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..)