Thursday, February 19, 2009

J.Crew's Red Carpet Alert {part 2}

As mentioned in an earlier post (click here), Robin Roberts from ABC's Good Morning America is asking viewers to help her select one (of three) dresses to wear to the Academy Awards. "Thanks!" to FabulousFloridaMommy (in this post) who shared with us an article (click here) about Robin Roberts & her dress options for the big event. In particular, we learn more about the "Glowing Warmth in J.Crew's Coral Halter Gown of Silk Tricotine".

J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons is a fan of unexpected color combinations that offer designer style and design at friendly price points.

If Robin chooses the J.Crew gown, she will be the first to wear J.Crew on the red carpet, even though the company has a huge following, especially with first lady Michelle Obama, who wears the brand frequently.


Jenna's advice to Robin as she prepares for the red carpet: "People try to do everything -- the big hair, the big jewelry, the big necklace -- there's so much, and I feel like, to me, what always looks more beautiful is picking one -- so, pick a really vibrant color and let everything else be really simple. Or a big statement necklace and a simple dress. When people try to do everything, they wind up not looking as elegant."


I loved the dress in the sketches (click here). However, now that I see the dress on Robin Roberts, I am not so sure. Robin definitely rocks J.Crew's Coral Halter Gown Dress. But I like "Reem Acra's Cobalt Blue Goddess Dress" more on Robin. I think that the Goddess Dress is more flattering to her figure. :)

I also agree with Jenna Lyons' advice when it comes to choosing (1) simple accessories to go with a vibrant color dress or (2) a simple dress with a statement accessory. This way the overall outfit doesn't appear to be "too overwhelming".

Now that you have seen all three dresses, which one do you prefer on Robin Roberts? What were some of the reasons behind your selection? What are your thoughts on Jenna Lyons' advice (agree or disagree)?

70 comments:

  1. Oh, I do not agree at all. I think the Reem Acra is quite pretty but too girly and young for Robin. I seen Robin Roberts as strong, athletic and sexy and think that the other two dresses far more convey her personality. The Reem Acra is a pretty dress, the other two dresses are about the woman in them.

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  3. I like the blue and coral.

    It's the red carpet though, right? Isn't that the one place where you should wear all the jewels? I think Jenna is on the mark about looking more elegant with less for everyday women. However if Robin goes without standout earrings and a knockout necklace (and bracelets) she will look naked next to the rest of Hollywood. They don't have to be huge and gaudy either. She just looks like she needs something more. When in Rome after all!

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  4. I'll be watching. Can't wait to see it on TV.(JCrew on the red carpet) I LOVE the coral Halter on her. I seem to remember a review on this not to long ago by someone? Or a comment? It was in cream?? Neat dress! and great color. She has good shoulders for it.

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  5. Alexis, I agree that the Reem Acra looks beautiful on her, and I do love the J Crew color.... OH DECISIONS, DECISIONS! :)

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  6. The coral color looks fabulous with her skin tone. What a great body too!

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  7. I do not like any of them. All three have similar necklines. I don't think this type of neckline flatter Robin's neck+shoulder. Maybe it would be better for someone with narrower and round shoulder.

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  8. I like the dress in the sketch. Isn't that the orange one she has on in the picture? I think it brings out her beautiful skin tone. I think simple earrings, bracelet and purse is all she needs with the orange dress.

    The blue dress makes her hips look too pointy instead of nice round curves.

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  9. I like the Reem Acra dress the best. It looks better on her overall. She has a very beautiful athletic figure and I think the halter dresses emphasize her shoulders too much whereas the Reem Acra softens the shoulder area and makes her look more feminine. Of course, she would look great in any of them.

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  10. Considering the occasion, I'd vouch for J Mendel's dusty lavender piece. I think it suits her teh ebst. She needs more baubles, though!:)

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  11. Love the color and (Gracie) neckline of the jcrew gown, looks flattering on Robin. I think the Reem Acra is a close second-- I really like the color but not sure about this style of dress on RR... I agree with the first commenter (anon 8:02).

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  12. I think the style of the J.Crew dress looks the best on her, but it might be even better in the navy shade instead. ? I love that J. Crew is venturing onto the red carpet...I certainly love their dresses!

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  13. Definitely the JCrew gown! It is defintely the best color for her skin tone, that's the clincher.

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  14. What about the red carpet clashing with the coral gown? My eyes hurt just thinking about it! If I had other top designers dresses to chose from I WOULD NOT chose JCRew...that is for sure!

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  15. I know I am partial to J. Crew and all, but I really just think that dress looks so elegant and beautiful on her ... I hope she chooses the J. Crew.

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  16. Oh i LOVE the Coral Dress! sooo pretty! :) Looks great on her!

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  17. Site just updated for the day:)

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  18. I don't like the shape of this JCrew dress on her, but I love the color. I don't think it would clash with the red carpet too much. Plus, if she looks stunning in her dress, who's going to be looking down at a carpet?

    I like the shape of the blue JCrew dress she tried on in the pictures from the ABC article.

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  19. I like the Reem Acra. BUT she will pick JCREW because of the color for spring and fall. PLUS Michelle Obama wore JCREW a lot during the INauguration week. IF she picks REEM ACRA - perfect for fall. There's a lot of BLUE colors this NY fall 2009.

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  20. Soon to be PHD - Take a look at the pictures of the best dressed from any of the awards shows. Wesring a necklace, earrings and bracelet is just too too much. Usually the most stylish and best dressed women choose one or maybe two stand-out pieces to complement their outfits. Any of these dresses would be defeated by a necklace. The J. Crew dress deserves long earrings and a killer cuff, because of the simplicity of this dress, she could wear something with mulit-colored stones. The Reem Acra would be a dress for huge diamond studs and a beautiful bracelet. The J. Mendel would allow Robin to be a little more creative with her earrings, to balance everything going on with the waist and skirt of the dress.

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  21. I like Jcrew and all, but don't like this dress. It doesn't look coral to me, just orange. I think she would be making a big mistake picking the Jcrew, but I don't really like the other 2 very much either.

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  22. Lots of updates to the JC site but luckily nothing that I need or, gasp, even want.

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  23. I love the coral color of the J.Crew dress, it looks stunning on her! I also like the Reem Acra dress... however, it's just your basic blue! I think she should go with a color that is different, a standout, thay she can pull off beautifully! She does need some bling, though! :-)

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  24. Ooh, I saw something I wanted in the update, but I was the model of restraint! For today anyway. (:

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  25. paper bag princess,

    good for you! I broke down and bought a few things... now I feel dirty and am trying to justify it! "I need this clutch for the wedding... yeah..." :)

    I don't put much faith in my jcrew orders anymore, though, so who knows, the items may get canceled.

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  26. I'm with you, Slastena...I kinda like the lavender dress too! Both that one and the j.crew dress are gorgeous and do so much for the neckline, especially with her shapely shoulders. I'd go with either of those. The navy gown doesn't really suit her skin tone, imo.

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  27. Heather, I know what you mean about feeling 'dirty' after placing and order...I usually secretly hope that at least one thing gets cancelled! Is this a shopping addiction?

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  28. All are gorgeous, but I too have to go with the Reem Acra. It makes Robin look the most feminine.

    I love what the article said about Jenna being good with unexpected color combinations. That she is! Also, I really like her advice about what accessories to wear with bright colors and what to wear with neutrals.

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  29. Heather, in all my wheelings and dealings with JC I have never had an order cancelled on me! Knock on wood! I had an Anthro order cancelled on me last week...it was crappy because I wouldn't have placed the order at all for just the one thing. Totally not worth the shipping charge!

    Don't feel too bad, I'm sure you really DID need that clutch! (; My coveted item was Issy - which I am quite certain I don't ACTUALLY need.

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  30. I would have to say the J.Crew dress is my favorite. With no offense to other opinions, I'm not a fan of the lilac dress at all. I don't know why, but it just doesn't attract my eye the way the two bolder colors do. I love the neckline on the coral dress - it shows off her beautiful shoulders and arms and gives her an air of a strong and confident woman. As far as the accesories, I vote with Soon to be PhD. I totally agree with Jenna for real women in real life, but for a red carpet event, go GLAM!

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  31. I like the purple dress and I was not the model of restraint today. Snow Leopard cardigan finally popped back up again but it will probably be canceled so money will go right back into account:)

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  32. Paperbag Princess, I had two orders from Anthropologie get canceled in the last couple months too.

    In the 8 years I've been buying from them I've never had that happen! Granted one was a set of sale candles but the other was a brand new item and it hasn't come back in stock yet.

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  33. Not that I'm biased or anything, but I LOVE the coral color on Robin. It makes her skin glow and her face radiant. Plus the neckline on the JCrew dress enlongates her line and makes her look even taller & slimmer. She can glam it up even more with long earrings and a statement bracelet or two.

    The lavander is too saccharine (to use Jenna's word) for an an elegant woman like Robin (too many folds/pleats; color washes out her skin tone). The blue one, while it suits her coloring, has strong horizontal lines dominating the dress and visually makes her look shorter. Just my opinion; it'll be interesting to see what she picks.

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  34. OT...has anyone tried silk Fresco dress. Fabric (and price) are gorgeous, but the fit doesn't look great on the model. Not sure if I should risk Final Sale.

    Sorry if this is a duplicate. I thought I already posted, but I don't see my post anywhere.

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  35. Well, I think all of the dresses are gorgeous and gorgeous on her, but she really stands out in the JCrew dress. Jenna's advice about simplicity really works here.

    I like the JCrew dress because you notice her before you notice the dress and IMO, that means the dress is doing its job.

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  36. I don't like the blue dress. The halter cuts in a bad way around the shoulders and that's a bad contrast for the fullness of the skirt. Makes it look like she is trying to hide a lot and I think she has a great figure. The lavender would have been perfect in a deep berry color. I prefer the cut of the J Crew gown but I agree that the color may clash w/the red carpet. Duh.

    Jenna's hair looks good in the photo and I like the skirt & sequin top on her.

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  37. I think the J.Crew dress does the most for her, very pure and fresh.. the Reem Acra dress is too draped, she doesn't need all those drapes to hide anything.

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  38. On a different topic, anyone notice how tight Jenna's skirt is? This reminds of the post earlier this week about the models' clothes in REAL SIMPLE.

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  39. Jenna's pencil skirt looks perfectly normal,
    Majorie suede ballet flats in bronzed olive,
    panda bear!

    :)

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  40. I think Jenna is wearing the double serge in bronzed orche? If mine wasn't black you could probably see pulling too, because I went down a size. My regular size didn't do anything for my shape.

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  41. any comments on the giverney print bateau top? i see this is back in the final sale. thanks

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  42. For the occasion, I think the coral J. Crew number is perfect. Reem Acra's number is gorgeous, but it doesn't look "enough"... but maybe I'd change my mind and saw a bigger photo with more detail. But right now, the coral is my favorite.

    And I do agree with Jenna's advice to choose something at the focal point and let it shine.

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  43. The J.Crew dress definitely looks the best on her in terms of both color and cut! The other two are much less flattering.

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  44. I think Robin looks the best in the J Crew dress. She has a beautiful stong figure and this dress displays is beautifully. I also think the color is so perfect for her skin tone. Good luck Robin!

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  45. I don't like the color of the JC dress at all, the blue dress looks stunning on her.

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  46. I think the JCrew dress suits her best. She has a tall frame and her features are bit masculine strong (not in the negative way), so this dress plays on her positives. A big killer cuff with this dress would be great on her.

    The color is a bit too strong but it again suits her skin tone. Though, imo I would tone her the shade of that dress.

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  47. With Robin's golden skin tones, I think the J. Crew coral gown is the best option based upon the images online. The coral is simple yet a strong enough statement with Robin's hari that she is not overwhelmed. The purple has too much pleating detail. Robin has an athletic body that should be showcased not enrobed in fabric. The blue dress' halter style cuts across Robin's athletic shoulders taking the attention away from her arms, neck and face.

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  48. I actually really love the J.Crew dress on her.

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  49. I think the purple dress is the worst as the color seems to wash out her skintone, also way too many drapes/folding going on.

    The J Crew coral edges out the blue slightly. I think the cut on the neckline helps accentuate her beautiful (probably with tons of exercise) shoulders. The coral also suits her better.

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  50. Lavendar dress all the way! I hope she goes with that one:)

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  51. Heather- I received my FIRST EVER J.Crew order with the WRONG garment (a victoria cami intstead of a Harper sweater)-weird. AND, last week I received my first 'cancel' email. NO FUN!!!!!

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  52. sproutina,

    :( that sucks! I rarely had order issues until the new website roll out. Then, a bunch of long waiting times and cancellations.

    positive jcrew order stores in the good ol' days: Once, probably 10 years ago, they accidentally sent me 2 shirts instead of one (did not charge me twice, though); I gave the extra shirt to a friend. I had *great* turnaround on orders when I lived in VA (distribution center was only a couple hours away), sometimes 2 days after ordering I had a package on my doorstep.

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  53. er, stores = stories :P

    I think (I hope?) the order weirdness is subsiding. Seems like there have been fewer postings of misshaps... or maybe I've gotten used to hearing about them that it seems normal! :P

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  54. I love the purple and coral;

    I think that the shape of the coral is overly simple, but the color is gorgeous. And the lavender has the most beautiful draping. It will enhance Robin's sexy curves. But I'm sure whatever she picks, it will be a winner! ;)

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  55. has anyone tried on the new gateau skirt yet? i'm curious how it looks IRL. Any thoughts would be awesome! :)

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  56. My vote is on J. Crew's coral dress for Robin.

    OT: I got the dreaded Forbidden message today on the JC website for no apparent reason. My IP appears to be blocked. I saw others had it on the Friday, January 30, 2009 Seek & Find post and wonder if it was ever resolved for them. I phoned CS, who was no help, then emailed my IP info to JC and awaiting their reply.

    Not a very nice way to treat loyal non-celebrity customers J. Crew! :(

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  57. Sorry OT:
    But I got the best Jcrew deal for the month...When to my B&M store and checkout for sale not really planning to get something...but I saw the wendy chambray skirt on sale for $49.99, so I grabbed my size and straight to the register rang to $19.99 so to my surprise I told the SA to wait and I will grabbed the pink, white, and even the stripe....come home with 4 skirts for the price of one($79.50 orig price)...this skirt is really nice, i love it and happy with my purchased....good for spring/summer...

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  58. I love the coral color with Robin's skin tone. The dress is beautiful and I wonder which clutch she would choose with the dress. The lavender is lovely with the coral.

    OT - I just returned over $300 worth of items and I am done for a while. Nothing I even want and so many quality issues lately. I decided I am going to avoid purchasing J.Crew for a couple of months and buy myself an expensive dress handbag instead. I have my eye on one for $1500, which is about what I spend in two months at J.Crew. I feel I would get a lifetime of use (although not daily) from this dressy designer bag, which is worth more in the long run than a bunch of disposable, mediocre clothes. I really have soooo much stuff already and if J.Crew isn't going to step up their quality, style and fit then what is the point. Just look at the reviews on this blog lately. Most of it is negative and people are really dissatisfied, me included.

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  59. Anon @ 11:51 - I don't think Jenna's skirt is tight. It looks like she is wearing the double-serge pencil skirt in bronzed ochre. I have the skirt and it is loose on me but does tend to wrinkle in the lap a bit if you have to sit at your desk for hours. Jenna may also be standing with a wider stance, especially if she's moving around the studio and not "standing pretty" for a photo. I think her outfit looks great. She looks thoughtful and at ease. You can almost see the creative process working in her head. Although many of us likely dream of having her job and all the glamour it entails, rest assured that it is most definitely work and not a picnic. Not that it is a picnic for any of us, but I dress and groom meticulously but probably wouldn't look half as good in a work photo.

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  60. I like the blue dress and the JC dress. I don't like the lavender dress - it makes her look too pointy in the hips IMO.

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  61. All that I have to say is that Jenna Lyons pencil skirt is too tight!!!!

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  62. So, has she actually chosen the dress? Pardon my ignorance, or non-interest in the red carpet shows, but when will it air?

    TIA

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  63. Hands down the J Crew coral dress looks the best on Robin. Yes, she has a tall, athletic body, but she does have a beautiful women's silhouette. The neckline/halter style of the coral dress displays one her most beautiful features, the lean, model-like shoulders. Navy, ehhh, boring!. Lavender, don't care for the whole mermaid flap thing and I don't believe the color even comes close to complementing her gorgeous skin tone, like the coral dress does. I've watched her for years on GMA and to me her personality doesn't go with a navy or lavender dress. She's vibrant with an upbeat attitude. Since her bout with breast cancer, I can only picture her in one of these dresses: the coral one! She's like a phoenix, having just emerged from battle, all the more stunning and strong!

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  64. Just saw RR on TMZ, she's wearing the JCrew. It looks pretty on her, but I don't think it's really "enough" for the Oscars.

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  65. She is wearing the JCrew dress on the red carpet! I love the color on her!

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  66. Oh, she looks divine! Great color! It's simply accessorized, but she's an interviewer and isn't trying to compete with her interviewees.

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  67. Hooray! Robin chose J.Crew!

    All the dresses were pretty, but my mom always told me that you should wear your clothes, they should not wear you. The JCrew dress was the only one she really looked at ease wearing in the pre-Oscar pictures.

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  68. SHE IS WEARING THE J CREW DRESS!!! YEAH and she looks lovely.

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