Thursday, March 14, 2013

Leopard, lace and neutrals

Merino leopard cardigan (size medium):  J.Crew Factory, 2010
Lace & silk cami (size 6): J.Crew, 2010
No. 2 double serge wool pencil skirt in black (size 6): J.Crew, fall 2012
Black Garrah heels:  Banana Republic here
Look at me in another neutral outfit.  What is happening to the world as I know it?  I really wanted to pair something bright under this cardi but nothing looked right, and then I found this top in my closet and thought it was a good match!  I can't remember the name of this silk top from J.Crew, but I have it in this nude color as well as an olive moss color.  I probably wore each of them only one other time.  Such a waste!  It's quite an elegant little top so I will definitely try to get more use out of it.

I snagged this black wool pencil for $34.99 in-store the other day.  Really I can't believe how low in price the wool pencil skirts went this year.  They did not go that cheap last year, did they?  Nor did the Hacking Jacket get marked down as low last year compared to this year.  I'm not sure what that means for J.Crew.  I am happy to get good deals but I hope the quality doesn't go downhill.  Now I know a lot of people like to complain that the quality of J.Crew has already diminished quite a bit.  I can understand that argument,  however I still think the quality at J.Crew is better than at nearly any other retailer on that level.  But I hope the quality does not diminish any further.  I'd hate to see J.Crew start doing a lot of polyester tops, the way Banana Republic has, yet charge the same prices they used to charge for silk.  That is just so infuriating to me.  What is your opinion about quality and price?

Thanks for visiting!

11 comments:

  1. I'm quite new to J Crew, so can't really compare quality, but I have no issues with the items I own. Compared to the retailers in Australia, I'd say the quality and price are much better.
    I love the leopard with the silk top! Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh this outfit is lovely!
    I grabbed a red wool pencil skirt for 39... That's as good as I've gotten it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm jealous, I wanted the red one! My store was out of my size!

      Delete
  3. I completely agree with you on the comment regarding quality. Ten years ago, I was a big fan of Banana Republic and I shop there the most. I rarely shop there nowadays as I also notice their quality has diminished by a lot. Not only that, their styles are very plain nowadays, they've eliminated a lot of design detail to lower production cost. I really hope J Crew will stay the same and continue doing what they are doing. I really like your nude color lace J Crew top. It's one of those items that catches people's attention right away because it's so pretty. You should definitely wear it more often :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, it's been so disappointing watching Banana Republic go downhill over the last few years. However I still have a few basic items that I love from there, like their lightweight wool suiting, and their shoes.

      Delete
  4. The silk cami is called lisette cami and i own it in black:)


    ina in wonderland

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for posting about this! I just snagged one myself - what a great price. Silly question though - I've only ever had the pencil skirts in cotton...what's the right season to wear the wool ones in? Can we get away with them in spring or are they too "heavy"?
    Love the cami and cardi you paired it with.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good question Faith! I guess it depends on where you live. Here in southern Ohio I wear my wool pencil skirts until it feels too warm out...probably through March and I will wear my pink wool pencil even through April if it is still chilly! The black one and the gray one I will probably put away at the end of this month.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Jeannie! I am in Pittsburgh so not too far away. I was thinking end of March myself. :-)

      Delete