A trip to the retail store with the Jacinta vest

I was able to check out the new arrivals at the B&M this weekend.  I tried on and liked the Cammy utility pant (which I think fits like the Trouper pant), Sorbetto pencil skirt, and the new tweed pencil skirt in purple, navy, and ivory (currently in store only).  Of course, I love a great many more pieces that I didn't find in store.

Here's what I wore:

Outfit with Jacinta vest

In this set:

Liberty floral daze perfect fit shirt - J.Crew, size 2
Jacinta vest in golden topaz - J.Crew, size 2
Serengetti belt - J.Crew, size small
Dark wash jeans with topstitching detail - Roberto Cavalli, size 42
Leather sneakers - Gucci, size 37G


Love, love, love the Jacinta vest.  I originally tried it in heirloom pink, but the color was too neutral / beige and didn't match much in my wardrobe.  It was also too close to my skin tone and washed me out.  I ended up purchasing the golden topaz one, and I am very happy with it.  I can wear it over shirts with jeans or utility pants or under my heather grey suits.  I will note that having the straps shortened just a bit would improve the fit of the vest for me.

Here is the outfit with the quilted double-breasted puffer:

Outfit with quilted double-breasted puffer

Another favorite.  I'm wearing a size small.  I love the rich navy color and have worn this jacket often.  It's perfect for those 50 (F) degree days.  You can see it on Gigi here.


Embellished with ruffling detail, I think current the Tulip ruffle cami is reminiscent of the Jacinta vest.  On AudreyBella and Roxy.

Are you a fan of the Jacinta vest?  What do you think about the Tulip ruffle cami?

I Love J.Crew Collection

I have a strong affection for J.Crew Collection.  I tend to favor more the ones of classic design in beautiful fabrics or pretty details.

Here are a few that I've come across last season.

Cashmere Cocoon Popover

Cashmere Cocoon Popover

The fabric is sublime, a true beauty.  In the end, I think the shape overwhelms my frame, and the style is not as classic as I would want for such a costly piece.  The grandeur of the funnel collar was too much.

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Lacey Top

Lacey Top

Very pretty.  Satisfies the classic look with beautiful detail.  The lace is simply fabulous though the inner lining in silk Georgette was a bit thin.  I wonder if it's too small for me.  Seems to arrive very high at the under arms with a high waist line.  (You can see from the sash loops.)  What do you think?

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Metallic bouclé moto jacket

Metalllic bouclé moto jacket

Scrumptious fabrics and lined in silk, this is a very nice weight jacket for a night on the town or dressed down with jeans.  I don't care for the cut on me, too boxy and cropped with a prominent V-shape (which would be apparent had I not been taking the picture).  Also, though solid, it is delicate with its silk Georgette lining and thick threaded material, mohair being likely to be problematic.

What do you think?  Do you like J.Crew Collection?

Review: Stripe Painter Tee

During last week’s promo of 20% off in all knits at J.Crew, I picked up the Stripe Painter Tee in Navy. I have a weakness for stripes and I couldn’t pass the opportunity to grab this tee. I love it. I am wearing a size xx-small, but the x-small would have been fine as well for a more relaxed look. I recommend it.

Did you buy anything during last week’s promo?

Happy Valentine's Day to Me by LSS

Since I don't have a Valentine and I had an awful week at work, I bought my own Valentine's Day gift, the merino confetti sweater in graphite salt. I almost never pay full price but this beauty made my heart stop when I saw it online with the new arrivals on Thursday. It combines my favorites - stripes and sequins. I called my PS on Friday and while I could order it online, I wanted to try it first. The only stores that had it was a store in NJ and the Bridal Store in NYC which, lucky for me, is right on my way home. I called the Bridal Store that morning and put it on hold. I knew I couldn't try it on and leave it and I was right. I bought it Friday night on my way home. It was perfect timing b/c I needed a little sparkle and light in my life right now. I needed to feel pretty on the outside b/c I wasn't feeling so great on the inside. In my opinion it looks like it would be a Collection piece and it's not and although expensive, it doesn't come with a totally outrageous Collection price. This is a size small and made of a lightweight soft merino wool and the dark gray stripe pairs well with a lot of items in my wardrobe. I hope it makes you smile like it makes me smile and you like it as much as I do. Sorry for the horrible photo. I'm not great at taking photos myself with a camera phone.

Shimmer and Sequins

Shimmer and Sequins

Shimmer and Sequins were the theme of my night on the town at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Rasika.  (Thanks for the recommendation, Kater!) I wore the sequin sweatshirt and coquette hobo in shimmer leather to celebrate Valentine's Day -- yes, two days in advance :).

J.Crew Coquette Hobo and Sequin Sweatshirt

J.Crew Coquette Hobo
in Shimmer Leather

I am crazy about hobos, but more importantly, i love a bag that contours to my side with a comfortable handle drop.  The coquette hobo meets these requirements, so much so that i picked up another in the suede.

J.Crew Coquette Hobo in Suede

The shimmer leather in metallic graphite has a quiet iridescence coupled with a slouchiness that makes it truly casual chic.  I think the bag can easily be worn during the day or for an evening out.  With its golden accents and contrast of coloring, the metallic espresso -- a bronze really -- demands much more attention and is "at home" in the evenings and those casual yet glam and glittery occasions.  After seeing it in person, i decided to purchase the graphite one because of its versatility and better affinity with my lifestyle.


I was a fan of the sequin sweatshirt (and there have been many) as soon as i saw it in store.  The heather dove with the transparent sequins had a simplicity and subtlety that appealed to me.  When i saw how flattering it was on Gigi, i knew i would order one.


Here's the look:

The Look - Shimmer and Sequins

In this set:
Sequin sweatshirt - J.Crew
Snoopy necklace with Swarovski crystals
Coquette hobo in shimmer leather, metallic graphite - J.Crew
Snoopy watch - Fossil
Vintage jeans - Roberto Cavalli
Jello wedges - Aquatalia by Marvin K
Kitty - Ginger :)


And here's my Valentine's Day gift.  Yes, i admit to being and having a DH who is a geek. :)  I have this keyboard in black in a slimline version and love love love it, so it was only fitting for the occasion to receive one in pink, my favorite color.

Filco Majestouch Keyboard

What are your plans for Valentine's Day.  Will you wear J.Crew?

White Denim in Winter Challenge

Carrie from This Free Bird asked bloggers to participate in a fun challenge. The objective was to post an outfit that would feature white denim in the winter. I had a blast putting this outfit together. The necklace was a J.Crew piece from last Winter and it had a pink fabric bow but I removed it. The pink short sleeve sweater is from Spring 2008 and it’s one of my favorite pieces.

Funny thing about wearing white denim in the winter, my jeans got really dirty after just wearing the outfit for a couple of hours while getting breakfast and coffee. Oh well, it was a fun outfit while it lasted.

The ladies joining me in the challenge today are:

Anna Jane from See Jane

Elle Sees from Elle Sees

Jayme from Jammer at 10am

Val from Red Vines for Breakfast

{Sweater-J.Crew}{Jacket-BB Dakota}{Jeans-J.Crew}{Necklace-J.Crew}{Oxfords-VIntage}

Getting to Know Us: True 'Crew Love (RosaLovesDC)

Hello J.Crew Lovers! I am so excited to be part of the True ‘Crew Love blogging team. I have met several of the contributors to this blog and they are a wonderful group of ladies. Besides being incredibly fashionable, these ladies have become some of my close friends and I always look forward to our outings in the city.

I discovered J.Crew back in graduate school many years ago during a Regional Warehouse sale in Indiana. I fell in love with the style and the vibrant colors of the clothes I took home with me that evening. Since then, J.Crew has consistently been present in my closet. I draw inspiration from the J.Crew catalogs and Jenna Lyons fabulous style when putting together my own outfits.

Contributing to this blog has been an amazing experience. I’ve been interested in writing about my passion for fashion and all things J.Crew for a while, and this blog has provided me with the opportunity to do so. I love the positivity and supportive nature of the team and the great response from our readers. And writing for this blog has been so inspiring that I recently started my very own blog.

Besides my interest in fashion and J.Crew, you probably already noticed that I am also a food enthusiast. Therefore, some of my posts might include my foodie adventures as well as my J.Crew outfits. And maybe the occasional appearance by my chihuahua Lola, who has way too many clothes (well, that’s according to my husband).

Thank you for visiting our blog!

My Outfits

{Glenn Plaid Ruffle Skirt-J.Crew}{Floral Blouse-H&M-Got it after I saw on Anh}{Jackie Cardigan-J.Crew}{Prism Necklace-J.Crew}

{Jackie Cardigan-J.Crew}{Ruffle Top-J.Crew}{Toothpick Jeans-J.Crew}{Flower Pin-EmersonMade}

Thank you for visiting our blog!

Getting to Know Us: True 'Crew Love (Lacey aka LSS)

Hi! Like most of the other members of this True ‘Crew family, my wardrobe is 99.9 percent J. Crew. I became crazy for J. Crew in college when the company was just a catalog. I still have a few of my sweaters including the legendary roll neck sweater. I feel as though J. Crew has evolved with me as my style and tastes have changed. Over the years I've become more sophisticated, edgy and willing to take risks with color and prints.

I get bored easily so I like that J. Crew provides items to suit my changing moods. I love that I can be preppy one day and more fashion forward the next. I can dress in neutrals on Monday and change it up on Tuesday with a bold color and when I'm lazy, their heels and statement jewelry can truly transform a tee and a pair of jeans.

I'm a huge fan of Jenna and Marissa's style and their philosophy about mixing textures, balancing masculine with feminine items and formal pieces with casual items. I also like that J.Crew has captured the hearts of people of many ages and there is something for everyone to love.

I can honestly say my love of J. Crew has changed my life for the better. My clothes allow me to express my personality and explore my creative side. One of the best parts of my day is deciding what combination I'm going to wear to work and, more importantly, I've become very close to a number of my fellow contributors and that's amazing. They are super woman that are positive and supportive and it’s been a blast being able to share a common interest. We get excited for each other when one of us scores an item (in my case, the Electra Vest 28993 and merino shearling shawl-collar cardigan 32165) we've lusted after for ages. It’s rare to find a group of people that know the thrill of victory and agony of defeat when it comes to J. Crew sales. I'm very thankful that I've been given the opportunity to contribute to this blog and the chance to make new friends. I’m a loyal fan and I truly believe I’ll be rocking a striped sequin tee in my 80’s.

My Wish List for Spring 2011

This past weekend, I decided to put together a list of items that I need/want in my closet for the upcoming season. There are so many beautiful trends for the Spring 2011 season but I wanted to narrow it down the ones that I truly love and would match my style. As you can see below, I have everything from wide leg pants to silk blouses and even sequins.

After finishing my list, I took a look at J.Crew’s latest catalog and the new arrivals online and I found just the right items that would fulfill some of my needs/wants.

1. Maritime Dress

2. Girls' Starlet Skirt

3. Stripe Button-Back Tee, in English Saddle Ivory

4. Silken Crewneck Sweater, in Rustic Twig

5. Chiffon pouchette, in Papaya

6. Silk Blythe Blouse, in Alabaster

Do you have any fashion trends you are absolutely in love with this season? What J.Crew new arrivals are you currently coveting?

Latest rollout: coveted items and some measurements

I found a lot of things to like from J.Crew's latest rollout (last Thursday).  Here's a peak at what I ordered, and I'm also providing some measurements for any of you ladies out there who might be curious.  I can't promise I'll do reviews, but I'll try.

First up is the stripe button-back tee.  I actually pre-ordered this one.  I love anything with stripes in it.  I ordered it in the pink color (which was canceled, even though there were a ton in stock - luckily my PS was able to place another order for it).  Note that the pink is BRIGHT pink in person - I saw it in the store and was a bit disappointed that it wasn't the pretty shade of pink in the picture, but I'm going to give it a try in person.



If you are interested in the measurements for this shirt, they are below (my PS only sends me measurements up to those she thinks I would need, so I'm sorry that it (and the others) don't include all sizes).

The next things that caught my eye were the girls' grosgrain flats.  I love ballet flats, and of course I love ribbons and stripes.  J.Crew actually made these flats last summer or fall, and I already own them in a few other patterns as well.  I'm really curious to see the purple ones (they are called "neon purple", and J.Crew was not lying about the neon in the last round of colors) and the light green ones in person.  I am also very glad that I can wear girls' shoes, because they are really cute but also affordable!





I also ordered these flats, which are the girls' star-dip ballet flats.  They also come in a navy color, but I love pink and purple.  They should be a nice way to add some sparkle to an outfit.

This is the sailor stripe sweater, which I wasn't really into until I saw it in the store on a mannequin.  Based on the measurements (below the picture), it seems to be sized rather large - I actually ordered it in an XXS, and I am not even an XS regularly!  I ordered it in the green color - I'm always wary of black and white stripes looking like jailbird stripes, and I already ordered a sweater from The Limited recently that was big black and white stripes.

I also ordered the indigo boatneck shirt.  I missed out on the bright pink striped boatneck shirt from the fall or spring or whenever it was, so I am going to try this one out and see how it works.  This one also seems to be sized a big looser.

I saw the lace dobby skirt in the store, and was tempted by it, but I passed on it for now.  One reason is because they don't have the size I would have ordered, but mainly because I have many skirts, and don't really need any others right now. 

I was interested in the maritime dress until I saw that it had zippers on it, and then I decided to pass.  Extraneous zippers are not my style at all.  Plus I don't have the whole belting thing down, and I was afraid it would look like a big T-shirt that I threw a belt on with.  I'm curious to see how it looks on others though!

The last item I considered was the perfect-fit henley tank.  It seemsm to be a skinny fit (look at the bust measurements for the shirt - it has a lot of stretch in it), but I saw it in the store, and I thought it looked a little thin, even a bit cheap, so I passed on this one.