J. Crew Reviews: Floral Edition!

Like this is going to be a shock to any of you, but I had to bite from J. Crew's recent floral explosion...

Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress. Size 4 (thank you, FFM, for the measurements you posted last week at the reviews post at JCA). I would have bought a 6, but with the hips being as free as they were, I knew the 4 would be fine. And it was. Any more hip fabric and it would look like I was wearing a little girl's dress, lol.

Bit short, this one, but I am 5'8". I love it for those summer days when you want crisp cotton against your skin. Crisp cotton is the right way to describe this prettily patterned Liberty Print Cotton Poplin, btw, it feels a lot like the way your freshly laundered sheets feel against your skin, in other words, AWESOME. ;)

From the front.  LOVE the pockets.  :)

From the back.  Best way for me to judge if the dress is an appropriate length/look for this stay at home mom.  It passes!

Hand on hip.  I would say the only thing you may want to size up for is your shoulders.  The 4 was fine, but I imagine if you have broader shoulders or a stronger back, you may want to size up.  I went with my "perfect shirt" sizing, and that worked here.

Silk Driving Scarf.  You must seek this one out at your local J. Crew factory store.  It is still full price on-line, and yet you can buy the SAME exact one at the factory store for something like $40?  Redonkulus. 

I knotted it once, turned the scarf backwards (so the knot was at the back of my neck), and then knotted it again.  Perfect length, and the scarf stayed in place perfectly.  I have worn it twice since I bought it last Thursday.  I don't even like scarves that much, so take that for what you will.

Thursday night I wore the outfit you see above, and without hesitation, I ripped the tags off the scarf and put it with this outfit. 

Merino Sparklegate Cardigan, size extra-small. Zoey Whisper Lame Tank, size 6.  Woolen Twill Minnies, size 10.  Merona Flats that I wear constantly.

Wore this yesterday.  I have a full outfit to go with this top half, but I will publish that at some later date.  Scarf is tied the same way it is tied above.  I adore it with the pink striped sequin tee. 

Some other reviews of these items (that I could find, add more if you know of any others).  Thanks!

Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress: DaniBP, Jessie, Dinster.

Silk Driving Scarf: Patina, DaniBP (clearly my soul sister, lol).

J. Crew Paris Catalog Inspiration #2--Wool Jersey Dress (with a Ruffle!).

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a good portion of February trying to become the September 2007 Paris Catalog from J. Crew.  LOL.  You saw the lovely baby cord Linda dress in red in the last post and today you will see a jewel that I have had IN MY CLOSET since September 2007 that I AM NOW JUST STARTING TO WEAR.  (There is a story there, of course.)

On Vanessa you see the wool jersey dress with cute darling ruffling at the hem and a mini siloheutte, paired with a citron turtleneck and adorable flats.  The love of this dress sang to me when I got the catalog, and even though I was way postpartum with darling Rex's pregnancy, I bucked up and totally bought it in a size medium for full price.

And then I wear it for Mr. Dina.  To which he said, "YUCK, what is with that thing at the bottom?" "I no likey."  Sadness.  :(  Sad face.  Sigh.  It sat forlorn, unworn, for three whole years with all my other wool dresses, protected from moths and dust, but unloved.

I needed to bring the love back.

Since I have started this blog and started wearing some ridiculous ruffles, etc., I think Mr. Dina has gotten used to the over-the-top foolishness of late, so in comparison, the teeny bit of ruffling on this dress seems quite understated now.  He saw it and said not one word!  Ha!  Victory is MINE!

Worn for the preschool run, I felt good and very comfortable.  The length is short, but nothing that matte black tights won't solve.  I paired it with a shorter sleeved striped turtleneck, and I like the overall look together.  The flats are from Boden, one of my favorite pair of flats, ever, actually.  You can find a similar pair here: Parisian Pumps, but unfortunately was not available in animal print this last winter (but at $35 on sale, a pretty decent deal--so watch for popbacks).

I didn't know there were brass buttons up the back until I received the dress, and I loved the detail...so cute.  Definitely ponytail worthy!

From the side.  If you were to want to get this dress, ebay would probably have them, but you would need to expand your search beyond "Wool Jersey Dress, J. Crew."  I have noticed older items sometimes get called the easiest simplest things like "J. Crew Dress," or "J. Crew Black Dress with Ruffle."  Also put a tick in the search area that says to "include description," so for this dress I would say for the search term: J. Crew Dress Ruffle Hem so that way even if the seller didn't put it in the title, the description might have it and I might find my sought after item.  Just my two cents.

You all have a fab Sunday.  Appears to be gully-washer Sunday here.  Yay!  ;)

J. Crew Paris Catalog Inspiration #1--Pinwale Cord Linda Dress in Red.

In my neverending quest to own and look like every single page in the Paris Catalog (September 2007 J. Crew), I decided to have a mini love-in with the catalog a few weeks ago.  I literally wore an inspired look from the catalog for a couple of days spread over two weeks.  I have done this before.  I probably have a sickness.  LOL.  Here are some past attempts: Library Doll Dress #1, Library Doll Dress #2, Bella #1, and Sophie Peacoat Sweater #1. 

Today is inspired by the above image of the incredibly gorgeous Edda in the Pinwale Cord Linda Dress.  This is from the non-Paris portion of the catalog, so it gets way less play than the rest of the catalog.  Here's the thing, though.  The way this portion of the catalog was styled was SPOT ON.  I plan on exhibiting some of the styles from Edda's part of the catalog at some point because I think many of you will agree that the very classic looks on display are still very versatile and viable today.

I actually fell in love with the dress because of Real Simple magazine.  In their August 2007 issue, they showed this dress in the Italian wool version as a nice simple work dress for hiding lumps and bumps.  I had JUST had Rex (so tiny in August 2007--miss that time!) so I was very much lumpy and/or bumpy. 

I went on-line, saw the Italian wool version and then I saw the pinwale cord version in Bright Rust, and was sold (plus it was cheaper).

Bought it in a size 10.  Still wear the size 10, even though a 6 would probably fit better.  I just belt it now.  (See photos below.)

It also came in this pretty brown version which is the perfect shade for this model.  I also love how they did her hair, very cute with the scarf.

And in real life.  Isn't this warm red so beautiful?  I belted it with an Anthro belt and wore a pair of Cole Haan nude heels.  Just enough, no need for anything more.


I have worn this dress once before but I didn't know what it was called at the time.  :)

So why did I need to look professional and made up?  Because I had an Arbonne party for my good blog friend Drewablank!  I wanted to make sure that I put my best face and outfit forward I could. 

We had a fab time, and yes, that is Summerilla of Sum Sunshine.  I love this photo.  We all look so happy!  (We had a great time...the smiles are very real!)

This is what my display of Arbonne Essentials, RE9 Travel Set, makeup, and Revelage looked like.  It was a lot of fun mixing up shakes and fizzy drinks and such for the ladies.  The protein shake was a big hit, but that may have had something to with drewablank's abilities with my blender.  ;)

And finally, my display of literature from Arbonne.  I can't have everything they make at my house, so these pamphlets and catalogs help my clients see what all is out there.

In the next few days you will see a Bella inspired outfit #gabizzilion (I have worn my Bellas constantly this winter, so I won't be showing them all off, lol), and a Wool Jersey Shift Dress inspired outfit.

Quickly, on a totally off-topic note...go to my Boden Buy and Sell if you at all wanted to get the Showstopping Knitted Jacket, but either balked at the cost (completely understand that) or you missed it before it sold out.  There is a UK seller over at ebay.co.uk who has listed one with an INSANELY low starting bid.  All the info you need on the seller, etc., is over at that post.

Also, Boden babes, today is the last day to get 15% off and free shipping and returns over at Boden.  That link is on my sidebar if you need to access that coupon.  Tomorrow it reverts to the {normal} 10% off with free shipping and returns.

On a more on-topic note (as today's post was about an outfit I wore to an Arbonne party), my Arbonne goody bag with any $75 and more purchase ends in one week.  Just a reminder...you can check out the details by clicking on the photo of the goody bag contents or here to go directly to my website.

You all have a fab day! 

Boden Buy and Sell...

Ooh, do I ever have great news for any Boden babe who missed out on the Showstopping Knitted Jacket...Louise, ever-awesome watcher of all things Boden (always gives me the best info--thank you!!!), noticed an auction over at ebay.co.uk where the seller is selling a Showstopping Knitted Jacket, UK 8, US 4 with a VERY low starting bid.  The seller posts worldwide, so definitely bid if you are interested in this auction.  (NOTE: I am not affiliated with the seller, nor do I have any dealing between you and the seller if you choose to bid, also, I suspect the jacket is a sample.  That said, what a fabulous deal!)


Take a look here: Showstopping Knitted Jacket, ebay.co.uk.

Onto the business of the Boden Buy and Sell:

Did you miss out on a favorite fun skirt?  If so, this is your kind of post!

This kind of post is for you, the Boden Aficionada, who has an item(s) that you either want to sell, or really want to locate.  Disqus is fabulous for this kind of a post as you can directly comment to another commenter about either wanting the item, OR letting the person know that you have an item (or know where to find the item).  Disqus also allows you to add direct links to other websites, so if a photo of your items exists, go ahead and post a link to it!

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Please no re-sellers.  Thank you! 

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Please note that any transactions are independent of this blog.  Just like the other ladies at JCA or Effortless Anthropologie, I in no way can act as a mediator for any transaction, communication, or lack of communication. :) Moreover, please limit comments about items to the "Boden Buy and Sell" posts (which should be posted every Friday).

NOTE: This is not limited to Boden for women.  You can post re: Men's Boden, Johnnie B. (junior's line), mini-Boden, baby Boden, Boden Limited Collection, and Boden Maternity.

Thank you all!!!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup...

With exactly one review. LOL.  :)  Not a whole lot of Boden action out there in Blog-land this week...but I had an ace up my sleeve.  I received the dazzling, over the top, crazily sensational Showstopping Knitted Jacket last week, so I knew I would be reviewing it for you all.

Today the item I am reviewing is both SOLD OUT and NOT PART OF THE PROMO going on at Boden right now (see this post for more on the promo).  Because of this, I have included a link to the page where it can be found, and if you are a stealthy little hawk, you might be able to grab it on a popback.  Something like 300 were made, so there may be a wait, but hold out.  Someone is bound to return it.  BTW, if only 300 were made, that would be 30 per size, but I am only assuming it would be 30 per size.  It could actually be 10 of size 2, but 100 of size 8.  Who knows?

At the end of the post, I have put up a link to an item that has the *feel* of this jacket, but is: not sold out, cheaper, and part of the promo.  I actually was looking at the cardi I will highlight, but clearly if I own the showstopping knitted jacket, I won't be needing to purchase that cardi.  ;)

Showstopping Knitted Jacket.  This is from the side.  I paired it with the woolen twill minnie pants (size 10), an embellished grey tank from last summer (size extra-small), and some Dr. Scholl's patent leather sandals.  I specifically chose to try this outfit out because I wanted to see how casual I could go with this jacket.  I wouldn't say I will be wearing this to Rex's preschool, but I see this being utterly perfect for an afternoon at an art museum with my good friends (no children, mind you).

As you can see, this is a very cropped fit.  For someone with a short torso, this was a bit surprising (rarely is anything short on me, I often have to hem things to make them shorter on my torso), but it doesn't bother me as I can wear cropped jackets because of the shorter torso.  If you have a longer torso, this may be a jacket that won't work for you, but if you want to try it, try it, the popbacks will be far and few between, so don't let the length of the jacket freak you out.

From the front.  I quite like the grey/grey combo of the tank and jacket, but I definitely want to try a darker grey or black under it as the model did from Boden.  I also look forward to wearing this for a truly special occasion, like a wedding or party or really nice dinner out.

Close up of opened jacket.  Hits right at my waist.  The sleeves are cropped as well.

The jacket is a knitted cotton, with what seems to be THOUSANDS of sequins and seed beads sewn on.  I read that each jacket takes 5 whole days to make, and I believe it.  The lining is beyond luxurious, a soft, supple silk.  This jacket felt FANTASTIC on.  :)

Here it is closed.  I prefer it opened.  I guess I could see wearing it closed over a slim-fitting sheath, but I probably wouldn't.  For what it's worth, the buttons are the type that snap shut.  Those are also well applied.  Truly this is a garment that is couture quality.  (From Boden.  Good on you, Johnnie.)

From the back.  You can see it has almost a bomber style to it with the fitted hem and bloused body.

Close-up of the neckline and placket.  You can open this shot to see the details closer.

And a super close-up of the individual beading and sequined bobs and bits.  There was only one slightly loose big sequin.  That's it.  On a WHOLE garment.  Wow.



Jewelled Button Cardigan (open photo to go straight to product page). This comes in multiple colors, has the cutest details at the placket, and has the snap type buttons. You can have a *similar* look to the showstopping knitted jacket without the fuss and the extreme detailing.  It is also a touch longer than the showstopping knitted jacket, so that is a plus for longer torsos.


So would I recommend the showstopping knitted jacket?

Yes. But...only if this is you. Are you the type that really loves clothing with lots of details and unique features? Or are you more of a minimalist who wants your clothing to be architectural and made to complement your body shape? I am clearly in the first camp, so I nearly jumped when I first saw this in that catalog all those weeks ago. I would never recommend a garment like this for someone who isn't into this kind of item. That is what makes this sartorial world go round, anyhow, the existence of all these different types of folks who love to be stylish, but in so very many different ways.

Did anyone else out there buy this? And if so, how do you feel about it???

You All Ready for 20% Off at Boden?

The very pretty Sassy Silk Dress could be yours for 20% off!

I mentioned a new Boden coupon last night in my review of the Shimmerveil Tee, but I know some of my readers only come on over when I have a Boden post, so I felt it would benefit you all if I did a separate coupon post mentioning this diminishing discount coupon today.

The deal is simple...go to Boden and order today and tomorrow and receive 20% off of your order plus free shipping and returns.  If you wait till Friday, you will receive 15% off (which is still awesome) with free shipping and returns, and if you wait until Saturday, you will receive 10% off (which appears to be their current "sale" discount) and free shipping and returns.  In other words, if you are chomping at the bit for a Boden item (but not on the Boden Limited Edition--but at least you can get free shipping and returns on those items), ordering before Saturday will ensure an elevated % off discount.

Need some help with what to order?  Here are all the Boden Weekly Review Roundups we have had over here at My Superfluities in the past month or so: 02/25/11; 02/23/11; 02/17/11; 02/09/11; 02/02/11.  There will be an additional review roundup later today, but that post isn't ready yet (p.s. if you have a review for me, can you try and send it before 1 pm Eastern time, pretty please?).

Go ahead and enjoy this coupon!  Happy shopping, Boden Babes!

Use this coupon link:
Diminishing Discount for Boden - 20% off Tues, Wed, Thurs - 15% off Fri - 10% off Sat - plus Free Shipping & Returns!

(It is also at my sidebar until Saturday, as well!)

Anyone partaking in this offer?  

J. Crew Shimmerveil Tee IRL.

My pre-ordering has been my only ordering from J. Crew and Boden lately. I guess I really want to stay on top of my budget (which is tighter, sadness) and if I pre-order, I really can very carefully think about what out there is something worth dipping into my budget.

Of the spring lookbook images, a few really grasped me, and I definitely found that I wanted to pre-order a few items. One was reviewed last Tuesday, the Natalie Studded Sweater...and outside of today's review, there won't be much more from my J. Crew pre-order until late May/early June when the two skirts I pre-ordered will debut.

Now I can't guarantee that is all I will get between now and June, as some of the lovelies that come out each month do tempt, but with the pre-orders in the back of my mind that keeps me a bit more real. (However, that doesn't take away the allure of pretty and special--sundrenched sweatshirt in electric orange, I am so looking at you).

So what was I intrigued by from the lookbook that dropped last week? Enter the Shimmerveil tee. Like the Natalie Studded Sweater, this was re-named. When I pre-ordered it, they were calling it the Fiamma tee (which I like better, btw).

Shimmerveil Tee from the side.  Check it out on Ema.

This is such a classic kind of outfit, and I was definitely pulled in by the jacket/tee/skirt/shoe proportions.  Well done, imo.

The tee was very difficult to see which is why I pre-ordered it.  I wanted to know what was giving the outfit a bit of glimmer.  Overall the look is very practical, and I love the fact that a bit of bling came out with the top. 

This skirt is also one I pre-ordered (along with the yummy golden full skirt seen here) and is set to drop in late May for a price of $118 (I think).

I have looked a bit closer to this image and the one Shawn Punch photographed back at the runway show, and I truly believe they used the shimmerveil tee in the runway show and the shimmerveil cami in the lookbook.  No biggie, as I truly prefer the tee (more versatile, can be worn on its own and easily worn under other items).  The tank is a bit too loosey-goosey on the bottom for my taste, anyhow.

Love the scoopneck and the way the shoulder seams line up just right.  The glimmer is a metallic threading on silk.  The tee is lined in poly.  It is VERY lightweight and moves easily, so the light can catch it creating different looks in different lighting.  (Candlelit dinner, honey???)

Loved it tucked in and was pleased to see that it was easy to tuck in.  There is no zipper, it is pullover style.

I don't like it untucked as much (which you also see in the side photo).  Since I have a short torso, this tee hits at my mid-hip, making it sort of difficult to pull down and keep down.  Sizing up would give me an extra inch, but then the bust and shoulders would be too large.  I may, when I grab some time, hem the bottom of the tee to take off a 1/2 inch or so.

I received this tee the same day I wore my Liberty twisted placket shirt (thanks shopalot for the info on the liberty blouse I own), so I just took off the shirt and slipped on this tee, tucked it into the pants, threw the Jackie on top and was very pleased with the look.  I love the casual elegance of this outfit.  I might actually wear this entire look, tip to toe, one day on the preschool run.

The shirt is delicate, but not so delicate that it can only come out on special occasions.  Definitely wear it both day and night.

I purchased the extra-small based on bust and shoulder measurements (thanks to my awesome personal shopper!).

Would I recommend you buy it now?  I don't know.  I am not going to buy (had a discount of 20% because of a coupon), see the price drop and then re-buy, unless that happens in the next few weeks.   I would really like to wear this soon, and often, so maybe it won't matter if the price drops to ridiculous levels, because I will know that the price worked well enough for me.  That said, if you sit on your clothes, just wait it out.  I think it will go on sale, but I wouldn't have a clue when or for how much off.  (Now wouldn't that be a fab parlor game?)

Anyone else given this shirt a try?

Have a great night.

Oh...

1. I had to change the Boden coupons up.  The affiliate program switched my coupon from 15% to 10% sometime today, and I wasn't sure I could grab a 15% off coupon...turns out it is because they have a new promo going which is fab (especially if you order today, Tuesday, tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday): It's time for a Boden diminishing discount! Our Diminishing Discount starts at 20% off and decreases as the week goes on!

- Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 20% off

- Friday 15% off

- Saturday 10% off

- Sunday gone!

Plus Free Shipping and Returns!

Please see the sidebar for the TEXT link to this awesome promo!

2. If you are a Boden babe and have a review for me, remember tomorrow is the Boden Weekly Review Roundup.  E-mail me at dinagideon@aim.com if you want to participate.