Cloudy weather and boredom with my summer clothes have me itching to try some fall looks, so I headed out to find some new pieces. Many stores are focused on clearing out their summer stuff, so it’s all marked down and taking up a lot of their floor space. I did find some of the earliest fall pieces at J. Jill and have a sampling for you today.
If you’re new here, welcome.A dressing room diaryis when I go into a local store for a try-on session to see what’s new and show you how it looks on a woman over 25. For reference, I am 5’4″ and weigh around 145 lbs. I have broad shoulders with straight hips, a long torso, and long arms. I often buy one size larger on top. You’ll see me try on clothes in colors and shapes that may or may not flatter me because I want you to see what’s in the stores and get some styling ideas. I will tell you what sizes I am wearing to help you understand how things run.
J. Jill has streamlined its sizing so that every style is available as regularin sizes XS-4X. Petite and tall are still available in some popular styles, and all sizes are priced similarly.
I spotted this rich-colored cardi first thing in the door. It looks like a vest to me, but, oh well. They carry it in black and this pretty burnished brass color that screams fall to me. Its elongated shape will go over so many things and feel cozy when it starts to cool down. The drop shoulders aren’t my best look, or it would have come home with me. I’m wearing it over a navy and burnished brass striped tee that matches perfectly. The tee also comes in 6 colors and fits beautifully. I paired these with straight-leg jeans in a natural shade that is not white and fairly neutral. I love this sort of shade for transitional pieces that go from summer to fall easily. The 10 petite is a bit large for me so these run true to size.
Here’s the same cardi, this time in black. I’m wearing it over a great plaid, button-front tunic that I wish I’d bought. It’s cozy without being too thick and hot, so you get the fall feels without overheating. It also comes in a bleach-spray distressed navy version which fades to gray at the bottom. I wasn’t crazy about the worn look of that one, but then I saw it styled with pale jeans and loved the look, so I’ll try them on during my next trip in. As always, here’s a side-by-side view of the tunic, long and tied so you can see how it changes the proportions. I actually like the shirt worn long because of the length of the (vest) cardigan. What do you think?
These demi bootcut jeans have a unique hem on them that I quite like. The fit is terrific, and the fabric is so comfortable. It’s a cotton/ Tencel™/lyocell/polyester and a 2% spandex blend that feels fabulous on. The regular has a 27″ inseam, which I wish I’d tried on…I guess I’m heading back to J. Jill sooner than later because that would be a great length with booties this fall. I paired the jeans and cardi with their side button tunic shirt. It’s a great white shirt that I probably wouldn’t tuck in IRL. It’s 100% cotton with a stepped hem, so its interesting details are all hidden when you tuck it in.
This silk blouson shirt is what got me wanting to see some of the earliest fall pieces at J. Jill! It’s a silk/cotton finely knit sweater/top with a gently rounded v-neckline and feminine sleeves. This is a great weight to transition to fall, and I love that it’s in cool-toned shades. So often, fall clothes are only offered in warm tones, which many ladies don’t look good wearing. I topped it with this very lightweight embroidered jacket that’s thin enough to wear over a tank top in the summer. I can easily picture this jacket over a white cotton maxi skirt, white jeans, cotton pants, or any lightweight summer dress. It looks like fall, but works now too. The pants are described below.
Here’s the white side button tunic untucked, which I much prefer :). I love how clear hindsight can be. It’s also why I recommend you take pictures of your everyday outfits to get a better perspective on how they work on your body. These bi-stretch boot-cut pants are simply terrific, but they do run small, so I had to go up to a 10P. They have a flat front waist that lays smoothly under tops and classic trouser styling with 4% spandex.
- A note about sizing. Please don’t take it personally when you need to choose a larger size for certain garments. It’s not about your body, and a number doesn’t define you. The cut and fit of each specific garment varies widely. I suggest you buy what fits and cut out the label if it bothers you.
Same white tunic shirt as above and the natural-colored jeans I described earlier. I paired them with this textured front cardigan. The pretty stitches add a lot of interest in a lightweight cotton/blend knit. Its honeycomb color is fairly neutral. but it does lean warm, so I hope they bring this cardigan out in some cooler tones. This small is too snug on me so I think it runs true to size. I seem to be adjusting my weight up on each successive drd, so I’m gauging the fit on my current weight, not what I wish it was. This cardi has 3/4 sleeves which I’m always a fan of.
These are J. Jill’s classic slim ankle jeans in black. They are super soft cotton/Tencel™/Lyocell/polyester and a 2% spandex blend that comes in three colors. The tunic shirt is a sandwashed Tencel blend in a taupe called brown sugar. It simply pulls over your head with a no-button placket front. This is thigh length and, even in petite, would be long enough to wear over leggings with an interesting belt. I love this combination of taupe with black.
More things I spotted from J. Jill
