J.Crew: Stone Bead Tee Review

This is a new tee from J.Crew, which I'm calling the Stone Bead Tee (item #16636). It is available in this color, which I believe is mineral grey, as well as an ivory colored tee with blue stones. It retails for $58, and is alpha-sized.

I tried this tee on in a size medium, because they did not have any size smalls in this pattern in the store, and I really wanted to try it in the grey color. I believe this tee fits true-to-size. The medium was a bit loose on me (and is honestly the way I prefer to wear tees), so I would say that you should probably try your regular size in this tee.

I believe that the fabric is a ringspun cotton, and it felt a bit softer and more refined than some of the other ringspun cotton tees I've tried on this season, which were a bit rougher. It definitely was not a slub or tissue cotton. The fabric was nice and soft, and has a bit of stretch in it.

I would imagine that the shape would be more fitted in the smaller size, and would accentuate your shape more. I like the more relaxed look of the medium, and I prefer shirts where I don't have to worry about overeating at lunch. :) Either way, I would imagine that this shirt fits similar to other ringspun and decorated tees from this season (meaning pretty true-to-fit, but with a more fitted silhouette), but I cannot say for certain.

The tee has a spray of stone beads on the upper left shoulder. Other than that, the tee is plain. I think this allows to the tee to be a pretty versatile piece. I think you could easily wear it casually or dress it up a bit. I think the beading is very pretty, and I think the colors work together very well.

However, I think the beads are pretty heavy. They don't weight down the tee or anything, but they are pretty substantial. They are not really like some of J.Crew's other embellished tees where the decoration was noticeable, but very light feeling. You can definitely feel these stones through the shoulder.

Here is a close-up of the beads. I think they are laid out in a very pretty pattern, and are a combination of light pink, white, and clear beads.

I ended up leaving this tee behind because of the weight of the tee and the price. I have already splurged on a few of J.Crew's embellished tees this season, and while I think the tee is very cute and versatile, I don't know how often I would wear it.

What do you think? Do you like this tee? Have you seen it or tried it on? Which color do you prefer? Are there other color combinations you would have liked to see this tee in?