The Look for Less? Shopping With a J. Crew Personal Shopper

Like I said in the previous post, there just is no substitute for bonafide J. Crew. And when you gotta have it, you gotta have it. Well, what better way to feed your need than with a discount and some free style advice? Since early this month, J. Crew has been running a promotion where you can get 20% off all of your full-priced purchases when you make an appointment with a personal shopper and spend at least $100. Done and done.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't so sure about the personal shopper thing at first. I'm pretty particular about what I wear, and I didn't want the added pressure of having to spend a lot of money because I have someone helping me out. But after hearing other J. Crew aficionadas rave about their experiences with their personal shoppers, I decided to take the plunge and set up an appointment. My growing wishlist of new fall items also helped nudge me in the right direction.

When I first got there, the personal shopper, Lana, had already pulled several items in my sizes and put them in a dressing room. We then talked about what my (fashion) goals were and walked around the store and pulled some more stuff that I liked and that she suggested for me based on what I said I wanted, or what would go with pieces that I already recently purchased.

I thought I went in with a fairly open mind and with the intention of trying everything the personal shopper suggested. However, I soon realized that my already negative opinion of certain items didn't miraculously change once I put them on. The Donegal Tweed Ecole Jacket? Eh. It looked okay undone, but I don't really see myself as a blazer person. Glass-Button Featherweight Merino Cardigan? This is one of those long, v-neck cardigan shapes that is becoming popular. I didn't like it at all. Even in an extra-small, this thing swallowed me and just looked shapeless and sloppy. This is definitely one trend I am not going to adopt. The Dream Taffeta-Sash Cardigan was very plush and soft, and slightly better than I expected, left untied and over a graphic tee, but not something I'm going to spend $150 on at this point. Maybe it if goes on super-sale in the future...

So what DID the personal shopper help me accomplish anyway (besides allowing me to get 20% off)?? She was able to tell me what styles worked for me and what didn't. She was able to come up with suggestions on how to pair certain pieces together. Who would have thought to put a purple Jackie Cardigan over the Serengeti Tank? I know I wouldn't have thought of it, but now it's an option that I have, and it's awesome!  And girlfriend squeezed me into a size zero dress that I never would have even considered trying on, because I never thought my hips would allow it!

Oh yeah, and she also enabled me to spend much more than I wanted to, but damn, I am all the more happier for it! I mean, I actually SAVED over $300, so really, it was a no-brainer.

Bottom line: Lana rocks! And did I mention that she has the most adorable eastern European accent? She sounds just like my friend Miriana, who is from Bulgaria. I can't promise that your local J. Crew will have an eastern European Lana, but they probably will have a personal shopper there who can give you some good style advice, as well as 20% off some fabulous fall clothes if you get in there by August 29th.

What was that you say? What did I buy? Oh yeah. Now the fun stuff. I won't show you EVERYTHING I bought, because that would just incriminate me.

The Look for Less? Target vs. J.Crew

In case you didn't know, I love J. Crew. Love, love, LOVE! And while nothing is a substitute for the real thing, I couldn't help but noticing several familiar looking items as I browsed the women's clothing section at my local Target. J. Crew version is on top, followed by Target version below.
Lamé Tanks:


The one on the bottom is from Target and the one on the top is J. Crew's. Target's is $17.99, while J. Crew's is a whopping $98. Both are made from a cotton-lawn type of fabric, and the Tarjay version looks a lot more flowy in person. Since most of us probably don't incorporate lamé into our outfits on a regular basis, I'd say go with the Target version.

Pretty Floral Prints:




J. Crew's beautiful Watercolor Garden Lydia Blouse ($110) is beyond compare, and I can definitely see one of those making its way into my closet very soon. But if you like that floral print, Isaac Mizhrai has shrunken it down considerably and put it on a cardigan and the mini-sweaterdress ($39.99) above. The dress is actually very cute in person. Not sure if I can pull it off, though...

Abstract Floral Prints:





I couldn't help but notice how similar Richard Chai for Target's rose print (available in the above-pictured dress, as well as a tank and a button-down shirt) looked like J. Crew's Abstract Rose Print strapless dress ($165).

Tiered Dresses:


This look is certainly not for everyone (namely anyone who has the slightest bit of a rear-end), but if it IS your cup 'o tea, you can spend either $650 for J. Crew's Fontaine Dress (also available in a long, wedding-gown version) or a mere $39.99 for the Isaac Mizrahi version. I am struck by the similarity in the necklines of the two.

Long V-Neck Cotton Cardis:


I don't know how I feel about this trend yet; I'm not so sure that it will look good skimming the hips of a pear-shaped person such as myself. I haven't seen either version yet in person, but given my ambivalence, I think I'd opt for the Mossimo version at only $19.99 over the more expensive J. Crew version at $88.

Tie-Neck Tees:


J. Crew: Silky, pretty jersey; elbow-length sleeves; long and flowy; $58.00. Target (Merona): Ugh-looking cotton stretch fabric ; short sleeves; short and fitted; $9.99 (on sale). I think J. Crew wins this battle. I actually scored the J. Crew version in a pretty teal color in-store, on-sale for $39.99, plus an additional 40% off.

Contrasting Color Cardigans:



Okay, it's not really fair to Merona to compare their $19.99 cotton-blend sweater with J. Crew's luxurious wool-cashmere blend cardigan with FAB crystal buttons ($118). But if you like the contrast-trim and don't have the money for J.Crew, the Target version would be a good bet. Thank goodness I have enough credit left on my J.Crew card...

Models:



I have a problem. I really do. Last week when I was signing for my purchases at SuperTarget, I looked down and saw the above promo featuring the same adorable model that also makes regular appearances on the J. Crew website and in the catalog. Lord, help me.