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?

Meet My New Bag (no, it isn't a Vuitton)

When I blogged about my bag dilemma, I omitted to tell you that a designer bag that I would have happily exchanged my BR for (let's call it my "dream bag") existed; just, it wasn't a Vuitton. My husband can be very obstinate and the deal that he offered me was only valid on a Luis Vuitton.
Many of you were surprised that I couldn't find a Vuitton that I liked but the reason is that there was another bag that I simply LOVED and have been lusting after for a while and I'm not greedy enough to let my husband buy me an expensive bag that I'm not in love with. It really seems like a waste of money to me.
So I dropped it and I started to wear my BR purse and I have to say that I'm pretty happy with it: it's the right dimension and it's a carefree bag, plus it goes with many coats that I have.
But I must admit that I would find myself browsing the Internet to catch a glimpse of my "dream bag".

OK, enough with the suspence: my dream bag is the Marc Jacobs "The Single". For those of you who are not familiar with Marc Jacobs bags it's a quilted cross-body that retails for $525 and comes in different colors/leathers. I wanted a plain leather one because it is the only one that comes with a chain strap (while the other styles come with a leather strap). It is in a price range that makes it almost "affordable" but if I can spend the same amount of money in different, smaller purchases, I always have scruples to blow more than $150 on a single item (I know it's silly, but it is what it is). So I have been watching every single Marc Jacobs bag sale for more than a year (Gilt, RueLaLa, you name it) and I think that I have missed my big occasion to buy it on sale the day after Xmas at Saks (I arrived at Saks too late and I didn't even think of checking the website before going).

So when a friend of mine gave me the coupon for the Bloomie F&F event I thought that I would give it a try. I had been at Bloomingdales during President's Day weekend to try the Tory Burch shoes and I had stopped by the Marc Jacobs corner to check it out (again). At that time they only had the studded one (in a weird color), which wasn't my first choice so I was almost sure that I wouldn't find it (this time I had checked the Internet first).
But they had it. Classic black. Plain leather. Chain strap. The 20%coupon applied and I had my gift card to spend plus an old return (2008 old) that almost covered for it. You agree that I couldn't leave it at the store.

So meet my new "Single". In my opinion it is the most Chanelesque bag out there (because let's face it: Chanel it's out of my league). The leather is the softest and most luxurious:



It is roomier inside than the BR and the JCrew charmed mini-bag. I like that even if one day I buy a bigger wallet (my Prada is one of the smallest wallets on the market) I will still be able to stuff it in the bag:



And the style? Classic, I tell you, and like a Chanel it will never go out of style:





Now, will I wear it to the playground? Certainly not, at least at the beginning. The "instructions for care" are pretty clear: "Due to the delicate nature of the quilting, we recommend that you treat this item with care. Avoid getting it wet (ie avoid sprinklers at the playground and don't let your toddler come close to you with a watercan full of water. If she wants to jump in a puddle, don't try to dissuade her and just run away), as water stains may occur. Avoid overexposure to direct light (ie, don't stand in the sun waiting that your daughter has finished examining every leaf or insect that she finds on her path) as color fading may occur. If it has frame, we reccomend that you use the frame gently (ie, don't let your toddler pull on it to obtain your attention when she has a tantrum).

So no, I won't wear it to the playground on a regular basis even if it might happen that I go out to run an errand and I end up at the playground (in those situations I guess that I will be a stressed mom). But because my husband ultimately didn't pay for it I'm entitled to keep the BR for my everyday life and I will wear this one mostly to go out with him (or alone). I don't have to wear it every single day as it is meant to last alifetime. And a deal is a deal, right?

I bought something else at Bloomingdales but, yes, you guessed, I will leave it for another post.

Saturday Shopping Outfit (Papaya, Ruffles and Giraffe)

Saturday morning I had plans to go to Bloomingdales to take advantage of their Family&Friends event (20% off fashion) a it was the right occasion to finally spend a gift card that I have received for my 40th birthday last summer.

It was a cold but very sunny day so I was in the mood for some color. I also wanted my outfit to be easy to take on and off in case of try-ons (so no shirts/skirts/boots). I picked my cashmere cardigan in bright papaya from last year and I paired it with the Victoria tissue cami. I have to say, I am quite satisfied of how this outfit turned out. In fact I felt great and "ready to shop":



You have probably noticed the change of locale: I took these pics in the living room, unseen by my husband who was in the bedroom. In the background you can see the typical mess that our living room is on Saturday mornings, after my daughter has spread the pages of the New York Times, especially the ads, all over (we subscribe to the weekend edition).
I was wearing a Crewcuts "giraffe" pendant necklace that I stole from my daughter. I bought this necklace around Thanksgiving: we were in the store and my daughter made me a scene about the necklace so I indulged her and bought it. Of course five minutes later the necklace had already lost all of its interest but I couldn't return it because the SA had cut the tag off. Then it disappeared for months, as things can disappear in a household with children and it resurfaced in a drawer a few days ago. I have to say, I quite like it for myself, especially with this cardigan (I had to hide it from her because of course had she seen it, she would have wanted to wear it):



The color of the cardigan reminded me of something. Papaya, papaya, what else do I have in papaya? The potpourri scarf, of course:



Actually I wore it over my script coat, because as I said it was cold:



I had a lot of fun at Bloomingdales, I hadn't been in a department store in a very long time and it was refreshing to see other brands than Jcrew.
BTW, I found a solution to my bag dilemma, so stay tuned!

Have a great start of the week!