J.Crew reviews and Banana Republic sale purchases

Today I have reviews of couple of J.Crew items: stripe silk cami and not-yet-online white polka button front shirt.

Stripe silk cami

Striped silk cami is currently on sale online. It still has a full price at the stores but I have asked for price adjustment and they also applied the 30% off they are running.  It is a cute top. I remember I was excited about the striped silk bow cami that I tried HERE but I don;t like to wear strapless bras, so I passed.

with scout chinos and Sperry Topsiders

Well, this one can easily be worn with a racer-back bra (this is what I am wearing) but you may even be able to wear a regular bra, since it has bra strap snaps. It has a swingy, loose fit shape but the armholes are not gaping at all. I first tried on a 6 and it was more fitted but it was lifting up in the chest area in an unflattering way and it wasn't that swingy at the bottom. I much liked the fit of an 8, which is the size I am wearing in the pictures.  It is 100% silk and lined in poly but being sleeveless and swingy it does not bother me too much.  I love the easy fit and I think it looks best with capris of trousers. 


I am wearing Sperry topsiders in size 8 (half size down from most J.Crew shoes). I am not crazy about the look of them but they are probably most comfortable non-sneaker shoes I own.

Necklace from BR, Ray Ban sunglasses

Polka dot shirt

This shirt in in stores only for now, but maybe it will show up online on Thursday. It has a boy fit which is less fitted and straighter than J.Crew perfect shirts. Comparing o chambray polka dots shirt, this one is thicker fabric and more boxy. It definitely benefits from tucking in and rolling up the sleeves. I like the thickness of the fabric and I think it will be very nice for every season but summer, when I think it is a little too thick. It is not see through on me at all, I was surprised to see that it looked like it is on Appgal, see her review HERE.

J.Crew necklace (old) and belt

Shoes by Chie Mihara

I do like the small polka dots, I think they are very flattering, especially if you look good in white. I sized up to an 8, which I often do in thicker shirts because they don;t drape so well and this way I have more styling options. The shoulders are a little wide in 8 but a 6 would have pulled across the chest.  

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And here is my outfit from my recent trip to Banana Republic. You may remember that I was trying on this Trina Turk skirt (see my review HERE) and I liked it a lot but did not want to pay full price. I was looking for a summer skirt in this color. Last year I bought a J.Crew Dori skirt but in the end I decided I did not like the button front style and it was too short on me. Plus, Banana skirt is machine washable, even if it is fully lined, great plus for me!

Pia top and Trina Turk skirt, both size 8

How do you like American Girl doll 'hanging out' with us. She was bored and hot and wanted to go inside.

With J.Crew Valentina shoes and Kate Spade bag (old)

This skirt is also on a shorter side but I don;t mind this length in a summer skirt and it looks better because it is not full. It is called a pencil skirt but it is definitely more a-line and I prefer it this way. It was marked down to $49.99 with an additional 25% off plus extra in store 25% off stacked on top of it. I had a $10 rewards card so the skirt came down to about $18. Yay!


 Then I spotted a Pia ponte top that I liked when it first came out but it was $49.99 which I did not want to pay. It was marked at $13.99 and with additional percentages off t came down to about $7. I like this top. It is nicely fitted and works well untucked. I took size 8 in it, which is larger of my two sizes in BR numerically sized tops. 


I was a happy camper in my $25 new outfit.

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That's all folks!

All pictures courtesy of amc 

(aka my 9-year-old daughter).

Do you like the striped cami or the new polka dot shirt?

Did you buy anything from Banana on recent sales?

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

Banana Republic Skirts And Tops

This is a continuation of my Banana Republic reviews from Monday. Today, I will review skirts and some tops. They are currently running 25% off promotion (BRCOOL) and I am told the 40% off is coming for next Wednesday, so you may want to check them out.

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Trina Turk sateen pencil skirt 

I liked this skirt a lot. It is shorter than it looks in the picture and more of a mini length. It is also more a-line than a pencil. It runs small. I have tried size 8 and it was a good fit. I could probably wear a 6 but it would sit higher on the waist and make the hemline shorter. I even tried a 10 but it was way too big in the hips and not flattering. I usually wear a 6 in Banana Republic skirts. Color is very pretty and it would go with many things this summer. It is very similar to modern red, so I would describe it as orange red, but it is more red than orange.

Size 8

Love the color!

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Accordion pleat skirt

This is a nice easy skirt that would be easy to dress up or down. The length is just right. I did not like the elastic waistband but it could easily be covered with a belt. It is slightly less orange that it appears in the picture and the color is somewhere between orange and coral. It fits TTS, for Banana Republic skirts. I took medium and I thought it was a correct fit.

Size Medium

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Sateen pencil skirt 

If you are looking for a simple, well fitting white pencil skirt this is a good choice and price, especially on sale with 40% off. I took my regular BR size 6 and it was good but close fit. I tried an 8 and it was too big and shapeless. The fabric is not shiny at all, I would say it is very similar to J.Crew 1035 cotton. The waist is more defined and the wide band is good for the not-so-flat belly area.

Size 6

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Stripe ponte knit skirt

Size 6

This skirt fits less a-line and more like a pencil than it looks in the website picture. It is comfortable and good length. Fits TTS and can sit a little lower on hips because it is relatively wide in the waist area. I was not a fan of exposed side zipper. It would bother me less if it was in the back. The tag says it can be hand washed which to me also means machine washable, huge plus for simple summer skirt.

Exposed zipper

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Crepe back-zip top 

This top looks nice in the web picture but it was very disappointing IRL. The fabric feel was really yucky and it was way too big in size 8. This would probably be much improved in size 6 but the fabric turned me off and I did not want to bother trying smaller size.

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Annie striped scoopneck 

Nice top, great colors but clingy. I tried size Small and Medium and there was not much difference but I would go with Medium. It is long and it bunches up in the bottom. I liked the sleeve length, buttons at the sleeve cuffs and the neckline. The stripes were nicely matched. If you tuck it in or if you don;t have anything to hide in the belly/hip area it is a great top.

Size Medium

Size Small

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3/4 sleeve Timeless tee

This is a very nice basic t-shirt. I loved the neckline and the fact that it is a a more substantial knit, nothing see through here.I liked the sleeve length too, although they seem more 1/2 than 3/4. The only con for me is that it has a shirt tail hemline and I would prefer straight hem. It fits TTS and does not bunch up when tucked in.

Size Medium

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That's all folks!

Are you interested in Banana Republic offerings these days?

Are you planning to buy anything with the 25% off or are you waiting for 40% off?

Anybody has a 40% coupon they don;t need? I tried to ask in store but they said they didn't have any :(