Friday, February 15, 2008

Mellow Yellow: Part J.Crew

As promised, I have a lot more bursts of yellowy goodness for ya'll. J.Crew is pretty much yellow central this season; they're definitely tapping into this big spring trend. Nothing's on sale (yet), so you could easily spend $2,000 on exclusively yellow items if you were so inclined. Here's what I found.

Patent leather peep-toe Mary Janes, $198
The mary jane style and patent leather makes these shoes a little bit aggressive in addition to fricking cute. I jsut wish they were close toed so you could wear them in winter with dark grey tights.

These Jillian espadrilles, $118, are summer personified. The daisy-colored ribbons combined with the wedge heel will make you feel like you're either summering in the South of France or going with your high school sweetheart to the local county fair, where you will be crowned Best in Show.

Carrying a yellow (or "sour lemon, as J.Crew calls it) purse, like the Mini-carnaby carryall, $198
will make strangers think you're an international photojournalist, but one with a sense of humor and style, not one of those who shots depressing photos of orphans.

I think one of the reasons I'm so into yellow is that wearing it makes me feel like the farm-girl next door, who in the near future is going to be discovered by a modeling agent at the local Diary Queen and will then have to make a heart-wrenching decision to give her beau his letterman's jacket back so she can pursue her dreams in the big city (where she'll learn how to apply eyeliner and wear black and charcoal exclusively). But before that, she'd wear this Polka-dot Glamour Underwire bikini, $50, at the local swimming hole. (I guess my little story is flawed in that Iowa farmgirls don't buy bikinis from J.Crew... but they have internet in the midwest, I think, so it's possible!)

Oh, I'm so in love with the Linen Schoolgirl skirt, $78, and whoever paired it with this cashmere polka-dot cardigan, $178 is a genius. I also love how the model is pretending not to be super-pissed that the photographer keeps yelling at her to, "Lean to the side! Lean like you mean it! Lean like you'll never fall over! Goddamn, when I say lean you say how low!" She probably threw a giant hissy and walked off the set after this photo was taken and she fell off the stool and crashed to the ground.

Here's another cardigan, the Cashmere Lily cardi, $178. Sweaters with jacket-like details (the collar, the two buttons, shirring around the collarbone) are perfect for when you're transitioning into spring and it's too warm for your wool coat but not warm enough to wear just a t-shirt. And look how great it goes with dark jeans, and this model's incredible brown-red hair.

Italian paper-poplin raincoat, $158. J.Crew is totally off its meds for making a coat in fabric "rigoursly tested for water-resistance," and then adding three-quarter length sleeves and a big ruffley collar. Don't pretend to be practical, J.Crew, it's unbecoming.
Oh, who am I kidding, did you see the belt? I can't stay mad at you, J.Crew.

If you're unlucky enough to be stuck in an office this summer instead of having afternoon picnics in Central Park, the Double-faced wool Lexington jacket, $99.99 (on sale, originally $250!) will ease your pain a little. The subtle yellow trim and hand-painted buttons make this basic blazer a lot more fun.

But what if, say, instead of interning you're planning to spend your summer wandering through flower markets looking impossibly fresh in hopes that a handsome stranger will buy you some azaleas? (PS: I will buy pretty much anything if the accompanying photo has a model carrying a purse with flowers in it. It's the fashion equivalent of puppies: all my resolve disappears and I'm totally defenseless.) Then you're gonna need this Beaded flower tie belt, $68. It's ridiculously priced for a fake flower on a ribbon with some rhinestones in the middle. But I think it'd be the sort of accessory that perfects any outfit, that makes you feel like your outfit has something special none of the other girls have.


I know at this point you're thinking to yourself, "Sure, Julia, this is all cute, but where are all the dresses?" Jesus, fine, I'll show you some dresses. J.Crew is making almost all of its spring dresses in bright citron or sour lemon or whatever, so there are tons of options (especially in the wedding party dress section, fyi). Here are a few of my favoites that are a bit more casual.

The swiss-dot Fontana dress, $140, is a sweet little wrap dress that comes with its own detachable slip. I'd wear it if I were throwing an early evening dinner party in my backyard garden, preferably cooking only dishes with chocolate (like in Chocolat).

I want to wear this cotton interlock cross-back jumper, $118, when babysitting for fictional family that has two well-behaved little girls that love me and that pays $18 an hour to play hopscotch with them. The back of this dress, which also comes in navy blue, has really youthful and fun crossed straps. The drawback of that is no bras allowed, and since this dress is unlined (although they do make a point of saying it's make of a thicker, more constructed cotton) you might have some issues there. But it has hidden pockets on the hip seams! Who can resist that?

And finally, if you're sick of all these solid yellow business and are looking for a fun print to liven things up, try the Campo De' Fiori Sweater Dress, $175. You can tell it's chic because the name is in Italian. On the other, the model kind of looks like a space cadet with bony legs, and I find that annoying.

Patent leather peep-toe Mary Janes, $198
Jillian espadrilles, $118
Mini-carnaby carryall, $198
Polka-dot Glamour Underwire bikini, $50
Linen Schoolgirl skirt, $78
Cashmere polka-dot cardigan, $178
Cashmere Lily cardi, $178
Italian paper-poplin raincoat, $158
Double-faced wool Lexington jacket, $99.99
Beaded flower tie belt, $68
Swiss-dot Fontana dress, $140
Cotton interlock cross-back jumper, $118
Campo De' Fiori Sweater Dress, $175

1 comment:

luxurygirl said...

All great picks. Love the yellow accent pieces!
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