Thursday, August 17, 2017

JCA "Help Style Me!" Weekly Post

This is the weekly "Help Style Me!" post, where we can share items we are having trouble putting outfits together with. Elaine (in this post) says it best, "You know, that thing you bought because you love it and you keep pulling it out and then putting it away without wearing it?"

Please share your J.Crew item (either that you own or are thinking about getting) that you would love help creating an outfit with.

Also, please help out by offering your styling advice. Feel free to include links to your blog (where you incorporated that piece) or to Polyvore (where you showcased an outfit with that piece). Thanks in advance! :)

32 comments:

  1. Does anyone have any experience with Cuyana? I really need some updated basics and I see a lot of beautiful natural fibers and leathers on their site.

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    1. I have the bomber jacket and it's gorgeous. Well made, has held up perfectly, the fit is nice. One of my favorite wardrobe items.

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    2. Cuyana is pricey but worth it, IME. I have a couple of their alpaca pieces (scarf & cape) that still look new after several years. Same with a wool-cashmere sweater from a couple of years ago. I also have their wool bomber from this spring, love but haven't worn enough yet to speak to long-term durability. Sizing runs smaller than JC and the like. I'm usually a P00/xxs in mall brands, and Cuyana's smallest size (usually xs) is very fitted on me. CS is great at providing actual garment measurements.

      I also have one of their classic totes in navy. Buttery soft leather and very strong seams, but the color is starting to wear off on corner after a year or so. I'm hard on bags, so YMMV.

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    3. Thanks, ladies, very helpful! That bomber jacket is beautiful. I'm looking for "fewer, better" and this brand is on my radar.

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  2. Off topic, but Madewell is offering 15% off for Insiders. Their is no promo code, the percentage is taken off in your cart. This runs from now until the 21st I think.

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    1. On the off-topic, has any Madewell Insider with an August birthday received their "birthday gift"? Is it a code?

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    2. Yes -- a code for $25 off, e-mailed Aug. 1. Can't be combined with other promos, though, including the 15% off that's currently running.

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    3. I'm slightly amused because I also have a 20% off coupon that runs through the 29th. Of course, you can't stack them, but it's nice to have both.

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    4. Thanks, cobalt! Bummer that it can't be combined with the 15%.

      Happy August birthdays, all! : )

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    5. On the topic of Madewell, has anyone tried the Slim Straight (William Wash) or Short Cali Demi-Boot Jeans: Asymmetrical Hem Edition jeans or the Side-Zip Bomber Jacket?

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    6. Thanks for pointing that out! I can't find anything to buy at Madewell right now, unfortunately. I don't need one more pair of jeans or else I'd use it on those.

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    7. @friendlyfemme, are you sure you cannot stack them? I just stacked a 20% off code this past Monday.

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  3. I shared a styling idea for an outfit I wore last fall, and will be wearing again this fall here on my blog.

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  4. Hello ladies! What is the difference between vibrant flame versus neon persimmon? Do any of you have a picture of the two colors side by side? Thank you.

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  5. Has anyone tried the colorblock waxed jacket? I really like the swing style but there are no reviews and it could be a huge miss.

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  6. Sorry to be OT today. Article today over at Man Repeller (maybe someone can link) that despite Jenna leaving, J. Crew is still really good. Some fans of the current, ruffle OTS styles in the comments, too. Lots of Zara references/comparisons.

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    1. Let's see if my link works:

      http://www.manrepeller.com/2017/08/jcrew-back-to-school-clothes.html

      I haven't read the article yet, but I'm actually really glad to hear other customers are happy with their offerings. I want them to survive and I'm willing to wait out some of these trendy pieces.

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    2. I've been waiting out the trendy pieces since they started adding jewels onto all their clothes a few years ago. I don't understand what they've been doing lately. There are basics (which I don't need) and there are ruffled/one-sleeved/ots/embellished/crittered/etc tops. J. Crew has forsaken all middle ground and I can't find a thing to buy there any more.

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    4. Cate, I think you've summed it up perfectly. J Crew is chasing the Zara crowd, and it's apparently a big crowd given the number of retailers pushing the fast trends. That lovely middle ground for well designed, updated styles in the colors and prints they do so well has shrunk to nothing.

      At the same time, the quality of the basics that are the workhorses of my wardrobe - cashmere, Schoolboys, coats, silk/cotton perfect shirts, fabulous bottoms like the Cafe Capri - have tanked so badly in quality that I have been forced to look elsewhere.

      There's not much for me to buy, either. One OTS and one ruffled top was all I wanted.

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  7. If J Crew is going to chase Zara, I'm going to shop elsewhere.

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  9. OT but this seemed to be the article link thread this week. I've seen a few interesting articles recently about a fashion forecasting organisation called WSGN. The most recent article was in the Economist.https://www.economist.com/news/business/21725599-technology-may-be-disrupting-peculiar-business-can-data-predict-fashion-trends
    I'd been wondering what kind of group think ivory tower bubble jcrew and other designers were locked up in this year with the proliferation of cold shoulder, OTS and now one armed OTS showing up in rollout after rollout. Do any of them work in an air con office, or ride transit to work? How can I layer a blazer over one armed cold shoulder top with ruffles? This shadowy "fashion forecasting" organisation may well be to blame for designer group think. Apparently they scour the world, scrape Instagram hashtags and pictures "cool hunting" and looking for trends. They then publish a trend forecast book and even fabric, colour samples for their retail clients. Designers can minimize rollout roulette by keeping in line with a broad interpretation of the trend book. Some big name retailers subscribe - WGSN - check it out!. Sounds like the Pantone of the fashion world. Sadly they do not seem to have got around to gathering feedback yet from this blog or multi repeats on OTS,bigger and bigger ruffles and one arm gingham bandits would have vanished. So all the stories about JCrew going to mills and fabric archives in Italy to source their prints may be just copywriter fantasy and WGSN trend analysis at work. I feel duped!

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    1. Hi GoWest - can't wait to read this! I will say, there's nothing "wear now, wear later" about the cold shoulder/OTS/and one armed OTS looks. JC used to do this a lot in the past - but year, there's no wearing these to work for most people, or layering a cardigan/blazer over them when it gets cool out. Also, the designs are so distinctive that I don't feel I could wear any of those tops more than once or I'd be "the girl that always wear that gingham one-shoulder ruffle top with one long sleeve". ; ) Too costly for disposable fashion. I'll be back after I read the article - interested in what the JCA's think. Thanks for sharing!

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    2. World Global Style Network. Wgsn. I think I reversed the letters in some part of my original comment. The Economist article references trend forecasting in their discussion of whether AI will be a new fashion disrupter. This article link is a bit more specific about wgsn work. Apparently they also make design templates!!! So a brand can take say a ots shirt template and add their own design embelleshments. Fast fashion!!
      http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-trend-forecast/.

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    3. Thanks @gowest, so very interesting!! Hadn't given much thought to how big data & analytics influence the fashion industry till I read this.

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  10. Love this post! Such great style tips if you're looking to revamp your wardrobe. Graphic Design Templates
    #StyleMe #JCrewAficionada

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  11. This is a great article! I love how you've highlighted different pieces from J.Crew and provided style tips for each one. I'm definitely going to take your advice for my next outfit! Convert JPEG To PNG Online

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  12. The blog post "JCA Help Style Me Weekly Post" offers style inspiration and guidance. A valuable resource for fashionistas seeking fresh outfit ideas. Get to know more about: free linkedin post scheduler.

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