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.

Talbots classic trench coat
classic trench coat / cashmere turtleneck / barely boot jeans

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.

talbots cotton shaker sweater
cotton shaker sweater / Essex ankle pant on sale

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.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life wearing Talbots striped turtleneck
long sleeve turtleneck tee /modern ankle jean

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.

Jennifer Connolly or A Well Styled Life wearing Talbots sweater blazer
Patch Pocket sweater blazer in indigo (navy) / striped turtleneck / modern ankle jean

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.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life wearing cinch waist jacket from talbots
cinch waist water-resistant jacket / striped turtleneck / straight leg cotton stretch chino

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.

status print sweater / white chinosChatham ankle pant in indigo (navy)

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?

status print sweater on Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life
terry top in indigo / white chino’s

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.

Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life styling Talbots classic raincoat in blue
classic raincoat / striped turtleneck / modern ankle jean

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.

50 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. I loved the lacing detail too. It really adds a lot to the style.

  2. 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.

    1. I will wear them with a higher shafted ankle boot and of course, they will be perfect with my ballet flats.

  3. Julie Anne says:

    If I were in the US, I’d be buying those jeans and chinos. Sigh.

    Next trip south, I’ll be checking out Talbots.

  4. 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!

    1. I bought the jeans and am still deciding on which coat I “need” 🙂

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

    1. My wardrobe is usually a sea of neutrals but I sure do love how color perks everything up.

  7. 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!

    1. I have and love those barely boot jeans too. They’re the ones in the first photo that I wore into the store!

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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!

  11. Nice colors! Especially the classic trench, shaker sweater and classic raincoat. I like the long navy cardigan with the striped turtleneck, too. Thanks for today’s Dressing Room Diaries.

  12. Everything looks cute on you. Love all the new colors. I am being a little more conservative in spending more money on clothes and working with what I have, but I sure enjoyed seeing all the new colors coming out for Spring and might buy something…Who knows! Thank you for your blog.

    1. Shopping our closet is so smart, we just need to be sure it contains the staples which make it doable.

  13. Laura Small says:

    This post was so helpful! I love the colors and the jeans. Just ordered a few sale items. Thank you!

  14. Judith Robb says:

    Thanks for this post. I enjoyed seeing these Spring colours as they perk up us pale folks. And yes, I am a navy fan. I would appreciate a post on the pear shape too. Your hair looks fabulous. Cheers.

  15. Love that you are wearing flats. Many of us cannot wear the hi heels the other fashion blogs show.

  16. Pamela Lutrell says:

    Both rain jackets a great color and fit. Super cute!

  17. Jennifer, always an informative post on your fit sessions.! You can never have enough trench coats ❤

  18. Love all the outfits today.

  19. Love all of these looks! You do a much better job compared to the mannequin dressers!

  20. Lynda Davis says:

    Talbots have definitely upped their game the last couple of seasons. Great pieces. I was in their store yesterday and wish I’d seen those jeans as they’re just what I was looking for. Got a great pair of NYDJ instead.

  21. Mary Lanteigne says:

    really liked all what you wore, i like the info you give , I,am a big woman so any ideas i can use to suit my body type is very much appreciated. Thank you

    1. Would you like some ideas for your body silhouette? Triangle, rectangle, round, hourglass etc? Being large doesn’t mean you don’t have a shape. Which would help you most?

  22. Pamela Amendola says:

    I love the new Spring looks but it will be a long time before we can wear them in Connecticut.
    Would you do a segment on shoes? I love heels but seldom have an occasion to wear them. Almost every pant is ankle length and I never know what shoes to wear. I want to look stylish but need to keep warm in the winter.
    I look forward to your opinion

    1. Ankle pants are tricky in the winter because you need to wear socks. Match your socks to your pant color or wear ankle boots that will slip up under the pant leg.

  23. I will be heading to Talbots tomorrow. Love the navy. Thanks for giving us inspiration for Spring.

  24. I love the cotton shaker sweater. It’s nice to see some spring colours!

  25. Since I live a casual lifestyle, I LOVE the T by Talbots line at Talbots. Quality plus great fit plus wonderful colors. Did I mention comfortable? You look terrific in all these clothes, Jennifer. Hope you bought many of the items you modeled for us.

  26. Really nice clothing here. You are right — the coastal sweater looks better with navy slacks.
    I’m lucky to have a Talbot’s Outlet nearby.

  27. I see some beautiful spring picks and I loved them!

  28. This post was so helpful to me for making choices for a trip in late spring. It was very helpful to know your height and weight so I could gauge how it would look on me. (I am also 5’4”) when you said a certain garment would have fit better if it had been a petite was also appreciated. Sometimes I find petites do no give me enough room lengthwise. Love your posts and I throughly enjoyed this dressing room diary.

    1. I’m so glad it was helpful. It also matters what part of your body is long vs short.

  29. Christine says:

    Amazing how fresh these spring colours look! Adore the blue classic raincoat.

  30. Paulette Levy says:

    So pretty! Love these spring colors! (Always love my navy though! )
    Thanks Jennifer!

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