J.Crew doesn't just get how to make clothes women want to wear. It also knows how to totally disrupt people's preconceived notions of how to wear them.One of the best parts of the company's biannual Fashion Week presentation is — aside from the always-colorful and completely wearable selection of blouses, trousers, blazers, and more — the inventive styling: Last year, we saw layered jumpsuits, colorful stoles, and ponchos paired with party dresses. And this time around, the tips and tricks were just as creative (and unsurprisingly wearable) as ever.
"This season, the team and I were partial to the idea of pretty — old-school notions of pretty; pink, a little ruffle here and there, a silk scarf around the neck," Somsack Sikhounmuong, the brand's head womenswear designer, told Refinery29. "But being J.Crew, it needed to be a little offset. So we oftentimes paired it with the classic tailoring you'd find in mariners' uniforms, like peacoats or a neat little suit or trouser. We wanted to celebrate the mix of old-school tweeds with new-school sequins — pretty with the handsome, flounces with the tailored. For me, J.Crew is about color, print, and pattern; the mix of the pretty with the boyish; and a classic sensibility through it all, day after day, season after season."
With cropped trousers, grandma heels, and silk scarves infiltrating our wardrobes, J.Crew has taken our favorite trends and given them new life (and shown us how to rock them with the tried-and-true basics we already have). It's the little things that go a long way, and these 25 little styling suggestions from J.Crew have our sartorial wheels turning.
For all things Fashion Week around the world — including street style snaps, designer news, and the trends you'd actually wear — head over to Refinery29's Fashion Month hub.
Let a silk scarf double as an illusion turtleneck.
Parkas are back. Embrace the warm-weather staple by opting for a version with a technicolor fur hood.
Because light blue is a neutral, too.
Three different patterns can work together when they fall in the same color palette.
A serious lesson in layering (we're counting five different tops here).
Let your tropical summer pieces work in cold weather by warming them up with a darker leopard coat and velvet smoking slippers.
The half-front tuck: for those who want to look cool, but not like they've tried too hard.
Party skirts for daytime? With a simple striped tee and classic trench, we say yes.
A floral bag is that kind of accessory we didn't think could go with everything in our closet — until now.
Grandma heels! A striped turtleneck! Dangling earrings! This is how you can wear all your favorite trends at once.
Wide-legged jeans are here. To. Stay.
Lace-up, low-block heels can dress up any look, from a tiered minidress to boyfriend jeans and a tee.
Since you're going to be living in your coat all season long, go for a topper that makes a statement.
Black-based florals are the secret to brightening up your winter wardrobe.
Why tie your scarf around your neck when you can just let it hang freely?
A coordinating cardigan looks better when wrapped around your waist.
Matching your shoes to your skirt is a definite styling yes.
Pare back an ultra-girly skirt by throwing on a chunky knit.
Break up your outfit with colorful accessories.
Tough paint-splattered jeans worn with a more feminine pussy-bow blouse and camel cape is an unexpected pairing that definitely works.
Pajama dressing gets office-appropriate when matched with a blazer.
Cinch your wide-legged bottoms at the waist to balance things out.
Cropped pants allow your loud loafers to have their moment in the spotlight.
That sequined going-out top you just don't wear anymore? Give it new life by layering it over a silk button-down and under a structured blazer.
Brighten up your winterwear game with some unexpected pastels.
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