My latest Style Crush

Is....

the wonderful Jenna Lyons, the President & Creative Director of JCrew, recently named among Times's top 100 influential people.   She's been with JCrew for her entire 20 year career & has been credited with turning it from a rather run of the mill sorry story into the hip brand it is today.  The preppy with an edge much talked about store opens its first women's store in London (well two of them, one in Regent Street & one at Brompton Cross) next week "hyperventilates".  

Now I will admit that when I lived in the US 14 years ago, JCrew really was not my bag.  It wasn't so much as proper preppy but to a 26yr old it was old lady fuddy.  The sort of shop that I dreaded ever having to end up shopping in.  That was of course before Jenna worked her magic on it.

On further exploration there really isn't anything that Jenna does, with regards to her personal style, to reinvent the wheel.  Certainly there are going to be hosts of people out there for whom her outfits and fashion does absolutely nothing.  But in the pursuit of the holy grail of a new look for my twilight years (just call me the Indiana Jones of the fashion world), I find her approach to fashion, really quite inspirational.  Speaking in Vogue earlier this month:-


"I'm not prescribed to rules," she said. "I like the tweaking the idea of how something should be; wearing sparkles during the day, or a sweatshirt during the evening, or pairing a man's trouser with a feminine blouse. I like to twist the rules and to allow for that unexpected touch. I like things to feel a touch unfinished; sweatpants with heels, or tennis shoes with a trouser. Those things are important."

Like I said, her theories aren't groundbreaking but sometimes it does take someone to state the obvious with clarity for it sink in. 

Interestingly, the main look of hers that I love is her teaming of a shirt with a sweater or, god forbid - look away those now of a more sensitive nature - a sweatshirt (*punches air in excitement*) and of course that's the one look of which I can't find loads of images.  That Law of Sod rearing its ugly head again. 

I can, of course, find oodles of pics of her with her coat over her shoulders as opposed to encasing her arms.  This, whilst in practise I will acquiesce does look quite cool on her, I appreciate on me, would look nothing short of idiotic.  This is an ironic statement, seeing as perhaps to many, lots of the other ideas I shall be pinching may also be encroaching on "interesting" status. 

So taking from her looks what I love, like the lady herself says, the mixing up of casual with smart (yes she says it far more eloquently than me, clearly) I shall definitely be hoping to channel.

Shirts under sweatshirts teamed with pencil skirts or a tailored cigarette pant (she says it, so I shall be adopting her lack of plural. Just call me Jenna Jr), lots of pointy heels with everything and anything.  Huge statement accessories over again, anything and everything.

I can feel a shopping list coming on.  Oh and the best thing, she's over 6ft.  Another member of the Jolly Green Giant Club (shuffles up on bench to make room for J).  And maybe I will take to wearing my glasses in public (just throw that one in there....) 


























My first must have Jenna wannabe purchase has to be a sweatshirt (although like I mentioned, there is very little visual that I could find of her in that look even though I swear I have seen her sporting it loads of times - see what I did there?!) 


Let's get cracking, starting with an old favourite. 

Whistles Cable Knit Sweatshirt - currently on a price match at John Lewis for £60




Soft Sparkle Jersey Sweatshirt from Jigsaw for £59  




Or in a Marl Grey 



A very feminine looking lace front one from Oasis  £40


This one I am basket dancing with as I simply love it and think with a white or denim shirt, I could possibly actually go to a fancy dress party dressed as Jenna....

And it's in the sale now - Whistles Ovoid Sweatshirt in Blue/Multi now £80   down from £135.  The only fly in the ointment for me is that it says it's dry clean only.  Yawn.  But it's a poly/cotton mix so not sure why you couldn't hand wash it? 

This for me is the perfect combo between the "young" look of a sweatshirt but with the more sophisticated grown up edge in the print and detail.









Whistles come up trumps again with their Casey Dash Sweatshirt, now again on offer at £60 from John Lewis 



Love this Suede Trimmed Sweatshirt from Lot78, £140.  This with hair up, huge black chandelier earrings, cigarette pants and black suede killer heels.  Yum.





If you want to add an injection of colour (I think this would look great teamed with navy- white shirt underneath?) Or just on its own with jeans and little ballet flats. 

Whistles Libbi Sculptured Sweatshirt - now reduced to £25 (clearly no one else has had the Jenna inspiration jab) 



Also in white for the same bargain price




Finishing with probably my favourite from Jaeger.  Gold Spot Jersey Sweatshirt for £60







It would be remiss of me not to mention again the M&S Collection Foil Boucle Sweatshirt for just £29.50 as so many of you raved about it last time I posted it.




So there we have a brief round up of some sweatshirts I think would keep you going all A/W into next season.  Am I brave enough next to tackle the minefield that is The Shirt?

Finishing with my outfits from yesterday.  I had forgotten how much I love these jeans.  One of my best buys of last year.  I actually think I could completely justify a new black and grey pair... (I may have seen one very recently.  Hmmm I appreciate I am going off Jenna piste but I may have to scratch that itch in another post.  I digress..)  



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White t-shirt - Topshop
Navy jumper - H&M
Tie Dye jeans - H&M
Navy miltiary coatigan - Zara
Grey suede boots - Zara
Silver been necklace - Tiffanys
Grey Charelle bag - Whistles.

And out in the evening for dinner. 

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White vest - Reiss
Navy oversized tee - Reiss
Tie Dye jeans - H&M
Black biker jersey jacket - Whistles
Cobalt blue jersey scarf - Cos
Black Margo Boots - Sam Edelman
Black clutch - Tory Burch
Black and grey beaded cuff - Plumo
Silver bean necklace - Tiffanys

So did anyone guess my latest style crush is Jenna?  All very on topic of course with the store opening next week.  I shall be shimmying on down to gaze at a host of cashmere and capri pants that I can't afford.  But shall be trying to recreate the Jenny love on a more DMBL40 budget.  Watch this space. 

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CONVERSATION

23 comentarios:

  1. Do you know what Kat, based on these pictures, Jenna's style crush should be you - you are way more stylish!

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    1. Oh you are such a sweetie! In my dreams xx

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  2. Mmm...I dunno... I am not sure how well that look translates into real life. I like it but in the same way I like editorial make-up and runway fashion... I just think that I would look like I had got dressed in the dark! That said, I do like the way bloggers like laura Fantacci mixes her wardrobe (sequin skirt with sweater) etc. definitely try it and see.

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    1. The thing is with a lot of these styles is that yes, they're great if you're work and go to smart lunches etc. But on the average school run in the rain and traipsing around Waitrose, there definitely needs to be an adaption of the style. I'll keep going. x

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  3. I love Jenna too. I had a very weird dream that I was her personal assistant and she gave me tons of her cast offs. But in reality she's much taller than me and I'm sure her stuff would never work on me. But it was a dream, right!!! I think her main style lesson is mixing the unexpected - lace and ripped denim, sequins and camo, coral and lime.

    Tracy Itsmostlyaboutfashion.blogspot.com

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    1. What a fabulous treat dream! And yes, I think you've hit the nail on the head there. It's putting together random things which on Jenna look fab - me on the school run, ever so slightly more bag lady.....

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  4. I want to see you in your specs!:) I do love her - I think she gives us something different to look at here in the US - though unfortunately JCrew clothes are ubiquitous here and don't excite me a great deal. The quality is pretty good but I think they are way overpriced. I do love the color JCrew items can inject into a wardrobe though - their café capris are fab!

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    1. You think they're overpriced there? DEar lord they are positively criminally priced here. And I will do a pic with my spec on specially for you darling. I love the look of their cafe capris but with the weather here - quite difficult to wear for most of the year.... (like that will stop me - tee hee)

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  5. I can't wait for the opening, must take a peek when in London next week! x

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    1. I am positively giddy about going on Wed x

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  6. I was just reading about JL in Glamour last night (it was only £1, don't judge). I read a lot of US blogs that feature a lot of JCrew but it's not somewhere I've ever browsed given the prices. It was an interesting read though, as I'm sure the Vogue feature was too. I do like the shirt and jumper thing, it works for winter when it's chilly to add an extra layer that you can see therefore bringing another visual element to add interest. You are a master at layering already though so it should be a breeze for you to "do a Jenna" :-)

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    1. oh thank you love - yes I do love a bit of layering but definitely have some shirt shaped holes in my wardrobe. x

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  7. Have you actually tried that M&S top on? I have, ages ago when it was new in store and it didn't work at all on me. Too short, too boxy. I was really disappointed as it looked great on the hanger. I also wouldn't describe it as a sweatshirt - it's definitely a jumper.

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    1. ah no I haven't, have never actually managed to find it in store. But people have raved about it on here. I quite like the fact it's more of a jumper actually - I fear I may have gone slightly overboard on the sweatshirt front...... And I'm looking for boxy at the moment, but of course it's so irritating when you expect something to be different from what it is. Story of my life!

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  8. I shall follow your homages closely as not only is she tall, she is my kind of build. Large shoulders and waist, smaller hips, only a few kilos from looking like a fridge freezer unit. People think if we are tall and leggy, dressing is easy, but when we have breadth too we are only one accessory away from looking like a transvestite! (not something you have to worry about btw!)

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    1. Oh honestly no, I have to be very careful otherwise I can end up looking like a full on linebacker. Yup, think large square unit - I have to be so careful about how I balance things. Case in point is a reefer jacekt I bought recently (and am returning) which made me look like Hagrid.

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  9. A really fab post Kat. I'm looking forward to your subsequent posts and your interpretation of her look. You look gorgeous as always x

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    1. Thank you very much -what a lovely lovely comment to read. xx

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  10. Her look is very you, great look to steal!

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  11. The tie dye jeans from h&m and the navy military coatigan from zara, are these recent purchases do they still have them?

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    1. The coatigan is from two years ago, sorry and the tie dye jeans are actually last years BUT I do think they may still have them at H&M. I've never actually seen anything similar to the coatigan either - which reminds me, I've lost a button that I need to try and replace. V irritating!

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    2. Oh pants, the coatigan is a fab piece and have been searching for the jeans but no joy, actually saw them a while ago loved them and thought no but seeing how you have put them together of course I now think yes. Thanks anyway. Love your blogs

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