Critics React to J.Crew Spring 2014: It's 'Just Right'

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Yesterday, J.Crew staged its first Fashion Week presentation since the brand's minor reinvention last month. The look was beachy and colorful, but casual, as to not turn off J.Crew's core clientele. So, did they walk the tightrope and pull off a slam-dunk? Survey says: yes. Reviews are in and everyone from Suzy Menkes to Booth Moore of the LA Times declared that it wasn't too fashiony, or too simple, but instead a perfect balance of both.

· Suzy Menkes for the NYT: "What is J.Crew, the Main Street company elevated by the patronage of Michelle Obama, doing on the New York fashion list? You might say that it has just as much right as the many more obscure names showing at Lincoln Center. And "just right" is the verdict on a collection of easy sportswear pieces in fresh colors: American fashion at its most covetable and comprehensible."

· Fashionista: "J.Crew struck the right balance. There was plenty of that loud, quirky mix-and-match style that's become such a J.Crew hallmark in recent years, but there were also simpler, more pared down looks."

· The LA Times "High-low, dressed-up casual at its best. Start making your shopping list now."

· J.Crew Aficionada: "I am not too excited to see that neon is still sticking around in the Spring/ Summer color palette. In small doses, it might be fine. However, I can't imagine how many customers can pull off a neon yellow overcoat. Ugh."

· Style.com: "The clothes weren't fussy—that would be a breach of Crew protocol—but they did express some formality. Still, some of the other standout pieces expressed exactly the opposite, like the paint-splattered army green khakis sure to be on many an editor's must-have list for Spring."

· WWD: "Choosing the beach as the theme of your spring collection is a no-brainer. J.Crew's head of women's design Tom Mora made it interesting by clashing two very different seaside cultures—laid-back California surf and turn-of-the-century times on the Venetian lido."
· The New J.Crew Showed Up for Spring 2014 [Racked]
· J.Crew's Shoe Collab With Sophia Webster Will Debut Tomorrow [Racked]
· Oooh: Pretty Pink Lips, Glossy Hair on the Menu for J.Crew Spring [Racked]
· Is This the J.Crew You Asked For? [Racked]