My fellow Fashionistas/os, I’m here to share a truth I’m sure we all know in our hearts to be true at this point: finding style inspiration in the depths of winter is a task not meant for the faint of heart. So when I found J.Crew’s fall 2014 ready-to-wear collection, I knew I struck sartorial gold. The collection is everything I crave—structured pieces mixed in with a few more funky pieces combined with the casual cool of a professional who knows how to dress. Or as I’ve been calling it, the Emma Stone look. Don’t we all crave the sartorial know-how of a movie star with a killer instinct for good outerwear?
J.Crew’s collection features a mix of several structured looks that combine tailored and well-matched pieces as well as more casual loose-fitting and playful looks; my favorite, however, was the all-blue denim on denim look. While denim is typically much too casual for an office environment, here it’s kept structured and uniform enough to challenge your typical business casual attire.
Despite denim on denim receiving a pretty warm welcoming these past couple years, I was still hesitant to try it. After all, when done incorrectly you end up looking like the 2001 Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. But I went forward anyway like the risk taker I aim to be. The key to avoiding the denim suit look? Try mixing up washes of denim that flatter each other. (Don’t try to cheat it with colored denim!) For my look, I chose a pair of dark-washed blue skinnies and a lighter blue chambray top with accented sleeves in a darker wash to complement the skinny jeans.
To keep the look a bit more casual for class and also suitable for winter, I topped it off with a navy blue parka and my favorite satin and silk scarf. Keeping with the spirit of J.Crew’s sense of polished sartorialism, I opted for a pair of black booties in the place of flats. While the look features a pair of heels, I think I’ll have to wait a bit for the warmer months before ditching the boots.
Get My Look: 1. A chambray button-down. 2. Navy blue denim skinnies. 3. Black booties.
