Paisley, Patterns, and Perception

I try to mix it up when it comes to what I wear, but there are sometimes when it just happens that everything I have on is J. Crew. Today would be one of these days. There seems to be a stigma attached to buying your clothes from just one store or wearing too much of the same brand all at once, but sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles, so to speak. Certainly, a lot of what's in my closet is from J. Crew, so if you play the odds, there is a good chance that I'll have multiple items on from the brand, usually from different seasons

However, my patterns and perceptions of J. Crew have been changing over time and apparently I am not alone.  I recently read an article about how J. Crew's sales are waning and how its head stylist, Jenna Lyons, is taking a lot of the heat for this. There were quite a few aspects of the article that I sympathized with. For example, many of J. Crew's pieces don't appeal to me anymore, mainly due to the brand's changing aesthetics, and this was one of the reasons cited for the decline of the J. Crew empire. It seems like, in it's heyday, J. Crew focused on finding ways to meld classic, preppy silhouettes with more cutting edge prints, patterns, and colors, giving consumers the best of both worlds. Now, many of their pieces just seem either odd, bland, lacking in imaginative prints, or not practical for everyday. Sure, I still shop there, but not as frequently. The silver lining? It gives my wallet a breather!

Shirt: J. Crew Factory here

Skirt: J. Crew no. 2 striped pencil skirt  similar here

Shoes: J. Crew Lillian Wedges in Mirror similar here

Bag: Prada Saffiano Lux Tote in Papaya 

Bracelet: Lulu Frost for J. Crew 

Sunglasses: Prada

Linking Up With: Trend Spin, Sydney Fashion Hunter

 Because Shanna Said So