by Allison: What would Jenna wear?

Yesterday afternoon, I happened upon this post about Jenna Lyons (president & creative director of J.Crew) in the Huffington Post. It is a collection of photos of Jenna and the meaning behind some of the knickknacks in her office. I love everything about Jenna Lyons, but what really struck me was how she is J.Crew. She somehow managed to transform a store that had gotten itself into a bit of a rut, into this mecca of affordable cool. Obviously a very talented and creative person (with quite a vision), Lyons has infused her own funky mix & match style to change the the way women all over the country dress. Amazing, right?!

Something else struck me as I was oohing and aahing over her office... Jenna's use of color. Understandably she wears J.Crew (along with other labels), but she wears color in a very realistic way. I know that for many women out there, life is not as glamourous as it is for the select few who are dictating the trends. If you are working, you probably aren't dressing like a fashion editor everyday. If you are working at home with the kids or in a "virtual office", pj's, yoga pants or jeans are more likely your uniform of choice. Let's just say that I did laugh to myself thinking about how it was pretty ridiculous to think that I was going to sit down at my computer for several hours a day in my lipstick red DVF dress. Seriously, between writing, playing with the kids, cleaning the pool or constantly vacuuming up the dog hair, the dress would spend more time at the cleaners! It's not to say that there isn't a place for it, but it would be a special piece that I wear when meeting with clients or attending an event. Now the dilemma becomes how to infuse a little fashion into my everyday attire.

Therein lies the beauty of J.Crew. The pieces are just so easy to wear everyday. Plus, many items have the ability to be dressed up for special events or a night out. And, it isn't to say that you must wear J.Crew all of the time (I know that it gets expensive), but it is a good place to start. At the very least, you might buy a colorful sweater to wear with your rolled up cargo's from Old Navy. Or, maybe you peruse the website for some ideas, and wait for a sale. Either way, I believe that it is an example of an easy and relaxed way to inject a little color into your life. Think about it, a pair of bright red flats could be worn with so many things... just look at Jenna's heels!

I am going to stop rambling about my love of J.Crew. But before I end, I wanted to share a few images of some things that I would love to wear right now...