Review: J.Crew Velvet Toothpick Jean

Velvet. 

Many people don't know how to wear it, and many people shy away from it. To some, it's a bit ostentatious, and to others, it's just down right weird. Some might even associate velvet with old people. (I don't know why, but that's a possibility!). But, maybe it's the texture, which makes it difficult for people to mix and match with it. The closest thing to wear velvet normally might be a fancy dress... but velvet is hardly ever worn casually (I think). 

So, instead of velvet being on loose pants, long skirts, dresses, or jackets... what about on skinny jeans?

J.Crew velvet toothpick jean in rustic brick

It was love at first sight when my eyes were cast upon them: The J.Crew velvet toothpick jean in rustic brick. These stylish pants are my all time favorite in this oh so cold weather. The J.Crew website says that these velvet jeans are for holiday parties. I have to say that I disagree. These jeans are perfect for not just the holiday parties, but for every day use. And not only do they feel comfy and warm when being worn, but the velvet material feels amazing. My hands couldn't stop petting the jeans when I first got them.

The jeans come in two other colors, but I thought the rustic brick stood out the most. J.Crew has an amazing color palette for bright, bold colors, and I believe that the rustic brick on velvet displays a very rich color. It's not too showy. The color doesn't hurt the eyes. It just looks warm and cozy.

From afar, these velvet jeans give off the illusion that they are corduroys. However, even when close up, the jeans look great! So if anyone is a bit skeptical about the velvet looking far from casual wear, I assure you that it looks perfectly normal. 

Cons about the velvet toothpick jean:

*A note to those who are petite and who never tried the regular toothpick jeans: J.Crew regular velvet toothpick jeans are not cropped for petities (they are cropped, skinny jeans for those not petite though). They are literally skinny jeans for us that hit at the ankle. They also did not come in short size, but regular and tall. I purchased the regular size.* 

1) The material stretches out. I bought a size 27, thinking that these jeans would not stretch. After wearing it for about 3 days, the material stretched out on the waist, the backside, and the thighs.

2) The material scrunches in large amounts right under the knee and behind the knee. Also, there's left over material that scrunches right at the ankles.

For those who are petite like me, I suggest buying the jeans a size down from your normal size. I wish I could return it for a size 26, but I have to resort to a tailor instead. The tag and receipt is long gone. 

Because these pants turned into a bigger size on me, I believe they're too baggy for me to wear out. Until I get this problem fixed, I won't be wearing these jeans. Although I love these jeans to death, I refuse to wear something that looks waay to big on me... especially if it does not look flattering.  

Again, if you end up getting the velvet jeans, just make sure to get a size down. Please don't pull a mistake like I did XD

I don't know if drying the velvet pants in a drier (possibly at a high heat) would shrink the material, but most of J.Crews clothes are already pre-shrunk (excluding wool sweaters of course). It's something I may try, but I'm a bit hesitant. I don't want to ruin the material or shrink it too much if it works.

UPDATE - 1/7/13

I washed and dried the velvet pants. Note to self: check the material of the piece of clothing because  some of the material is made out of spandex (hence the outrageous stretching each time when worn), which contributed to the material shrinking in the drier. However, I have yet to test the possibility of whether the pants actually shrank smaller than when I first bought them or if they shrank back to its original size. One thing is for certain: they aren't baggy anymore… for now.

I still do suggest going a size down though if you plan on purchasing them. 

Review: Micheal Kors Hamilton Large Tote

Fact: Chanel? YSL? Prada? Yeah their stuff is utterly beautiful, but I've accepted the fact that - as a poor college student - I can't buy those items at full price. They are just too expensive. But, what's in a name, really? They're just big names that make clothes expensive. There are so many fashionable items out there that look similar to the expensive ones, but sold for cheap. I've gotten use to buying things within my budget that look chic and expensive, but affordable.

However, if a beautiful Micheal Kors purse is given to me as a gift, I'm not gonna complain.

Michael Kors hamilton large tote in vanilla

I love this purse for its sleek and sophisticated appearance. It just screams chic to me (and literally expensive haha). From its rectangular structure to its clean vanilla color, this handbag looks simple, yet fancy. Also, I adore large purses. 

I got some problems with the purse though, but they are problems I will definitely get over. 

1) You see the dents? The shape of the bag holds great, but the leather on the outside caves in a little, leaving line dents on the bag. This problem might be caused by the bag already being heavy from the start (without even anything in it). Since this is my first designer bag, I'm not quite sure if this is what many designer bags do or if it's just my bag. I have many bags that have done this before, but those were cheaper bags. I expected more from a designer purse. But, if this is just what purses do (no matter if it's expensive or not), then I guess this isn't a problem after all. 

2) Whenever this bag is attached to my arm, it looks like the bag is wearing me… but I just love the bag too much to return it. I'm gonna have to find someway for this bag not to wear me. I believe I can make it work… somehow. *crosses fingers*

(please excuse the disappointing, baggy pants… a review about those pants will be in a future post)

3) Also, this purse would probably be a hassle to clean if it ever got stained. No worries because I'm gonna be extra careful with this purse. I'm not gonna use it when it rains or snows. I'm not gonna place it on the floor, or toss it aside. I'm not gonna bring it to an environment where I know it's gonna get dirtied. It will be safe!

See? It's even in its sleeve protector thing (I have no idea what it's called).

Overall, I'm happy with my first designer bag even with all its flaws. The positive side of this bag overcomes the negative side, which makes me continue to drool over this thing. I can't wait to start using this bag every chance I get!

So, until the next post…

Much love,
Irene