J.Crew: Alhambra Petal Cami Review

This is J.Crew's Alhambra Petal Cami (item #16681), which retails for $78. (Thanks to AppGal over at Musings on the Mountain for the product name information!) This was the only color I recall seeing for this cami (color code CHO (maybe chocolate?), and it is numerically-sized.

I tried this cami on in a size 0, and I believe that it fits true-to-size. On the hanger, the neckline looks a bit more fitted around the neck, but it is actually wider set. Why am I telling you this? I grabbed a 0 in this top because of how the neckline appeared on the hanger, but I think in the end, I would have gone up to a size 2 because of two reasons (below). So my advice would be to start with your regular size to see how you like it, and size up if necessary.

While I think this tank fits fairly true-to-size, I found it to be a bit fitted in the armhole and bust area, so I would have sized up for that reason. Secondly, the neckhole was a little small, especially when trying to get this top off (it didn't help that my hair got stuck in the buttons, too. That was quite a sight - I'm telling you!). Other than that though, the tank was a very nice silhouette. It is a fairly straight cut, but still flattering.

The fabric itself is a nice, light cotton, which is soft to the touch. The cotton is nice and airy, and is a great fabric for a summer tank. The fabric moves fairly well, but because of the cut of the tank and the fact that it's lined, there is not an opportunity for a lot of movement or flow.

As for the pattern/decoration on the tank, I really like it. As someone who likes the napkins on the front of the Tuxedo-Front Cami, I really like these petals on the front of this cami. I think they're a very cute and feminine detail, and because they're the same pattern as the rest of the tank, they don't stand out from the rest of the tank too much to be distracting. The petals are made of the same light fabric, and are not super big - more of a medium-sized petal that add an an interesting detail to the front of the top.

I also like the overall pattern. I am not normally drawn to browns and blues, but I think this combination works very well, especially in this pattern, which is sort of a tile-like pattern. The tiles themselves are pretty small, and make a nice, allover pattern, but I don't think they look very busy, which is a plus. Because of the fairly neutral colors, you can easily pair this tank with a lot of other colors. I think you can also easily dress this tank up and down, which is always nice. I am curious if pairing this tank with a cardigan would detract too much from the petals. I would probably pair this with a V-neck cardigan if I were to layer it.

The neckline itself is also very pretty. It is a 4-string neckline that circles the neck, and hooks in the back with two hook-and-ball fabric closures. I think the neckline details work very well with the feel of the rest of this tank.

I really like this tank, but was trying to be good and not shop on this trip, so I left this one behind. I thought the price was fairly reasonable for the wear I would get out of it, but I will probably wait for this one to go on sale (especially because there are some other pieces I would shell out for over this one at the moment).

What do you think? Do you like this tank? Have you seen it or do you own it? What do you think of the pattern and details? Are there any other color combinations you think this might look nice in?