Tuesday’s TPS Report: Elie Tahari’s Genesis Skirt

31 Comments

1. Subtract the exposed zipper and this is a perfect skirt.

   1. Yup. So sad.

2. I’m with b on the exposed zipper. Aside from not liking that style in general, no need to overtly draw attention to that area at work…

3. I feel like exposed zippers invite comments about wearing my clothes inside out…

4. Does anyone know what the inverted pleat is? Is this skirt basically supposed to look inside out?

   1. An inverted pleat is basically extra fabric on the inside of the skirt in a pleat shape – gives you the mobility of having a slit without actually having a slit (which can be great for office-appropriate clothes as it eliminates the issue with whether an otherwise-appropriate skirt flashes an excessive amount of leg through a slit when you walk.)

5. I have to completely disagree on this one. First, I really don’t get the exposed zipper trend at all, and this zipper looks particularly bad (not just the metal part is exposed, but the actual zipper cloth–YUK! and totally not work appropriate). Then there’s the non-natural fibers: viscose rayon/nylon/elastane. $178 is a lot to pay for that.

   The “inverted pleat” at the back of the skirt (you can sort of see it on the model if you zoom in) is the only interesting detail, but does not save the skirt IMO.

6. I’d have to try it on to decide about the zipper, but this looks like it could be an interesting basic.

7. I like the exposed zipper – something different on a skirt that always comes in handy but which you probably have 5 versions of in your closet already.

   I am with DJ on the fabric, though. Too expensive for what it is, and I avoid synthetics as much as possible anyway.

8. absolutely HATE the exposed zipper, and I agree it looks cheap

9. I tried this skirt on yesterday and felt like a sausage, and I’m only a size 4. The material is not very forgiving, so if you have any “lumps or bumps”, it will show.

10. I tried this skirt on yesterday and felt like a sausage in it even though I’m only a size 4. If you have any lumps or bumps, this skirt is not forgiving!

11. couldn’t agree more with the exposed zipper qualms. i can’t look at one with out thinking “trashy”

12. Love the pleat, don’t like the zipper – maybe I live in an area that isn’t up on hip trends but I’ve never seen / heard of an inverted zipper … hopefully our area will continue to be behind the times and avoid this trend. I love the way the skirt looks from the front thought – the lines are great.

13. I totally agree about the exposed zipper, but judging from what I see Trinny and Susannah wearing in their show, that look is very in right now. Hopefully it will be a one season trend.

    Anyone else distracted by the model’s shoes? I can’t imagine wearing them in a professional environment and I live in FL where pretty much anything goes.

    1. The shoes drive me bats! I saw the exposed zipper a lot on party/dinner dresses this summer — on women aged 20 to 60. I really don’t care for it, but I prefer clothing that is a bit more polished.

       I totally agree re: shoes on model. I can’t even imagine wearing open toed shoe booties to the office. (Truthfully, I can’t imagine wearing those anywhere.)

14. But a high waist has such a salient benefit. Puts the untucking shirt problem to bed.

    1. Yes! I think a shirt tucked into a low-waist makes you look blocky, apart from the coming-out-all-the-time business. High-waist with tucked-in shirt is, well, shapely. And if you have a nice belt, wow.

       Belt on low-waist skirt/pants to me always seems to put the buckle way out there in front, and I already have a little tummy, so I figure I have enough sticking out in front, buckle on top of it is just wrong.

       1. Totally agree, Delta Sierra. I didn’t mind the low-waist trend when most of the pants did not have belt loops and I could wear a top over the edge of the pants. Also didn’t mind higher-waist pants with belts, which did not look fashionable to me but didn’t look unflattering. The current pants with these loops for wide belts seem impossible to navigate…I’m looking into sashes/scarf belts which at least don’t have a buckle right at my least flattering point!

       2. I still have this problem with higher waisted pants since I have a longer torso. I had one nightmarish day on vacation where I needed a pair of jeans ASAP and even the jeans labeled “higher rise” were almost obscenely low. I hate how the Marisa cut is coming back at the Loft because that cut is just way too low for me.

15. I don’t mind the zipper and I like the inverted pleat. But those shoes are so fug I wouldn’t trust any designer who made a model wear them.

16. The zipper, yech. The fabric, yech. The shoes, double yech. Try the same store, Tahari Bennet skirt, wool and elastane, $228 on sale for $135.90, still lots of sizes left. I’m starting to think this nasty synthetic fabric is the best we can expect for under, what, $200 for a skirt? I went to my local Loehman’s this weekend, all the “good” suits (jackets were originally $400) were synthetic, and really looked it. I find one problem (amongst many) with synthetics is the surface is, um, fragile, it snags so easily, after a couple of wearings there are little pulled threads here and there, I hate that.

17. LOVE the style (sans zipper). I feel like Tahari tends to make nylon type fabrics, which just look young and unprofessional to me. Does anyone else feel that way or am I just hung up?

18. Don’t laugh: LLBean shirts. “Wrinkle resistant pinpoint Oxford shirts”. Long or 3/4 sleeves, all-cotton, white + 4 solids + 3 stripes. Darts for shaping. $40-45. I had one of these ages ago and remember it as being fine. Anyone worn them recently?

    1. I’d like to hear about experiences with the LL Bean shirts, too. I was flipping through the catalogue this weekend and noticed them. Less than half the price of the Brooks Brothers ones that I love. I’d appreciate any thoughts on how the sizing runs, too.

       1. Definitely not laughing. I don’t have LL Bean experience, but I love the Land’s End and Eddie Bauer wrinkle free shirts. After trying on numerous Brooks Brothers shirts and (a) finding you could see my bra (neutral, mind you) through them and/or (b) that they didn’t fit right, I was giving up hope. One day I noticed a partner of mine wearing a Land’s End blazer and decided if Land’s End was good enough for a partner, I could give it a try too. (My mom is a big Land’s End fan and I think that explained my initial skepticism!) I went to the website and tried my luck with the wrinkle free shirts. They fit well and you can’t see through them! I have a long torso, so the Land’s End tall shirts work great for me. I think they run a little big, so I usually order down a size. I’ve also bought Eddie Bauer wrinkle free shirts in the past when they have them at the outlets and those have been great too.

          1. I wear Lands End shirts quite often. I find that they wear well and their return policy is superb.

             I had a blazer that I purchased in 2 different colors. One color was fine, the other was so itchy it was unwearable. I called to inquire if they were maybe using a different dye since they were different and they told me just to return the blazer that wasn’t working. I told them it had been worn and dry cleaned several times and they said it didn’t matter. Their policy was returns are accepted anytime, no questions asked. You can’t go wrong with a policy like that.

             1. RF: I expect one reason you had a good experience with the return was that you were courteous and honest with them. I always try hard to be as nice as possible to sales staff. We do this of course because it’s simply the right thing to do, but it has also often helped me get what I wanted. In many stores, a return is taken off the staffer’s commission, so for them it’s a real loss. I figure, being courteous is the least I can do to make up for her loss over something that isn’t her fault.

    2. I love the LL Bean shirts. The “no-iron” part only lasts a few washes, but even then the ironing is easy. I think they fit really well, especially for a busty woman like myself.

19. I like the skirt, but I don’t think it’s great for work – don’t need an exposed zipper straight down the backside, it calls a little too much attention to the booty at work. Might be good to wear out to dinner with nice boots?

    I am with y’all on the booties trend. There is something absolutely gross and wrong about peep-toe booties. The ones on this model are better than a lot of them, but still a big “no”. I really hope the trend passes after this season, bc I refuse to hop on board. In fact, I hope the entire peep-toe trend passes, even though most of my shoes are peep-toes at this point. Winter in Chicago is not a good time to have toes peeping out.

20. Yuck on zipper, but didn’t someone just complain about wrinkling earlier –like last week. These synthetics will get you through a long plane or car ride looking ice–I don’t need horizontal wrinkles across my middle.
    The length and shape are great, but I wish it came in larger sizes than 14.

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