[Shopping] Fall Fashion Update Numero Dos

I am almost completely done with my fall shopping list - yay!

Here are a few updates:

1. I obviously haven't found smoking loafers yet...but I haven't really been looking too hard. However, the ones I've tried on (including the ones from the Gap) haven't really excited me. This makes me wonder if perhaps this style of shoe just isn't "me", no matter how much I love it!
2. I bought my cowboy boots and they were featured here.
6b. That mustard scarf is sold out. :( Can't find a comparable option! Though I have been looking for affordable scarves in not only mustard, but hunter green and burgundy. Let me know if you find any good options! (Maybe I'm being cheap, but I don't like paying more than $10 for a scarf. I keep finding great ones around the $15 and I just can't justify spending that on a scarf when I have so many others!)
8. I got my polka dot shirt but went the opposite direction and picked white dots on black from F21. This isn't the exact shirt but it's close:

Forever21

9. Got the pink with lace box clutch I was drooling over from the Kirna Zebete collection at Target. I went in last week and it was 50% off - if anyone knows anything about Target, you know the lowest it will usually go is 70% off and I wasn't taking a chance. I'd rather buy it for $7 more and get one than wait it out and miss out on it!

Love

In other news...still haven't found green pumps. Honestly, these are probably at the very bottom of the wishlist. And that red crossbody bag....so elusive! I have a very specific idea of what I'm looking for - small, brighter red rather than oxblood, quilted detailing, chain on part or all of strap, and preferably a front flap with clasp. The closest thing I've found is this bag from Banana Republic: 

...but for $60 it needs to be exactly what I'm looking for and I fear this may be a touch too small at 6 inches wide. I'm looking more for 7.5 or 8 inches in width.

UPDATE since I wrote this post: I came across a great Kenneth Cole red shoulder bag at Stein Mart and picked that one up!

I'll have a picture soon, I couldn't find one online. But rest assured it's cute! :)

How is your fall shopping going?

[Shopping] My Issues With J. Crew

Here's your word of warning: I'm about to talk about J. Crew, and probably not in the way many of you other fashion bloggers do, so be forewarned.

Why do I want to talk about J. Crew? Because I love them. And I severely dislike them. And they disappoint the heck out of me. All at the same time.

Many of us who follow trends and styles know that J. Crew is the ultimate in preppy: chic chinos and classic button downs, luxurious sweaters and wardrobe staples. I am drawn to J. Crew the way every other gal who loves the preppy look is - drooling over the style guides, dreaming of a day when I can afford to buy my entire wardrobe from the catalog.

I love J. Crew clothing. But, I am also a gal on a budget. As many of us know, J. Crew's $150 pieces of costume jewelry (I'm looking at you, bubble necklace!), $70 embellished t-shirts and $300+ sweaters aren't budget-friendly to those of us without large amounts of funds. Many of us, myself included, settle for knockoffs or similar styles. However, if we're savvy, we can get our hands on some coveted J. Crew items.

J. Crew has some great sales. I've seen $80 sweaters marked down to $35, $130 pencil skirts for $50, and $200 blazers for $90 (which is still a bit high to me for a blazer, but that's personal preference). I hate that sale items are final sale, only because online is where you find the best sale selection, and I need to try things on. My body is oddly proportioned, as I've mentioned on the blog before, so buying sale items on final sale means I can only buy them in store where I can try them on. But if you know your body and how J. Crew fits you, this is a great way to get some J. Crew on a budget.

I can hear it already: a bunch of you out there are thinking/saying/whining "But, Jamie, we're talking about price for quality!" - and I wholly agree. To me, the quality and amount of use I'll get out of a piece greatly influences what I'll pay for something. In many ways I can be super cheap because I won't pay for trends, but I am willing to throw down some good money for a quality item I'll use for years. I have jeans that cost me well over $150 apiece but they were worth every penny because they last and last without changing shape, losing seams or buttons, or fading. I am all for spending money on quality.

I write all of the above to preface the rest so that you don't think I'm hating on J. Crew. I'm not. I think their clothes are chic, classy, and classic. I would own a closet full of them, if I could afford them, and if the next two things I'm about to say were not issues. These issues leave me wanting, frustrated, and disappointed. What are those two issues I have?

J. Crew clothes do not excite me as much on my body as they do on the hanger or on someone else.

By this, I don't mean that they're just "not made for my body", I mean - I love them on the hanger and am confused as to why I don't love them on me. Almost every single item. And I don't mean that they don't fit, because they do. They just don't look awesome.

I try very hard to only buy clothes that make me feel fabulous. I can ooooh and aaaah over items in the store and excitedly try them on - only to be disappointed when I put it on and think "huh. This doesn't look as good as I thought it would." The items seem "blah" on me once out of the sheen of the store lights and under the harsh glow of the dressing room. I've seen the same items on other bloggers, looking fabulous, so I know it's possible. I just never feel that I look so great in them. And it's not the fit. I'm not spending money on "just ok" - I don't care if it's J. Crew or Forever 21, if it doesn't make me feel great, it's not going home with me.

Other bloggers look WOW in some of the same items I've tried on. Maybe, while J. Crew clothing fits me just fine, I just don't have the proportions that J. Crew most compliments. In that case, maybe I can overlook this. Maybe J. Crew is just not the store for me. But there is one more glaring thing that is the biggest issue of all for me with J. Crew.

J. Crew quality (or lack thereof) always takes me by surprise.

Yes, you read that right. I have a big ol' issue with J. Crew quality. I can't tell you how many times I fell in love with an item on the website, and since I won't order final sale items I went to the store to try it on, only to be shockingly disappointed in the quality of the item, even for the low sale price! Now, I'm just going on first glance - maybe these items hold up in the long term. The things that stand out to me at first glance, though, are the weight of the fabric (thin, and feels like you could rub a hole into the fabric with your fingers) and the feel of the fabric (rough, not soft and smooth - like if you rubbed it on your cheek it wouldn't feel nice).

Now, I know there are certain items J. Crew always does in high quality - No 2 pencil skirts, cashmere, leather bags - those are great quality items. But t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and a few other items always shock me. I find many of them carry high original price tags, yet they are thin, and rough to the touch. I have softer tees from Target for 20% of the cost. I have a real issue with poor quality costing so much money. You can't just offset the poor quality items with the high quality ones - if I'm spending that kind of money I want soft! Thick! Comfortable!

While some items are of a ridiculously high quality, other "staple" items appear shoddily made of poor quality material, and I'm often really glad I didn't impulsively order the item online because I would have been super disappointed. As a style blogger who reads other style blogs, I am constantly seeing other bloggers oooh and aaah over J. Crew items and I wish I could feel the same.

I want J. Crew to be everything it promises - great style, great fit, great quality for a perfectly classic look. But to me, it's not. I'm tired of being disappointed. I think it's time for me to stop thinking of J. Crew on this pedestal and realize it's just not for me.

So disappointing.

Are there any stores/brands/items that everyone else seems to love but that just constantly disappoint you?

[Shopping] Another Round of "Did I Buy It?"

Let's take a look at what I've tried on lately, shall we?

Top from Old Navy. Did I buy it?

Nope. Thought the material was a little too clingy.

Polka dot sweater from Old Navy. Buy?

Yep! Loved this sweater and this color in particular.

Green polka dot sweater from Old Navy. Did I get a second one in a second color?

Nope. I only need one of these sweaters and I was trying to decide which color worked better with my coloring!

Target mint green button down. If you've read my fall wishlist post, you know what I did with this one...

Didn't buy it. It was too tight in the chest. And going up a size made it a giant balloon around my waist.

Sheer plaid button down, also Target. Did I get it?

Yep! I thought it was cute and it was less than $10!!! You may still be able to find this one on the clearance rack.

Target pink pencil skirt. Buy?

YES! Skirts are one thing I am really lacking in my wardrobe. I don't have many. So when I found this one for $6.88, I grabbed it!

Mint blouse from Old Navy. Buy?

At first, no.  I wasn't sure I loved it. But when I looked back over these pictures, I realized it was a lot more flattering that I originally thought. And you might have seen this top in the pictures from my Grandmother's 90th birthday party!

Mustard striped top: yay or nay?

Yay! I went specifically for this top and it was the last one in my size.

Chevron top. Buy or no buy?

No buy. I didn't love it but didn't hate it. I think this picture makes it look better than it really did in person.

White tank top from Old Navy. Buy?

Nope. I love this top - I have it in blue and was looking for something similar in white like this - but the only size they had was a large, which is what I'm wearing above. It was entirely too big in the waist. I kept an eye out for a medium but never did find one.

Navy top with red polka dots. What do you think?

I loved the pattern - but not the fit. This picture makes the top look like it fits a bit better than it really did.

How about a green preppy tank?

Ugh. And here we have what happens when you have a big chest. I think certain tank top cuts and prints can make you look massive up top - and this is one of them. i thought the way the tank armholes cut in made my  chest and shoulders look huge in comparison to the rest of my body.

A grey tee? You know this answer if you've seen my wish list.

Winner! Loved the way this tee draped - and for $10 this Gap tee was a winner! Actually, I wish I had picked it up in a few more colors.

What have you tried on lately?

[Shopping] Seriously.

Really?

You have to send me this, Payless??

When I'm on a shopping ban????

And you have shoes I'm obsessing over that look like this?

Here

And this???

Here

And this???

Here

Sigh.

Not fair, Payless, not fair.

[Shopping] No More Help Needed!!!

Ya'll are never going to believe this, cause I couldn't myself.

I posted this morning about the BCBGeneration Jubilee shoes. Love. Remember?

I asked for help finding a suitable replacement. And some of you were so kind and so thoughtful as to search for me. I so, so appreciate it. (I'm look at you, Molly!!!)

But search no more.

You guys.

I found a near exact stand-in. And they are Elizabeth & James heels, no less.

I subscribe to all those flash sale sites like I'm sure many of you do. Most of the time I delete the emails without even looking cause goodness knows I'm tempted enough just walking into a Target let alone looking at those sites with amazing clothes at amazing prices.

But today's Rue la la was a shoe sale.

A. SHOE. SALE. Talk about right place, right time, stars aligning type stuff. So of course I had to "just see".

And they had these Elizabeth & James "Love" heels.

Swoon.

Are these not a dead ringer for the BCBGeneration ones??? 

(in case you forgot what they look like)

Ya'll, I am so pumped. The Elizabeth & James shoes were a teensy bit more than the $40 BCBGeneration ones I found at Ross, but they retail for $250 at Asos compared to the $105 of the BCBGs. And they're in my size!!! Yay for having big feet because these beauties were sold out in every single size below a 9.5.

So, I've bought myself a fun little early birthday present. Woot woot!!!!

[Shopping] Help!!!

I need help from all you fashionistas out there. I have had my eye on this pair of heels:

but I've been hesitant because I already own a pair of cobalt heels and really - I don't need another pair. More than anything, I'm obsessed with the style - the gladiator/cutout/bootie type combo. So I've been looking for a pair in black.

I was shopping at Ross this past weekend and I found these:

In. Love. They are BCBGeneration Jubilees. In black. Be still my heart.

But they only had a size 8.5. No other pair in the entire store. I could actually squeeze the 8.5s on but they were sooooo tight. I usually wear a 9, 9.5, or 10 depending on brand. I loved the way they looked but not the way they felt.

So I went to 2 other Rosses in the last 2 days. I can't find them. Anywhere. I found one other pair, also a size 8.5. I've asked about being able to search other store's inventory and Ross (shocker) can't do that. I've searched online. NO ONE HAS THEM! :( Honestly, if they weren't $40, I would just squeeze my giant feet into the 8.5s and hope they stretch. But unfortunately, that's a bit too much money for a pair of shoes that doesn't quite fit. $20, sure. But not $40.

What I'm hoping is that one of you amazing shoppers will be able to help me find these or something similar in black. Any ideas? Suggestions? I've searched online and can't find them in stock or in my size or in some cases for a decent price (I won't pay $115 for them like one site had them listed at!). I'm totally cool with a lookalike but I haven't been able to find one. Help!!!

On another note - I'm at 42 followers. I'm thinking when I hit 50....it may be time for my very first giveaway? Maybe? :)

[Shopping] Dressing Room Conundrums

Let's talk shopping and dressing room pics. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this. Do you find yourself taking pictures of stuff as you try it on to decide if you like it? I find that things can look so different on camera and sometimes that's a deciding factor to me!

Without further ado, some dressing room pictures. These are over the last 3 months. Did I buy or not?

This was a top I tried on at Winner's when I was in Toronto. Thoughts?

I didn't like it, so I didn't buy it. I really love the interesting stripe pattern and the nautical navy/white color combo. I like how it fits up top but the fabric paired with a flowy bottom just looked odd.

Next, another top from Winner's.

I wasn't sure about this one. I still am not sure how I feel about this one. Every now and again I've thought "man, I should have bought that orange top in Toronto" but sometimes I look at this pic and think "eh, it's just ok". What do you think?

When Webster at Target went on sale, I was pretty psyched. I tried on some things. Like this:

and this

and this

I also tried on this dress, though it wasn't from the Webster collection.

I bought the white tunic at the top, and the 3/4 sleeve print dress. I did not buy the dress with the puffy short sleeves or this last one right above.

I also tried on these 3 tops:

I didn't buy any of these when I first tried them on. I went back to get the pink top (and actually bought it in white instead) and saw the grey top was on sale for $6, so I bought it (but in green, haha). I also tried the one-sleeve top on AGAIN, but still didn't like it enough to buy.

I hardly ever go into Banana Republic, because I adore their clothes but I do not adore their prices. They are generally way more than I'd like to pay so I don't like to go in and get excited about a piece only to struggle with whether to buy it because of the price tag. But this particular day, I had been on a roll finding deals so I popped on in. I tried on this dress:

Oh. My. Goodness. It was like this dress was made for me. There was no way I wasn't going to buy it. And it was on sale from $130 down to $70. I got another 40% off that. Worth it.

I ended up back at Target to once again peruse what was left of the Webster collection. I tried on this adorable cardigan:

Bought it. It was about $10. Couldn't say no.

On a fairly recent TJ Maxx trip, I tried on this Ralph Lauren Polo top (please excuse the running skirt, haha!):

I debated. And debated. And debated. Then bought it.

I loved this bag at Forever21. I thought it would make the perfect weekend bag!

I, however, have enough bags. I didn't get this one.

I had my eye on this maxi dress at Kohl's forever but the price tag kept me from trying it on ($70!!!). I went in last week and it was on sale, so I tried it on.

I decided no. But I kept thinking about it. And thinking about it. And then a coupon came out for 20% off. And the dress was on sale. So I scooped it up just last week.

What do you think? What would you have bought?

[Shopping] Bling Bling, Every Time We Come Around Your City Bling Bling

I haven't really said much about this on my blog before, but my husband works for Macy's. This. Is. Awesome. He doesn't work in a store; he works at their Systems and Technology headquarters. This means employee discounts. For not only hubs, but for his family too, aka ME!

Macy's gives their discount to employees in an interesting way - each employee and family gets a credit account and a Macy's charge card. When you make purchases on your charge card, the 20% employee discount is taken off the card bill. This may not sound great, especially if you have an aversion to credit cards, but I love it. Why? Because Macy's gives cardholders extra discount passes, to the tune of 12-15 a year. So, that means if Macy's is having a sale, I get sale % off, savings pass % off that, and employee discount % off that. See? Awesome.

Macy's has some of my fave brands - Lucky, Ralph Lauren, Miss Me, True Religion, Free People. A month or three ago, I went into Macy's and noticed the Miss Me jeans were on sale. This hardly ever happens. I was stoked, especially because I (and my teammates) love to wear them to dance gigs cause they're fun and a bit flashy.

Well. These jeans were $109 originally. Then 40% off. Then my 20% WOW pass. Then hubby's 20% employee discount.

For $42?! HECK YES I'LL TAKE THEM!!

And then I found this pair. Originally $99.

And the back had stars and horseshoes! And I'm on a country dance team!!!

Really, though, I couldn't justify buying both. So I only walked away with the first pair.

Then a few weeks ago they were on sale again - the last few pairs from a select bunch of styles that they were obviously trying to get rid of. And they had one left in my size. Squee!!!

Second pair price? $38.01+tax. SOLD. To me. You'll see these on the blog soon. I've already worn the horseshoe pair twice.