As promised, here is my review of the new J.Crew Featherweight Cotton Tipped Pocket Cardigan. Now if I had done a review of it last night right after I got it, it would probably be very different from this review after a full day of wear, but let’s talk about the pros and cons of this sweater.

This sweater is frickin’ adorable. I knew it would be from the pictures. It’s a very unique looking sweater. It adds fun and interest to an outfit as much as a printed cardigan would, but without sacrificing the neutrality and match-with-everything quality I look for in sweaters. I can pair this with a printed skirt if I wanted whereas I would incur some serious print clashing if I instead wore another printed cardigan. To me, this sweater totally gives off that posh, well-dressed, preppy vibe. Love it and want to wear it with everything.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Sequin Stripe Henley, Banana Republic Pique Pencil Skirt, Nine West Getby Wedges

So I wore it today with the Ruched V-Neck dress I debuted yesterday on here. My minor fear of this sweater’s flaws came true. What is the flaw, you say? Featherweight cotton. Oy. Is featherweight crewspeak for thin and flimsy? This sweater is so thin that just pulling it on and off, I can feel it stretching out. By the end of the day, this thing had lost a lot of its shape. I have a habit of pushing up my sleeves when I know I’ll be typing something for a while, and at the end of the day, I had these big floaty arm tubes loose around my forearms. I had to keep pushing them up just to avoid the sloppiness of floaty arm tubes. Oy. There is no real weight to this sweater (“feather” weight, har har) so it doesn’t really drape or hang, it just kind of clings to whatever fabric you’re wearing underneath. At the end of the day, I was no longer really loving this sweater when I looked in the mirror. It didn’t look as fitted and instead looked kind of like a loose box. Here’s another picture of this cardigan buttoned up, pre-stretch-out.

Ugh, so frickin’ cute. If only it would stay that way. Now the silver lining is…this cardigan is machine washable, so hopefully after I throw it in my next load of laundry, it’ll revert back to its original cuteness. Get it here from J.Crew for $68.

The new Sequin Stripe Henley from J.Crew is the perfect top for summer.

The henley style gives off a casual, effortless vibe, while the subtle sheen of the sequins kick it up a notch in glamour and elegance. Wear it with casual skirt and flip flops or dress it up for a professional look.

I’m wearing: Banana Republic Pique Pencil Skirt, Nine West Getby Wedges

Sorry for the blurry picture but it was the only one that shows the shine of the tank. Here’s a side shot.

Because the back is thin knit cotton, it’s semi-sheer. You can definitely see your bra through the shirt. I wish they made these in more colors and it was cheaper. I’d probably get them all. Get it here from J.Crew for $59.50 (ouch!).

There was some buzz in the blogosphere when J.Crew debuted the Ruched V-Neck Dress. Touted to flatter everyone yet be extremely comfortable, this dress has some serious potential. I wanted to buy one in every color!

But I ended up only buying Abyss Blue and Navy. I figured I’ll buy the other 2 if I end up loving these as much as I thought I would. Well, what can I say about this dress? Contrary to the description on the J.Crew site, it does not “hug you” in “all the right places.” In fact, I would say it hugs everything from the bust up, then from the bust down it drapes straight down like a big tube. Since my bust/ribcage is almost the same width as my hips, it really just looks like a straight up-and-down tube from the bust down; my waist is in there but you’d never know it.

I’m wearing: Nine West Getby Sandals

I was not too happy with this. Can we say completely and utterly unflattering? Damn. Not sure what I expected since I knew it was empire waist, but I was disappointed nonetheless. Let’s address some concerns I’ve heard from the other ladies. First, I don’t think it’s too low cut, at least enough to be inappropriate for the office. The v-neck actually does not dip as low as the band under the bust, plus the small ruffling there definitely makes it feel very “held-in” and not noticeably low-cut. I was planning on wearing a cami under this, but now I don’t think it’s actually necessary. This dress is also – unlike some of the crazy short skirts from J.Crew recently – a great, flattering length, hitting me right above my knee. The fabric is also super slinky and soft, making it a pretty substantial weight. Here’s a picture of the Navy color. Kind of cute when paired with gold. Cuter than the Abyss Blue I think.

Now I do think this dress can work with a bit more work. I figure if you throw on a cardigan of some sort, it’ll hide the tube-ness of the dress and the unflattering shape from the bust down.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Featherweight Cotton Tipped Pocket Cardigan, J.Crew Patent Oval Buckle Belt, Nine West Getby Sandals

…And I think it works! Maybe it’s just because of how much I absolutely adore this cardigan (I’ll post a separate post on it later), but it really covers the flaws of the dress while preserving what I like about it – flattering bust, comfort, and perfect length. All in all, I would recommend this dress but maybe just one. Get it from J.Crew here for $59.50. Pretty cheap price for J.Crew dresses!