I'm making several apologies on this post: first and foremost, for not posting since August. I'm really sorry about that - moving to London turned out a lot busier than expected, and I've only really settled into my new life the last few weeks. My second excuse for hiatus is that I forgot to change the primary e-mail address for the blog from my University e-mail, and it promptly disappeared.
(York were kind enough to restore my account so I could retrieve the blog. You just wouldn't get that consideration down South.)
My second apology is more relevant to this post, and is entirely down to personal incompetence: I may have accidentally smeared handcream all over the back of my iPhone (electronic devices deserve pampering too) and this heavily impaired the quality of my already-shoddy photography.
Anyway, onto the point of this post..
Before visiting the store last weekend, the only knowledge I had of J-Crew was the following:
- We've never had one before.
- K-Mid is known to wear it.
- My mother sees it as the natural 'step up' from my University wardrobe.
Since visiting the store, I have drawn the following conclusions:
- It's expensive.
- I need everything.
I was greeted by a burly looking bouncer and America's image of London: four impeccably dressed models sporting Palace Guard hats and that classic British accessory, a phone box. The store was full of yummy mummies and impeccably-dressed couples wielding bags from Burberry, Chanel and Selfridges. All in all, I was pretty impressed. Think of an Abercrombie for grown-ups: sharp, clean better-lit and devoid of irritating teens.
The first thing I picked up was the '
Schoolboy Blazer' in grey, with navy tips and beautiful gold buttons. It was love at first sight and, at £268, fitted perfectly into my Christmas treat budget. The blazer comes in graphite, vintage mahogany (both pictured) and 'pinot noir' (read: pretentious American for 'oxblood') which, in case you hadn't noticed, is staying firmly in over the next season.
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Schoolboy Blazer in tipped wool £268 |
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We all know I'm a sucker for a graphite and navy combo, so I promptly dumped all my belongings on Nicholas and headed to the mirrors. I was a little disappointed trying it on; I have a long body that doesn't tend to suit shrunken blazers, so I'm sad to tell you I left without the blazer (for now).
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What did you think?
(tee: Whistles, jeans: Superdry) |
I find that women split into two categories when it comes to fashion: those who change their jewellery daily, carefully matching necklaces and rings to certain outfits, and those who ignore their overflowing jewellery box and opt to wear the same three things day in day out. I fall into the latter, despite my best efforts, so the seasonal knits (sorry - I refuse to say 'sweater') were perfect for me. Classic colours and styles were embroidered with brooches and necklaces, making them an ideal no-effort look for those who wished they could pull off the bejewelled look.
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Starburst Sweater in 'Dusty Quartz' (£98), Donegal Sweater in 'Pewter' (£98)
and Collection Cashmere sweater in 'Indigo' (£298) |
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Much as I want to purchase the
Donegal, I'm determined to leave my uniform of greys and blues behind (and my last grey-jumper purchase was mere days ago), so I'll be adding the
Starburst to my list this Christmas. In terms of classic jumpers Merino comes in at around £79 - not unreasonable for an upper-high-street name - however the 'J Crew Premium' can be seen in the price of basic cable knits (£88) and
cashmere (starting at £188) , and I can't help but feel you can get similar/better quality elsewhere. I'll cover this in a general winter-wardrobe post later, but if you're stuck for good cashmere this season try
Whistles.
Another of my (sadly unachievable) favourites were the printed cigarette trousers, which were available in a variety of jacquards, tweeds and silk tie prints - if I had the legs to wear these to work I'd snap them all up in a second. Again they're pricey, but I've not seen style or quality like this anywhere else so far this season..
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Capri in Berry Bouquet (£248), Mid-Rise Toothpick Cord Trouser in Bottle Green (£98, other colours available),
Printed Tweed Tuxedo Pants (£250) |
It could be that I'm turning into an old woman but I was also a fan of their corduroy stretch trousers, especially the fact they sell a mid-rise option. I may be short but I'm also incredibly pear-shaped, and this often leaves me in an unfortunate position when buying jeans.
I really think people underestimate the value of a good pair of PJ's and J Crew has outdone itself here, selling a range of cotton, flannel and silk nightwear in both outfits and separates. It's tradition that everyone in my family recieves a sleep-related present on Christmas Day, and I'm really hoping mine is one of these two (
the nightshirt comes in plaid too). They even sell a
onesie.
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PJ Set in Bright Cerise Flannel (£98), Cotton Nightshirt in 'Hydrangea' (£68) |
I might have walked out of J Crew empty-handed last weekend but I'll be back, armed with my personal Christmas list and my gift-list for others. Sure, it's overpriced, and it might be a few steps up from my current wardrobe, but in many cases J Crew's offerings are unique enough to justify the price tag.