A few posts back, our friend Nancy made a comment. She wanted to know where I shop. It was funny because I also received a couple of emails asking me the same question.
So, here goes–95 percent of my wardrobe comes from J. Crew. I’m very brand loyal to this company. Think back in retail history ladies. Way back. Before online shopping. Back to the days of mail order. Remember those days?
I would eagerly wait for the mailman to deliver my favorite catalogs. Chadwick’s of Boston, Tweeds, and the mother of all catalogs—the J. Crew catalog!
This is from the Spring 1987 J. Crew Catalog. Some things never change. The clothing is pretty much the same. And that is why I love J. Crew!
I’ve been a customer since 1983. There have been years where the pickings were slim and years when I wanted everything and anything I could get my crossed-eyes upon.
And Jenna Lyon’s vision of the edgy catalogs of the present day gets on my last nerve. But I still love the clothing that J. Crew and J. Crew Factory have to offer.
Yes. Jenna Lyons drives me up a wall. I’m sorry but those pants are ridiculous looking. The news of her deciding to leave J. Crew did not make me sad. At all.
Crew’s clothing is my style. It’s my comfort zone. It’s what I feel good in. And, for the most part, the quality is good.
One of my favorite looks from J. Crew–head to toe! A black Tippi Sweater, Stewart plaid pants–and one of the few J. Crew pairs of shoes I have. Dulci kitten heels.
I stick to the basics. Nothing outlandish. I love the Pixie and Marti pants. I am not a fan of J. Crew’s jeans however. I love the sweaters although there have been seasons of lesser-quality goods.
Some of my Pixie, Marti and City Pants from J. Crew. There’s a lot more too!
I love the cuts of the blazers from Crew. I’m a fan of the button-down shirts and the turtlenecks—except the flimsy cotton ones that stretch out
Some of the blazers I have collected from J. Crew over the years...
…and more–Lady Jackets and plaid. What’s not to love??
I’m also a fan of the striped fabric when the cuffs are turned up. It’s little things like that that I love!
Three guesses as to where my costume jewelry is purchased!
But I know and am familiar with J. Crew’s clothing. The J. Crew Pencil skirts fit my body well.
See what I mean? Scarf from J. Crew, sweater and pencil skirt from J. Crew. The Number 2 Pencil skirt is one of my faves!
I’m not one for fussy dressing. I like my solids. They are easier to mix and match. I’ll do stripes. And we all know that I will do plaids on any occasion. But I tend to stick to a more classic look.
With shoes, I’ll stick to shops other than J. Crew. My foot is too narrow for most of the brand’s shoes.
Here’s a bit of what I have from J. Crew.
An sampling of button-down shirts–the striped tunic is Tory Burch–how did it sneak in there?
One of two draws full of sweaters. All from J. Crew.
No. It isn’t sheets. It’s the white dress shirts I have from J. Crew.
Printed Campbell pants and a roll-neck sweater
OK–this is the last one. I love this leopard skirt too.
Nordstrom is another store that I shop. Surprisingly, I don’t buy many clothes there. I’ll stick to shoes and boots and bags. I make my good boot purchases during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
If you have the time, a couple of hours spent purusing Nordstrom Rack can produce great buys!
I have better luck at Nordstrom Rack. Especially with jeans. The variety of jeans at Nordstrom Rack is terrific. I purchased quite a few of my beloved AG jeans at Rack. And quite a few pairs of shoes too!
This leather Longchamp bag was my deal of the century at Nordstrom Rack a few years back. I saw it and ran up to the checkout. It was about $100. I wear this a lot!!
Two more Nordstrom deals. The bag is from Nordstrom. Rebecca Minkoff. Someone returned it and it went over to the sale table. I grabbed it! The shoes are from Nordstrom Rack and were the second deal of the century. I actually fell in love with these shoes when Susan from Une Femme d’un Certain Age posted them on her blog. They are Paul Green and at $350 were out of my price line. I happened to be at Nordstrom Rack one day and the shoes were there. In my size. I think they were $107. and I had a $50 gift card. Great day in the mornin’!!
In all honesty, as much as I enjoy shopping, I love to make my purchases during sales. I don’t buy at retail prices.
I don’t buy luxury brands either. I am very much aware of my budget and what I cannot afford.
Leather Longchamp bags are the closest to luxury that I will buy.
OK. Bonaparte may have given me the red Longchamp bag for my birthday last year, but he made the purchase at Nordstrom!
And when we travel to France, I’ll keep my purchases purely to bags, shoes and my beloved Rondini sandals. My body is just way too curvy for a European fit—so I avoid clothing for the most part.
Two examples of shopping during traveling. Rondini sandals and Repetto ballet flats. Every trip to France during the summer months means another pair of sandals. The price is great because the sandals are custom made and last forever. BTW, the shirt is J. Crew and the jeans are AG! But look–this is an outfit that I can wear till I’m 85!
When it comes to buying clothing, it really helps to really know your body type and what works for you. Boyfriend jeans and cargo pants look horrific on me. Skinny and legging jeans work better for my body.
Old Navy is great–great for basics like plain tee shirts and lets hope their iconic t-shirt dresses are never disontinued..
Best $15 I’ve ever spent. This t-shirt dress from Old Navy can be worn all year. I have five of them–just in case it is discontinued!
I’m not having a good Gap year. I purchased a pair of jeans but the offerings were better in the past.
And then there’s Lilly for the bright summer dresses. But I think I’m going to check out the consignment shops for a bit of her brightness this year. I don’t want to pay full price!
Surprisingly, the outfit I wore today —I loved!! And I didn’t wear one item from J. Crew. My skirt was about four years old from GAP, the sweater was a cardigan I wore backwards because I liked it better that way. The scarf was one I stole from Oona—she purchased it at Target a couple of years ago and the denim jacket was from Kut From The Kloth. I purchased this jacket when I was heavier. It’s a size Large. But it fits great due to the amount of stretch.
Today’s OOTD. And not one item from J. Crew! The skirt, from GAP, is a great fit–it’s a stretch fabric and fits the curves beautifully. I don’t have a white crew neck sweater so I wore this cardigan backwards. I don’t know what it is that makes me love this outfit so much. Yes I do. It looks great on me. And ladies! Admit when you know an outfit looks great! Don’t be shy!
And that is also why I try everything on. In multiple sizes. One brand’s size 6 could be another’s size 8 or 10. I don’t pay much attention to the numbers on the tags these days.
I don’t get rid of a lot of clothing simply because what I do have really isn’t trendy—the styles last for quite a few years.
Online shopping for me? Sometimes. I shop J. Crew online when I am absolutely sure of the sizing of the item—such as Pixie Pants and blazers. I’ve taken my chances once ordering on Zulily and was lucky.
My one-time online purchase from Zulily. $29.99 and I was very pleased with this tunic. I don’t wear it often –although I should wear it mor!
I took a chance recently with “6PM“—I purchased a pair of AG Jeans and they were fine—I know my size in AG.
A coupla pair of AG Jeans. These are GREAT jeans–but shop around for the best price!
However, I’m better taking the time early on a Saturday morning, wearing comfy clothing and good underwear and spending the time in stores. It can take me four hours to find the right shirt. And that’s ok because when I take the time, I know that I’ll make a purchase I’ll have for a long time.
Going shopping? It’s serious business so dress for comfort! Wear comfortable shoes too!
Shopping for clothing should be treated seriously. After all, when you are dressed in clothing that you love and that you feel great in, it makes your day a lot better.
Don’t you think? How do you shop? Where do you shop? Malls, small boutiques. Share your tips in the comments—it’ll be fun!
Sometimes shopping can be challenging if there is a really great sale going on. People pushing and shoving–it’s a real jungle and the song that plays in my mind is by CCR “Run Through The Jungle”!!
