Dressing Room Diaries: Spring Ahead
Most of us are shopped out from the holidays plus it’s hard to get excited about warm weather clothes in January. My local mall looks like a wasteland and most of the merchandise seemed boring until I wandered into Talbots. They’re having their famous Red Hanger sale with 50% off all markdowns and some amazing deals. What I zeroed in on was their pretty, fresh colors for spring. The only black in this entire post is my peds:) The rest is indigo, blue and navy which we talked about here.
If you’re new here, dressing room diaries is when I go into stores and try on merchandise so you can see how it looks on a woman over 25 who wears a size larger than zero. For reference, I am 5’4″ tall and weigh around 147 pounds. I have wide shoulders and narrow hips with a long torso and long arms.
This classic trench coat is cotton, Lyocell, and spandex which makes it very comfy. The fit is slim, without extra bulk around the waist. This is the perfect weight for spring weather. I’m wearing a small in regular but would be better in a medium petite which would give me a bit more room across the chest and also be shorter. The color is simply stunning. The turtleneck and jeans are what I wore into the store. The turtleneck is a deep navy.
This cotton shaker sweater is soft, substantial but not as warm as wool or cashmere. Perfect for when the weather warms up or right now. I’m wearing a petite medium which fits well. The pants are navy and fabulous. It has pull-on styling and lots of stretch. I like this length on a slim pant so this 8 petite is perfect. It runs true to size.
This 100% cotton turtleneck is super soft and comfy. It comes in grey or this pretty rose stripe. I’m wearing a medium regular which makes the sleeves long on me, but I like them this way. It runs true to size. The neck is nice and loose so it doesn’t highlight extra neck skin or feel like it’s choking you.
I love, love, love these jeans. They’re a flattering high rise in a deep blue wash. The straight leg is a nice change from skinny and a better balance if you carry any weight up top or in your midsection. I’m wearing 6 regulars. This jean is intended to be shorter so the regular length is perfect for my short legs. #shortpersonwin.
This classic knit blazer is a very deep indigo and the perfect weight for midseason or mild temps. Love it! I’m wearing a petite medium which fits perfectly. It’s a long blazer so the regular version was miles too long on me. It has patch pockets in front and a one-button closure.
This T by Talbots jacket is the prettiest Thistle color, I love it! It’s unlined, very lightweight, and perfect for spring. I’m wearing a medium petite which is too short for me. Because I have a long torso, the drawstring is about an inch too high and misses my waist. It would look and feel much better in a small regular. These cotton chinos are an 8 petite and too loose for me around the hips so they run a bit large. They must be selling fast because my store was already out of the 6 petite.
This sweater has a coastal motif pattern that does look a bit status-like and sort of preppy to me too. I’m wearing a regular medium which is a bit too long for me. You can see how the chino’s needed to be one size smaller in this photo. On the right, I’m wearing the same sweater with the Chatham ankle pant in a 6 regular in navy. I love the fit of these pants. The side zip means no extra bulk upfront. I have the hem folded under one inch so they fit true to size. I prefer this sweater with a dark pant…what do you think?
The cozy terry top is hip length and comes in several colors. I’m always a fan of 3/4 sleeves and the cute lacing detail adds a nautical touch. I’m wearing a medium petite and it runs true to size. That white stuff you see on the sweater is in the mirror.
These are the same wonderful straight jeans as above but the medium wash. I may need both…they fit that well. These will be great with flats, short booties or sandals when the weather warms up. This classic raincoat is one of my very favorite colors. It’s perfect for spring. It has a soft lining, a hood for when it’s pouring down and a drawstring waist to snug up and keep drafts out.
Have you given any thought to what you’ll be wearing this spring?
Thanks for reading ladies and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
What a wonderful post! It was so helpful! The colors of the spring collection look amazing on you- you must stock up on the periwinkle blue! Unfortunately, the colors are an absolute FAIL for my complexion, but I will try the Essex pant. I hope they don’t slide down like pull on pants tend to do on me. I love Talbots; well made and classic at a good price.
You look AMAZING in all the outfits you were modeling today! Those colors really flatter your complexion and hair color. Talbots does have classic clothes, but their clothes do not fit me very well at all. Even their XL seems to be cut too small for me 🙁 For reference, I wear size 2.5-3 at Chico’s (14-16). Do you have any tips on how to pick jackets or sweaters that will go with everything else in your wardrobe? I may have gravitated towards too many prints or unique shades. Neither lends itself well to the versatility that we need to outer wear.
Non patterned neutrals are much more versatile in the major pieces of your wardrobe. I suggest picking a flattering neutral and investing in one jacket, one pant and one sweater. After you have that base, add patterns and unique colors for variety.
The colors are beautiful! The turquoise and thistle are both stunning on you. I have never shopped at Talbots, though I do have several dresses which I thrifted. Maybe it’s time to check them out. Thanks Jennifer.
That turquoise color is very good on you. Makes you look like a teenager.
Love the colours, especially the purple/Thistle!
Thistle! What a lovely color!! — And I do love that navy wide-striped turtleneck!
Now that I’ve seen you in these outfits, I’m bummed that I don’t live near a Talbots anymore! There literally is nowhere to shop for clothing where I live, so I have to either take a chance and order online or drive into the nearest larger city for good shopping choices. I guess it saves me money. Lol! I loved the colors of the trench coats, and, actually, I preferred the printed sweater with the white pants. Just something about that pretty pop of color against a white backdrop, I guess. Don’t get me wrong; it looked great with the dark jeans as well. I also loved the navy terry top with the cute lacing detail on the sleeves.
I loved the lacing detail too. It really adds a lot to the style.
Thank you for so much information. I am still struggling with the width of pants legs at the bottom, so I am curious as to how you will wear the Modern Ankle Jeans with booties. They look too wide to wear above booties and too narrow and short to fit down over. Everyone else seems to look good, but there is always a problem with my pants/shoes combination.
I will wear them with a higher shafted ankle boot and of course, they will be perfect with my ballet flats.
If I were in the US, I’d be buying those jeans and chinos. Sigh.
Next trip south, I’ll be checking out Talbots.
So love the trench & rain jacket on you!! What did you buy? And a big NO on the coastal motif sweater; it’s too busy & distracting for me. Many thanks for your inspiring posts!
I bought the jeans and am still deciding on which coat I “need” 🙂
Thank you for such a wonderful post! Very informative and valuable information. Everything looked so nice on you and I hope you purchased the striped turtleneck, blazer and jeans. It really looks great on you. Fun outfit!
How refreshing to see some pretty colors for spring. You look pretty in the bright colors that you picked out to try on. The navy blue and dark indigo looks nice too.
I don’t look good in shades of gray, and most shades of beige. Other people do, but not me. It makes me happy to see some color in our fashions again. Its been a world of black and neutrals for a while, until now.
My wardrobe is usually a sea of neutrals but I sure do love how color perks everything up.
Thanks for this great Talbots Dressing Room Diaries post! I was in their store last week and bought a dark wash high waist barely boot jean. I loved the way they go slightly down over my shoe to elongate my short legs. They are skinny through the leg and don’t flare out like some boot cuts. They have them in black dress pants also. All of the clothes that you tried on looked great and were a breath of fresh air. Can’t wait for warmer weather! I really liked the blue rain coat! I’ll have to go back to check that out!
I have and love those barely boot jeans too. They’re the ones in the first photo that I wore into the store!
I was at a local Talbot’s on Monday…wonderful sale. Everything looks fresh and amazing on you! I like the motif sweater with the navy pants. I could have purchased most of the store! Talbots has some great looking and fitting clothes.
I always try to match my colors to whatever colors are in the landscape at the time. I figure God Knows what he’s doing. LOL But blue is always great because the sky is blue. I love this shade of blue in the trench and I hope you bought it. It’s perfect on you. Love the high waist, straight leg jeans too.
Jennifer, the high rise jeans look absolutely fabulous on you! Actually, so did everything else in these photos. Thanks for doing the hard work for us!
I loved those jeans so much they came home with me;)