Love Or Loathe: The Shoulder Strap Trend

Italian calfskin Jamie bag
Click here for product page
Item 97485
Regular: $495.00

This "love or loathe" post is not so much about the Jaime bag (which is beautiful by the way!) but on the leather shoulder strap the Jaime bag includes.

I have noticed that more an more handbags are coming with an optional shoulder strap- and I couldn't be more thrilled with that trend! I always end up wearing a messenger-esque bag when I go out shopping, so my hands are free to select and hold clothes easily. I have tons of hand bags and clutches, but find I don't use them as often since they can be difficult for me to carry (along with 12 hangers of clothes I want to try on in the changing room of J.Crew.) ;)

What do you think of the shoulder strap addition to hand bags? Are you a fan? Would you wear the optional shoulder strap or remove it?

Love or Hate: J.Crew Catalogs

I received J.Crew's catalog the other day in the mail. Gazing at the pages, I pretended I too was in Morocco and looking fabulous!

I really do look forward to receiving J.Crew's catalogs as though it were the regular magazines I pay a subscription for. There are no other catalogs I even "sign up" for anymore, except for J.Crew. In fact, I find catalogs to generally be a waste of paper. But not, J.Crew's catalogs. Their catalogs are different... they are special.

The truth is, I save the catalogs I receive from J.Crew. I have magazine holders full of them. Why? For a couple of reasons. The first being that I find the color of the pictures in the catalog can vary from those online. Not to mention, the images in the magazine tend to be bigger than the online photos. Both of these points makes it easier for me to purchase an item online without seeing it in-person beforehand. The second reason is that I use the catalogs as an idea-book of how to put together pieces into an outfit. I even save the Crewcuts catalogs because the outfits on the little girls are fabulous enough for me to model after.

Do you love or hate J.Crew catalogs? Do you receive them at home or pick them up at the stores? Do you save them like me?

Love or Hate? J.Crew Factory (Outlet) Stores

J.Crew (along side other retail stores like the Gap, Banana Republic, BCBG, Ann Taylor, etc.) offers shoppers another way to purchase their items: through Factory Stores located mainly at premium outlet malls throughout the U.S.

I have gone to a couple of these outlet stores in the past, but have no desire to make special trips to them. In fact, when I see that a J.Crew store is not the "regular" store, but an outlet store... I get uber-disappointed! I know it sounds weird considering I am a devoted admirer of J.Crew and love a great sale.

However, I find that that the outlet stores carry less merchandise and offer prices that are generally higher than I could have paid online a month (or more) earlier! That is right, I find I can get a better deal online (not only in price, but with more options too in terms of sizes & colors!) than in the factory stores. Even the items made exclusively for J.Crew Factory seems cheaply made (and expensive) for me to spend my money on. (To be honest, I rather turn to H&M instead of J.Crew Factory.)

Do you shop at J.Crew Factory stores? What do you think of them? Do you like them as much as regular J.Crew stores? Do you find the price/quality of J.Crew Factory to be worse/better than regular stores?