I never was a J.Crew girl. While its sailor stripes and iconic sweaters have always piqued my curiosity, once I land on J.Crew’s website and see the styling, I feel totally uninspired. I click away almost immediately.
Yet, I’ll see a new piece on social media, or inquire about someone’s sweater on the street, only to be met with J.Crew as the answer. And the curiosity marches on.
So, I decided to challenge myself. I want to see if I could make J.Crew’s famous sweaters my own. Could I look past the perfectly preppy styling cues from the website and make these pieces work within my own closet (which is decidedly, uh, messier and off-center)? I’m going to find out.
My Very First J.Crew Try-On: Emilie Lady Jacket & Giselle Sweater-Blazer
sweater (L) | tank (L) | jeans (28) | bag | flats
If I’m being honest, this isn’t my first go around with J.Crew. That actually happened earlier this year, when I ordered simple boxer shorts (and wore them nonstop all summer long), and it was part of the reason I was able to muster up the courage to order more. The boxer shorts easily became my own thing, so I felt hopeful the J.Crew sweaters could blend into my closet just the same.
Which sweaters did I scoop up? The Emilie Sweater Lady Jacket and the Giselle Sweater-Blazer.
The J.Crew Emilie Patch-Pocket Sweater Lady Jacket
This sweater, the famous J.Crew Lady Jacket, is what really made me cross my fingers. I scooped up two colors to try because I was unusually indecisive — and all the options are so cute.
Emilie Patch-Pocket Sweater Lady Jacket (L)
I had noticed J.Crew’s lady jackets in the past, but I only recently discovered the Emilie patch-pocket sweater version. While I usually associate a tweed material with this style of top, the Emilie sweater is made from a soft yet structured 100% cotton.
sweater (L) | jeans (27) | similar loafers | bag
The gold buttons make the whole thing feel very Parisian, and I was hopeful that it could be the perfect top I’ve been searching for to balance out all my beloved baggy jeans: fitted, but not tight, with an ideal slight-crop.
Turns out, it’s perfect in all those ways.
sweater (L) | skirt (M) | bag | sneakers
Right off the bat, I realized the Emilie lady jacket is delightfully easy to style.
I began playing around with buttoning the front in various ways, and thanks to the structured boxy shape, everything works. It all looks so…cool?
sweater (L) | tank (L) | jeans (28) | bag | flats
I know, I know — the next photo might feel ridiculous to some, but seeing as how fall time in San Diego won’t have me putting my shorts away for awhile, I had to see what it would feel like paired with my favorite denim cutoff shorts from AGOLDE.
sweater (L) | shorts (28) | sandals
And while it looks fancy, the Emilie Sweater Lady Jacket is actually machine-washable (busy-mom-life-approved).
The J.Crew Giselle V-Neck Sweater-Blazer
In the event the Emilie Sweater Lady Jacket didn’t quite cut it, I scooped up J.Crew’s Giselle Sweater-Blazer as well (again, in two colors — but can you blame me?!).
Giselle V-Neck Sweater-Blazer (M)
Both sweater styles feature the same patch pockets and charming gold buttons, but with its longer length and drapey neckline, the Giselle Sweater-Blazer feels a bit safer at a glance for my personal style.
sweater (M) | jeans (28) | flats
After reading the reviews, I grabbed a medium (whereas my instinct is to order a size large in sweaters). I’m glad I did, because it certainly runs oversized.
The medium fits me similarly to the models — drapey in the body with wide, full sleeves that aren’t overwhelmingly long.
sweater (M) | tank (L) | skirt (M) | sneakers | similar bag
The Giselle sweater has a cool-girl factor that’s hard to pinpoint. Maybe it’s the fact that the sweater is essentially shapeless in the long body, making an otherwise polished (Emily Gilmore-esque) top feel street-wear ready.
The deep-V neckline is sexy with just the right amount of skin being revealed when worn as a top alone, and just like the lady jacket, it’s especially fun to play with the styling of the front buttons.
sweater (M) | tank (L) | jeans (28) | sandals
The main reason I scooped up the red color in the J.Crew sweater-blazer is that I can’t help but think this will be perfect for the holiday season.
I’m dreaming of wearing this with winter-white denim or a faux-leather skirt (or pants!) for special occasions. The sweater even feels like the ideal weight to pack if catching flights during the holidays — cozy, but not at all bulky.
sweater (M) | pants (28) | shoes | similar bag
And for my own sanity, another experiment with shorts:
sweater (M) | shorts (28) | sneakers | bag
The only downside? The Giselle sweater-blazer is labeled as a dry-clean item. But I’ll probably just hand-wash it when necessary, or pop it in a mesh bag and wash on the delicate cycle if truly needed, as I do with the few other dry-clean labels I own (shhhh).
My Dressy Alter Ego: J.Crew Sweaters In 2 Bonus Outfits
Very much out of character, I couldn’t resist a few dressier looks in both sweaters. Maybe I’m getting older, or maybe these sweaters brought out an alter ego…
sweater (L) | dress (M) | bag | heels
A newfound fave tucking trick of mine? If you have a longer sweater you want to crop, put a belt around your upper waist, on top of the sweater, and pull the sweater up and out, until just the ends are tucked in (as seen below).
I love this trick with skirts or any tight bottoms where I don’t want any bulk in the waistband and alternatively don’t want to use the bra-tuck method.
sweater (M) | similar dress | flats
The verdict?
Somewhat shockingly, both sweaters from J.Crew make my outfits feel incredibly more put-together than they would normally appear had I any other top on. It was as if my closet was instantly elevated by a few patch pockets and gold buttons. Even my sneakers looked more polished. I tried making the sweaters feel more undone, yet they ended up making me feel more chic.
And I liked it.
Xx,
Amy
Let’s be friends on Instagram! Sharing life from a California beach town, daily style & beauty faves, and never-ending “Gilmore Girl” binge-athons — all with a good dose of adorable toddler content too.
