One of my favorite places to shop before school is J.Crew.  Everything about it is sophisticated, fresh and fabulous.  But my only issue with the store is that all that sophistication doesn’t come cheap. Sometimes I’ll walk in, pick up a cute skinny belt for my new pencil skirt (from Marshalls…), look at the price tag and try not to strangle myself with it.  $89 dollars for a string of leather???

As I repeat to myself, There are people starving in Africa, there are people starving in Africa, I promptly leave the store empty handed, looking wistfully back at the perfectly put together outfits in the window.

But thanks to store turnover and a whole new crop of Fall fashion pouring into J. Crew stock rooms nationwide, I can finally fulfill my J. Crew dreams. Yes, it’s time for their end-of-summer sale they’ve got some really great goodies to offer, all under $20!  I even spotted a leather skinny belt! Let the celebration commence.

I am totally for this all-over-mini-ruffles flirty number. The neon elastic waistband makes a perfect fit for tucking in (with a cute white tee), or going casual.  I’m loving the stone blue color for fall as well; with a cute pair of tights this skirt can be transformed into the perfect fall outfit.

Imagine this: sitting in the nearest coffee shop, poring over your laptop, sipping a latte….wearing this. Isn’t that a perfectly painted picture? That’s immediately what I thought of when this beautiful double knit sweater graced me with its presence.  It’s an easy pullover for a chilly day, sheer, and super soft (for all of those cute boys hanging all over you in the quad).

This rocker-glam inspired accessory is perfectly balanced with the super feminine attitude of the skinny belt. I love it! It also comes in mustard yellow (i.e. bronzed avocado). Buying Tip: It’s designed to be worn on the natural waist, so get a size bigger if you want to wear it lower.

I am a BIG fan of cardigans for fall. Or always.  And I am constantly looking for another one to liven up my layering.  This one is the perfect color to brighten up those dreary fall days and cropped to perfection. It will look adorable with flats and a light-weight scarf. And can you see the chic add-on of those blingin’ buttons? Heaven.

While some people think tie-dye should stay at summer camp, JCrew proves that it can look modern and chic. You can wear it (like the picture) tucked into a skirt, or pair it with a pair of dark wash jeans. Beautiful. And is it just me or does it look extremely comfortable??  Hurry before this gem sells out!

This is such a dream come true! This sweet, dressy rendition of a romper can be dressed up with tights or dressed down with a straw fedora. Can you hear my excited squeals?? You could wear this flirty frock with classic kicks or sweet flip flops.  It’s so versatile and fresh, it will be hard to pass up (especially since it’s only $19.99!).

In a world full of blazers, this is a perfect casual alternative. This silk cardigan looks extremely comfortable, it’s fashion-forward, has front pockets, and would look so fab with all of those simple knit tops I always end up buying. Hmmm, yummy.

Of course, I couldn’t leave this funky and sweet skirt out of the mix.  It’s a triple threat of F: flirty, flattering and fuss-free.  It would look adorable with a loose-fitted button up or with a simple tee.  And, thanks to the built-in bikini, you can jump in that pile of leaves without worry of showing the world your lady bits.

Now doesn't that just look refreshing?

Maybe it’s just the 90 degree heat that‘s making me dizzy has me thinking summer, but June 21st is just around the corner and I’m already starting to load up on sundresses and break out the plaid shorts. In honor of the simply fantastic weather that the northeast graced me with this weekend, I’m counting down the 10 summer must-haves.

Don’t worry, you have a whole month and a half to get everything on the list!

10. Everything, and I mean everything in J.Crew
Okay, so I’m on a serious binge right now. But how can you not love the florescent colors in cardigans, tees and shorts paired with their fabulous chunky pearl jewelry and sweet summery pastel floral dresses? Can’t cut the price point? Don’t worry, the site has a whole “Under $100″ section to peruse!

9. Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
Not quite the same since they’ve discontinued the melon syrup, but still totally refreshing and healthier than a frappucino.

8. The coveted one-piece suit
I’ve never been a bikini girl myself… and the good news is, if you’re a bit shy showing so much skin on the sand this summer, you can now snag a super hot one-piece. Now, more than ever, designers have been answering the cries for one pieces and celebs have been trading in their itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, barely-there bikinis for some ultra sexy one-pieces. Don’t believe me? Just check out Blake Lively and Kourtney Kardashian.

7. Vaykay!
Book a flight and hotel at the beach immediately. With all this hot weather, you deserve to celebrate it somewhere fun and tropical. Book online (check out Voyij or Travelzoo!) for sweet summertime deals.

6. Beach reads
For all that time spent on your relaxing vacation, you’ll need the perfect summertime book. Whether you’re a fan of Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang) or something more serious (Tinkers by Paul Harding), skim Amazon or your local bookstore and load em up on your iPad. Or, you know, just buy the book and flip those actual pages.

5. The perfect sandals
Not sure how to invest your money with sandals? If you’re feeling spendy try Jack Rogers for a classic Navajo sandal look. If you’re feeling thrifty, go for Old Navy’s metallic sandals. They look great and don’t break your bank account!

4. Cocktails, cocktails and cocktails
Learn how to make the perfect margarita this summer to wow your friends. No more store mixes, get to homemade blends. To expand your horizons, throw a rooftop cocktail party and have all your friends bring or make their own cocktails and swap recipes.

3. IRON MAN 2!
Hellooooo, Robert Downey Jr.; oh how I’ve missed you and your sass.

2. Nail polish galore
The verdict for Summer 2010? Pastels galore! Rock green or blue for dark skin, orange and pink for the fair skin. Essie’s Resort collection is a smash hit and looks great on all nails. Plus, with yummy names like “Splash of Grenadine” how can you go wrong?

1. Summer Education
So you’re done with class but that doesn’t mean the learning comes to a standstill! Whether you’re interning, part-time working or doing nothing at all, learn something that you’d never normally do while school’s in session. From surf camp to jewelry making, summer is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and get to a whole new kind of education.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in. You think you’ve got some major style? Know someone else who’s always looking ferosh? Think the world needs to see what she can do?  Send us an email with some photos and she could be the next fashionista celebrated right here.]

Victoria is one of the most creative people I know. She’s an art and marketing major who can make anything look perfect, whether it’s her website, her dorm room or herself.

There’s really no way to classify Victoria’s style. She knows how to mix casual and extravagant pieces, creatively combines west- and east-coast style, and always has the perfect accessory to top it off. She’s definitely one of the best-dressed girls at Simmons.

On Victoria: Sweater – Ruth from Anthropologie; Skirt – Urban Outfitters; Shirt – Only Hearts (Santa Monica); Scarf – Missoni;  Clutch – Marc Jacobs; Sandals – Jack Rogers;  Checkered Bracelet – J Crew;  Gold Bangles – Pier 1 Imports; Gold and Turquoise Bracelet – Marc Jacobs; Earrings – H&M

Name: Victoria Solomon
Year: Junior
Program: Marketing/PR and Studio Art

1. Describe your personal style. My personal style is what I like to describe as “future-rich-housewife-hipster-royalty.”  I love gold, fur, purple, and anything slightly extravagant.  You’ll never see me wearing silver.  I love bright scarves and also, velvet leggings because jeans can be uncomfortable.

2. Complete this sentence: You can’t leave your house without…. My handbag.  Usually my handbags are brightly colored with gold hardware. So, even if I’m wearing all black, my outfit isn’t completely boring.

3. What are your favorite stores to shop at? I love Urban Outfitters, H&M, Juicy Couture, and Marc Jacobs.

4. What/who is the biggest influence on your style? The biggest influence on my style is English royalty from the 1700 to 1800s.  I love the extravagance of gold, gems, fur, pearls, and lace.  Will I go all out in all of it?  Not so much, but a little touch of it here and there, makes me feel like a queen.

5. What’s your favorite trend, past or present? My favorite trend is sweatpants in college.  It’s the only time in my life I can wear sweats around everyday and not be completely scrutinized.  And with all the super tight jeans, jewelry, and heels, secretly I just would love to wear sweatpants all day long, every day.  So, I’m totally taking advantage of the “college-fashion” trend while I can.

Hot daaaamn or hot mess?

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like grad school!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Ok, I noticed this one floating around out there early this fall and the time has come for somebody to say something – what’s the deal with wearing socks with our summer heels? At first I thought it was just J Crew trying to make socks sexy or cute or something that will make us want to buy them, but I just finished reading the new issue of Glamour and they had a photo spread where nearly half the pics showed the model with thick strappy sandals or peep-toes + socks.

Admittedly, these were nice, colorful socks – not your gym variety – but still, I’m torn about whether this is OK.

On the one hand, anything that gives me a chance to wear my pretty summer shoe collection more than just a measly 3 months out of the year is a good thing in my book (hey, those things cost money!). And I have to admit, I’ve been a sock fan for a while now but rarely have a chance to wear anything more exciting than the white tennis-shoe variety. So it seems like two rights should make a right, right? (OK, that was confusing.) Plus, on the models, I can’t help but find the look kind of cute in a funky sort of way, so why not give it a try? Warm toes plus cute shoes is a total win!

But when I tried the look on in my bedroom I looked a lot more “5-year-old-who-dressed-herself” than “I-don’t-care-what-you-think-chic” and the BF thought I’d gone insane. So after consulting my mags once again, I realize that while it may look cute on the models, so does the other crazy stuff they have on – stuff that would make me look like I’d just broken out of a mental institution. There’s also the little fact that I live in NYC and socks are probably not going to be nearly enough toe coverage when it comes time for my morning sprint to the subway. And perhaps the greatest deterrent of all to me is that age old fashion rule that socks and sandals are mortal enemies – I know we’re supposed to be breaking the mold, but somehow it just seems blasphemous!

So what do you think?

Should I just go with the flow and rock those socks? Will you? Or will this catalog combo get me make me the laughing stock of NYC?

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S.

Shop smart online.  If you’re going to shop online, be sure you do it in an ecologically responsible manner by using the following tips.

Buy in bulk. Wait until you have a large order before ordering online or combine with friends to save on the environmental and financial costs of shipping.

Ditch the rush order stress. Plan ahead so you don’t have to choose expedited shipping over standard shipping rates.  This also gives the Postal Service a chance to fill up their trucks with packages before shipping them out.  More packages = fewer cross-country trips = a happy planet.

Choose your delivery address wisely. Be sure to have your packages delivered to a convenient address.  If you have them delivered to your apartment, for example, be sure that your roommates will be around to pick it up for you.  If they aren’t available, leave a note on the door telling the postman that he can just leave the package on the doorstep without a signature.  This avoids the annoying and fuel-guzzling trips back and forth to the Post Office.

Switch to Paperless Statements. Once all your earth-friendly shopping is done, you’re going to have to pay that credit card bill. But make Mother Earth proud and do it all online. No more 5-page bills coming to you in the mail. No more wasted paper (and money!) on mailing that check back to the company. It’s the greenest way to pay.

But I also have those weekends when I am so burnt out, running from class to work to the gym, that I rather curl up in my pajamas and hide under the covers all weekend then spend an hour putting together an outfit.

That’s why I couldn’t be more ecstatic that t-shirts are formal this fall. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius and my new favorite person. There are so many options (these tees are literally everywhere, which means you can find them in any price range), but my favorite is the Slub Cotton Crystal Necklace Tee from J Crew. It’s is ultra classy and chic, while still being unbelievably comfortable and wearable at the same time.

Sure, the price tag is a little steep ($49.50 to be exact), but considering the amount of times I’m going to wear this thing (when I finally get my paws on it), it will be totally worth it.

What makes it even better is that with this one addition to my wardrobe I have enough new outfit combos to get me through every weekend in fall. I can pair it with a skirt and a cardigan for a family function, with some skinny jeans and flats for a dinner with the girls, and with some leather boots and a tailored blazer for an instantly put together/ as-comfortable-as-my-PINK-sweats Friday night bar hopping get-up.

And when the colder weather gives way to Spring once again, I can simply peel off my layers of opaque tights and belted cardi’s for a simple shorts and t-shirt deal that will scream glamorous while feeling relaxed.

Working five hours to afford it seems only a minor speed bump in my race to being the chicest girl at every occasion this month…and next.

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2009/09/21/wardrobe-wish-list-jcrews-slub-cotton-crystal-necklace-tee/feed/ 3 Brianna-Fordham University jcrew 1 http://collegecandy.com/2009/07/06/wardrobe-wish-list-j-crew-garden-dress/ http://collegecandy.com/2009/07/06/wardrobe-wish-list-j-crew-garden-dress/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:00:39 +0000 Liza - University of Minnesota http://collegecandy.com/?p=34266 ]]> If there’s one thing I love most about summer, it’s the freedom to flounce around every day in cute sundresses. They’re my go-to look – breezy, easy to wear, and feminine.

Naturally, when I saw this J.Crew Garden Dress I needed to have it.

This is the kind of dress that works in almost every situation: date night, summer cookout, girls brunch, beach-front. With the right accessories, you can even take it edgy.

The Garden Dress is short and flirty, featuring an ultra-flattering fitted bust, and straight cut sillouhuette. The charm of the dress, however, comes from the raw-edged petals that adorn the bust line. If you’re a sucker for ruffles, then this dress is most definitely for you. Just pick your color – navy, papaya, shell, or white – and you have the perfect dress for what remains of summer ’09. Or, you know, get ‘em all for a little variety.

And, duh, you totally can!  J.Crew offers a 15% discount to college students when you bring in your student ID and shop in-store. Now that you know, run to your nearest J.Crew and grab this beauty and other preppy staples! 15% off means 15% more chinos with flamingos on them!

[Most guys we know stay up late dreaming of the day they might end up in a giant orgy with beautiful women. We, however, lie awake at night dreaming of a closet full of beautiful clothes. To the left, a wall of shoes. To the right, shelf upon shelf of delicately handcrafted bags organized by color and size.

Sigh.
We all have our fantasies.

Since guys can turn to the interwebs to get their daily fantasy fix, we thought you should, too! So, we’re bringing you some fashion porn. The best of the best in all things fashionable. Sure, it may be out of your price range, but it’s a fantasy, so live it up in all its delicious glory.]

Once upon a time, khaki was used strictly for military uniforms.  That time has come and gone, and while the word khaki is derived from a word meaning ‘dusty’, it doesn’t have to look drab.  Gap has revolutionized this fabric with their latest CFDA Design Collection that hits stores this week.  Hot designers, such as Alexander Wang and Vena Cava, made this drab fabric fab-u-lous.

While you should run (not walk) to the Gap to pick up these amazing pieces, if you miss out, don’t fear — many other retailers are also offering fashion-forward khaki pieces this spring.  And there is a khaki item for everyone – whether you need shoes, skirts, shorts or a new dress.  You can fill your closet with many perfect khaki items this season, no matter what your price range.

[Most guys we know stay up late dreaming of the day they might end up in a giant orgy with beautiful women. We, however, lie awake at night dreaming of a closet full of beautiful clothes. To the left, a wall of shoes. To the right, shelf upon shelf of delicately handcrafted bags organized by color and size.

Sigh.
We all have our fantasies.

Since guys can turn to the interwebs to get their daily fantasy fix, we thought you should, too! So, we’re bringing you some fashion porn. The best of the best in all things fashionable. Sure, it may be out of your price range, but it’s a fantasy, so live it up in all its delicious glory.]

Sometimes it’s just too cold to go jacketless on a summer night – but that doesn’t mean you have to ruin your perfect summer outfit with a heavy coat, or warm sweater.  While you could chance it, and pray you meet a hot (and chivalrous) man that will keep you warm on those chilly nights, sometimes a girl has to take care of herself.

Fortunately for you take-action girls, there are plenty of cute and cozy coverups that will complete and not clash with your ensemble.  With so many sweaters and jackets, there is a perfect match (or several matches) for every outfit, regardless of your style or budget.  So you don’t have to wait for Prince Charming (because he probably isn’t all that reliable) to keep you warm, because not only can you do it yourself, but you can also look fabulous in the process!

Comfortable but ugly fashion trends are easy to feel torn about. We’ve already covered Uggs and gigantic handbags, both of which can be hit or miss. This season, however, one of the hottest (or ugliest?) trends in denim from all designers happen to be the boyfriend jean.

Love it: Obviously, boyfriend jeans are comfortable and relaxed. They may not be the most sexy pair of jeans in your closet, but they’re great for going to class or lounging in the dorms. Boyfriend jeans give off an effortlessly cool vibe no matter what you’re doing. Plus, they give you ample breathing and eating room–their baggy fit promises to never ever create a muffin top.

For the most part, boyfriend jeans look pretty cute when paired with flats and flat sandals, AND, when worn with the right top, they can look almost chic with heels. Hard to believe, I know. Finally, since boyfriend jeans are the newest “it” item, they can be found at any price range and in tons of stores from Old Navy to J.Crew to Nordstrom.

Loathe it: If these jeans are so big and baggy, how do they stay on? Guys jeans just don’t fit a woman’s body the right way, so if you’re actually wearing your boyfriend’s jeans, you’re probably going to have to roll those suckers up and invest in a cute belt. Even if you’re wearing boyfriend jeans that are made specifically for women, rolling the bottoms up a couple of inches is the new way to rock ‘em. But just how much DO you roll them? If you roll too high, the jeans start looking like ill-fitting capris, but if you don’t roll them high enough, they can look like awkward cigarette pants. I’m pretty sure that I would be driven crazy trying to make each side of my jeans match perfectly.

Additionally, boyfriend jeans are tricky– the look can be just plain hard to make work. While they have looked very cute on Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron, whenever Katie Holmes puts on a pair, the style just isn’t right.

So what do you think ladies? Are you going to be stealing a pair of jeans from your boyfriend or best guy friend’s closet to try out this trend or are you not a fan of this androgynous turn in fashion?