If you can bear the twenty degree weather, you should bare your legs.
And when winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out
Jay-Z
the J.Crew no. 3 pencil skirt
A decade ago, I owned about a two dozen pencil skirts and more than half of them were of the J.Crew No. 2 variety. Tweed, jacquard, lightweight wool, I had several of each fabrication. It was not a style that I needed to wear in tall. Good thing because back then, just like these days, J.Crew seldom offered skirts in a tall size range.
Some time between then and now, the No. 3 became available. The difference between it and the No. 2 seems to be the length, as the original is shorter.
I ordered this skirt in a size 12 and 14. The former is more comfortable and what I am wearing in this post. I thought the lining would fall longer on me; even the areas of the skirt with both the lace and liner feel a bit flimsy. I will say it again. Flimsy, not delicate. Though the pencil skirt silhouette is an office staple, this skirt is not office-appropriate.
Though I was able to wear this in 20 degree Fahrenheit weather, I am especially accustomed to the cold. Truthfully, I don’t know what J.Crew is thinking releasing it in the winter. This skirt would be better suited for spring or perhaps a resort spot with warmer weather.
the J.Crew villa coat
I spied this coat two years ago in a cream color. Though tempted, I took a pass as I knew I was going to the Central Asia steppe where my primary winter coat would need to be a Canada Goose. Cut to this past September, when the coat was released in the most brilliant kelly green. I love outerwear the way most women love shoes and purses, so when the green Villa coat became available in my size and on sale, I smashed the order button.
I read other feedback that said coat runs big. False. It was designed to be oversized. Also I read it is the updated Cocoon Coat, aka the coat that had us all in a chokehold from 2012 to 2020. Just me? I disagree. The coats are more like spiritual cousins and I love them for different reasons. Cocoon Coat was symmetrical; Villa coat is asymmetrical. Cocoon Coat is zipper only; Villa Coat is zipper and buttons. The fabric are both wool; however I recall that of the 2012 Coccon coat differing than that of the Villa Coat. The Cocoon Coat wool was definitely thicker.
sweater: Gap (last worn here and here and here) • skirt: J.Crew • coat: J.Crew • shoes: J.Crew (mused about here) • gloves: Banana Republic • headband: Jennifer Behr (last worn here and here) • earrings: J.Crew • watch: Cartier (also here)
