DULCIOUS

There was a time, quite recently, when I rushed home from work to see if my new J.Crew catalog had arrived in my mailbox. Chances are, I had already looked at the new arrivals online. Still, to flip through the pages gave me great joy. Aren’t I interesting?

Back in the heyday (lets say 2005-2008) J.Crew had somehow tapped directly into my fashion subconscious and delivered, at a fairly unreasonable price, exactly what I wanted in clothes. That being a fashion-forward preppy look in stripes and tweedy wool with nice cuts, basic but not boring. As I held up a catalog page showing a cashmere-clad model holding the reins of an elegant bay horse, my husband asked, “how is it that they can see directly into your brain?” Good question.

They no longer have any insight into my brain and have chosen to move away from my east coast roots and off to the shores of Europe, or as the New York Times recently put it,

This summer, then, what is the new J. Crew ideal? Not the East Hampton WASP, not anymore. Rather, it’s the sultry au pair watching the children. In sequins.

Wonderful.

Still, I’ve reviewed the August catalog, formerly one of my favorites because fall is the tweediest of all seasons. There were a few things that were lovely, but overall I continue to be disappointed. And the pricing is just insane. Insane.

Some highlights:

Very basic, but the trench and the cords are lovely.

This Sasha peacoat intrigues me, especially in the color “Baked Squash.” Delicious!

Normally I don’t care for things that are studded, but these Girandole ballet flats are quite pretty (and ballet flats are quite important in my wardrobe).

These men’s boots, the Alden cap toe cordovan boots are heart-stopping. But not as heart-stopping as the price of $595.

And then I just have to laugh at this next bit of ridiculousness.

It looks like a row of harpies. And the prices? Absurd.

My fashion slogan (were I to have one) has been emblazoned on a tea towel. The whole set combines all of my favorite stripe patterns in a very pretty palette. They are by Studiopatró and they are beyond my means. But they sure are lovely.