Denim Cruise Shorts - J. Crew

A warm-weather essential. We styled ours in soft cotton and added a hint of stretch for comfort. The buttons? They're denim tacks City fit—our lowest rise. Sits just above hip. Belt loops. Zip fly. Side-seam pockets, back welt pockets with button closure. 3" inseam. Import. Machine wash.

was $58.00 select colors $29.99 item 12065

I wasn't so sure about these when they first came out. In fact, they might have been subject of a "questionable item of the week" over on the JCA blog. However, after trying on the American Eagle blue jean shorts I bought a couple of years ago, it was clear I needed a new pair... an upgrade. Not just an upgrade in fabric and fit, but something a little more grown-up.

I had to stalk these for a few days online (since my store only has the white ones left in stock), but thanks to "Ema's" help in a previous post {thanks again!}, I was able to snag them late last week. They came a couple of days ago. I was concerned that I might have needed to size up (like with the giraffe print shorts) but since there was only one pair online when I bought them, I went with my normal size.

Upon first trying on, the fabric felt substantial and nice, but still appropriate for summer. I really love the gold button accents on the back and front. The fit is perfect, with just the right amount of stretch. The color is also quite nice. A perfect in-between color that's 'just right' paired with just about anything. I really love these shorts... so my old ones are in the donation bin now! Can't wait to wear them!

**Bottom Line: I really like these. They will be a good, essential addition to my summer wardrobe. These run TTS.

Ann Taylor LOFT - Geo Print Shorts

ATL Description:
Shorts of soft, brushed canvas feature a modish two-tone geo print. Zip front. One-button closure. Two angled front pockets. Two button-flap back pockets. 4" inseam. $39.50

I first saw these shorts in a cardboard coupon advertisement that came in the mail at the end of May. My initial thought was that they looked a lot like some of J. Crew's shorts from this season. Particularly, they remind me of the Wallpaper Jacquard, Sunblocks-print, and Ikat shorts currently being offered at J. Crew... but cheaper ... bonus!

I was willing to check them out! As with almost all *awesome* (not just cute, but super-cute!) items that LOFT offers (there are probably 2-4 items each season that fall into this category IMO) my local store was already running low on inventory by the time I got there to try them on!

The shorts come in a khaki/white and a black / white pattern. The first thing I noticed about the shorts was how super-soft the fabric was!! WAY softer than any of the J.Crew shorts previously mentioned, or any that I have ever owned! The lenth is also just a touch longer at 4" than my normal 3" short, which is nice. I can't quite pull-off the 5 inchers without feeling like a total mom with no legs, but the 4" is perfect!! My store was already out of zeros, and so was online and all the other stores in my area, so I sized up to a 2 and took a chance that they would shrink in the wash and dryer. They did shrink a little bit, which made them very comfy and wearable. I've already worn them twice.

Sorry about the crappy picture... I didn't actually have a good outfit on, so I chose to spare you!

*Ended Up With: the khaki/white color, size 2 (a little big), purchased at FP (rare for me!) but with a 20% off coupon

*Outfit Ideas: Gold strappy sandals, Neutral solid colored top, Gold jewelry

**Bottom Line: BUY - TTS to a bit large (ATL runs big anyway IMO)