Some of My Favorite: Shopping Friends, Mall Stores, J Crew Dresses for Spring

I have a few friends who are truly my favorite shopping partners. These are the kind of friends I can leisurely wonder around with and browse boutiques or hit a hard-core, dig-through-everything-on-sale outlet stores. They're the ones who hand me something over the dressing room door and it's always cool and fits just right and I like it better than anything I took in with me. And they may even rationalize a purchase for me so I don't have to do it myself: "I know you don't have anywhere to wear that, but it looks so good on you and it's on sale!" (It's lovely to have someone talk you into something you want.)

The trouble is that one of these friends lives in Manhattan, one lives in Brooklyn and one lives in Colorado. I don't live in any of those places. (I'm happy to audition local fellow shoppers--say the word, ladies.)

My Brooklyn friend visits here frequently so I get to shop with her a few times a year. I just had a day of boutiquing with my Manhattan friend. And last week I got to hit the mall with my Colorado friend. (We emailed about where to shop. Me: "What are you up for? Anthro? Shoes?" Her: "The Mall sounds good. Unless you think that would be lame." Me: "Are you kidding? The Mall is my favorite place!")

We parked by Macy's and walked past the oh-so-hideous prom dress department (dear god--I was never happier to not be a teenager) and hit all my favorite places to hit in The Mall: Gap, Banana Republic, J Crew and Sephora.

I gotta tell you, fellow shoppers, the Gap these day: bad. I don't know what's going on there but I find it ill-fitting and tuti-fruiti. It's all wrong. I have not liked a thing in the Gap the last few seasons. Banana, on the other hand, seems to be hitting all the right notes with me. (See recent posts on several Banana dresses I've purchased lately.) I've loved the color palette, the shapes, the fit. And I've really been wild about the sale prices. (I recently got a blue silk disco-vibe dress there for $23.99. During my latest Mall visit I grabbed an uber-oversize faux pearl necklace for $5.99)

But J Crew...I love you most of all. I've been hitting their final sale online fairly hard. (Oh the sweaters!) I've been scouring the in-store sale racks regularly. (Took home a black with touches of gold thread wool/cashmere pencil skirt--love it!--for $20.99. It cost me more than that to get it hemmed.)

My recent J Crew score was the papaya-hued version of the dress shown below in light pewter. (I don't see the orange-y one online). Good with both heels or flat sandals and a cardigan.


There are few other J Crew dresses I'm smitten with. (I love love love dresses.) The simple linen dress below is made special with a dash of metallic, a defined waist and a bow detail. (I heart bows--I'm girly.)



And so you don't think this post looks like a casual version of the Oscars (what was with the white/ivory/cream thing Hollywood?) here's a lovely bright (papaya!) with similar features as the above--a defined waist and a bow--but with a more squarish neckline and in cotton.



And back to white...I'd get married all over again just so I could wear this tulle and organza wedding cake of a dress. I am a sucker for tiers.

Two Dresses: One Vintage, One New

I know I don't need any more dresses. But I actually wear a dress to work most days, I haven't found a skirt I like in ages (besides the one I got at Macy's last Friday), and any day now I'll be cleaning out my closet (I swear).

First off, I returned these gray wedges (purchased in Vegas) to Kenneth Cole. I love the color, but they are really stiff and uncomfortable.
I exchanged them for this dress. It's currently at my tailor (who tells me I have to many dresses) getting the straps shortened. While the dress is mini on this model, it actually hits me below the knee (where do they grow all these giant slim women?). I'm a sucker for anything tiered, and this dress is super soft and comfortable. Overall, just a nice LBD (that's little black dress).

I also picked up this 1960s two-piece outfit (almost-a-dress) from my favorite eBay seller Violetville Vintage. I've really been loving all the lace in the September magazines, and I'm very excited about this outfit. Nude lace over blue is cool and subtle unlike lace in black. There's great detail on the top and skirt where the linen meets the lace, and it's great that I can break these up. The top will be cute with jeans. (The skirt will be hemmed.)


More vintage purchases to report later in the week!

I Fear I Have Purchased Something That Won't Fit

I recently won an auction on eBay for a lovely little vintage dress. Here it is.


And here's a closeup.


Cute, right? A little swiss dot thing happening; an awesomely big bow. It reminds me at once of of both a cupcake and a present. And it was $19.99.

But here's the thing: I'm worried that I'll put it on and and it will zip past my waist and call it a day; I think the girls may not fit into it. It was an against-my-better-judgment purchase.

But, you ask, didn't the seller give measurements? Why yes she did. She said the waist was 30 inches and the chest was 30 inches. I am banking on my theory that she was wrong. Who would make a dress with those measurements? That's crazy! And check out the fabric bunching up in the chest area on the closeup above. And it's darted. There's got to be some rack room there--after all, the dress form is not flat chested.

So it will come in the mail, and we shall see, fellow shoppers. For 20 clams, I think it's worth a shot. After all, sometimes that's the fun of eBay. (And one day I'll get around to selling all the cute but not-quite-right items I've accumulated.)