Good things come in three's?

I love the versatility behind J.Crew merchandise. The Sanur dress for instance, can be worn 3 different ways--all of them equally cute. Well, I had been thinking about the new silk ribbon necklace and stopped in to try it on. It looked nice with the ribbon to the side, and I especially liked how it can make a simple outfit much more special. When I got home I read the description on the website and realized that it can actually be worn 3 different ways. Unfortunately, they only show it in one way and I have yet to figure out the other two! I'll be wearing the way it is being show on the website The bow to the side. I tried it two other ways but they definitely do not do the necklace justice.

This cerainly isn't rocket science but I have a feeling I'd have a better chance of figuring it out if it was. I'll wear it to the side for now, as I originally intended. Any other suggestions?

Just call me Pocahontas...or Batman.

I've had my Minnetonka black Tramper boots for some time now and delayed wearing them because I wasn't sure if I'd like them. Well, today was one of my days off so I decided to take a trip to the mall in them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were super comfortable! I was told that they "mold" to your feet and I really find that to be true. They were also comfortable to drive in and felt like the driving moccasins from J.Crew, maybe even better. You definitely have to wear socks with them, afterall, they aren't Uggs! However--the shoe will die your socks so be sure to wear dark ones.


Mike & Chris Nolan jacket, J. Crew matchstick jeans, Minnetonka Tramper boots

Madewell batwing sweater, J.Crew leopard print tank

Bangin'

My hair is at this awkward length where it's too short to really put up properly, but long enough to do that weird flipping out thing at the ends. I've been wanting to do something to my hair (except for cutting it since I'm trying to grow it out) so when I saw this picture of Miroslava Mikheeva-Duma, I knew immediately that this is exactly what I want! The bangs are long enough too, that if I decide I hate them, they'll grow out fast and I can change them to the side sweep. I love how the bangs look great with glasses. I can't wait to be done with grad school so I can stop looking like a nerd in mine. I'll probably get my bangs cut on Saturday by my favorite hair guy--Freddie, that is, if I don't wuss out last minute!

photo: tfs

What's up, Doc?

The last time I owned a pair of Dr. Martens was when I was in 7th grade...and boy, do I feel old thinking about that right now. It's funny how kids in every kind of clique had them. The way the preppy kids wore them under their jeans, the way the grungy kids wore them with their rolled up jeans held up by suspenders. I remember going to the UK when I was fifteen. The Dr. Marten store in Covent Garden made me feel like I was a kid in a candy store. All those amazing styles and colors! I used to have the maryjanes and classic ones in brown, blue, and black. Even though they were bulky, they were super comfy with the air-like padding. The shocking thing is their prices haven't changed so even as a thirteen year old, I used to beg my parents to buy me hundred dollar shoes. (some things never change). Recently I saw my friend wearing a pair of the black boots under her jeans and it made me realize that my docs from back in the day were probably the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever owned. I know the black pair is more versatile but there's something about the brown that I absolutely love. If only I could think of some things they'll go with the brown ones in order to justify buying them...otherwise i might just go with the black pair!

gray day

Back from New Haven! It was cloudy and cold but we had a fun weekend celebrating my best-friend-from-high-school's birthday. We had dinner at Pacifico and went dancing afterwards. I got to test out my new shoes and I have to say, they were extremely comfy. H even commented on the sturdy construction of the shoe. The shoe is well cushioned and the toe is perfect for my somewhat wide feet. I love how they're almost like ankle booties, but with the cut out on the sides and front. I'm still in search of the perfect pair of black ankle boots...

Zappos.com: Seychelles Rave Review

Outfit:

Sweater dress: Madewell
Tights: J. Crew
Scarf: J. Crew (sample!)
Shoes: Seychelles Rave Review

I had so many outfits that I wanted to wear, but I feel like most of the items can only be worn in the city. This sweater dress was preppy yet fun, I think. Looking forward to celebrating C's birthday this weekend in NY!

J. Crew Sample Sale

It's finally here! I've had the J.Crew sample sale marked on my calendar for almost a month and today was the first day of the sale. I got up at 7am and made the trek from NJ into the city and got to the sale at 9:15am. I was probably the 12th person on line. It was really funny because I ended up in line next to a girl who had the same J. Crew coat, J. Crew gloves, and Longchamp bag as me. Everyone was really friendly and excited so that made the time go by faster. They had a sign inside telling us to wait outside so a bunch of us were braving the cold, and at one point a girl a few spots up FAINTED! Seriously, the things people do for sample sales. By 9:45 they let us inside the building to keep warm and at 10:02 they let us in. We had to check our coats and bags--but were able to keep small purses on us. It was fairly quiet and I like that they limit the number of people at one time. The minute I walked in, I was definitely overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. It felt like everyone made a beeline towards the back. I slowly passed the racks of men's cashmere sweaters in the very front, crewcuts, and went into this little area off to the right side--this is where the few shoes, boxes of scarves, bags, and jewerly were. I immediately spotted these great boots that have been sold out in this color EVERYWHERE! Hunter wellies $30 SCORE!

They had 2 small boxes of shoes, probably only a total of 20 pairs at most. Unfortunately for me, they were all size 8/9s so I was happy with my find. After I found the wellies my motivation kicked in and I was really ready to shop. One of the ladies working at the sample sale handed out big blue IKEA bags which was a help after I found the wellies. Next I started at the dresses. They had 4 racks of nice dresses (lydia cotton cady, the zoey dress that was gold/green/yellow from Spring 08) and 2 racks of lounge dresses (from resort/swimswear). Regular dresses were $60, special occasion dresses $99, and they even had some bridal gowns that were $199 or $399. I wasn't looking for anything in particular so I tried to look for something different that I haven't seen yet. Not much of those rare pieces existed but I did come away with these two:

just like the grey houndstooth one that i have
and yes, this will match the wellies $35

In the midst of all the madness, I almost forgot to look for something for H. They had a bunch of swim trunks but since most of the J.Crew ones are NOT lined (umm yeah), I decided to look for sweaters instead. All of the men's wool/non cashmere sweaters were $35 and it seems that most of their sample sizes are M. Most of the merchandise was current--sweaters from this past holiday but more expensive. Just as I was about to pick up what would be his 5th half zip, I came across this, which felt very comfy and warm.

men's charcoal grey shawl collar sweater $35

After browsing through mens' tees and polos (nothing special at all), I made my way back to women's and came away with these:

so happy to have found this--and in my size! I saw one on ebay and
refused to pay the ridiculous asking price.


this was still on the website recently
but sold out in my size and I found it here yay!


PJ pants $10. LOVE this print. I have the matching cardigan
from Summer '04 and I wish they'd come out with it again


all scarves $10.
the first one has sparkly charcoal grey and gold stripes
second one is men's from holiday '07
third scarf I believe I've seen at Madewell, probably retails for $40+

Other deals at the sample sale: I noticed that rings were $5 but by the time I headed back to the jewerly section, there was a line to get there too!I would suggest stopping by that area first before a line forms. If you decide to purchase any accessories, they have to take it from you, put it in a bag with your name on it, and send it to the register for when you check out.

By 11am the atmosphere was very hectic, and the grumpy guys that work there WILL yell at you if you even attempt to try anything on. I'm lucky I already know my size so I didn't have to get scolded. They went around "reassuring" people that they would accept returns until Sunday, but really who has the time to wait in line for an hour again? Oh, and no bathrooms so think twice before downing that cup of coffee while waiting in line.

All in all, it was a decent shopping experience. I'm lucky that I came away with things I really like but sizes were limited (mostly 6s for women). Even though there's the option to get something altered, the price just doesn't justify doing that. I'm curious to find out what other merchandise they'll be bringing out the rest of the week, but I don't think I'll be going again.

in progress...

I'm excited to have finally gotten over my procrastination and actually started a blog. I'll be posting on fashion, shopping, product reviews and much more. Hopefully my first real entry will be about the J. Crew Sample Sale that I'm going to tomorrow. Lets hope it's not as crazy as the Barneys Warehouse Sale!