J.Crew has a special place in my retail history.
More than 20 years ago, I was a manager at J.Crew. It was my first experience in corporate retail, and I loved it—especially when the big book would arrive for a window change and major floor move. We'd completely transform the store, and I loved seeing the merchandising plan come to life.
I also happened to join J.Crew at a really interesting moment. Mickey Drexler had just taken over, and we were watching the brand evolve right in front of us. J.Crew was beginning to move beyond its very preppy roots and introduce more fashion into the assortment. It was exciting to be on the floor while that shift was happening—and looking back, I think that experience had a lot to do with how much I came to love buying, merchandising and retail.
Twenty-plus years later, after eventually opening and buying stores of my own, I still look at J.Crew through that lens.
And lately, I find myself really excited about J.Crew again.
The current collection has that mix I remember loving: classic J.Crew pieces, but with enough fashion to make them feel interesting. Great jackets, beautiful knits, menswear-inspired pieces and those little styling extras that can completely change an outfit.
So I went through J.Crew the way I would have approached a buying appointment for Dear Lucy: I didn't look for everything. I looked for the pieces I would have bought.
Here’s my J.Crew Edit—the pieces I think are worth it right now.