Review: J. Crew Chambray Shirts

(There are numerous review posts scheduled for the coming weeks – the seemingly endless sales were too good to pass up. I’ll try to intersperse them with sale updates and outfit posts.)

I bought my first chambray shirt (in recent memory) from H&M a few months ago and have worn it enough for me to consider an upgrade. On my friend Cat’s recommendation, I ordered the J. Crew Keeper Chambray Shirt, a “classic” style for the retailer. On a hunch, I also ordered the Crewcuts Bow Shirt in Chambray and the J. Crew Faded Chambray Popover to try (I would’ve ordered the Selvedge Chambray Shirt and the Perfect Shirt in Chambray Polka Dot but both were out of stock in my size at the time).

In retrospect, I am glad I ordered additional options to consider. While the Keeper Chambray Shirt was a winner on its own, the other options exposed its shortcomings in a way that I couldn’t have anticipated.

Crewcuts Bow Shirt in Chambray | H&M Chambray Shirt | J. Crew Keeper Chambray Shirt | J. Crew Faded Chambray Popover

 I very quickly eliminated the Crewcuts Bow Shirt in Chambray from the running- the awkward sleeve length coupled with its blouse-y-ness and dark denim color made my decision to return an easy one to make.

Wearing size 14

And then there were two.

Keeper Chambray Shirt | Faded Chambray Popover

 I struggled with my decision for a few days because the two shirts were a good fit for me in numerous aspects but each had flaws that made me hesitate.

The Faded Chambray Popover in Cabo Blue was exactly the color I was looking for. However, it was not available in petite so the length (both overall and sleeve) was a concern. In addition, the fact that it’s a popover and not a shirt meant that it was more limited in versatility. I did like the color a lot and was also a fan of the collar.

XXS measured 14″ across the shoulder, 23.5″ in sleeve length, 26″ in total length, 27″ in back length, 17.5″ across the underarm

The Keeper Chambray Shirt in Afternoon Sky is as classic a chambray shirt as it gets. I liked nearly all of its features except for the color – I think my H&M one is too similar so adding this shirt to my current wardrobe would create a redundancy that I have been trying to avoid. I will definitely revisit this option come time to discard my H&M one.

Wearing size 00P

 In the end, I decided to keep the Faded Chambray Popover. My style can be a little stuffy at times since I have been concentrating on building my work wardrobe but this shirt will (hopefully) inject an element of fun to my outfits lest they become too monotonous.