STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

so far, i have received the velvet blazer, brooches,tuxedo shirt(the rest of my order is on backorder, i will review those items when i get them)NOTE- i have never reviewed clothing before,so i'm sorry if this is sub par guys ;) but i'll try

velvet blazer- paid $17.49

the brand on the label of the blazer is "cote femme", but the size tag is the same as my "R" brand label items from la redoute, so as expected it is made by the company. however, a skirt that i bought last spring that was "R" branded, and the shirt in this post is, and they are both of noticibly lesser quality than this blazer.

LINING- the blazer is fully lined in polyster(all the way down the arms), and i have full confidence in the seaming. no lose threads. also, there is lining underneath the collar, which stops at the first lapel notch.

VELVET- the velvet is not the most "plush" i have ever felt, its as if u took velvet and ironed iti- it's sort of "smooth" or "flattened" but it does not make movement in the jacket overly stiff, probably because of the spandex blending (3%). when i wore it around the house, i got those wrinkles u get at the inside of your elbow, but they are easily smoothed out. i am pleased with the velvet for the amount that i paid for it.

LOOK-

TOPSTICHING-the topstiching is what i was most worried about, because if it was done in an ostentasious (sp) way, like in ivory with thick stiches or something, i would have returned it on the spot. it is done in a dark blue, it is visible, but serves as a nice detail. in following the topstiching, it starts on each side a the bottom of the blazer, at the middle of the placket. like, if you put your finger at the middle of the pocket flap, and work your way down to the bottom of the jacket, that is where is starts. odd huh? but i like the fact that the entire jacket does not have the stiching. at that same point is there the "tailoring dart" ends (it starts at the middle of the arm hole seam.) so, the topstiching goes from the bottom of the jacket, up the lapel, and around the back of the collar. no topstiching on the back of th jacket (except the collar) PROBLEM- the topstiching on my left lapel is misaligned. sloppy. but for $17.....eh?

POCKETS- the pockets are real, and come sewn up when u get the jacket. PROBLEM- in the pic, the pockets look farther from the bottom of the jacket than they actually are, which takes away from the long/lean look that the model has, but the fit of the jacket and overall length still give it a nice look. i hate blazers that are too short (i'm hippy) this pocket placement issue is my biggest dissapointment with the jacket.

VENTS- there are two back vents, which give it the cut of a eurropean cut mens blazer- one large flap above the butt. i knew this going in, and i also knew that this can make a hippy girl look bigger, but i haven't made a final decision about how that looks yet. however, i do think it would look better on me, if less interesting, with the regular one vent method.

COLOR-  beautiful blue, although not with the sophisticated grey(?) tone of the pic. its what you would expect a nice blue velvet to look like. however, i think i will be exchanging for the black, or at least buying the black also, because it would fit better in my wardrobe.

FIT- i ordered a six, and I am usually a six, but it fits a TINY BIT closer in the arms/shoulders than my other things. but i do not feel constricted. also, i have gained a little weight, so that could be it. and i also like the snug, tailored feel, so this is perfect for me. in fact,i could even take it in n inch in the waist, but i won't in case i want to wear a thin sweater underneath. a size up would definately be too big. the jacket ends mid hip- as in pic.i don't think the "collar up" look would be the best with this jacket, b/c of the tailoring.

CLOSURES- i can't remember what these closures are called. hook and eye i think. in the pic the model only has the top one closed. it looks good with either one or both closed, i don't like it with both open. the top closure on my jacket is a little loose, but it would be very easy to fix.

BROOCHES- paid $5.59

yes, this was a stupid purchase, i could have just gone to a vintage place and gotten nice ones, and i prrobably will, but i got so obsessed with how good they looked on the model....and so cheap.....oy

the cameo is not silver toned metal as described, is is antiqued brass or something, so it does not mtch the silvertoned crown. the cameo has a jet black bead hanging off the bottom. they are cheapies, the crown feels soild, the cameo is worthless. i am keeping them to take shopping with me when i try to find real vintage replacements to wear on the jacket. i know i am hardly being original by copying the look, but i never, ever wear jewelry like this, so i need to start somewhere to learn right?

tux shirt- paid $11.89

I am dissapointed with this shirt.

1) the way the collar is cut makes it so it doesen't "sit" right

2)the hem is 97% straight, like,a very minor curvature(sp?) so if you wear it untucked it looks very boxy, which is also a function of......

3) the darts in the back, which apparently have no purpose because the shirt makes me look like a square. off to the tailor i go though.......i'm much to lazy to return it, plus a another white shirt can't be a bad thing to have around

4)three button cuff,which i love, and thecuffs are "flat" so that itis easy to slip on a sweater etc. on top without bulk

5)the material is thin/cheap, but i expected that. it is not thin enough to warrant a return, just as thin as i expected it to be- if you've ordered from la redoute before, u will know what i mean.

if you are looking for a "quality" tux shirt, look elsewhere. if i weren't already planning on taking a bunch of other things to the tailor, and if return shipping was free, i would have returned it.