I want to take a moment to celebrate simple, sleeveless dresses with adorable detailing. Yay! I had a nightmareish experience at J. Crew in February, where I tried on four dresses which were all terribly ill-fitting, but I’m willing to give them another chance because of this shift, which is perfect on every level…

I love dresses like this, which are preppy enough to wear practically anywhere, but still casual enough that you don’t have to think twice before throwing it on. It’s this dress that will be worn four days out of the week, which will make it well worth the $88 price tag!

J.Crew is doing a whole line of European inspired stuff, and this season it’s focused on Italy, which seems perfect because I’m still on the hunt for a dress for this wedding that’s coming up this summer in Tuscany. Maybe this is The One, and maybe not, but either way I’m totally in love with the Silk Tricotine Rebecca Short Dress, which is probably one of the prettiest dresses I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I love that the cut of the dress is simple, but the detail that has been spent on the fitting through the bodice and the shape of the sweetheart neckline is impeccable.

And I actually think they did a great job pairing the dress with those sandals. Although, from what I hear, Italian weddings last until the wee hours of the morning…so if I do choose this dress, I may have to default to something with a little more substance.

I’m convinced that shirtdresses make everyone look good because they’re dressy enough but usually still flirty and the tiniest bit sexy. This one from Urban Outfitters is both of those things plus it has personality with the little tuxedo ruffle and puffy cap sleeves. I also like that it ties in the back, which eliminates the “what belt do I wear with this” dilemma, because as much as I like accessories I’m not so great with the belts.

But it’s still cold out here, and there’s still snow on the ground, so I’d pair it with these awesome waterproof boots from Sporto. They’re awesome because they have the warmth of Uggs but they’re totally weatherproof and the round-pointy toe makes their shape a little less Muppety and a little more chic.

And yes, I’m still in love with the Bella Jacket from J.Crew. I forgot mine on this little trip I’m on — foolish mistake! I miss it more than is actually acceptable.

Uh oh. J.Crew has new stuff for spring, and that means trouble. I’m already totally excited about this Bahia-print Silk Shirtdress. Some would call it busy or wild but I think it’s perfectly fresh and springlike. J.Crew does these great ruffles that are feminine but not too girly in a somewhat Victorian way, and I love it here in this particular dress, especially.

Ooh, and while the J.Crew winter sale is still on, check out this adorable little cashmere jacket, which would look great with this dress (or with jeans, or with your favorite skirt and tights or with pretty much anything)… J.Crew’s cashmere is always fluffy soft and never too thin, which means it’s totally warm but way cuter than microfleece.

I loooooove it!

Since I have a 3-year-old nephew (Hi, Akira!) who is very handsome but not really into dresses, I don’t often get to look for adorable, girly clothes for wee ones. However, I recently had an opportunity to find an outfit for a particular little ginger girl, and found the most amazing outfits at J.Crew’s “crewcuts” section, which is just for kids. I love the way that they’ve paired ridiculously girly things with sort of rugged things (like those awesome snow boots! I want those!) for an unexpected and kid-friendly chic.