Dressing Room Diaries: Spring Fashion at J. Jill

Happy Thursday ladies. It took me two visits to two different stores to be able to bring you the newest spring fashion at J. Jill but I would not be deterred. I caught the collection so early they hadn’t finished unpacking things so the following week I went to a different store for a better look.

If you’re new here, a dressing room diary is when I go into stores and try on their new merchandise so you can see how it looks on a woman over 25 who wears a size larger than zero. The lighting is dim so my pictures are grainy but you’ll still get the idea of what things look like.

 

For reference, I am 5’4″, weigh 137 pounds, and have wide shoulders with narrow hips and very few curves. I have a long torso and arms. I often wear a size larger on top to accommodate my shoulders and can go back-and-forth between the regular and petite departments depending on the fit that I want.

 

 

This is one of those weird situations when a garment is called one thing but it’s another. This is a soft, cotton, and hemp knit cardigan that they call a jacket…go figure. It’s available in this tawny or deep blue, in misses, petite, and women’s. I’m wearing a regular in small so it’s extra-long which I like for me.

I’m wearing it over this super soft elliptical tee that comes in 3 pretty colors sized petite, regular, and women’s. It’s got 3/4 length sleeves which is a nice detail and has a double layer for coverage in this pale color. I’m wearing the petite in small so it runs TTS. These slim jeans are a classic fit and a staple at J. Jill. They come in 4 colors in misses, petite, women’s, and tall. I’m wearing a 4 in misses (regular).

 

 

This tunic looks like denim but is so much softer because it’s Tencel. I love wearing items like this open as a third layer but it would look equally good, buttoned closed over leggings. It comes in misses, petite, women’s and tall. Because it’s thigh length, I prefer the petite on me so it doesn’t look overwhelming. I’m wearing a petite medium so it runs true to size. Remember, because my shoulders are broad I often wear one size larger in structured garments on my top than my bottom.

I’m wearing it over the Pima Stretch Shirttail Tee which is a classic, staple for any wardrobe. It comes in white, black, or navy. I’m wearing a petite small so it runs TTS. I’m wearing it with these Wherever Woven Trousers which come in 4 colors in petite, misses, women’s, and tall.  I’m wearing a 4 petite which feels too short for me so with these pants, I would wear a regular. It’s a personal preference. They also happen to be marked way down so they’re a great price.

 

This Easy Linen shirt comes in 3 solids and this stripe. I’m a sucker for striped anything so just had to try this one on. It’ll be great as a third piece or worn closed all summer long. I’m wearing a misses small.

I’m wearing it over J. Jill‘s classic reversible tank that’s available in 7 colors and is a great layering basic to have in a wardrobe. It has a scoop neck on one side and a v neck on the reverse. I’m wearing a missed in medium but would go up to a large because it fits close to the body and I prefer more room.

The jeans are the same slim style you saw me wear above but these ones are in light barley color which is a nice alternative for spring.

 

These are the same slim-cut white jeans as above and you’ll notice they break a little bit at the top of my ankle because these are the regular length. By the time I wash and dry these, the length will be perfect.

I’m wearing it with this cotton-linen sweater that comes in 6 pretty colors and is great for in-between seasons and all summer long. I’m wearing a small regular but might benefit from a small petite as well. Notice the difference it makes in the length of my legs when I tuck a tiny bit into the waistband. I’d do a neater half-tuck to wear out in public.

 

I spotted this navy dress on a mannequin and was anxious to try it on. I’m wearing a small in regular and clearly need a petite because of the length. It’s an a-line shape with an elliptical hemline and a dramatically pleated back. They showed it belted so of course, I wanted to try it that way and tossed this belt on it. It’s a roomy fit so I would size it down. I think it would be fun worn open as a duster over pants and a tank in the warm weather.

 

 

These are the same cuffed jeans that you saw me try on the last time I was at J Jill. This time they’re in soft eucalyptus green. The cuff is tacked up so you would need to unpick the stitching to take it down. They have lots of stretch which makes them very comfy. These are meant to be ankle length but they aren’t at my ankle in either version. I prefer the petite on me because it gives them a slightly cropped look.

The shirt is J. Jill’s classic white button-down that is a great basic for any time of year. I’m wearing a medium petite and delighted to find the sleeves are long enough so it runs TTS. The fabric has built-in stretch so it has” give” when you move, making it very comfy to wear.

 

Here’s a side-by-side for you to see different proportions. I tossed this cotton cardigan on top which works on the regular length of pant but would show too little leg over the petite jeans.

 

Here is the same 3/4 sleeve tee that I wore in the first outfit. I’m wearing it here under a cotton blend cropped cardigan with large wooden buttons. This cardi comes in several pretty colors for spring…this one is called Red Oak which is a cinnamon color. I’m wearing a small regular because I think the petite would be too short on my long torso. They’re making a lot of cropped cardigans and tops this year because they’re terrific paired with high-rise, wide-legged pants.

These boyfriend jeans had the leg bottoms rolled up were rolled up when I found them on the rack so I simply unrolled them to be full length. I am wearing a 4 petite. They have a really nice shape and a bit more room than slim jeans so I think of them more like a straight leg style.

 

 

This linen pop-over tunic it’s perfect for spring and all summer long. It comes in black, white, or this blue, sized petite, regular, women’s, and tall. The side pockets are always a favorite of mine. It’s a great length to wear over leggings or skinny jeans. Because it’s thigh-length, this petite small is the best length for me. If you’re short, you could also try this in tall to wear as a bathing suit coverup.

These are great season-spanning clothes. When the calendar says spring but the temperatures aren’t cooperating, these colors and shapes transition well.