Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Wearing White And Review of J.Crew Panama Hat

I love this outfit

I have recently reorganized my closet to keep all my everyday summer clothes in one place. I have picked only the items I loved and was ready to use multiple times. I tried to downsize a little but nothing crazy, I have learned that when I don't have enough choices I get easily bored and want to buy more stuff. My current collection probably has about 75 items so it is not very small but manageable for me.

I did not have any particular 'color story' in mind, but when all was said and done, I realized that I only have few colors selected and my color palette consist of navy, blue, white/ivory, black & beige with some red  thrown in small quantities.

At least 1/3 of my clothes are white/ivory and I have been craving even more white. I think I had an epiphany when I started reading decorating/lifestyle blog Dreamy Whites, run by wonderful and inspiring Maria Carr. Maria lives in Northern California with a husband and five children in a beautiful farmhouse, decorated mostly in, you guessed it, white. Anyway, she had a post some time ago when she talked about how white is really not that different and difficult to keep clean than other colors. In fact, sometimes white is easier to keep clean and stain free because you don't have to worry about color fading and you can OxiClean the heck out of it! I realized that it is the same with white clothes. That is until you get sunscreen on them :(

So here is an example of all white outfit I wore recently to work. This is J.Crew Attache dress in superfine cotton, that I bought last year. I am wearing a size 6. It is definitely cut differently than this year's version, in which even an 8 was tight in the chest while hips were huge.

J.Crew Attache Dress
Yes, I am also wearing white shoes. This is a very old pair from Michael Kors. I love the contrast heel and they are quite comfortable.

Micheal Kors Peep toes are my favorites in the summer
I accessorized with Elephant necklace in ivory and I am wearing very old, off white lyocel jacket, that I wear to death every spring, because it goes with everything and it is a perfect light layer once it is too warm to wear a trench coat, but not warm enough to wear a sleeveless dress on its own.

Featuring J.Crew Elephant necklace
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Since I am so much into whites this season, I though a Panama hat would be just the perfect accessory.

Sunglasses from Ray-Ban
This straw hat is also from J.Crew. It is actually more ivory than white, which I don't mind but I wanted to mention it, in case you are expecting true white.  The shape and proportions are perfect and it fits well. The workmanship seems mediocre (with little pieces of straw sticking out in few places).

This is size large-xlarge, I have a large head but it also runs small the inside measurement is about 59 cm, which is normally listed under size medium-large.

Panama hat
I am on the fence about the hat. I do like it a lot, I just don't know how much I would actually wear it.
I would love to style it with some feminine flirty dress and a blazer.

My inspiration

Lovely

Those looks are lovely and I could probably recreate them with something I have in my closet, but frankly,on me, the hat does feel a little costumy.  I would love to wear it at the beach but I don't go to the beach that often. Also, I am pretty sure I can get something similar cheaper elsewhere.

What do you think?

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That's all folks!

Do you wear a lot of white in the summer?
Should I keep the Panama hat?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!


30 comments:

  1. You know you're preaching to the choir here!
    I think I actually need some colour for summer, I'm starting to look like a cult member but I feel so happy and peaceful when I wear white, it really soothes me.
    I have the hat too, also in the large size, it's tiny, I'd only wear mine on holiday , I don't have the confidence to go out in a hat here.

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    1. Did you take the hat on your SoFA trip? I bet it will look great by the pool. Oh, it must be divine with your hair!

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  2. Hi AJC,

    Great post- I have often avoided white in summer as my legs were pasty white (I do not tan and I never will so have given up trying) but this year, I discovered a self-tanning lotion by L'oreal that actually looks like a tan and so have been buying white again and I love it!!!

    I love the panama hat, but can only wear wide brimmed hats. I don't typically wear them around as I do sometimes feel costume-y as well, but love them whilst working in my garden!

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    1. a wide brimmed hat is a must in the garden! Imo everybody looks great in white or ivory.

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  3. I am surprised J. Crew made this hat in sizes. Most of the ladies hats seem to be One Size (one size that is too small for my head and looks ridiculous). That bucket hat in particular was a disappointment. This hat looks cute on you & I love the white as well.

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    1. I know cate, many J.Crew hats are ridiculously small, why is that? Many of us seem to have those fabulously evolved brains ;)

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  4. Definitely keep the hat! It's classic and won't go out of style. I always find myself needing a hat, especially when its nice outside and I want to get out of the office at lunch time for errands or a picnic :) And I could see it being fabulous on vacation too!

    Tasia

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    1. On vacation it would be perfect Tasia! I am seriously tempted to keep it now.

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  5. I love your outift, ajc! I also wear quite a bit of white during the spring/summer months, and have never had a problem keeping any of the items clean.

    I also say keep the hat. I have one that I bought from Madewell early last year and wore it frequently all last summer. I think you will eventually end up getting a lot of wear out of it...plus it looks really cute on you! :)

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    1. I was thinking of you FFM when I posted this, I thought the outfit in top picture would be your style as well.
      Thanks for the compliment!

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  6. Love all WHITE and IVORY for summer with splashes of color: green, orange/red, blue and yellow and sometimes, BLACK gives it a nice kick. Like you, I did a reorganize of my closet too and you nailed it: I can get bored and buy things I don't need so I'm working like a dog trying to stop that behavior and it's actually working and I'm enjoying wearing (more than one time a season) many of my "vintage" finds (2007-2010). I have the bucket hat and I love it --- I just love hats but I'm passing on the panama hat because it just doesn't work on me --- my hair is chin length and it feels too masculine.

    Love the white dress.

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    1. love your color choices for summer, Shariyu. I cannot wear bucket hats but I lov ethe look of them. I don't think you would look masculine in anything but i know the feeling.

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  7. I also love white for summer, and you look amazing. I am envious of how fabulous you look in the Panama hat. I ordered that hat and it just didn't fit properly (I have a huge basketball head), and I ended up returning up. I am going hunting for a similar kind of hat at the local hat shops where I can try it on first before buying.

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    1. you can probably find something better locally Louise, I am sure of that. And see my reply to wff, we need to start a club!

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  8. I just bought the white hat too. I will wear it a lot on the beach, but I also live in a resort town and spend the winters in the Caribbean, so the hat will be great. Also so many "well made" straw hats are just too darned hot and heavy. This one is cute and stylish and I don't think it's costumey at all, actually I think it's on trend and smart looking, especially on you! Keep the hat, you'll be glad you did!

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    1. Oh Buffy, how I wish I lived in resort town and spend the winters in the Caribbean, I would wear hats all the time.

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  9. I Love the hat on you, it works on you!! I have that hat from last year and I love it, I think you will grab it more then you realize. You look great in white, I need to be brave and buy more white for the summer. Thanks for the tips!!

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    1. I am now tempted to keep the hat.
      Go for more white, I say! it is easier than you think.

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  10. The hat looks dashing on you, very chic!

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  11. CUUUUUTE - I love that hat on you! I look like a doofus in hats.

    Your pretty white outfit reminds me of Ingrid Bergman in the beginning of "Casablanca". I always loved how practical and elegant she looked in that white evening suit, even while encountering former lovers and running from the Nazis.

    "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

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    1. and how she kept the big puffy sleeves perfectly pressed while on the road with only a small suitcase...

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    2. If Ilsa could make both Rick and Victor Laszlo fall hopelessly in love with her on sight, I'm sure that she could keep her clothing wrinkle-free by sheer will ;)

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    3. For some reason I could never finish watching Casblanca, I think I will try again this weekend.

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  12. I think your white dress outfit is lovely. And I love white-based home decor. I saw pics recently where someone painted their floorboards white (NYC Brooklyn apt) and it looked amazing. Oh and re the hat, I like it - you should keep it and wear it! :). I have a cloche hat I got on sale in Anthro a few weeks ago (navy with small white trim and bow) and I've been wearing it all the time, as well as one of those larger brimmed SPF hats in a pretty blueish color sort of strips of fabric and a self bow which I wore the other Sunday. If people think I look weird, oh well, I don't want to get burned. (I did try about 30 hats in Nordstrom to choose that one....all the JC hats were too big or looked silly).

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    1. white painted boards sound amazing, I love white in decor, especially for summer, I wish I bought my sofas with slipcovers and I want to swap wool rags for sisal.
      I never found cloche hat I liked but I love them on others.

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  13. 1. Keep the hat. I too wear men's hats on my enormous head (my parents referred to my head either as "get this through your big thick skull, you can't stay over at...." OR "of course she has a large head, when you have a large brain you need someplace to keep it." Neither concept was cool during high school. Sigh. Keep the hat, it looks great on you. I have one from the Crewlet and I love it.
    2. Love white for summer. Have tried it every summer since we bought Flintstone Manor, now have a collection of white pants in every size from 4 to 14 and (almost all the way) back again.

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    1. fred, you are ready for anything with your white pants collection, lol.
      It seems like we could have a large head club here, it'd go with large, highly evolved brain theory here.

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  14. wow, i love this outfit on you. the hat looks so cool. i could see it with so many of the outfits you've shown. i think it really makes a statement. i love all white too, i think it is super easy living with white too. i can't stand the thought of dark fabrics on my furniture so dirt won't show. ewwwww.

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  15. Do not change a thing. Love the hat on you and you look beautiful in white.

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