High Low or Uneven Hems

Have you bought any of the short in front, longer in the the back skirts or tops? I was never a fan of uneven hems because they seemed too trendy or just weird and funny looking. I own an Oilily dress that I wasn't wearing much until I got the hem tailored to make it all one length (and then it instantly became one of my favorites), I also have an old, high-low style skirt, that never wore because it is shorter in front and longer in the back. So when those uneven hems started popping out everywhere last year, I thought I will definitely sit this one out.

However, without really planning it I have recently bought not one but two of those tops. One is the t-shirt that I got at Anthro (see it here) that is currently my favorite t-shirt to wear with jeans. The other is a cashmere sweater from 360 Sweater.

I never heard of the brand before until Jody from About Last Weekend mentioned it in her comment on my blog. If you are not yet reading Jody's blog make sure to check it out. Her style is California laid back fabulous, her house is an eye candy, I want to visit all the places she travels to but she is refreshingly candid and one of the most hilarious blogers I read regularly.

I ordered this sweater from Revolve Clothing. They have free shipping and returns and they sell many interesting brands. If you are ordering for the first time, email them with your order number and they will credit you 30%. How awesome is that?

Size Medium

360 Sweater is a newer, luxury knitwear label based in Los Angeles and run by another cute designer couple, Leslie and Bruce Gifford. Their vibe is definitely  trendy, sexy without revealing anything, luxurious and slightly bohemian with the emphasis on body conscious drape. They only make knitwear.  Their sweaters promise to be the kind that you can just throw on with your favorite jeans (and fabulous bag) and instantly feel chic-without-even-trying

360 Sweater Olivia in Cassis

Of course I am dressed all wrong for this sweater, this is just what I was wearing the day I received it.

I ordered a sweater in Medium, since they listed it as TTS in designer sizes and I think the fit is correct. It is supposed to be a loose fitting sweater. It is big all over but I think it works. The sleeves are long and not too tight.

The color is beautiful and exactly what I was looking for. The drape is great. The cashmere quality I think is comparable to J.Crew, as far as softness and possible pilling. Cashmere sweaters all feel a little scratchy when you try them while it is 90F outside. Only time will tell about the pilling. The price I paid was comparable to J.Crew sale price.

Surprisingly, I really like the high low design. I actually have problems with some of my cardigans being too long in front, especially wearing them with skirts and dresses. And I like the longer back, I think it adds visual interest.

Overall, I decided to keep the sweater, I love the design, slouchy shape and I think the color it will be great with jeans, blacks, browns and camels.

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That's all folks!

Have you heard of 360 Sweater?

What do you thing of the uneven hems? Is this something you'd wear or deem too trendy?

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

Banana Dresses and Blazers

As I mentioned in my post last week, I stopped over at Banana Republic to check out their current offerings. I have abandoned Banana in the last few years, but recently they have been luring me back in more often. This time I was not dissappointed and I found quite a few items that I liked. I have reviews of dresses and blazers today and I will have another post coming up later this week with skirts and tops.

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Cap sleeve ponte knit dress

I loved this dress in person. The color is gorgeous and the knit is substantial but very comfortable and it drapes well. The darting and seams all fall in the right place and the shape is very flattering. I saw a girl try it on next to me and she was way curvier than me and it looked fantastic on her. 

Size 6 regular

also 6 but shorter and tighter

I tried both size 8 and 6 and there was not much difference but size 6 fitted me better in hips and it wasn't too tight in the chest. I liked the navy version of this dress as well but I don't need a navy dress. For some reason the dress in the same size was much shorter and tighter as you can see in the pictures. It happened to me with the striped dress I bought couple of months ago, the same dress in black was very different fit so be aware. If it was black I would consider it as an LBD. Before I tried it in store I thought of ordering Tall but I think I like the length of regular on me.

This dress is on my wish list and I think once I see a full price coupon I will use my $30 rewards and get it. I have a feeling that my hubby will like it a lot, too.

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Piqué sheath

This dress was a little dissapointing IRL. It is a pretty dress but it was too thick, the armholes were gaping amd the waist was too low (what a change from J.Crew! It took me some time to figure out what was wrong, because it was so unexpected, lol). Maybe it would look better in 6 but I did not like it enough to bother with it. It had this vibe of a tennis outfit that I did not care for.

Size 8

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Trina Turk Swirl cowl-neck knit dress

I grabbed this Trina Turk collection dress in Small because that was the only size available. The colors are gorgeous IRL and very flattering.

Size Small

I would still like to try size Medium for comparison but I think the Small was OK. The dress has similar fabric composition to my DVF dresses  (70% silk, 30% viscose) and it feels great on. I was not looking for a big colorful print like this and I was surprised how much I loved this dress. When I went to NYC last weekend I saw may women in similar dresses and I thought this would be another perfect date dress for summer, flattering and easy.

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Heritage pocket sheath

This dress has a beautiful fit and the olive tone was surprisingly flattering. It was too roomy in the hips on me so it may be good for the more pear shaped ladies. I loved the neckline and chest pocket were placed correctly, the length was good and the waist was in perfect place (yes!).

Size 8

I am trying size 8 here and  I would like to check out a 6 but they did not have it in stock.

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I was also looking for a white cotton blazer and I was considering a J.Crew Superfine cotton but the Banana one button version is a better option imo. The cut is quite similar and the construction is comparable but the price is better at Banana. This blazer was $80.99 and 40% off! Oh, and one more thing, both blazers I tried here say 'sateen', which would turn me off online but irl they are not shiny at all.

Sateen one-button blazer

Size 8

After all, I decided I will not wear a blazer in the NJ summer heat but if I was to get one, I would get the one from Banana over the J.Crew one.

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If I wanted to spend more money on my blazer, the Trina Turk collection one ($130) would be an excellent choice imo.

Trina Turk sateen two-button blazer

I don't have a good picture because I did not take it to the fitting room, but the fit was excellent in size 6, it is lined in cotton, it does not look like a suiting jacket and it has the colorful fabric detail under the collar if you want to flip it up. Very nice!

Size 6

nice detail!

All in all, I was very impressed with Banana collection and I have more coming, including several skirts and tops. Sometimes I caught myself thinking that the price was high, but then I realized that their full prices were much cheaper than comparable products at J.Crew and it is pretty common for Banana to run full price promotion so I could probably easily get at lest 25% off.

Btw, if anybody has one of those 40% coupons that they are not going to use please let me know! I would love to use it for one of the items above. Now the question is which one?

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That's all folks!

Do you like any of the recent Banana offerings?

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

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!

Ann Taylor's Dress And Bag

In my previous post, I mentioned that I recently went shopping with my friend and that we stopped at Ann Taylor to look for some dresses and tops for her. I used to really like Ann Taylor. Especially their tops, because they fit me very well. I think they are cut for more-curvy-on-top women and I could actually button down their shirts and keep them buttoned all day without popping the buttons, yay! 

I own quite a lot of clothes from AT: dresses, shirts, tops, skirts, pants and sweaters. However, in the recent years, I shopped there much less. They were using more synthetics in their fabrics and their colors were rather boring, but of course the main reason I stopped shopping there, was because I never had any money left, after overdosing on crewlade.

That day, I was not supposed to shop for myself and I have been very good about it, focusing on my friend and her style and needs. But as she was trying tons of things and modeling them for me, I spotted this one dress that I just had to try on.   

Ann Taylor dress

I judged the size of the dress on the hanger and I grabbed a size 6, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

Size 6

After trying on so many ill fitting, high waisted, too short, too juvenile dresses at J.Crew I almost forgot how a great fitting dress can look and feel.

The piping and seeming falls in just the right places on me and the dress has a slimming effect. I think it looks even better IRL.

I love the linen blend fabric and the dress feels very comfortable. The color is very neutral, which makes it perfect for the office but the piping adds the structure and interest and the black makes it sharper looking and stylish. It looks good by itself or with a cardigan or a blazer.  You can wear it with a belt, lik ethey have it styled in the top picture (an dthey have the same styling in store), but I think it actually looks great without the belt, but I do like to add a necklace. It is a super easy, effortless outfit, just add some black sandals.

The price is $148, which is not cheap but with some 30% that they run frequently (or $50 off $100),  it is very reasonable, imo.

You can also check the reviews on the website (of course they have reviews, not like one other retailer we know) and they are very enthusiastic, so I guess I am not the only one who likes it.

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Another product that caught my attention was this little purse:

Perforated Leather Mini Bag

They also have it in tote and clutch version, both look pretty, but I only saw the Mini Bag IRL. It is not that small btw, it should easily hold all your essentials and it is bigger that say Tillary purse.

If I needed a neutral bag for the summer I would love to get this one. I only saw it on the shelf and I did not touch it (why???) or  check on the compartments and such.  Really, it is too bad, but I promise I will do it for sure if I am near a store again. The color and leather looked great irl, rather luxurious in fact. Overall I think the price is not bad, especially with a discount.This would be a perfect bag to wear with the whites this summer!

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That's all folks!

Do you ever shop at Ann Taylor?

Have you seen anything there that you like?

What do you think of the dress and/or the purse?

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

Banana Republic new arrivals

Last Wednesday I visited Banana Republic to buy Mini-striped weekend dress that I reviewed HERE. Thank you Gigi for sending me the 40% in store coupons!!! I also had $30 rewards cards so the dress came down to about $12. Yay!

Necklace also from BR

I already have worn it last week and it was perfect. Above I am wearing it with Madewell Academy blazer and last year's Talbots shoes.

Dress size Medium

Since I was there I took a bunch of items to the fitting room to try them on for you but when I got there I realized that I left my phone in the car :(

It was almost strange to be in the fitting room and did not take any pictures, how did I do it before I started a blog? You'd think I would have more fun, not having to take pictures and just having it all to myself but somehow it wasn't as exciting to only try it for myself.

They let me use the coupon for multiple items even if it says one item only, I did not even ask for it but the SA told me that they changed the rules that day.

Since I tried them on, I will review few items for you but I don't have the fitting room pictures, unfortunately.

Printed square-neck blouse

This was a nice blouse but the square neck is pretty wide. I tried size M and I think size S would be too clingy. Feels very soft and the print is flattering.

Chambray button-down shirt

This is a great shirt if you are an A or B cup. I really liked it but it was pulling at the chest even when I sized up one size. Size 6 fit me everywhere perfectly, shoulders, waist, hips, length but it was way too tight in the chest (I am 34D). Size 8 was not fitting as nice but still would be acceptable, but the chest was still borderline. I would need to wear a cami.  The fact that I still contemplated buying it tells you how much I liked this shirt. If you are small chested it may the THE perfect chambray shirt, the blue color is beautiful and the cut is very flattering.

Callie shirt dress

This is a perfect summer dress. Nice and easy and falls to the knee on me (5.6")
I tried size 6 and the fit was good but rather close, I would like to try size 8 to see how it fits.

Knit safari skirt

They only had size 4 in this skirt and it was definitely too tight and va-va-voom. I think 6 would have been fine. This skirt has a side zipper and the front buttons are only decorative. I actually thought this was a plus. I thought it was going to be a-line but it had pencil shape. Maybe it would look different in 6, because 4 was definitely too small.

Sunny days skirt

I bought this skirt. I love it. To me, it is a perfect, easy summer skirt, linen and cotton blend and on trend citrus hue. It has a hint of mustard in it but it still reads yellow. I love it with navy, striped tees, chambray, denim, white shirt, floral and polka dots. Super cute and under $50 with 40% off.

I love yellow with gray

Skirt Size 6

Sunny days combo

Size 6 fits me perfectly, so I would say, size up one size from your J.Crew pencil skirt size. The pictures were taken at the end of the day so you can assess the wrinkle factor. It does wrinkle. It doesn't bother me but it is something to consider.

Karlie top-handle leather bag

The shape and size of this bag are great if you are looking for a navy bag. the strap is adjustable and removable. I don't like how the handle looks when you use shoulder strap (but this always bothers me in other brands too) and the leather is rather stiff.  But if it goes on sale and with extra 30% off it will be quite attractive. Even with just 40% off on Wednesdays.

Claudia python-pattern clutch

I bought this clutch. I have returned the Marc by Marc Jacobs purse that I ordered HERE because it was too small and nothing special. With the 40% off this Claudia clutch was a steal. Not perfect because I would prefer a shoulder strap, but with this price I am not too concerned. 

Just the right size for me

This is small enough to take to coctail party but it will easily fit my essentials: phone, wallet, keys, lipstick and sunglasses.

Front pocket easily accessible

Zippered pocket inside

I tried some of the shoes as well but they were rather uncomfortable with the exception of these sandals:

Rhea color-block sandal

The Sandals fitted in size 8 and seemed comfortable. I was not thrilled with the way ankle strap looked, but then again I don't really like this shape of sandal. The black patent and color block effect was cool.

Trish wedge

I love those wedges on the website but they were disappointing irl.  I mean, they still looked great and fitted me in size 8 but were very uncomfortable. They are narrow and the toe strap was digging into my skin. I have medium wide feet and high instep, so they may work for you if you don't have those issues. For me they were a total pass, not even on deep sale, since they would be torture devices.

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That's all folks!

What do you think?

Have you visited Banana Republic recently?

Are you finding things you like their spring rollout?

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