Writing Portfolio of Dylana Suarez: How to Rework Basics From J. Crew

There is something both fabulously luxurious and quintessentially basic about J. Crew’s fun and young approach to styling. One can take a few hints from the well thought out aesthetics of the J. Crew catalogs this season. Candy-colored cardigans, rugged cargo jackets, and crisp checkered button-ups on nomadic models literally jump off the page, creating a refreshing vision of spring that doesn’t take fashion too seriously. J. Crew knows no limits of a wardrobe made up of a few simple pieces that have an expensive look, but without a designer price tag. What I find most appealing about J. Crew is the brand’s eclectic ways of throwing together an outfit with just a few simple separates that will last you throughout the season and beyond. Now that’s easy and smart dressing!

J. Crew works its brand around updated essentials and basics in timeless shapes and rich colors that can be worn over and over again. Layering both loud and soft colors, prints, and textures is the key to increasing the volume of a look. Who says that you can’t throw on a blue checkered menswear shirt, a mustard yellow cardigan, and a light pink mini with baby blue bloomers underneath? J. Crew says you can.

It sounds outrageous, but in J. Crew’s signature silhouettes the ensemble cannot help but look effortless and chic. When you disassemble this look down to its individual pieces, you will find basics that can be recycled in a multitude of new ways, fit for any occasion. Trade in that cardigan for a black blazer for a work-focused look. Slip out of that skirt and into a pair of boyfriend jeans for a weekend at the shops. Or try this: Layer your checkered shirt unbuttoned over a simple white tank, throw on the yellow cardigan, and finish off with a pair of cuffed chino shorts. For the girls who are tomboys at heart, replace that pretty cardigan with a rugged camouflage utlity jacket to toughen up a ruffled skirt or sleek work trousers.

J. Crew provides an endless amount of options to rework practical basics for a modern look that is functional, fun, and fashion-forward. Learn not be bored by your basics, but to embrace them as a canvas upon which you can experiment and build your own personal style. Take a risk with your everyday essentials by choosing them in exciting colors and textures you’ve never tried or paired together before.

Here are a few versatile J. Crew essentials to work with: