Tuesday, December 4, 2012

J.Crew Reviews: Collection Embellished Raglan Sweatshirt, Bow Collar Necklace

Intrigued by the idea of a sweatshirt with some sparkle, and appreciative of the fact that the sparkle wasn't smack-dab in the middle of the model's chest as usual, I decided to buy this sweatshirt when it rolled out on the J.Crew website last week.



Cute, right? I love the way that they styled it online, with jeans, white collared shirt, red flats and red lips. I thought it would be great to wear this sweatshirt to my friend's Christmas party, or maaaaaaybeeeee I could even get away with it to work with last year's Cafe Capris in Wool Check during the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve when everyone will be out on vacay.



My first impression from seeing it through the plastic was that the gray color was darker than pictured online, and less heathered in appearance. Once I had it on, I was disappointed in how short and boxy it was. I liked the weight of the shirt, but the cut just made me look thick.


Side view. Size M. The bottom sort of hangs straight down from my chest, and the sleeves are just a touch short, although not really enough to bother me.


I do love the placement of the beading and the open crewneck. I think that you could size down if your chest is on the small side, and you'd get a more fitted shirt with bracelet-length sleeves.


Close-up of the beading. The crystals are a smoky color, which gives them a more subtle antique look as opposed to stuck on with a Be-Dazzler. The knit could stand to be a little softer, and it would soften in the wash, but how many times are you going to risk washing the shirt, and how soft will it even get with a few light hand-washings? I'd hate to ruin the beading.


 Here's a color comparison with another J.Crew sweatshirt that I bought a few years ago - I think it's one of the Haya sweatshirts but I can't remember (ETA: silver_lining let me know that this is actually the Jaspe Boyfriend Sweatshirt from 2009).


 The Jaspe sweatshirt is one of my favorites, and after I changed into it to walk the dog I knew I'd be sending the Embellished Sweatshirt back. As you can see, a longer length, slimmer fit, and lighter weight is much more flattering on my figure. I'm a little bummed out, but I'm glad that I got to try it on in person.

To change the subject, I had a birthday in October and my awesome mother bought me the Tory Burch bracelet I had been coveting:

 Well, it arrived in the mail after a long backorder, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was a cheap piece of crap. It was about as heavy as a wad of tinfoil, and the hinge that allowed it to open and close over my wrist was set on an angle so that the fox's face was skewed to the right. It had cost my mother nearly $250.00 at retail plus tax and shipping, which was appalling to me once I saw it in person, so I said "Eff this!" and immediately called my mom who told me to ship it back. I'll think twice before ordering any Tory Burch jewelry again.

Mom suggested this necklace as a replacement after I pointed it out to her online:



 She said that it reminded her of a necklace that my grandmother used to wear in the 1950's (my grandmother later told me that her necklace was actually gold leaves with rhinestones, but the style was very similar to the Bow Collar Necklace). Mom was able to buy it on promo as well, making the total less than half of that overpriced bracelet.



 I LOVE it. It's the perfect counterpoint to some of my more tomboyish outfits, and also adds glitz to a simple solid-colored sheath dress. It's adjustable, so you can wear it sitting high over the collarbone...


...or dipped lower over the top of the chest, which is the perfect length to wear on the outside of a collared shirt. I wore it this way on Thanksgiving Day and got tons of compliments, so - in the end - I'm glad that the Fox Bracelet didn't work out after all!

Have you tried any of the items from J.Crew's most recent rollout? What hits or misses have you experienced lately?

12 comments:

  1. OMG! First, I love your blog! Second, I felt the exact same way about the Tory burch fox bracelet, I was sooooo disappointed when I got it. I only kept it because I used a bunch of Nordstrom notes to buy it. The bow necklace is stunning! Looks fabulous on you.

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    1. Thanks, AlyShops! I'm glad you got your fox bracelet for cheap, which is probably closer to how much the thing is worth irl. I am still floored by the original $200 price tag on that bracelet!

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  2. Hi Whitney - your sweatshirt is the original Jaspe boyfriend sweatshirt from I think 2009 (the Haya is kind of bumpy on the 'wrong' side, and also doesn't hold up to washing as well). I have the same one and it is fantastic. The longer cut is so flattering. I am so sick of these boxy cuts that do my figure no favors, not to mention the totally deceiving website images. Thanks for the review!

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    1. YES! Thank you, silver_lining! Whenever I wear my old J.Crew stuff, I just shake my head in wonder at some of their more recent design decisions. What are they thinking???

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  3. What is with the boxy silhouettes lately? I wonder if the pattern cutting is easier and cheaper with a straight shape. Sure doesn't do a figure any favors. I love those old jaspe sweatshirts too, although one of mine developed holes in the elbow pretty quickly but the other has held up really well.

    I bet the bow necklace looked amazing peeking out from the collar of your shirt. It sits very nicely on your neck with just the right amount of sparkle and shine.

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    1. Thanks, xoxo! I'm sure that all of the boxiness has something to do with maximizing profit and productivity, etc., which is fine for business, but women generally don't want to buy clothing that makes them look thick and dumpy. They'll stop buying the clothes, and that's bad for business, haha. Or maybe Gayle decided that "BOXY SHIRTS ARE SEXY LIKE BARE ANKLES IN WINTER!" In which case, shut up, Gayle.

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  4. I saw that jeweled sweatshirt in the store the other day and was instantly intrigued, but I didn't even bother trying it on because I looked at the jewels and thought they weren't going to stay on if I bought it. That boxy silhoutte wouldn't have done anything for me anyway. Too bad!

    OMG, I coveted that Tory Burch fox bracelet but didn't like the price tag. How disappointing that it was not made so well. :(
    I'm glad you were able to find some other piece of jewelry to love.

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  5. Thanks, fshnonmymind! It was definitely the shape of the sweatshirt that was a major miss for me. The quality was good, all of the beads were sewn on tightly and they look really pretty. Is it worth the full price of $148? I don't think so. After seeing it in person I wouldn't pay full price, even if the fit was better.

    If I saw that Fox Bangle at Target, I'd price it at $29.99 and not a penny more. SO overpriced.

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  6. I didn't think I'd like this bedazzled sweatshirt and your pics back that up. It's such an odd place to put the jewels. Around the underarm? They're desperate. I agree the boxy cuts are awful. And they are pausing for long periods of time on the sale rack.

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    1. I actually liked where they put the jewels since it was different, but the boxiness was definitely what killed it for me.

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  7. Thanks for your review of the bow collar necklace! I bought it after seeing your review. It's lovely!

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