Outfits with the "Pastiche" Pencil Skirt

I apologize for being a bad blogger: I had promised to write a post a day this week but I am suffering a little bit from BOB (blogger's outfits block, as the always super-stylish blogger from A Bigger Closet so precisely put it in this post. Basically I was a little bit tired of taking pictures of my outfits and then I started to think that maybe my readers too were tired of seeing my outfits. Add the fact that my daughter napped very little this week (today is the first day that she's making me the gift of a decent nap) and the fact that I indulged in watching some movies and my favorite shows on TV (Glee and the Real Housewife of New York City) instead of blogging and here we are.

But there is nothing better than a great new purchase to put BOB to a rest and give the tired blogger a renewed energy to try outfits in front of the mirror with a camera. At least, this is the effect that the Pastiche pencil skirt had on me.

Boy, I love this skirt. If you have been following this blog for a while you now that I don't usually wear pencil skirts (in fact I have a very few) because of my pretty casual lifestyle. Initially I didn't care much for this "pastiche" print on the shirt, cardi or the skirt itself, even if I own the scarf where the colors are slightly different. I thought it was a little bit too much and not at all my style. By the way, because JCrew apparently wants to educate his costumers by using "big" words, I played the game and looked up the meaning of "pastiche", that I vaguely knew was related to a form of art. Well, in case you didn't know, a pastiche is more exactly "a piece of art, music, literature, etc. which intentionally copies the style of someone else's work or is intentionally in various styles". Still, I didn't see why they would call this print "pastiche" exactly and what it was supposed to be imitating. The answer is in the website description of the cardigan in the same print: "One of our favorites of the season, with a fetching watercolor floral print (it reminds us of a work by one of our favorite Impressionist artists—and it's exclusively ours). Strangely, out of the seven items currently available on the website in this print, only the description of the cardigan provides the explanation for the "pastiche" in the name. Now you can let your imagination free and try to guess which artist they are talking about (could it be Monet?) I find kind of funny that they wouldn't say the name, like there was a copyright or a secrecy that they are afraid to infringe, like when they say that their cashmere yarn comes from a famous mill without saying the name.

But I digress. I started to have a second look at this skirt when I saw how they styled it in the catalog, with a green utilitarian jacket. That isn't the classic interpretation of a pencil skirt (that's one of the reason why more and more people turn to Jcrew, I guess) and it looked like something that I could wear in my everyday life. I became a little bit obsessed with it (actually with that look from the catalog) and when I heard that it went on sale I asked my PS to put one on hold for me (luckily she had one). I contemplated to order a P2 (my regular size in pencil skirts) but it was still FP on the website and the 0 available in store wasn't too big or too long (just a little bit), so I picked it up yesterday.

As everybody says, Jcrew knows how to make a pencil skirt and I think that the cotton textured ones, like this one, are particularly flattering and slimming.
You can certainly do ladylike, as it is a pencil skirt. This is my interpretation of ladylike, with heels and a cropped cardi:



The tee is the rosette tee from last year in shell and the cardigan is the new version (just arrived in stores) of the crystal-button featherweight cotton cardi in a color that to me looked identical to the desert brown (but the color code says DMU which I always thought was dark mushroom but doesn't remind me of a mushroom at all in this case):



What I really like in this skirt is its versatility and the fact that it goes with just about any color but navy/blue and black.
This is my take on the look in the catalog, with a camp shirt from a few years ago:



You think you have nothing to wear with it? It looks good with a plain tee:



Actually it looks even good with another "flower" tee. What a surprising "pastiche":



This is the Applique flower art tee, that went recently on sale and apparently is currently sold-out on the website. In my opinion is one of the best tee that they have made this season, very flattering and summery, but it was just too expensive and I waited for it to go on sale before buying it:



Too much? You can partially hide the flower under the same camp shirt and add a belt:



And you know what? You can even do blue with it after all, if you have a denim jacket (in this case the safari denim jacket from last summer):



I think that this might be a pencil skirt for those who think that pencil skirts are not for them. If you happen to see it in your B&M you should give it at least a try now that it's on sale. I personally think that the print is more stunning and less overwhelming in the skirt than in the shirt or cardigan.
Do you own this skirt? Do you like the "pastiche" print in general? Please share

An Outfit with the Already Famous Jaipur Skirt

Last week I went to JCrew to return some stuff and as I walked into the store I saw that they had a new skirt in the same fabric of the Jaipur tunic. Because the tunic didn't work for me but I loved the print, I immediately grabbed the skirt and even if I wasn't 100% convinced I decided to bring it home with me and try it in better conditions (like, with heels instead of loafers). This past weekend everybody was talking about this skirt on the JCA blog, and I am happy that I bought it before hearing all the buzz about it (at least I know that I didn't buy it out of fear of missing out on it, as sometimes happens with popular items).

I am a little bit surprised that the skirt has so many fans actually because the style is the same than the Tie dyed Wednesday skirt and I was under the impression by reading the comments left by other JCAs that there wasn't a consensus on it (but I must be wrong because I see that it is almost sold-out now on the website).
Anyway, in case you are wondering, the Jaipur skirt too is short, short, short. Even shorter than the wednesday skirt because for some reasons it tends to sit even higher on the waist (at least on me) and pouch more because it is linen. But unlike the wednesday skirt, it doesn't look good belted, IMO.
These are the pics from the fitting room, with the white popover that I was wearing that day (you can see that this time I decided that I would rather be barefoot than try it with the loafers):




Once home, I tried to pair it with something that I have. It is an easy skirt for sure and it can be worn with a simple tee, as the print is stunning by itself (this is the painter scoopneck tee from last summer, bought for very cheap):



My champagne Jackie is a good match (the color of the skirt is more ivory than white):



In the pics above I was wearing the Cate slingbacks from last spring but I'm going to wear it more with flats. I loved it with my Miu Miu embellished peep-toe flats from last year:



Now, I have been invited to a private jewelry event at the Collection store this Thursday, with cocktails and the JCrew jewelry designer Lisa Finkelstein (it's the first time ever, since I am not a cardmember and these events are usually reserved to cardholders, and when the SA handed me the invitation I felt like I had won at the lottery) and I was planning to wear this skirt (weather permitting) with an old DVF cropped jacket (that I bought a few years ago at a sample sale and I almost put on ebay because I thought that I wouldn't wear it any longer) and the bauble necklace in soft violet:




I hope that this post was useful to those who have heard about this skirt without seeing it IRL (it is store-only for the time being)!

What do you think of this skirt? Would you buy it after seeing it in these pics? Do you think that it's too short on me? Do you like the outfit that I plan to wear?

Product review: the Studded Tunic

Hi everybody! I apologize for the lack of posts last week but I couldn't manage to get anything done on my super-slow backup computer and I had a lot of other stuff to do (like ironing and taking my daughter to birthday parties). The good news is that my computer is back AND my husband is travelling all the week (that's not such good news for me actually), meaning that I am back to posting on a daily basis.

I wore a lot of stripes this past weekend but I couldn't take pics (for the life of me I couldn't remember where I had put my camera the last time that I used it and it turned out this morning under a pile of tees in my closet), so I don't have a "weekend outfits" post for you today. However, I have quite a few new purchases that I want to share with you, so that should do it!

The first item that I wanted to blog about (because I bought it three weeks ago already) is the Studded tunic. I haven't seen anyone wearing or talking about this tunic in the blogosphere, which I find a little bit surprising considering the one of the two colors is backordered.
I fell immediately in love with this tunic while I was browsing the March new arrivals, even before receiving the new catalog. I looked for it in store but even if it wasn't marked as "Catalog/Internet only" my store hadn't received it (and they told me that they wouldn't). So I ordered it at the first occasion as a ride-along.
I was a little bit worried because while I absolutely love the look of it on the website, in the April catalog (page 46) the fabric looks shiny and more like a cotton chambray (not completely solid). Because I was interested in the other color (the bronzed clay) I hoped that it would be more similar to the pics of the website than the one in the catalog (honestly, it looks like a completely different fabric). I had free shipping and it's a full price item, so the only risk was the risk of being disappointed.

Ladies, I absolutely adore this tunic, I would recommend it to anyone (if it's your style, of course). First of all, they haven't pinned this one in the back: the supercute cut is for real and the shirring on the front is just adorable. Second, the color is exactly as depicted on the website and even if the cotton has a slight waive, it isn't noticeable and the effect is that of a solid color and untextured cotton. I was also a little bit worried that the studs would look cheap in real life, but it isn't the case in my opinion (they are sewn on a grosgrain trim and not directly on the tunic) and they only add to the cuteness of the blouse. It is a very lightweight cotton though (like the chambray beach tunic) while it looks more sturdy on the website.

I guess that you want to see the pics now. I realized after taking them that they are a little bit blurred (because it was very dark in my bedroom that day), but I hadn't the time to take them again, so I hope that they will do it justice.
Here is with the toothpick jeans:



I would have preferred the tassel's threads to be shorter, but it's easy to adjust the length:



You can even hide them completely by passing them inside:



Some of you will be more comfortable wearing a cami because of the quite deep opening. However, you can pull on the threads to close it almost completely and make it more "decent", like in the first pic above. Personally I'm not bothered at all by this (but I am European and I think that culturally we are used to show and see more flesh than in the US).

You are maybe thinking that this will only look good with jeans (again!) but here is with the denim pencil skirt:



It's the perfect little top to wear if you are hosting dinner for friends at home (because it is a little bit special but totally comfortable) and I have already worn it in two different occasions. For me it is definitively worth the full price because it didn't disappoint and it's really my style. Absolutely speaking, it can be considered a little bit overpriced (like everything at Jcrew this days) but it's definitively a good buy if you can catch it on sale at some point.

What do you think? Did this tunic catch your eye or you ignored completely? Are you considering it? Any question, let me know!

Two OOTD (Crisp and Tough)

So much to blog about and so little time this week. I'm going to post very quickly two very different outfits that I wore earlier this week but I drank a little bit of Crewlade recently so I have quite a few new (and not so new) arrivals to blog about when I find the time!

The first is the "crisp" outfit that the title of this post refers to. I wore this on Tuesday to school and do errands. It's very simple but everything is in the accessories (the belt and the pearl layering necklace) and I got tons of compliments from the other moms:





The pants are the summerweight cocktail chinos from last summer, the shirt is the white popover currently on sale (in-store only in this color I think), and the blazer is from the Gap. I really like the popover, even if I think that I am going to wear it more like a shirt (tucked in) than like a tunic (too short to be belted in my opinion and otherwise shapeless). It's actually better than a shirt because it stays tucked in and I highly reccomend it.

I can't believe that I wore the following outfit yesterday and I was sweating in it (it felt like end of July):



Once again, I could have looked like I had just jumped out of the bed and picked the first tee and shorts on hand, but the accessories make it an "outfit", especially the studded belt (BTW, you are free to think that I STILL look like I jumped out of the bed):



I recently re-arranged that mess called my shoes closet so all my shoes are now easy to reach (while before I could only reach the newest that kept piling one over the other one). These are from many years ago, when I still lived in Paris and I used to buy almost all my shoes from Free Lance (for those who know). Unlike the JCrew sandals, they are padded and extremely comfortable. Now, do you think that I really need those Reese studded gladiators?
I felt tough in this outfit and even tougher when I added my new Marc Jacobs bag:



Today is the last day of "summer": tomorrow it is supposed to be much cooler, down to more seasonal temperatures. It was good until it lasted, I guess!

Stay tuned for some new arrival reviews!

Easter Weekend Outfits

I hope that you had a great Easter, filled with eggs and sun. I didn't have time at all to blog yesterday but I wanted to post my Easter outfits anyway even if I'm a little bit late in the game.

Saturday we went for a pre-Easter brunch at the Central Park boathouse (for those who are not familiar, one of the nicest settings for a restaurant in the city, right on the water of a small lake where you can rent a rowboat). Brunch at the Boathouse is first come, first served, so we tried to go early to get a chance to be seated without waiting (with a toddler ten minutes is the maximum wait that one can tolerate). We were very lucky because the parties before us were all large parties and we were seated immediately. We also got one of the best tables, in the front row just on the water.

I wore the H&M "maritime" blouse, the Jcrew funnelneck dream cardi from this fall (that has the same golden button details as the blouse) and a denim pencil skirt, bought last week on a popback (it's the one from Fall 09 and not the one that is currently available FP). Actually it was a little bit chilly and the temperature dropped even more during the day, so I would have been more comfortable wearing a jacket but I made the mistake of asking my husband (who had gone jogging before we went to lunch) if I could go outside like that (never ask the husband). Once we were on our way to the boathouse it was too late to go back and get changed so I shivered a little bit during lunch. At least my husband said that I was classy (and by now you should now that it is one of the best compliments that I can get from him), even if he didn't know that the blouse was from H&M!
Instead of showing you my pics in front of the mirror, I will show you the pics that we took on location:



This is right outside the boathouse. See? I wear shoes in real life! In this case the Marjorie leather ballet flats in this nude color that I don't remember how it was called but really goes with everything. I should have bought two pairs because they are very delicate (they get stained very easily) and I would be heartbroken if I had to throw them away anytime soon:



We can't compete with DC but we have cherry blossoms in NY too and they are in full blossom right now. This is a local favorite spot to take pictures at this time of the year. Even if technically there isn't any cherry there, it's very idillic!



On Sunday we celebrated Easter at home with a couple of friends and their son (same age than my daughter). My husband cooked a delicious rack of lamb and we had the traditional italian Easter dessert, the "Colomba", which is a cake shaped like a dove (I didn't think of taking a picture of it but it was really good).
I hadn't really planned my outfit and in the end I wore the Liberty of London for Target blouse and a pair of pink cafe capris. While I was taking the pictures I thought that this top must have been a Easter favorite all over the US, let me know if anybody else wore this too or another item from the Liberty of London line.




I'm still not sure that this top is really me with the big ruffled collar but if there was an occasion to wear it, that was Easter. It is very festive and I felt a little bit like a easter egg myself!

I have some new purchases/reviews and OOTDs to share but this computer (I still haven't gotten mine back) is incredibly slow, so I will do my best to post as frequently as I can given the technical difficulties (and the tons of laundry and ironing that I have to squeeze in this week).

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!

My Favorite Spring Ads (Part 1)

Dear readers, I had a big problem on my computer (it looks like it has been hijacked or something like that), so my husband took it to the office for a couple of days.
I'm writing from an old "backup" PC that I have at home. All my pictures are on the other machine (now I hope that the IT guys won't laugh at the pics of my outfits or that they won't think that I am completely crazy) and I haven't figured out how to download pics on this one yet (not that I have the time anyways, this is the busiest weeks ever for me).

This gives me the chance to take a break from Jcrew for a few days and blog about some of the new advertisement campaigns that had me swooning when I browsed a few fashion magazines this past weekend or saw them on billboards in the streets.

My absolute favorite is the new Chanel campaign for the "Rouge Coco" lipstick. I don't normally fall for makeup ads but I think that Vanessa Paradis is absolutely gorgeous and dreamy in this ad. The shade that she is wearing is "Mademoiselle" and is selling out everywhere (I can understand why):



See the movie by Modiano with Vanessa singing "What a day for a daydream" here.

Vanessa Paradis is more known in the US for being the lucky wife of Johnny Depp, but she has been on the French music and movie scene for as long as I can remember. She was only fourteen years old when she recorded the song Joe le Taxi, which went straight to the top of the French singles hit parade and has been remixed plenty of time:



And her first collaboration with Chanel goes back to 1992 when she whistled from her bird cage in the Coco fragrance ad (refresh your memory by watching the video here).

If you like her, listen to her new single L'amour a jamais featured in her new movie "The heartbreakers", that just came out in France and looks worth it at least for the remake of the Dirty Dancing classic dance sequence with the (sexy) French actor Romain Duris (unfortunately there is no video on YouTube yet, besides one of very bad quality where we can't see anything).

Do you like the new Chanel ad? Do you like Vanessa Paradis and do you think that she embodies the image of Chanel? Did you know that "Joe le taxi" was her?