Notes from the Dressing Room-All About the Details at J.Crew

I had a little time to check out J.Crew yesterday before it closed and I was excited to see some new items on the floor, especially in fall fabrics and colors. It's review time:

Boucle Peplum Jacket in Heather Graphite, $148.00, available here

I thought this jacket was really cute and it had a tweedy texture which you know I can't resist. The peplum is totally on trend and its size is perfect enough to not be overwhelming or too much. I tried this on in my regular size and while it fit well in the body, the shoulders and arms were a tad bit tight. Not enough that I couldn't move my arms or anything, but enough to make me wonder if I should size up one. This jacket also comes in a blue tone that was soooo pretty. I might have to go back and try on that one too. Overall, this is a pretty jacket to add to the collection. My only issue is that it isn't lined. That could be good for not adding bulk, but I have Forever 21 blazers with lining, so I'm not sure why they couldn't fork over some extra fabric for such a nice piece that's pushing $150.

Peter Pan Collar Tee (?), Style #15559, $89.50, similar available here

Cafe Capri in Navy Tweed, $148.00, available here

Hmm, this sure looks just like the Peter Pan top that's online, but it has a different style number and price. I thought this top would either be really cute or really matronly. I think it's somewhere in between, but either way this piece had such issues. I didn't take a look at the fabric content, but the second I put this thing on it was itch city. I'm not even that sensitive to fabrics, but it was unbearable. If you tried to remedy that with layering a thin tee underneath, it might not work well because this was also incredibly thin. If you look closely enough to the pics, you can see the outline of one of the necklaces I had on. If that wasn't enough, the arms were inexplicably baggy. I might have been able to size down, but I really think the arms would still have lots of room. As you can tell, I was disappointed in this top. The top version online might work better than whatever this is and can't seem to locate online.

On the other hand, tweed is my kryptonite and they had me at hello with these capris. The tweed feels substantial, the pants are completely lined and the blue mixed in with the metallic threads is just a touch fancy. I love these pants! Fit is tts. The one big issue I had though is that the there were some loose threads on these already, so I feel like this would be a problem with wearing and going through day-to-day activities. They might be a fuzzy mess after awhile. That's not going to stop me from coveting this pants though. Thumbs up!

French Hen Sweater in Acorn Blue, $95.00, available here

I saw another blogger's review of this yesterday and thought it was certainly an interesting piece. Sweaters with some kind of animal print seems to be the in thing right now. This is essentially the Tippi sweater with a print and I do think it is cute. What is not cute is the price! They want me to pay about $100 for a sweater that doesn't feel particularly luxurious or fancy with someone's random sketch. Hmm, I don't know. If you really like the hen, then this is certainly the sweater for you. It's cute, but not $100 cute. They should have put this on a tee instead. Fit is tts and the fabric did not cause the itch, so plus on that end.

 

 Oversize Merino Sweater in Modern Red, $118.00, available here

Minnie Pant in Bi-Stretch Wool in Cabernet, $118.00, available here

Excuse the blurriness, but I wanted to show the shape of the pants

J.Crew had an oversized cashmere sweater similar to this that I just loved, but never bought. I thought this orange (that is most certainly not red like the color description states) sweater would make a great substitute. Let's see, they certainly weren't kidding when they chose to include oversize in the product description. I didn't know what this was when I walked into the store, but I still had the thought to size down. As you can see, it is still roomy. I didn't have a chance to try an even smaller size, but I would venture to guess that it would still fit with no issues, probably not even the arms. I like the oversize feature although it doesn't quite like me back. This sweater is soft, it has a pretty deep v which might not work for some ladies and it has pockets although they are strangely made of nylon or a nylon type of material. I'm not sure why it couldn't have been made of the same wool material, but I wouldn't discount this sweater because of that feature. Overall, I really liked it, but am not sure about the fit.

These pants are a great color and are definitely on trend although these could work for years to come as well. I picked them up and think I could have paired them with so many different tops in a multitude of colors. Now, the description says wool, but these didn't feel like the wool Minnies I already own. So either the product description isn't right, I'm remembering the texture incorrectly or they've cheapen out on the wool this season. I'm inclined to believe the latter. These are like the other Minnie pants I've tried on before: fitted with plenty of stretch. These were my regular size which fit just fine, but I have a feeling they would stretch out by the end of a day's wear so sizing down might be a good idea. If these make it to sale, I might have to snatch them up, but I have a feeling other retailers might have some good options in this color too.

That's all I had time for as far as trying on new arrivals. I now have a few new items on my watchlist.

What about you? Any new arrivals that have caught your eye lately?