I recently found out that there is an outlet store just a short drive away from my hospital, so when J.Crew Factory was having a 50% off sale over Labor Day, I thought it would be a good time to try on a few things I've had my eye on since it would easy to do returns.
Next is their shawl collar cardigan. I had high hopes for this sweater, but it unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations. First of all, it's very big - I'm wearing my usual large here, and I was swimming in it. Second, I didn't love that the shawl cut off about six inches from the bottom. It's a cute sweater in concept, but I just didn't love it in person. I actually originally wanted it in grey (which quickly sold out before I could order it), and really ordered it in blue to see how it fit in hopes that the grey came back, so this isn't that big of a disappointment.
Next is another shirt that in theory I would like, but it just didn't work out for me. I was looking for a soft and cuddly shirt for when the temperatures drop - in my head I would pair it with jeggings, boots, and a vest. In real life, I found that the fabric of their herringbone check shirt was a bit more cotton than a thick flannel, and that it ran quite large and boxy (I'm wearing a large here). The more I thought about it, even if it had fit me better, I couldn't really think of different ways to wear it, so it is being returned. I would at some point in the future like to try the J.Crew flannel boyfriend shirt instead - it seems a bit more versatile in colors, plus the reviews praise it's comfiness.
Over the past year, I have removed all my "normal cardigans" (button up, to be layered with other tops) from my closet for various reasons - holes that couldn't be fixed, colors I didn't wear, or dryer accidents that couldn't be reversed. I love cardigans though, so I've been looking for replacements for a while now. My former favorite cardigan had merino wool in it, and I think that that helped it keep its shape more than 100% cotton cardis (I find they always look really bunched up on me - anyone else have that problem?). The new long merino cardigan sounded promising, and while normally almost $80, the price wasn't as bad at $40. I'm wearing a size large, and I think it's just a bit too large on me, mostly in the arms. I don't want to stick it in the dryer to shrink it (I've made that mistake before!), so I'm hoping to try this one on in a medium.
Last up is the crepe pencil skirt. The two plain pencil skirts I own are both the wool #2 pencil skirts, so I don't ever wear them in the warmer months (I've tried...and promptly changed). I've been looking for a cooler option, but never really found a winner. The cotton version of the #2 pencil skirt, more so than the wool version, wrinkle very easily. I also found most to be too tight in the booty, which always makes me a bit self conscious. The crepe material of this skirt is the perfect solution to these problems - it skims without clinging, and the material is basically wrinkle-proof. I was debating sending the skirt back because we are just now getting back to the temperatures where I can wear my wool skirts again, but I got a good deal on a skirt that I know I will wear a ton in the coming years. So while I may only wear it a few more times this year, I have many years of clinic time ahead during warmer months. As far as sizing goes, I found this runs true to size (I'm wearing my normal 12 here). It hits about one inch above my knee. Also: side pockets that don't bulge! Triple win.
