I have been very excited to see J.Crew’s latest spring roll out. Especially, after all the chatter about it on JCA. I finally got a chance to see some of the new items yesterday. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed to say the least

I was really coveting the new chiffon roses tee but my store did not have it yet. (Nor did they have a catalog, gah!) They did have the brown tee with scattered flowers and a few other new graphic tees. The fit is the same as the previous ringspun tees. I love graphic tees but none of these latest designs stood out enough for me to spend $42-50 each.

I saw many tops and tees in washed out colors; champagne, pale grey, pale pink. The only non-sweater tops I saw in saturated colors were the Annie cami and the twisted sleeve blouse. I did not even try them on though because both are very full in the waist. Which is a terrible look for me. I did try on the new ruffle tank. It runs a size big and to be honest, the ruffles are a bit of a mess.

There are a few new chino’s and shorts. I tried on what I believe is the butterfield trouser in pale pink. The color was cute and they fit tts but you could clearly see the pocket through the front on the pants. That really bothered me, so I will not be buying them.

Shorts that stood out for me were a dusty pink bermuda and a 3″ short with critter elephants. It’s still snowing though, so I didn’t see any reason to pay full price for shorts lol.

Two things that I did like from the new spring line, was a Michelle cardigan in a dusty pink and the Thompson tote in light pink. The leather on this bag is like butter! This will be a great bag form hauling back all my JC returns from online purchases *snort*

So to get to the point of the post title, ;O) yesterday’s visit made me realized what I love about JC and what is never going to work for me. J.Crew sweaters and cardigan are an obsession, I love them. But I can never find crew blouses, dresses, or pants that flatter me. So, as the weather warms up I will probably be shopping less with J.Crew and spending more time at my other favorite store, Anthropologie. I stopped by Anthro after my JC trip yesterday and I found so many gorgeous flattering tops and dresses. I will be reviewing a couple of items I bought later this week.

I would love to keep the blog going but if I start reviewing more Anthro and a little less J.Crew, a re-design may be in order. #1 on the list will be, should I change the blog name? What would I change it to? If you are the creative type and have some blog name ideas for me, post away please!

Have you seen the new J.Crew Spring items in store? What are your thoughts on them?

Thanks for all the help so far with the Maggie jacket! I do think I am going to try and exchange it. Probably for a 0 regular because it is cut slightly smaller and the petite 0 is sold out. I will post the jacket measurements in the comments.

For those who have not been following the poll comments, for me the Maggie jacket is running a little big. The main issue is in the chest right next to the arms. The jacket is too full here and it sticks out in an odd way. The waist could also be a little smaller.

In the petite, the jacket hits about 2″ above the widest point of my hips. The jacket flairs out at the hem. This does emphasis the hips. The regular size adds an inch to the length. I am hoping a slightly longer hem will drape closer to the hip and give me a leaner silhouette.

I also find the sleeve length a little awkward in the petite. It breaks right below the wrist. To me, it looks like the sleeves should be either shorter or longer.

The Maggie’s fabric is very nice. It is a mid-weight wool lined in acetate. The jacket is more outwear in my opinion. A good fall, mild winter, and cool early spring coat. Once it gets warm, the Maggie will be too heavy for me. The construction of the jacket feels strong and good quality.

I purchased this jacket in the Heather Bright Berry. It is a muted slightly reddened pink. The color is very pretty, not garish at all. The Berry is not depicted well online, so I took a swatch for you. My photo of the fabric is not perfect but it is very close to the in real life shade. The heathered aspect of the fabric lightens the pink with a faint white thread weaved in. You can really only see the white if you look very close in bright light.

The Maggie has a distinct double collar. I think it adds character to the jacket. The extra collar does not distract at all in my opinion and it’s not itchy. I do wish the full collar of the jacket was a little less rounded. It’s a bit too peter pan for my taste.

Overall, I like the Maggie quite a bit. But I don’t feel like I can give it a full 3 stars. The fit is a bit difficult and the original retail price is, well outrageous. You know I often spend more than I probably should on J.Crew pieces that I love. But I cannot wrap my brain around the a $250 price tag for this jacket.

Retail Description:The midweight wool on this beautifully tailored jacket comes from one of Japan’s most exclusive mills—and its fine craftsmanship is evident at first touch. We love the way it moves with you, with a bit of flounce, thanks to the shirring under the backbelt. The double collar adds a slight vintage feel, like the ultimate find in a high-end vintage store. Classic fit. Slight A-line shape. Fixed collar with rounded edge and inside standing collar. Long sleeves. Slits on sleeve cuff. Button closure. Interior contrast piping, inset waistband with side tab; self-fabric details with shirring for shape. Fully lined. Hits at hip. Import. Dry clean. Catalog/jcrew.com only. Org: $250, now $89.99

See this item at JCrew.com

Overall: ** 1/2
Sizing: TTS-Slightly large

Since everyone was so much help with the Chunky knit cardi, I decided to run another poll. This time the poll is for the double-serge Maggie jacket in heather bright berry. Keep, return, or exchange for a 0 regular?
Fyi:I purchased the jacket for $79.99

In the pic, I am wearing the petite 2. The fit feels good but I’m not sure that waist and hem are hitting in the most flattering places. Please don’t pay much attention to the fabric color. It is dark in the house today, so I could not get a true photo of the berry shade. I will try for better pics tomorrow when I write a full review.

P.S.- I did return the Chunky knit cardi, thanks for the help