"Thanks!" to many of you, who shared the following email from J.Crew.The email features J.Crew's Toothpick jean in garment-dyed twill (item 62443; $108.00). J.Crew mentions that "The talk-of-the-town toothpick gets a jolt of color (and an instant update) in a rainbow range of twill colors, each carefully garment-dyed for a pitch-perfect hue."
Brightly colored pants are everywhere! It is Spring's must have now. But the question is: how do you style them? For example, I got a pair of red pants that I have some trouble wearing. I either look too patriotic (with a white tee and navy blazer), Holidays (with green), or Mickey Mouse (with the white tee and black blazer). I end up just wearing a solid black top and call it a day.
What are your thoughts on the colors? Do you think you will try the trend? Please share! :)
I love the colors, especially the cobalt! BUT I absolutely cannot wear toothpicks - I wish they came in the matchstick or bootcut. Even my size 2 daughter cannot wear the toothpicks - if you have any kind of muscular calf from running or working out the toothpicks are just not an option. The manager of my local JCrew is a size 2 and has the same issues with the toothpick - she is hoping the colors will also be coming out in the matchstick :)
ReplyDeleteI actually am wearing my red J. Brand twill jeans to work today (they are very similar to the colored toothpicks)! I paired them with a chambray shirt and the navy/cream-colored Piers stripe sweatshirt over that. For shoes, I am wearing bone-colored Calvin Klein pumps. I also like wearing my camel-colored Tippi sweater with the red jeans. I put a white oxford underneath and pair it with either the bone-colored pumps or my bone-colored Tory Burch flats. Another option I like is to wear my grey JC merino-wool boyfriend sweatshirt--or my grey schoolboy blazer with a white JC v-neck tee. For shoes, I wear a pair of silver-colored Calvin Klein pumps. HTH!
ReplyDeleteI just got an email from J Crew - Get private access to our most special Collection asking if I wanted to signup for pre-order on J Crew collection Spring/Summer 2012. What the heck...might be nice to see what they have so I did. You can also send to 3 friends. I did not however get an email about the toothpicks...maybe because me and toothpicks not a great combination.
ReplyDeleteTry a leopard top. I love Leah styling tips too
ReplyDeleteI love the color, just not sure how they'd look on me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leah, for all the styling tips.
Hi Alexis! I've mentioned in the past how much I love my red JBrand skinnies, and here are some examples of how I've worn them.
ReplyDeleteRed skinnies paired with:
-Selvedge chambray button-down, leopard belt, penny loafers.
-Red and white striped tank, off-white military-esque cardi w/ brass buttons, MacAlister Wedges.
-Classic Blue and White striped Perfect shirt tied at the waist, silver metallic belt and Jack Rogers sandals.
-Striped bateau neck tees in black/white, navy/white, yellow/white and either ballet flats or penny loafers.
I love the combination of red, white, and navy together - to heck with anybody who makes snide flag-related comments. I think that as long as one keeps the look classic and a little bit tomboy, one can avoid looking like somebody's mom at a 4th of July BBQ.
I just don't like this trend. At all. I will be thrilled when it goes away. Brightly colored skintight pants can look too young or just plain bad. I prefer the brightly colored trousers, although even those are hard for me to wear (The forlorn pair of wool cafe capris in yacht blue hanging in my closet with the tags on can speak to this). I'd rather just wear bright tops/shoes/purses/belts/skirts/anything but pants!
ReplyDeleteHi, alexis! I was gifted a pair of bright red cords, so I sympathize with the styling dilemma. (1) with patchwork tweed blazer that includes lots of brown/camel and red/brown tweed patches, camel or cream shirt; (2) with black/red striped blouse, black cardi; (3) with grays; (4) with - of all things! - long-sleeved deep purple tee and glitter belt! And of course chambray shirt and navy or gray jacket.
ReplyDeleteHTH!
With brightly colored pants (since I have a pair of red cords from GAP for the last few years), you'll want to keep the top neutral. I usually reach for a Chambray top, actually. With a white button up, reach for a brown twill. Taupes and browns can really anchor and lessen the impact of red-pants. Since there's some talk that animal prints are effectively a neutral; they work too.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanna be nutty - check http://colorschemedesigner.com/ the color wheel. Berry colors might also work with, say, Red pants.
The spring forecast is brightly-colored, flowered and bold-patterned pants - I'm seeing polka dot denim resurface after a few sightings in 2010. I'm sure these will appeal to many but I just can't, or won't do it.
ReplyDeleteI have the cherry blossom capris that J.Crew issued a few years ago. I fell in love with the gorgeous print in beautiful colors but I have worn them exactly once, with a white tee. Maybe they will get their second wear this summer, or maybe I'll let them go to a good home where they will be loved and worn. Unfortunately, this trend is just not "me". For those who love it, enjoy! There should be a smorgasboard of options this year.
JCrewJD,
ReplyDeleteTotally am with you on this trend! I was shopping with my daughter this weekend and we had a blast picking out light aqua and cobalt jeans for her. Reminded when I was 12 and had colored jeans. Also reminded me that I do not want to partake in this trend:)
I think you can tone down a lot of brights by pairing them with navy, camel or black (I prefer navy myself). But I probably won't be indulging in this trend. Toothpicks are very iffy on me since I carry all my extra weight in my haunches (argh). So I will just watch admiringly from the sidelines! :)
ReplyDeleteHmmmm....I would say not a huge fan. However, over the weekend I tried on a pair (the lighter pink) and I liked them on me. But, when I tried the darker color pink, not so good. Super tight and yet they were the same size. The SA told me the lighter colored are looser while the darker, tighter. Anyway, I did purchase the lighter colored pink because I thought it would be a nice change for spring time weekends and what not. But, no way for the blue or yellow and green...they are just too hard for me to pull off. I will post a pick on my blog of the pink later today (www.vivalabeagle.blogspot.com).
ReplyDeleteI also have the Cherry Blossom capris and have also worn them once. They are so cute, but for some reason, I feel too showy in them even w/a toned down plain tee. I also had and returned red skinnies b/c I just felt they were too bright. However, I LOVE the bright blue skinnies. And got compliments when I wore them. I did it w/a black cardi and black boots w/the jeans tucked in. I just got a super cute loose grey top that looks fab w/them and same w/a white loose top as well. For some reason, the bright blue doesn't seem as "out there" to me. I'm in my 40's so I gotta keep it real, kwim? LOL!
ReplyDeletePass for me. I'm still sitting on two pairs of nwt overdyed cropped matchsticks in citron and aloe from '08!
ReplyDeleteI just can't do this trend. Love how it looks on others, but at 37 I can't help but feeling like it may be a bit young for me. Also, they aren't the most flattering on me. Even though I'm a size 27 or 28,I have pretty muscular thighs from running and I feel like the brights draw attention to them. Darker denim is definitely my friend! I'll stick with the brights near my face. As we get older, isn't it a rule that we need brighter tones near our face? That's what my mother always said...ha!
ReplyDeleteI did try the bright papaya ones on the weekend. They are much brighter IRL than in the website photo. I will have photos later this week on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI like some of the colors but found the JCrew version to be very unflattering on me. I have skinny legs and no butt(my issues are eleswhere,lol) and these looked horrible even still. Hats off to you ladies who can pull these off. They are cute. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI've said this in the other post, colored jeans look good only on certain body type and you have to style it right to avoid looking cheap/ridiculous. I am just too old for this trend.
ReplyDeleteBut I do love the green 5 chino shorts! May have to try it on to decide...
I weighed 85 lbs soaking wet when this trend was last in. Looking at you, jr high school! I was still in the girls dept, so no jr denim for me. Now I'm on the higher end of my weight and not feeling skinnies like I did in the past. I ended up w/Not Your Daughters jeans in cobalt & red for $40/ea from Nordstrom. They're fitted, but not skinny and try to hold things in for you.
ReplyDeleteOT..but really on topic because sale is always of interest...called a local store for something and was told it's 50% off the sale section.
Oh, was also told sale is shipping out at the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen to those sad, shopworn sweaters?
Will they be added to the sale section?
Will we see the sale section numbers skyrocket? Odd popbacks some will take a chance on, hoping they will ship?
As The Crewniverse turns...
Yes, gigiofca--Isn't that great?! I just scored a down puffer coat for my two year old at Crewcuts, and it was 50 percent off in store. I got it for $34!
ReplyDeleteAlso, to chime in again about toothpick/age issue: I sometimes worry that I'm a little old for the colored denim (I'm 40), but I think that if it's the right fit--and styled appropriately--it can really look nice. I don't feel that my colored denim is all that different (in style) than the bistretch wool minnies (which I have in redwood and peacock).
I just do not have the legs for bright, look-at-me skinny pants, as much as I like the look of them. And like JCrewJD, I feel I'm probably a bit too old to pull off that trend. I bought the Yacht Blue Cafe Capris in the fall and have worn them exactly 3 times -- part of the reason is the bright colour just isn't "me". Heck, I still have a pair of terra-cotta coloured Waverly chinos from last spring that I'm still getting used to.
ReplyDeleteBright skirts are SO much easier to pull off than pants.
Clicquot, I agree about skirts. I have about 10 bright skirts and I wear them all the time. In fact, I am wearing a fresh plum skirt today! For some reason, it's just so much easier!
ReplyDeleteOT - Just got the February catalog... don't know if it is a geographical thing (or my thing) but I'm LOVING the catalog.... even the crewcuts! I could easily drop a few thousand, if I had it :))The shoes, handbags, etc... OH MY! Hoping the quality is on par with the design/color...
ReplyDeleteOn topic... I think I am feeling old... I am in my young 40's and do wear colored jeans.. not the way my younger sisters do... I think I guess you wear what you are comfortable in :)
It's great to hear that they are actually offering 50% off sale merchandise now. We all know it should have been done a LONG time ago, so it's nice to see they have finally realized it, too. Perhaps if they would return to higher quality items and lower their starting prices again, they wouldn't end up having so much sale stock to unload.
ReplyDeleteI am a BIG fan of the colored denim. I got on the trend last year when it started with a raspberry pink and cobalt skinny jeans from ASOS. (By the way, I'm pretty sure they still have them and they are only $50 and awesome!) I have new bright yellow toothpicks from JCrew actually to replace my bright yellow bootcut jeans I got from JCrew in 2008.
ReplyDeleteI'm 33, so I do try to keep the top more conservative, not trendy, so I don't look like I'm trying to be 16. Agree that blacks, grays, camel, navy are good to balance out. Be careful with white, sometime that is almost too much of a contrast in my opinion. Colors in the same family also can work well.
That said, I'm a big bright colors person anyway, so it is more natural for me to gravitate toward these. To each her own, right. :)
i prefer my jcrew kelly green matchstick cords from 2008.
ReplyDeleteI think the green paired with the red sweather is atrocious. As I mention in my post about it here: http://nycandparis.blogspot.com/2012/01/whats-up-with-j-crew-santas-elves.html
ReplyDeleteSantas elves called and they want their clothing back...
Cliquot and JCrewJD, ITA! I wear a lot of colorful skirts but I just can't do these tight bright pants that hug every curve, whether minis, toothpicks or whatever. I turned 26 last month and I'm in decent shape but I still feel like it is a trend best left for teens and tweens.
ReplyDeleteJMHO. I agree that people should wear what they love and what looks good but when you are wearing something that makes you uncomfortable, that is obvious and unflattering too.
So, am I too old to wear the cobalt skinnies? I'm in my 40's but feel like the cobalt is at least a little more toned down for the trend than say red or neon. I dunno. I wear it w/such subdued neutral tops that I hope it looks cute and not like I'm trying to be younger than I am. I also like the skinny look b/c my tummy is an issue and I always wear a longer top to cover the trouble area, so I think it works for me. *shrugs*
ReplyDeletexoxo, I had no idea we are the same age. You come across so mature and smart and wordly, lol! That is a compliment...
ReplyDeleteJRuby18, if you love them and they look good, then go for it! I think the cobalt is less... loud, because I mean, yes it is bright blue, but jeans are blue too. It isn't quite the same is wearing a neon color. ITA with you there.
And I totally am with you on the skinnies + longer top look. It is one of my favorites and it always makes me feel better when I am feeling less than wonderful about my body.
Thank you SO much everyone for your styling tips on red pants!!! I have literally copied and pasted everyone's comments so I know how to change it up next time I wear them. If only I brought this question up sooner- you guys gave me so many ideas that I did not even think of. THANK YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteLeah: So many great tips!!! Love the chambray shirt and striped sweater combo!!! I will be wearing that tomorrow!!!
CCA: Good idea about the leopoard top!
Whitney: Amazing list of ideas!!! I also love the look of red pants, white tee and blue blazer. I see other bloggers pull it off without looking nautical or patriotic- so I have to see how they do it. :)
WellFedFred: So many great choices!!! I love the grey idea.
Di: Love the white button up and brown twill combo. I think that would look really sharp!
Alexis, I dropped you an email about something going on with J.Crew Collection for Spring. Take a look.
ReplyDeleteAngie's Closet: Thank you so much! I just created a new post with the news you shared. :)
ReplyDeleteI love colored denim, but don't have any yet. I do have colored pants and capris, but no denim.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, I have styled my red cafe trouser with gray, navy, teal, ivory, and chambray so far. I have a light blue sweater that I like with it, but haven't worn yet.
Wow, what great conversations in this post! I agree that the blue or cobalt colored pants/denim are much easier to pull-off and look good in than the bright ones. I think it is just that blue is really a very neutral color. I love my light blue wool cafe capri pants despite my age and always get many compliments on them. But, you have to feel comfortable or it is just too stressful and not worth it!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA well, we all know how I feel about brightly-colored pants. And I'm 24! I still think they're just terrible, a trend I can't wait for to disappear. If you're wacky enough to pull them off, go nuts.
ReplyDeleteMcshoppy- I'm glad you analysed that as I can't wear the toothpick either and I'm a string bean. I can bear tight thighs, but not tight calves!
ReplyDeleteAlexis ...a nice outfit w/grey, blue & red denim on on The Working Closet on FB.
ReplyDeleteJ.CrewJD, thanks for the compliment. I work virtually with a lot of people and they always think I'm older until we meet face to face. It's probably because I'm so opinionated and bossy. Ha!
ReplyDelete