I received my new J.Crew catalog this week and happily sat down to read it magazine style, since I look at it for styling ideas more than individual pieces. I flipped the page and THERE THEY WERE. Again. The sequined harem pant. Really?? When I saw them many months back when Jenna Lyons wore them on Oprah AND in Elle Decor on the the same month I thought “Ok, I hate them, but they’ll be a flash in the pan”. But then they put them out again- the most unflattering pants on the planet- now with a drawstring waist! Next to giant shoulder pads, harem pants are my very least favorite “trend” and to add sequins to them is like, so visually offensive. I think my retinas would be burned if I saw someone wearing them in real life. YET, they are sold out! At an offensive $650 price tag too!! This is something that leaves me baffled- who bought them? Where are they wearing them? Can you imagine answering the door for a date in these? It would be all “Surprise! Did you not know you asked out MC Hammer?”
They are the perfect item for one of my new favorite blogs The Man Repeller, which features fashions that are so unflattering and weird that they clearly repel men but tickle fashionistas silly. Like the jumper/onesie. I remember being super duper against them and then I found a rather cute one that I wanted to wear to a fashion event and I was all proud of myself for being “on trend” and came out of the bedroom in all my onesie glory when Andrew looked at me and goes “you aren’t seriously wearing that are you?”. The man never criticizes my fashion sense because he knows I’d use my Tae Bo skills circa 1996 on him if he did, so that meant it had to be REALLY offensive. I was like, “but I’m so hip!” and he said “it looks like you have a diaper on”. That’s all it took, and I spun on my cute little heel and popped on a DVF number and kept it classic instead.
Footnote: If you own these pants I apologize….and hope you saved your receipt. :)
I’m on the floor laughing-hysterically- right now. So agree! Hate them too.
You’re brutal honesty makes me laugh! I agree that they are pretty ridiculos. My first thought when I saw them was that they belong in the New Years Eve scene from the Sex and the City movie where Samantha and Smith are wearing insanely sparkly loungewear. Totally impractical. I’m with you on this one. I’ve got no clue who would buy these, especially for that price!
I think they’re more like sequined sweatpants, and heaven knows the world does NOT need sequined sweatpants!
I actually like the pants, but would never pay that much and don’t really know when I would wear them – but still, I think they are kind of cool and different :)
Your post made me laugh! They are beyond awful!
I agree 100% and btw I’m still HOWLING from this post… lol
ahahha i find them kinda hot. when i looked through the catalogue i fell in love with them, especially the way they were styled and worn. Im not a big fan of harem pants but i would definitely try them out! they make such a bold and fun statement:)
LOL! I was also not digging the little fluffy fur scarf like fur thing that kept popping up. I mean, what the heck is it?….
Yet Fashionisya blog said it is selling out at stores. Go figure!,
Best, Lynn
And PS I live in Jcrew !,
Yes, these pants are dumb. Disco meets circus clown…
Love The Man Repeller blog…and yours, of course!
I totally agree!
Amen! Ugh, these are aweful!
I love your style and love fashion Fridays! I agree with you on the DVF dresses too – they never go out of style and are always worth the investment. But back to the pants. They are just so bad. Like Emperor’s New Clothes Bad. They even look ridiculous on Jenna Lyon’s. I also think harem pants are unflattering in general, but these just take the cake. Somebody had to point it out – glad you did – I was thinking the same thing.
I actually like them! When I saw them on Jenna Lyons in Elle Decor I wished I was taller and had a place to wear them!! However I would never spend that much $$ on something that would make me look like a solid gold troll, so I’m glad they cost so much!
Sooooo, I bought them. Yep. I did.
I realize I’m going to get a lot of hate for doing so, but I loved them, and bought them.
As for how they fit and whether they make me look like Jenna in real life, I can’t tell you, because J. Crew hasn’t shipped them yet.
I pre-ordered them waaaaaaay back in May. Martha Stewart featured items from the about-to-open Madison Avenue wedding store on her show (including these pants) and I immediately picked up the phone and called the NY store who put me in touch with a private shopper who put me on the pre-order list. I thought they were beautiful and unique and one of those items i’d have FOREVER. Fast forward to mid-August and I’ve only JUST received notice that they’re going to ship in September. Originally they were going to offer two colors – the dark gold and dark silver, but I guess the few of us who ordered them ordered the gold. I know a lot of people hate these, but I love ‘em. If only they’d ship the darn things so i can start wearing them…
P.S. Please don’t revoke my ability to read your fab blog just because I bought those puppies – I usually have what most would call “good taste” :)
Ha! When I saw the sequined pants AGAIN all I could think was “Jenna sure does love sequins’! I’m not a fan.
Wow, from JCrew? I guess I don’t really do much shopping from them but I’m surprised they would sell something this gaudy. Yikes!
Those are crazy expensive. Yikes!
SO TRUE!!!
I TOTALLY Agree with you and I am so glad that you wrote about them. I LOVE J.Crew and always look forward to getting my catalog; when I saw these I thought, “well, guess it’s just one of those trends that will have to grow on me,” – was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. :) When I read your post, I was actually relieved that you didn’t like them either….BUT, on another note, I do like a good onesie – just go with shorts that can be belted, not pants.
I sort of love these pants in the same way that I love Jersey Shore. They’re mesmerizingly awful, and yet, I can’t look away. I cannot BELIEVE they’re sold out. The only place I could envision anyone wearing them is on New Years, or in Las Vegas.
I found a silk onesie on sale earlier this summer, and am not brave enough to wear it out, so instead, I wear it around the house. It’s perfect loungewear!!!!
I own the pants and I’ve worn them a few times already. I got them from the J. Crew Wedding Store on Madison Ave. They aren’t as baggy as you’d expect and I get a lot of compliments on them. From men and women. As Jenna would say, “I’m obsessed”.
I am crying from your post!
The pants are soo freaking cute, it’s heartbreaking they are so expensive!!
The pants would look great hanging in my room as art…By the Way Isabel Marant has a similar pattern but they’re capris…
For some reason they mesmerize me. I love them. Could never pull them off but I love em.
I’ve read over a couple of your current posts and I had been thinking about if you wanted to swap blog site links? I am constantly seeking to swap links with websites about the same content! I look forward to hearing back from you before long.
You are hilarious! But yes, VERY offensive indeed, these pants totally scream fashion victim more than fashionista…so tragic~ tsk tsk.