A cheery Wednesday

So I did the big season exchange in my closets today. I have so many wonderful cold weather pieces! It's always sad to put them away for the year, despite my love of the warmer weather. Sadly, when I eyeballed the spread, I was not feeling any love. Skirts? Good. Shoes? good. Tops? Um... I have a TON of T-shirts, with and without graphics and detailing. I've got many long and 3/4 sleeve button downs that will work for a while. (We don't have air conditioning where I work.) And I've got many dresses that I'd classify appropriate for school only with a jacket or sweater, which I am also lacking in light weight, breathable fabrics. Sleeveless is not a great look on me from the back.

I'm sure that you ladies who work in air conditioned work places have many great options. No air leaves me with a challenging dilemma when putting outfits together. There really aren't many stylish tops that aren't Ts at J.Crew right now. I know many JCAs complain about the quality of their product, and when it comes to Ts, I have to agree. But for other items, I think they are still higher quality than their competitors.

I also enjoy the streamlined one store shopping experience. I don't want to have to search ga-zillions of stores and web sites for mix and match pieces. Somehow, JC pieces just work together. Putting another retailer's pieces with theirs seems, well, like cheating in a relationship. But I may have to be unfaithful and explore other options, I think.

There are the obvious options: Banana, Gap, Ann Taylor Loft. Rumor has it that quality and prints are improving. I have read many positive posts about Lands End Canvas, but the pieces I've bought from them don't seem to hold their shape as well, and seem to look (pardon me) cheaper than JC. And Talbots, although the quality seems comparable, just feels too old and stuffy. Not ready to go there just yet. J. Jill is too drab, and Coldwater Creek is too frumpy. Anthro is, in whole, just not my style. Their more trendy/artsy pieces are just too expensive. And H&M has cute options, but disposable quality.

What to do? I've got my eyes out for JC short sleeved blouses on eBay, but I don't find many in my size. Like I said in an earlier post, maybe some options are still on their way. Until then, I'll be the T-shirt queen, I guess. Any suggestions or leads would be appreciated.

OOTD: J.Crew: Linen schoolboy blazer, long sleeved navy boat neck T, Kauai Floral Penny Skirt, gold multi-chain necklace and woven-look bracelet. Shoes: Navy patent Steve Madden flats.

Thanks for reading!