A Week Of Linen

At this point retailers would only make us think about fall,  but the fact is it,  is still SUMMER!  I tend to always get excited planning my outfits, but it is good to stop and enjoy what I have gathered and planned and were excited about it not so long ago. Trying to live more in a moment...

At least around here in NJ, the temperatures are pretty stable in mid 80s. This is my perfect weather! So forget the double serge wool for a moment!

I am taking advantage of beautiful warm weather in the last few weeks and I have been wearing a lot of linen. Linen is one of my favorite fabrics. I don;t mind at all that it wrinkles, I think that's the charm of it.

Here are some of the linen outfits I have been wearing recently:  

Linen J.Crew Maddie pants and Bazaar cami

I don;t do a lot of purple, but the Bazzar print was one of my favorites. Maddie pants are high waisted and made form a hefty weigth linen that does not seem to wrinkle too much. I love them too.

I am also wearing old BR cashmere wrap and Ellen Tracy cork wedges.

Perfect linen shirt and Porcelain Paisley skirt

I love those linen perfect shirts (as you may know)!  This color combo is my favorite way to wear the Porcelain Paisley skirt. Also wearing Boden espadrilles, easily one of the most comfortable sandals I own.

Again, perfect linen shirt in white and old linen capris. Also wearing Jack Rogers sandals and Kate Spade purse.

Matching earings

I rarely wear bigger earings but I though they actually worked.

Another linen perfect shirt, this time in capri pink! Also wearing Emerson Fry linen skirt plus Boden shoes. It seems a little uninspired in the pictures but I thought that with a slight sheen to the skirt and brightness of the shirt I did not need any other accessories.

And finally, linen/cotton striped shirt with superfine cotton pencil skirt. I am matching my Lucca sandals with my necklace, I love doing it for some reason. I think those Luccas don't look so bad, I must wear them more often, lol.

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That's all folks!

Have you pack away your summer clothes yet?

Do you like wearing  linen in the summer? 

Do tell me which outfit is your favorite, it is always fun to get feedback!!!

Catalog inspired and other OTTD

I recently ordered superfine cotton suiting in beechwood because it was such a great deal on sale, but in the end, I decided I will only keep the skirt. I love the way they styled it in the June catalog with the white Jackie pullover and I tried to replicate it here with white boatneck t-shirt. Super simple but very much my style.   

Skirt Size 6

Shoes from Ellen Tracy (old)

I ordered the skirt in 6, which is one size up from my regular size, because I wanted it to sit a little lower on my waist. I like the way it fits and it is also more comfortable in the summer heat, being a little looser. It also gains some length because it sits lower. I cannot always do it, because sometimes the skirts are already too big in the hips, but most J.Crew pencil skirts are cut rather narrow, making sizing up possible.

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Cotton slub skirt from 2011

My second OOTD was also inspired by an old catalog picture featuring white Frances (sp?) wool skirt with dark charcoal sweater. I love the white skirt/dark top combination and this is my summer version of that outfit. This slub cotton pencil skirt is one of my favorites in the summer.

Skirt size 4

Everything is from J.Crew here, including red patent skinny belt and red roof Valentinas. That was the only day when I did not carry my Tillary purse, because I thought that would be too much red. I wore black purse instead.

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Talbots dress

I bought this dress last summer from Talbots on one of their super sales, I think it came down to about $30.
I don't usually find much at Talbots, but some of my purchases from there are my favorite pieces. That includes my yellow stingray slingbacks, my black sequin shift dress, my leather pencil skirt, my black boatneck LBD and now this dress.

It is a super easy knit dress for summer. It drapes well, the waist is in the right place, the length is good and the colors are flattering.  I have double wrapped the belt, but you can also wear it in a bow. It looks good in the back or you can swap it for other belt. I like how the stripes are horizontal in the skirt portion but diagonal in the bodice. I bought size M, because S was not available but I like the loose fit.

My sweater is the J.Crew cashmere double breasted pointelle cardigan in muslin (size Medium). I love this sweater and wear it a lot, I also have it in honey glaze.

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This is what I wore the day I was working from home: J.Crew vintage v-neck tee and Janesville linen white pants. I use J.Crew gold flip flops as slippers from spring to fall.

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This is my casual Friday outfit, including Banana Republic seersucker Martin fit pants and Boden bow espadrilles. The applique tee in shadow is from J.Crew. 

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That's all folks!

What are your weekend plans? Mine include volunteering in a soup kitchen on Saturday and celebrating 'Name Day' for hubs.

Plus the European Soccer Cup is starting today with Poland playing Greece in the opening game! 

Did I tell you I am a big soccer fan? Do you ever watch soccer?

And do tell me which is your favorite OOTD!

Friday's OOTD round up

I didn't do an OOTD post for a while. Here are some outfits I have been wearing recently:

Gallerista Skirt

My Gallerista skirt is one of my favorite J.Crew purchases from last year and I was waiting, not so patiently, for spring to be able to wear it again. I like it with denim top to offset the dressiness of the skirt. It was the stock picture of this skirt that made me purchase my black Valentinas.

Liberty shirt and Italian Boucle pencil

You have seen both pencil skirt and the shirt but not together, I think. These are the last days I could still get away with wearing the wool pencil skirt, but the color definitely helps with transitioning to spring. With the busy print of the shirt, I didn't want to add any accessories but I like the belt with it. Those belts (I have the pink one as well, see below) are great, a little wider than skinnies and very soft. 

Merci Stripe tee & Ann Taylor capris

I am very happy with the Merci stripe tee and I have been wearing it a lot. I like it with white Ann Taylor capris. I added black ballet flats and black accessories to keep it from being too summery though.

Superfine cotton pencil 

This was no nonsense all navy outfit to keep it business like. I had a presentation that day and I did not want any distractions. I did add the pink belt to make it more 'me'.

Raj Paisley pencil

Here I got to wear my Raj Paisley skirt to church. It looked good with red . I saw a picture on Rynetta's blog with pink top, I have to try that combo next time.

Cotton v-neck & Silk Indigo skirt

This cotton v-neck is not the best quality or fit but the main reason I kept it was that I saw that I can wear it with my Silk Indigo skirt. The cobalt blue of this skirt is very hard to match and I've been wearing it with navy and black but the sweater is a perfect shade for it, so for 19.99 I decided to keep it and I am glad I did.

Paintbox cardi

The above was my Friday outfit and I didn't think it was exciting but I got a lot of complements, I think people like colorful, cheerful outfits.

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That's all folks!

Do you own any of the clothes I was wearing?

Do you like any of the outfits? What's your favorite?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Superfine

I received my order of Cotton V-neck sweaters, Drawstring mini and Pencil skirt in superfine cotton.


Drawstring mini

I was looking for casual skirt to wear on spring/summer weekends instead of shorts or jeans. Something easy to wear, comfortable,  not too short,  not too flimsy and something I would not feel overdressed if I just go to the supermarket.  I saw the drawstring mini on Shopping with M and she gave it a thumbs up (and looked super cute in it), so I wanted to give it a try.

Like the length

I ordered size Small and it was a right call. While there is some room both in waist area and in the hips, I think XS would have been too tight. I also like the length and the weight of the fabric.  I would say it has a sweatshirt thickness, which is perfect for this kind of skirt.

Like the pockets

I am usually not a fan of drawstring waist, as it creates unnecessary bulk if you want to untuck your top and it is still not the best feature here. Pockets are great and the placement is good.

Back View

Side View

As you can see in the side view it is not very forgiving and it shows a little bit of a belly but nothing too terrible. Overall I like the skirt and I am leaning towards keeping it. My doubts are mostly caused by the drawstring.  What do you think?

Cotton V-neck sweater

The other item I wanted to try was the cotton v-neck sweater and after it went on sale I ordered it in navy and blue. I like the idea of cotton v-neck sweater in basic colors, light, comfortable and neutral.  I wanted to wear it with variety of bottoms, skirts and pants. I wanted something basic and not memorable but which will fit me well and have a flattering fit.

Navy size Small

The fit of this sweater is mediocre.  The v-neck has an OK depth and the length is fine but it is baggy around the middle and bunches up. The blue was shorter than a navy. Maybe I need to size up to a Medium and get a more slouchy fit? I actually have a Medium on backorder, so I will compare when I receive it.

Blue Size Small

The color of the blue is very pretty, I thin J.Crew has come up with wonderful rich blues this year and this is an example of it. I am inclined to keep it just for color alone. OK, I know this is not good enough reason. I am undecided but lean towards returning both.

 Pencil skirt in superfine cotton

I recently realized that with all the skirts hanging in my closet in rainbow of colors and prints there was not a single navy skirt. I like the superfine cotton pencil skirt, even if it classified as suiting skirt because it is fully lined and has a fully fashioned waistband. I also like the feel of J.Crew superfine cotton. I have some suiting dresses in it (Emmaleigh and Attache) and some trousers that I really like. It feels smooth and comfortable and does not wrinkle horribly.

With pop of belt

All navy

With silver and yellow

This skirt is very basic but this is what I have been looking for. I took my regular size 4 and it fits me perfectly. It will go with many items in my closet. I got 30% off on it as compensation for my canceled item (again). Those skirts rarely go on deep sale, so I think the price is fair.  This one is a keeper.

That's all folks!

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Do you own any the items I reviewed? How do you wear them?
Have you thought of purchasing any of the skirts?
What do you think of the cotton v-neck?