Chanel Pre-Fall 2012 Paris-Bombay Collection

   I'm a little slow posting this but better late than never. One of the most beautiful runway shows I've seen in a very, very long time is Chanel's Pre-Fall 2012 Paris Bombay Collection. If you have fifteen minutes, it's definitely worth watching.

 

     So, so amazing.

Review: J.Crew No.2 Pencil Skirt in Double Serge Cotton

    Sometimes I purchase things online just for the sake of making the minimum purchase amount for free shipping without the intention of keeping that extra item (I'm not the only one who does that, right?). I do my best to try to pick something that I'm sure that I won't keep, but sometimes I will order something still peaks my interest even though I have every intention of returning it. In this case, it was the J.Crew No.2 Pencil Skirt in Double-Serge Cotton. I read that this skirt ran larger than the Double-Serge Wool, and since the Double-Serge Wool skirt is just a touch too wide for me in hips, I was sure it was going to go back. I did however, wanted to "play" with it, especially after seeing how unique the color was in store. It completely caught me (and my bank account) off guard when it actually fit! I guess this season's version was re-sized to fit smaller.  I was doing so well with the no-buy thing this month until J.Crew started having 30% off sales. J.Crew has had my number in recent weeks. I've also been so impressed with their customer service lately as well. It shipped same day with free 2-day shipping (without me even asking for it!), which for me, means that it arrived the very next day. Wow.

     It appears to be really well-made. The cotton is very thick, and the construction is sturdy. It fits well in the waist and hips as well--better than my double serge wool skirt from last year (I'm wearing it in 00P above). It has two besom (welt) pockets in the back, but no side pockets. It also has no lining, but the cotton is so thick that it doesn't need it. And the color? YUUMMM . If I had any complaints it would be that it is a bit too short, but it seems that I have that complaint about all petite bottoms. I considered taking down the hem myself, but upon inspecting it closely, the hem is sewn so tight that it is definitely going to be a pain to let down myself. I don't think I can return this skirt because I'm so in love with it already, but I did re-order it in a 00R hoping that it somehow fits the same as the 00P just with a little extra length. I also noticed today that there are new colors on the website including an amazing jade green:

  Definitely on my spring wish list. 

   What do you ladies think of the skirt in citron?


  P.S. Possibly no posts until a few weeks into the new year. Don't be alarmed if I'm a little quiet for the next little while!


UPDATE: Comparison of the 00P and the 00R:

     It's doesn't look like much of a difference in the photo but,

     The 00R is just a few inches wider than the 00P.  There is quite a bit of extra length which I love, but not enough to ignore the fact that the 00P fits almost perfectly around the hip and waist. I'll be sticking with the 00P.

Winner!

  And the winner of the AFD's 2nd Blog-iversary giveaway is....

....WENDY T!!

   Congratulation Wendy! Please contact me by Friday to claim your prize. Thank you so much for everyone who participated. I'll try to have another giveaway soon, hopefully one better than this one!

   xCher

Christmas Lunch Date (Girls only).

Sweater: J.Crew Tippi Sweater (Heather Grape, size XXS).

Shirt: J.Crew Perfect Gingham (Black/White, size 0).

Denim: BlankNYC Spray-on Denim (Rust, size 24).

Boots: Marc Fisher Kevins (Tan, size 6.5).

Watch: Michael Kors Runway (Silver).

      Now that we're older (and live in different countries!), we don't get to see each other too often, but Christmas is the one time of year that me and the girls make sure it does happen. And to make it even more fun? Gift exchange! One of my GFs was apparently super excited before leaving the house when her hubby asked her, "Aren't you too old to be getting excited about gifts?" Well, of course not! :P

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a very happy holidays whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday! May you spend it with your loved ones, eating, drinking, and being safe!

                                                                 xCher

Dots and Plaid and lots of Brown.

    This post went up ever so briefly by accident a few weeks ago.  Sometimes I create posts but end up never posting them for whatever reason, but usually that the photos didn't turn out so well or that I wasn't happy with the outfit or that I just never get around to finishing it. In this case, it was the first two excuses, but since I may not have a post in the next little while, here ya go!


      I'm pretty handicapped when it comes to mixing prints and patterns. I don't have that many in my closet and when I do have them, I'm boring and just match them with solid colors. Some people manage to do it really well but I, on the other hand, look like I got dressed in the dark. We gave it a good college try today, however, I cheated a bit and added a solid brown sweater over top so the dots were just an accent. Doing it in small doses is really the safest way of mixing patterns and prints and keeps it looking professional at the office. 

Trousers: Forever21 (Brown plaid, size XS).

Blouse: Ann Taylor Silk Polka Dot blouse (Navy/White, size XSP).

Sweater: Jacob (Brown, size XS).
Clutch: Botkier Charlotte (Black).

Boots: Coach Letty Wedge Boots (Black, size 6.5).

     Much better! But I'm wearing a heck of a lot of brown. My three sweater limit this season is killing me! Oh how I'd love to buy a bright colored sweater to wear with this outfit. =(


    I really like these plaid printed pants, but I really wish the material was heavier to give it more structure. They're Forever21, so I can't expect much. I'm thinking about adding a fusible interfacing in the inside so they would drape better, but I'm unsure of what would result.


    Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

For the Love of Leopard. (+Giveaway!)

   Sometimes an otherwise extremely plain outfit just needs is a little leopard print to give it that little oomph:

Blazer: T. Babaton by Aritzia Exeter Blazer (Black, size 0).

Blouse: Ann Taylor Silk Camp Shirt (White, size 0P).

Pants: GAP Really Skinny Pants (Black, size 00P).

Boots: Marc Fisher Kevins Boot (Tan, size 6.5).

Scarf: Cotton-blend (Leopard print).

Necklace: Forever21.

    Do you know what today is? It is AFD's second blog-iversary (OK actually it was yesterday, but I didn't have time to finish this post)! I can hardly believe I had this blog and have updated it on a fairly regular basis for two years now.  One of the biggest reasons that I continue to feel motivated to post is because of the great blog community in which I've found myself and the wonderful people I've come in contact with. I've hinted about it in a few posts, but it hasn't been the greatest year (or years??) for me, and a result, the blog has slowed down somewhat with a lot of effort on my part to keep it going. I've been trying to step away from it without completely stepping away. A blog can be a wonderful creative outlet at times, but as many of my fellow bloggers know, it's also a lot of work (particularly if you're taking your own photos!). So it's been a fight between my need to be creative and keep busy and my desire to be recluse and shut everything off to re-group. So this giveaway is especially for those of you who have supported me along the way because I know I haven't been as consistent as a good blogger should be. Thank you so much!


  I've put A LOT of thought into this giveaway. I'm an extremely thoughtful gifter, meaning that when I'm buying gifts for others, I think long and hard and I tend to buy and return a lot of things until I get it *just* right (or at least I think I do). I really wanted this giveaway to be something that was pretty, but still a bit edgy. It's something that I would wear, but also something that would appeal to those of you who don't necessarily share the same style as I do (and yet still read my blog). So I've spent MONTHS thinking about it and I've finally narrowed it down to the gorgeous leopard scarf that I'm wearing above (not the exact one I'm wearing, but a duplicate)! I'm sorry if you have one already, but hey, you can never have enough leopard in your life. ;)


    It is a bit rough right out of the bag, but after some wear it really softens up (made of a cotton-blend) and it is very big and fluffy (200cmx135cm). See?

     It pretty much goes with everything and you can wear it all year round because it's so light. It also has a small fringe. Could it be more perfect?? I think not! As a disclaimer, this giveaway is sponsored by me.  Please read the rules below before entering:


(1) Open to residents of the US and Canada. I will use a reliable shipping method, but I am not responsible if it gets lost or if gets hit with duties. I will try to ship from the country in which it will be sent. 
(2) Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:59pm (EST). Winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 on this blog and on Twitter. 
(2) Winner will be drawn randomly and must contact me within 48 hours of the announcement or a new winner will be drawn. Remember to check back to see if you've won!


How to Enter (Mandatory):
(1) Complete the entry form. Include your name and email address (for verification purposes only, I promise).


For Bonus Entries:
(1) Follow AFD publicly, through Google Friend Connect. (+1 bonus entry)
(2) Tweet about the giveaway! (+1 bonus entry)
(3) Blog about the giveaway! (+1 bonus entry)
(4) Follow me on Bloglovin'! (+1 bonus entry)



Thank you so much, everyone! Good luck! I hope you like it! xCher




Thank you to everyone who participated. The winner of this giveaway can be found here.

Review: Allison Izu Premium Denim

   I apologize. I've fallen a bit behind in my blogging. I usually have at least a few "back-up" posts sitting in my queue just in case I don't have a lot of time, but right now I have nothing and playing a little catch up. I'm still not used to my new work schedule for this current project, and along with the lack of daylight that I see these days, I can't get any sort of rhythm going. 


   Like many of the petite bloggers, I was contacted by a representative of Allison Izu Denim to review their premium denim (thank you, Cara!). I promise you that this post is an honest review of their denim, so I am not embellishing anything that I I am about to say about these jeans. 


   I'll start off by saying that I'm extremely particular about my denim. I prefer HE (high-end) for the quality and I have the most luck with the fit for my specific body-type. Allison Izu is different from most other denim brands out there in that the line is geared towards women 5'6 and under. In other words, women with shorter inseams. If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that although I'm only 5'1 with a short rise and narrow hips, I have a rather long inseam for my height. This posed to be a little bit of a problem when trying to choose a proper size at AllisonIzu.com because the only inseams available are 27" and 31". My inseam in flats for a bootcut jean is 30.75. So I had a choice between either bootcut/flared denim for flats only or a skinny jean in which I can take a shorter inseam since the hem sits at the ankle rather than grazing the ground.


     In the mail, I received Hotel St. Kolohe TS:

The description on the website reads as follows:

In Hawaii, we all know the kolohe things that go happen on Hotel St.  So the re-make of the original Kolohe, had to be named Hotel St., because its got added edge!  A super sexy and 80's-esque exposed gold YKK zipper - can you say "naughty".  And to stretch those legs longer than imaginable, we've added a great topstitch detail - take a breath and a long look at those long legs! 

With a slight flare at the bottom to help balance out the hips and elongate the legs.  I've heard petite customers say, "I never could wear a skinny jean, but I love this one!"  This rise is slightly higher than the original (ok, it's a inch higher!)
It's got the signature Allison Izu "A" back pocket in a beautiful silver thread color. 

Front Rise:  8"Back Rise: 11"
96% Cotton/ 4% Elastin (Stretch)Italian Asphalt Denim
Designed in Hawaii, Made in California

     And here are some IRL photos, which some different and unintentional lighting due to the time of day I chose to take these: 

    The size I received is 0, which is actually their second smallest size. Some styles run smaller than others, but their sizing chart is fairly accurate. If you are a bit smaller than I am, then you may find a style in this brand that fits.


    The quality of the denim is actually very nice. It's a thick, stretch denim. It's a little rougher than what I'm used to, but it will likely soften a bit with a washing. It also has a contrasting inner waist band, similar to Paige Premium Denim. 


     The color of the denim is very uniform with no fading, creasing or cheap-looking whiskering details. I'm generally not a huge fan of flashy pocket designs as I find them a bit too distracting, and these are no exception. I prefer a more subtle design or pattern (even though, admittedly, I do own a few pairs of TRs and other jeans with large pocket designs). 


     I am also not a fan of the fly zipper. I have no reasoning for this other than to say that I'm just old school when it comes to closures. Again, too distracting. The other detail that I didn't like was the lack of front pockets. The missing front pockets actually emphasized my lack of hips. In this case, I like the distraction at my hip area to make my hips look curvier than they are. There is a top-stitch detail down the front of these jeans but I'm indifferent towards them. I don't love them nor do I hate them. If I had the choice I would prefer a style without them, but having said that, one of my favorite pairs of jeans about eight years ago had pin-tucking which is similar in idea to this top-stitching detail. Here, they don't really add anything to the jeans. One might argue they help lengthen the leg-line, but...eh. Maybe they would if I was wearing these with heels and they had front pockets.

     The overall fit in comparison to my other denim is just OK. The rise isn't too high, nor too low, though they do sit a bit higher than I generally like, but the higher rise does help lengthen the leg. I do wish that the legs were cut slimmer below the knees, but that's just my personal preference. Some women prefer a straighter and looser leg and this cut is more flattering for women with larger hips that are trying to de-emphasize them or for those women who are still trying to get used to the look and feel of they skinny jean. The rear doesn't look half bad but there is a bit too much creasing. If the jeans had side pockets, they would be much more flattering overall. They also have a bit too much bunching at the knee but a part of that reason is due to the wider leg.


     If you are smaller than I am and appreciate some good quality denim, this brand is worth considering. There are many different washes and cuts with different detailing, so there is a chance you may find something that suits your fancy. At the moment, Allison Izu has many of their previous season's styles at 50%-70% off, making them ~$70 a pair. A good price for premium denim. Aside from skinny and straight styles, they also carry bootcut, trousers, flares, shorts, capris, skirts, and even tops. To see more (including their new collection!), check out ShopAllisonIzu.com.

Lacey day.

Sweater: J.Crew Tippi Sweater (Heather Dark Grape, size XXS).

Skirt: H&M (Black/white lace, size 4).

Shoes: Ann Taylor Signature Pump (Porcini, size 6).

Bracelet: Express.

Clutch: Botkier Charlotte (Black).

Pendant: Forever21.

Ring: Forever21.

     Sorry, only one shot today. I only took five shots of this outfit (because I was lazy) and only one turned out decently. This is the one...and I'm kind of slouching.


   Still trying to think up different ways to style this skirt that doesn't look like I'm going to a formal dinner party. More ways here:

Review: J.Crew Minnie in Bi-stretch Wool and Cafe Capri in Wool

     I wasn't going to post about these but since I haven't had a whole lot to post about lately, I thought I would just go ahead and do it anyway. Plus, since I reviewed the Minnie in stretch twill, I thought it would only be fair. :P

Back not great after a few hours of wear (blurry, sorry):

     The bi-stretch wool Minnie fits almost exactly the same as the twill in 00P. They fit pretty well overall, but the length, although they're supposed to be ankle-length (24" inseam), they definitely are not on me (I have almost a 31" inseam in flats). I'm not a huge fan of capris, but these aren't so terrible, I guess. At this length, and even if I let out the inseam an inch, it doesn't have a whole lot of versatility particularly for the office. For me, that makes it pretty much a deal-breaker because that's where I would actually like to wear these pants! 


    As to the material, two points need to be made. One, they do seem to hold their shape a little bit better than the twill. I see it start to bag a little bit, but it isn't so bad. The second point is that because it's wool, it's a little itchy. I'm finding myself a little bit more sensitive to wool as I get older, and I was scratching a bit while wearing it. These pants are not lined, so this is definitely something to think about it if you are sensitive to wool. They're nice pants, but I just wish they were about 3 inches longer. I can't do much with these otherwise even if I do tuck them into boots in the winter, so these will have to go back.


    The second pair of pants I ordered was the Cafe Capri in 00P. Kelly from AlterationsNeeded reviewed these and seeing how they were on her, I thought these would be big on me also although my measurements are a bit larger than Kelly's. Nonetheless, I was interested and didn't want to keep wondering, so I ordered them. 


    When I first put them on, my first thought was that I looked like a jester. Cee from ToBrightenMyDay and I had a good laugh over these on Twitter as I tweeted a photo with striped socks for full effect. As I put these on again for this post, I started to see a bit of potential in them:

    The color is "Port Wine", a little bit more purple and less red than it might look on your computer screen on the J.Crew website. The material is similar to the bi-stretch, just with much less stretch and actually less itchy, but it could be that it's just because they aren't super snug to my legs. They are too big around the hips and the thighs (my hips at it's widest point is 32.75"), the rise is a bit too high for me, and the back looks like mom pants. But I took some pins to it and realized that these could possibly work with a bit of alterations. I don't know if I mentioned this, but I recently purchased a sewing machine. I've wanted to learn to sew since I was a little girl, but one day I became really irritated with one of my tailors (I have two, one in DC and one in Toronto). In Toronto, I take my clothes to Stitch-it (a chain, I'm sure all the Canadians are familiar with). I love the way they do a Euro-hem for jeans, but I always forget that I'm not all that impressed with some of their other work. I pay my tailors a lot of money to get things to fit, but let's be honest, if I wanted a crooked hem I would have done it myself. =/ And so after a failed tailoring attempt (two fails for one skirt), I decided that I *will* do it myself!...At least for more basic alterations; I certainly don't think I would ever be skilled enough to alter a fully lined coat. 


    Anyway, as I mentioned, I took some pins to the pants and this is what I got:

     Not bad. And since these pants have a cuff, I can actually take these down about 2.5". So it would go from 25" to maybe a little longer than 27.5" making it a pretty decent ankle pant.  So what do you ladies think? Should I engage in some DIY slimming and lengthening? Keep in mind, I am a newbie and have never slimmed pants before and these after sale discount is about $90. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I think I'm pretty good for a beginner, but I'm certainly not incredibly skilled at sewing yet. Should I risk it?

Pop.

     I'm not very comfortable wearing all over color. You've seen me do it a few times on this blog, but I'd rather do a neutral base and have one or two pieces to help give the outfit a little pop which is what I did here:

Shirt: Theory Atticus Button-down (Brown/Black Gingham, size P).

Denim: J Brand 910 (Ink, size 24).

Boots: Cole Haan Air Sarafina Boot by Maria Sharapova (Grey Suede, size 6.5)

Watch: Michael Kors Runway Watch (Silver).

Necklace: Stein Blye.

Belt: Banana Republic Factory Skinny Belt (Black, size S).

Scarf: LOFT Purl Rib Infinity Loop Scarf (Fiery Orange).

     Wow, I'm looking pretty tired in these photos. Long hours at work + minimal sleep = Cher.


     I actually wore this outfit to work yesterday. I've been working at pretty casual firm, and on Fridays we can wear jeans as long as the rest of the outfit is "business casual". The only thing that is different than what I'm showing in these pictures is the boots. I actually folded them down so they weren't OTK. I generally wouldn't recommend an OTK boot in the office, especially a heeled one. They are more acceptable to the younger generation, but for the more traditional and older generation, OTK boots are still strongly associated with prostitutes. Obviously, not a good image to be portraying to your clients or potential clients. Of course, use your own judgment as to what is appropriate to your particular workplace, but to be on the conservative side, no matter how "casual" my office appears to be, I always err on the side of caution and fold my OTK boots down--at least until I can figure out if I can wear them OTK without being yelled at. LOL.