Review: J.Crew Pencil Skirt in Wool Crepe.

     Almost two months ago, I received a 20% off coupon in my inbox from J.Crew. How often does that happen? Like, almost never. I couldn't pass the opportunity up even though I shouldn't have been buying anything in the first place.  I ended up getting this Pencil Skirt in wool crepe:

     What I *really* wanted was the double-serge skirt (last year's version in 00P fit me perfectly) but for $96 after sale, the price was still too steep for my bank account. I'm a little obsessed with non-neutral colored skirts, so at the time I thought that it would be a good compromise. The fact that it's wool crepe also means that it could be suitable for all-season wear, as opposed to the double-serge skirt which is a much thicker, and heavier material that can only be worn in cooler months.

   After I made the purchase, I started to have second thoughts. I'm not sure what it looks like on your screen, but the from the photo above, the color ("decadent red") looks like it's on the verge of being a bit "pastel-like". For me, this is a problem because I really dislike matching pastel-y colors with bolder colors like black and other deep jewel tones which makes up most of my closet--I find it too sharp and odd of a contrast. On the other hand, I was going though the J.Crew website and found this dress also in decadent red which looks like a much bolder red:

    See the difference? It's quite subtle, but the fact that it's a richer red actually means I could wear black  and other darker colors with it. Anyway, this skirt went on backorder and for a few months I've just been hoping that when it finally comes, the color is as bold as the dress...and of course, that it fits. When I opened the package, it was...orange:

     The actual color is more like the dress rather than the skirt--more of a reddish-orange. But being orange actually wasn't a problem--the color is actually quite beautiful. In fact, even the fit wasn't a problem. Despite the fact that the skirt was a little too short for my personal preference, it actually fit well in waist and hips in 00P (keep in mind I carry most of my weight in my middle and my hips are very narrow). What I didn't like was the quality of the material. *Very* unhappy. The wool seemed like it was something that would come from H&M. It was thin and flimsy and if not for the lining underneath, I would imagine that it would be see-through. Some may like this super lightweight wool material for summer months, but I am not a fan, especially for the price. The regular price is $98 and I purchased it with a 20% discount and cashback. So *not* worth it, IMO. I'm going to wait on the double-serge wool skirts. Extremely unhappy J.Crew!

    I'm currently in Toronto AGAIN, for another wedding. Except this time, I'll be hanging around for a while because I have some very big exams to write in early October (one of the many reasons why my blog has slowed down to about one post a week).  I have a few posts in my backlog, but it's not a lot, so either (1) this will become more of a "lifestyle" blog rather than a "style" blog for the next three weeks, or (2) I may disappear for a little bit, but hopefully not for long.