J.Crew Email: FENTON/FALLON for J.Crew (plus, FREE SHIPPING)

"Thanks!" to Desert Flower, Marietta & HeidiG who shared the following email J.Crew sent today.

The email once again announces the Fenton/Fallen for J.Crew collaboration. They also share the following:

Jewerly designer Dana Lorenz, visionary behind the rebel-chic statement jewelry lines Fenton and Fallon created a covetable collection just for us (you won't find it anywhere else).

Also, "thanks!" to Raina who shared the following article from Style.com (click here for the original article):

Dana Lorenz Is New To The Crew
By Maya Singer
April 14, 2010

When you need a favor, it helps to have friends in high places. Or, in the case of Jenna Lyons, to be a friend in a high place. Several months ago, Lyons, the creative director of J.Crew, was trying (and failing) to track down a few pieces of Fenton/Fallon jewelry, a problem with no real solution until she ran into Fenton/Fallon designer Dana Lorenz (pictured, with Lyons) at a dinner. “It was a party hosted by Maria Cornejo,” Lorenz recalled last night the Soho J.Crew store. “I remember, I was wearing a chambray shirt with paint all over it, because I hadn’t expected to be able to make it. Anyway,” Lorenz continued, “Jenna told me that she was looking for these pieces, and they were all sold out. I offered to make them up for her, as a favor.” Lyons decided that the real favor Lorenz could do for her was to join the J.Crew fold for a season.

The Fenton/Fallon for J. Crew collection is on the sales floor now; Lorenz describes the range as a “mash-up” of her two brands. “It’s a little less statement-y than Fenton, a little more statement-y than Fallon,” Lorenz said, “and I’m kind of loving the contrast with the preppy little blazers and things.” Prices start at $95 for the Carrington chain bracelet, below.

This is the type of collection where customers fall into one of two camps: "loves it!" or "hates it!". Frankly, I fall into the latter. To each their own! :)

What are your thoughts on the collection? Have you seen any in-person at your local brick & mortar stores? If so, please share! :)

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J.Crew's Jenna Lyons is the Go-To Girl

A big "thanks!" to KitsMommy (in this post), who shared the following article from the London Times Online (click here):

The go-to girl for fortysomething fashion
Jenna Lyons is the creative director of J.Crew, the American brand worn by the First Lady and other stylish US women
By Lisa Armstrong
April 14, 2010

In your 40s and can’t find anything to wear? This woman thinks she has the answers. And she has form. Because this is Jenna Lyons, 41, the creative director — and according to many saviour — of J.Crew, the American clothing chain to which Michelle Obama, among others, turns when she needs a chic wardrobe reality check.

The 6ft New Yorker with a three-and-a-half-year-old son and a 75-year-old mother (both J.Crew customers), along with the 55 other designers who work with her at J.Crew, has been so successful at tapping in to what grown-up but still fashion aware women want to wear that at the end of last year her bosses slapped a million dollar handcuffs deal on her.

Her secret? “I like what we do, and I wear what we do. I wouldn’t say I’ve made J.Crew over in my image, that would be presumptuous. You do have to work from instinct, while keeping a very clear head about what it is your brand stands for.”

Under the helm of Lyons, J.Crew has come to stand for a clear, reassuring refuge for women who are desperate for a dose of fashion flair combined with a bracing accessibility and clean lines. It is a combination that it is frustratingly hard to find on this side of the Atlantic, where the high street excels at throwaway trends but can’t seem to step up to the challenge of well-made, contemporary classics. The labels that do manage to come up with a more sophisticated, thoughtful take — such as Joseph or Jaeger — operate at the upper end of the high street.

Lyons seems at a loss to explain why others find the task so tough. “Looked at from one point of view, there are a lot of clothes that women of any age can wear now. I love short skirts, for instance, but I wear them with tights. And the twentysomething who sits down the corridor from me wears the same dress, but with bare legs. My mother wears my toothpick jeans — actually she stole mine — but she’ll team them with ballet flats, a blazer and a stripy Breton T-shirt whereas I always wear mine with a high heel and a nude colour top.”

Every time she visits, Lyons ends up pulling all the clothes out of her mother’s closet, styling them into new permutations and then taking Polaroids of all the outfits for her mother. That could be why she has such an empathy with the dilemmas women face down daily when it comes to getting dressed.

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed, bored or alienated by what’s out there,” she acknowledges. “My mother’s always saying she has nothing to wear — and she has tons. What’s lacking are role models. I think that it is symptomatic of a lot of other issues we have about ageing. When I go to LA I see that everyone is dressing like a teenager. Maybe it’s panic,” she muses. “Or the cult of fame — everyone wants to dress like celebrities, and celebrities are all chasing youth.”

Lyons, who is married to an artist and commutes daily to her Manhattan office from her home in Brooklyn, says: “The fact is, you have to get more selective as you get older. You need to learn what works for you, both in terms of functionality and shape.” Lyons is impressively clear-headed about what works for J.Crew. “We’re a clean, American brand.

“Military is good for us — it’s versatile, chic, timeless. Rock chics aren’t us, although we would do a biker boot because that’s a classic which looks great with everything. Ethnic is something we tend to steer clear of, especially if everyone else is doing it. Pale, nude colours are great. Camel is a much tougher call — most women don’t like how they look in camel. I know it’s what Phoebe Philo’s done a lot of at Céline, and I love what she’s doing there, but it succeeds because she’s working with the best, most expensive fabrics.”

J.Crew has been known to push the boat out, however. Lyons laughs when I tell her how last winter I became obsessed tracking down a bouclé tweed jacket that had sold out in every branch in New York (damn Michelle Obama, she wore the matching skirt and the vultures swooped before I got there). I eventually found the last one in town — two sizes too small, but nothing that couldn’t be (drastically) altered. It was worth it. The tweed is excellent and the jacket even has a gold chain stitched into the inside hem, a nice further homage to Chanel. It’s better, in other words, than it needed to be.

“It’s true. We could have got away with less,” she notes. “But you noticed that it was good \[the tweed came from Linton, the Cumbrian company that also makes tweeds for Chanel\] and that cannot be underestimated as a marketing tool. In fact, forget everything else — what our research has told us over again is that the key factor in turning customers on to our brand is word of mouth. Women trust their friends over and above anything else.”

While Lyons loves fashion (“it’s frightening how much I shop”), she’s not wildly interested in trends. Unlike British high street chains, J.Crew, guided by Lyons, scythes a path through this season’s key looks (“we’d do ruffles, although I’m not a huge fan of droopy or wispy ...”).

When she studies the catwalk, she’s looking for moods rather than specifics. “The problem as you move through your thirties, forties and beyond,” she muses, “is that there’s almost too much choice. So many women have no idea how to put it all together.” Her advice: aim for a degree of counter-balance, and edit ruthlessly. “If you like a soft, slouchy feel — a pyjama style pair of trousers, for instance — wear it with a tailored jacket, a menswear jacket and a pair of heels. Structure is your friend.”

So, too, are beautiful items that transcend (and justify) that feverish impulse to buy that infects the most restrained consumer. “Ask yourself when you’d wear it and how long you’ll love it for. Does it make you look better than the outfit you walked in in? It’s not so much about limiting your choices as empowering them.”

I enjoyed this article! There were a lot of great quotes from Ms. Lyons like being more selective about clothing as you become older & knowing what works for you. I also think that J.Crew's collection (for the most part) consists of classic staples. I know what I buy will be worn for years to come. So its great to hear the different ways I can wear a piece as I mature.

What are your thoughts on the article? Any points you found particularly interesting? What is your take on Jenna Lyons' contribution for the Women's line? :)

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Spring Sale Has Arrived {wahoo!}

The "Final" in the Final Sale is officially gone, allowing for customers to return and exchange sale-priced items purchased online (& hopefully in brick & mortar stores).

With the arrival of Spring, so comes the Spring Sale (click here to shop online). There are even some new reductions in prices of certain items. {wahoo!}
Lastly, today is the last day J.Crew is offering free shipping on orders of $150+ with promo code SHIP150.

Did you check out the Final Sale section today? Were you able to snag any amazing deals? If so, please share! :)

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J.Crew Spotted in Lonny Magazine

A big "thanks!" to Raina (of the lovely "If The Lamp Shade Fits" blog) who shared the following J.Crew sightings in the April issue of Lonny Magazine (click here).

In one photo, celebrity cook Katie Lee is wearing the Watercolor Potpourri Mini (Item 23003; Regular $68.00, now $49.99). I would never consider wearing a striped top with a watercolor floral print skirt. However, it works quite nicely together. :)

In the other photo, Lonny Editor Michelle Adams is wearing J.Crew's Sunshine Peony Skirt (Item 22591; $98.00). For more on this skirt, refer to the March 19th "Product Review: Sunshine Peony Skirt" post.

What are your thoughts on either skirt? Do you like the way the skirts are styled in the magazine? :)

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J.Crew Teams Up with Warehouse Denim

"Thanks!" to James & AppGal who shared the following news with us.

Over at the DenimBlog (click here), there is news that J.Crew is teaming up with the Japanese denim label, Warehouse Denim. The post shares the following:

J.Crew to Collaborate with Warehouse
By Jennifer
April 13, 2010

Once known for it’s American classics, J.Crew has quickly becoming a haute fashion Mecca. J.Crew’s popularity is sure to increase with the brand’s collaboration with Japanese denim designer, Warehouse.

Frank Muytjens, J.Crew’s head of men’s design, said he discovered Warehouse denim while on a trip to Tokyo last year. “I haven’t been able to take them off since,” said Muytjens of his jeans.

The collaboration will be called Lot 484 (named after J.Crew’s 484 fit as well as the Men’s shop address in NYC), which will be constructed from Warehouse’s 14 ounce selvedge denim. The fabric originates with cotton grown in Memphis and dyed in Japan, that will be untreated, yielding a beautiful fade with wear.

Lot 484 will feature traditional Warehouse signatures, such as a 34-inch inseam, rivets and fly buttons. The collection should have a similar price point to previous collections, around $170 and should be in stores soon.

Moreover, HypeBeast (click here) add the following:

New York retailer J.Crew has collaborated with Japanese selvedge denim label Warehouse on this exclusive men’s style, the “Lot 484″. The Lot 484 has been created from Warehouse’s 14-ounce selvedge denim; with the fabric being composed entirely of Memphis-grown cotton that has been both woven and dyed in Japan. Details include steel rivets and fly buttons that have been designed to rust over time. The Lot 484 will retail at $300 USD and will become available on J.Crew’s webstore and within its Men’s Shop and Liquor Store locations.

This brand is for the "diehard of denim aficionados". So it makes sense for J.Crew to seek out a partnership with them. However, call me crazy, but I don't understand paying close to $200-300 for steel rivets and fly buttons that "rust over time". It seems like that would be a flaw, not a feature of the jeans.

What are your thoughts on the latest collaboration? Are you a fan of Warehouse Denim? :)

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J.Crew's Fall Preview Is Here! {for men, part II}

We got a preview of the Fall collection in the April 2 "J.Crew's Fall Preview Is Here!" post. Well, here is a bit more!

"Thanks!" to J.Crew Guy In Canada who shared the following news with us. Over at A Continuous Lean (click here), there are several photos of the Fall 2010 Collection for MEN. The post also shares the following:

It couldn’t have been a more beautiful spring day last Thursday at the penthouse at Milk Studios when J.Crew presented its fall 2010 collection to editors. The sun was shining, the wind was blowin, the Dark ‘N’ Stormys were flowin and there were lots of familiar faces in attendance.

It has just started to get warm in NYC and looking at autumn clothes took some concentration, but J.Crew really nailed it with this collection. As I studied the looks at the presentation I told a friend — this is how I would dress everyday if I wasn’t so distracted or lazy, or a combination of the two.

Since the event and clothes have been out there on the internets, I thought it would be fun to take a different sort of approach and give you a comprehensive wrap-up of what was shown and what was said. That way you will be prepared come late summer when the collection starts hitting stores.

What did the bloggers think?
GQ said: “Too many stellar items to list.”

Secret Forts said: “You just want to put the clothes on, and with this collection, go get lost in the woods like Nick Adams”

The Pursuit Aesthetic said: “[J.Crew has been] transformed what was used to be little more than a preppy mail order catalog into one of the definitive sources for menswear.”

Por Homme said: “The Fall 2010 lineup is a versatile one with everything from a wool blazer to a Levi’s denim jacket all the way to a pair of classic chinos.”

Inventory said: “The fall collection aims to put a slightly toned down take on a number of outwear staples and J.Crew classics.”

Seriously, the Men's Collection is amazing. The outfits, the styling, and the presentation are all flawless. Bravo J.Crew!

What are your thoughts? Are you looking forward to the Fall Collection?

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Interior Shots of J.Crew's Liquor Store

"Thanks!" to Jennifer who shared the following news with us.

Over at Apartment Therapy (click here), there are several images of the Tribeca Men's Store (in NYC). The post also shares the following:

The long-established Tribeca tavern called Liquor Store may have closed its doors, but in its place J. Crew extended its brand with a curated selection of men's clothing and accessories by its designers and others — all while maintaining the original vibe of the bar situated in a classic 1825 townhouse.

What are your thoughts on the layout? Do you like that J.Crew has created such a unique-feel for some of their stores?

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