a shirt for all seasons - sowing and harvesting included.

I popped onto the Rock Center J.Crew just now - you know, the one with the Crewhenge where arbitrary and capricious gods accept tribute? Today there was a cute little Farmer's Market going on outside the store. No, Dear Leader doesn't care if we eat veggies and organic baked goods as long as we don't spend so much on food and accessories that there's nothing left for him. The farmers' market is one of the projects of New York City Greenmarkets. The location is purely coincidental.

Why did I say coincidental? Because when I tore myself away from the perspiring vegetables, and turned to wander among the striped shirts and floral print and shiny miniskirts, what to my wondering eyes did appear? a shirt for Mrs. Greenjeans, and very expensive, too, as harvest festival gear goes.
So that's what it looks like in the catalogue and on the website. In those colors I kinda like it. Gray jacket, dark jeans? Probably we'll see it styled with tartans before long, but for the present, ok as is.


It looked very different in real life. Much, much more vivid, and the mismatched prints weren't whimsical, but actually clashed. And while the peacock feather and flower designs were fine, the green blobs reminded me of the drawings of one-celled animals we had to make in 9th grade Biology.

I didn't take any other pictures, there wasn't anything that screamed for attention. It was lunch hour in a busy commercial area, and the store was almost empty. I did notice a distressing symptom, a few things had ruffles.
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21 comments:

  1. WendyMcLeodMacKnightJuly 24, 2013 at 3:20 PM

    uh oh! ruffles...

    I had a "gee that looks cute!" for about 5 seconds when I clicked on it and went "uh oh.."

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 5:47 PM

      I was eager to see it in person, and then disappointed. I also thought it needed ironing, with a lot of Fabric Finish (the product formerly known as spray starch).

      uh oh! was exactly what I thought.

      Delete
  2. Blue BoobyJuly 24, 2013 at 3:53 PM

    Wow! Curious to see how that sells and who ends up getting and loving it.

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 5:48 PM

      didn't I just read that some major museum or other is doing a Laura Ashley retrospective? Maybe this is a trend, and I failed to forecast it.

      Delete
  3. shopalotJuly 24, 2013 at 4:05 PM

    Kind of ashamed to admit I like it. Saw in person this afternoon. Would never pay that price, though.

    My store was nearly empty, too. Lunch hour, gorgeous day outside, tourists everywhere, just not in J Crew! The SA was trying to convince me to buy the new graphic tees -- "they're flying out of here". Yeah, no. I like them. I just don't $45 like them and I'm positive I have something similar at home from a few years back.

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 5:44 PM

      hi, shopalot, I still like the idea of it, and I think I'd love it in a slightly more subdued palette.

      Things do not fly at JCrew. Period.

      Delete
  4. cateJuly 24, 2013 at 5:58 PM

    It might be just the thing to wear while driving the Station Car out to check on the crops? lol!!! I'm sure someone can make that shirt work, I'm just laughing at your description. You always entertain.

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 8:43 PM

      well, we said gooobye to the Station Car and its trusty starter long ago, a fatal symptom was when I had to keep pot holders in the glovebox to deal with its temperamental radiator. But I have always fancied the idea of a teeny tractor, with patchwork upholstery. Do tractors have upholstery?

      Delete
  5. Raina CoxJuly 24, 2013 at 6:09 PM

    I wonder if 47 spins through the rinse cycle and a good week or so in the sun wouldn't make that shirt a great deal more tolerable.

    Eh, probably not.

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  6. RoseJuly 24, 2013 at 6:15 PM

    This reminds me of some quilting projects I saw many years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LaneJuly 24, 2013 at 7:14 PM

    I may be the most farmer-like and I would not wear this. My old wardrobe could be donated to the LA retrospective; wait, I already did.

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 9:07 PM

      mine are gone, too. there was a black velvet thing that was surprisingly wicked and sexy....

      Delete
  8. ruthJuly 24, 2013 at 7:34 PM

    That is just silly.
    I think the design team at J Crew has had too much sun this year... or whisky sours.
    Half of the new releases on the website look as if someone has designed them after a very looooong lunch, or as a bit of a joke.

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    1. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 9:00 PM

      there's a lot of repetition, I agree. The Rock Center store is one where you walk in and keep going back, no wandering around like, say, the Anthro model. I went all the way back, and but for the absence of neons and oranges, you wouldn't know there had been a new rollout.

      Delete
  9. xoxoJuly 24, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    That shirt looks rather goofy to me. Glad you aren't drunk on crewlade today. I am actually considering the Lace-front sweatshirt. Any thoughts on that one, anyone?

    I haven't bought anything from J.Crew in a while, maybe it's time to give them another try. Nothing other than the sweatshirt made my list.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. shopalotJuly 24, 2013 at 8:43 PM

      xoxo, I thought the lace front sweatshirt was lovely. It is not short and boxy like the eyelet front sweatshirt. If J Crew was offering a full price promo, that sweatshirt would have come home with me today.

      Delete
    2. wellfedfredJuly 24, 2013 at 9:12 PM

      hi, xoxo, I didn't notice it, I'm sorry. I did like the geometric eyelet tee, will wait for promo.

      Delete
  10. Pat OlskiJuly 25, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    I thought the lace front sweatshirt was pretty, too. I agree with you about the shirt WFF- heinous. I saw a few items in store I liked, but not at full price, and not now. I noticed the ruffles, and the encroaching return everywhere of skin tone shades. Eek.

    ReplyDelete
  11. xoxoJuly 25, 2013 at 9:21 AM

    Thanks for chiming in on the lace front sweatshirt. I have ordered it.

    ReplyDelete

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