Saturday, January 9, 2010

J.Crew's Jenna Lyons Tips for Fall {yeah, I wrote Fall}

Over at Chris' {great} A Little "Crew"zy blog, there is a post (click here) with a video featuring J.Crew's Creative Director, Jenna Lyons. The 1-minute video showcases some of Jenna's favorite looks for Fall.

After some search online, there is a similar video (shown below,) that is extended (about 7 minutes). It features the looks for Fall from Chris' post as well as some Q&A with Jenna.


I totally recognize it is now Winter, and J.Crew is already into its Resort if not Spring Collection. However, many of us are still purchasing J.Crew's Fall pieces (on sale). So, it can be useful to see the explanation of how these pieces (which were shown in the pages of J.Crew's Fall catalogs) are styled. Moreover, we can use these styles for Spring and even Fall of this year. :)

What are your thoughts on the video? What are your thoughts on Jenna Lyon's presentation of styles & outfits? Are there any suggestions that you thought were "spot-on" or "off-base"?

33 comments:

  1. Great, thanks Alexis! I like the fact they used the catalog models. I really loved the boyfriend blazer look w/all the 'jewels' on her wrists. Thanks again. :)

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  2. Great post! Of course the models all look fabulous - I'm so hesitant to jump on the over-sized "boyfriend" look myself for the very reasons the host stated - it just goes overboard and looks dumpy. Apparently I haven't yet found my version of a large shirt with a tight fitting sleeve. ;P Very nice to hear her tips firsthand though!

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  3. Thanks for posting this. My favorite look was on the model named Angela. The combination of all of the colors looked great without looking like one is trying to hard. Love the idea with the brooches and feather pins.

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  4. I've never seen Jenna Lyons "presenting" anything before, and I was surprised to see how nice and personable she seemed! I hadn't gotten that impression from her sometimes weird comments (blondes wearing pink, etc)... but now I like her, and her layering ideas here weren't so off the wall the way the catalog looks somtimes.

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  5. I remember seeing a few of these web interviews Jenna did last fall with reporters from different web or print outlets. The same models were used with the same JCrew image on a flat screen. I hope there are some more scheduled for the spring because they were very enjoyable! As Idc said, Jenna is a personable interviewee and managed to put something unique in each interview. I'll try & dig up links to the other videos....

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  6. Here's the one short one Alexis referenced
    http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/11/fashion-expert-jenna-lyons-for-j-crew-1507403
    Here's another interview from JacqulineLuxe.comhttp://www.jacquelineluxe.com/2009/09/jacqueline-interviews-celebrity-stylist.html

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  7. Idc, I totally agree with your comments. This was the first time that I've seen Jenna Lyons interviewed and she actually struck me as a little nervous - which was cute. Made her seem more down-to-earth and personable. RatsOnParade, I'm with you - although I like the boyfriend look on others, with my petite frame I am not sure I could pull it off. My favourite look was the one that included the dusty blosson pencil and the metallic lexi clutch that I just scored on a popback! Great clip - thanks, Alexis!

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  8. Awesome post! Love the styling tips; had I seen this video earlier this fall/winter I might have bought many more Crew pieces. I see the looks on the catalog, but somehow hearing Jenna talk about how they style those key elements (color, cut, why they choose certain pieces) makes it that much more accessible for me.

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  9. Oh, and if JCrew would post video styling tips on their website like this, wouldn't that be a great selling tool!

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  10. Thank you Chris and Alexis for sharing the video. Some interesting advice, particularly with sizing for slouchy/boyfriend looks. I also like her comment about being cautious with the '80s styling. Best to choose those specific pieces that flatter you and fit into your current wardrobe rather than going for an entire '80s look.

    The thing with reading text is that you can never get the tone of comments and sometimes they come off all wrong, which may have been the case for the "blondes wearing pink" comment. Jenna was very personable on Martha Stewart as well and they seemed to genuinely have fun during the segment.

    Cheryl, I totally felt the same way when viewing the video. J.Crew should have styling tips online, too. Besides trying to mimic the model's outfit.

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  11. Thank you, Alexis! I agree with ldc - Jenna looked so relaxed and chatty with the host. Very personable, indeed!

    I thought the video was spot on - I liked how some of the ideas of the catalog were really articulated. I didn't realize that I was doing some of the things she mentioned (playing with proportion, really watching out for those arms/sleeves with boyfriend looks, etc.) until she spoke about them.

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  12. I remember a main page on jcrew.com that showed 4 ways to wear something. It was 4 different girls who work at J Crew and how they wore a cardi (I think?). Loved that. The more ways I can see to wear something the more likely I am to buy it. I hope J Crew does more of this

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  13. Gosh, I loved that! Thank you all so much for that post. Hearing some of the reasons/advice on how the stylists put certain outfits together coupled with Jenna's fun, easygoing and relaxed attitude during the interview really put a different slant on this piece. I don't know what the average age of the "typical" J. Crew shopper is, but I can tell you after listening to Jenna for five minutes, this more mature shopper feels a lot more confident about putting some of her outfits together. I hope the powers that be at JC are reading all these positive posts and are considering doing something like this on a regular basis online. I definitely think it could boost sales.

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  14. David^I totally agree.

    Thanks for sharing this! It was fun and I agree Jenna seems almost shy here and on the Martha show but very likable. I love these videos and the earlier looks (someone mentioned) done by the J Crew staff--that was a lot of fun! I hope to see more.
    I have to add that the interviewer was pretty bad..not sure if she usually writes versus talks or what??

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  15. Oh I really liked the video- thanks for posting. I enjoyed seeing the catalog models in person!

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  17. OT: Anyone else receive their Spring 2010 Collection Look Book today? I got mine in the mail this afternoon - posted scans (albeit not *great* scans) over on my blog.

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  18. RatsOnParade,
    I got the Look Book in the mail today (which is shocking as the west coast usually gets everything three days after everyone else). I really like it! And I am really surprised I really like it. :) Maybe I am just used to the crazy layering (still there), but there are some neat pieces that I am looking forward to finding out more about. Yay J Crew! This is the first time in a long time I started drooling over a catalog!

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  19. I got my lookbook. I had already asked my PS about a number of these pieces, but the prices of some of them are high!

    -Oxford shoes are $250
    -Dress on page 9 is $350 (and will come in another color)
    -Coat on page 10 is $350
    -Dress on page 19 is $450

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  20. I think the Lookbook is ironic after just watching Jenna say to be careful with the 80's influence..HA..she didn't listen to her own advice:)
    Pick it apart and some of these pieces are nice but I cannot do those acid-washed jeans/shorts etc. Been there!

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  21. I received the lookbook and the thing I swooned over? The heels that are a marlene look-a-like, the straps are two separate colors, one is pink I believe? Gorg. May pre-order those.

    Loved how colorful, albeit a bit pale, the whole thing was.

    Those 80s throwback jeans, though, a definite leave. Man. Those suckers are ugly, and I can usually be positive about most things...

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  22. Thanks RatsOnParade for the Look Book preview. I agree Dinagideon, those shoes look awfully nice.Do you have to be a cardholder to get a Look Book? I'm not, but I did get one last fall, hope I'll get one next week by snail mail. I always get my catalogs way behind everyone else.

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  24. Thanks for the peek at the lookbook. My littlest niece will love it when I start walking around with lots of flower pins in my hair - she'll think I'm emulating her hero, Fancy Nancy :-)

    I hope the stores get replenished soon. I was in one today and it was so very, very bare. Boring. It took three minutes to scan the 17 pieces in the sale section, and the rest of the store was pretty much 22 different variations of tees...That's not the way to intrigue me, j.crew.

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  25. La Belle Helene: An SA at the Polaris store told me that they're expecting a "big" rollout at the end of January - this smallish one was just a teaser. :) I'm excited to see what's coming up next - I'm actually really digging the neutral "beach" tones for this spring. Very pretty!

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  26. I was surprised that I liked this video. I guess it reminded me that Jenna was a human, and not some PR engine/company celebrity. I'd like to see more of these. I also thought the look on Angela was great. I've been considering a mustard yellow shirt for a pop of color and think that maybe I can pull it off if styled as in this video. Thanks for posting it!

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  27. Thank you Rats, for the peek at Spring. I am surprised by how "fresh" the muted colors look. I noticed, too, that "Jenna's Picks" this month are refreshingly "cooler" shades. The Acid Wash and Camo are def not for me, though.

    I don't know how much I will be buying this season if 1)the colors are the Dusty Blossoms and Guavas etc. that I already have so much of, and 2) the price points continue to head skyward.

    OT, someone mentioned the other day that Nordstrom has the new metallic Sperry Topsiders at a better price. I just scored a pale gold pair online on sale for $48.90. Handsewn, all leather, I am trying those instead of the Porto mocs I have been eyeing.

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  28. I agree, Jenna seemed more personable. Love to see the models moving and not just in the pigeon toes pose, it's good to see the clothes in more than one dimension. And how gorgeous in Angela?! Thanks for posting the vid, and thanks to RatsOnParade for the Look Book pics! Nothing much made me tingle, but the pink dress is really pretty.

    Stella, enjoy you Lexi! I noticed the aqua popback this week and I hoped someone here got it. Seeing it today makes me look forward to using my silver Lexi when it's less snowy.

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  29. I liked watching this video, and I would be interested to see more things like this from JC. Personally, the first look is the only one that I found appealing. I can't get with the heavy shorts & tights look for winter, I'm too old and not in good enough shape to make it work. And the last look ... while it was interesting, that metallic blue bag just didn't work for me at all with that outfit and the other colors. And I'd have chosen either the feather pompom or the flower to wear, not both together. Ehhh, Idon't know. I wasn't actually inspired to buy or do anything, but it was fun to watch.

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  30. I enjoyed watching this. It's nice to see the models moving around in the clothes, as opposed to the static poses online in pinned, photoshopped poses. It really makes the clothes come alive. I would love it if they would add some video to the website, the way Boden has.

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  31. Agreed! I would like more styling tips on a particular piece online. Having videos online would be a great idea.

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  32. I love the look for fall, blazers and lots of jewelry and bows are so cute with jeans!

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