However, I miss the alpine atmosphere a little bit and from time to time I dream about a snow vacation, specifically a vacation in Aspen (there is no way that we're going skiing in Europe as we never go back in the winter months because of my husband job). In my case dreaming about vacations always involves an outfit component (like, seeing myself in Aspen in a particular dream-induced outfit) and it gets dangerous when the dream comes true (in terms of the outfit).
So basically, me in Aspen is what I pictured when I saw this beauty a few weeks ago at my local B&M:
It's the Belted clouds puffer jacket and I wanted to write about it during the SECRET SALE promo (I had already bought it) but it disappeared from the website for a couple of weeks. I thought that maybe, like me, you hadn't noticed it, even if it's featured in one of the Jcrew newspaper ads.
Let me tell you the reason why I didn't notice it. Well, in the first place, I wasn't looking for a puffer. If you are a long-time follower you know that I'm a "summer clothes" girl, I love summer and summer clothes MUCH MORE than fall/winter clothes. However, I have a weakness for puffer coats. I own 3 (2 of which are Moncler) and I have been on the fence of buying another one many times but the price of well-made puffers generally turns me off (I'm an impulsive buyer sometimes, but not of high-priced items. If something goes above $150, I generally have the strenght to resist and Moncler jackets, the ones that I prefer, go well above $500) so the old I DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE refrain worked so far.
The second reason is that I don't really care for a puffer in this color. I have seen it in real life and it's a really odd yellowish pink.
BUT OMG! Have you see the other color it comes in? It comes in glazed pecan ladies, maybe my favorite Jcrew color after the dark charcoal. And shiny glazed pecan is even better than glazed pecan. It's to die for.
So when I saw it in my local B&M, I HAD to try it on. And of course I LOVED it. Plus the price wasn't bad at all for a goosedown (90%) puffer. AND (bonus) I had a $25 off coupon.
Here it is:
The fit is really great on me (I sized up to a S as the XS was really tight across the chest), but it could be a tad short on taller ladies and the belt detail really adds something. It isn't bulky as other puffers can be and it's kind of lightweight, but the fact that it's made $90 down makes me hope that is going to be warm.
So need it or not, it is now in my closet and I can still dream about Aspen but I can also wear it every other day this winter (and give my gold-beige Moncler a break). Now, if only it could be REALLY cold, like very soon!
The funny thing is that last year around Thanksgiving I made what I can easily classify as one of my most impulsive purchases ever and what I purchased is something that belongs into the same mountain dream. I feel pretty ashamed telling you this but I really purchased this ultra-expensive Moncler bag knowing that I would never wear it in my "real life" (it's huge! And there is no way that I can wear this while I'm with my daughter. Which is 90% of my awake life) but that it would be perfect for well, a vacation in Aspen (OK, to be honest, there was also a super-deal factor because I paid around $350 for it, down from $1100). And I'm not a bag addict at all, I rarely buy a new bag and when I do, I really ponder over it.
Well, the good thing is that now I have a puffer to go with it (it's almost the same color) and maybe I can start to wear it, at least during the weekends (now that I think about it, can you imagine how many Jcrew goodies can I stuff in this bag, unseen by my husband? Maybe even shoes!)
Do you own a puffer by Jcrew? How do you like Jcrew puffers compared to other brands? Have you ever been in Aspen?
hi ema, i was just contemplating getting one yesterday, so your post was perfect timing.
ReplyDeleteit seems they are true to size and i love the pecan color. but i might wait for a sale.
i enjoy your daily posts!
I was so tempted by JC puffers this season, is yours lined in Sherpa? I ended up buying my puffers in my local stores they look identical to the JC ones, but JC had better color options.
ReplyDeleteLove the jacket on you.
I've been eyeing that Puffer, and I can see the fit is really flattering. Love the color, and that bag! You would look very posh in Aspen! I have two JC puffers, both black and getting a little old, I could justify another, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI am laughing still at the description of your skiing, for I am equally terrible and terrified! My whole family, husband and children, LOVE to ski and do it so well and I am hopeless, I really don't care for it. I do enjoy the chalet lifestyle though, and I love to cross-country ski.
You could also try for a ski trip in Upstate NY, closer to home for you, some nice places there, particularly Ellicottville. We live in Ontario but go there to ski, crossing the border can be a pain but it's worth it, great little ski town.
This puffer looks fabulous on you, I love how fitted it looks. I want a ski weekend. Usually I go to Lake Placid, NY every winter but last year I wasn't able to. I really hope I'm able to make it up this year!
ReplyDeleteI have the longer puffer from last year and a sherpa-lined jacket from the outlet. I live in Northern Illinois and spend a lot of my working hours going to and from different offices, so I am outside a lot. After I bought the coats, I really wondered -- why did I wait so long?! They are cute and very warm. They don't give you that eaten-by-a-down-sleeping-bag look. I love that pecan color, particularly on you! I must have it! Last year, the coats went on sale not long before Christmas, but as I remember, I had to order my long coat. By then, they were gone from the nearby stores.
ReplyDeleteI've never skiied. My mother did a lot of skiing -- she went to school in Gstaad (did I spell that correctly?) but I've never been interested. Like you, I prefer warm weather and warm weather clothing. For me, winter is just a bunch of coats, cords, heavy boots and V-neck sweaters.
Hi, Ema I happen to be looking for a new puffer jacket and just looove this in the glazed pecan.
ReplyDeleteI happen to live in colorado and visited aspen for the first time this fall. And unless if was just me being my normal harshly critiquing self I didn't like it. I can't speak of the slopes but the mainstreet didn't have a "clean" feeling to it. I visited the Jcrew "on the Mountain", as their website describes, and I couldn't have been less impressed. The SAs were incredably rude. There were only three other people in the store and I was never acknowledged, not once, at all, ever. Other than that the store was beautiful, like a posh little jewel box that you wanted to have for your own little cedar lined closet to wrap up in your pocket like a secret little hide-away where you go to play dress up with everything you want but can't afford. Sorry for the rant but it was darn cute.
I don't ski but having frequented the mountains quite often I personally liked Vail and Steamboat alot better. Vail is setup like the cutest little european alp village. And Steamboat is cute and friendly, both I should also note are very well kept.
ina, I think that it runs small, I sized up from a XS to a S (however it was the first time that I bought a coat by Jcrew, so maybe I'm a S in their outwear)
ReplyDeletecasual-crew, no it is not lined in sherpa (I prefer it this way)
DaniBP, maybe we should go skiing (or, better, not skiing) together ;-).
Summerilla, thanks. Lake Placid is one of the places when I want to go when my daughter is a little bit older (but in the fall maybe)
Rip-a-roo, "eaten-by-a-down-sleeping-bag", that's funny. I tried the long version last year but it didn't look good on me. Actually I don't look good in long puffers in general, too bad for my legs that don't get to stay warm.
It's true that you could probably get a good price on this one on sale, but when I saw it in store I thought that it was a store-only color. Now that I have it I just can't return it and wait for a sale because I love it too much.
And yes, you spelled it correctly ;-).
jinks, thanks for the suggestions, Veil is on my top list as well (but for some reasons it doesn't make me dream). Your description of the SAs attitude in the Aspen store reminds me of the reaction that people have when they visit the Collection store in New York. I think that both have a well-established customer base, like a real neighborhood store and when one (or more) of their top clients is in the store they tend to neglect the other customers.