Black and White

Shirt: Forever21. Skirt: Forever21. Purse: thrifted. Shoes: thrifted. Necklace: gift.

Photo Credit: Dee

Recently I've become a huge fan of J.Crew. Their catalogs arriving in the mail are more exciting to me than my monthly magazine subscriptions. And I could gaze at their jewelry collection online for hours. I do remember a time when I never cared to go into the J.Crew at the mall, disinterested in their brightly colored argyle print cardigans. I was curious as to what happened to the company to cause such a drastic change so I looked it up.

What happened was that an innovative fashion powerhouse named Jenna Lyons took over as creative director and turned the company around. With her overtaking came the J.Crew we know today. Full of polished blazers, trousers in beautiful shades of neutrals, fun sparkly tops, and girly feminine cardigans. I'd love to have her job. Rising to the top of an empire and turning it into your own vision is the career of a lifetime. Check out an interview with Jenna on Oprah [HERE].

Long outfit explanation short. I love Jenna's style advice to mix something from the boys with something overly feminine. Play with opposites. And use jewelry as a statement. So here you've got a loose plaid button down paired with my pouffiest skirt and topped with a huge beaded necklace. The only problem is that I tend to always dress in black and white. J.Crew is a prime example of how well put together colors make magic. Maybe one day I'll step out of this monochromatic lull. One day!

Rach:]