do you have any packing secret for a beach vacation that you want to share? Do you like to shop for resortwear?

Saturday Outfit (Orange and Black)

Hello, I hope that you're enjoying the weekend. Both my daughter and husband are sound asleep, so I sneaked out of bed to write a quick post.

Yesterday it was the first time in weeks that I didn't wear a turtleneck. We had "normal" winter temperatures with a clear and sunny sky as a bonus and to "celebrate" I pulled out my Celosia cardigan in cinnamon spice (that looks more "pumpkin" to me in this particular cardigan or just plain orange). I wore it with a black scoopneck tee with a chiffon trim that I bought on super-sale at the Loft a few weeks ago and my black toothpick jeans:




The tootpick jeans have orang-y stitches that match the color of the cardigan and the tortoise patent belt was just the perfect accessory to hold everything together:



In this pic you can better see the chiffon trim that runs across the tee. For $11 it was a great deal and it's very pretty IRL:


I wore this in the afternoon to do errands but I liked it so much that I didn't change myself for dinner (we had friends over and I managed to cook without splattering my outfit with oil).
If only I could find my Reva flats to wear with it it would have been perfect!

Have a nice Sunday evening (I can't wait to watch the Golden Globes. I told my husband that I must not be disturbed from 6 - red carpet arrivals - on)!

What Do You Think of ... This Marc Jacobs Sweater-Jacket?

I was at Lohemann's this morning looking for a swimsuit for my upcoming vacation (we are leaving in less than ten days, yay!)
I try to stay away from Lohemann's because there are too many temptations there but because the Jcrew swimsuits really don't fit me well and I like to buy a new one each year, and in my opinion Lohemann's is THE place to go because they have the greatest deals on otherwise much more expensive beachwear brands, I decided to go.
I found what I was looking for (post coming soon) but I also found something else that I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR but I just couldn't leave there.

It's a jacket from Marc by Marc Jabobs made in a sweatshirt fabric and lined with sherpa (I know that this description sounds weird but you will understand when you see the pics). I couldn't resist the colors and the beautiful buttons:







This is the sherpa lining (only the body is lined, not the sleeves):



It wasn't on sale but at $79.99 it was decently priced (as everything at Lohemann's) for a Marc Jabobs piece.
I should be happy because it is a great find and I really like it. However I feel a little bit of a buyer's regret because:

1) It was an impulsive purchase and I don't need it (hey, I was looking for beachwear)
2) It is a size S and I think the fit would have been better in a XS (it is a little bit boxy when fully buttoned, like here):



3) It looks like the buttons come off very easily (in fact the last one came off when I was trying it in the fitting room) and I'm not good at sewing!
4) I have other jackets that I still have to wear
5) I don't have any budget left for spring clothes (unless I return something)

But on the other side:

1) I think that the colors are stunning. It's a jacket that doesn't go unnoticed.
2) It fits very well in my lifestyle (because of the fabric it's very comfortable and I can wear it to the playground, take up my daughter without fearing for it etc.) which means lots of potential wear
3) The fact that it's sherpa-lined it's a plus for me because it means that I will be able to wear it without a coat in early spring when the air is still frisky (and anyway when it gets warmer I don't like to wear jackets)
4) Did I mention that I like the colors?

What do you think? Should I keep it? Is it worth it? Please share!

Outfit of the Day with Necklace

This morning I toured a nursery school for the next school year. My daughter as you know is already in a program but the school where she is now is far from our place while this one is on the block where we live, so it was worth it to try, even if the nursery school admission process in NY is a pain to say the less (don't even get me started on that).
I was torned between dressing like you would dress for a job interview (in fact many, more formal schools call this tour "the parents' interview") and being warm because it's still freezing cold here, so my comprise was the Gap boyfriend blazer worn over a cashmere turtleneck and toothpick cords:


You know that I'm a fan of the toothpick cords and one of their many advantages is that they look polished, especially in the navy and dark aubergine colors. The turtleneck is from last year and I really regret not getting also the cardigan in this gorgeous caramel color:



I love to wear this turtleneck with my paisley blue necklace from summer 2008. I bought this necklace on the JCA Exchange (after missing it in stores) thinking that I would wear it a lot in the summer with white but I have to say that I like it more in this unexpected wintery combination:





Happy Wednesday!

Two New Tees and More Pics of the Yellow Sweatshirt

Good morning, I hope that you had a great weekend!
So last Friday my husband told me that he needed a new merino sweater "like the black one that I have" (Jcrew) and asked me to buy him one. Is it only my husband who always realizes that he needs new clothes only when sales are ended or when his size is gone, gone, gone (he is an average size so the first to sell-out)? I mean, he knows that I go to Jcrew once a week and he has heard before that there are crazy sales at this time of the year, couldn't he ask me before?
Anyway not that I was going to refuse to make another trip to my favorite store, so on Saturday I went to Jcrew again. I didn't find the sweater for him, but I tried on two new tees that had just hit the selling floor. These are officially the first "new" tees of the year, as I had already seen before the other ones that they had.

The first one was a little bit deja crew, but beautifully made:





It also came in pewter with charcoal flowers and black chiffon. I took a pic of the tag but once again my camera didn't focus and I can't read the price or the style number (but I think that the price was $45).

The second one is a in-store only version of the Textured jersey splatter tee:



This one was VERY fitted and a little bit uncomfortable to wear because the flower is "painted" so the fabric is a little bit stiff there.

I couldn't help taking a pic of the window with my "favorite" Jenna's style resolution for 2010:


It looks like Jenna is very serious about her resolution of wearing shorts in the cold (or even the snow) but the effect was kind of hilarious given the arctic temperatures outside.
By the way, the sweater in the window is the yellow merino sweatshirt that I bought on Thusrsday, I think that it's going to be a big seller. Once home I couldn't wait to try it on with some summer clothes as I plan to take it with me on vacation in two weeks.
First with my white linen shorts (without tights!):


With white cocktail capris:



In the store it was styled over a popover, so I tried it over my chambray contrast-stitch shirt from last summer:



And here is with my scout chinos:


By the way, I have these in two sizes (a 0 and a 00) and I can't decide which ones to keep. The 00 is a little bit tight in the hips (see pic above) but I like the leg and the cropped lenght, the 0 is more comfortable (read: slouchy) but a little too loose in the calf. Anyone who has these and can teel me if they stretch out a little bit with wear?

Have a nice week!

Follow-up on the "What to Wear with Sweet Guava" Post

Ladies, as I said before I value your opinion very much and you gave me some great feedback on my quest to find a good match for my sweet guava blouse (see post here). Many comments suggested that I should look into something in a brown shade like cocoa or caramel, and honestly I would have never thought of that by my own.

The problem is I have nothing in those shades (only turtlenecks) and Jcrew hasn't offered anything this year besides the Cashmere V-neck long cardigan in heather caramel (by the way, where are the beiges at Jcrew?), which is still FP. What's a girl to do (besides kicking herself for not getting a Michelle in glazed pecan last year in super-final sale)?
At least you inspired me to try my toothpick cords in soft ochre and they look GREAT with the blouse (not only the color but also the skinny style, that allows the blouse to fall nicely):



Someone also suggested cinnamon spice, so I tried my Celosia cardigan on this:



but I have to say that it looks nicer in the pic than IRL (the cinnamon spice and soft ochre look quite the same in the pic but they fight a little bit IRL in my opinion).

The other color that was very popular in your comments was yellow, in a mustardy shade. Here I was luckier because Jcrew has a lot of mustardy cardigans (so much so that I think they are out of names). Now, it would have bothered me to buy a new cardigan only for the sake of wearing it with this blouse (and that's why I couldn't go with a pale pink or even a sweet guava, because I know that I wouldn't wear them enough), but mustard yellow looks good on me and it fits well in my closet so it's something that I can wear again and again.
So during the 20% off sale promo last week I ordered a cashmere crewneck in warm maize (after looking for it in store, where it was cheaper and not finding it) and I got it in the mail two days ago (by the way, I hadn't ordered anything since before Thanksgiving, so I was pretty excited to receive a Jcrew box). Of course I HAD to order some ride-along for the free shipping, but more on that in another post.

I have to say, I LOVE this color (OK, warm maize is not exactly the same as mustard but we all know that Jcrew can have three different shades that look almost the same if it weren't for the color code on the tag) and I like that it looks almost golden under a certain light. Also it was my first crewneck cashmere cardigan, and I'm pleased with the fit (but luckily before ordering I had tried another color in store in XS, otherwise I would have bought a S, my size in the Jackie).
Here it is with the blouse (taken with the natural light coming from two different sources. As you can see the color of the cardigan seems to change, it' not the camera, even if the color in the second pic is more true):




Even if I hadn't bought it for the sweet guava blouse, I would keep it, I know I'm repeating myself but this is a great color. Re. the quality of the cashmere, I didn't have high expectations and as far as I didn't pay FP it's fine if it's a little bit lightweight.

So I can file away this sweet guava dilemma. Now thanks to you I have at least two cardigan options (besides the navy and black ones) to wear with my blouse and spring is going be here sooner than we think.
But I have another fashion dilemma ready for you, stay tuned!

In the meanwhile keep warm and have a nice weekend all!

JCrew New Arrivals: Dressing Room Pics

Today I took advantage of my free morning (my daughter's day at school is longer on Thursdays than on Tuesdays, so I typically plan my shopping trips this day of the week) to visit a bigger Jcrew store (than the Collection one, that has limited merchandise) and checkout the new arrivals of the January catalog. I wasn't really excited about anything in the new catalog, but the stores have always more items than what's in the catalog, so I was curious to see what they got.
Well, I have to say, not a lot of new stuff but at least one item that I really liked (without buying) and one that I bought.

The following is the one that I liked but didn't buy. It's a ruffled cardigan (again, I know) a little bit in the spirit of the Fifi that came out in the Fall and sold-out almost immediately. But it's a cotton cardi (if I'm not wrong) and it's a crewneck. It comes in two colors, shadow and champagne:






Initially I thought that it was the Rosette ruffle cardigan, but then I realized that those are not rosettes but just strips of ruffles (by the way, the ruffles don't go all the way around, they are only in the front). Very cute, especially the shadow one. If you are interested, the price is $98 but I can't read the style number on the pic of the tag that I took (my camera couldn't focus). A warning though: the ruffles "raw" hem was freying very badly on the one that I tried (on purpose, I guess, but a little bit too much).
BTW, the jeans that I'm wearing in these pics are the toothpick in the new "amore" wash, which is more springy than the twilight and midnight washes (the 27 was a little bit loose but I think that sizing down in these is not a good idea).

The next one is an item that I had high expectations on and disappointed me. It's the popover shirt, in its chambray, striped and white (store-only) versions.
I already have the perfect cotton contrast-stitch shirt from last summer (the fabric is exactly the same) so I wasn't interested in the chambray for myself but because I know that it's pretty popular I tried it on in case any of you is on the fence about it:



And this is the white one:



They also had a striped one, different from the one on the website (the stripes are navy):



I didn't like the fit, as you can see it's too big in the chest area for me (I tried the same XS in the three colors) but I do think that the fabric is really nice. Also, I wouldn't know how to style it. Untucked like this? Belted? It seems a little bit too long for a shirt and a little bit too short for being worn like a tunic. I was bummed because I was hoping to replace and old white Zara one that I have worn to death (of the popover lol), but I guess that I have to keep my eyes open.

I wasn't interested in the very popular Stained glass cardigan, which has been reviewed on several blogs already, but this print also comes in shorts. Now it's a little bit of a shocker to put (very short) shorts on when it's freezing outside, so please pardon the appearance of my white (and under-toned) legs:



Sorry, I totally forgot to look at the price of these shorts. Anyway, I have tried a 0 (I would probably size up to a 2 if I were to buy these), but the interesting thing is that they came in 00 too. Maybe it's an indication that they are going to put on the store shelves more items in the 00 (and possibly petites) size.

Speaking of short lenghts, the following must be the shortest mini-skirt ever. For the new followers, I should mention that I'm 5'2" and I'm a fan of the Jcrew full mini-skirt (like the shirred wool one and last summer Monterey):



Where are we supposed to go with this skirt? I wouldn't even go on the beach with it, I prefer no cover-up! The S was just slighly better:



The price ($39.50) and the fabric (the same lightweight cotton of the Oxford tunic from last summer) were nice but the fit was a total disaster in my opinion (it also comes in an indigo wash).

The Ruffled Carly dress that I really liked on the hanger wasn't particularly flattering on me, maybe because of the pale light amethyst color:



The other color available in store was a slate and not the deep olive that is offered on the website.

Last, the item that I bought. It's a long boatneck merino sweater in a sweatshirt style (like the Jaspe, but merino); it's super-soft but what I really liked is the color:




It retails for $69.50 (much better than the $178 of the double-breasted cashmere cardigan) and I LOVE this warm yellow (it's called HONEY and is more bright IRL than in the pictures, but it's not a citron-y shade). I have to say that I really regretted not getting the painter tee in a similar color last year (unfortunately it hasn't been offered this year). This is perfect with skinny jeans but I also bought it with the idea of taking it with me on vacation at the end of the month in the Caribbean because it's lightweight enough to be worn over a bikini and shorts when if the weather is stormy and windy.

By the way, even if you see me buying more that you would probably have expected after my resolution, I'm sticking to my rules (I haven't purchased anything extra-gift card on the website and I'm allowed to in-store purchases from time to time). Also, I returned a few items (including a big-ticket one) and the money went into the gift card.

What do you think of these new arrivals? Anything that you're interested in? Any question, let me know!