Friday, September 26, 2008

Questionable Items Of The Week: The Lucido Coat and PatchWork Suit

There were some great suggestions for a "Questionable Item of the Week" post that I just had to use! :)

Lucido Coat
Click here for product page
Item 96559
Regular: $1,800.00

Auryane (in the post "J.Crew Wedding & Parties Get's Updated!") suggested this "lovely" coat and commented how it "looks like a shinny, too-big raincoat". I could not agree more! ;) First, I generally l-o-v-e J.Crew coats and jackets- I think they the most stylish and classic pieces. However, this jacket is a total "bust" for me. I mean I loathe it: (1) I do not like the "Generous A-line fit" (which is way too generous!); (2) I despise the elbow sleeves (which makes even the gorgeous model look like she has weird arms); (3) I don't think the "shiny Italian patent leather" brown works, let alone warrants the $1,800 price tag!

Patchwork Sportcoat
Click here for product page
Item 97061
Regular $595.00





Classic-Fit Wool-Cord Patchwork Pant
Click here for product page
Item 96068
Regular $298.00

Heather
(in the "J.Crew Website Updated {yey!}" post) suggested the Men's patchwork sportcoat and matching pants to the "ugly list" and I agree with her on this outfit. I just don't think the patchwork suit concept is a "classic" one. ;) Even though I appreciate that "each patch is hand-placed for exclusive, one-of-a-kind patterns", this outfit is a total "pass" for me. I don't think that this suit is worth the $900 price tag. In fact, if I saw someone wearing this I would think they got the suit from a tag sale or from their grandparent's attic. (Sorry J.Crew! But I think you other suits- like the solid Classic-fit wool herringbone suit- are so much better!) :)

What do you think? Do you think I am being overly critical about these items? Do you think these items are worth the price tag? Will you purchase any of the items featured here? If you already own them, please let us know what you think. :)

37 comments:

  1. This coat is the color of poo poo. Ugh.

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  2. The Lucinda coat looks like something a butcher would wear to cut up a carcass. YUCK!
    The patchwork suit - OMG, is just ugly. If I were approached by a guy wearing that suit in a bar, I would most definitely run in the opposite direction.

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  4. I've been loathing their patchwork suits for awhile now. You'd think they'd learned to stop producing them. I mean tradition is a great thing, but you have to leave the patchwork behind & get with the times.

    As for the Lucido coat, you know you're in trouble when the sweater in the pic is outshining the coat. Not to mention how uncomfortable the model looks.

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  5. The suit looks like something a kid would wear on Halloween to dress as a hobo. As a history professor, it also conjurs up unfortunate images of vaudeville and bad clowns for me.

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  6. Agreed completely on the coat! I adore every one of my J.Crew coats and jackets -- especially the luxurious cashmere blend ones -- and this just perplexes me. I simply cannot understand the need to create something so ugly and then to slap everyone in the face by charging so much for it.

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  7. This is what J.Crew considers *high end*? These items are just really, really bad, IMHO. :)

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  8. I thought the lucido looked like a raincoat too! I didn't like the layered look they portrayed in the model.

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  9. You are spot on with these two. Definite "what were they thinking" pieces?

    Crew_girl_in_Canada is right with her comment that the Lucinda looks like something a butcher would wear... but it also sort of looks like a carcass itself! gah.

    That suit... can you imagine paying that kind of cash to look like a hobo?

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  10. I too received the 20% off sale items email. Unfortunately the site is once again showing, "be back soon.." Ugh!

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  11. I can't get on the site either! I've been trying for a couple of hours. I was barely able to get in through a back door address just to pay be J.Crew credit card, but I haven't been able to get on the main site. So tragic, because a lot of my favorite pieces are now on sale!

    We all love you J.Crew, but these website malfunctions have been going on for too many months now. Can you please just fix it already?

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  12. Patchwork ... mmm ... you know the patchwork vest isn't too bad. I'm not saying I'll be sporting it anytime soon, but it isn't nearly as questionalbe as the pants or coat.

    Funny but when I was growing up patched clothing was what we did because we were tight and needed to make our money go further. Is that the look J.Crew is going for?

    OT, I received my serpa hoodie in dark bark and love it. It is incredibly soft and warm. Much nicer than the patchwork items.

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  13. Yes, the site is down and I really wanted to buy a thing or two....my first thought on this suit is HOBO...great for Halloween.....

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  14. LOL--all of your comments are SPOT ON and DAMN funny:)

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  15. I agree with ffm is this is upscale fashion I am not interested.

    J Crew Guy in Canada: How did you get the order so fast?

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  16. These are both terrible and overpriced. bleh!

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  17. jcrew guy in canada,

    I agree that the patchwork vest isn't as bad as the pants and jacket. It's like having a patchwork hat or belt-- small, but interesting enough to notice.

    I think they have tried to sell the patchwork pants for women before too, but always in that pink madras (also in skirt and shorts). Never anything this bland + crazy.

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  18. You guys crack me up! Going with the majority on this, both are "leave it" for me.
    BTW, place a HUGE order this morning for sale stuff and found out most of it was canceled :-(

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  19. Everyone: I love reading your comments! :)

    Heather & JCrew Guy In Canada: I have to admit, the patchwork vest doesn't seem that bad to me. Actually, it comes across as an interesting piece. Probably for the reason Heather mentioned, that it is a small focal piece of an outfit (and not the entire outfit). ;)

    Montrose: I am sad to hear that most of your items ordered this morning got canceled. :(

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  20. ffm: I guess the crew thinks "high-end" and "tacky" are synonymous! :O

    However, I would LOVE to meet the one lady out there who bought this! :)

    YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!

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  21. I have yet to encounter anyone wearing any patchwork item from J.Crew - face it they're just plain UGLY. I'm more interested to see how low they have to price it as a sale item before they get rid of them. J.Crew couldn't pay me to wear the coat or pants and together would be an invitation for ridicule or worse......

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  22. montrose,

    Sorry to hear that. 2 of 4 of my items were cancelled yesterday. :(
    I was going to try and order more stuff this morning (xmas gifts), but I'm glad I didn't because the website is down again, and who knows if things are actually available!

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  23. Yikes - checkout the Fine lambswool patchwork cardigan $298.00 item 98554

    Stop the madness J.Crew!

    http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Feature_Assortment/NewArrivals/sweaters/PRDOVR~98554/98554.jsp

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  24. When I look at the patchwork suit, it reminds me of my old boss, who would break out bright red plaid for the annual Christmas party. He would alternate the pants or the jacket each year. I lived in fear of the year he would wear both. Luckily, I left before that occurred. Like the red plaid, the pieces are obnoxious enough separately and combining them should be a crime against nature.

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  25. Casual crew: I am magic and things just strangely appear at my door, but seriously it was shipped express and free too due to previous troubles I have had. If I was paying for shipping it would be the usual wait time.

    I've had a long day with too many painful, boring meetings, I'm off for a berr or two. Enjoy thw weekend.

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  26. haha...I think Molly said it best a couple weeks ago when she called it the "serial killer jacket" :) It's terrible. I think the only way someone would ever buy this is for a conversation piece so others would know this person had enough $$ to spend $1800 on it.

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  27. i've been watching "what not to wear" lately, and there is just no way that they would condone these items. i admire j.crew for being a little risky, but the leather jacket and patched pants are just not wearable to the average american. perhaps they'll be big sellers, though...to the right crowd. ?

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  28. These are definite "leave them." All i can say is "quelle horreur!" I would like to add the Indigo patchwork-print sportcoat to the questionable items list also. Not to be excluded. :)

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  29. Only less that 1% of people in the world can make that patchwork suit look good.

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  30. jay krue: And half of those people are dead.

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  31. The patchwork is truly hideous. The coat is not quite that bad, maybe the layered look makes it look worse, but certainly overpriced.

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  32. The Lucinda coat is definitely one of those "what were they thinking???!!" items. While Jcrew has a few wonderful collection pieces, for the most part, they forget that sometimes, just sometimes, if certain style/cut hasn't been done before...maybe it's because the other designers decided that it was too ugly to be sold. *grins* Just something to keep in mind.

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  33. Sometimes you have to wonder if the "collection" is just the pile of designs that collected in the reject pile over the years.

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  34. Add the "school-of-fish" necklace that (I am just seeing for the first time) from final sale to the list of kindegarten art projects:) Do you think anyone paid $55 for this piece of twine and 3 plastic fish?? LOL

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  35. The coat is horrid. A big shiny poo. Blech.

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  36. J Crew,
    leave "high fashion" to high fashion designers and create more beautiful non "high fashion" items for your loyal customers :)

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