16.6.10

The Jumpsuit Crisis

With so many of my regular TV programs off the air for the summer, I find myself watching shows like The Bachelorette with more interest than I might otherwise. Although, bachelorette Ali might be cute as a button, it seems fashion is not exactly her forte. Tuning in this past Monday, I found myself almost enjoying critiquing her appearance on multiple occasions through out the two hour time block. Yet, questions like Why would she pick that dress? and observations like Those pants look terrible with her body shape! paled into comparison to her cocktail party attire and my resultant: Is she REALLY wearing a jumpsuit right now?!

Yes, I am a mean girl; that question is (perhaps fortunately) not up for debate in this particular post. What is debatable, however, is the jumpsuit issue. It seems that what I attributed to a bad shopping choice from the likes of Bebe (whether it was purchased by Ali or The Bachelorette's producers is beside the point) might actually be more "fashionable" (gag!) than I realized. Lured to the J. Crew website earlier today by an email in my inbox announcing the last day of free shipping on their summer sale, I clicked on the link for "pants" with the hope that my pretty little plaid pants might have been marked down since last week. Sadly, that was not the case, but while perusing the styles that were marked down, I found: A JUMPSUIT?! Really, J. Crew?


The J. Crew website describes their Slub Cotton Jumpsuit as the outfit where "cozy meets cool." Debatable. However, I must admit, the jumpsuit look has seen far more longevity than I ever thought possible! When I attended a trend screening hosted by the Fashion Group International almost two years ago, jumpsuits were the hot forecasted trend, and I remember thinking, NO WAY will I be caught dead in that look! Seasons later, the jumpsuit is refusing to die, but I can affirm that I have maintained my resolution. Yet, I have to admit that J. Crew makes this look just a tiny bit tempting, with their interpretation of what I previously considered a fashion monstrosity. The clever J. Crew stylists have matched their "wear-it-anywhere slub cotton jumpsuit" with a business-chic striped oxford, a cluster of bejewelled statement necklaces, and floral-adorned nude sandals. The kicker is their model's "effortlessly" tussled Blake Lively-esque hair. Clearly, we're dealing with professionals here who know exactly how to market to the career woman who refuses to give up her penchant for fashion, even at the office.

What's more, in their description of this item, they suggest wearing "a sparkly top underneath and flip-flops on your feet," calling it "the jumpsuit for the girl who doesn't wear jumpsuits." Well, as the girl who indeed doesn't wear jumpsuits, does that mean this is the jumpsuit for me?! My entire style equilibrium has been shaken to the core, and were I not sporting a baby bump that doesn't lend itself well to the jumpsuit silhouette, I might be tempted to give it a try. I mean, it is on sale...

Clearly, I need your feedback, my dearest fashionista friends. As always, feel free to post your comments or send me an email. I mean, we are in a crisis situation here!



Image: Slub Cotton Jumpsuit in dark pewter, on sale for $49.99 from J. Crew (www.jcrew.com).

4 comments:

  1. Don't do it! For me, besides just the weirdness of the jumpsuit, the deal-breaker is the difficulty in going to the bathroom. It's summer, it's hot, you're drinking water all day. This can't be convenient.

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  2. Good point! I didn't consider the logistical issues like trips to the bathroom. I like my fashion to be user-friendly!

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  3. This weekend spotted 3 jumpsuits at a Seattle summer festival. Not hot! I'm not sure what a "flattering" jumpsuit fit would look like, but on the Seattle streets these were epic failures in my book. One girl, after sitting on the grass, looked as though she pooed her jumpsuit due to unfortunate fabric stretch.

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  4. You make a good point as far as the real-life translation of the jumpsuit look. I admit, I'm totally captivated by this business chic jumpsuit on the pages of the J. Crew catalog, but if wearing it out and about will make me look like I had an accident... Clearly a fashion DON'T! Thanks for looking out for me! ;) xo

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