STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Meow · Coach

I need your BRUTALLY honest opinions

Collette · Chanel

I think you ought to wait a few months and see if you still want it as much. By that time it should be on sale or there will likley be cheaper alternatives out there. $400 is not alot to spend on a jacket, it is alot to spend on a jacket you could only wear with one outfit. For that price you should be able to wear it a TON. Think it over.

poptart · Coach

Well, I can't believe I am saying this (I am normally fairly frugal) but I think you should get it. It sounds like you do a really good job of budgeting and keeping your purchases in check, and you've obviously thought about it and really love it. I think everyone should make one really big clothing purchase in their life (at least) to see if it is worth it to own something crazy expensive that you "

." If it is, then great! If it's not worth it, there's no real harm done, right? Unless you're really not in a position to spend the money, it's not like you're making a horrible mistake, I wouldn't think. Truly - you should get it.

Oh, and it's quite lovely!

erin · Chanel

i think it's a wonderful jacket, but i would probably wait another month and see if any lookalikes crop up.

Christine · Coach

Ok, here's my honest opinion. Because you LOVE this jacket so much, and cannot stop thinking about it, I think you should get it. I don't think you will ever regret the purchase because you covet it so much, even though you will only wear it with one outfit. Besides, I'm sure once you have it, you can think of tons of other outfits to make with it. It seems like a versatile piece of clothing that can be mixed and matched with a ton of things.

The only exception is if you can think of something else that the $400 should be going to, like if you need more $ in your savings acct or if you want to save up for a nice vacation. Otherwise, I say go for it.....you'll feel great every time you put it on!

halleybird · Hermes

It's a beautiful jacket, and if you had a big budget, I'd say go for it. But since you don't, I'd pass...it doesn't seem like that original of a piece. Have you checked out these lookalikes at Nordstrom?

http://store.nordstrom.com/product/product.asp?styleid=2863059&category=2376776~2374327~2374375~2381291&PrevStyleID=2866145&NextStyleID=2870033

http://store.nordstrom.com/product/product.asp?StyleID=2869924&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=velvet+jacket+%3E+In+All+Categories

ILoveChoo · Hermes

that jacket is gorgeous, but not worth $400 if you will onky wear it a few times. What about having a tailor make soemthing similar? It would be more than doing it yourself, but you know it would look decent and it would be a lot cheaper.

honey · Gucci

i think you should wait, mainly b/c most stores have just started putting out there fall merch and most of the real wintery stuff won't be out until sept/oct at which point i think you'll see more velvet stuff and see something similar. while i think the jacket is gorgeous, i personally wouldn't want to spend $400 on something that i hadn't seen in person and tried on for fit.

also i think ilovechoo had a really good idea. maybe you can find a tailor in your yellow pages.

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

erin wrote:

i think it's a wonderful jacket, but i would probably wait another month and see if any lookalikes crop up.

i agree. i'm sure you'll be able to find something similar for half the price.

littlepearl · BCBG

That is a beautiful jacket, but $400 ouch. If it were me, I might try making it again with the vogue pattern you mentioned. It if works out, you will be so proud of yourself. If not, well then you will be out a little money, but not much. If at that point, you still want it, ask yourself if it will keep you from buying something else that you might want. If it will, this jacket you love may become a thorn in your side and you may grow to hate it. If you are at peace about that, then I say get it, but do wait a couple of months. This is just the first wave of fall stuff and there is much more to come. Like Collette said, there will probably be cheaper alternatives.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i fell in love with a YSL jacket that was deep purple velvet. i knew that wasn't realistic, so i found a j.crew alternative for $138. it's not the same, but that leaves me with more money for other purchases (i have a lot this fall/winter since i was a poor just out of college student last year). if you can't get it out of your head...get it. i bought several items this spring that i knew that i *had* to have, i'm glad i bought them. i did however have to sacrifice by either cutting out other shopping (i bought almost no spring/summer clothes cuz i wasn't *feeling* much this spring) and a couple of times i worked an extra shift or couple of hours at the hospital (gotta love overtime pay ) one more thing... velvet comes back every year, so if you don't need a winter coat, or winter boots, or anything like that, i say go for it.

MY ONLY CONCERN: and it's probably just me, but if you want to wear them with jeans, a different color velvet jacket might work better, since teal is a tone of blue (i'm just weird about wearing blue on top with denim).

also, maybe try it on and you'll hate it!!!

HTH!!! and if you do get it, you know we'll all be jealous!!!!

kittenheels · Coach

I think it is really lovely. Is there any way you could calculate how many different times you would wear it? It might make sense if you wear a lot of black and gray to have a bright colored piece. I would definitely recommend trying it on if possible, because sometimes things I have loved so much in Lucky are not super flattering (for the cost) on.

By the way, you might also want to check out J. Crew - they have some more reasonably priced velvet blazers. But if this is the one you love, then go for it!

Renee · Kenneth Cole

First of all, if you are only going to wear it with one outfit, don't get it. But I am sure you can come up with tons of outfits to wear it with. If you will wear it a lot, it's worth it. Personally I wouldn't go for cheaper versions - for me, they are never as satisfying and unique as the real thing. I think you should get it if you can survive without more shopping.

And of course try it on before you buy!!!

bean · Kenneth Cole

Oh, I remember that jacket. it IS beautiful!

First, I'd ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this something I'm going to "get over" after I wear it only several times? (I ask this because I'm someone who will fall in love with something, and then be over it not much later.)

2. Do I anticipate wearing this jacket very often, so that the cost per wear is justified? For instance, if you wear it 20 times a year over three years, your cost per wear is less than $7.

3. Can I REALLY keep my spending the rest of the season under $200?

Here's another option. If you are unsure you can sew it yourself, how about having a trusted tailor make it? It would probably cost you under $200. It doesn't look very complicated for a jacket - there's no ruching, embroidery, etc. The velvet looks short-piled, which is easier to cut than longer-piled velvets.

dot · Marc Jacobs

i think i have to just fall in line with most of these replies. it's beautiful, but it can wait.. or it can be substituted with something else. i find myself falling in-and-out of love with things all the time... and at the end of day, i'm usually happier that i didn't spend my money. occassionally i love looking at a splurge item (like my botkier and barbara bui bags) and thinking how worth it they were, even though at the time i have never spent money like that before.

do you really think you can keep this jacket for let's say as long as you could keep a really nice leather bag? or a killer pair of pumps?

also, and this is my opinion anyone can feel free to shoot me down on this if they like, but mason is a small label so alot of times the price in their clothing is reflected in that. i don't necessarily feel that the tailoring of that jacket, as nice as it is, reflects the price.

Meow · Coach

I think what I really love about this jacket is the cut of it and the collar. I like the big collar and the way it cuts away at the bottom and the one little button on the front. I am definitely going to wait a couple of months. Maybe they will be sold out of the jacket by then and my decision will be made for me Thanks everybody.

If I decide to try and make it again, this is the pattern I am looking at. I will need to make it a little more fitted, alter the bottom so that it is more cutaway, and make the collar a little wider at the bottom. http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/voguepatterns/shop.cgi?s.item.V8124=x&TI='8124'&page=1

-- Edited by Meow at 17:04, 2005-08-09

JoceyBaby23 · Gucci

I would wait on it. You can always get it later. You have to be totally, completely sure before you spend that kind of money on one jacket.

FashionFreak · Kenneth Cole

I love, love that blazer if I didn't buy one that color and fabric last year, I would buy it now. I love Mason clothing. I think you should buy it. It will probably fit well and look cute on you.

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

I looooooooooooove that jacket too. I really loved that whole outfit on the cover, and I was surprised that I didn't see any raves about it on here actually. ANYWAY...I would say wait a while, and see if it sticks in your mind. B/c those are the things worth getting in the end anyways. And who knows, maybe by then you can find it cheaper? I'm crossing my fingers for you.

miss t · Dooney & Bourke

Lovely jacket, but wait to see if it goes down in price or if something similar comes out. Plus I think it's a bit early in the season to buy velvet.