J.Crew Pencil Skirts on Sale: How I've Been Wearing Them

It can be pretty maddening when J.Crew rolls out a brand new selection of clothing only to send it to the sale section 10 days later. Sometimes it feels like purchasing at full price is a waste of money...but I still do it when I think that something might sell out in my size or my preferred color. However, with a little patience (and a lot of jungle panther-like stalking), you can get great deals on some of J.Crew's classic pieces like Jackie Sweaters, Cashmere Long-Sleeve Tees, and No.2 Pencil Skirts. There have been a lot of pencil skirts on sale recently, and I've taken full advantage since they have become real work-wardrobe workhorses for me. In case you've picked up some of these skirts as well and are looking for new ways to wear them, here are a few examples of how I've been wearing mine.

FYI: All of the following personal images were taken in the Executive bathroom at my office, hence the snazzy bathroom decor.

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Medallion Paisley


This skirt is currently sold out online, but keep watching the sale section and I'm sure it will pop back.

The Medallion Paisley Pencil was a really great buy - I've probably worn it once a week since I purchased it. The material is a strong but lightweight cotton twill, almost like denim, but the simple pattern and shape make it appropriate for the office. I bought it in a size 6 and it's fairly loose. I probably should have sized down to a 4, but it's more comfortable in the larger size when I'm sitting at my desk all day.


Late March and early April brought cooler temperatures to Georgia, so I was able to pair this skirt with some of my beloved cashmere sweaters for work. The purple and white print of the skirt compliments many solid-colored tops like gold, tangerine, and blush.


Here I've paired the skirt with two of my most favorite wardrobe staples: the Schoolboy Blazer in Navy and the Selvedge Chambray shirt. The shoes are Calvin Klein - about as basic as a navy work pump can get, but they are comfortable and polished.


No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Basket-Weave Tweed, Marine Blue


I reviewed this skirt in a previous blog post HERE.


I've worn this skirt with navy sweaters and button-downs, but here I decided to go a little bolder and pair it with my Talitha Blouse in Vintage Berry. I can't get away with wearing very much jewelry at work, but J.Crew's navy Sunflower bracelet adds a fun little pop of color.


I might be one of the few people who really liked the heavy, stretchy knit of the Jackie Pullovers, but I bought 4 of them and they've been in heavy rotation ever since. This simple combination of skirt and sweater is dressed up a bit with an old J.Crew golden chain necklace, double looped at the throat, and a leather and gold bracelet that I purchased at Monkees in Southern Pines, NC. The shoes are my trusty Nine West Austin pumps. They're comfy, cheap, and come in about a dozen work-appropriate colors.


No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Gardenshade Floral


Also currently sold out, also certain to pop back.

As far as sizing goes, this skirt is comparable to all of J.Crew's other pencil skirts. The quality is great - it's fully lined and the silky, slightly stretchy cotton barely shows wrinkles at all by the end of the day. I honestly wasn't too sure of this skirt when I pulled it out of the shipping box since the colors were so much more..."muddy" in real life than they appeared on the website. However, I started pairing it with tops in my closet and discovered that it looked great with my Jackie Cardigans and Perfect Shirts in various shades of pink and blue.


Worn here with a Pale Coral Jackie Cardigan, random TJ Maxx tee, and an old gold J.Crew skinny leather belt. It also looks great with blush and navy Stretch Perfect Shirts.

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Ultra Eyelet


I bought this skirt at full price in the Chili red color when it first rolled out, and I'm glad that I did because it's now sold out in that color. The Navy version is now on sale.

Maybe it's just me, but there's something about wearing a red skirt that makes you smile when you look in the mirror. I LOVE this skirt. I was reluctant to buy it at first because of the nature of eyelet (it catches easily on things) combined with the nature of me (a.k.a. Mayor of Klutzville). But the cotton is smooth and stretchy, and there is plenty of give to the fabric. A lot of reviews mentioned the "shadow effect" at the inner thigh area that occurs beneath the lining and shows through the eyelet layer, but it doesn't bother me. It comes off more as visually interesting than "Hey, here's my crotch."



The Chili Eyelet skirt looks great with blue, white, and camel, and I also like pairing it with gray. Here I've gone for more of a retro ladylike look by combining the skirt with the shell portion of a gray Jackie twinset and a white cotton blouse with short puffed sleeves. The shoes are gray leather skimmers that I got at Target ages ago (I knew I would be running around a lot that day), and the necklace is from Madewell.



This is one of my best popback scores: the Scoopneck Blouse in Seine Stripe. I was afraid that the striped top paired with the red skirt would have me singing a certain Lee Greenwood song all day, but the fact that the lighter colored stripes are taupe instead of white or cream ensure that the outfit is not too "theme-y". I'm wearing the same gold chain necklace as in the second Basket-Weave Pencil Skirt image above, but not looped this time.

Have you purchased any of these pencil skirts on sale? How are you wearing them? Please share - I love to hear your ideas!

When Final Sale Attacks

Those who shop J.Crew are familiar with the dreaded Final Sale. You can get all kinds of great things for very discounted prices, but once you check out, that's it - no returns or exchanges. You can find some amazing deals in Final Sale, especially popbacks...but you can also get burned BIG TIME. I have had great luck with shopping Final Sale when I stick to this rule: Only buy an item if you have either tried it on in the store or it's a multiple of something you already own (Schoolboy blazers, Cashmere L/S tees, etc.). Sometimes, however, I drink too much of the Crewlade and make poor decisions.



J.Crew Souvenir Dress from Summer 2011, Ikat Print in Faded Black or Chili Pepper, 100% Silk.

So this little dress popped back in the Chili Pepper colorway in my size on Final Sale, and I was immediately drawn to it like I am with most red items. A pretty Summer shift in a sweet little print, done in fully-lined silk shantung. Originally retailing for $148, it was now priced for Final Sale at $99. Not dirt cheap, but definitely reasonable for a lined silk dress in such a great color. I even loved the way that the print marched vertically up the skirt and then switched to diagonal on the bodice. The dress was also shown like this in one of last year's catalogs:


Oh, hahahahaha, don't mind me! I'm just having the most delightful time in my antique speedboat, probably somewhere in Europe. I'm having ALL OF THE FUN, so you don't get any. Toodles!

I bought the dress despite knowing what I know about J.Crew's weird fascination with high waistlines, despite the fact that most of their dresses have not fit me very well for years, despite the obvious difference between the model's upper body and my own (read: boobs). I'm sure that you can tell where this is going....


Straight to disappointment. This does not look very nice. The placement of the waistline is in exactly the wrong place for my figure. Plus, there are two little pleats at the waist that make my boobs look really long and low. I mean, gravity will eventually take them in that direction, but I'm in no hurry to speed it up.



Side view. I'm actually fine with the length - this is a play dress, not a work dress.



Sometimes adding a belt can work wonders for a dress. Not in this case, unfortunately.

All of that aside, the really fun part came when I tried to do something crazy like raise my arms while wearing the dress:


Oh yeah, that looks great. If you wear this dress, you'll have to rule out reaching for things above your waist, touching your hair, hugging, raising your glass for a toast, dancing with a partner, or dancing to any song at all where you might be asked to "Put your hands up!"

So now I have a hundred-dollar dress that I can't wear. I've gone over the options in my head, and it seems to me that I can go one of three ways:

1) Take it to a tailor and have the sleeves cut off so that I can at least wear it around on the weekends.

2) Attempt to sell it on Ebay to try to get some of my money back.

3) Turn it into a really gorgeous pillow for the bedroom.

Which option would you choose? I welcome your thoughts and opinions in the comments. Feel free to say "I told you so" in regards to Final Sale, because I deserve to hear it on this one.

Reviews: J.Crew Spring Rollout Purchases

I have managed to restrain myself from purchasing anything from J.Crew at full price so far this year, waiting instead to use my Spring Rewards card and the recent 20%-30% off promos to pick up a few items that have been sitting in my online shopping cart.


Pencil Skirt in Super 120's, Royal Violet


Schoolboy Blazer in Chambray


(OT: Do those shoes scream "boring, work-appropriate Navy pump, or what?) I really do love J.Crew's Super 120's suiting pieces, especially when they do them in pretty colors like this Royal Violet pencil skirt. Purchased it in my normal pencil skirt size. This wool skirt is very fine, soft, and lightweight, and fully lined so that the itch factor for me is a total zero. It's almost a 4-season skirt, with the exception of those summer days in Georgia when it's so humid that you want to peel your skin off. And speaking of summertime, I bought the Chambray Schoolboy Blazer with those kind of days in mind, as I often need a non-wool topper to wear over dresses and blouses at work. This blazer will also look super cute with shorts, a tank, and espadrilles on the weekends. Fits the same as my other Schoolboy blazers, and I like that the cotton chambray is crisp instead of rumpled.


Here's a better picture of the Chambray Schoolboy blazer.


Rugby Stripe Dress in Navy Grotto

Cotton shift dresses are some of my most favorite things in the world when it comes to casual wear, and I live in them after work when the weather gets warm. They are also the perfect thing to pack for a weekend trip since they take up a miniscule amount of space in your luggage and keep you looking chic and comfy while traveling. I've had other polo-style dresses like this one and have worn them all to rags through frequent use. The stripes make this Rugby dress fun and I love the flash of gold from the little metallic buttons. Purchased in Medium, which is my usual in J.Crew knits. There is a little bit of excess fabric on the bottom, which is normal for me when it comes to dresses. I really like the weight of the cotton fabric that J.Crew used here. It's not their tissue, vintage, or cotton pique...it's similar to the knit used on the Colorblocked Stripe Tee, and I'm a big fan of that top.


It's true that I bought this dress with warm weather in mind, but if you add tights, boots, and a blazer it becomes totally appropriate for an early Spring shopping day or Sunday brunch. Once I find the perfect pair of cognac leather riding boots (am hoping to pick up a pair on sale soon), I will wear them with this outfit. The belt is one that my sister bought for me ages ago at the National Quarter Horse Congress; it's adjustable and has become one of my most favorite wardrobe accessories :)


Typical zero-effort post-work/weekend outfit: dress and shoes (usually Weejuns, Sperrys, or Jack Rogers Sandals). This is also an excellent outfit in which to walk your dog, even if said dog is possesed by Satan as Bennett appears to be in this picture.


Aaaaahhh, loungewear. Flannel jammy pants, Hanes tee, and J.Crew cashmere - I love it so. Early Spring is the perfect time to pick up cashmere sweaters at very discounted prices, just as I did with this Cashmere Boyfriend Cardigan (less than $100 on Final Sale w/ 30% off...JOY). I know that a lot of people have had some quality issues with J.Crew's cashmere in recent years, but I guess I'm just lucky because all of my sweaters and cardigans have held up beautifully. I did have a featherweight cashmere cardigan that pilled like crazy, so I gave that sweater to Goodwill and won't be buying any more in the future. The 12-gauge knits or lower are the ones that I buy, and I generally stay away from cables since they tend to add bulk. I have enough bulk up top, thanks.

Did you buy any of these pieces from J.Crew's recent Spring rollouts? What's on your wish list?

The Look for Less: Grey Suede Wedges

I've been admiring J.Crew's Martina Suede Wedges (and pretty much everything else on the J.Crew website) since they were shown in the catalog earlier this fall. They have a nice, classic shape, and the 3" heel height isn't too tall for comfort if you need to walk in them all day long. Although it would be nice to have a pair of J.Crew's wedges in the slate color, I really can't afford to drop $228.00 on a single pair of shoes right now.

But last night at Target, as I was passing through the shoe section on my way to the greeting cards, I saw these Merona Milena Suede Wedges:



Almost exactly the same shoe, and the Target version only costs $29.99! Granted, the quality is nowhere near what you would find at J.Crew, but the upper is genuine suede and, for $30, it's no big deal if your shoes start looking a little bit shabby after a season of regular wear. The heel is 2.25" and the shade of grey is slightly darker than the Martinas but, all-in-all, I'm very pleased with them and so happy to have gotten such a great deal!