Silk tricotine Cecelia long dress, $395.00, Item 96230

Amy, a reader of this blog, got married last year in November 2008. She contacted me to let me know that she wore the Cecilia dress on her big day. I wrote about the dress in the post, “The Cecilia Wedding Gown From J.Crew.”

I just got married over Thanksgiving 08 and I wore the Cecelia. It was perfect. I refused to wear any kind of Spanx or hose as they are so uncomfortable. I didn’t have to. There were no lumps or bumps visible. I am 5′9″ and a size 8. Plus, I tend to gain weight on my waist. I ordered the 8 and it needed to be taken up an inch, but the waist was perfect. Anyone thinking of getting the Cecelia, I would recommend it.

Here are some details. I prefer to dress comfortably so any dress boned, crinolined or that made noise was out of the question. I also wanted a dress made of silk as I knew it would be soft and drape nicely. I tried on about thirty dresses from various bridal salons. It was depressing. I actually had no wedding dress until a week before my wedding!

I loved the Cecilia but was nervous about the bias cut. I was afraid my rear end would end up looking like two cats in a bag fighting. In a rather Bridezilla, “I am going to walk down the aisle in my gym shorts” moment, my mother ordered the Cecilia dress for me. When I tried it on, it was perfect. There was no cellulite showing in the rear and the bust was great. I ordered a size eight regular. I normally wear a six or eight in clothes, I am 5’9” with a 34 C bra. My shoes had a 2” heal and I had the dress taken up an inch.

The cap sleeves were great as I didn’t have to worry about my upper arm waving back at people as I waved. Nobody had to accompany me to the loo to hold my dress that night and best of all I didn’t have to wear anything underneath with the words “control top.” It worked out beautifully.

• All About the Pretty: A Southern Girl’s Guide to All Things Beautimous
• Champagne Wishes: I like things that are bubbly…
• Classic Bride: Keeping it sweet, simple and timeless.
• Eye 4 Style: Full of Opinions
• Effortless Anthropologie: Devoted to the study of all things flowy.
• Fashion Pulse: The Heart Beat of Fashion…
• Fashionable Yet Frugal: “For those who love to live stylishly yet still have money in the bank.
• Forty Is The New 20: Fighting Mother Nature One Beauty Product At A Time
• Forty Is the New Black: A blog devoted to never ending mid-life joy & beauty.
• French Pretty: Bringing French Chic To My Suburban Life
• If The Lamp Shade Fits: Life is too short to live ugly.
• Life in the Cove: A fashion and lifestyle journal for Calista Cove lovers.
• Little A: Fashion. Princess. Cupcakes. Love.
• Look Book NYC: The latest fashion trends seen on the runway, in magazines and on celebrities.
• NYCynicist: Form Meets Fashion
• Preppy Pink Princess: Pearls Are a Girl’s Best Friend
• That’s Hideous: Bringing You The Ugly
• The Broke Socialite: The Guide to a Fabulous Lifestyle for Less
• The Tea Pot Bride

Thanks to the following sites for linking to me at some point or another in a blog entry or news article. It’s great to be included in your stories!

• A Bride In The Making
• Giveaway Corral
• Greedy Girl
• Katy Elliot
• Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog
• Party Perfect
• Shimmy Shake
• So Urban
• WIT & Whimsy: Here you’ll find information on what it takes to be a WIT, Woman In Training.

Also to those using pictures from this site, thanks for crediting me or J.Crew. The J.Crew pictures found on this site are taken from J.Crew’s website. Others are taken personally by me. Please give credit where credit is due. Just a simple link back to this site or an acknowledgment is fine. Taking pictures can be tedious so please do not steal them.

And last but not least, thanks to Nicki Faulk for this great theme! Also, thanks to BuyCostumes.com for the great New Year’s Eve banner. I have modified both the theme and banner for the site.

And don’t forget about this week’s January Giveaway.

J.Crew updated its website this morning to show a new homepage, showcasing the New Arrivals.  The colors are so vibrant and fun. I really love the new pictures of the Collection items on this page. I am not sure if the sale section has been updated, but will definitely have to take a look.

Does your local store already have the New Arriavls out? Have you already tried on some fun items? If so, please share!

And don’t forget about this week’s January Giveaway.

January 21 - January 25

The J.Crew sample sale in New York is just a few weeks away. I first wrote about it in the post, “J.Crew Sample Sale In January 2009.” Aasha, a reader of this blog, emailed me and suggested having some of the readers of this blog get together while in New York. I agreed that this would be a lot of fun.

I am still not sure about which day I will be heading up to New York, but I would love to get lunch or dinner with some of my readers. Let me know if you will be New York and on which day you will be attending the sale.

I would love to coordinate plans and get together!

And don’t forget about this week’s January Giveaway.

To celebrate the 6 months that this blog has been up and running, JCrewAholics is hosting January Giveaways!

Every week in January, JCrewAholics will be giving away a fun winter item to its readers. The first item this week is the Mohair Muffler scarf in blue.

On Friday of this week, the winner will be notified. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on the blog at any time this week.

Good luck! And thanks for reading!

Back in December, I wrote about how I was searching for the Storybook charm bracelet and later found one through a We Will Find It search in the posts, “The Storybook Charm Bracelet from J.Crew” and “My Storybook Charm Bracelet From J.Crew.”

In theory, it seemed easy enough to locate this bracelet. All I had to do was call up J.Crew and have them do a search. But the difficult part was that they only do searches on full-price items. The Storybook charm bracelet was full-price in stores and on sale for $79.99 online. Because of this, the representative on the phone told me that she would do a search as a courtesy. She said I would get the sale price even though it was still full price in stores.

When I received the bracelet, it turns out that I was charged the full price, even though I was told that I would be charged the sale price. When I tried to get a price adjustment in stores, the store manager at the King of Prussia Mall would not allow me to get a price adjustment. She told me that she was not allowed to match the sale price online. Her reason was that it was the holidays and she was not allowed. I did not understand this.

I am very frustrated about this. I could not get a price adjustment because technically, the bracelet was not on sale in stores, just online. The manager didn’t have a sale price to price adjust my bracelet to. How annoying.

At this point, I am not sure if the Storybook charm bracelet has gone on sale in stores. And if it did, my purchase has passed the allotted 7-day price adjustment period. I definitely don’t want to return the bracelet and attempt to purchase it again. I am not sure that the store associates would let me.

What is your advice on the situation? Do you know of any stores with the Storybook charm bracelet in stock? If so, please share!

Silk dupioni Gwendolyn gown, $995.00, Item 10806

In the new January catalog from J.Crew, there are some new photos of older J.Crew wedding dresses, but there are some new styles, too. A dress that really caught my eye is the silk dupioni Gwendolyn gown.

The way the dress is styled in the catalog really reminded me of Carrie’s wedding ensemble in the Sex and the City movie.  I know Carrie’s look was completely different, but there seems to be some Carrie influence.

I love the simple elegance of the silk dupioni Gwendolyn gown.  The removable corsage of crinkled chiffon is a really fun and feminine detail. This is a dress that I would definitely consider getting married in. It’s so timeless and can be worn again if I chose to renew my vows. (There is even a bridesmaids version of this dress.)

What are your thoughts on the Wedding Collection at J.Crew? Are there some dresses that you absolutely love?

UPDATE: I found a website that describes the feel and texture of the silk dupioni. I wasn’t sure what this fabric was so I did some research.

Dupioni (sometimes spelled ‘douppioni’ or ‘dupion’), is a lustrous silk often woven from two different colors of threads, so that it shimmers or changes color in the light. Dupioni is made from an irregular, rough silk reeled from double cocoons or cocoons spun side-by-side which are interlocked, making it necessary to reel them together. Usually brightly colored, it has a moderately crisp drape, fairly reflective luster, and a nubby texture. It is crisp to the touch and doesn’t wrinkle badly or hold a crease well. It is reversible, not particularly stretchy, and relatively easy to sew.

Happy New Year to everyone! I can’t believe 2009 is already here. I hope that everyone had a great 2008 and is looking forward to an even better 2009.

To help ring in the New Year, J.Crew is offering free shipping with a purchase of $150 or more. To take advantage of this free shipping code, enter 2009 at check-out. This offer is valid until Sunday.

The final sale items are also up to 60% off original prices.

Will you be taking advantage of this free shipping code? If so, what goodies are you interested in?

I am still in shock that today is the last day of 2008. I can’t believe the holidays came and went so quickly. I guess spring is just around the corner.

J.Crew also sent out an email with a free shipping code. Enter JAN09 at checkout to receive free shipping on a purchase of $150 or more. This offer is valid until Wednesday, January 7th. 

Are there some new arrivals that caught your eye? 

Happy New Year!

Today is the last day of 2008! This year has been a great year for me and I hope that 2009 is even better. Once again, I want to thank everyone for your continued support and readership.

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy New Year’s Eve. No matter what your plans are, I hope that you’ll be dressed in your J.Crew finest.

My family and I are going bowling so I want to look dressy, but not too dressy. I will be wearing the Merino sequin chiffon shell and Matchstick jean in ultra-dark wash.

What are your plans tonight and what will you be wearing?

Merino sequin chiffon shell, $148.00, Item 99843

Matchstick jean in ultra-dark wash, $135.00, Item 98558