Dressing Room Diaries- What’s New at J.Jill

I spent Saturday making the rounds for dressing room diaries. DRD is when I go into stores and try on the new arrivals so you can see how these garments look on a woman older than 25 who wears a size larger than a zero. The lighting is lousy so the pictures are grainy, but you’ll get the idea and hopefully some styling inspiration.

gray leopard sweater from j.jill worn by Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life
leopard pullover

This fall collection from J.Jill is one of the best I’ve seen in months, possibly years. Theyā€™ve added an animal print for the first time this fall because as the sales lady explained, itā€™s everywhere. This leopard pullover is soft and slightly over-sized. It’s available in this gray and a warm wheat tone. I’m wearing the medium in regular. As with most of J.Jill’s collection, it’s available in regular, petite, womens, and tall.

j.jill has a limited edition collection by Christian Siriano.

“Christian Siriano is one of todayā€™s most influential fashion designers and a celebrity red-carpet favorite. Known for his design inclusivity from size, shape and age perspectives, like J.Jill, he believes that style is for everyone.”

My store only carried a few of the white shirts, the rest of the collection is available online. I’m wearing this tunic in a petite which shows how dramatically long it is.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life modeling Christian Siriano tunic from j.jill
high vent tunicauthentic fit slim jeans in Neptune

I love it but not sure it’s wearable for me. This petite medium is too snug and the petite large is too large. I bought a medium in regular which did fit, but as you can imagine it is very long on me, so it may go back.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life wearing mixed media tee by Christian Siriano
mixed media tee

This tee has a knit body and bottom band of crisp woven cotton. It has an A-line shape and elliptical hemline which gives it lots of volume. The dot in the middle front just needs to be steamed out. Have you noticed that few stores steam all their garments before they hit the sales floor these days? It’s a shame because the clothes look much better without all the wrinkles.leopard and faux suede at j.jill

I’m sharing this picture because it’s the truest representation of the colors in the next garments. For some reason, my phone grabbed the colors as a sickly, greenish taupe and they’re not.

Microsuede Moto Jacket from j.jill on A Well Styled Life
faux suede moto jacketponte knit leggings

I tried thisponte leggings from j.jill on A Well Styled Life

This is the difference in legging length between a petite small and a regular small. I’m 5’4″ with short legs and wearing the petite leggings in a medium.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled life wearing j.jill sweater and scarf in changing room at j.jill
leopard jacquard scarfshawl-collared duster sweaterĀ  – checked leggings

This long sweater is also deep camel. j.jill makes these great sweater dusters every year with pocket, vent and collar variations. I happen to love the long line of a shawl collar so this one appealed to me, It’s a great mid-season weight. I’m wearing a petite medium so it runs true to size. This leopard scarf has a very subtle metallic thread woven into some of the spots.

red messenger bag from j.jill on A Well Styled Life
crossbody baginterchangeable straps

These crossbody bags were displayed all over the store in black, red and cognac. They also have interchangeable straps so you can switch up the look. I love the size of this bag. Big enough to hold everything, small enough to not weigh you down.

The more I look at these images the more I want this camel to work on me so I’ll be heading back to try it on again.

Is there a color you love that looks ghastly on you?

 

Wear what makes you feel confident today and thanks for reading.

 

33 Comments

  1. Love the DRD & the Moro jacket!! I happened to be at a JJillā€™s the other day. I saw the long white shirts and wondered: ā€œWhy are they selling Doctorā€™s coats? Is this for Halloween?ā€ Then I realized someone thinks they are stylish!! NOOOO!!! Do a white duster OR a white shirt – but this needs either a belt & a scarf, or leave it open as a cardigan. Vent finished!!?

  2. Angela in NZ says:

    Soft pastels do nothing for me and please don’t get me started on mustard/ochre/dirty yellow. Truth is, I’ve not seen one person in the street wearing the season’s warm colours. Think there will be huge bargains in the sales for the lucky few it suits.

  3. Purple. I loathe it. Love that purse and straps!

  4. Love that purse–wish more came with extra straps, like watches do!
    You and I have opposite coloring.
    I have copper hair and warm skin tone. So usually the fall clothes are in my go to colors. Camel, rust, olive. Yay! But I am attracted to deep pink/fuschia… it is so feminine, bright and happy. But it looks horrid on me. I once bought a lovely fuschia sweater because it made me happy to wear it, especially on a dull grey day–but I didn’t leave the house in it lol!

  5. Fortunately, the colors I wear are the ones I love. I avoid most pastels…donā€™t like them and usually donā€™t wear them… though I am warming up to pink! You look great in the jacket, Jennifer!!

  6. Light grey is the colour that is everywhere that I can’t wear. I look very ill in it! I can wear that warm camel that doesn’t work for you. I would love to find some chocolate brown pants or jeans but so far no luck. It seems like most of the time cool colours are more common so I look forward to fall when there is usually more warm toned clothing available. The mustard colour that is in stores this year is a great colour for me.

    1. Carol Knapik says:

      Very disappointed in the Siriano collectio. The long white shirt looks like a Doctors lab coat and most of his shirts resemble maternity wear. No style or color in the collection.

  7. I love that long shirt! I would wear it with a skinny pant or legging. Iā€™m 5ā€™8ā€ so I can carry the length. Sadly, we donā€™t have JJill in Canada.
    The purse is a great size. I like the style and interchangeable straps. How fun!

    I love that you are meeting up with ladies that follow your blog. It will be great for you to be able to put a face to a name that pops up in your feed regularly.

    Fashion shows are so much fun! Just go with it, Jennifer. Youā€™ll be a great model. Back in the 90s I ran fashion shows for a local boutique. It was fun to pick out the outfits and dress the models. The audience was always receptive.

    1. You’re so lucky to be nice and tall. The show should be fun.

  8. Mary Ann Doerzbacher says:

    Love that moto jacket and leggings and animal print scaf. I may check those out. Great DRD series. I agree the long white blouse looks too much like a lab coat. Thanks, Jennifer!

  9. Karen Gaston says:

    Hi Jennifer. I like your DVD series. Maroon and rusts I avoid. That being said, if that color item is
    a pant or skirt, I might consider it, because itā€™s away from my face. Sometimes a fabricā€™s texture or
    style will blow you away! J.Jillā€™s is my ā€œgo toā€ for linen pants and tops. I called the Mt. Pleasant store
    near me to check out your faux-suede moto jacket. They did not carry your medium petite nor any black
    ones in any size nor were they orderable. They did have the checked leggings, so I may get those because
    they are so unique!! On animal prints, I am just sticking to shoes and scarfs as I have for over 30 years.
    Walking the runway is a piece of cake. Youā€™ll do just fine. Use the pivot and smile ?!

  10. I love the camel coat, black column, leopard scarf look but I know It will not look as well on m as it does on you. I’m learning to stick to the cool side with color. Things I got away at fifty or sixty is not working for me now. The purse in red is something I love. This appears to be a season for those who are warm in their coloring. Maybe the Winter collection will suit me better. A coat in cranberry or a silvery/bluish snakeskin tunic.

    1. I look much better in cool tones as well. This winter will have a lot of color so we may be in luck.

  11. Thanks Jennifer! Love DRD and this post. I spend the summer in the mountains of Arizona, so not close to much shopping and appreciate seeing what is in the stores on a real woman. Iā€™m buying the jacket, leggings and scarf to try.

    1. Let me know how you like them. I envy you being able to wear that camel color.

  12. So many of the shades that look good on blondes do not look good on me, such as the lemony yellow my college roommate chose for her bridesmaids.
    Iā€™m a redhead with the pale skin and freckles to match so clean colors look awful on me but Iā€™ve learned to search for colors with a brown undertone, for instance camel needs to have more brown than yellow. I think I need to take a trip to JJill – thanks for doing the legwork!

    1. Ouch, bridesmaids dresses can be notoriously unflattering, no matter the color;)

  13. Do love yellow, but it is a colour I have difficulty wearing as must be vibrant and best described as pure. Re the leggings you featured; do like them and feel they look great on you. (Hope you treated yourself to them … ā˜ŗ.) As for the long tunic blouse unfortunately have to agree with Laurel as it reminds me of a Lab coat. Also on the same note a quirk of mine is; unless a white top is either opaque, can be underlined or tucked in I personally will avoid them when they reveal an underlay of a contrasting garment . Do enjoy your DRD’s and appreciate all the time involved in sharing the latest fashion trends and what they look like on a real person.
    -Brenda-
    P.S.: Re the camel reading as olive in the photo. My guess is; as a brown (tan, taupe or beige) it could have an undertone of green. For a tip; often when you hold a piece of ‘bright white’ paper next to a color, it will assist in determining its undertone.

  14. Well, hope springs eternal! I can’t tell you how many camel, oatmeal and ocher clothes I have ordered and returned. I can usually pull it off on the bottom with a color friendly to me on top!

  15. What is the purse in the first photo? The one with the small bit of leopard and the chain straps? Didn’t see it on the J Jill website.

  16. I bought a similar camel with leopard outfit this weekend, at Chicoā€™s.
    This was my first time at Chicoā€™s. After seeing your posts it made me want to try it out. So glad I did!!
    My new favorite store. My next stop will be J. Jill.
    I also Like DRD. But Iā€™m not liking the really long
    Tops. I do, however, love the dusters. Thanks for sharing all your finds.

  17. I love the animal prints with camel but I just cannot wear the camel color. Makes my face look horrible. so sad. J Jill just does not fit me properly, especially the pants. Other brnads fit me better, which is sad because they do have some great looking styles and nice materials.

  18. I’ve been hoping you’d hit J Jill for DRD…thanks! I love the look of the black/camel ponte knit leggings, but wanted to see them on and haven’t made it to the store yet. There are quite a few things in their latest collection that I love. Not sure I could carry off that long a white shirt, though. Gives off a doctor’s coat vibe to me. šŸ™‚

    1. It does give off a Dr vibe. I think you need to be quite tall to wear it

  19. maroone…i can do red easy, or purple….and i love maroone, but it doesnt love me. Now, how to try and explain it…the rest of me goes invisible? it gives my face a strange and unhealthy tone. I have never noticed it with any other color that im drawn to.

  20. I share your coloring and can’t wear camel, either. I also can’t wear the mustard yellow that is everywhere this year. It makes me look like I have the flu! One thing I have learned is that if I want to wear a color that doesn’t look great on me, I can use a color that does as a “break” between it and my face. For example, I can put a red scarf on a camel jacket and it might work. Or I might pull a white collar out so it’s between my face and the jacket.

    I love this series! Thanks for the doing the work for us! Let us know what you decide on the jacket!

    1. I try not to buy unflattering colors but like you, if I do I will wear it away from my face

  21. Camel: I love it, thinks it looks so classy and elegant, but is just not a good color for me. I’ve learned over the years that I need to substitute gray whenever I’m tempted into camel!

    Love the DRD series! Did you end up buying the leopard pullover? I tried it on in the store and loved it, but recognized that it’s probably not something I’ll ever feel comfortable wearing. I’ll stick to leopard accessories instead.

    1. I did not buy the leopard pullover. Crew necks are not my best look so I’ll keep my eye out for a v-neck version

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