J.Crew Factory Reviews: Pocket Tunic Sweater, Striped Ponte Dress

It's been a while since I last reviewed anything! That's because I haven't been shopping in stores much. Nowadays I do most of my shopping online. I know there are better deals to be found in store, but I honestly don't have the time to go regularly. Anyway, this past week I finally visited J.Crew Factory to do returns and check out their new arrivals. Only a few things caught my eye, but the things that did I really liked! For reference, I'm 5' 4", 32C-26-34. My usual size at J.Crew Factory is 00 and XXS.

Pocket Tunic Sweater (C8696)

Heather Dusk XXS

When I browsed the new arrivals online, this sweater completely flew under my radar. And who can really blame me? Online it looks extremely bland. Even in person, it didn't look very promising, sitting by itself all folded on a table. The only reason I tried it on was because it passed my handfeel test (I frequently walk around a store touching everything and only stop to pick it up if the material feels nice - I know, kind of weird). In the fitting room, I was pleasantly surprised! The torso was actually slouchy slim in a really good way. It wasn't boxy at all from the side. I would say it's true to size. The 100% merino wool was medium weight and felt fine against my bare skin (although I'm not usually sensitive to wool). The pockets didn't add bulk to my hips, and the length was good on my 5' 4" frame, which is my biggest struggle with tunics. My only qualm was about the sleeve length. The website says this sweater has long sleeves, but the one I tried on decidedly had bracelet sleeves. That wasn't a deal breaker for me though; I actually thought it worked with the tunic length.  Anyway, this one came home with me so I could try it on with other pieces I own. So far it seems to work really well with skinny jeans and leggings.

Verdict: Love, true to size.

Striped Ponte Dress (A9074)

Red Ivory Gondola XXS

This slip on dress also passed my handfeel test. The ponte material is really soft, smooth, cool to the touch, and somewhat wrinkle resistant! That makes sense given its composition: 88% viscose, 10% nylon, and 2% elastane. It comes in two different colors: red/ivory and black/ivory. I only saw the red striped one in store, so that's the one I tried on. I found it true to size and not too mini, even though the hem does hit above the knee. It does a good job of skimming the body while not being too clingy. My favorite detail here is the contrasting side panel. If you look carefully, the sides are lined up so that each red stripe is matched up with an ivory stripe on the front and back. It's visually slimming, because those side panels extend slightly to the front, thus making the body look more narrow. Again, I take issue with the sleeves. The website claims this has bracelet sleeves, but they're actually 3/4 length. I find them to be a hair too loose, but I could always push them up to my elbow. Perhaps the biggest issue with this dress is that it's dry clean only. I feel like that would make sense for a nice silk or wool dress but not for something so casual. Also, wool items shrink due to heat exposure whereas rayon/viscose shrink due to water exposure. Hence, you can get away with handwashing wool in cold water, but that's not an option for rayon/viscose. If anyone knows of other cleaning options, please let me know! Otherwise I may have to return this dress.

Verdict: Like, true to size, but dry clean only.

What are your thoughts on dry clean only for non-silk/wool items? Have you found anything you liked at J.Crew Factory lately?