Emerson Fry Fall 2012

Emerson Fry's Fall 2012 Collection just hit their website this morning! I'm seeing some very nice items: coats, pumps, blouses, trousers...and some very "meh" items: some funky long skirts, a dress that looks too thin to wear in public, etc. Also, I miss seeing Emerson model her own designs. I wanted to BE her in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. The model that they're using for Fall 2012 looks sort of lost and hungry.

Here's a look at some of my favorites.

Coats











Shoes











Blouses







More of EF's fun Mod Dresses



Cropped Trousers





Pretty Rings



There are also some great items from Spring 2012 hanging out in the sale section at half price.





I'd take a pair of all of those shoes if I could afford them - they're on my "someday" list. I have too many coats as it is, but I'd seriously consider both that Army Coat and the Leopard Linen otherwise. The Lilac Floral Blouse is in my shopping cart, although I'm not ready to bite just yet.

How about you? What do you think of Emerson Fry Fall 2012?

New for House & Home at Anthropologie

I haven't done much clothes-shopping at Anthropologie for the past couple of years. All of a sudden everything became too twee for me and all the tops and dresses were backless or had cut-outs that made it impossible to wear them with a regular bra. Plus, I can't wear all of those drapey and/or gathered knits. Too much flowy fabric on a big-boobed girl just makes your whole body look larger. Ask Jessica Simpson.

However, Anthro's shoes are like little works of art, and their household goods are too cool for school. They just rolled out some new items for the home, and here are a few of my faves....


Madagascar Wallpaper


Like some kind of weirdly-beautiful Rorschach test. The price is steep at $798 per roll, but I'd never do an entire room in this paper anyway. I'd cut one 18' long roll in half and either frame and hang the 2 pieces horizontally above a sofa, or mount them vertically on either side of a window or bed and surround them with 2" trim.

New Antiquitarian Wallpaper


Gosh, I love this. The pattern is perfect for a powder room or mud room. It comes with SureStick backing which promises to be "easy-on, easy-off" and great for renters, but I have no experience with using or hanging it. I think I'd probably stay away from using it in kitchens or baths in case the moisture makes it peel off the walls.

Magnifying Glass Sconce


I'd mount these on either side of the mirror in the powder room with the Antiquitarian paper.

Iron Industry Mirror


What a stunner! And it's made from a salvaged antique! I love multi-paned mirrors. Mirrors in general are awesome because they add visual depth to a room and reflect whatever light sources are available. If you have a giant bare wall in a two story living room or foyer, I'd hang this guy on it.

Abate Slatted Mirror


Love the look of this. More decorative than practical. Would be nice to use in a room with too many right-angles.

Splayed Cobbler Mirror


Now this is really special. Buy it because you love it and put it someplace where you'll see it every day. Would be especially cool on the landing of a staircase leading to bedrooms, especially if you can see it from the front door (guests will love it, too).

Stitched Mansoa Curtain


I'm a sucker for crewelwork and these colors are gorgeous. I'd buy an extra panel and make throw pillows or pillow shams out of it for the guest bedroom.

Mysia Rug


This kilim rug could go practically anywhere - neutral and beautiful.

Bianca Pillows


Great colors and patterns. Pillows can be expensive, but that's where you'll get the most bang for your buck, especially if you like to change your rooms around a lot.

Soren Chair


The shape of this happy chair is fun yet elegant, and the high back makes it perfect for the corner spot in a seating arrangement. I always like to have a slipper chair in the bedroom, both as a handy spot to put on shoes and as a catch-all for cardigans, knit blankets, and reading material. This guy fits the bill!

Rabbit II by Elizabeth Jardine


This sweet little decorative rabbit would look great on an occasional table or a bookcase, and he'd be a terrific addition to the centerpiece of a dining table at Easter Lunch.

Horse Bust Hook


Horses, always. I'd buy a few of these and mount them over a bench in a hallway or foyer.

Now, the next two items are cool...but kind of strange.

Large Tentacle Taper Holder


I kind of hated this when I first saw it. And then I looked at it again. Now I kind of love it. Not my personal taste, but the three sizes that Anthro offers could look awesome grouped together on a table in a beach house...or on your dining table in the midwest if you're quirky like that.

Chien Coffee Table


I get what they're going for here, I really do. But the first thing that popped into my head when I saw it was "puppy mill". The doggies look trapped and I'd spend all my time wanting to get them out of there if this piece were sitting in my living room! Maybe if they designed it with lizards or bugs, something that I WANT to stay trapped inside of a glass case....

What do you think of Anthropologie's furniture and accessories? Have you purchased a non-clothing item from them before? And if you have any experience with the SureStick wallpaper, I'd love to hear about it!

I Ate Diana Vreeland's Lunch Today

Sort of ;)

There is an article on page 428 of the September issue of Harper's Bazaar (where Vreeland worked before she became Editor in Chief at Vogue and then consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - she was the shizz) called "Diana Vreeland's Secrets", and it lists "15 Things You Didn't Know About Diana Vreeland". Item #4:

She ate the same lunch every day: a whole-wheat peanut-butter-and-marmalade sandwich, washed down with scotch. "Peanut Butter is the greatest invention since Christianity," she said.

Scotch at lunch? They really went for it back in the olden days, didn't they? "Why Don't You...get hammered on your lunch break?"

I just happened to have all of the ingredients available in my pantry to make Diana's sandwich, and I substituted iced tea for scotch since it's about the same color and I doubt I'd make it back to the office if I tried to knock back a few fingers of the hard stuff with my sammy.

Know what? I have a new favorite lunch sandwich. Fast, filling, and tasty. Plus I'll save $$$ since all three ingredients are cheap and I can eat a week's worth of lunches for less than $10 (and feel very fashionable while doing it).

Thanks, DV!



Image of Diana Vreeland from Wikipedia.com.

J.Crew Tippi Sweater Size Comparison

I've seen a few people in the blogosphere commenting that the new Swiss Dot Tippi Sweater runs bigger than last year's solid-colored Tippi sweater. Since I just received the FA12 Swiss Dot Tippi in the mail today, I thought that I would line it up with my Fiesta Purple Tippi from FA11 and do a little comparison.



Both sweaters are size Medium, 100% Merino, same weight, same thickness. The ribbed trim at the hem and cuffs is exactly the same. The major difference between the solid 2011 Tippi and the 2012 Swiss Dot is the neckline where, as you can see, the Swiss Dot has a banded finish as opposed to a ribbed one. It also has a little button closure in the back, which makes it a bit dressier overall, imo.



Here are the two sweaters stacked on top of one-another. I lined up the shoulder seams and it looks like:

Length from collar to hem = Same
Length of sleeves = Same
Width of sleeves = Same-ish
Width of body = Swiss Dot Tippi is roughly 1/2"-3/4" wider than last year's Solid Tippi

Trying it on, though, I couldn't tell a difference in fit.



Swiss Dot Front. It isn't sheer, but I'll probably wear a shirt or cami underneath it most of the time since I'm pretty wool-sensitive.



Side view. I only tried it on for a minute or two since it's a very hot day and not really suitable for a wool sweater. My hair is such a mess...I actually felt the moment it surrendered to the humidity when I hit the front door this morning.

I hope this helps some of you who are looking to order the Swiss Dot Tippi and don't live close enough to a B&M to try it on first. If anyone else has info on the way any of this year's solid/patterned Tippis compare to last year's Tippi's size-wise, please share your observations!

J.Crew Reviews: A Popback, Some Final Sale Stuff, and A Great White Shirt

It's still hot here in GA, so I've accepted the fact that I will just have to ignore all of the lovely woolens that have appeared in stores for Fall until perhaps early October, when most of these shiny new items will hopefully have started to hit the sale rack. In the meantime, I picked up a few wardrobe items that I needed and/or were on sale at J.Crew.

Tortoise Button Sweatshirt in Stripe


I'll start off with something that I did not need but bought anyway: the Tortoise Button Sweatshirt in Navy/Red Stripe. Navy, red, and tortoise-shell will always get my attention. It's cotton, so I can wear it all year long whenever I am cold. It's more like a heavy-knit tee than a sweatshirt, similar to my Saint James mariniere, so it looks durable and should last me for a long time.



Bought a Medium and it fits TTS. A little boxy, but the length is fine as long as it doesn't shrink in the dryer. The fabric is just a bit stiff, but - again - this is how my Saint James tee was when I bought it and it softened up nicely after a few washes.

Boy Shirt in Classic White


I know that what I really need is a tailor so that I can buy large shirts and have them altered to fit me and my big chest, but I am a silly human and continue to buy button-downs and expect them to fit right out of the box. Happily, J.Crew's Boy Shirt in Classic White did just that.



Size 8. I will never understand why the only J.Crew button-down that really fits me is a boy fit without stretch. Weird. Most of the time if I size up to fit my bust, the waist and shoulders are huge. If I size down to fit my waist and shoulders, the buttons gape like crazy over the chest (ah, the mournful tune of the busty girl's lament...). There is a little more fabric around the middle than I would like, but it's not nearly as sloppy looking as some others I've tried on. The fabric is thinner than both J.Crew's Stretch Perfect Shirts and a traditional Oxford button-down, but I had no see-through issues wearing it to work with a nude bra underneath.



Here is the shirt as I wore it to work last week, pictured with J.Crew's No.2 Pencil Skirt in Neon Tweed. I picked it up on Final Sale since the No.2's are pretty consistent in the way that they fit. However, this skirt fits small. I ordered a 6, but it fits like other J.Crew pencil skirts that I own in a 4. If you are between sizes, definitely take your larger size. I've been wearing it at work all day in this picture and it does show some wrinkles, but they seem to relax quickly after you stand for a bit. You can see more images of this skirt on other bloggers here, here, and here.



Side view. I'm really happy with both of these purchases, especially the Boy Shirt since it looks great for both work and play. Probably the nicest dressy white blouse that I own is one from Emerson Fry, and that is one that I DO plan to take to a tailor so that I'll have at least one button-down shirt that fits me perfectly.

The Edie Pursette from Holiday 2011 - Popback Score


After taking stock of my handbag situation, I realized that I was in need of something small that I could take with me on casual outings for day or evening. Giant envelope clutches are really "in" right now, but I'm not even interested in trying to deal with a strapless bag at, say, the grocery store. No thanks. I checked a few online sites, almost going with this bag from Fossil or this one from Madewell, but then the Edie Pursette popped back into J.Crew's Sale section one morning. In RED. The online copy for the item read:

"Trade your slouchy, shoulder-crushing carryall for this pretty, pint-size purse that packs all your essentials."

Exactly what I was looking for.



The Edie leather is really nice - so smooth and fine - and the colors are fabulous. And it held so much more than I expected!



Here is an image of everything that I am able to fit in the Edie Pursette, minus my phone, which fits nicely into the little front turnlock compartment. The fact that it is big enough to hold my wallet is a HUGE plus, since now I don't have to empty out my ID, cards, and cash if I'm just taking the smaller bag out for the day. The wallet is from Levenger. I've been buying my wallets there for about 10 years now and they are the best.



Here it is hanging on my shoulder - perfect size for errands or a day trip.

Stripe Silk Cami


Another Final Sale purchase, I bought this top to wear to work under blazers and cardis. Size 8, fits TTS. You can also see it on AJC here. It's 100% silk, lined in polyester. I like this cami but I don't love it, and I think that might actually be due to the fact that I have to wear a racerback bra with it. My racerback bra is not super comfy and the straps rub red marks where my neck meets my shoulders, so I'd probably like it a lot more if I could wear it with a regular bra.

That's all of my reviews for now...what have you purchased from J.Crew lately? The big buzz around the new Fall rollout has been all about the French Hen sweater, which is very cute, but I passed because it's made from Dream yarn (yuck) and also because I don't think it's really "me".