Duro Olowu for jcp in St. Louis Stores

When I first saw images last month of the Duro Olowu collaboration with jcp, I immediately started counting down to the collection’s release on March 1.  Flattering silhouettes for various body types.  Bold colors.  African-inspired prints.  This collection is like a Spring 2013 style dream.

Let me tell you.  In person, the collection is even more stunning than the online lookbooks could ever indicate.  If I wasn’t on a budget, I would’ve probably taken one of everything—the clothing, the home goods, the jewelry.  I would’ve surely bought the suitcase to pack it all in of course (if my store had it).

Close-up look at my favorite accessories in the collection.
The tapestry retails for $30.  Necklaces above are $25 each.  

I was most attracted to the canvas and cotton bags.  My favorite was the tablet E-reader case ($25).
It’ll work perfectly as clutch since its cross-body strap is detachable.

Since I knew I couldn’t buy everything (today), I tried to be selective about what I took to the fitting room.  Y’all know how that goes.  Once you try an item on and it’s perfect, it’s hard to walk away.  Here are the items I tried on.  Yes, this was as small as I could make my try-on pile.

I’m wearing both dresses in a size 6.  The green jacquard dress is quite luxe-looking in person.
There are some size inconsistencies though.  The green dress was too tight at the defined waist in a 6,
but the leaf print dress fit perfectly in a 6.
When I sized up to an 8 in the green dress, the waist was still tight.  So, I had to pass for now.

I tried on the pants for fun because they’re not my style.  I’m wearing the shorts in a size 8.
The ankle pants look like pjs on me.  They are too long on my short self.
I’m wearing a size small in the ankle pants.
The plaid sweater is quite luxe in person.  I’m wearing a size small above, but would surely size down
to an extra small.  The sleeves were long on me.

I have a hard time fitting non-stretch pencil skirts.  I’m wearing an 8 above and it was too snug.
I never got to try a 10 to see if the fit improved. $40
The elastic waist, A-line skirts ($30), on the other hand, are quite big.  I’m wearing an extra small and
there was a lot of room.

I’m pretty confident that I’ll be revisiting this collection again soon when I have more time to try on pieces.  For today, though, I purchased the leaf print dress, green blouse, and a vase.  I was disappointed, though, in the absence of items in the plaid print I was most drawn to (like this tee).  Darn it!  St. Louis stores never get everything in special collections.

If you’re a fan of prints and color, this collection is a must-see.  The price-point is quite reasonable too.  I recommend checking it out in person because I noted a few size inconsistencies, even among items with the same silhouette.  

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7 Comments

  1. val xyanz
    March 1, 2013 / 7:45 pm

    are the prices reasonable?

    • March 1, 2013 / 7:57 pm

      Good question. I'll surely update my post throughout the day to mention price more. But, yes, the prices are reasonable for a designer collab. Prices range from $20 to $90. The suitcase is the priciest item at $90. The dresses start at $30. The gold and jacquard dresses are more, around $50. The tops and skirts start at $30 too. They'll likely be markdowns on this collection. I don't feel like jcp did enough to promote this collection.

  2. March 2, 2013 / 12:21 am

    I did not see or hear about it until I saw your post. I will really like to get that leaf print dress and gold skirt.

    • March 2, 2013 / 3:36 pm

      I'm hearing that from a lot of people, which indicates that jcp didn't do a good enough job of getting the word out. What a miss on their part. Check it out. Let me know that you think of the pieces when you see them in person.

  3. March 2, 2013 / 12:23 am

    Did not know about it until i saw ur post. I like leaf dress and gold skirt. I will go looking for it.

  4. Annie
    March 2, 2013 / 3:29 pm

    Totally off the subject…but when you lived in Lexington, Ky., you mentioned a great consignment shop that I mentally said if I ever…Well, I may be in Lexington this month and have searched through your old posts and can't find the name of the shop…Do you remember what it is?…THX and hugs..Annie

    • March 2, 2013 / 3:43 pm

      How cool…you're gonna be in Lexington, KY. I sometimes miss the place. The store is Sassy Fox (3101 Richmond Rd # 312, Lexington, KY 40509-1526). It's quite upscale and the price point was usually good. The store got great designer selections. There's a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/sassyfoxconsignment) too, but I think it's managed by the Louisville branch of the store.