Returnable Item of the Week: the BR "Lounge" Cardigan

You have been so helpful with my recent shoes dilemma, that I have decided to ask for your opinion each time that I need to return something but I'm not decided about it. Maybe this will even become a "weekly" post, since I buy enough stuff that I can return at least one item per week.

This week the questionable item is the BR "Lounge" cardigan (item 646386), pictured below:



It retailed for $79 and I bought it some time ago for a great price ($41.99). I used to buy a lot at the Gap and Banana (but especially the Gap) because of their 90-day return policy. A three-month span allows you enough time to find out what you really like and what you won't wear, while it's more difficult in a month, especially if you buy ahead of the season. In fact if I had to add another shopping rule it would be "Don't buy too early in the season" because you might not like it any longer when the time has finally come to wear what you bought months before. But of course the risk here is regretting not buying it if the style solds out.

Anyway, I have to make up my mind on this, since the ticket is almost "expired".
It's a sweatshirt cardigan with a tie instead of buttons, shawl collar and kimono sleeves. I bought it mainly to wear it with summer dresses and especially this one that is one of my favorire dresses EVER:



It's a DVF dress that I bought two years ago at a Barney's warehouse sale. I had just returned to work after my maternity leave and I bought a size 4. I should have bought a 2 (the 0 in DVF is too small for me) but besides the fact that from time to time I have to look down to check if my boobs are still inside, it doesn't look too big. I wear it a lot in the summer during the day but I was looking for something to wear it with in the evening. This cardi had the perfect mix of coolness and elegance but I forgot that the dress already has a belt, so I can't wear it belted under the cardi. This is how it looks with the two ends of the dress' belt tied and left down (I mean without making a bow out of them):



The workaround goes unnoticed and I like the result. With a small clutch it could be a real nice evening outfit (with heels instead of flats).
Here is the cardi with another dress:



So, why I'm debating if returning it or not? Because I'm not sure that I'll get a lot of wear out of it with anything else than this dress (and maybe another one or two). The thing is that I'm not sure that I like it with pants. For exemple, with black jeans:



I like it better with white jeans:



It would look great with rolled-up vintage slim-fit jeans (that I don't have), flats and some very simple jewelry. I saw a girl wearing it this way and she looked effortlessy chic. But it looks like I can't reproduce the same effect with the clothes that I have. Or maybe I'm being overly critical, I don't know.

So what do you think? A keeper or not? I should also add that I regretted not buying the Jcrew similar cardi last year (or it was 2007?) I would like to hear from you, especially if you own this cardigan or the Jcrew one!