J.Crew new arrivals without crewlade

J.Crew recently updated their website with the new arrivals. Since I am not checking the website on daily or even weekly basis anymore, I would have missed it, if I haven't been an avid reader of JCA and other related blogs. In fact, I have already seen the new arrivals in the store last week when I visited the mall with my friend. Her style is a bit different from mine but she wanted to see the store where I shop, since they don't have J.Crew in Poland. We happened to stop at the outlets first, so we went to the factory store. I am never inspired by factory for some reason and I hardly ever visit but being there with my friend made me step back and look again.

Well, it did not look any better from the distance. In fact, I felt something of mild embarrasment for all the crayola explosion, bad fabrics and cheap look of shoes and accessories. I should not that my friend dresses mostly in solids and does not like brights. Her 'uniform' is simple but it works well for her. She usually wears skinny jeans in dark wash, knit top in green, wine or brown/camel with a long sweater in similar colors. She tuck the jeans in a pair of boots, throws on a black peacoat and jazzes it up a scarf and colorful purse. She is not trendy but likes to feel modern and current. I could tell that all the pencil skirts, flower prints and 'good girl' cardigans did nothing for her.

It wasn't much better in the retail store although she did notice that the quality seemed better and colors less jarring. She liked the Gilded Brocade top, she considered Tartine satchel (until she saw the price),  purple medalion print scarf and she was intriqued by some of the colorful pants. She wanted me to try one of the Lady jackets languishing in the sale section. Overall, I knew she was not impressed, but she tried to be nice and said something about 'not working in the office', as a reason why the clothes did not appeal to her.

I have to say, there was nothing in the store I was lusting after. Absolutely nothing. Sure, some of the new arrivals looked 'nice', but in the end they just left me cold, as 'more of the same'. I liked the Liberty print schoolboy blazer, but I already have flower print blazer that I hardly wear. I liked the medalion scarf. After perusing the website, I added the tweed front tee and mini medalion dress or maybe a skirt (both can be too short and/or too twee) for consideration. 

Of course, it is quite likely that I will warm up to a few more items as the time goes by. However, when I have checked my recent credit card activity and I realized that my last kept J.Crew purchase (stovepipe checked trousers) was from December 3rd! That must be a record for me and I wasn't even trying. Overall, I have been shopping much less and spent less in last 6 months than I used to spend in one. And when I added my last six months purchases, J.Crew was only one third of them. The rest was Nordstrom, Anthro, GAP (boyfriend jeans!), Club Monaco and Ann Taylor .

So, still keeping with the 'no new stuff needed' spirit, my outfit today consists of an old and new(er) favorites: Italian boucle pencil skirt in honey glaze (2007?),  Nottingham boots (2009?), chambray shirt in polka dots (2012), J.Crew super skinny belt, Kate Spade purse and Banana Republic necklace.

However, I did buy something recently that I am excited about, but it is not from J.Crew. I will review it tomorrow!

 

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That's all folks!

Have you been buying much from J.Crew these days?

Are you excited about any of the new arrivals?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!