Target thermals size XS or Small

I pick up a few new target thermals each year. The quality is crap and the colors are questionable lol, but they work for a season or two.

J.Crew vintage thermal henley size XS

I had high hopes for this and was a little disappointed. The fabric is nice, much thicker than you’ll normally get from JC. The purple is beautiful, that impossible to find elsewhere shade. But the sleeves are a bit strange. They feel as if they were sewn incorrectly around the shoulder and the sleeve length is shorter than I would like, with a tight cuff. Not a great layering top, more a wear on it’s own. I think this will be cute in the spring with a pencil skirt. I’m glad I did not size up to try and gain length because the body stretches out with wear.

J.Crew Funnelneck sweatshirt size XS

It’s a casual winter this year and I decided I need a sweatshirt. This one is big, soft, and warm. I went with an XS which gave me the fit like on the model, a little big and oversized. I did not want to feel trapped in a tight sweatshirt.

J.Crew Academy coat Sz 0

Of course you already know about my Academy coat. I’ve been wearing it every day.

Free People crochet cuff henley Sz XS

Since I cannot find any tops I like at Anthropologie, I’ve been building a Free People wishlist instead. I finally made it to the store on Friday and was glad I did not order online because the sizing was pretty all over the place. I took this top in an XS for a very fitted look. I’m planning on wearing it to a concert later this week.

Free People lace cuff henley sz Small

I love this top, the lace cuff is so pretty. I had a hard time picking a color but finally settled on the green. I went with my larger size in this one, a small. I am still working on figuring out what my true size in Free people is.

Free People Intarsia thermal Sz Medium

This pink thermal has not shown up online yet. It is from Free People’s Intimates collection. Not sure if it will come with matching leggings? The top comes in pink or blue and is $48. It totally reminds me of the 80s, an old school thermal that you might wear skiing. It is thick, but with a smooth texture, and very stretchy. It runs tiny though, I took a medium and the fair isle pattern still stretches out a bit much across the chest.

Citizens of Humanity Devote jeans sz 27

The next two are my meager Anthropologie black Friday order. I actually ordered Wed, so paid a bit more, but didn’t think I’d have a good chance at getting both jeans for 50% off. I decided to try a size up in the Citizens. I have never tried this cut on, crossing fingers they fit.

Joe’s Visionaire flare jeans Lainey wash sz 26

I haven’t tried this particular wash on but I decided to stick with my regular Joe’s size. Really hoping they are not cut too small in the thigh! My Citizens have already shipped but these are apparently lost some where in Anthro’s warehouse and are still pending.

American Eagle side zip bootie sz 7

At the last minute I decided to take a risk with AEs 40% off code and picked up these booties for $35. I’ve been looking for a black bootie with a low heel forever. These might fit the need while I keep my eye out for something higher quality. I have no idea if they will fit or be comfortable lol.

Ae Dolman sleeve sweater Sz Small

Again no idea on fit but I threw this in with my order since I thought it might work well over the many thermals I purchased recently. I like that the 3/4 sleeves will show off the lace and crochet cuffs of my other tops.

So that’s it for my winter shopping. Have you found any great winter pieces? What are you wearing recently?

I thought for a second about exchanging for the petite size but I like the option of cuffing the sleeves or wearing them full length on really cold days. Another thing that keeps me from wanting a petite size, is the coat feels really comfortable in the back and in the placement of the armholes. Even though the overall fit is a little full, I would not want to be more restricted in it. In the pics below I am wearing a thermal and tee under the coat. I have plenty of room for a thicker sweater.

The Academy coat feels well made. The fabric is J.Crew’s stadium cloth and is nice and thick, without being a sweatbox. The texture of the wool and the gloves are a little bit itchy. Not terribly so, I am just not used to wearing a heavy wool. On one hand I think it would have been nice if the gloves were a softer cashmere blend, but on the other this would probably cause them to pill right away.

The built in gloves are a big win for me because I live in arm warmers in the winter and this will save me the time of having to find mine. The gloves are fully built into the coat, I can’t see any easy way of removing them. The material used is quite substantial and they feel well made with the sewing around the thumb hole being nice and tight.

Overall I am really happy with the coat. I’d love to hear what you think. This was a big splurge for me but I feel good about having a nice warm coat to use all season long vs waiting until Jan and maybe being able to catch my size on sale.

JBrand Bette sz 27
I sized up to a 27 in these jeans because that is my new MO to prevent thigh gripping in most brands besides Joes. As you can see they are way too big! I need my regular size 26 or maybe even size down to the 25. Keeping the size issue in mind, I quite like these jeans.

HA! Tucked in these veers scarily into 70s Mom jean territory, very Farrah at least lol. But I never, ever tuck in so that doesn’t really concern me. I love the pockets. If you’re prepared to own the retro look, check them out.

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JBrand Lovestory sz 27
Here I sized up with more success. Like a lot of JBrand’s denim, these are quite stretchy. I really love the look of these from the front.

Unfortunately, from the back it is the same old JBrand story for me, saggy in the butt and too big in the waist.
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Joe’s Visionaire Flare sz 26
I already have the Joe’s Visionaire boot cut and I really love them but they do stretch out and get baggy in the knees after a few wears. I tried the Vision flare on looking for a more dramatic leg and sleeker fit. They fit tts and are more stylish, less casual. The leg though is very fitted in the thigh and all the way through the knee. A tight knee is pretty unusual for Joe’s.


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Anthropologie Checked crops sz2
These are the Check crops that you’ve seen me wear in the last couple posts. I tried on the size 0 and 2. The smaller size fit as well but more of a legging style. I went with the size 2 for a less hugging fit through the legs and a tiny bit more room in the rise These are a little big in the waist but nothing a skinny belt can’t fix.

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J.Crew High rise skinny sz 26
These JC skinnys have a ton of elastic in them and the dye is off in my opinion. Both points made them look and feel cheap. Still, they look pretty good from the front, the fit is like a legging. Unfortunately the back view was a nightmare. All that stretch in the denim gave me roll-y lumpy butt instead of smoothing things out. I can’t believe these are $125.

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JCrew Boot leg sz 26R
These jeans have a much more flattering fit and the denim color is much better. A true denim dark blue. But the material is very stiff. Overall they remind me very much of pair of AG Stilts I have.

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Paige Hidden Hills scene wash Sz 27
Here again I sized up to prevent thigh grip. I have a pair of Paige Hidden Hills already. I don’t know if it’s just the different wash but these have a MUCH thinner denim. Pretty disappointed about that.

Overall I like the fit but they still feel a little tight in the thigh and they are a bit big in the waist. Still, they make my butt look smaller, can’t argue with that. I also tried on a pair of Paiges in the Bell canyon cut and those were bad, bad, bad. Much too low of a rise.

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7 for all mankind Jiselle Flare sz 27
Like the JBrands I tried on earlier, I size up in these 7s and they look pretty good from the front.

But it’s saggy bottom and big waist in the back.
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Joe’s Visionaire high rise skinny Becca wash Sz 26
Last pair yay! You may remember from my Fall wishlist I was looking for a pair of new black skinnies but had little hope of finding a pair. These Joe’s fit great. I am loving all the Visionaires.

These are super fitted like leggings but unlike leggings the view in the back is good too. The denim is soft with stretch but not too elastic feeling.

So that is my denim round up. Besides the Checked Crops which you already know I bought, I brought home one pair. Can you guess which one?

5’4″, about 120lbs Curvy figure with a high waist, 34 c or d chest, waist 26.
I tried on the J.Crew Schoolboy blazer in Pearl Grey wool flannel, size 0 regular.
I saw the Heather Caramel in my store but it was too caramel for my liking, too orangey warm. Did not see any red blazers.

First off, the fabric is thinner than J.Crew blazers of the past. But it does not feel cheap thin. It’s not stiff and papery, nor is it so thin it has no body to stand up. I didn’t mind the thinness. It’s a blazer for early Fall, late Spring. It’s not a thick, textured, winter blazer. The fabric has a small amount of fuzz but otherwise completely smooth.

Sorry but I’m going to do a Read more here because this post is very long with several photos and I don’t want it taking up my whole blog. Click below to keep reading…

For me. the buttons are more disappointing than the fabric. The buttons are lightweight, thin, and cheap looking. They are the type of buttons you can buy at the craft store for $1.50, not a weighty button that you would expect at this price point.

The blazer is fully lined, which saves it. If the jacket was not lined, it would be a complete fail with that thin fabric. There is a striped lining in the sleeve cuffs but otherwise I did not see any special attention or details put into the lining.
PS: My outfit of the day was obviously not an ideal look for this blazer, so no lol-ing at me

As I said, I tried the blazer on in the size 0. This is the same size I always take in J.Crew blazers and the fit is pretty much the same as I have come to expect. Maybe a little better in that I did not have any problem with the shoulders being too tight or the arm holes being constricting. The problem I did have, which I alway have with JC jackets, is that the fit in the chest and under the arms is weird. When my arm is up to take a photo, the fabric is smoothed out. But when standing normally, the fit is not flattering across the chest. There is fabric pooching out underneath the chest and under the arms. I do not like the waist fit either, it is boxy. The blazer really needs to be more nipped in from under the chest down through the waist. If it was higher quality, with special touches like a really nice lining, might be worth tailoring. But as is, I don’t think so



Overall, not a blazer I’d pay $188 for. If I did like it, might be worth $90 and would require button replacement. Stylewise, the look is just not me. I always feel JC’s schoolboy blazers look too business-y on me. Too conservative. They don’t have that touch of edge that I need to wear them comfortably with jeans.

The first time I tried out the Minnie was several months ago. I took my usual size but found the pants really gripping around the hips and thighs. And not in a remotely flattering way. Saddlebag city if I’m honest, blech. They must have altered the cut a little bit because I didn’t have that problem with the Minnies I tried on this weekend.

First up, the Zipper denim Minnie pant. These were on sale at my store for $29.99 (um score!) There are still $69.99 online, not sure what’s up with that J.crew…I believe the Faded denim Minnie and regular denim Minnies were also $29.99. I tried them all and the zippered pair was by far my fave. The Faded Minnies were cute but have a large slippery zipper in the back and I was afraid they would unzip while I was walking, too scary. I was not feeling the fabric and color of the regular denim Minnies. But I felt the Zipper Minnies were very much me. I took the size 0 which is a little big in the waist. The J.Crew SA mentioned they would stretch even more but there was no double 0 in the store and I did not want the legs any tighter. I plan on wearing these for a day or so to stretch them out and then having the waist taken in.

Before we get to the pics, keep in mind the camera angle adds hip width (and apparently makes me feet look oddly long lol)

Next is the Italian Stretch wool Minnie. I had no idea the fabric was suppose to be wool. I thought is was some sort of polyester pointe knit. I really liked the pants but looking at the fabric I thought for sure they would pile unless dry cleaned and what are the chances that I’m going to dry clean a knit pant, phffft. Still when compared to the cotton twill both Dh and I thought the wool looked better. They hung smoother and did not bunch up as much under the butt. The fabric is soft and stretchy and felt more casual than the twill. I thought I might get them but then I looked at the price tag….$168!? They did not look or fit like $168 pants. This is the size 0.

Now here is the Cotton twill Minnie pant in a size 2. Since I had such problems with the Minnie in the past, I tried on a 00, 0, and 2 in various fabrics. The larger size 2 gave the pants more of a trouser feel. They hung more than hugged but didn’t look bad. I liked that they were not pulling anywhere. However, I think there probably is too much fabric in the bottom and maybe the knees making them not as flattering as a snug fit.

This is the Minnie Cotton Twill again in size 00. These were definitely snug fitting, like a legging. For me, the right undies and a longer shirt are required. I was not 100% on these and unfortunately did not get Dh’s opinion of the back fit. I think this smaller size solves the under the butt bunching that he spotted in the size 0 Cotton Minnies (not shown). I only came home with the Zipper Minnies but I may go ahead and order these Twill 00′s online.

Sorry for the blurry pic but you can see this size is pretty smooth over the butt and legs

So, I know many of you have tried or even own the Minnie pant. Please share what size you liked (tts, up, or down) and which fabric.