Spring Madewell Reviews (and One J.Crew Dress): Shoes, Shorts, Skirts

Here is part 2 of last weekend's Madewell review...our wireless router at home died on Tuesday and my work computer won't allow embedded links, hence the delay.

First off, some shoes. Specifically, an adorable strappy casual sandal with a little wedge heel. J.Crew is my first love, but Madewell has them beat when it comes to shoe quality and style, especially where price is concerned. Confession: As quality-conscious as I am about my clothing and handbag purchases, I am the opposite with shoes. I buy cheap shoes. They are often made of plastic or other unidentifiable man-made materials. I buy them cheap and beat them all to hell within a few seasons, then I toss them. I'm not proud of this, and I'm trying to invest in better quality shoes now that I'm older and my salary has increased to a level where I'm not asking myself "If I put gas in my car today, will I have to wait until payday to pay my phone bill?"

The Whistlestop Sandal

I skimmed over these sandals online, but they are much cuter in person and I decided to give them a try in the store.


Verdict: adorable. They are on the narrow side, but you have more leeway with sandals than with a solid shoe. They hug my foot nicely, and the leather is surprisingly soft for a brand new shoe. I'll hardly need to break these in at all.


The only thing that gave me pause was that the strap attached to the lower ankle buckle is really snug across my arch. I have high arches and, as you can see, I had to fasten the buckle on the last available hole. This is something to watch out for if you order them online.


Roseblossom Carousel Shorts

This is a nice, vintagey-looking pair of silk printed shorts. I love the color, but they're not for me since shorts like this look best on women with Varga-Girl hourglass figures, IMO. These are a size 6.


Striped Miniskirt

This skirt is fun, but I don't need another casual mini-skirt right now.


They didn't have a size 6 in stock so I am trying on the size 8 in this picture. I think that it would have been too short in the smaller size anyway, and it might have even been too snug at the waist since it nips in a little bit. I think I'd recommend going up a size if you are thick-waisted like me.


Picket-Stripe Skirt

I was puzzled about this skirt, since it looks like it's supposed to be shorter online. I'm 5'8" and usually skirts will hit me at about the same length that they do on the model. I'm wearing a medium here and there's plenty of room, so maybe I should have tried a small.


Either way, I didn't much care for this shape and style on me. I need more structure in my skirts. This might look better on a pear-shaped figure.


Cityguide Shirtdress

Blech, this does nothing for my figure. When you look at the online image, even the rail-thin model looks like she's thick-waisted, so it sure won't do ME any favors.


Size 8, my usual in dresses. The color is "Ink", and I couldn't tell if it was black or navy.

I couldn't resist stopping by J.Crew on my way out of the mall, especially because I was looking for a particular dress that is only being offered in-store.


This is another version of their popular Maritime Dress shape, which I love. They are perfect for after-work and weekends, and I liked this navy/orange colorblocked one because the other versions are all done in stripes. I only break the closet stripe embargo for very special items.


I had originally taken a medium to try on, but the SA told me that the small would be a better fit and she was right. This has a combination Nautical/Mod feeling to it, and the orange portion of the dress is a little stiffer than the navy portion. I think this will go away after a wash or two - I've had other garments that behaved this way and they tend to last longer than the soft, drapey cotton items do.

A few of the Madewell items that I've reviewed are on sale already, so it's the perfect time to bite! Happy shopping :)