Khaki & White...Just So Right

You all know I love navy.  But one of my fave combos year round - especially in the spring & summer is khaki and white.  It always looks fresh and crisp to me.  And it's easy.  My usual formula is white top + khaki bottom + whatever accessories you feel like.  And it works just as well if you switch up with khaki top + white bottoms.  And it almost always feels just a little bit beachy. Here are a couple of outfits to share from a few weeks ago, that I have since copied with varying tees or shoes or whatever.

Pencil Skirt:  Loft Iconic Pencil Skirt (#241906, $49.50).  I actually think this skirt is totally worth FP, but I did get it during the 30% F&F a few weeks ago.    They are showing Black and Pebble online, but mine is much more of a gray color - I'm thinking it's probably Moon Gray?  Ok maybe it's gray, but it's khaki-esque...work with me here.

The skirt is 98% cotton/2% spandex and *machine washable.*  It's 22" in length - which for me, is perfect because below knee skirts - esp pencil skirts - just don't work well on a short-shinner like me.  Since it's above the knee, I can totally get away with wearing flats with it - yay!  And that means I will wear it much more than a heels-required skirt. 

Fit-wise, I got the 10 because I wanted to be able to wear it sans tights or control garments and it's a light color (like my size up for white jeans rule).  This is a summer skirt.  I wanted something comfy & easy...and I got it. 

I love this with just a white tee - here the perfect fit white crewneck.  The combos are endless since (1) I have quite a stash of white tees, and (2) any group of accessories works as long as they work together.  For this ensemble, I chose the pink Danielle sandals and the fireball necklace which is really a light pink, plus gold hoops.

And I feel polished every time I wear this skirt - even when casual.  And it's so comfy.  Another plus is that it really doesn't wrinkle badly - and that's always a danger with pencil skirts. I highly recommend this skirt.

Polyvore for pencil skirt (had to use a different Loft skirt in the PV, since you know the Loft/PV issues - argh):

5/5/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Utility skirt: Banana Republic cargo skirt. No idea on style number since I got it a couple of months ago (thanks for the coupon, Gigi) at 40% off the FP of $59.50, so it was $36. A great summer skirt. Much more casual than the pencil skirt, above, but very versatile. I think I'll wear this a lot - especially for travel. Have I ever mentioned that I prefer skirts when I travel in the car, esp in summer? Not dressy, fussy, wrinkly ones, of course. But easy cotton skirts. They're usually cooler than shorts or ccapris, easier for potty stops, and I'll wear them with a tee so the seatbelt doesn't irritate as it can with a sundress (my other top summer clothing choice).

Here, I have on the open crewneck painter tee, J Crew olive sneakers (which are a great way to ground a shorter skirt), and my Anthro initial typeset necklace. Nothing earth shattering, but a clean classic look that I loved all day.

Fit - in case you happen to stumble upon one at your local BR - I got a size 10.  BR skirts seem to be tighter on me in the hips than most JC skirts are.
Polyvore for utility skirt:

5/6/10 by HeidiGblog featuring Converse clothing

Yes, It's What's On the Outside that Counts

First of all, following the lead of so many others, I started a secondary blog for selling clothes.  It's Heidi G - From My Closet.  As I say in my sub-header: "Because the post office is closet than the consignment shop."  (It really is.)  Browse all you want.  I'll still list on the JCA Weekly Exchange and Polyvore, but this will have more than just J Crew-wear.  And I'll be adding to it regularly.

Secondly - my Public Service Announcement for the Day/Week/Month/Year:

Clean out your dryer lint - the lint screen and the outtake hose!  My neighbor across the street had her dryer catch on fire earlier this week.  Not a fun experience at all.  Fortunately everyone is ok.  Which brings me to my next point - don't turn on your washer/dryer/dishwasher and leave the house...unless you are 100% sure that everything will be perfect.  This will be a definite mindset change for me!!

Enough lecturing...and back to regularly scheduled blogging...

How much time do we waste on just the clothes, yu know, the shirt/sweater/pants without stopping to consider the outer and the under and the with?  I'm certainly not going to pretend to be an expert on the underpinnings to put with an outfit (that's why we have Cleo's blog, Trousseau Adventures).  But I am pretty comfortable talking about the "outer" and the "with" stuff...at least as it relates to my style.

Sometimes it is really is all about the outerwear and accessories.  Remember in Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lechter made the comment to Clarice about "your good bag and your cheap shoes"? 

We do love our clothes...but if you're throwing on a crappy coat or cruddy shoes, it will ruin the whole look.  And when it's cold, rainy, snowy, or just not 75 degrees outside, most of what others see is your outerwear and accessories.

To illustrate here on the left. First picture: Before, perfectly fine, simple, standard type of outfit for me (I do adore this Cambridge cable turtle!) Second picture: After, with sunglasses, trench, & bag.  C'est plus chic, non? (then again, didn't we learn that from Jackie O, Audrey, Grace, et al?)

Starting with the outerwear...How many coats do you have?  How many do you wear?  How many are actually flattering on you?  Which ones improve your outfit instead of actually competing with it? 

I do try to make sure my outerwear at least works with my outfit for the day - if not actually taking my look up a notch.  In fact, if all I'm going to be doing is running errands, it's easy to just slip on a plain, simple (i.e., typical me) outfit, but add a coat that is either bright/happy/cheery as the focal point of the outfit - yes that would be the Winnie coat - or in warmer temps, the green Gap corduroy coat I wore today.  Conversely, I find that my charcoal gray heather hooded car coat from Bloomies 10 years ago (aka my pregnancy coat), adds wonderful texture to ensembles.  It all depends on mood.  And weather.  But you don't have to spend a fortune on coats.  It's something to work on over time.  And the way sales happen so soon in the season...you hardly ever have to pay full price, unless it's something that you are just *dying* over.  But the great thing about coats is that when you talk CPW (cost per wear), you get a lot of value for your money because you were them so often.

The quickest way add luxury to an outfit is with a big, cozy scarf.  Even if it's not super cold outside, a generous but lightweight scarf always chics up a look.  And if you're always cold like me, it keeps you warm!!  This is not a wardrobe item that has to cost much.  If you want to lay out a ton of cash, be my guest.  I won't judge.  But you really don't need to.  Most malls have that kiosk in the middle where they sell the pashminas rather inexpensively.  And just about every store, or at least the ones I go to, has a wide selection of scarves, wraps, etc.  The beauty of the scarf is that it comes in so many different colors, textures, fabrics, patterns - you are sure to find something that's right for you.  One of my favorites is a damask hot pink wrap that I got from Old Navy about 5 or 6 years ago for $10 on mega-sale.  I'd say the CPW of that one is down to pennies, or at least dimes.  And the light gray cashmere wrap I got from Banana Republic right after Christmas for $30?  Definitely under a dollar per wear and dropping rapidly.  Of course, you don't always need one with a turtleneck like I have here.

Shoes?  Bags?  Hats?  Sunglasses? Oy, I could go on for a while...but it's been a crazy busy week, and I'm done. Good night all! No, I'm not going to bed quite this early, but will be pretty soon. So I will probably try to catch up on blog reading until my eyelids close...

Polyvore from March 2:

3/2/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Out of the Shadow with Black and Blue

Ok, I get it...much like wearing white after Labor Day, the navy and black combo is no longer the fashion taboo it once was. Done right, it's actually very, very chic. But it's not a combo that I find easy to pull off, unless the black & navy are combined in a single garment. But I think jeans make it work pretty well. And so does the J Crew color "shadow". You know I am a huge fan of navy blue. And I love J Crew's dark grays. Shadow falls kinda right in the middle. It's a navy, but a grayed navy...it actually reminds me exactly of the OPI shade from this fall, Suzi Skis in the Pyrennees - dead-on match. Someone asked the every-stylish & wise A Bigger Closet about it on a recent post which reminded me that I hadn't posted this outfit yet. (like so many others...)

A couple weeks ago, I met dinagideon for lunch and a little Crew time. New DC JCA Rachel joined us - and it was lots of fun. Her kiddies are adorable and she was so great. We look forward to seeing her at DC JCA outings to come. And I enjoyed being the only one without kids.

Um yes, I did just say that...hey, I shopped with my 2 darling angels for quite a number of years until I unloaded, I mean sent, them to school. don't shoot me. My kid-shopping triumph will always be the time I went bathing suit shopping with both of them and actually came home with a suit - and it was quite fab if I do recall. Ask my mother about the time she took M shopping and warmed up the bottle under the hand dryer at LL Bean. Which, incidentally, is a great place to feed a baby because they have those really comfy rocking and Adirondack chairs. And I look forward to E being able to shop with me on a regular basis soon - she's almost there...

Actually, when I do these outings during the school day, I end up being like the grandma since I get to do fill-in kid-less adult tasks. Or I'm the really cool aunt. I think I like the aunt title better.

So back to the whole black & blue thing. I wanted to (a) wear the Winnie since dinagideon was, of course, the kind soul who found it for me at the clearance center and (b) show off the new BR chain necklace since she is such a fan of BR jewelry herself. For a chic background, I went with my Chicos ultra slim leg jeans and the JC shadow perfect fit long sleeve tee (size L, which I always take in the perfect fit since I don't like them toooo tight, picked up for $10 at post-Xmas sale) for the blue and a black cami and boots for the black. So...black and blue altogether. I think the shadow really knits it together. And it was great for showing off the necklaces (BR mixed chain with JC antique finish constellation locket) as well as the Winnie jacket.

Really, with that jacket...do you need anything complicated underneath? Or at least that's been my excuse all winter. And then this pic shows off the supercool fun new scarf-trying trick (hacking knot) that I picked up from Cate's blog - Confessions of a Shopoholic Medical Student...she had picked it up from Sweet Tea in Seattle who tried it with a wrap as well as an Hermes scarf (which I had somehow missed even though it was just the day before, but she is one of my fave blogs to read). Bottom line...vlog instructions for scarf tying here - and I love how she showed it with the skinnier scarf, too.

So yes, I wore my Woobie/Blankie that day, too. This BR cashmere wrap is addictive!! And speaking of cuddly things...it's been a while since I posted a Lucy pic (she's 13 months old today), so here you go...this is the "are you seriously bothering me with that camera?" look.



And this is the "oh, am I not supposed to play with this?" look. And *that's* why I get my FUggs at Target. (FUgg - Fake Ugg. Get your mind out of the gutter. Ok, your first reaction may have been accurate, but they are the best bus stop shoes ever.)

Banana Bracelet

Ba-Ba-Banana, Ba-Ba-Banana.... yes, I'm back to singing my favorite Elmo Banana song. This was yet another piece uncovered earlier this month while jewelry bin diving, as I discussed in this post. It's a double strand gold chain bracelet (all gold-toned, the silver-ish look in the pic is from the flash), and the clasp is actually just a loop of the bracelet that hooks over the flower at the end. So pretty. This will be a great layering piece, but also works well on its own. And it's pretty neutral in that it will mix with many pieces. And...it was $15.99. Oh how I love you, Banana jewelry!

So that will be the thread that ties together this outfit post since I wore it for the first time on Thursday and then again today. And of course, it's so on sale, it is nowhere to be found online, so I used yet another sub for PV.

Thursday...pulled out the dream taffeta sash cardigan, size L - i'd probably get an M today, don't shoot me, dina. (or at least that's what PV calls it - this was just before I joined the cult and became a JCA, so I wasn't so up on the names). I really need to wear this sweater more often, it's just so darn cute with the ruffled neck and the ribbon. And it is warm too. Like the canvas atelier jacket last spring, it has that mod swingy shape I love. So perfect with jeans and a tshirt. That would be Chicos slim leg jeans (size 0.5)and a JC open crewneck painter tee (size L)

And then of course, the cute new BR bracelet - and my grandmother's pearl/crystal necklace that I swiped from the junk jewelry passed to E and the JC twisted crystal necklace. And then the Me Too cap toe ballet flats. I'm not sure they really worked IRL with the cardi but they work in the picture, so let's just pretend that they were that good in person.

Polyvore from Thursday:

1/21/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
Women sweaters Dream taffeta-sash cardigan, $60
Women's knits & tees - textured knits - Open crewneck painter tee -..., $30
Chico's - Platinum Denim Slim Leg Jean, $69
Me Too Swann Cap Toe Ballet Flat
Women's bags - leather bags - Selby satchel - J.Crew, $275

And then today...started with the gray Minnies, put on a white short sleeve perfect tee, changed cami underneath and got lipstick on tshirt, switched to long sleeve gray striped Flora tee, decided that original choice of light gray Jackie-esque cardi from BR wouldn't work with all the gray so switched to black cashmere Jackie. (did you get that?) Gray Minnies...gray striped tee...black cashmere cardi. Ok, we're caught up.

And then, gold hoops, new BR bracelet, and black flats. Oh my black flats are in really, really sorry shape. I need a new pair. They are so sorry-looking, even when I polish them. But shopping for the basics can be the hardest to do. But that's for another post...

I felt very Parisian chic in this outfit. As I commented in my PV set, I felt almost gamine...and when you're 5'10", you don't usually feel gamine, that's for sure. By the way, this looked AWESOME with my yellow Winnie when I ran out to do a couple of errands with M earlier today. And if it had been chillier, I could have just thrown on my black boots. Easy.

But speaking of my Polyvore set...here it is:

1/23/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
Women's Cashmere Sweaters & Cardigans - J.Crew, $160
Classic-stripe tissue tee - J.Crew, $33
Women - tanks - Perfect-fit tank - J.Crew, $18
Women - wool - Wool tweed Oona coat - J.Crew, $90
Mossimo® Desta Ballet Flats - Black : Target, $20

By the way, the divine Gigi and others are noting that BR has 40% off sale items in store. A great time for jewelry bin diving, no?

Warming to Dresses in Winter

True confessions...I did spend a lot of this weekend in sweats. 3-day weekend? Oh yeah. Not really Saturday since I had to get up and out the door to pick up E at her cousin's (bday party and sleepover the night before) and get her to basketball not-too-late. She loves it...who knew?

And p.s....those of you like me with older boy and younger girl who don't get to pass much down other than snow pants...it's amazing what a little elbow grease and new laces can do to athletic shoes. E voluntarily wore M's soccer cleats this past fall, with new sparkly silver laces. For basketball, she's got his Nike Air's from last winter, outfitted with black/white graphic shoelaces as well as the promise that she can decorate them with stickers this week.

So I did shower and get dressed that day - but I spent a good portion of the weekend working (house-working and real-billable-hours-working), so I felt justified in sweats. Love love love the 3-day weekend!

I did have to get dressed in normal-ish clothes Sunday evening for church since it was my turn to do Vestry welcome. So I got to try out an outfit I had been contemplating ever since I got this dress dress at the Loft last spring (size M)...but didn't have the black turtleneck to do it.

I just love this dress. I always feel chic - whether with bare legs and sandals or tights and heels. It is so stretchy and comfy. And I loved it layered - much like my Christmas Eve outfit with black tights & turtle as a backdrop for one stand out piece.

So...J Crew black merino turtleneck sweater, size M - the important thing here is not to go too large, you really want something fitted, but not tight, otherwise you lose the whole comfort thing. Then silver hoops, black tights, black boots. And a ponytail so the neckline isn't too cluttered. And by the way, not only was this insanely comfy...it was warm! I will definitely do this again.

Polyvore of Sunday(evening)'s outfit:

1/17/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

I really do love dresses in winter. Well, let's be honest...I love dresses all year long, but summer and winter are easiest. (I always have a hard time with bare legs when it's not quite warm enough.) Yes, you aren't wearing pants, but tights and boots are usually pretty warm to me. And when you've got a sweater dress...that's just about as cozy as you can get. And it helps get me out of the jeans/Winnie rut.

Let me tell you about this dress that I stalked last year at Banana Republic. I think it started out around $98. I kept trying it on in the store realizing that alone, it was just blah and really needed the right piece to bring it together. I wanted it. Stripes...sweater dress...gray and tan...But I just couldn't justify it. I believe I even ordered it twice from BR (free shipping, natch), once at FP (when I kept my black BR sweater dress - yes, I was on a major sweater dress hunt last year) and then again when it was further on sale for about $35 or $40. But again, returned it. Finally, I found it again in store in late January or February, I think, marked down to about $15, so then I snagged it. Patience does occasionally pay off, ladies.

But I still had the styling issue. Just plain, it's a bunch of big old stripes. Not great. What it needs, is a great big old scarf to cross those big old stripes. And that's how they usually had it styled in their print ads. Just a necklace, even some of my chunky pieces weren't enough. When I went to put it on last Tuesday, I realized that the BR cashmere wrap that I got this year was the perfect color to go with the dress...and it had the visual impact the dress needed.

Especially since I've lost weight and the dress is looser than it used to be...definitely need something to cut the horizontal of the stripes. Considering that I was absolutely miserable on Tuesday with that icky "starting to come down with something because of lack of sleep" think, I believe I did pretty well. It perked me up and kept me warm.

Other than the big old scarf and a pocket watch necklace, I just had my dark brown boots and tights. I think brown works with this better than black. If I had lighter boots, I would probably try them. And next time I wear it, I might even have a Polyvore since I'll be clipping the pic above.

How often do you wear dresses in the winter? And how do you make them work for you?

Back on the Chain Gang...

I posted a few days ago on my continuing Banana love...I continue to live in my BR cashmere wrap. Threw it on this afternoon while working at my laptop again. But there's a point I missed about BR - they have some really, really fab jewelry. And not only do they have really, really fab jewelry, but their really, really fab jewelry gets marked down on quite a regular basis unlike other (ahem, "hey you") retailers we frequent. (Was it AppGal who came up with the "rhymes with 'hey you'"? Still love that, hehehehe.)

When I returned the striped sweater to BR, I picked up this necklace for $28.99 (plus 2 other things on sale that I'll eventually fess up to). Mixed metal chains...2 matte silvers, 2 matte golds. So not only is it a very cool necklace but it totally works with my J Crew constellation locket that I got in the antique gold - ok, that was an even better bargain at $9.99, but I am *loving* this combo! I love the locket, but wanted something to amp it up a bit. And this necklace is perfect - and it will be great on its own as well. I like the slightly tougher-chic vibe about it.

I wore it today with {yawn} sweater and jeans tucked into boots.

Ok, details...J Crew merino turtleneck in black (size M). Did I even question if I really needed this when I got it? Talk about a gaping wardrobe hole...been wearing it tons, and always feel great in it. And I even had gotten it on sale...bonus.

And then the Chicos Ultra Slim Leg jeans tucked into my black boots. Isn't that what we're all wearing around here? When I was at the mall on Tuesday, all I saw were slim jeans tucked into boots. I guess weather does that. We did have 2 inches of snow last night, enough to give us a 2-hour school delay. So I got to sleep in a wee bit.

And of course, topped off with the yellow Winnie, black bucket hat, and black leather gloves when I went out for a meeting at school and to grocery shop as you'll see in the Polyvore below. (True confessions - I did put on a down parka for bus stop pick up, but our bus stop is actually a bit away from the house and do you know how cold it is? Way too cold for a wimp like me.)

Of course, the down side of sale bin diving for jewelry is that, Polyvore, being the evil mistress that she is, only shows items that are currently for sale on the store website, and once things get marked down they often disappear form the website, so you usually have to find dupes for PV...unless you want to go ahead and clip the entire jewelry section, but I've been trying to clean out my PV closet, not clog it up. Need to get to the real closet sometime... So here is today's Polyvore, with necklace dupes...but still works pretty well, I think.



1/8/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And say hello to my little (winter) friend...

Yep, the humidifier. Longer-time readers may remember my post from last March on Getting Steamy...er, um, Misty in the Bedroom. But for those of you who are new, let me just share this:

1 - very good if you have a cold (please make sure you clean it religiously, however)
2 - totally helps you breathe easier
3 - white noise helps you sleep better

.....and the absolute best, but clearly most shallow reason to use it....

4 - your skin will look AMAZING. Seriously. I am always amazed at the glow I get after using it for a day or two. Maybe it's just that I'm sleeping better. Maybe it's that I am getting enough sleep. Maybe it's just the increased humidity in the air. Maybe it's some crazy combo of both...I don't really care...I just love that it works!

On the Banana Train...Banana Boat...Banana Fan...

Happy New Year to all! I admit I enjoyed a nice long break from...eh, pretty much everything. Very little blog reading or Polyvoring, no blog writing, lots of away time from the electronic devices over the holidays...it was a good thing.

So...remember that fab Banana Republic tee I got WAY back in mid-November (the cute white tee with the screen printed necklaces)? Of course you do. Yeah right, whatever, you have better things to do, I know. Well, apparently it made its way into Lucky magazine for January. Yes, I just went through my January magazines - I was saving them for the out of town trip to see in the in-laws. I love to have lots of reading material on trips. And maybe I'm a bit behind since they've been out a while...but seriously? My BR trompe l'oeil beaded tee from EARLY November? In a January magazine?

Ok, it's a bit fun to go "oh, so you like it, too, huh?" But wow, pity the fool who falls in love with the magazine pic only to go looking for said item in store in vain. Not that everyone needs my shirt, or that I want everyone to have the same shirt as me, but haven't you had that happen where you fall in love with something in a magazine only to be utterly unable to locate it? Not that I can argue with the cuteness of the tee (for me at least). I guess if you were reading the magazine when it came out about mid-December, you might have a shot of still finding it in the store, but I don't know...

And continuing on the Banana train...I have utterly fallen in love with a 12/26 purchase. Yes, I went to J Crew the day after Xmas when all sale stuff was 30% off (final sale, too, but that's so much better when you can try on). All I got at J Crew was a tshirt...long sleeve perfect fit tee in shadow for about $10 that I've already worn twice and thus it was a great buy, but still...not so enthused with the other offerings. Then we went to Banana Republic because I needed to return a sweater.

And I got this...the Cashmere Wrap. On 12/26, all in store sale items were an additional 50% off, so I got this beauty for $30. But I swear, it's still a great deal at the current sale prices. I ordered the Cocoon (ivory) for a friend when it was additional 20% off online. Because I love love love love love love love mine. I got it in a light heathered gray. It says "oatmeal heather" on the website, but I think that must be another color since mine is definitely not a tan. It is so soft, so cuddly, so luxe, so yummy... I think the wrap is very versatile and it's very generous in size (for a scarf, I guess). Let's see, I got it on 12/26, it's 9 days later, and I've probably worn it 5 times, including the day I got it. And most of those involved all-day wear, not just outside with a coat. (Although light gray cashmere + yellow Winnie = love)

Today I had my monthly chiro visit. As an update - my neck and shoulders and back and arm are SO much better than they were in August. I credit the therapy, but I also credit (1) learning the right stretches for my neck muscles, including the one to try to restore spine curvature, and (2) relocating my laptop from its usual spot at the kitchen table to the living room desk, with its keyboard tray, so that I am more ergonomically correct. And whether you see a chiropractor or an orthopaedist, I don't care, but if you are having neck/spine issues, please go see someone and get it checked out and fixed - this stuff only gets worse, especially with age.

Ok, off soapbox. So chiro...comfy clothes, warm clothes...J Crew gray/white striped tissue tee and gray BR Michelle-clone cardi, with Chicos slim leg jeans tucked into black boots. I think my outfits for the next few weeks are going to be "___ sweater with ___ jeans/pants tucked into ___ boots." We have an "Arctic air mass" that has descended and seems to be hanging around for a while. This is why I don't live any further north. I do love my sweaters, but I'm just NOT used to this.

So as an outfit, it was ok, but the scarf really made it. Maybe it if was warmer, I would have gone with major jewelry or fun shoes or something, but it's just plain cold. Scarf, please. And truthfully, when it's brutally cold like this, or even when it's just a bit chilly, I love the feel of a large wrap/scarf bunched up around my neck - it just works better for me that a thinner scarf.

I wore it today wrapped around the neck as more of a scarf (as in 1st picture), but when I was wearing it with the JC shadow perfect tee and jeans, I ended up using it as more of a wrap (as in 2nd picture). And it works both ways. And it was so so so nice for the road trip to and from in-laws this past week. Really, let's be honest, it's a socially acceptable blanket.

(Note: Northern US & Canadian bloggers, yes, I know, I'm a big old wimp. But that's what happens to us here in the Mid-Atlantic)

I picked up 2 other pieces at BR on 12/26. A fab black skirt, yet to be photo'ed, and this sweater here, which I'm still on the fence about. What I love about it: Price (ended up at $18). I love the feel of the large turtleneck, or is it a cowl neck? I like that it's cotton - sometimes, even at these temps, even I can be a bit too warm some places in cashmere and wool. I like the shape of it, because it's fitted. And I love the color gray in the stripes - it's almost a warm charcoal.

What I'm not sure about: Do I need another sweater? (or do I just need to go through what I have and clean out - wore my JC Cambridge cable tneck from last winter and realized that it's too wide or too short or both, and my JC Wellesley cable tneck from several years ago is really starting to show its age a bit). Do the stripes work? Does it actually look ok with jeans, or am I just limiting myself to black pants? Would be pretty fab with the Minnies, though, no? But even thought it's a great deal at $18, am I only going to wear it a couple of times this year and be bored with it next year? In which case, it's not a great buy. Cost per wear, more conscious purchasing...but more on that topic tomorrow. Isn't this post long enough already??

Fyi - just tossed on with today's jeans/boots - made no attempt at styling...but who are we kidding...I'd probably wear it this way anyway.

An Even "Skinnier" Alternative, plus Pics of the Knox

As I have mentioned time and again, I am a big fan of Chico's jeans. Even at JC, I find the waistband is too low plus too big leading to muffin top plus big gape at the back. Sure, I could get jeans tailored, but I'd rather find a pair that fits really well to start with. I blogged about the Chico's Platinum Denim Slim Leg Jeans a couple of months ago. And I have been loving them...but when I ordered, they no longer had the blue washes in the 35" inseam, so I just grabbed the regular inseam in store and have been wearing them cuffed with flats or tucked into boots.

New Find - even skinnier jeans from Chico's. I'll admit right up front that I was bold enough to try these because (1) they actually had my size - 0.5 - in the 35" inseam in the "Rinse Wash" - now of course, they are sold out and (2) I had a 50% any item if purchase is $50+ - usually the threshold is $100 - so I got these for half price. Behold..Chico's Platinum Denim Ultra Slim Leg Jean ($69). I think even my sister would be impressed at how skinny these jeans are.

Speaking of my sister - a huge Happy Birthday to my twin & birthday-mate. I can't think of anyone I'd rather share a birthday with, other than Donny Osmond, which we do - and when we were 10 years old, that was just so cool. And since I can't sleep, it's 2:34 am, which is about 2 minutes after you arrived, and 1 minute before I did. Those blissful 3 minutes when our mom thought she would only have to deal with 1 baby. Ah, the days before ultrasound...

Back to the jeans...I am very happy with the fit. I like the higher waistband because it kinda holds everything in so there's no muffin top or gaping. I do realize that on some, this waist would be too high, but on my rectangular form, it works. I took a size 0.5, which is supposed to equate to a 6 (yeah, whatever), but I find in their stretchy jeans & pants, it's best to size down because they will stretch out.

I still need to experiment with which tops work best. A long cardi is kind of a no-brainer. I had on the tango top with a long sleeve tee layered underneath and just wasn't feeling it this morning. The biggest pitfall to avoid is the Stacy & Clinton ice cream cone effect, aka ICE. (ICE where the top part of your bottom half is really wide, and your pants narrow down to really skinny at the bottom - your ankles may look tiny by comparison...but your behind - by comparison - looks huge. ICE is best managed through trouser or straight cuts.) But I think these are workable by choosing the right top half. And even if I only wear these with long sweaters & tees, hey, they were under $40 - so I'm not complaining.

Yesterday, I opted for my BR Michelle-twin, a white open neck painter tee and then piled on some gold/sparkly necklaces including the should-have-picked-one-that-doesn't-snag twisted crystal with my dangling crystal shapes bracelet. Simple, yes...but it really suited my mind frame and you know the drill - toss on the yellow Winnie coat and the outfit goes to fab immediately.

Polyvore for today:


12/8/09 - What I really wore... by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
Women's Merino Sweaters & Cardigans - J.Crew, $88
Women's knits & tees - textured knits - Open crewneck painter tee -..., $30
Head to Toe with Heidi: Winnie Love
Chico's - Platinum Denim Ultra Slim Leg Jean, $69
Mossimo® Desta Ballet Flats - Black : Target, $20

And on the subject of charcoal sweaters...melissa molasses asked for an IRL pic of the J Crew Knox sweater jacket (#18172, orig $132, curr $49.99 in store). This sweater is sold out online, but still pops back. Most stores seem to have a number of them back in the sale section. I stalked this one for a while, waiting for the price to drop.

I haven't yet gotten a pic when I've worn it as an actual outfit - but here's the pic from just after purchase. Love the sweater - very warm. It's a very tight knit, so it's less likely to snag. And (not pictured) even though it's double breasted, it still looks very cute open. I was paging through the JC Oct catalog and the model was wearing it open...but I can't quite remember what else she had on though.

I took an M. It's not tight, but I feel like it's streamlined enough to not be boxy. The sleeves are plenty long. You could consider sizing down in this, depending on your shoulders. I think the sweater is very versatile and plan to wear it a lot this winter. The only thing that I'm still working on is the best neckwear when the sweater is closed. A regular "shirt" would be great. But I feel like it needs something extra when wearing with a tee - but I haven't figured out which necklace works well, or if a scarf might be better. In fact, the last time I wore it, that was vexing me, so I just wore it open. Ah well, plenty of time to experiment.

Bananas for the Annalise Tee

This is a fun little tee from Banana Republic - per my receipt, it's the Annalise ??? tee, but I can't find it online. So maybe it's store only? And that "???" is there because I actually can't find the receipt right now - but it was, I believe, about $45. I got it with the Gap/ON/BR F&F 30%, so I actually paid about $33 or so.

Apologies for the *total* lack of details, but I still wanted to share. I got this tee less than 2 weeks ago at BR so it should still be around (and I've already worn it twice, so yes - love it). I wore it to JC last Friday and when my fave SA saw it, she swore to go get one at her break. ("What? I can wear it on the weekends.")

Size-wise, I got an M. As you can see, there is still some room in it and it's not supertight, so size down. The fabric is thin, but not sheer. (a nice change from so many super sheer JC tees, to be honest.) I love love love the necklace design on the tee - so fun - and the necklaces themselves would be so me, so it really fits. In case you couldn't tell since the pic isn't front on, the design is printed - there's no texture. That could be good or bad, but I'll take it as good because (a) less expensive (b) totally machine washable *and* dryable, and (c) fits under any top layer, even just another tee.

I realize you can't see so well from the pic, but the neckline is very pretty; it has an inlay of chiffon just inside the crewneck. And it's a crewneck, but not a super-tight crewneck. And can we go back to the design? One less accessory to add to your look!

This is a perfect tee for layering a jacket or cardi on top. I wore it both times with a black cashmere cardi and then a black scarf. Of course, in the pic here, you can't see the design at all since the scarf is tight because I was chilly, but when I wore it, you could see the desing on the tee just tine.

And then jeans and black flats. The first time I wore this was on the way home from the wedding weekend and let me just share - definitely pack the "boyfriend" jeans for the trip home vs. the skinnies - even if it's only an hour car ride. Obviously from the photo above, I wore the tee with skinnies the second time.

And here's my Polyvore from when I wore it the first time. Since the tee isn't online, I found a perfect sub for PV in the JC slub cotton crystal necklace tee.

11/15/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
J Crew t shirt, $20
J Crew top, $158
Current/Elliott jeans, 243 GBP
Target.com flats, $20
J Crew tote bag, $150

Black Dresses....and showing a little love to Banana

Today was a total sweater dress day. Do you have the sweater dress love? I will admit, it is hard to find the right fit, as they usually come in the alpha sizes, not numeric. But when you find one you love...mmmmmmmm...cozy... Nothing better for a chilly day - sweater dress, tights, boots...and done. And it just feels like you're wearing a big huge sweater all day. Danger areas? Either end of the spectrum - the too-tight & too-short hoochie SD, and the so big it makes you look like you are one big tea cozy SD. Last year, I got 2 great sweater dresses from Banana Republic.

(side note - any of you moms out there seen Elmo's World when he did the banana episode - and he sings ba-ba-banana, ba-ba-banana - well, it's been about 7 years and that song still pops into my head whenever I go into BR. you're welcome...)

This is one of the 2 sweater dresses from last fall. I got this one with 30% F&F last fall (so $130 less 30% = $91.) I have definitely worn it enough to be worth it and I'm not done yet. Last Christmas when we visited the in laws in NC, it was unseasonably warm, so I wore it plain with footless tights and ballet flats. And I layered it with a white or cream tee plus tights and boots all last winter. BUT...I kept wanting to get a striped tee to layer underneath because I thought that would be cute. If I do say so, I think I was right. Ta da!!

Today's outfit was the BR sweater dress from last year (in M), BR gray/white striped tee from this fall (M), black tights, flat black boots, plus some silver hoops & my Tiffany silver mesh ring from ages ago. I wore my hair down today (probably for warmth, hehe), but the dress looks really cute with hair up.

And you probably can't tell so well from the picture, but there is an inverted pleat in the front of the dress below the empire waist. So it's a great dress to wear when you might be filling the belly, so to speak. And today I had brunch at a friends' in the morning and then we went out to dinner tonight. Excellent wardrobe planning. Hubby & I took the kiddies out to a Japanese steak house for the first time and it was way fun - they loved it!! Of course, I'm sitting here in pj-sweats, because it's almost my bedtime, but the dress was a good dinner dress.

Polyvore from today:

11/6/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew bags

Items in this set:
J Crew t shirt, $33
Forever21 dress, $23
Ann Demeulemeester boots, 795 GBP
J Crew tote bag, $150
Thelook4less.net ring

And speaking of dresses... I really, truly, honestly appreciate all the feedback from everyone on the 3 Nordies dresses. I also applaud everyone for the very constructive comments. (You all didn't love all of them, which is fine - but you played nice - and I do appreciate that as well.)

I think my problem is that I am just not totally 100% feeling it with any of them. They are all very nice dresses and any of them would be fine. (yeah, I know, nice problem to have). And maybe part of the problem is that I got the 3 of them from 2 different parts of the store over 2 different shopping trips of about 15-20 minutes each, so I was rushed-rushed-rushed - and they just have some bad vibes attached. Or maybe I'm just being ridiculous and overthinking this whole thing because, this is not a problem - it's an irritation...at the most. (Thanks Jemma Ruby - ever since you posted on that, I try to hold those words close.) So it's not a problem, other than the fact that I clearly need to get a life.

If you did comment on the 3 choices, please don't feel that it was a waste of time at all (and don't shoot me)...it made me really look much closer at the dresses and figure out what did and didn't work with them.And, I have come to the conclusion that I am just prejudiced against chiffon. I don't like how it feels. Ok, lesson learned.

But I think I have found true dress love... After debating over the 3 Nordies dresses, I happened to be perusing the BR website and found the dress at right. BR Tiered Pleated Dress ($132). They are already showing this dress on the large placard in the window, but it's Holiday 03 and only Holiday 02 is in the stores - wish I hadn't needed that level of detail. So I ordered it with 25% off and it is supposed to arrive on Tuesday.

And, I believe, it combines the best of the 3 Nordies dresses - the versatility and lack of chiffon in #1 (I would totally rock this with tights and boots for a more casual look), the tiers & necklace potential of #2, and the fun & flirtiness of #3. And when I first saw it, I swooned I felt it. We'll see. I've got my fingers crossed. So should you, so that I shut up about this. Whew, it's late, I'm punchy, and I should go to bed. Here's my planned ensemble in Polyvore...let's see how it all comes out in the proverbial wash...

Idea #1 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew jewelry

Items in this set:
Banana Republic dress, $132
Gojane.com shoes, $13
J Crew necklace, $98
Banana Republic earrings, $35
SEPHORA by OPI nails, $9

Speaking of Banana Republic (coincidental timing), Slastena has an interesting post on Banana Republic today, from some spring magazine catchup - yay, I'm not the only one. Hop on over to comment - are you a Banana Fan? Or is your new theme song "Yes, we have no Bananas"?

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:

10/30/09-Halloween Parties at School by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

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:

10/29/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

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

Planning for Halloween by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Hope you all enjoy your day of tricks & treats!

Wearing Today and I Am Golden

Yes, I am golden today. Or at least, I'm wearing OPI She's Golden polish, so I can only assume OPI is talking about me (duh). Part of OPI's Beyond Chic collection (Summer 2008), it is described as a white frost with a golden gleam. So it's not stark white, it's a little softer. There were quite a few white nails on the spring runways, most notably the Chanel couture show. This is my take on it - softer and a bit more sparkly. (Remember? Any glitter will help the polish adhere better to the nail.) I got it this past weekend, and am really loving it. This may be a standard in my summer nail arsenal.

On to the outfit...continuing with the white theme - white tank & jeans with long black cardi (BR, Winter 2008). Black sandals, some J Crew necklaces, Dina hoops, and top it off with the tennis ball bag (yep, my new name for it, I am embracing it). Thanks again to everyone for weighing in on the J Crew canvas boardwalk city tote. I really appreciate the time and thought you all put into your comments and I did mull them over quite a bit. As I mentioned in my last reply, I have been dying to pull it out and use it, but was mainly doubting myself. This will work with just about everything I wear in the summer - it may end up being a "neutral" for me after all.

I loved the bag with the black & white outfit; for me, I think it complemented it well. And no, it's not in the IRL pics because I usually do those upstairs and my current bag is usually downstairs. One of these days, I'll remember it for a pic. And I just realized - this is my 2nd day in a row with white jeans. It must be dry outside. And my puppy is growing up. I really need to post some new Lucy pics.

Polyvore set for today:

Wearing Today-5/21/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

We are having gorgeous spring weather here today. I took the kiddies to the dentist this morning, ran some errands, and then came home to work, etc on the computer. I finally figured out getting my pics from my BlackBerry, since they weren't emailing and I'm on an enterprise server for work and therefore I never installed the Desktop Manager, so I have some dress and other reviews to post.

And a word of warning to all...beware the crew-lateral damage your J Crew online order can cause...especially if you are trying to break down the box and get it in the recycling so your SO doesn't realize exactly how big the box was...yeah, this is what you get when you are so graceful that you manage to pinch the inside of your arm in the fold of the box. It's a wonder I manage to make it out the door in 1 piece most days. Man, that sucker hurts!