Cynthia's August J.Crew Picks

While August has just arrived, the new arrivals at J.Crew scream fall, with their school-like jackets and coats. However, there are a few pieces that one can still wear in the heat of August. Here are a few picks:

Ones with petite sizes:

Petite silk taffeta Gracie dress

Petite Julianne dress

Ones that don't have petite sizes:

Polka-dot airy knotted blouse

Antiqued-gold sequin dress

Paintbrush floral Belle skirt

Jackets (still a little too warm to wear around here):

Velvet école jacket (available in petite)

Double-cloth lady day coat (available in petite) - this one will take you through the winter!

Metallic giraffe day coat

The Peruvian Connection

I found out about this line from Luxe Petites, another petite blog. According to the site, Peruvian Connection has actually been around for more than 30 years, founded by a mother/daughter team and the brand's contact address is in Kansas. They also have a few brick-and-mortar stores, including one in England! However, the rest of the world will have to rely on delivery - one good thing about Peruvian Connection is that they deliver outside of the US! However, for Canadians, there's a $25 shipping cost (plus duty).

Their clothes are a little on the pricier range, higher than Banana Republic, but they do have a small petite collection. Clothing ranges from a size 2 to 24W and petite measurements seem to be the same as missy, only shorter.

Peruvian Connection's fall line is now live on their site. Here are a couple of pieces which have caught my attention:

Fine Gauge Pima Cotton Henley Dress (petite)

Biddy's Pure Alpaca Petite Sweater Coat

Interestingly enough, there are no pants available in petite sizes at all.

The entire site kind of gives me an Anthropologie meets (mid 90s) J.Crew meets Talbots feel. A little New England artsy, a little preppy. The clothes look okay for people in my age range to wear, but you never know. I've seen Talbots pieces that looked interesting online, but completely grandmotherish live at the store. Blech on that.

March 2008 J.Crew Report: Faves, Mehs and Icks

I received the March 2008 J.Crew catalog in the mail on Friday, and immediately began to look for pieces available in petites. All of these items can be found in the New Arrivals link at J.Crew.

My faves are:

Island Eyelet Short dress
Summerweight Chino Mendocino Jacket (looks great with denim too!)


Ones that are meh:

Swiss-dot Dylan Tank (a little on the plain side, but at least it's in a petite! Not too many tops are available in petites)
Python-print Silk Twill Dress (not too sure about this one - the print might be big for a smaller, shorter frame)

Ones that are icky:

Python-print Lucia Jacket (looks like it can make a petite girl look really wide!)
Refined Canvas Fiona Jacket (big buttons + ruffly collar = Bad for Petite Gals)


Ones I like and *WISHED* came in petites:

The Corrine Sweater Jacket

The February 2008 J.Crew Report

Good news, petites! The selection in this month's J.Crew catalog is actually very decent! Sure, they still have their clown collars, but the selection is more than just work outfits and party dresses. Of course, there's still room for improvement. Sweaters and most tops are still not available in petites (they used to though...I actualy have a J.Crew cardigan in a petite XS), though it's no longer limited to button downs and jackets. I do kind of like this one. Other Shorty Stories Picks include:

Petite Portia Jacket (great with jeans, I think)

Petite Super 120s sleeveless dress (I know, it's a little suity, but the bright azul colour isn't exactly a traditional suit colour either!)

Petite trimmed taffeta Melinda dress (not your typical petite dress @ J.Crew!)

What would I like to see available in petite sizes at J.Crew (other than sweaters and tops)?

"Fun" skirts and dresses like the Soiree-printed Skirt from a past catalog. These "fun" looking skirts and dresses were once available in petite sizes (back in 2005 and before).

Anything that is way above the knee on someone taller (including mini skirts and dresses)

What about you?