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J Crew Issy Sweater Jacket

The Issy Sweater Jacket $148

In real life:

I tried this on and I immediately thought $50 max, H&M. I usually don’t compare J Crew to H&M because I don’t see a direct correlation. But in this case I immediately thought of H&M. I can’t see paying $148 for this. #1 – It’s wool, but too lightweight. The Jamie jacket is heavier, imo. I realize the Jamie is made of cotton, but still. #2 – The ‘jacket’ falls into an open stance. There is one button under the collar and that’s it. It’s cut into a tapered, open shape. There is no way to close it. I guess this is something you can throw on as a cute topper for nice weather fall days. I already own cardigans and other swing jackets that will do the trick. This is a pass for me.

J Crew Madeline dress

This is the mysterious black dress I saw in a J Crew b&m. It is currently not available in the Oct 2008 catalog or online.

ETA: This is the Madeline dress

I tried it on and the collar is great. The ruffles are done better this year than on last year’s sparkle phoebe blouse – maybe because the material on that blouse is lightweight. I didn’t try on last year’s Phoebe dress in wool. In this year’s design there is a square of material to go across the cleavage and operational buttons down the front of it. It’s set between the ruffles and it appears that you can see cleavage, but you can’t. It’s sexy in that regard. The fabric on this dress reminds me of the Super 120s wool. It’s lightweight, but feels strong — if you will — and I didn’t find it itchy at all.

You pull the dress over your head and there is a side zip. There are also the requisite pockets, as many of the newer dresses have. There are princess seams at the rear but not at the front. It may have taken away from the look of the dress to have seams running down the front but I felt like the dress is missing some shaping at the waist. Maybe I am supposed to be in a size 2, but I don’t think so.

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Ann Taylor Loft coupon code

I usually don’t visit Ann Taylor Loft on a shopping trip or frequent the store online, but I clicked on an ad today while on another website. I saw a very pretty bauble necklace for only $34:

10/21 ETA: I love it. It’s the perfect bauble style statement necklace for a petite person. Here it is IRL –>

I then went to retailmenot and found a coupon code. 89400012 takes $25 off of $50 through Oct 19. So I got the necklace, plus this scarf:

10/21 ETA: The scarf is very pretty in person. The overall colors and effect are darker than on the web. Also, it’s more voluminous than it appears and takes a second to tie it like the inspiration photo, but it’s worth it. The scarf is a good size. It can be worn around the shoulders in a shawl fashion as well.

I had to throw a pair of trouser socks onto the order to go above $50, but the net total was $40 including shipping. That’s pretty good.

Ann Taylor Loft is definitely a place to swing by for jewelry. I picked this up about a month ago in the store for $30 + 25% off:

Maybe I check them out more than I thought.

J Crew Georgia (dress) on my mind (and in my closet!)

I kept thinking about J Crew’s Georgia dress and asked for feedback on the Aficionada blog. I always love a good sheath because they are so versatile, but the major stumbling block was that this one is unlined silk. Someone finally chimed in with good news about the dress so I ordered it in Grey Mist.

The Grey Mist is about the same gray as J Crew’s silk Piper tank. It’s not the *best* color for my skin, but boy is it versatile. I’ve already tried it with a black cardi and necklace, obviously. Magenta is also a striking color with it. I tried the dress on with the grosgrain rhinestone belt in peacock blue and that’s a cute looka s well.

The dress has a long zipper at the back and you can step into the dress. No wiggling it overhead. The flower attachment is a spiral of chiffon circles. I haven’t taken it out of the package yet. Adding a flower to the dress is very cute, but it would probably be a red one I own or another one I have in gray. This one seems flat and unexciting. Maybe it fluffs up. The dress has pockets, but I can’t put my hands in both and walk comfortably around that way. One hand in pocket while standing works, but not both. That’s fine with me.

One of my concerns was how the dress gathers at the rear above and below the waist seam. It appears from the website photos that it might not be very flattering to one’s backside. I feel like the rear is flattering looking. My hips are straight, fyi. It’s my stomach that’s the issue for me. The gathering extends from the back to the front sides of the dress and it creates some illusion of a waist where I have none. I imagine this is potentially even more flattering on those with a waist. You are going to have some wrinkles across the lap after being seated for awhile, but they are thin and evenly spaced; not chunky and random. I am a 34C and the front fits just fine, but there is a little too much material in the back. I will probably have it altered a bit. It’s an easy fix. Oh — and DON’T use a steam when ironing this. I used steam to get the shipping wrinkles out and the silk started to shrivel into tiny puckers. I ironed it right out, but I won’t be using steaming on it again.

The see-thru issue, given that the dress is unlined –> The silk is thin, but not super thin. I don’t find it to be see thru. I don’t see the need for a slip. I ordered it in black today.

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