Tuesday’s TPS Report: Jayden Pants

59 Comments

1. I saw a woman this morning wearing a cute slouchy camel-colored suit… but the pants were cropped, and she was wearing gladiator thongs like these ones: http://www.shoespotlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/thong_bootie_black.jpg (in brown though, not black). I hope this isn’t a trend.

   1. Sadly it looks like those are becoming a trend. Maybe if we all lie down and ignore them, they will go away.

      1. Agree. :)

      2. I meant a trend to wear them with a suit. They are ugly with anything, but almost unbearably so with a suit.

   2. Those sandals make my eyes hurt.

      1. Let’s all agree to boycott the peep toe/ sandal bootie thing. If its winter I want my boots to cover my cold cold feet. If its summer I don’t want any part of the rest of my feet covered in boot material. Stop the madness

         1. But what about Spring/Fall?

            1. I can’t think of a single season wherein my ankles are cold but my feet aren’t. And if my ankles are cold, you know what the solution is? Pants.

   3. Those shoes are just hideous.

   4. The problem is this trend is universal now! I was in the airport in Rome and Greece and women of all nationalities (Italian, Asian, American, Spanish) were wearing them. Ugh, makes no sense to me whatsoever and they look hids.

2. Oh, wow, these pants look absolutely perfect.

   1. Really? They seem to hang really, really low in the crotch. I can imagine them riding up and wadding up between my thighs.

      1. That was my first thought, too. If her navel is up there, what’s with all the extra fabric in the crotchal area?

   2. Agree. They look perfect.

3. Hijack: I have a shoebuy.com $10 reward that I’m not going to use.
   P981227912331540
   The code expires today. They have free shipping and returns. Please post if you’ve used it.

4. Is it just me or does it look really weird that the model’s midriff (and belly button) are visible? Why wouldn’t they put a shirt on her?

   1. On the one hand, it does look sort of weird. On the other, it’s nice to see pants without any other item, on a person, to see how they hang. Sometimes I get distracted by the shirt, or belt, etc.

      I really like these. Though they are light colored but scream fall to me. I can imagined them with sweaters, and looking great. Wish I could find a size somewhat near my own!

   2. I actually like at least one view like this so I can get a real sense of how it fits at the waist. Although, I also want at least one picture with full clothes so I have a sense of how it might look when I actually wear it.

      Although some colege student will probably look at the picture and think that midriffs are now in for business casual! (I remember seeing a serious article at one point during the height of the low rider trend saying that butt crack is the new cleavage. I still shudder)

   3. I agree that it’s odd, but i’m seeing more websites do this – perhaps to get a view of the rise. I was recently on a website (Ann Taylor maybe?) where it explained the different fits of pants, and each had a model holding her shirt up to show the top of the pants. Very odd visual, but necessary to see that I suppose!

      1. http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/editorial.jsp?pageName=pantfits&loc=MPSH

         1. Oh my – that poor model needs to go up at least one, if not two, sizes. Between the crotch whiskers at the front, the booty profile, and the skintight rear view, all of the cuts are completely inappropriate as shown. No wonder new hires have trouble dressing appropriately for the office if this is shown as the “proper” fit!

            1. Totally agree — no one should buy pants that come that close to creating a camel-toe — EVER

            2. LMAO @ crotch whiskers!

5. Pants are cute, and I’d like them even more at a lower price point. I know this isn’t Budget Corporette, but I sometimes feel out of place with so many spendy recommendations. I’m a lawyer making a decent living, but this site can sometimes feel otherworldly and very brand conscious. (Thanks, Kat for the Gap pants recommendation and others, but they generally get hooted out of town as “cheap”).

   I have a few $150 pants, but they were marked down from $600 and look way better than this. Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m not seeing the nexus between quality and price for many of the expensive items featured on this site. I feel like if these pants were sold at NY & Co. or The Limited or Loft, they’d never be featured here. (Note: I’m not rabidly anti-poly anymore, either…).

   Guess I’ll go back and read the controversial post: “How much do you spend on clothes?” and pay special attention to the posts from stylish partners who have a family income of $1M+/year and who don’t drop tons of cash on clothes out of principle and plain common sense… (ducking eggs that are sure to follow…)

   1. I think there is a nice variety. You might feel some items are too pricey, others might feel annoyed with the cheaper items if they feel that is not their style. I’m a student so I’d like everything at a lower price point, but that would be a different blog.

      Also I know Kat has featured at least one shirt from Limited and from Loft.

   2. I was one of those partners, so I’ll be ducking the eggs with you! I will tell you, nothing is more attractive than the smile on your face from knowing that you’re adequately funding your retirement and emergency fund.

      1. I don’t read the recommendations as being a “go and buy this item” sort of thing, so I can’t say that I pay that much attention to their prices. For the most part, I see the recs as something along the lines of, e.g., “these pants are cool. Find a similar pair if you like, order these if they’re totally perfect for you, and maybe wear them in this way for this occasion.”

         There was a post a while back where Kat talked about how much she actually pays for certain items, and that — in fact — she hardly ever buys things without some sort of sale/promo/discount. I sort of shop the same way. I don’t mind spending a few hundred on a suit but I will look for a suit that cost much more than what I am paying for it. Or, if I go to BR or Gap, I am buying things on super sale b/c I think to pay the orig. price for 99% of their stuff is absurd given the quality and subsequent markdowns. I cannot fathom paying full price for at least half the items featured here, as I know I will see them marked down in seconds, if not at the store they are listed in, then at TJ’s or Lohmann’s or Nordstrom Rack (e.g., anyone paying full “list” price for certain brands like Nine West or Calvin Klein or Tahari, e.g., baffles me). But, of course, the peril of sales is that not all sizes will always be available and so if the “sale” items were featured here, then we would complaint, “how could they only have size 2 and 14 left?!”

         Reading the discussion threads, it really seems we have a lot of different folks here with very different tastes, lifestyle requirements and clothing budgets. It would be impossible to cater to us all — so I think of this as a sort of idea section. Not to mention that we don’t all need camel pants at the same time (I have a fab pair from last fall!) — so you can’t really think of this as a “corporette readers buy these items on a reg. basis” kind of thing. I can count on one hand how many items I bought thanks to this site — and I have not run out of fingers yet ;)

         1. Thanks, @AIMS. I feel better now knowing that other Corporette folks stalk sales and grub coupons/free shipping/promo codes the way I do!

            1. Anytime! :)

   3. You’re not alone – I have to agree that many items in the $200-$450 price per item bracket aren’t appreciably better than items in $125-$175 bracket and represent paying for the brand name. These are the things I wait to show up Loehmann’s in the back room.

   4. I mostly use this site for inspiration, not direct shopping. YMMV, of course! Personally, I rarely buy something that isn’t on the clearance rack/online clearance section, and I try to pair clearance items with coupons to really maximize. I like to spend my extra money on travel and other experiences, and of course, save for retirement and all that good stuff.

   5. I’m a student like NY, and I can barely afford the ‘Bargain TPS” items, and I don’t imagine that even if I did have the money to drop $250 on a pair of work trousers I would. Still, this blog has helped me learn what is work appropriate, what I like and don’t like, and how important keeping personal style is.
      However much you spend on clothing, what other people spend shouldn’t define them. Just like you don’t want people looking down at you and calling you cheap, you shouldn’t imply that people who drop a lot of money on clothes don’t have any common sense.

   6. Know where you’re coming from, Lawgirl. I’m just starting out and have the whole champagne taste/beer budget thing going on. But, another way to think about it (stolen from one style advice book or another), is that keeping apprised of the pricier designs and trends is a way to inform more budget-conscious shopping — that is, being aware of the the little things that make the high end pieces high end can inform your shopping of less expensive pieces. Look for those same details and the overall look will be more high end, even if you didn’t pay the high price. Just a thought :).

6. Can anyone explain the actual difference between a $600 pair of pants and a $50 pair pants? Bc I don’t know lol. I’d feel committed to those pants for 5 years!! And I’d rather fund my retirement/savings too.

   Definitely not knocking anyone though. Just wandering if the quality/durability is any better. I love this blog for inspiration pieces!

   1. I’ve had them all. A $150 pair of pants is generally significantly better (longer lasting, better fitting, etc) than a $50 pair. The difference between $600 and $150 is pretty marginal.

      1. Agreed.

   2. In my experience, the quality tends to be better as a rule, though of course exceptions abound. It’s a matter or construction and materials. I usually tend to buy “expensive” clothes, but I make it a point to buy them on sale so that what I am paying on sale is not much more than what I would be paying for a cheaper item at full price (e.g., compare paying $69 for a Theory skirt on sale and paying about that for a skirt at AT Loft). If I do buy, I tend to go for “classic” looking cuts & styles so that a five year commitment is not really an issue. If I want something trendy I usually don’t spend too much money on the item.

   3. Generally, a $600 pair of pants will be made of better material than a $50 pair (ie, a high grade of wool vs. polyester or low grade of wool. And yes, there are some $600 Armani pants made of polyester–I pass those right up.) A high grade of wool has the most incredible drape. If you pet it, you can tell the difference. The lining should also be made of a higher quality material–I have a pair of Chanel wool pants that are lined in silk. Also, you should be able to tell the difference if you inspect the seams–a $600 pair should have NO crooked seams or stray threads, bulky hems, etc.

      However, no pair of pants, even a $600 pair, will look good if it doesn’t properly fit the wearer. I am a firm believer that all pants must be tailored.

      Durability is difficult to measure. I have had cheapo clothes fade and fray over time (rayon or polyester or tricate or something). Unfortunately, I have also had moths eat my woolens. Dry cleaning actually is hard on a garment as well, which is one reason why I prefer the more expensive, natural materials–I can handwash them, if they aren’t lined.

      Again, I have some suits and woolens that are over 10 years old. They are designer, yes. My cheaper clothing has frayed and faded over the years. However, my body shape hasn’t changed in a decade, either. (The cost of my wardrobe basically convinces me to maintain my size.) Because of this, I have no hesitation paying a lot of money for something I will wear for years. I am a big believer in the cost-per-wear or cost-per year.

      1. Good points – I agree with you wholeheartedly on the analysis of the quality of clothing – wish I could say my body shape hasn’t changed over the years:)

   4. oh HELLS yes. there is a difference.

      1. But what’s the time value of money vs the time value of those pants?? Mhmm. Not worth it to me.

         1. There is also the value of time, period. When I buy something that I expect to last for several years, then I know that I don’t have to spend the Saturday next fall searching for a perfect pair of whatever. That is practically priceless–I don’t like the shopping, the trying on, the tugging, the craning your neck to see how things look from the back, the braving the crowds and screaming kids….

            1. amen to that. I hate shopping, especially for pants because it always seems to take forever to find the perfect pair.

7. I like the exreme range of prices and styles Kat shows us. I personally would never buy anything really expensive – it would look very out of place in my environment – but I think Kat shows us stuff that we would otherwise not even be aware of . It is an eye-opener every morning, just like a strong cup of coffee. Keep up the good work, Kat.

   But these types of pants with the flat front – men’s cut – how many of us can really wear that style? – I know I cannot, and I have relatively narrow hips and so forth.

   I am looking for more pants with a very narrow leg, preferably a little crushy around the anke, to wear with tunics.

   1. I usually only wear flat front pants (save for one high waisted “retro” type pair). Agreed on the inspiration & general kudos.

   2. 75, I don’t understand, do you mean as opposed to pleated pants? I find that flat front pants are MUCH more flattering on me and I only wear that style – pleated pants make a pooch in the front and look very 80s to me.

      For the slim pants, have you tried a skinny jean or legging? The skinny jean style often has a little bit of “crush” around the ankle.

8. I tried these on at neiman. They seem like great quality but didn’t fit my small-waist-big-butt self very well (at this in a work appropriate sense), and I didn’t feel like having them altered. Just FYI for those with similar situations.

   Re: price. Elie Tahari pants generally have a silk lining thing at waist. Little things like that make a different to me in investment pieces, and I generally dont find that attention to detail in lower price points.

   1. I completely agree. I don’t mind buying cheap trendy items, but for items I plan to wear for years or that I want to make a good impression at work, I want attention to detail. I try to be wise with my budget and hit sales, but at the end of the day, I will still save to pay more for a few good pieces than buy a lot of throwaway quality clothes.

   2. Interesting…I also have “small-waist-big-butt” and my first thought when I saw this was that the pants were really nice but it probably wouldn’t fit my shape, based on past experiences in the dressing room. Thanks for saving me the effort. They are lovely pants to oogle.

9. Hmm. Speaking of pants – a girl on my bus that always looks phenomenally put together had the nicest pants. They were light gray, but had a black thin stripe that went through – not so much pinstriped, just broke up the gray. I wish I had asked her where she got them, but if you gals come across them in your pants shopping, would love to find them! They were so flattering. Sadly, I’ve been unable to locate them online.

   1. This may be completely ridiculous, but my roommate got an Alloy catalog (a la high school) and I saw these gray pants with a small black stripe on them. I’m sure the quality is awful, but I thought they were cute and have been debating ordering them.

      http://bit.ly/c1sZxd

      1. Hmmm – close, Thanks! They almost look more like the light gray plaid, but it was a thin black stripe. Her’s looked high quality. Nice draping, fit her well. The search continues! I will for sure just ask her next time.

   2. It sounds like you see her frequently. Ask her next time she wears them, or — if not — just say something like, “sorry if this sounds odd, but you were wearing a pair of pants the other day that look just like something I have been searching for; would you mind telling me where you found them??”
      And then — tell us! :)

10. Thread hijack-

    Why do people hate polyester so much?

    1. It doesn’t breathe, it’s doesn’t hold its shape as much, it may itch, and its often just terrible quality. Granted — just like all cashmere is not created equal, so synthetic fabrics vary greatly. Some polyester may be nice (see e.g., Armani). The majority, however, is a sub for nicer, better quality fabrics & simply doesn’t stand the test of time. Some people don’t mind (variety & disposable fashion & all), and some people prefer the trade off (less ironing? more machine washable?), but I have had both and, imo, a silk blouse does not compare to a poly; nor a wool suit to a synthetic.

       1. I’m repelled by poly blouses (unless it’s super soft and “feels” like silk, which is quite rare, actually). I hold myself to that standard whether it’s DVF’s poly or Target’s. I do wear poly-blend pants and suits, happily. 100% poly suits, though? Nah. My suits from the mid-90’s are mostly made from 100% worsted wool and they truly have stood the test of time. Amazing. And they were not spendy at all. Guess natural fabrics were cheaper to come by then? That said, I do think poly-blend fabrications have improved tons over the past decade.

11. Ouch….I actually own a pair of $700 Armani polyester pants, but I love them and the fabric moves so beautifully that I never thought to be embarassed about what they are made of. Sure, the fact that I celebrated a new job with a $700 pair of pants is a little embarassing, but the pants are 6 years old and I still wear them all the time and get compliments on them. That’s the most I’ve spent on clothes, other than a custom suit that went horribly wrong (and which I refused to pay for).

12. These are gorgeous pants. Too bad they do not come in my size.

13. In defense of polyblends: most of my suits are blpokyblends and I adore them especially the ones from Tahari. Unlike wool blends, my Tahari suits do not wrinkle and do.NT catch fussiest. I’ve got to say, I’m confused by this anti-blend stance.

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