A Lesson: The Bright Pink J.Crew Suit - YouLookFab Forum

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A Lesson: The Bright Pink J.Crew Suit

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

It's GORGEOUS. If you like brights, the depth of the pink is sublime. The fit is fabulous on a straighter figure once you get the sizes right - runs big. The gold buttons are wonderfully retro. A happy, festive and beautiful outfit.

I fell in love with the NYFW version of the suit - see pic - which is why I ordered it for my holiday look this year. (Going more casual, maximal and want separates).

But the suit went back.

Despite the bright colour, and the bling and heels that I could add to the outfit - it still felt too Tomboy for this leg of my style journey. The breast pockets and patch pockets on the blazer remind me too much of my school uniform (which I wore for 12 years). Something can look fabulous in the mirror, but just. not. feel. right.

The point of this is to encourage you all to LISTEN TO YOUR FEELINGS. Don't take the emotion out of your style.

And on that note, I do hope that someone else will love this suit and commit to it.

1

J.Crew 'Rhodes' Italian Wool Blazer

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5

J.Crew 'Rhodes' Italian Wool Pants (Regular & Petite)

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30 replies

Latest reply was from

Anonymous

Your ability to resist items that aren't quite right is amazing! I am slowly leaning not to settle, but it is hard. Thanks for sharing your thought processes.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I love this suit! That's too bad that it didn't work for you, but wonderful that you are so in tune with your style that you can identify what doesn't feel right, and not make the mistake of keeping it.

I have the blazer (and love it, it fits perfectly) but not the pants. Hopefully they will come back in my size and I can try them.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks, zoiechic. You're sweet.

Yay, Karie. I HOPE you get the suit so that I can enjoy it on you. It's DIVINE.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

A great reminder Angie, thank you. I agree with xoiechic, your ability to resist really is amazing. Perhaps a bit easier for you, given you spend your entire life around clothes, and therefore are more likely to come across that perfect thing, than perhaps for those of us living in a place with limited choices. But regardless... the choice may be less for some, but that doesn't mean we have to settle. It just means we have less choices.

Style Fan

Veteran

Great lesson Angie. I am learning not to settle. I will eventually find the perfect item that I am looking for.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Good strategy, Style Fan.

You're dead right, Elizabeth. This is what I do, so I'm practiced at it - and I'm spoiled for choice and opportunity. Something else perfect will turn up at some point. I also relax into it, which keeps things fun.

JAileen

Veteran

It's hard to imagine a hot pink blazer not being femine enough! But I know from experience that the details definitely matter. It's a good thing you realized it before you wore it. I sometimes don't.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Thank you for sharing your experience. Sometimes the reasons that you pass on something are more interesting and insightful to me than the reasons you like an item.

How did that J Crew lady day coat in walnut work out for you, btw?

Chris987

Veteran

What terrific advice. If it just does not feel right, then don't keep it. So simple yet sometimes so hard to do. I am getting better at this but it still can take me a few weeks from "think I like it" to "doesn't feel right so return it". Thanks goodness for good return policies. I do think the few weeks is gradually shrinking to a shorter interval.

Thanks for sharing this Angie, it's such a FAB reminder. I especially like your statement that "Something else perfect will turn up at some point. I also relax into it, which keeps things fun." To me this has to with trusting that things will work out...a great lesson for all parts of life, not just fashion!

Mirjana

Veteran

Yes you are absolutely right about school uniform, you laughed me with that. The color is very nice what a pity?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

JAIleen, I KNOW. The details of the blazer are just too masculine for me right now (especially without my wavy hair). The suit would have been MORE than perfect 2 years ago, in my Tomboy phase.

Lisa, YES. It’s often more interesting why we send something back despite it being fabulous. The walnut coat was a great fit and looked lovely, but the colour was blah on me. Not rich enough for my Nordic complexion.

Chris, I get it. There is a fine line between not feeling right in something, and persevering to snap out of a rut, or moving beyond your comfort zone so that your style evolves. It DOES get easier with practice.

Mirjana, high five.

Joyce B

Veteran

That's a beautiful suit but you were right about returning it if it did not make you happy.
The breast pocket would also be a turnoff for me, come to think of it, my school uniform blazer also had a breast pocket. I can still feel like I am wearing it when I think about it, with the gold buttons and all.
It's good to hear that the pants are for a straighter figure so I will cross them out of my list.
Are most JCrew pants best for straighter figures?

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, that's interesting. That's a hard one to overcome but so important to having style. I mean, I remember saying when I started here how I had all these one off outfits but a dysfunctional wardrobe. And that was true. A lot of them, maybe most of them, weren't me. Each one was a sidetrip...but when every one is a side trip, you're a style vagabond!

unfrumped

Veteran

Excellent advice!
Also I am very susceptible to falling for color and I have to really scrutinize the other aspects.
I recently ordered an AT burgundy blazer and was so hopeful because of the color and also a bit of length. But it had strangely large patch pockets and was actually too long as well. Looking back, I can see that the stock photo should have tipped me off, but the color....!
This is not as good an example as if it had looked great somehow but was just not my style, but still it felt good to exercise my " focus muscles" and send it back. Blazers need to be both less masculine and have pretty perfect proportions, and also I know I prefer to have some jackets that are not- blazer styles to keep up the juxtaposition with the rest of the outfit.
Even when able to try things in real stores it is sometimes hard to keep this all in play in the fitting room, and of course the lighting is terrible!

Eliza

Veteran

Appreciate the description of your thought process, Angie. The devil is in the details and there are so many aspects of a piece that must combine to form sublime. I have recently rejected some gorgeous jackets with patch pockets; prefer cleaner, more refined lines these days, too. I wish you a wonderful holiday outfit in a color and fabrication that makes you smile.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Angie, I am so sorry it did not work!!

But I so admire your focus and I love the way you listen to your feelings. This is so important and so helpful to hear.

The blazer is on its way to me as I type...I hope I don't have to send it back as I ordered from the US (and that is a bear to deal with...) BUT -- if I must return, I must. I wasn't able to get the trousers anyway (at least so far). And to be honest I am not sure I want the jacket apart from those. Which is strange. Since if I like the jacket I expect I'd wear it on its own quite a lot more than I would wear it with the pants. (And I'd wear them on their own as well.)

I'll keep you posted on this.

Karie, so glad the jacket is making you happy.

Bijou

Veteran

I love picture 1 as a suit - it is beautiful. It is an interesting observation about the style of jacket, because I realise that I unconsciously steer away from jackets with front pockets probably because they are similar to my old school uniform style.

Marilyn

Veteran

Another great lesson. I've gotten so much better at this. BUT, it's still difficult. Being petite and in Canada limits my choices. I'm learning to be patient and not to settle.

Windchime

Veteran

Thank you for posting your experience with the J Crew suit. It's good to be reminded every so often to listen to our feelings about outfits and to not settle. It seems so basic, but it can get obscured by many things--how something looks on someone else, a good sale, feeling like we've shopped long enough and it's time to buy, a friend complimenting how something looks, and on and on!

Joy

Veteran

Thank you for emphasizing that emotional response to an outfit matters. I have been a slow learner to have PPP, but would not go buy a single piece that I have returned because something was off. Something else always comes along. I need reminders of this.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

This is interesting news! I'm sort of having the opposite experience today. Items that I was going to get rid of, I tried them with things I'd never considered before and surprise surprise they are working. Of course, I do not hold myself to the standards that you hold yourself to.
I think I'd be naked.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I so admire that you are able to see all the virtues of the suit and still recognize it is not right for you. Wisdom in a (pink) nutshell!

Ginger

Veteran

This is SO interesting, Angie. I admit I'm astonished you sent it back! I would have thought the color would "drown out" any other influence you would have felt, as long as the fit was correct. Thank you so much for explaining your reasoning. (As well as acknowledging all your opportunities to find other brilliant options.)

It is so hard not to settle! This is a very inspiring example. I need to keep this in mind as I shop.

Tanya

Veteran

You are such an inspiration, Angie! I really appreciate you explaining your thought process in detail and encouraging us not to settle.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Well, the pants just came back in stock at Nordstrom in my size, and I quickly hit the "order" button. I hope they fit me as well as the blazer does (which I already have). Keep your fingers crossed!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

It's so interesting to hear why you liked the suit and then why it didn't work out for you. You have a well developed sense of your own style. I do pretty well overall at buying things I'll actually wear, but I still end up guessing wrong more often than I'd like.

DonnaF

Veteran

So interesting and that you are able to deconstruct your emotions. I'm still a work in progress. . .I think I've finally figured out that I much prefer a combo of masculine and feminine elements in footwear and in each garment more than a mix of masculine and feminine in an outfit. It means I've rejected a lot of comfy oxfords for my fussy feet.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

These words right here. "Something can look fabulous in the mirror, but just. not. feel. right."

Such a true statement to me.

I've been there often. It. Is a beautiful fit. You recognized that it was not right for you at this time but you still shared.

Keep the joy and connectedness to who you are in fashion at this time. Love it.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for sharing this, Angie. I had bought some Cole Haan OTK boots at NAS, but even after trying them on several times, I felt ho-hum—aside from the OTK aspect, they were too classical for my style (heel shape, etc.). They looked fantastic on me, but my heart just wasn't in it. So back they went.

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