Im Back!!

Hey everyone, its been quite some time since I last posted. I've been a busy bee studying for my board exams and then starting my third year of medical school. I'm so relieved that my exam is now in the past, and I got my score back and am very happy with it. I ended up doing like 70 points better than the first one I took back at the beginning when I first started studying, and about 10 points higher than my best practice exam. Its kind of hard to believe its actually over, but I'm glad it is! Third year has been going well so far. I started off with Neurology, which I did at our children's hospital. It was a really great experience, and I loved dealing with the kids. Now its back to adult stuff for a little while. So I'm back now, and will try to at least make weekly posts.

I have made a few purchases lately and also stopped at my local J.Crew today. I'll just post the things I tried on today, and then post reviews of my new stuff as it comes in.

Chambray Shirtdress (item # 47875) $118- I picked this up on a whim, and I'm really into chambray right now. I ended up really liking this one. This is a size 6. I thought it fit pretty TTS. Its very comfy and I can see it being an easy dress to throw on in the fall, yet its light enough that I could still wear it on those cool summer days. I thought it looked good both unbelted and belted. I ended up taking this one home.

Darla Dress (item # 49258) $148- I had seen this one online a few times and when I saw it in store decided to try it on. This is a size 6. I did think it was a little snug on me, and I didn't bother to try the next size up. I liked this dress, but I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the full price for it. I might see if it makes it to sale, and if its a decent price, pick it up then. The other thing I didn't really like about it was that it was a back zipper, and I found it kind of difficult to zip it up all the way in the back. It was a bit of a struggle.

Silk Cargo Dress (item # 26669) $138 - This one I didn't realize was from spring/early summer until I came home and tried to find it online. Its no longer available online unfortunately. I loved this dress. This is a size 6, and I thought it fit TTS. The fabric is fairly this, but I found this as a plus, as it will still be wearable in the summertime. This one definitely came home with me :-)

Vacation Dress (item # 42629) $88 - I had seen this online a few times and debated over getting it. My PS at my local store had this on and it looked cute so I decided to give it a try. While I liked it, I didn't love it. I was not a huge fan of the sleeves on this dress. They are very drapey, and I am not used to this style. It made me not like the way the top fit, even though I like the tie at the waste, and from the waste down. I also really liked the color. This is a small, so I tried the XS to see if it fit any better in the top, but it was a little too clingy on the bottom, and it didn't really fix the issue with the sleeves, so this one was a pass for me. 

Silk Blythe Blouse (item # 37871) $98 - I am not a huge blouse wearer, but I decided to give this one a try. As you can see, the fabric was a bit wrinkly, which bothered me a bit. I'm not exactly sure what color this is as it doesn't really look like the poppy color pictured online, but I have to assume thats what it was? This is a size 6. Seems to be TTS. I did like this top, but I didn't love it so I left it at the store. Maybe if it makes it to sale I will give it a second look. The fabric seemed nice, but I am worried about how much it might wrinkle. 

Perfect Shirt in medium gingham (item # 48821) $72 - This was another one that I just randomly picked up. I feel as though even though its in a nice purple color (its the peony), it feels very masculine on me. I have a hard time wearing button down shirts without feeling that way. I would have to find a way to dress up something like this to be able to wear it. Any suggestions for this issue?? This is a size 6, seems TTS for me. I thought it was kind of cute, and I liked the color. What do you guys think of this one?

Sun-drenched Sweatshirt (item # 37252) $65 - Theres something I love about a nice casual sweatshirt that you can still look polished with. I really liked this one. The fabric is very soft, and I loved it. I can definitely see myself wearing this one around a lot. This is a size small, which for j.crew's sizes as of late, I would say is fairly normal. They seem to be making some of their sizes a little larger than they used to. I think there was a similar sweatshirt with a side-zip that I got last year, and it was a medium if I'm not mistaken and fit very similarly. I also liked the detail of how it tucks up at the side, I'm not exactly sure what you would call that. This is the poppy color. definitely recommend this one.

Schoolboy Blazer (item # 48682) $188 - So this one has gotten lots of talk on blogworld. I decided I had to try it out myself. I really liked the caramel color. I don't have this color blazer, so I think it could be a good addition to my wardrobe. As many others have pointed out, the fabric is pretty thin, and not what I would expect for a jacket thats $188. I would definitely not pay full price for this one. The buttons had a nice detail on them, but they felt very thin and cheap. This also seemed to wrinkle very easily, almost like a linen in some ways. I tried it in a size 6 (shown in the pictures below), which seemed to fit okay, but the side with the buttons folded over funny. I tried on the 8 just for comparison, but the sleeves looked ridiculously large and there wasn't a big difference in the body. I did like the way that it looked on though both buttoned and unbuttoned. I might consider this one if it made it to sale and I had a discount too. I am a bit intrigued by the decadent red color. I really wish the stores had this to try on. I'm not exactly sure if it would work well with my skin tone though. I also am lacking a navy blazer from my wardrobe, so who knows. All in all, I'll be keeping an eye on this one. 

Last but not least, here's what I wore to go shopping today. Its the Mirable pencil skirt in a Petite 8, and a ruffle v-neck j.crew shirt from a few years ago. Simple way to wear a pencil skirt, but I love it and it was very effortless and comfortable. 

OOTD 7/30/11 by jencirino featuring a pencil skirt

Thats all for today (as if thats not enough :-) ). I'll report back when I get some of my latest purchases! :-)

XOXO Jennifer