Vest: Shopko (sold out)
Sweater: Gap Outlet (similar)
Necklace: JCF on clearance (Instagrammed here)
Pants: Target
Boots: Target
After a loooong time off of work, wearing lots of sweatpants, I was very excited to get back to an office environment and start dressing up again! (PS- per Anne’s advice, I’ve racked up some pretty stellar sweatpants outfits, which I think should be shared. I plan to host a link-up on April 1st where you highlight your sexiest sweatpants. More info to come.)
Then #chiberia occurred. Or #antarcditka. I love both hashtags.
I’ve had two snow days this Monday and Tuesday and now I’m officially stir crazy! (I’ve cleaned and organized everything and even updated my blog roll. Yeah…I need to get back to work.)
So that means you get an outfit photo that is more casual than my usual office wear!
I had been oogling over the herringbone vest that J.Crew came out with. So remixable and fun! But I was definitely not crazy about the price. Luckily, Ginny came to the rescue not too long ago and shared an option from Shopko that was under $20! (Unfortunately, it’s sold out now.)
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Left: J.Crew ($138), Right: J.Crew Factory ($108)
So when it comes to an item, does the brand name count?
Or are you ok with off-brand labels that look just like the original?
Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion and Vodka Infused Lemonade.
I could care about brand names, I usually just buy whatever is cute, fits well, and is affordable. That does usually lead me to the same few stores (Target, Loft and Old Navy) for a majority of my shopping, but if I found something that fit the bill elsewhere, I wouldn’t think twice about the label.
Did you happen to see The Mindy Project this week? She had some pretty great gym outfits (complete with moisture wicking rhinestones), which would totally fit the bill of the sweatpants link-up.
I agree Anne! Unfortunately, I feel like Old Navy’s quality isn’t that great lately but Target and Loft definitely make up for it for me too!
And I’m gonna have to Google these looks…I’m gonna need to step up my game. Crap! hahaha!
Love the vest. I’m not about brands as long as the quality is good. That’s what I look for. The quality has to be good. What a great versatile vest. I love me a good vest!!!!
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
Exactly- I couldn’t have said it better! Thanks Agi!
I’m all about the quality, too. I mean, people don’t see the label! I actually get a kick out of it when my boss (who does care about labels) says she loves something I’m wearing and asks me where it’s from. Then she’s always shocked when I say The Limited or Target :-)
In this case, though, I was bummed to see that the cheaper version was just printed instead of actual herringbone fabric. But, from a distance I suppose you can’t really tell anyway!
I love it! Do you think your boss is opposed to shopping at those stores? (And how flattered are you when she asks you that since she is your work style role model?!) And although the dupe isn’t the actual fabric, it looks awfully close from far away! Totally worth it for $100+ in savings fo sho!
Totally ok with non name brand items that are more affordable for me and my tiny budget! What a great score you found, I too had been eyeing that beauty but could never pay that much for a vest! Just not my thing! But love the look you put together.
One last note, I will totally be joining that sexy sweatpants thing! I am living in a construction zone plus spent two week off work for the holidays and have a few beauties to share!
I can’t believe the dupes are SO similar to the original but SO much less! And I am SO glad you will join for the sweatpants link up on April 1st! I’m gonna have to up my game..sounds like you have some great looks to share!!!
This is a seriously great dup, thanks for the shoutout and I love how you’ve styled it here.
Ginny
Thanks Ginny! I pinned your remix and have TONS of inspiration for the next time I wear it!
I got the original herringbone vest, but I lucked out when I stumbled on it in the sale section (during an addtl % off deal – it was meant to be, right) and scored my size and have been loving it for over a year, so I’ve got love for the original. However, I am also all about saving $$ so I don’t have a prob with sim-looking copies – like all the J.Crew look-alike jewelry!
Yeah I’m hoping mine will last…I think I’ll be wearing it a ton so hopefully the quality will last. But to find the original for a deal is AMAZING! And the J.Crew jewelry is SO beautiful, but there are tons of great dupes for less!
The only time I really pay attention to brands is when I’m thrifting, as I feel like I get more out of it when I find a great brand for a great price. Other than that, I’ve never really cared much about brands. That vest is super cute though! Love the texture.
That is a GREAT point- I totally agree on sticking to brands when thrifting too!
Wow, you got this vest at Shopko? It is absolutely GORGEOUS!
Thanks Rachel! Yeah it looks JUST like the J Crew one I think!
I AGREE! That is awesome!!!!!!! Great find!
I’m so jealous you found such a great deal on that vest! i love it!!
Thanks Katie! Yeah I couldn’t believe how similar it was to the original version!
Hello!
So I was super torn over buying the herringbone vest. I REALLY wanted it but I was in college and just didn’t have the means to pay the full price. I actually wound up buying a knock off from walmart of all place… it surprisingly even fooled the people at J. Crew! But it was a bit too puffy so I wound up not wearing it as much. I did however score another J. Crew vest for like $55 on sale right after I got my Christmas bonus… how could I pass that up? It’s not my go-to vest :)
Yours looks perfect though! You would never be able to tell that it isn’t the real deal.
Wow- that’s fantastic that you found a dupe at WalMart that fooled the experts! And the sale J.Crew vest is quite the deal, and if you end up wearing it more and waited it out for the sale, it’s worth the investment! Thanks so much for reading Michelle!