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This morning, J.Crew presented its colorful fall 2015 Collection line to press. Despite competitors edging in on the retailer's turf—as well as its signature styling—this show proves that J.Crew is still the leader of the pack. The 30 women's looks shown were a palatable—nix that, covetable—bite of the '70s trend that's rippling through fashion right now. There were plenty of standout pieces, fresh looking silhouettes, and those expert J.Crew color combos (yellow with baby pink and camel really stole the show if we're going by Instagram's count). Considering the price point of the Collection pieces (from just under $200 to around $600 with extra special pieces reaching as high as $3,200), today's showing felt justifiably special.
Nearly every category had exceptional pieces. Among the stunning outerwear choices were an olive-brown anorak with an electric yellow shearling liner, a ladylike take on the classic toggle coat, and a cashmere "drug rug" popover (more about that phenom here). A pair of knee-length, boiled wool vests were especially compelling, almost necessary—do you have a long, sleeveless layer? Let J.Crew show you exactly how good one would look in your life.
The world of skirts, too, offered a glut of "but I don't have anything like that" buys: a multi-colored feathered mini, knee length styles sliced to fringe from the mid-thigh, a maxi covered in chunky sequins. Even trousers were made exciting, especially a trio in suiting fabrics with a leg opening so voluminous that at first glance, we swore it was a maxi skirt. Another highlight was a pair of lean flares tailored to slouch just slightly over the pointed heels they were worn with.
Of the denim styles showcased, there was a rigid, body-skimming take on the slouch jean with the slightest kick of flare before landing right above the ankle bone. Jean jackets were juxtaposed, in signature J.Crew fashion, with fancier pieces (over that sequined maxi; under a dramatic faux-fur scarf); chambray shirts were worn unbuttoned to the waist, not a bra in sight (so Jenna Lyons).
The clothes were so engaging that we had to stop and do a second lap to examine accessories. For shoes, there were a mix of stilettos (some with ankle wraps finished with tassels) and block heeled sandals, most in striking textures like haircalf, micro glitter, and holographic floral—again, unique to anything you might already have in your shoe wardrobe. Bags were few and far between and mostly embellished clutches, though there was a cobalt, suede crossbody.