I know I saw this in the catalogue this fall, but I just checked the website right now and it's not there anymore. Oh well, without a doubt it was too expensive anyway. I did like the look of it though. I have had a long relationship with vests as outerwear (and as a child in the 90s there was an embarrassing relationship with them as well, like that time I wore a plaid menswear style vest with a t-shirt to my first middle school dance in 6th grade...ughhhhh). In college and I had several puffy vests that I loved to wear to class over sweatshirts and long sleeve t-shirts. I have held on to them for the most part even though I haven't worn them too often over the last few years. I think I might have been turned off by the opinions of Stacy and Clinton on "What Not to Wear" although, looking back, I should have just not listened. I generally agree with them, but they don't live in ND and NO ONE who doesn't live here understands the feel of walking to class when it is -20 degrees out in January. Sometimes people actually have to wear snow boots or (love them or hate them) Ugg boots for a functional purpose and not because they think they are fashionable. The winter of New York City is NOT the same. Also, so what if a college student wants to wear jeans and some sort of unflattering footwear that actually has soles that grip ice and a sweatshirt and vest to class instead of jeans, high heeled boots or cute flats and a blazer or some nonsense. It doesn't mean they are a total slob or that they wear those garments all the time. I remember in law school once I missed the last bus on the campus loop because I stayed late to hear a speaker and I had to walk home in flats, about a 15 or 20 minute walk, and my feet FROZE. They were numb. I spent the whole dark walk questioning if I should call one of my classmates who lived in the apartment complex to pick me up but was too embarrassed to admit I was freezing because of the stupid "cute" shoes I was wearing. I don't know how the first settlers on the prairie survived. It took hours to feel warm again. Well, anyway, RIP What Not to Wear. It was always a favorite show of mine and I generally agreed with what they said and some of those people dressed so bad and really needed help!
So, for various reasons I shoved the vests aside for a few years but the J.Crew vest kind of made me interested again. That's when I found this in my closet, tucked in with my shirts instead of in the coat closet:
I don't know what that pose is all about. If I were a celebrity in a tabloid everyone would be speculating about how I was pregnant or something. Every time Kate Middleton touches her abdomen this way the rumors fly. I think I was just trying to hold the vest so you can see the details. This vest is slightly puffy but is cotton like a t-shirt. It has some duffel coat type details like large buttons and button loops. It is from a Banana Republic outlet store. I can't remember when I bought it. I think it's safe to say that it was 5 or more years ago. I recall during one of our moves since I bought it that Justin held it up as I was trying to sort through my clothes and tried to get me to get rid of it because I never wore it.
I like it and it makes a nice layer. I think the reason it doesn't get much wear is because it is navy blue. If it were black or grey it would be used a lot more. It's not especially warm so it can only stand alone without a warmer coat on very specific days, such as yesterday, which was sunny with a high in the 50s. Also, the fabric is like a sweatshirt so it would look kind of bad with a sweatshirt under it. I think I would only wear it with a sweater or button up shirt like I am wearing here. I'm glad I wore it so maybe I will try to incorporate it more often.
No comments:
Post a Comment