J CREW JUBILEE JACKET REVIEW

Every year at some time or another J Crew comes out with a really good twist on the tweed "lady" jacket. so when they had one of their 30% off promos I had to try this years version.

This is the Jubilee jacket in tinsel. It is a lovely jacket and beautifully made. The fabric is a nude shade with a wonderful nubby woven tweedy texture. It has clear shiny plastic like fibers woven into it giving it a bit of sparkle which my camera did not pick up. It is really well made and fits true to size, unlike some of there jackets like the school boy which I can wear a size 2 or 4. This is a size 2. I really do like this jacket but it doesn't make me pee my pants with excitement( this is an easy task after two kids) like some of the others I have bought. It is a little "mature" looking I guess. And I tried to make it look more funky by pairing it with denim. I don't know.....

Tried it with boyfriend jeans and a stripe tee to see if It would work. I'm not convinced it does.

So I sent it back and even at 30% off . I just don't think see my self grabbing this time ofter time. I don't know, we'll see how low it goes after the holidays.

RAIN STORMS AND TOASTERS

My parents took our kids for the day and when the children are away the parents will......go shopping for a new toaster? Yep that's what we did, in a super rain storm. But any excuse to wear leopard and lots of jewels. I had to add chunky boots on account of all the rain. This is such a boring post.

Got to go!

Loft jacket, LNA tee, J Crew necklace, American Eagle jeans, vintage boots, Louis Vuitton scarf.

LOOK OF THE DAY STRIPES AND SPARKLE

On my way out to a meeting about which is better- generic or brand name peas. wanted to wear my sequins more and not just for parties. I pared a navy stripe oxford with a J Crew sequin tee and Abercrimbie jeans. Old J Crew D'Orsay shoes but it looked good with a pair of ballet flat too. I would love to wear this with the J Crew pink suede Mona pumps and I think those are next on my list.

And just in case that was not enough sparkle I wore it with the J Crew blue crystal brulee necklace.

LOOK OF THE DAY

Since I have nothing new to post today I decided to post what I wear out. That is when they let me out of my tower. I decided to wear only older items from my collection. I feel guilty when the shiny new things get all of the attention. And I prove to myself that these were good investments.

The oldest is the Stuwart Weitzman shoes. I bought them around '90 or '91 and they have been sitting in a box waiting for 3inch heels, pointy toes, and patent leather all to come back in fashion.Many times I went to sell these on ebay and just couldn't do it. It was one of my first big purchases of my late teen life. And now I am glad I didn't. I got so many compliments on these shoes.

The rest are just old J Crew items that prove over and over how the classics are always a safe bet. J Crew Lexington jacket, J Crew men's shirt, and J crew belt.

I added some "J Crew" sparkle by layering the Martha necklace over the crystal brule necklace.
Sorry this photo sucks.

ADDICTED TO CRYSTAL

I have been collecting new and vintage large stone crystal necklaces ever since I saw Jenna Lyons on the martha stewart show in 2009. I am defiantly one of those people who, when find something they love, they just keep buying various versions of it year after year. Like military jackets or jean jackets or stripe shirts or....you get the point.

One person I have seen wearing big chunky crystal necklaces for many years now is the great Anna Wintour. Anna also was layering these babies ages ago and continues to do so.





I recently bought several of the J Crew Crystal brulee necklaces. Yes, I nearly peed my self when I saw them and all the yummy colors they came in. I will own every color! So when J Crew was doing one of those 25% off promotions I snatched them up. The pink one I will buy with my rewards card.

I am loving them with tone on tone and layered.

blazer vintage J Crew

shirt J Crew

necklaces vintage and J Crew blue Crystal brulee

Earlier I purchased the Crystal brulee statement necklace and paired it with the rose crystal brulee necklace.

This is what started it all! Jenna came on wearing the most amazing collection sequin shirt an paired it with more shine with huge crystal necklaces topped off with denim! I still watch this clip from the Martha Sewart show and love every minuet of it. If you go to the Martha Stewart show.com and put in, Jenna lyons, in the search bar the clip will come up. I highly recommend watching it for some Holiday inspiration.

Above Jenna is wearing the crystal Martha necklace and another one I forget its name.

This is my recreation of that outfit.

J Crew martha necklace

J Crew crystal brulee in crystal

J Crew jacket

Loft sequin vest

Aritiza shirt

My growing collection

Bling,

A- Ding,

A-Ling!

RACHEL ZOE BLAZER REVIEW

I am in love with the Rachel Zoe collection blazers and jackets! This is my second Rachel Zoe jacket and not my last. The shimmery Jacquard fabric gives it glamour but the military cut keeps it from being too formal. It has a real rocker look.

It's surprisingly versatile. It looks great with jeans or glams up dresses.

I will say the shoulders ran really narrow. I wear a 4 in the camel military jacket but this one I had to go up to a size 6 to make it fit my broad shoulders. I wear a size 2 in most J Crew jackets some times a size 0. The size 4 fit better in the waist and chest but I couldn't move my arms!

Just a beautiful blazer I will love forever. It looks much more expensive than it it was( used more nordstroms notes to boot!). I think it kind of looks sort of Balmain.....? No?

SRIPES PART II

I bought so many stripes in the last few weeks I had to split this post into two parts. And they are still coming in! American Apparel has a lot of stripe tees and sweaters right now. This sweater is one of my favorite! I love to wear it with a really chunky feminine crystal necklace. The J Crew crystal brulee necklace it a prime example and I, by the way, have ordered three of them when J Crew had the 25% off . I want all the colors they are Amazing!

I like to mix girly accessories to this sweater to keep it from looking too boyish or frumpy.





Bought this J Crew sweater when they had their big sweater sale. Wore it with my new J Crew
crystal brulee statement necklace! It's hard to see sorry not a good photographer.


sweater J Crew
necklace J Crew
shoes payless!



The American Apparel Saint James knock off shirt pared with Bebe tux blazer. I love my new Bebe tux Blazer I wanted to glam it down and I think it looks pretty good with a casual stripe. This would work well here in Oregon.

blazer Bebe
J Crew necklace
American Apparel shirt
payless shoes!

SARGENT STRIPE

During a recent 30% off sale items from J Crew I went a little crazy buying up stripe shirts. Then I just couldn't stop, some of which haven't even arrived yet! They add such a fresh and preppy look to all of my blazers and jackets and I don't own many or any prints. This J Crew sale shirt I loved so much but it is about 2 sizes to big. I think it still works as a slouchy casual look.

shirt J Crew

Bag Kate Spade

shoes vintage J Crew

Add an old J Crew Lexington blazer.


Another J crew sale tee shirt. This one in navy and white.

I love the Saint James french stripe shirts they sell on the J Crew website but they are spendy and you never know how they are going to fit. I found the exact knock off at American Apparel!

I wanted to see if you could layer prints and it seems to work. Stripe with animal prints.

The shoes are one of my fall boot purchases, by Alexa Chung for Madewell. They are such a great neutral, not too high and the staked heel more wearable.

shirt American Apparel

Jacket J Crew

shoes Madewell


part II next

STYLEMINT TEES

In my need for new basic tees I discovered Mary Kate and Ashley Olsens new line of "affordable" tee shirts, Stylemint. I had a discount coupon to try them and I was pleasantly surprised. They are really soft and a little more dressy than my usual Target and American Apparel tees. The fit is really good I just wish they were a little longer to cover my old butt.

This is my favorite graphic tee of the bunch. The color is a good athletic grey and the crew neck is not too high, just low enough to see some collar bone. And the logo " Almost not crazy" well my kids will tell you is almost true.

It works well with the usual day/casual look but also to funk up a dinner with the hubby look.

stylemint graphic tee

J Crew denim jacket old, above. J Crew sequin jacket, below

Gap pant

Ralph Lauren bag vintage

Nine west shoes

This is the low v-neck Abbot Kinney in white. Nice and slouchy but really low.

Missoni for target sweater.

Joe's Jeans

The Prince tee is a basic crew neck but they did the neck just low enough to give it a more feminine feel.

I'm also showing off my new favorite pants. I was looking for a Audrey Hepburn type black pant and found a perfect one at the Gap. Its the skinny crop pant. It feels like a big bandage of heavy spandex just holding everything in. soo comfortable! Anyway back to the tee review....

Ann Taylor jacket last season

prince tee

gap pants

J Crew flats

This is a longer scoop neck called the Michigan tee. It's cut longer on the sides and is a heavier cotton.

Balenciaga jacket

Joe's Jeans

Nine west shoes

And if you are wondering about fit, I think they run small, at least around the chest area. I am wearing a 2 in all but the Michigan, above. If you are small chested then they will be more slouchy on you but I am a D cup.

This is the Abbot Kinney tee again but in a Cabernet color. I am loving this for fall.

Rhule sweater

Joe's jeans