I have zero desire to get dressed up...so here I am, in pjs, no makeup, CW is asleep, posting on something extremely unimportant. ;) Oh, well, I guess we all get to take a break sometime!
This is a J. Crew Collection item called the "Pippa" jacket. I love the name Pippa, it reminds me of a girl who would be so much fun to hang out with, she would have curly red hair, and she could drink every single guy under the table even though she is only 5'3" and 110 pounds. So how does J. Crew immortalize her name? With this atrocity (my apologies if you own this jacket).
It sold originally for $1800 and is made of calf-hair. Some poor calf lost its life to create this jacket. Wow.
One thing that bothers me more than anything about this article of clothing...it looks nothing like J. Crew or J. Crew collection. It has the air of a couture Italian piece, but who in the United States and Canada (main purchasers of J. Crew) is going to buy this jacket? The people who shop at J. Crew are not avant-garde to this extent. It is one thing to create a sublime overcoat in a shimmery-grey fabric (the luscious stormy tweed Lille--which I own) and ask people to buy it for hundreds of dollars (which I did not--scored on sale for a fraction of its original cost) for it, but it is another to think the people who shop at J. Crew (even those willing to spend more on the Collection) are going to get something that looks NOTHING like the rest of what of your other clothing looks like. ABSURDITY!
The model sure is trying her best to look pretty in it, but while her face is amazing, the jacket (even on miss skinny) looks ill-fitting through the shoulders and the calf-hair looks shiny...which disturbs me (I am not sure why). Plus styling this with an orange turtleneck and a green skirt is like saying..."hey, you there, yes, you, in IRELAND...here are your colors, do you want to buy this?" I think that this could have been saved (maybe, big MAYBE) if the jacket fit, if the colors used with this were more muted (that jacket cannot compete with other things), then I could possibly see spending (wait for it)...$500. That's it.
The whole reason I posted this is because this was back on the website last weekend (2/21 and 2/22) and they were attempting to sell it at the bargain rate of $1300. Guess what? Still for sale, in a size 4. Here you go (if you want to see for yourself): http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/jacketsouterwear/jacketsouterwear/PRDOVR~86099/86099.jsp
By the way, the LA Times mentioned this coat in their post on their blog. Seems they agree with my sentiments. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2008/03/when-did-jcrew.html
13 comments:
Unbelievable. In 100% agreement with you. Yikes!
Hi, HeidiG: I am glad I am not alone in cyber-space on a Saturday night! :) I take it you won't be purchasing the lovely pippa?
Wow, I can just use my Lenten shopping ban. But uhhhh, that would be a DEFINITE negative.
Seriously, if it doesn't look good on the styled, pinned, photoshopped model, how can anyone possibly expect it to look good on them!!
Also - do we have any new info about a DC JCA get-together? Haven't seen any chatter about it lately.
Hmm...maybe all the DC JCAs will comment on this and we can start another "night out" right here. I think there was some buzz over at Slastena's blog, but it has fizzled (or not...who knows). I will check my e-mail to make sure there hasn't been a message. If you want, I will post at your blog if I hear of something...so we can get your e-mail and get you involved!
:)
Thanks again, Dina. My email is heidigant at verizon.net
This jacket is just awful. Jenna Lyons needs to tone down the "weird-quirky" factor and just do the "refined-unique" thing. We all would be much happier, and the baby calves would still be alive to be made into gorgeous J. Crew shoes instead.
Wish I were a DC JCA. :) Sadly, I live in Connecticut (and Boston-ish) where I haven't found too many JCAs (odd, since we're all about the preppy up here).
I have yet to fully understand why anyone from JCrew would approve this coat for production. It is hideous and the color is awful. I can't imagine spending that much money on one item anyway!
Everytime I see that coat I wonder just what they were thinking. They need to take that coat and turn it into a purse.
Heidi G: I will let you know if I hear anything! :)
KatyO.: You crack me up...turn the baby calves into shoes! Funny. I wonder if Jenna was responsible for this? It was an item from Spring 2008, so I would guess so...but I know very little about her and her tenure at J. Crew.
It is too bad you live up north...or else you would have to come hang with us! That would be awesome. I wonder why J. Crew is such a hit in the DC area? Maybe because Lynchburg (where the distribution center is located) is down the road a bit? I never have packages take more than two business days to get to me...hmmm.
Gwen: I am with you...hideous all around, price, look, fit, buttons, you name it! :)
Anon at 9:35: Sounds like you and KatyO. should collaborate--shoes and a purse! ;)
This item was horribly styled which definitely affects my opinion of the jacket. J. Crew usually styles to the t!
Limegreen Lover (I love limegreen, too): You are so right...their styling is impeccable. Often I have a hard time replicating it because it is so well-done.
My son (in all of his terrible twos) could have put together a better look than this "perfect storm" of bad styling. :)
Sometimes, makes me wonder- who comes up witn those items:Pippa, Lucido, bug pins?:)) Agree, it is an "unusual"piece, to pout it mildly.:)
Slastena: Hmm...maybe a new grad of a fashion institute? I found I was more willing to be daring and fresh earlier on in my career as a teacher. Now I try to make my lessons as interesting as possible but keeping them within the confines of "classic" teaching philosophies. :)
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