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Jason Wu for Target Review

I was surprised to see a little gang of people waiting to get in at my Target for the Jason Wu Collection. I barely made it to the door by 8am after only five hours of sleep. From listening to their chatter, most of the group had already accessed the online site and everything they wanted was sold out. 

I was too tired to try on everything but I thought I would throw up some quick dressing room reviews. As you can see my iPhone is from 500 BC, so quality is low. 

Jersey Dress in Red/Navy Stripes-This dress was my first pick from the lookbook. It felt a little Flapper Girl goes to St.Tropez and I liked the nude stripes against the red. I quickly scooped up the XS and S, knowing the jersey pieces from the collections have a habit of running large.

The XS—which I'm wearing in the picture—fit, but this particular jersey clung to everything, meaning you could clearly see the outline of my undergarments. The S somehow managed to be too big but still clung everywhere you don't want it to cling:/

I went ahead and bought the XS, and I'm going to try it on with different undergarments to see if I can make it work.

Navy Floral Top-I was hoping this was going to have a tighter fit, and the fabric was a little stiff. I thought it was cute though. I'm wearing a size S.

Pointelle Sweater in Belize Blue-There is normally some type of lacy or ribbed long cardigan in these collections. I'm wearing an XS, and I liked the contrast of the aqua color against the navy.

Poplin Dress in Navy-This is what I consider the best buy of the collection. It's made of washable cotton, with a full skirt and a sleeveless bodice that makes it easy to layer. It's one of those little numbers that you can dress down to wear to work or dress up for a summer party. And the most important feature, it has pockets. 

This dress brought out the most "It's darling!" comments from the ladies trying on in the dressing room. I brought it home to think about. Oh, and I'm wearing a size 4. 

Chiffon Dress in Navy Floral-I didn't try this dress on, but it wasn't getting a favorable reception in the dressing room. I heard "the bust fits weird" twice.

I passed on the jersey tees because they clung to my every bra strap and bulge. 

Our store didn't get the Trench Coat or Flared Dress in Cream, which did not please the women that had been waiting in line. The girls in the South need their poufy dresses and church ready jackets! Our store also didn't get the Pleated Canvas Skirt in Belize Blue, which I thought looked cute in the lookbook.

This was supposed to be short review, but it turned out long. 

Photograpy: Moodboard

 

 

 

Review: Forever 21 Embellished Geo Clutch

I didn't think this bag was going to arrive in time to take it out of town with me. After going through UPS and then the USPS, it is finally here 10 days later. I've come to the conclusion that I don't like waiting for a mail order for longer than three days, especially if the item is small enough to fit in a mailbox.

That being said, I love it! It is a higher price point than most of Forever 21's bags, but it has a great design and it is heavily beaded front and back. I'll let you know if it falls apart after one wear, but it feels sturdy. It has a flat envelope shape—5.5" H x 10" W—and best to just hold the essentials. 

Photography: Moodboard

Review: Crewcuts Boys' Sailor Sweater

Crewcuts Boys' Sailor Sweater, J.Crew Skirt, 1970's Highwaisted Red Shorts, Vintage Gucci Bag, Hermes Collier de Chien Cuff, Nine West Platform Sandals

I wanted to give a review of the Crewcuts Boys' Sailor Sweater that I ordered a couple of days ago. I went with a size 12 since that is what I wear in Gap Boys. For reference, I'm 5'7" and normally wear a size 2 in J.Crew Womens.  I wish I would have ordered the size 14 as well so I could have compared sizing. I'm usually swimming in a size 14, but I think Crewcuts runs truer to size. 

I have a habit of dreaming up items of clothing that I want, and then drawing them down on paper. I envisioned a chunky striped sweater in a shrunken fit, and this sweater pretty much fits the bill. It has a soft, loopy knit in an ivory cotton with thick black (maybe dark blue upon further inspection!) stripes.

I bought it to wear with a vintage skirt in the fall, but I have a feeling I'll be wearing it a lot whenever the weather dips this summer.

Photography: Moodboard

 

Review: Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Ring in Green

I wanted to post a short review on Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale ring in green. I returned the turquoise version that I had ordered earlier because it didn't fit the finger I wanted to wear it on. The rings tend to run about a size small.

Unfortunately, the price has gone up since I ordered the turquoise version. I'm not sure what constituted the price hike, as the quality of the green ring wasn't very good. Maybe this was an off piece, but there is an air bubble in the stone and it also has been glued in crooked.

I love the glowing green of the stone, and it has a milky flash to it. But now I'm undecided if I want to reorder a green one that is hopefully in better condition or get the turquoise. Any advice? Mr.M told me that the green ring looks like it is from the movie The Beastmaster. I had to go look it up and as he always makes me laugh. 

I guess it reminds him of the eye, haha!

 

Photography: Moodboard, The Beastmaster image: Bmoviesandbeyond

 

Review: Topshop Cream Crochet Shift Dress

I ordered the Topshop Cream Crochet Shift Dress in a UK size 6 and 8 ( I'm wearing the size 8 in my pictures). The UK8 fit super loose on top and the back zipper, which is heavy, made the fabric sag in the back. The UK6 was still loose at the top but tight around the tush, and was way too short. I debated keeping the UK8, but after realizing it was see through I decided it was going to be too high maintenance for me to wear this summer.

The crochet fabric has a weight to it, with a semi-sheer lining. There is a long chunky zipper in the back that I wish had been smaller and lighter.

I really loved the 1960's silhouette of this dress, and disappointed that it isn't going to work. 

*The last image is a poke at me cuddling my bags like babies;) Sorry for the blurry quality of the photos!

Photography: Moodboard

 

Review: Vogue Best Dressed Special Edition Issue

I ran into the bookstore this weekend in hopes of finding something new to read and grabbed the Vogue Best Dressed Special Edition Issue.

I'm not surprised to see Blake Lively on the cover, as Anna Wintour seems to have a fascination with blondes. There was the Gwyneth Paltrow decade, mixed in with some Carolyn Bessette, various models, and then that odd Renee Zellweger infatuation.

The magazine starts out with great articles about Michaela Bercu, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Natalia Vodianova. I really like Natalia's personal style, and enjoyed the interview as it went into depth about her choices for events and the thought that went into them.

Then there are some things that are kind of sloppy. For instance, there are grainy pictures of Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker that look like they were blown up from smaller images. Why wouldn't you just use a different picture? It's not as if Kate Moss doesn't have a thousand other high resolution images floating around. 

I could have done without some of the odd features as well. There is a round up of the celebs stuck under umbrellas in bad weather, a round up of celebs talking on their cell phones, and one of celebs wearing versions of high hair, or what I call a beehive. I would have preferred full length shots of them in great outfits without any other distractions, but maybe I'm the odd one.

The magazine costs $10.99.

 Vogue's Top Ten Best Dressed of the Year

1. Blake Lively
2. Marion Cotillard 
3. Michelle Obama
4. Jessica Biel
5. Alexa Chung
6. Sarah Jessica Parker
7. Liya Kebede
8. Carey Mulligan
9. Shala Monroque
10. Lady Gaga

Ones to Watch

1. Elisa Sednaoui
2. Hanneli Mustaparta 

Best Dressed of the Decade

Kate Moss

 

Review: Forever 21 Lace Dress

-Forever 21 lace dress
-H&M tights
-Chanel Mary Janes
-Vintage pearlized clutch
-Rodarte ring 

I noticed that the lace Forever 21 dress from earlier this year has popped back up again online, so I thought I would give a quick review. I own the original, and as you can see the slip underneath runs micro short(I'm 5ft7 for reference). I took a picture of it with and without tights so you can see where it hits on me.

The fabric content is 54% cotton, 46% nylon, and the slip is silk. The lace shell can be handwashed. It has a boxy, babydoll shape that makes it one of the most comfortable dresses I own.

I ran by Forever 21 this morning to check out the new version and to see if there were any changes. To my eyes it looked a shade deeper ivory, and the slip is polyester instead of silk. The fit and fabric content is almost identical, at 53% cotton, 47% nylon. It is marked dry clean only. I do believe it is $5 cheaper than the original version.

Detail shot of ring:

Review: Asos Knot Waist Shift Dress/Olivia Palermo

Asos Knot Shift Waist Dress, Jeffrey Campbell for Free People Harness Harley Boots, Vintage Whiting & Davis Clutch

Hmmm...where do I start with this review. This dress caught my eye when I saw the August issue of Asos Magazine and I checked the site on a regular basis to see when it would be released. I normally wear a UK 6 in loose fit Topshop dresses, but since that size was sold out I went for the UK 8.

The UK 8 just.fit. but since it is completely see through, I had to put a slip on and it doesn't hang loose like I want. I'm not going to burn your eyes with the back view. It almost fits as an entirely different dress, with all these weird extra seams, almost like a body con dress from behind.

The dress is sold out until December, so I won't be able to try on a UK 10 until then to see if the dress hangs better or if it is just the cut.

I really love the idea of the dress, especially from the front, so I'm still hoping I can make it work.

*Yes, I was too lazy to bother steaming the wrinkles out since I was sad about the fit

 

Review: Anthropologie Jet Stream Cardigan + Glee

I'm obsessed with cardigans and love oversized versions that you can cuddle up in. For summer I wanted something to wear over floaty feminine dresses with a bit of granny or grandpa chic thrown in. I haven't had much luck in thrift shops so I headed to the mall. 

Anthropologie's Jet Stream Cardigan fit my requirement for granny style. It has a hand made looking knit with a slouchy silhouette and pockets. I'm a little tired of all the open lapel cardigans Anthropologie has been churning out but at least this one isn't smothered by ruffles. 

Someone gave a review on the site saying the Sky color was similar to hospital scrubs. It does come close, but I love the vintage-y color and that is the one I came home with.

 

I also spotted it on Glee cutie Dianna Agron.

Picture of girl in dress & cardi from Pretty.Little.World & Dianna Agron images via justjared.com

Review: J.Crew Charter Linen Skirt in Frosted Citrus

I saw the Charter Linen skirt at a J.Crew store a couple of weeks ago and passed it by. I kept thinking about the color and a couple of days later I went back to check it out and it was gone. I tried to track it down but it was sold out everywhere and told it was a store only item.

Fast forward to this past weekend and I stopped in the J.Crew near my grandmother's house. Someone had just returned it in my size and I snagged it up! You don't have to go through all this trouble because the darn thing popped up online this morning.

 

I looked like a walking Easter egg on Sunday but please remember most of my clothing is still packed up and I had to pick and choose from what I had. I just kinda gave up and went with a whole  girly spring mish mash.

The Leifsdottir top I'm wearing will probably be the closest I get to the swallow theme I'm dying for at Miu Miu. I normally pair this top with a pencil skirt and grown up girl shoes so it doesn't look so cutesy.

 

So on to the skirt review already, right? I can't say that I'm crazy about the fit, but I am crazy about the color. It photographs dull & yellowish but it is a vivid chartreuse green. It is loose around the waist on me, but I think this is one that you are suppose to wear paperbag style higher on your waist. Being 5 Ft 7", unfortunately I don't have much length to spare when the skirt is only 17" long.

The skirt fabric content is 90% linen, 10% nylon. I rarely buy anything made of linen, but this fabric already has a wrinkled texture and a slightly shiny finish that holds its shape.