Fall in Blue and An Ode to J.Crew

Photography by Kirsten Beeksma Morse

I have always been a fan of J.Crew, particularly because I love their creative director and president, Jenna Lyons and her incredible personal style. I also love that their pieces mix so well with my closet and they always inspire me to get creative.  I know there have been some haters over the last couple of years, but I have never been one of them. Except for their pants. For some reason, I can't wear their pants. It is a mystery still, but beyond that I love what J.Crew does and I look forward to each season.

This week J.Crew and Nordstrom have launched an edited collection of J.Crew in 16 different Nordstrom locations. With the success of J.Crew's little sister brand, Madewell, this was in inevitable step, especially since the two shopping destinations most certainly have a crossover in their audience. I stopped by and took a look at the collection and it was a lovely small collection of their classic blazers, bright pink cashmere and their newest leopard pieces. You could always walk across the street to Pacific Place in you are in downtown Seattle, but it seems to be a perfect fit for both retailers. And who doesn't love hot pink cashmere and leopard, right? ;)

It is fantastic that J.Crew's latest campaign featured normals, and by that I mean J.Crew chose models from its own directory instead of professional models. The brand recently cast friends of the brand, ages 13 to 70, including J.Crew employees and journalists, to model the spring/summer collection. Fantastic. This novel little idea of using models past a certain age, plus writers, bloggers, and other real people that are interestingly beautiful in their own right, takes this brand to the next level for me. And maybe that is the essence of J.Crew that keeps me coming back for more. They make something seemingly ordinary show that it can be extraordinary.

While I am happily returning to my fall and winter neutral palette of gray, black, and gray, this brilliant blue color works beautifully with these colors and gives that pop of color that ups your style game. I shop J.Crew Collection quite a lot, especially the sale section, to see if I can come up with a piece I have been coveting on sale. To be honest, this never ever happened with the J.Crew Collection Leather Motorcycle Jacket, a gorgeous to-die-for jacket in buttery soft navy leather that I pined over for over a year. Kind of obsessed? Yes. I finally decided to go for it because it truly is one of those pieces that I know I will wear forever.

I did find this beautiful Collection Lace Skirt on the website on sale and am beyond about it. The slightly shorter lining that shows off the beautiful in-house made fabric. A pencil is my favorite style of skirt--it is always flattering and chic. And good news...this skirt is still on sale and there are currently lots of sizes. It will be fantastic with a pair of boots when the days become cooler.

The lace skirt came with a matching crop top but I took a chance that the Back-zip Crewneck Sweater in the color cerulean cove would be a match with the skirt. Both pieces were released from the same season so I was hoping they would work for a monochromatic look, and my gamble paid off. The cropped silhouette give it a modern appeal and it has a zipper up the back, which is a cool detail.

The shoes are one of my very favorite styles that are out for this fall. The J.Crew Pumps in snakeskin printed leather have a block heel that is tall but still comfortable to walk in. The four buckles are perfectly on trend and the snake, well, goes with everything. These babies will be going to a lot of parties. The Marni Polka Dot Frame Bag I bought from designer consignment heaven, MBs Finds, shows lady like style with a little bit of attitude. J.Crew's Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace is a classic that looks as lovely with a skirt as it does with distressed denim. Pearls are always a good idea.

You don't have to dress head to toe in J.Crew, of course, to look amazing, but you might be tempted to after perusing their latest catalog, or maybe this blog? Use the blues in your fall wardrobe for some serious style.
xx