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.

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!

Another Cardi Party?

Must be the season...so today, I inspired myself. (nice going self). Ok, actually I just completely copied a look from almost 3 weeks ago - 10/6/09. As I wrote on my Polyvore, "Wishing I could get an IRL pic but camera is in trunk of hubby's car. Sure I'll be wearing this again, though... So comfy and way cute (IMO)." I literally wore the exact same outfit today. And enjoyed it just as much.

Michele cardi in Beechwood from last year (M), the ubiquitous white tissue bf vneck tee (M) - which is about to get some competition because I just ordered my 2nd open crewneck painter tee in white, and Minnies in coal (8). Plus twisted crystal necklace, its mate from BR that has dangling crystals every inch, Dina hoops, and the crystal shapes bracelet. Speaking of which, did you enter my giveaway for that bracelet? (Not the one I'm wearing, of course, duh.) Deadline is end of the day tomorrow! I love the neutral combo of coal and beechwood with the white tee to crisp it up. When it gets colder, out come the boots, a long sleeve white tee, and maybe a scarf. And Rosa & Gingersnap - just pretend I'm wearing JC toothpicks, ok?

Polyvore from 10/6/09 - and today (seriously, it's exactly the same - I think I need to switch up accessories next time):


10/6/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Saturday...skip - hubby out of town, not enough sleep, soccer games, Target, rain, etc = Jaspe sweatshirt + jeans + pink rain boots. Not a cardi and definitely not photo-worthy.

Moving right along backwards...Friday - oops, disqualified, not a cardi...save for another post.

Thursday - Nice day - just beautiful. Jackie in spring daisy (M), white ON tank (L, and too big as it keeps stretching out - but their M's are too tight at the hem, need to find another white tank source), and Chicos boyfriend jeans. What else? Confetti necklace, FA07 dog charm bracelet, and cuff link earrings. Done.

Polyvore from Thursday:


10/22/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Wednesday - bad pics, but great outfit. Need a re-do - which I'm sure will happen as you know I repeat my outfits...often.

Tuesday - Home with sick M and infected Lucy. But at least I tried...This outfit did not photograph that well, but I really loved it in person. Maybe better accessories next time, like my red patent peep toe flats? Tissue stripe flora tee with my charcoal BR Michele-cardi-copy and Chicos slim leg jeans. I really liked the navy-charcoal combo - it might have worked better in the IRL pic with better lighting. Or chunkier necklace action. And I will once again sing the praises for the striped tee - so comfy, so cute, total winner for me. (unless you have a really short torso, and then I'm sorry)

Polyvore from Tuesday:


10/20/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Cardi party rocking on... (and don't forget to enter my giveaway)

Lots of Shoes - plus More Havaianas Info, by Request

Ok, I'll start out with the Havaianas since at least 2 of you commented about them a couple of posts ago. First of all, these are not the regular Havaianas flip flops. Granted, their flip flops are pretty fab. And quite famous among the model/actress set. They are made of a softer rubber than most flip flops and don't streteh or lose their shape, and the toe piece is more comfortable. Or so I've heard because I don't actually have a pair of the regular flip flops.

What I do have is the "Fit" flip flop, which retails for $30. The key with this one, and where it differs from other flip flops is that it has the strap that goes around the back and that makes it so so so much better for your foot. You've heard that flip flops are the bane of podiatrists in the summer, right? (Or biggest business generator.) Now, I love flip flops as much as the next girl - esp the J Crew ones which are so insanely comfortable. But I found that by limiting my flip flop wear last summer - really just trading them in for flat sandals with a back strap, even without much support, did so much to help my feet. Considering the foot surgery my mom had last spring, I was understandably spooked as bad feet run strong along the maternal line in my family.

Here's the IRL pic on my feet. And I can vouch that they are really comfy to wear. These will be my go-to beach, pool, river, chill out, hang out shoe for summer. They come in black and the sand gray/golden (tan-ish). I love the tan-ish, and I think it works with silver or gold just fine. Again, I highly recommend. If you have specific questions on them, please let me know.

I got a few other pairs of shoes last week that I wanted to discuss. First of all, let's start with the J Crew patterned fabric and grosgrain flip-flops (#67243, $12.99 in store). I love the constellation print and the ribbon. But I may take these back. I was primarily thinking that these would be perfect for 4th of July with the navy jersey dressy strapless dress...and then thought about it and realized that I would still probably wear the Havaianas, esp if we are doing a lot of walking around, as we tend to do in Reedville for the town's Independence Day celebration. I love small town holidays, they are the best - we always go to the River for the 4th. So, in spite of the excellent price, I think these are going back as I just don't need them. And seriously, the pile of other JC flip flops I have that I don't wear very often - it's sinful. If I really want some JC flops for the 4th, I have the really cute ones from 2 years ago (I think), that were blue/white strip with rosy red sailboats.

Other pair of shoes from JC are these...the Danielle sandal, which are sold out on the website. I got these for $59.99 at Tysons in the warm blush. I am still a little iffy on these as the foot bed is just flat and not padded at all, but the straps are really comfy and I can actually pull the ankle strap over my heel without unbuckling - and as lazy as I am, that's always a big plus for any sandal. (Yes, all the sandals you see me wear do that. I have yet to find a sandal that I love enough to re-buckle and un-buckle every time I wear them.) If anyone has any info on the comfort of these, I would love to hear.

The 3rd pair of shoes I got last week are the Target Xhilaration Tayler Flat Sandals in champagne ($16.99). I think these would be a really great neutral shoe for summer, especially with the recent demise of the Samala peep toes, but I'm wondering if I really need it, since I have the Havaianas and the Danielles above, assuming I keep them. Of course, I love how I'm going through all this, and the 2 pairs of shoes I am thinking of returning are, of course, the 2 least expensive.

And then just for nostalgia...these are the beloved Liz Gladiator sandals by Isaac Mizrahi for Target from last summer. I lived in these in the bronze and the black last summer. Not a ton of cushioning and support, but super comfy since they stay on the foot so well. I had even re-ordered the black ones mid-summer since I wore mine to death. Wish I'd known about Isaac jumping ship so that I could have stocked up. Sniff, sniff, miss you at Target, Isaac! Your shoes were the best!

Thoughts on the shoe story?

And then, I haven't had a chance to post the outfit on Friday that inspired the whole shoe discussion (yeah, I've been meaning to post on this since then...) It was our last day of chilly rain. I liked Thursday's outfit so much (library shawl cardi, jeans, white tee) that I pretty much replicated it on Friday. I do find that the library shawl and the beechwood Michelle cardi are pretty much interchangeable in most outfits - Thursday and Friday included. I was at home on conference calls most of the day, so comfort (and warmth) were key. Of course, I started out the day with my garden clogs for taking kids to the bus and then walking Lucy. I swapped out for the Havaianas for the rest of the day. And since we're on shoes...I have to show you the clogs. You know I'll never show you me in the gardening overalls, so this is as close as it gets.

Polyvore for Friday (PV didn't have grubby old beat up clogs, hehehe):

Wearing Today - 6/5/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Havaianas shoes

Ok, time to start comment-responding and blog-reading...

Well, It's Better Than Sweats

You know those days that you get up and are still just wiped out because, say for example, your puppy is having intestinal issues and she needed to go out twice last night, which is still better than the alternative, and you just didn't get enough sleep and it certainly wasn't continuous good REM sleep, and your daughter who stayed up way too late on Saturday night is still being a total crankpot and refusing to finish her homework that she *should* have done yesterday but was too tired to? Yeah...that was my morning. And it has inspired me to create a new category, which will now be known as "It's Better Than Sweats". Some people can rock the yoga pants or the Juicy sweats and be cute, adorable, well put together. Usually when I have them on for the whole day, I am sick as a dog or just bone-tired, so I don't have that bright sparkle in my eyes. Therefore, it turns shlubby. Oh seriously, what's up with the dog imagery? I must be tired.

Today...(read above story and just laugh at me... go ahead, you might as well, someone should enjoy it) It was gray and chilly this morning. But I was also going to volunteer at school like I do every Monday, so I felt like a sloppy sweatshirt and grubby sweatpants was not the way to go. For warmth? Beechwood Michelle cardi, cozy but thin enough for May. Tired? Keep everything else simple - white tissue BF vneck tee, jeans, loafers (yeah, totally ditched the Joleys before we went to the bus stop), but amp it up a little with the Dina hoops and the fireball necklace. Maybe if I had more energy, I would have layered another necklace or something, but this was good enough. I do like the crispness of the white tee with the beechwood cardi. Although I will note for the record that I have not yet resorted to my usual lazy-day trick of the ponytail - most likely because I just got it cut last week.

So Polyvore set for today: (again, as I am discovering, the library cardi could very easily swap out for the beechwood Michelle)

Wearing Today - 5/11/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew t shirts

No time to nap before bus. Must go make more tea... The Awake tea this time, I think.

Wearing Today - and the last (for now) of the Tissue BF Tees

A rainy spring day here. But again, it's not 40 degrees and rainy, so I'm keeping my mouth shut. (But wasn't it supposed to be *April* showers? I know, I'm such a literalist.) But garden is looking so green. The buds on the peonies are just about to burst.

So it was definitely a great day for the Library Cardi. I have worn this so much that I think I will seriously consider the light pewter the next time JC offers us %-off sale, if it's still in my size. (And if it's not, *clearly* that's a sign that I should not have it.) And I am noticing, since I got the beechwood Michelle, that a lot of the outfits that I put together with one would look equally good with the other. Good to know...especially as clumsy as I am

Typical Monday in that I spent walked the puppy (albeit after we drove back from the bus stop), went to school to help in class, ran to the store, and then came home to work. Today I hit Target because virtually none of M's short sleeve tees from last summer fit him, so I had to do some quick replenishment. Didn't buy anything for me (yay me) unless you count the Tostitos summer sweet & spicy salsa - looked kinda cool, with berries in addition to the tomatoes & spice. If it's any good, I'll definitely post. I did eye this very cool coral bib necklace but I was in line and it just wasn't worth it. Am I on a shopping ban? Not exactly. I would really call it more of a shopping "break" as ban sounds too severe. Plus, as I am hearing echoed across JCA-world, after the orgy of spending induced by the Mickey crewpon, I'm just not feeling the need to consume right now.

So you all know what a crazy nut I am about the J Crew tissue boyfriend tees, specifically the vneck. In fact, on my last Mickey crewpon day, Jill, my fave SA, commented, "You can't come in here without buying one of those, can you?" Oops... Ok, I did get quite a few with the crewpon, but on sale for $24.50 plus the 25% off? This last one was in breeze. I had tried it on earlier and opted for other colors, but this one kept calling me. I figure that my collection is pretty much set except for (1) black and (2) a cool pink like Light Petunia (did you hear that, Jenna? Pretty please?) And quite frankly, considering that I was 10 lbs heavier last summer, those tees - the AT Loft ones which I got in L, are just too wide on me now. of course, the M's were too tight/bulgy last year. Not that I'm ungrateful. But the tees need to be replaced and that's a fact.

Much as I would have loved loved loved to wear white jeans today with this, I just didn't have the mental energy to do white jeans on a day where it is so wet, rainy, muddy. So dark jeans sufficed. And the Target Pearl Cluster necklace and cuff link earrings. (which I clipped to Polyvore, so now I can use them in my set!) And then this ring at right, that I got in Aruba last year. It's a fun piece - the band is actually elastic with more of those beads pictured on the top of the aqua shell. Very summery. And yes, now I can clip it to Polyvore! And yeah, still need to do my nails.

Polyvore set for today:

Wearing Today-5/4/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew t-shirts

A final note - Go Caps! (that's for hubby & M)

Wearing Today - J Crew White Rosette Tee and Beechwood Merino Michelle

So last Friday, with my Mickey crewpon in hand, I hit up J Crew (again) before meeting my parents for lunch, and lo and behold, there were 2 nice stacks of rosette tees sitting on the front table, one of which was white. I had already been clued in on the white ones from Ema in her post, so they were on my radar. So I grabbed a couple sizes in white and went back to try on. I ended up getting the white, which I am just thrilled with! I sized up to Large due to the sheerness of it, so it's a little slouchy, but not slopping, IMO. And my mom, who doesn't shop at J Crew, loved the tee so much, we went back and got one for her (using my crewpon, of course).

I think this will be a perfect piece for me. I wear white camis, tanks, and tees so often, and this will just give some extra detail. And I wore it today, to go meet a friend for lunch. It was a chilly day, but I am totally feeling the spring vibe, so I paired it with white jeans and the Merino Michelle in Beechwood. I feel beachy, or beechy, not sure which. I did swap out the sandals in the Polyvore set for the Joley flats, since they had a little more coverage. (by the way - the white jeans lasted for about 6 hours, before I swapped them out for sweats - but I put them away clean to wear another day - so they were not done in by the puppy - yay!!)

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today - 04/30/09 (I think) by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew sweaters

And here's the BIG question - I haven't found a pic of this tee anywhere on Polyvore or elsewhere to use on PV. Has anyone else? I don't think they even had white when it was first online. If anyone has a clue or can help, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!!

Wearing Today (incl new Merino Michelle in Beechwood)

Ahhhh the love of J Crew's Merino Michelle cardi (#11659, orig $88, online $49.99-whatever, in store $19.99 and then 25% Mickey card!!) Seriously, folks, $15. How can you go wrong?

I picked up the beechwood on sale last Friday. Do I need another cardi? Probably not, but I actually don't have anything in this color, and I wore my charcoal BR cardi just like this one all the time this past winter, so I imagine I will enjoy it. Since I hate to have clothes hanging in the closet without being worn, I decided to pull it out for today as it's still a bit chilly. I paired with a shell bf vneck tissue tee (like these 2 colors together!), jeans, pearls, and some black mocs. I feel a bit Laura Petrie-ish in the cuffed jeans/pearls/loafers, but hey, it works for me. Yes, these are the F21 pearls.

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today - 04/21/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew t-shirts

Keeping this short, because I got a lot of ("real") work finished and want to walk Lucy before picking up the kiddies at the bus stop. I want to share some info on the new shampoo & conditioner I found and discuss the J Crew shoe love, since I just got my first pair of non-flip flops/sneakers.

But I'll leave you with some Lucy pics from this morning...