Grana Review Silk Flat Front Ankle Pants and Grana has changed their silk!

So this might be old news for some of you (that Grana has changed the silk of most of their items).  But for those who don't know yet, Grana is now using 16mm crepe de chine silk which is 2mm thicker than their original 14mm crepe de chine.  BUT (and this is a big but here) they are no longer doing double layer silk.  So it might seem like one step forward but it's actually two steps back.  And the perfect example of this is what they did to my all time favorite Grana product: the silk ankle pants.  

So the original silk ankle pants (which they still have so go get those while they're still available!) is made of double layered 14mm silk.  I reviewed those pants here.  Now they have the new silk flat front ankle pants which are almost like the original in style, except they have a flat front. And they are made of a single layer of 16mm silk.  You can definitely tell the difference, the biggest one being that now you have very obvious VPL with the single layer flat front pants.  

Ok so not a flattering picture but just wanted to show proof of the VPL (though I'm sure most of you would have just gladly taken my word for it).  

{Wearing: Tradlands The Faroe top (reviewed here), Grana Flat Front Silk Ankle Pants, Everlane The Day Heel, and Hermes Lindy 30 (similar here)}

On the positive side, I do like the cleaner look of the flat front pants (instead of the pleats of the old silk ankle pants).  They're able to achieve the flat front but keep the waist band elastic by having a non-stretchy flat waistband in the front.  In general, this does make the pants a bit more fitted and tight.

As for the silk material I can't tell the difference between the 14mm silk and the newer 16mm silk.  But I definitely miss that extra layer of silk.  I think my perfect pair of silk pants would be the styling of this flat front silk pants but in the double-layered silk.  And well I don't think that's going to happen because a reader had emailed Grana asking them why they went with a single layer for most of their new silk offerings.  They replied because now that they're using a thicker silk material it's adequate for a single later.  Eh, I don't think so Grana.  Until it goes back to double layered silk, I don't think I'll be purchasing any new silk items from Grana.

But if you want to purchase any of their remaining double silk items (check the 'Details & Care' section, it will tell you if it's double-layered or not) and you're a first time Grana customer you can 10% off your first purchase (referral link).  And you can find all my other Grana reviews here.

Grana Review Silk Sleeveless Blazer

*This review was sponsored and I received Grana's Silk Sleeveless Blazer for free.

Hi guys and another sponsored post for you today.  But just because it's sponsored doesn't mean I won't be real with you.  And the real deal here is that I don't love this silk piece.  Now don't get me wrong, I still love the quality of Grana's silk items (especially their 22mm silk satin) but I just don't think this sleeveless blazer is my style:

What do you think?  Or did I just style it poorly?  There's probably a little bit too much going on with this outfit, with the striped long sleeve shirt and the gold and black belt (I really love this thrifted vintage Ferragamo belt and I'm trying it with literally everything).  The faded ripped jeans is also probably not a good fit with the silk sleeveless blazer.  The funny thing was that when I was wearing this outfit, I thought 'yea this feels good'.  But when I saw the pictures I was like 'naw, this doesn't work'.

Anyway a bit more about the blazer itself, which is quite well-made.  It's double layered satin silk and some with a silk ribbon to tie at the waist.  I love the pockets and the wide lapels in the front.  I have to admit, the blazer itself isn't bad.  But I'm not sure I'm going to wear it.  Do you guys have any styling tips or ideas on how to wear this?

You can find all my Grana reviews here and if you're a first time customer, get 10% off your Grana order with this referral link (thanks for your support guys!).

{update: So I added these sleeveless blazer to my Spring 10x10 challenge since I really wanted to see if I could style it better.  And you guys were right, it's better styled simple and without the belt.  I'm actually pretty in love with this now since it adds pockets to dresses (sort of like a lab coat).  Check it out here!}

Grana Review Silk Long Sleeve Pyjama Shirt

*This is a sponsored post and I received this Grana PJ for free

Hi guys!  Catching up on all my Grana reviews here.  I was sent these Grana silk PJ's back in December and it has been sitting in my "to review" pile for ages (I know such a bad blogger and I'm super lucky that Grana still wants to to work with me >.<).  I guess it took me so long because I really don't use silk PJs in my real life.  My usual PJ ensemble is an Everlane or Grana tee (that I usually just wear the next morning with some jeans for work), and Uniqlo loungewear (purchased before my fair fashion days, but to be honest they make great loungewear.  I think the key to not doing any more harm at this point would be to just keep them and use the stuffing out of them).

But when I got these Everlane wide leg pants, I thought why not just try them out together.  And I have to say I really like the look.  Also the vintage Ferragamo belt I thrifted helps to give the outfit a more polished look.

I got this top in a small and as you can tell it's a bit of an oversized fit (as PJs probably should be).  I really love the sleeve and collar white piping detail as well as their mother of pearl buttons (I'm not sure if its genuine or faux--I mean do they even make faux mother of pearl?) .  Also this top is made from their shinier and more luxe 22mm Georgette Satin (my favorite).  As we head into the warmer months I probably won't be wearing a long sleeve silk top but as fall rolls back around, I look forward to trying this top again with different outfits (even if the PJ trend is over).

I took so long to write this review that they no longer have this top in black, but they do have a pretty cute pink color now.  And for first time buyers, get 10% off with this referral link to Grana (and thanks for your support!).

Grana Silk Mini V-neck Slip Dress Review

*I should mention that this post was sponsored (yay for my second free shipment from Grana), but I originally had purchased a black version of this myself already.  But it was very nice of them to let me try the blue version for free.

Hi guys, it's been awhile since my last Grana review but if you've been following my Instagram you know that's pretty much all I've been wearing everyday (mostly those silk ankle pants).  It's a bit early to be wearing this dress (the temps here have been in the 50s and 60s) but I just can't wait for spring and I really love the color of this dress (so spring like!).

So for those who've read my other Grana silk reviews, you know I love love love Grana's items made from their 22mm Georgette satin (over their 14mm crepe de chine).  And so of course I love this dress as well.  As usual with their 22mm satin the material is super smooth, thick, and feels durable.  

I'm a huge fan of Grana's regular v-neck slip dress (review here)  but I always thought that midi length was just a bit too long for my short-ish frame.  So I was really excited when they came out with this mini version.  And boy, I was not let down.

Just like their regular version, this mini version is made from double layers of their georgette satin so no VPL here.  But I should note that for me anyway, the double layer ends right before the start of the side slit on the leg so the inner silk layer ends right at my butt (which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you can see where that inner layer ends.  Also I have to be careful when bending over).  And for a mini dress the slit doesn't go up too high, which I prefer.

As for sizing, I'm usually between a small and a medium in Grana, but went with the small here since from past experience the chest area of the silk slip dresses tended to run large.  It fit fine except was a tiny bit snug in the butt area (but that's my fault not the dresses, lol).

Anyways since it's a bit too cold still to wear the dress as is, I tried some outfit variations below.  What do you think of the light blue and rust orange?  I kind of like the combo!

Anyway if you're interested in the dress you can find it here and if you're a first time buyer, you can get 10% off your first purchase with this link.  And you can find all my other Grana reviews here.

Grana Review Silk Bomber

When I reviewed Everlane's E2 Bomber here, I extolled the virtues of a bomber jacket without any embellishments.  So I was pretty excited to see an all silk bomber jacket on Grana's site and knew I had to try it out (and thanks to all those who click on my referral link, I could)!  

So first a note on size.  I'm wearing a medium here and you can see that it's still quite cropped and fitted on me (for reference I'm 5'4" and usually a size 4 on top).  Since it's so cropped and fitted, it would be challenging to wear anything thick and warm underneath the bomber (here I'm wearing Everlane's silk shell).  If you're wearing this in a colder climate then you would probably have to wear a thick jacket or coat on top of the bomber.

The silk that this bomber is made from is their 22mm georgette satin, so it has a heavier weight and more of a sheen than Grana's 14mm silk (this is my personal favorite of the two types of silk Grana offers).  This is the same silk used on their V-neck slip dress and their silk culottes.  Because of the silk material, this bomber is quite unstructured (especially compared to Everlane's bomber which was super structured since it had a light filler layer.  I personally prefer a more structured look to a bomber so I wasn't a fan of this look.  But on the plus side, the bomber is also lined with silk on the inside so you it does feel like you're wearing a kind of sumptuous kimono.

This silk bomber is probably best for those who live in warmer climates or as a substitute for a cardigan inside the office.  But true outerwear this is not.

But if you're interested you can find the Grana silk bomber here, and if you use this referral link you can get 10% off your first purchase.  And for all my other Grana reviews, click here.

{wearing: Grana silk bomber, Everlane pink silk shell (reviewed here), Everlane stretch ponte pants (reviewed here), M.Gemi Felize loafers (reviewed here), Valentino Glamlock bag}

Grana Review Chunky Rib Knit Merino Boyfriend Crew Neck Sweater

Every Fall/Winter I seem to have  sweater of the season.  Last year it was my gray Everlane cashmere crew neck.  This year it's this Grana chunky rib knit sweater in merino wool.  You know I'm already in love with Grana's merino wool (review of Grana merino wool cardigan and merino wool mock neck), but I have to say this is their best merino wool product yet.  And that's because this sweater is super thick and waffle knit, but they still use their super smooth and soft wool fibers.  There is 0% itch here.  I've been wearing it alone (and it's perfect for those high 50 to 60 degree weather) or under my Everlane anorak when it's raining or a bit chillier (that anorak is a beast at keeping in the warmth even though it's super thin).  (I recently just posted a pic on instagram of this combo-- I really love the similarity in color but difference in textures).  My outfits are almost boring because I've just been throwing this sweater on almost every day.  But even with almost constant wear, there has been zero pilling.  It's some kind of amazing magic lol.

As for sizing, I went with my usual rule of thumb for Grana: if it says "boyfriend" I get a small (if it doesn't I get a medium).  But you can also check their fit finder since they usually take thorough measurements of each garment (scroll down to the bottom of the pop out).  Also like almost all of Grana's sweaters, this one is also fairly long so I wear it with the bottom hem folded over like in the pictures above.

Anyway here are several more outfits with this sweater.   The one on the right is for the the review of Grana's cashmere joggers (spoiler: which are better than Everlane's cashmere sweatpants).  See, I have been pairing this sweater with almost everything.

Anyway if you want to get this sweater for yourself, you can use this referral link to get 10% off your first purchase or if you're a repeat buyer use the code ELAINExGRANA for 10% off (good til 12/31/16).   And you can find all my other Grana reviews here.

Grana Review Pima Slub V-Neck T-Shirt

I've had this Grana pima slub tee for awhile now but it somehow got lost in the mix of all the things I wanted to review.  If you've read my Grana pima cotton tee review, you know I love love love that tee (and I've purchased multiples of them).  And well, I like the pima slub tee but I wouldn't say love.

First off, I purchased this in a medium, like I do all of Grana's tees (for reference I'm usually a small in Everlane or a size 4 on top).  And I think the medium is the perfect fit since I like my tees on the looser side.  

So the reason I love the pima tees more than the pima slub tees is that the regular tees are just a lot thicker and seem more durable.  Also since the cotton material is thicker the regular tees are less likely to wrinkle.  The pima slub tends to wrinkle more and as you can see in the pics below, the collar sometimes crinkles up a bit.  But the pima tee does have more texture if that's your thing.  

As for me, I think I'll be sticking with the regular pima tees (in fact I'm slowly starting to get rid of my Everlane tees through slowre since I just find myself always reaching for my Grana tees more).  If you want a set of your own Grana tees, use this referral link to get 10% off your first purchase!