I purchased the Ringspun Licorice tee in Bright Tulip last week. It is not as pink as it appears online, it is more of an orange-pink- coral. The shade in fact, is nearly a perfect match for the henley and ruffle cardigan I have in Sweet Papaya.

The Licorice graphic is distressed and printed in white and a darker shade of pinkish red. I wore this top layered with the long sleeve Rhubarb tissue tee which is a great match for this darker pink shade. The graphic is surrounded by tiny pale gold sequins. The sequins give the tee some sparkle without being gaudy.

The Licorice tee fits the same as previous ringspun tees. I size up to a small, so the tee is not skin tight. For me, the small is fitted in the chest and arms, relaxed in the waist. The tee hits at the low hip. The material is not see through in this shade.

Although I was hoping the Licorice tee would be more pink, I am still pleased with it. I actually have more in my closet that coordinates with it as the Sweet papaya shade it is.

Retail Description:Different color, different design. There’s one for every day of the week. Soft ringspun cotton with an addictive texture and a light, cool handfeel. Fitted. Crewneck with rib trim. Short sleeves. Distinct print graphic on front with beaded or sequin trim. Hits at hip. Import. Hand wash. $49.50

See this item at JCrew.com

Sizing: SU
Overall: ***

I picked up a new J.Crew catalog today! The catalog is Holiday 2008 on location in Iceland. About half of the women’s section of the catalog is new and the other half is previously released pics from the Holiday red catalog. There are pics of older items re-styled and a few brand new pieces.
The Crewcuts section of the catalog looks to be exactly the same. The Men’s is slightly different but I did not see any new items.
Let me know if you have any questions about the items shown. I will be making a more detailed post regarding new items and brand new colors later.
Enjoy!

New Women’s items include:
-Peacock pencil skirt Collection 10060Z $158.00
-Alabaster tweed coat 99481z $395
-Toothpick jean 12046Z $125.00
-Chiffon pleated cardigan 99829Z $168 (Pretty! Available in navy, putty, & honey)
-Cashmere Harper sweater 99988Z $148
-Cashmere swing sweater 11086Z $168
-Cherie Camis cotton silk in dots and solids 10021Z $75-$78
-Wool herringbone Ella dress in Deep yellow, Bright papaya and Dark Peony 99504Z $188
-Henley Vneck sweater 99824Z $68
-Long Vneck short-sleeve cardigan 10510Z $72
-Whisper Lame Zoey tank in Light camel, Nectar, and Blue jasmine 93551Z $88
-Cashmere-silk sweaters Collection:
Glass button henley 10070Z $198 & Shimmer cardigan 99790Z $198

The main colors featured on new items include Key Lime, Crisp Celery, and Chiffon (all light greens). Salmon, Tropical Aqua, Putty, Shell, and Buttercup

Also included is a JCrew credit card promo offering 20% off your first purchase when you open a new account. Valid through Dec 14th.

I ordered the Cashmere Blouson-sleeve bateau in Bright Fuchsia during the sweater promo last week. The Bright Fuchsia is what I would call Hot pink. Darker than Bubble gum pink and lighter than traditional Fuchsia. The color is a little lighter and softer than it appears online. I love the color but unfortunately the sweater did not work for me.

The Blouson Bateau runs very big. I would need to go down one size for a relaxed fit, two whole (imaginary) sizes to get a fitted look as seen on the J.Crew.com model. The sweater is not only large in the waist, it is big in the chest and in the arms/sleeves. I purchased the extra small and it is so big, I wonder if mine was mislabeled.

The Bateau hits at the hip. It has bracelet sleeves and a bow on the shoulder/neckline. The hem of the sleeves and waist are left unfinished to roll, just like the cashmere tees.

The bow on this sweater is a little larger than I was expecting but that is not to say it is oversized. It fact, I think J.Crew got the embellishment perfect this time. It is so cute that it breaks my heart I can’t keep this sweater. Usually, when I see a sweater in this style, the bow is so thin and small the it just flops over on it self and doesn’t really look like a bow at all. More like a lump of fabric on your shoulder. The bow on the Bateau is placed and sized just right in my opinion. It lays nicely right along the shoulder blade. The top loop tends too fall over a bit when you move about, so if I was going to keep the sweater, I’d use a tiny piece of fashion tape to keep it in place.

If you have purchased the Blouson-sleeve Bateau, I would LOVE to know what you think of the fit. I almost hope I was sent a mislabled sweater. Although, I would be upset about having paid shipping and wasting a 20% off coupon on a defective sweater, I would be thrilled that I might be able to purchase this in a fitted size.

Retail Description:Fitted, (??) flattering and topped off with a chic, sweet tie at the boatneck collar. Soft, luxurious Italian cashmere from a world-famous Italian mill in a fine 12-gauge knit. Three-quarter sleeves. Rolled edge at cuffs and hem. Hits at hip. Import. Dry clean. Catalog/jcrew.com only.