Saturday, October 31, 2009

Back in Black - J Crew Selby bag & Tango Tank, and 212-Sephora OPI Polish

**UPDATE TO POST - I am still working on how to click on the collages to enlarge, but I added detail on the necklace/pin combo.

Happy Halloween!!

Appropriate post for Halloween, no? I'm up because I can't sleep and my stomach hurts from all the junk I ate yesterday. (Must get Lucy out of cone so we can get back to using Gentle Leader and regular walk schedule before I gain 20 pounds and my legs fall asleep.)

So here's Friday's outfit... with lots to discuss.

First up, I'll bore you with the details of the day. Halloween costume parade outside and classroom parties at school today. Way important to layer as it was chilly outside but those classrooms turn into mini-saunas with the kids running around partying, plus all the extra bodies (parents). And then I got to count out oodles of cash to room parents to reimburse them for the class parties since I'm a volunteer coordinator at the kiddies' school. Let me just say how nice it is to have Halloween a day after all the craziness at school. Very good for my sanity and everyone else's.

Now that you understand the environment, the outfit makes total sense...staring with the Viscose Tango Tank (#20061, $49.50). I had posted on it back here when I first got it at the store, and was maybe on the verge of returning it since I hadn't worn it - but I realized how perfect it is for days like today when I know I am going to need to strip down to very light clothing, but still want to look good with the layers on top. Gigi did a great review here, with links to lots of other blogger reviews as well. I love when she does that - it's so helpful to see an item on so many people and get everyone's different perspective.

I took an M, and got the heather gray, which is not online. I will say that I am mega bummed about the name change, silly as it is - I loved the name "Cupcake Top" that printed out on my receipt. Yes, I am a sucker for the cute name - probably why I hoard nail polish - they have the best names! If JC ever comes out with a garment named for my darling daughter, E, I will probably have to stockpile it.

But back to the tango top - which is a cute name in its own right - the fit on this is fantastic. The brilliance of it is that there is an empire waist seam around the top, so it's fitted right under the bust, and then follows the line of the body much more than some of the other ruffled tops have, meaning it doesn't add pounds. Plus, because it's viscose, not cotton, the ruffles themselves are a bit thinner and drapey-er - so they lay much better under cardis, etc. When the weather gets colder, I will probably layer a long sleeve tee or even a turtle underneath for warmth. And come spring/summer, I plan to wear it even more.

To layer on top, I chose my charcoal Michele - well, it's actually last year's BR version of the Michele - same cut/fit, but it's a teeny bit more substantial/thicker than my beechwood Michele - I really like that. Not seen is the usual yellow short Loft trench (which I love with all the gray). And then black Minnies and some black Target flats.

Necklace wise - I wore a double strand of F21 faux pearls with the J Crew Velvet flower pin in dark slate (#19374, orig $29.50, curr $14.99). I got mine from the "candy jar" in the front of the store. I'm sure I'll wear it as a brooch sometime, but for now, I plan to use it mostly to pin together random necklaces, a la JC catalog. But I think I'll stick to 1 or 2 necklaces, not the editorial 6 or 7. I just pinned the necklace over the 2 strands. (Thank you, cheap F12 necklace that has lots of space on the strand because it made it easier for me to do.)

And then the bag...isn't it pretty? Yes, I have officially abandoned the Campo camp for Selby-ville. J Crew Selby Satchel (#18260, $275 - I got the black on sale for $149.99) DaniBP nailed it in her comment on my last post, talking about the black and natural leather combo. That's what I really love about the bag - I think it softens the black and makes it more versatile - both season-wise and outfit-wise. Not that black isn't uber-versatile on its own, but I think it stretches it some. The full-price dark caramel that they show online is gorgeous also...just not priced quite so nicely. Regarding the straps - perfect. The handles easily go over the elbow or even the shoulder without too heavy of a coat, and the long strap works great for a cross-body look. I'm sure you can sling it over your shoulder, too, but hey, I've only had it 2 days.

The bag is lined in tan cotton, so guess what? You can actually *see* what's inside the bag - love that! I think the size of the bag is perfect for me - holds lots of stuff, but not too much. Yesterday it had the usual purse stuff, SLR camera, water bottle, bag of candy pumpkins, magazine, stack of multiple papers - and it still zipped closed just fine. I have over the years discovered that regardless of actual size, I need my bags to be "landscape" instead of "portrait." If the height exceeds the width, I won't be able to find a thing. The satchel has the usual zip pocket on 1 side and 2 stuff pockets on the other.

And now onto the fun polish...black again. This was a last-minute addition to my Sephora F&F order. (Have you done that yet? 20% off everything through Nov 2 - code is FF2009). The color is actually called 212-Sephora, created in celebration of Sephora's new 5 Times Square flagship store. (oooh, I want to go there....) It's only available at that store and online. The color is described as "smoky black with iridescent, gold, and copper glitter." Perfect Halloween polish? Oh yeah. I think this would be a very fun New Years polish, too. Oh, who are we kidding...I'll be sporting it on and off all fall/winter.
Polyvore from Friday:


Polyvore from Thursday when I started carrying bag but didn't get pics - but you know me, I'll be wearing this outfit again sometime:


Oh, and here's today's planned outfit for Halloween...we'll see what I really end up wearing...

Hope you all enjoy your day of tricks & treats!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Halloween, isn't terrible how sick we feel after eating too much junk! The kids outfits are cute hoping the rain holds off for you tonight.

Pamela said...

Heidi-in your last polyvore-are you debating between the Princess costume or transformer/space person costume? I say go for princess :)

ha ha just kidding.

The Selby looks so versatile! I really like the options with the strap. And I'm with you 100% on the landscape vs. portrait style. I stopped using my trusty Kate Spade bag in the Shopper Tote style b/c I could never find anything at the bottom-namely my wallet and work ID!

Thank you for the detailed review of the tango tank. Based on your description, I may end up ordering it!!

have a good one.

Unknown said...

i just found your blog and absolutely love it! love that sephora polish! i can't wait to stay tuned for more....

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

I am normally not a fan of cropped pants, but those look good with ballet flats!

snaphappy said...

Having seen you IRL in that tank, I have to say that I love it! It really looks great on you. I meant to tell you that yesterday.

Also, I'm now obsessed with your bag, after holding it for you when you went to the restroom on Thursday (I did debate leaving you all your stuff and making a break with the bag . . . but you drove me to the mall . . .)

Hope M and E have fun tonight!

MMM said...

LOVE the outfit! I just purchased the same in-store heather grey Tango Tank (aka. Cupcake Tank)! You're so right- they are perfect for layering but they also look great just by themselves when the temps are warmer! ;) You can dress them up or down too!

Thanks for sharing the photos~ you look great! I always enjoy seeing your IRL pics! (:

Have a safe and FUN Halloween!!!

TarHeelMom (formerly JCAUNCMom) said...

Darned if you don't get cuter by the day, Heidi! :-)

First of all, I love your Thurs and Fri outfits. As much as I adore me some good navy, I'm a sucker for the Halloween color combo. Very cool use of the flower pin too -- you're making me rethink picking one up next time I'm browsing the "candy jar".

And lemme just say (again) how well you write -- conversational in such a chatty, just-between-us way, and so descriptive that I can see everything you write about, as clear as day!

And lastly, a BIG THANK YOU! I sat straight up in my chair with my mouth dropped open reading this:

"I have over the years discovered that regardless of actual size, I need my bags to be "landscape" instead of "portrait." If the height exceeds the width, I won't be able to find a thing."

GENIUS! What a revelation -- ME TOO, precisely, but I never quite put 2 + 2 together til you said this! Thank you so much for straightening me out!

Kathy said...

I am really loving your haircut, Heidi! This set of outfits really shows it off for some reason. Very nice fall outfits and I love your new bag. Hope you have a fun Halloween night!

post-fab princess said...

Add me to the list of tummy achers. I have zero control over sweets.

You look adorable as usual!! Happy Halloween!!!

ashley said...

ooh happy Halloween! I love all of the things that you wore! That tango top looks great on you and I love how you used the velvet pin to spice up the faux pearls! and that selby... oh so pretty! i agree about the handles... totally softens the black bag look! that made me realize that all my black handbags have black handles! now i need that selby!

Debye said...

When I first saw the Tango Tank I said nah, pass. I already have the Rolling Ruffles and the silk brulee tanks, not to mention the silk-tiered cami.

But after seeing all the great IRL pics from so many JCA's, I now realize it is a must have! Thanks Heidi and Happy Halloween!

Patina said...

oh, I love your new haircut!!! You look beautiful in the tango top. Conrats on the bag...it's gorgeous.

Ema said...

I hear you on eating all that junk, I actually ate an entire bag of Halloween kit-kats and was sooo disappointed that the triks-or-treaters in the building didn't leave me any from the second bag. Now I need some healty food!

I love the Shelby more than the Campo. I don't need a new bag but I really like the look of it and it think is more practical.
Re the portrait vs landscape, when I was a working-in-an-office girl I only wore portrait bags (actually one bag, a Mandarina Duck that lated years) because they are the perfect size to carry around papers to review in the subway or bus(that you don't want to fold), but now I'm "free" to choose and it's true that the landscape are generally prettier.

I love the tango. It's universally flattering, I only wish that it came out earlier. Now it's getting pretty cold and I don't see myself wearing it.

A Bigger Closet said...

Hope you had a great Halloween! Your new Selby is beautiful and so versatile. Also the tank is so tempting...if I didn't already have too many ruffled & tiered tops, I'd definitely get this one. :)

Unknown said...

Excellent review, Heidi. I love your point about the Selby bag's liner. Good one.

jmpb said...

OK, OK, you look too cute in that cupcake top so against my better judgement I decided I had to give it a try. You are so right! It fits and feels great, love the length and love that I'll be able to wear it through lots of seasons (being here in FL). I picked up the champagne in-store color but I also like the soft blossom on-line so once I get that I'll choose one. Thanks for being such a great enabler! ;)

DaniBP said...

Great reviews HeidiG!!
Love the Tango Tank too!

Drewablank said...

Lookin' fab, chic and comfy as always, Heidi! Gotta contain myself with that Selby bag - it looks gorgeous! ;)

Anonymous said...

1st outfit looks smashing but wish I could enlarge a bit when I click on 'em! The idea of the flower pin on the pearls is ingenious!

HeidiG said...

Selby update - the dark caramel is on sale this morning on JC's website for $149.99, just as the black was. Any takers?

casual-crew - weather was just fine - only sprinkled a bit - and the dads took the kiddies trick or treating while the moms hung out - so we were fine. Don't feel to bad for the dads, though. One of them pulled with wagon with the beer cooler in it.

Pamela - Princess is more me, but I liked the extra chest padding in the GI Joe costume, hehehe (yeah, I can never identify the boy costumes either). I'm sure we'll see pics if you do order the tango!

Sara - thank you! I forgot to mention (too much info in that post!) the polish has great staying power because of the glitter - helps it adhere better to the nail (it's the removing that stinks).

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com - thank you!

snaphappy - thank you, and boy would that have made the bus stop awkward... :)

MMM - thank you! I agree about the versatility of the tango - 12 season, all-occasion maybe? Hmmmmm....

JCAUNCMom - ok, now I'm blushing - you are too kind. And I'm so happy to be able to help you - your posts are so informative - I love when you share your years-in-the-industry tips. I always knew I was short-shinned and whichever-waisted, and I knew how to dress for it, but I just never realized that there were actually terms for this and it was a common issue. I just attributed it to my linebacker shoulder, skinny head, and extra long femur. :)

kathy - that is too funny that you mention my hair - I actually put it in hot rollers that morning for about 3 minutes since I did the same for E with her princess costume - but it was misting outside, so by the time I took the kids to the bus and walked Lucy there was no curl left - just extra body.

PFP - oh yeah, I am on detox right now. Um...no more than 10 pieces a day. OMG, did I just write that?

ashley - thank you! dark caramel selby on sale online now...

Debye - I think the tango top is actually the love child of a three-way between the rolling ruffles tank, the silk tiered cami, and the perfect tee - somehow it has the best attributes of each (at least for me). And clearly there was a romp going on because of all the wrinkles. :)

Patina - thank you!

Ema - that's a really interesting point about using a portrait bag for papers - I'm sure that would make it easier to keep them from folding/wrinkling. I am planning to start experimenting with layering under the tango to winterize it a bit more. Will post when I do.

A Bigger Closet - thank you! Funny enough - this is my first ruffle top from JC - the others just didn't work - whether for size, cost, or color reasons, so I did feel ok going FP for this one.

gigi - thank you!

jmpb - happy to help, hehehe. But seriously, for FL - it really is a perfect piece. I look forward to your pics...when I catch up on blog reading.

DaniBP - thank you!

drewablank - dark caramel...the gorgeous, yummy dark caramel, on sale on site now...you know you want one....

yogagirl - ARGH! I am still working on trying to figure out how to enlarge the collages, but I did add a close up of the necklace with pin and a quick synopsis of how I did it - with all your fab pins & hair clips, I can see you coming up with some FAB creations.

Summerilla said...

I love the velvet pin with the necklaces, very JCrew. I'm loving the cupcake tank and I'm thinking about buying another color. They are just perfect for layering and I love that I'll wear them through the summer.

Loving the new bag - I seriously need a new black bag! I have m eye on one but my wallet is yelling "no no no".