I don’t know why I have an affinity for plaid. I love the feminine twist on a traditionally boys-only shirt style and pattern, or as J.Crew loves to say – “borrowed from the boys.” This Giant Gingham shirt from J.Crew takes something that would look so country to me and expands the plaid size so that it actually looks very, very chic.

Absolutely love this shirt and skirt combination with the tan belt. Here’s my own version with a work-appropriate, super comfortable black Smocked Skirt from Banana Republic.

I’m wearing: Banana Republic Smocked Skirt, J.Crew Equestrian Belt, Banana Republic Dahlia Wedges

I got it in a size 8, and though it looks relatively fitted in these pictures, it actually feels quite loose in real life. J.Crew recommends sizing up for a “looser boyfriend fit,” and I agree that’s probably the way to go. I love this shirt, and before I saw the way J.Crew styled it, I would never think to pair a plaid shirt with a skirt, especially not tucked in. Get it here from J.Crew for $69.50 (perfect timing with the 20% off promo going on!).

I was perhaps most excited by this purchase – the Crystal Rock Bracelet from J.Crew. I had been eyeing this style in both the bracelet and necklace form ever since its debut, but since I had heard so much about how the stones are way too large and tend to overwhlem, I could never pull the trigger.

Now that it’s on sale for only $59.99 (and extra 20% off through May 16th), I couldn’t pass it up. Unfortunately, the bracelet is not exactly what I had imagined. The stones aren’t really tightly framed by the gunmetal chain like I thought they were; rather, the stones are oval shaped and can freely rotate and move around within the chain. Kind of weird.

The stones also felt a bit plastic-y, yet were very heavy.

The back of the bracelet also seemed a bit too bare since there are only 4 rocks on the whole bracelet.

You can also see that the pink hue of the stones is very, very subtle, and not nearly as pink as the stock photo shows. Here’s a more faraway shot for some perspective. BTW I just purchased my first DSLR yesterday – Nikon D3000!!! So hopefully all my pictures will be high quality and sharp moving forward! Yay for no more lame mirror shots!

I don’t really recommend this bracelet, but I don’t really have a good basis for that. Just my personal taste. It wasn’t what I imagined it to be. If you like it though, this is the perfect time to snag it for a very low price while the 20% sale promo is still on. Click here to see it at J.Crew.

I don’t own anything like the Flower Mosaic Embroidered Tunic, aka Cozumel tunic, from J.Crew. First of all, I don’t really own any shirts – mostly knits. Secondly, I’ve never been really into the whole embroidered thing. It seemed a bit too girly and dainty for my taste. However, this Cozumel tunic does not come off too “girly” for me at all; rather, it’s earthy and fresh, not flowery and dainty.

I’m not really sure what was going through my head when I ordered this in Medium. Maybe I thought since this is a “shirt” and not a knit, I better size up to ensure a good fit? I don’t know. But the Medium feels really large and loose on, like the shoulder was about to fall off. It would probably look like a bag if I didn’t belt it or tuck it into something. I think this tunic was designed to fit loosely, so definitely go with your normal size.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Poplin Wednesday Skirt (Warm Slate), J.Crew Equestrian Belt, Christian Louboutin Very Prives

Here’s what I love about this shirt: Because of the stiffer “shirt” material, the front really hangs straight down rather than cling to your body like a knit top would. Therefore if you were pairing it with a skirt or jeans, it would really hide any imperfections you would have down there. The material is very thin – but not thin enough that it’s transparent and your bra is completely visible – so it feels very breezy, like it’s meant for the beach and those summer days. However, I can imagine I will be whipping this out in the fall and winter days as well, pairing it with a cardigan and jeans, and it won’t look out of place. It’s semi low cut, especially with the tie opening all the way down to below the boobs, but it’s all good once you tighten it. The tunic also leaves a great open area around your neck for chunky necklaces, a la the catalog picture. The only thing I do not like about this top is the cap sleeves. I can imagine this would look amazing on someone with very toned arms, but that is not me (yet), so I do feel a bit of insecurity just letting my entire arm hang out there like that. To me, cap sleeves really highlight the arm a lot more than say, a tanktop would, because a cap sleeved top covers everything but the arms, whereas with any other tank, the attention is not going to be all on your arms.

Very cute when tucked into something as well. I definitely love this top and think it’s a keeper. In the words of J.Crew, “prepare for compliments.” I am for sure exchanging it for a Small, and am kicking myself for making that mistake when ordering….because otherwise I’d be able to wear this beauty this weekend!

Get it here from J.Crew for $78.