a-Crew-ed interest

If you are like me, your best friend texted you two hours after J. Crew & The Man Who Dressed America aired on CNBC to see if you watched and your response was, "No, I forgot. UGHHHHHH!" If this describes you, never fear, I scoured YouTube and found it online, since I apparently missed every replay of it. It is GREAT!!! I love Jenna Lyons, but it was cool to see CEO Mickey Drexler in action and take a behind the scenes look into the retail and manufacturing of all of those candy colored confections. Definite must-watch. Bonus: No commercials. :)

Enjoy!

            

Lyons den

Photo courtesy of Forbes.

Ok, so here’s the deal.  Sometimes I get a little worked up over things and jump up on my soapbox—like um, last week.  I still stand by what I said last week about the recent findings at J. Crew and how Talbots is simply amazing this fall.  But when I heard that Jenna (we’re on a first name basis, you know. Ha, I wish.) was going to be on this little-known show called Oprah (rerun, I know.), I felt the same giddiness I feel every single time that new J. Crew catalog hits my mailbox. 

Hello, beautiful.  Jenna's personal shoe collection.

It’s the giddiness I feel every time I walk into that giant Crew at The Summit.  It’s the same feeling that causes me to save every article mentioning J. Crew’s executive creative director's name.  It’s the giddiness that reminds me that she, Jenna Lyons, is living out my dream job.  Literally, if I were asked what my dream career would be if there were no obstacles in life, hers would be it. Ask anyone I know and they will tell you that I’ve always wanted an executive position within J. Crew (remember that annual report analysis?)—and yes, I realize it doesn’t happen overnight.  

I absolutely adore Jenna's office at J.Crew.

That’s why I love the fact that she has spent 21 years working her way up within the company to get where she is.  So every time I see Jenna Lyons, I see my dreams—

Photo courtesy of Elle Decor.

—maybe it’s why I get so, um...soapbox-y when I don’t necessarily like what I’m seeing.  But on this show, she made me remember why I liked her in the first place—because she exudes that “just play dress up” quality so well and appears just so genuinely sweet.  So, though we may differ in opinions (And really, who cares about my opinion at this point besides me?), 

Jenna Lyons will still always be one of the biggest inspirations in my life. 

By the way, if you haven’t seen the inside of her amazing townhouse in Brooklyn, Google it or check out Elle Decor's  article—it’s just unbelievable.

In case you weren't convinced of my love quite yet, this is the collage I did 
in my dorm, featuring about a million J. Crew catalogs and half a dozen Elles. 

how do you mend a broken heart?

I’ve been in a love affair with J. Crew for as long as I can remember.  Signed up for multitudes of daily emails from various Crew sources, my BlackBerry is usually constantly lit up with the glow of crisp, J. Crew fashions.  The love is so strong that I even talked my financial accounting teacher into allowing me to do my annual report analysis on this fashion staple’s 2008 report.

Yeah, it’s that deep.

J. Crew's Fall Collection, inspired by recluse socialite Edie Beale.

Well, it was, until recently my monthly catalogs have been featuring some, how should I say, less than pretty things.  I know that as a reasonable business, J. Crew wants to appeal to a large range of consumers, but honestly, I feel like executive creative director Jenna Lyons is starting to bite the hand that feeds her.  In a recent interview, Ms. Lyons quipped about her disdain for J. Crew being labeled as a preppy retailer.  

J. Crew's Jenna Lyons. Photo courtesy of Style.com

She is taking the brand in a different direction, with the Fall collection, inspired by Grey Gardens’s Edie Beale.  It’s what Lyons describes as “grandma-chic,"  which to me sounds like she’s taking the collection from Jackie O-classic to hidden-Bouvier grunge. No thank you.  So with my love waning and J. Crew’s price-to-quality ratio not working out in my favor, I’ve caught on to another timeless brand gaining a lot of buzz—Talbots.  Ok, I know what you’re thinking..Talbots?  Seriously?  But the brand once thought of as your mom’s favorite shopping spot has gotten a bit of a facelift.  

The Fall Collection is reminiscent of J. Crew’s glory days—chic coats, beautiful platform pumps, and the most amazing ruffled front turtlenecks are just a few of what this unbelievable collection has to offer.  

To touch on my love for Blair Waldorf yet again, this collection screams Blair.  From fitted, tailored blazers to amazing blouses, this collection looks straight out of Eleanor Waldorf's storefront.

Talbots has taken classics, tailored them beautifully, and then added chic twists, such as unexpected colors, patterns, and textures.  It’s luxury at a lesser price point.

Will I still purchase things at my somewhat estranged love, J. Crew, yes. But as in all relationships, things change.  Watch out, J. Crew.  There’s a new skirt in town, and this time, grandma really has gone chic.