Crazypants! The blog.

My Uniqlo x Lemaire items - what do you think?

October 18, 2015

After my heartbreak over how quickly the Uniqlo Lemaire collaboration sold out, I stalked the website for a day and found all the items I'd wanted!

In the end... I'm not in love. I've gained a few pounds relative to my older WIW posts, but even so, these clothes do me no favors. But some do have promise. What do you think? Keep or return?

All but the gaucho pants are made from the same Milano rib merino wool. Thick, warm, but not too warm for my climate, I think. The gauchos are a bulky wool melton.

1-2: Rib knit skirt. I did buy a lot of skirts recently, but I've been wearing them a lot. I don't usually go for this midi length but it would look nice over my tall, smooth boots.

3-4: Long knit jacket. 

5-7: Draped cape. It's a odd shape, a rectangle with no head slit or shoulder shaping, but I found two ways to wear it. I can't picture wearing it often as my main outer layer, but it might be perfect for sitting in my chilly office. So, basically, do I want an $80 wool rectangle?

8-9: Gaucho pant. They are not actually lantern-shaped - they need to be steamed, and then the side of the leg will fall straight. I'm completely sold on this silhouette, but I might prefer a lighter fabrication, like the cropped wool trousers I saw at J Crew.

I've left my opinions on fit/appearance out, to see what others think. Should I keep any?

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Posted in the Shopping category
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16 Comments

  • Cerinda replied 8 years ago

    The long knit jacket and the melton gauchos took like good candidates to me.  How's the fabric quality?  Looking forward to your take on all four pieces.

  • Dee replied 8 years ago

    Ok, my opinions: My favorite of the lot is the long knit jacket in 3/4. Good shape and fit on you. The wool rectangle is fun and I like how you styled it, but it seems bulky and fussy for... just about everything. I can see it working well as a cozy office layer though, as long as you aren't moving around too much, but the price is steep enough for essentially loungewear that you should love it. To me, the knit skirt in 1/2 doesn't seem edgy enough for your usual style and the gauchos seem very stiff, so a lighter fabrication might be a better bet.

  • rachylou replied 8 years ago

    Gee, I like it all. I think the cape is odd, but that doesn't stop me... Hehe :)

  • approprio replied 8 years ago

    I've been looking forward to seeing these and I like them all! Here's my $0.02:

    Long knit jacket looks like a no brains keeper. 

    Gaucho pants look great to me. I wonder if you go for a fabrication with more drape they'll loose the crispness that defines the silhouette, but maybe it feels odd to wear.

    I like the cape a lot and have no problem with an $80 rectangle if the material is nice enough and you can see yourself wearing it. That said, it does look a little long at the back. 

    I like the look of the skirt but I'm doubtful of wearing that sort of fabric for a skirt. I'd have to be 100% satisfied that it's not going to loose its shape when you sit down for any length of time.

  • CocoLion replied 8 years ago

    I think the first two items look good on you.

    I too noticed how quickly everything sold out.  I settled for the waist-belt tied cardigan in a Medium, but it's somewhat big (arms, shoulders).  Based on your report, I checked the website and they are back in stock!  It's a nice sweater in case you're interested (although perhaps not your style).

  • Astrid replied 8 years ago

    I love the long knit jacket in #3/4, I'd keep that one. I think the cape looks fussy and too long in the back. I think the volume would drive me crazy, even in the office. I'd personally just wear the knit jacket for that too, no fabric getting in the way and still cozy. I'm not a fan of the gaucho pants and the skirt looks okay, but doesn't seem edgy enough for your style.

  • Jaime replied 8 years ago

    I like the long jacket and gauchos best here. I don't see any reason not to keep the cape and sweater if you will sometimes enjoy them, even if the cape probably won't be a workhorse. I have only had a quick look at my haul, but the sure keepers for me are the cropped striped sweater, and a navy sweater. I also ordered the asymmetrical cape and have an illogical love for it. I actually really like the rayon tops too. It is going to be hard to decide by tomorrow!

  • Diana replied 8 years ago

    I like the gauchos best. I like the dramatic look of the stiffer fabric and I suspect a softer material wouldn't have the same effect. I also like the long jacket, if you think you need one I would keep it

    Skirt looks ok but nothing special. I'm leery of the fabric because you said it's rib knit which IMO is just a recipe for stretching/bagging in the butt. Also, rib knits tend to cling to lumps and bumps a lot. Prob not an issue for you but something to keep in mind.
    The cape is cool but seems v. fussy. I personally couldn't use it as an office wrap because it's so long I'd be rolling over it with my desk chair. plus I think it's a dramatic look best appreciated standing up. Sitting down, you may just appear to be wearing a black blob...

  • catgirl replied 8 years ago

    I love the gauchos. Nothing else looks unique enough to my eye but if they are useful essentials then keep for that reason. The cape is fun but seems a little too much on your slight frame.

  • UmmLila (Lisa) replied 8 years ago

    I like the long knit jacket the best of the lot.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Thanks, everyone! I am even more undecided than usual. Really, I should look at my newly organized wardrobe and decide if each item would fill an actual niche.

    The gauchos are great, but they are possibly much warmer than I would ever wear. I wore a wool melton skirt the other day and regretted it. Then again, October is our hottest month so it's hard to remember it does get cold. Maybe I'll wear them around the house for a while and see how I feel about it. Also, I have so many unusual pants but mostly only reach for my jeans... Then again, these gauchos are so easy to style. They look fine just with a tee.

    The cape is nifty, but I need to make myself picture actual contexts when I'd wear it.

    The jacket - you all liked it a lot more than I expected. I will try it on again and try to imagine if I'd wear it.

    The skirt will go back.

    If I keep all three except the skirt, that is $230, the same price as the lovely Helmut Lang raincoat I just bought but can't justify keeping. If I think of it as one vs the other, I might prefer to keep the raincoat...

  • approprio replied 8 years ago

    Does it rain where you live? Keep the raincoat!

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Well. It should rain in winter where I live, but it hasn't really rained in a few years and things are getting rather dire. We are supposed to have an epic rainy season this winter, but I'll believe it when I see it.

    But, the raincoat is more of a water-resistant anorak that would be good for an outer layer even without rain. Maybe I'll model it later.

  • Bijou replied 8 years ago

    This is an interesting dilemma.  I like the Uniqlo pieces, however, if they are  duplicates of items that you already have in your wardrobe, then maybe the raincoat is what you should keep.  I like the cape, but that is an item that I know I would not get much wear from (due to the dramatic style) and a raincoat would be more useful.  If you picture when you are going to wear these pieces, it may help your decision.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Well. I cut the tags and wore the cape out to the store to return the other items. It made me feel magically, instantly stylish, just over a plain tee and boyfriend jeans. (I found a way to wear it shorter - I used the top part as a scarf, basically.)

    I returned the skirt and the long jacket. I agree with you all that the jacket looks sharp but I just didn't feel like I'd ever wear it. I'm still waffling about the gauchos.

    Thanks so much for all your input!

  • approprio replied 8 years ago

    Brilliant! I think that's probably the piece I would have kept myself, along with maybe the pants. I"ve said here before that I think a big blanket is an incredibly underrated garment and when you find a really good one you'll get much more use out of it than you think. It's the sartorial equivalent on the intergalactic hitchhikers' towel. 

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