Fall J. Crew Sale Alert

Although the calender says that Fall has arrived, the temperatures in Los Angeles have soared this weekend. Beautiful wool sweaters are on my mind, but not practical. Lucky for me, there are a few great Fall transitional items on sale at J.Crew & J.Crew Factory, to help this LA girl get into an autumnal mood without melting.

Here are my picks:

1. J. Crew Silk Cascade Blouse:

This is a great sleeveless top for FALL in Los Angeles. I bought a month ago, and it is a fantastic blouse for the hot weather.

2.  J. Crew Pleated Chevron Skirt:

Skirts, are the perfect transitional item, and this is a great pick for cool nights after a long hot day.

3. J. Crew Roll Sleeve Bow Tee:

Tees are great for layering, and this one is adorable! :)

4.  J. Crew Factory Schoolboy Blazer:

Nothing is better for air conditioning on full blast in your office, then one of J.Crew's Schoolboy Blazers. I have a few of these, and I LOVE this color!


5. J. Crew Navy Plaid Shirt:

I just ordered this from J. Crew Factory today. October might as well be called "Plaid-tober".And since this shirt is NOT made out of flannel, I will not roast in it either. :)

These are my sale picks for Fall. All of these are either currently on sale, or you can use an active promo to buy them now. Happy shopping!

D-Cup Bathing Suits at J. Crew

I already posted a review on the retail site, but I have a few words about J. Crew suits for those of us in the D-Cup bathing suit range. For many years, J. Crew has been one of the few retailers that I could actually purchase a bathing suit from that had a D-Cup option. I am a 32DDD to 34DD size, and J. Crew has always had more than a few options for me, that have been stylish and fit really well.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a new swim suit for the summer, in the Photo Floral print, in a size 8 D-Cup. I was so excited for it to arrive and I received it today.

The sizing was consistent to what I have purchased in the past, but one thing was a deal breaker for me...the straps! The straps would just not stay hooked onto the bathing suit. I tried crossing the straps in the back,  tried them hooked (normally) over each shoulder, and finally tried attaching them as a halter top,  and they would not stayed attached. Nothing worked! To be quite frank, when you are D-Cup size, you need straps!!!! The strapless option does not work for me. This is the first time, that this have EVER been a problem, with a D-Cup bathing suit I have ordered from J. Crew. The hooks would not stay put, no matter what I did. Bathing suit FAIL! :(

Sadly, my new suit will be returned to the retail store, this weekend. I have looked at my other options, and I will be replacing it with the one option I know will work, the Ruched Halter Tank in a solid color. I have the same suit from two years ago in this style, and it is almost always a perfect fit!  I would have liked to buy and wear a new style this summer. However, my options are limited, due to these removable straps being included on most of the D-Cup bathing suits offered this year.

Hey J. Crew, how about making more options (including more prints) for larger chested girls? It is just a suggestion!  That being said, everything else about this bathing suit was perfect. Beautiful print, fabric and style. I am jealous of all the people lucky enough to make this bathing suit work for them.

I will just have to enjoy the Photo Floral print, in the skirt I bought, earlier this spring. Happy shopping!

Early J.Crew Summer Favorites

Memorial Weekend is around the corner, and J. Crew just rolled out the first of their summer items. And there is a lot to love! Here are my favorites:

J.Crew Linen Embroidered Crab Sweater:

J.Crew Cotton Pique Short in Gemstone:

My Favorite Summer Tees:

My Favorite Summer Dress:

I am still checking out the summer items, and looking forward to seeing items in store. What items are you craving?

Happy Memorial Day!

A Few Spring Reviews

Back in March, I posted a few of my picks from J.Crew's early spring roll-out. A few months have rolled by and here are a few reviews of the items I tried on, or purchased.

1. The Stretch Eyelet Dress:

I purchased this dress a few weeks ago, for the Web Series premiere of The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy. Since this was a "green-carpet" event, I needed something that looked pulled together and skated the line between dressy and casual. I was pleasantly surprised with this dress and managed to get it at quite a discount in store. It fit perfectly, I took my normal J. Crew size 8, and I found the fabric to be fitted but forgiving. It is the perfect little black dress and I will be happy to keep it in my wardrobe for years to come. 

Here is a photo of my husband and I from the event:

The Stretch Eyelet dress is still available online, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone needing a cute dress that is versatile. 

2. J. Crew Pink Floral shorts:

I loved these online, and fell in love with them even more, once I tried them on. I am not generally a big fan of pink, but the print on these shorts is vibrant, unique and lovely:

The fabric is mid-weight cotton, and the fit for me was great. I bought my normal size eight in these shorts, and found they fit true to size. I love it when J.Crew carries their print-shorts in a wearable 4 inch length!  So many times, the cute summer and spring shorts are only 3 inches long, which I don't always feel comfortable wearing. Home run on these shorts! These are sold out online, and I am glad I grabbed them when I did. 

3. Raglan Blue Floral Popover:

This was a pass for me. I tried it on in store, and I found that it ran large and that it was not flattering on my body. I was a bit disappointed, since I loved the print. The fabric was a little stiff and itchy as well.  I am hoping that this print makes a come back for J.Crew Factory in a more flattering blouse or a skirt would be even better.

4. Stripe Back-Zip Dress:

This was another purchase for me. I tried on a version of this dress last summer and it was not flattering. The stretch material showed every bump, that I did not want to emphasized.  This year's version, is completely different and was very flattering. I sized down in this dress, from my normal size eight to a size six, since it ran a little big. The stretch fabric was not working against me, and I like the exposed zipper on the back. It has been HOT in Los Angeles this week, and I am looking forward to wearing this very soon. Here is how I plan to style it:

I have a few items on the way from the newest roll out, and will post more reviews once they have arrived.

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely spring weather. I am looking forward to the heat wave ending, and more enjoyable sunny days, as it cools down a bit. Happy Shopping!

Spring is in the Air!

It is the first day of Spring 2014, and spring arrivals are upon us at J.Crew retail and Factory. Here are my top picks for Retail and Factory:

Retail Favorites:

J.Crew Pink Floral Shorts, J.Crew Marled Linen Sweater in Sand, Raglan Popover in Blue Floral, J.Crew Eyelet Stretch Dress:

I really love the new spring floral prints and light layers available at retail. With the weather so warm in Los Angeles this week, it is time to pack up my heavier layers till next year.  We really had an extremely mild winter in LA this year, but who doesn't love the gorgeous sunny weather! :)

Factory Favorites:
J.Crew Anchor Popover, J. Crew Collector's Sailboat Tee, J.Crew Charley Anchor Sweater:

My sick anchor obsession continues! :) I have ordered all three Factory items, and am looking forward to them arriving in the mail. I don't think these will be going back.

Thanks to J. Crew, I have developed a severe a critter sock obsession.  I purchased all of these recently. They are beyond adorable and feed my addiction:

My feet are cozy and stylish for spring! Hope everyone is having a fantastic first day of Spring! Cheers! :)

J.Crew Houndstooth Tippi & New Arrivals

I checked out the new arrivals at the store last night. Specifically, I was searching for the Houndstooth Tippi sweater that is currently not available online.  I tried it on both colors, the navy and hunter green. Here are quick photos of both:

Personally, I like the top version, in hunter green and that is the color I purchased last night. The fit of this is very similar to my other Tippi sweaters, it is true to size, fitted and really comfortable. In particular, I like the larger houndstooth print detail on the shoulders.

I bought the Excursion vest in Saddle and the much beloved  Horsing Around Sweatshirt. I had to size down in the Excursion vest since it runs a bit big. I found the sweatshirt to be true to size, but it is definitely a more fitted sweatshirt and NOT a relaxed fit like some of the other sweatshirts I have purchased from J. Crew in the past.  Quick photo of both together:

I really liked some of the other new roll outs, but I am waiting for some of them to come down in price before I spend more. Now, if only the weather would cool down in Los Angeles, so I can wear them! :)

Happy Shopping!

100 Degrees of Summer

Temperatures in the San Fernando Valley will be over 100 Degrees today.  Summer is really here in full force.  I am staying cool at work in a J.Crew Blue Seersucker Button-up, Madewell Rail Staight Jeans in Western Wear, J.Crew Silver Belt, Rocket Dog Silver Sandals and my J. Crew Crystal Factory bracelet. Thank god for casual summer dress days!  Here are images of my Outfit of the day:

I tried taking an OOTD selfie with my iphone camera, and my arms are just not long enough. Ha ha! :)  I have no idea how people successfully do this without a mirror.  They must have fashion minions on standby to fix this problem. :) 

When I get home, since the temperatures will be super high still....I will be changing into my new Lilly Pulitzer shorts and a navy tank after work:

I am new to buying shorts from Lilly Pulitzer. The print is adorable with the trademark clever Lilly print name, "Get Nauti".  These shorts are light weight and the fit is true to size.  The Callahan short with the 5 inch inseam is just the right length for me.  However,  if you like "short shorts", there is a 3 inch version available.  There are also a couple of casual knit dresses and a skirt available in this print as well.  

Hoping to stay out of the summer heat today! :)