Thursday, August 7, 2014

J.Crew Declares: "This + that + this = genius outfit"

J.Crew sent out an email this morning that features an outfit that J.Crew proudly declares "genius".

The look even has its very own mathematically equation: "short cardigan + long shirt + short shorts = proportion play at its very best." Is it? Is it really?

The whole look seems sloppy. Now it might be the angle of the photo, but it all looks off. The shirt seems way too long for those shorts. People are going to think the model is wearing no pants at all. Well, if they are standing to the left of her anyways... ;) And the shorts are cuffed weird. It's folded twice at one point and only once on the side.

The outfit has promise, but it needs better execution. Just swap out the shorts for a pair of skinny jeans and leave the shirt alone.

I guess my main issue is that J.Crew stylists are not wowing me. They need to step up their game and offer truly genius outfits.

What are your thoughts on the look? Would you wear it as is? How would you wear the items shown above?

50 comments:

  1. Oh.Hell.No. Would not wear that "genius" look if they paid me. Someone please buy the J Crew stylist a hairbrush. Please.

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    1. Shopalot, that's Jenna's idea of things looking 'not too perfect'. Drives me nuts. At least this year the models are wearing makeup.

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  2. I like the cardigan....and that's about it. I certainly couldn't wear it to work, even on a casual Friday. Maybe we should play at re-styling the catalog for them, and then buy them a hairbrush. That could be why the models always seem sad :-)

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  3. For me, the extra long shirts wouldn't work due to my 5'2" height. Plus, call me old-fashioned but I like to tuck in my shirts. J. Crew is so on my nerves right now. Methinks my fall shopping sprees will be taking place elsewhere. And the whole no basics in the stores thang is insanity.

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  4. I love the cardigan, but it is the exact style they did that was called the schoolgirl (I think) for years before long ones became popular. I had about 10 that I threw away, and now they're back. The example of genius is just bad styling that no one would wear in real life. Maybe we should have a weekly thread on how to restyle the J. Crew styling.

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  5. First they need to check a reliable dictionary for the definition of "genius."

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    1. Doesn't genius always contain a hint of madness LOL!

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    2. Some say there is a correlation between genius and arrogance. Arrogance...(check). Still waiting to see genius.

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  6. i love j. crew, but i think i would never wear that. the proportions would look off on my 5'0" frame. maybe if they swapped the shorts for a pencil skirt.

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  7. It looks nice, if you are slender, flat chested and a certain height. This is really catering to the younger J.Crew girl. If I replicate that outfit, I would look sloppy because I'm 4'11 and a 36B! Haha...

    J.Crew has been hiring outside stylists (my guess). I follow a couple women on Instagram who are stylists, and one of the ladies happen to be a friend of my cousin. They go by, AndaMasha. I've seen their IG posts of them in photoshoots with J.Crew. They don't actually show the content of their work with J.Crew, but it makes me wonder how much of their influence is shown on these new styles that we've been seeing at J.Crew lately.

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  8. I agree with the Skinny Jeans in lieu of the shorts. If they want a destructed bottom then they could have chosen the Toothpick in Destructed Miller Wash. And the cardigan isn't really "short". It hits at the hip, as most of the cardis do. The long shirt gives the visual of the cardigan being short/cropped.

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    1. I am 5'5'' and a size large in J crew sweaters. I tried this new cardigan in store and I found it short. More high waist than hip on me........

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    2. It fit me just like the photo.....higher did feel kind of too short IMO

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  9. My first thought...Courting the younger shopper must be the "new black" because this would NEVER be my go-to outfit or my hair-goal for the day! I am definitely going for the shirt but must leave the shorts to someone else. It is cute for a college student but I could never show up at my daughter's school or the grocery store in this outfit even on a good day. Ha!!

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  10. Not only would I not wear this but to me it just makes no sense. A long sleeve shirt layered under a wool cardigan, with a pair of shorts...huh? If you live in the south (as I do) you can't wear that now and I wouldn't wear it in the winter.

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  11. It is awkward. As a woman in my early 40s, I consider myself to be a woman who enjoys classics and add a trendy item here and there. I have always loved J.Crew but come on - as many have mentioned: shorts (too short unless you are under 25), super long top and a cardigan when the heat factor is 95+. Yep, I will NOT be styling anything this way. Just saw BR website and Marissa Web is on there as creative director and the new items look fab!

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    1. I noticed Marissa Webb's header on their site too. Unfortunately she hasn't moved them away from the overwhelming polyester. Ugh.

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    2. I don't think Marissa's pieces are up yet. I think they're drawing interest by adding her name on now, given that she's officially the creative director. Her first pieces are supposed to come out next year, which makes sense given the ramp up time from design to production. So I'll hold out on judging the fabrics & the designs until then.

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    3. Good point, Gigi. I need to wait to give her some time to get things done. I have high hopes for her. The garments on the site now are appealing to me, just not the fabrics. All the mall retailers are doing it though. Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Banana Republic, there's a lot of crappy fabrics in pretty designs with big price tags.

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  12. I like it overall. Fresh take on proportions and lengths.

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    1. I like it too. I probably wouldn't wear it if the shirt were long enough to cover the shorts on me, though.

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  13. I like the look of it, but in reality I could never, ever wear it - and even though at 26, I still like to think I can get away with purposefully sloppy outfits like this. it's how I generally feel about madewell styling - I like the pieces separately, but the way they put them together would only work for probably a 22-year-old girl living in brooklyn off her parents' money or something. which, you know, I'm not.

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  14. I don't understand this at all. The half-tuck - is that so you can see from the back that she is, in fact, wearing shorts? Otherwise due to the length of the shirt it would look like she is a crazy person who has left the house sans pants. Do not like, J Crew. If this is genius I'll happily put on my dunce cap & go sit in the corner.

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  15. Yea, I've been waiting to see how the "longer shirt" trend was going to be styled. So far I don't it see it being pulled off as attractive. Not even with skinny jeans+long shirt, just looks like you are trying to hide your bum.

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  16. No, I would not wear that. Maybe with skinny jeans or leggings/tights, but not with shorts. I may be who they are trying to court with this look, but it doesn't work for me.

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  17. It's a mullet outfit! Business on the top, party on the bottom!!

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    1. Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. Jruby18 rofl!

      I'm wondering where she's going dressed like that. Or the better question might be where's she coming from...

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  18. I am in the minority with cmg and kinda dig the look. Gives me some thoughts on how to play with proportions, although I couldn't pull off this look (and never could, frankly). They are trying hard to make the endless shirt not look like an Eileen Fisher piece!

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    1. I like it too, but agree with JSR about it working for a younger, skinnier and flatter woman than me. On the right woman (girl) this could be cool, but for most of us it would be awful.

      I've always thought that J Crew focused way too much on shorts. I've never known who buys all the expensive Collection shorts that are brocade, jacquard, satin, leather and sequins (and sometime combinations of these!). It's fine to periodically offer "dress-up" shorts, but they seem to have way, way too many on offer (as the sale section will attest).

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  19. I don't care for this look. I have been eyeing the longer shirt styled on it's own. The problem is I cant figure out how to wear it. By the time you got out of the car, you'd be a wrinkled mess, so it's not work wear. How do you sit? Do you tuck it under you (more wrinkles) or do you flap it out behind you? As others have mentioned, it throws off outfit proportions so it's not particularly versatile. I liked it at first glance, it just doesn't seem wearable.

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    1. I agree. I feel like if I wore it, it would like like I had borrowed someone's shirt out of desperation having no other options. I am one of those who likes the basics with a twist which is what I feel like they are trying to accomplish. This one is just a miss for me.

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    2. I have seen it IRL and I love the cuffs !

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    3. I thought the shirt itself was great when I tried it on, but you make a good point about the shirt tail being a wrinkled mess. I thought it might be good with skinny jeans or the Minnies.

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  20. They are appealing to a younger audience -- If I were 10 years younger (more or less the age I was when I started to like J Crew), I would probably find this genius. I guess the brand is simply not growing old with me.

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  21. Marissa Webb's BR has launched!!

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  22. I ‘m curious about this shirt because I’m so tall and often shirts look like they shrunk in the wash on me. It does looks very wide on the model so it could be too overpowering. My hope is to pair it with a leather moto jacket or blazer and pixie pants or as Alexis suggested, with skinny jeans. I could see it peaking out below a big cozy over-sized sweater in the winter. I’d also try pairing it with a very fitted pencil skirt or experiment with creating a Comme des Garçon style minimal look with a long skirt and masculine shoes. I give J Crew credit for trying something new that could potentially work for many body types. That said, I think that tucking in half a shirt in is contrived, too fussy, and would drive me nuts.

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  23. Genius is definitely an exaggeration. Jcrew and jean shorts, not Dior.
    I wouldn't wear it because I couldn't pull it off. But the there is something about it that I can sort of appreciate. Also since I'm long-waisted and over 5'6, the sweater would be way too short....but it is a terrific shade of green.

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  24. the half untucked blouse looks sloppy and the length is really hard to pull off (maybe because from the back, you can't tell she's wearing shorts?)

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  25. I don't mind the shorter cardigan over the longer shirt, but it doesn't work with the half-tuck or the shorts. Leave the shirt untucked over a pair of leggings or skinny jeans and it could be pretty cute...even on women over the age of 40.

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  26. OT: There were a lot of new markdowns added to sale this week. I've noted them at the top of the J.Crew Promo-Priced Items & Markdowns list. See the List Here.

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  27. I am SO tired of the half-tuck!

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  28. I agree with cmg and ina- I LOVE this look. It's on trend and a fresh take on old boring classics. As for appealing to a younger crowd, I'm in my late 30s and i would wear this. I'm 5'3 and I own this long shirt in white and both stripe colors, it's absolutely stunning on and this is a fun additional way to style it. Everyone knows you can style it with skinny jeans or leggings....styling is about different ways of wearing something.

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  29. I immediately loved the endless shirt and have the white and navy striped waiting for me when I come home from vacation. Can't wait to try them on. I think they look fresh and new! Esoecially love the pic on the JC website where it is styled with a grey bermuda (collection). I can titally see myself wearing that with a slim cropped pant for the office

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  30. That look is a perfect opportunity for me to wake up. Not shower. Not run a comb through my hair. Wipe last night's makeup off with a tissue, put on shorts that would definitely highlight my fabulous cellulite-decorated thighs..but wait, I can always wear my S/O's dress shirt because it's long..so if the shorts are too short, I can take them off and wear the shirt as a dress--albiet it a short one. The sweater would definitely showcase my stretched-out belly from the pregnancies I've had and never bothered to excercise. Yeah. It's me alright!

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  31. I wanted a longer shirt last year (which I couldn't find for women), so I bought a men's striped shirt from Old Navy that looks just like the striped endless shirt. Gee, I had no idea I was ahead of the trend. :)

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