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?

OOTD: Yatch Blue and Tartan

I want to post quickly a OOTD that I wore yesterday and I think many of you will like, especially if you have the two items in the outfit.

I went quickly to the Collection store yesterday morning to return something that I had bought for my daughter (I always prefer to return Crewcuts stuff to the Collection store even if technically the Crewcuts store is even closer to my place, because the SAs are nicer about returns while at the Crewcuts store they are quite snotty) and I saw the perfect shirt in tartan (the one from last year that came back this year and you can buy here) hanging next to the cafe capris in yatch blue. I don't know if this is something that we will see in every JCrew window across the country for the holidays or it was just a casual display in this particular store, but never in a million years I would have thought of pairing this shirt with those pants. It worked beautifully (because there is actually some blue in the pattern of the shirt) and I couldn't go home fast enough to try it, since I own both.

Here it is, with the skinny belt in pale gold (the best that I could find so far, but I am working on it!):

And with a navy blazer (sorry for the lighting):

I think I am at my skinniest right now, the pants were almost falling off me while they "just" fit when I bought them. Not that I am complaining but sadly I think it is the result of being sick (without being REALLY sick) for more than a month now. My cold just won't go away and tonight I almost burned down the apartment because I turned the oven on (to cook a frozen pizza for dinner) and an old piece of baking paper that was on the cookie sheet at the bottom of the oven burnt. I didn't smell a thing until I saw smoke coming out of the kitchen! Thanks God I wasn't blogging (my desk is in the furthest spot in the apartment from the kitchen) or it could have been wuch worst.

In other news I went to a store this morning and took plenty of pictures of the new holiday collection. I am too tired to post them tonight but you are up for a treat tomorrow!

Did you see the perfect tartan shirt paired with the yatch blue cafe capris in a store? Would you wear them together?

And a bonus:

(Tory Burch Prescotts in navy)

The Perfect Beige Flats: The TB Prescotts in Sand

As you know I have added quite a lot of beige-camel to my closet this season (last in date: the classic mini in felted wool, review coming soon) and I have been looking for a pair of flat in a similar shade. I have the Tory Burch Revas in tumbled leather in Royal Tan for the spring but I wanted something that could better stand the winter weather and also in a lighter color than tan but without pink undertones (like many of the JCrew offerings).
I am happy to report that I found what I was looking for, at Tory Burch again (I know, I am obsessed). I had almost settled for the patent Revas in the sand color, that appear to be sold-out everywhere but could find in my size at Saks:

However, this would have been my fourth pair of Revas (I have the black ones, even if they are on their last mile I think, the tumbled leather ones and the "limited edition" grey flannel ones from last year) and I decided to wait and see.
Last Friday I went to Bloomingdales, that was running a repeat of the F&F with 20% off on almost everything, including Tory Burch (that was excluded during the previous promo). I could re-purchase the Amy pumps (that are basically Revas with a 2" stacked heel) that I had purchased FP for my school tours and interviews and they had just received these Patent Prescotts in Sand.
I don't know if they make this style every year or it's a new one but it was the first time that I saw them and it was love at first sight. When I was about to go to the register, someone put back on the shoe stand the navy and I ended up buying those too because I couldn't decide and I didn't want to miss on the 20% off.
Once home I showed them to my husband and asked him to help me decide which color to keep. Mistake! Of course my husband thinks that I don't need any new pair of shoes since we can't even walk in our walk-in closet anymore because of my shoe boxes laying on the floor (true). Oh well, I decided on my own and I am keeping the sand ones because admittedly I don't need the navy (but it is so difficult to find navy shoes and these ones are so beautiful that I would keep them just for the sake of it).

I tried my regular size 7 but they were roomier than my other Tory Burch shoes (I am consistently a 7 in TB), they were almost falling off my feet. I almost bought half a size smaller but patent doesn't have a lot of give and I was afraid that they would hurt my feet at the end of the day so I asked the SA to bring me another 7 in case it would fit differently from the first pair and these were definitively more TTS (still slightly bigger than usual but comfortable to wear). That's the advantage of buying in store versus buying online I guess. I liked the shape in particular, which is a nice change from the more rounded-toe Revas, without being pointy:

And here with various camel-based outfits I tried them with:

I am very happy with these shoes, they are a real beige that goes with everything and because they are patent they will (hopefully) be easier to care for. If I have the courage to take pics of the navy ones before returning them (I am afraid that if I take them out of the box I will end up keeping them), I will post them in case someone is interested.

Have you found the perfect beige shoes?

OOTD: Sunday, Early Morning

I can't believe this but last night I slept alone. I sleep alone quite often since my husband travels a lot but for the first time since she was born my daughter wasn't sleeping in her bedroom next to me. I went to a karaoke-party last night at my best friend's and she insisted that I take my daughter with me (since my husband left at the same time for another business trip) and I let her have a sleepover with her son, who has the same age. I should add that they know each other since they were two (they were in nursery school together) and it was love at first sight and even if they don't get to see each other that much anymore, they still love each other. Seriously, I start to think that they will end up being together. I should also add that he French-kissed her at the Halloween party recently, so I was little bit worried about letting them sleep together. Anyway, that's how I ended up spending the night alone (that I didn't enjoy at all, because I was worried that she would wake up in the middle of the night and didn't remember where she was).

I woke up super-early and got ready to go and pick her up in case of emergency but she is still sleeping. I threw on an old cashmere crewneck by Zadig and Voltaire, matchstick jeans and a scarf:

The belt is JCrew and matches the bronze of my snakeskin flats (old Theory).
I went to Sephora yesterday to get a little present for my girlfriend and stopped at H&M, where I found this new scarf. The print is a very pretty perfume bottles print and I love the colors. It is poly but for $9.95 poly it's OK and it looks much more expensive:

Detail of the print:

OK, time to go and get her now. The karaoke-party was superfun and among others I sang "Never let me down again" by Depeche Mode, which is my favorite song ever.

Have a nice Sunday!

OOTD: Feeling Meow

UPS has been superfast to deliver my STAYWARM order, in time for me to return my scoopneck striped Seine top (or whatever is called these days), that I had bought FP and re-bought with the 25% off, and re-invest the money in another top before the end the promo (love when it happens).

The top is the Scoopneck top in wildcat, in the same print than the Jules dress in wildcat. I tried the dress and I LOVED it (apparently I am not the only one because it is backordered until February! At least in my size) but I had just bought a fabulous Milly dress (post coming soon) at the Saks pre-sale for more or less the same price and I couldn't justify another dress. The top is a good compromise and I felt that I would get more use out of it. I am pretty sure that it wasn't on the website yesterday but it is featured in the new holiday catalog with the bright blue pencil skirt. By the way, in the catalog is called "Talia", which was the old name of this silk top, now called "Talitha".

The fabric and fit is the same of the striped Seine top, with the difference that the sleeves are regular length and not 3/4. I really love these tops, they are overpriced but so easy to wear (compared to the silk one that I don't wear that often) that the cost per wear should make up for the inflated price (however I was a little bit shocked that this one is $20 more than the striped one, that would have turned me off if it weren't for the 25% off).

I am wearing it today with my Minnies for a "kitty look". I bought my regular size, a 0 and it fits perfectly as the striped one:

It is a fun top but not so "out there" that I can't wear it to school, unlike the dress which is a little bit too much (but again, it looked GREAT. See it on dinster).

While I am at it, I will also quickly review the cashmere shell that was also part of my 25% off order. I was a little bit underwhelmed by this one whe I took it out of the package. I usually love JCrew cashmere but this one is thin and felt scratchy on the skin. Also it is very form-fitting. I bought it wear under blazers so it is OK but if you want to wear it alone keep this in mind, you want probably to size one up (I can't definitively wear it with a shirt underneath). This is the XS (I have never been a S in shells fyi):

Anybody out there has this shell and can share their experience? I might have received a fluke...

OK, time to go to do some volunteering at shool. Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend. I will be back soon as my husband is leaving again for a business trip and I need company ;-).

Late Night Musings

I watched yet another French movie tonight that left me speechless and prompted me to go on Netflix and write a review (first time ever that I do that), only to have it deleted by mistake when I was at the end.
So because I really have to share with SOMEONE I have decided that I am going to keep you hostages and deliver a few try-ons pics at the end of this post only if you make it throught the first part.

To make things easier for you, my dear hostages, I won't annoy you with the review of the movie that I have just seen. It was a TERRIBLE movie, maybe the worst French movie that I have ever seen. However, it was shot in a striking black and white (that we don't get to see very often these days) and it featured a young actor who has probably become the new icon of French cinema (at least of the "cinema d'auteur", mr. Louis Garrel.
If you don't know who Louis Garrel is, let me introduce him to you, in his typical frowing expression and intense look:

You will agree that he is handsome like a Greek God but that frowning, the fact that he almost never smile and is always smoking a cigarette and the fact that is always more or less playing the same role (of the student/intellectual who easily falls in and out of love) make him the natural successor of Jean-Pierre Léaud, the fetish actor of French director Francois Truffaut (who wasn't that handsome but probably more mature as an actor). Like Antoine Doinel, Léaud character and alter ego in the Truffaut movies, he is not really likeable in the movies he plays in. He always appears a little bit gloomy, or melancholic or plain bored. But he has a magnetic glance that keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

In the USA, you probably know him for one of his first features, Bernardo Bertolucci's "The dreamers", a steamy drama about the student riots of May '68 in Paris where he was playing (almost all the time naked) against Michael Pitt and Eva Green. Interestingly enough, his father, French director Philippe Garrel, shot a beautiful higly contrasted black and white movie a few years later on the same events and with Louis as one of the main characters which is to me the best movie on May 68 ever done. The movie is "Regular lovers" and you can rent it on Netflix but it is a 3 hours black and white movie with very slow scenes (a lot of walking without talking) and if you are not used to French movies or not interested at all in May 68 it will simply put you to sleep (but if you make through it it is one of real cinematographic experience).
This is the poster of "Regular Lovers" and it really conveys the beauty of the movie:

BTW, this outfit is mr. Garrel perennial outfit. You will always see him in a white shirt and black pants/jacket. I am not complaining, he certainly knows how to wear a white shirt with carefree elegance:

Besides working with his father, Louis is himself the fetish actor of director Christophe Honore and appears in almost all his movies. I recentlty watched "The beautiful person" and I really liked it but it has probably something to do with the fact that it reminded me of my daily life in Paris. If I had to recommend a movie by Christophe Honore and with Louis Garrel I would pick "Love songs", which is a musical, a genre that we normally don't associate with French cinema. It is a very surprising and original movie (again, it helps if you are used to French movies), and I have sang the songs for weeks after watching it.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if there are any fans of Louis Garrel out there. If yes, please share your favorite movie.

I lied by the way, the reviews are for tomorrow, it is too late now, I need a few hours of sleep before my daughter wakes me up. Dorry for taking you hostage without a reward (besides this one):