J. Crew Fitting Room Reviews: Dots & Stripes

There were quite a few sale items on the J. Crew website I was looking at but was wary about final sale.  Rather than buy without trying, I decided to go to the store to check out what they had.  I didn't wind up finding the sale pieces but a few new arrivals did catch my eye.

Elinor Dress in Polka Dot, Sz 0 (buy here)

J. Crew sure knows how to camouflage a belly with their dresses and skirts!  This one is no exception and so cute too!  I loved the navy / white polka dots and the fit of the chest / waist / hips but 2 things made this dress a no-go.  The neckline is too low-cut for me and I think wearing a cami would detract from this dress (shortening the straps would wind up raising the waist too high).  The model shows the length as mid-knee but it's more mid-calf on me.  The SA thought that this was a flattering length on me but I can't really pull off a midi length.  A hem job is pretty easy but I try not to buy things I have to "fix", well, at least not at retail price.

Verdict:  No, but will consider on sale

Big Shot Dot Circle Skirt, Sz 0 (buy here)

I usually wear a size 2 skirt (and weirdly a size 0 dress) in J. Crew but this skirt runs big.  The size 0 fit nicely at the waist with a little bit of room for lunch and the length hit right at the knee.  I quite liked this skirt except the profile view (I wish I had taken a good picture of this!) had a poofy bell butt.  I think I can find this fabric so may try replicating it minus the butt puff :)

Verdict: No

Gondola Stripe Top, Sz 0 (buy here)

I feel like this tee looks so much better untucked.  I really like the red-white-blue color combination and the relaxed fit but am unlikely to pay retail for it.

Verdict: No for now

While I didn't find anything clothing-wise, I did wind up ordering this from the website:

Tillary Tote in Canvas Stripe, Red Stripe (buy here)

I've been seeing Celine bags and Tillary totes all over the place so I just couldn't resist pulling the trigger when this lovely bag popped up on sale.  Normally, I buy only leather bags, but the fun colors (so nautical / preppy!), shape, and price (less than the colorful bags I've been admiring from Kate Spade) added with the fact that I've actually been very good about not buying things made me decide to treat myself.  I'll do a full review once it arrives!

Any good shopping finds lately?