In love with the Gap.

I was so mad when I was perusing the Gap's website the other day, because I found this:

from here.

Isn't it great?  I think it is.  I am a person who has to buy most things with stripes, and coats are no exception.  The only problem, is that I already bought this one from J. Crew last year:

 

 from here, no longer available for sale.

The reason I'm angry?  Because I paid way more for the J.Crew coat, even though I bought it at the outlet for a significant reduction off the original price.  Crazy, right?  If I had just been patient enough...  Here's the thing, though: the Gap coat has enough differences that it would be alright to buy, right?  Maybe I've been good this year, and Santa will have mercy on me...  but this is also on my list:

 from here.

ugh.  sometimes I make myself sick.

An Open Letter:

Dear J. Crew,

We are officially in a fight. When I place an order for a V-neck cashmere sweater in heather aqua and you send me a navy blue bathing suit bottom, I can forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes. When I go to the store to return said bathing suit bottom and you don't carry my sweater, I am patient, because you offer card members the Red Phone as an in-store service. I will admit, I was a bit peeved when I used the Red Phone and you told me that you were sold out of the size I ordered, but no big deal... I just ordered a size up, because with cardigans, it doesn't matter a great deal. I was thrilled when you offered me 3-day complimentary shipping because I needed it for an important lunch that week. Bonus.

J. Crew, when my sweater did not arrive, I was a bit peeved. I never received a new order number with which I could have checked the status and realized that you needed approval for my credit card (which, by the way, I was assured would not be necessary). I apologize that you had the wrong phone number on the order and that I didn't receive your message, but that's what e-mail is for, isn't it? (Plus, my cell phone number is clearly listed as the primary number on my account -- can't you look that s*** up?) Needless to say, when I called you this morning, and you told me that you had run out of the sweater in heather aqua, as well as the rustic orange color that I would have taken as an alternative, I was more than disappointed. Granted, this issue is partly my fault for not receiving your message, but if you put something on hold, shouldn't it guarantee that the item will be there?

Thankfully, I had an alternative to your bewitching heather aqua cardigan and was able to adequately dress myself for my important lunch meeting, but it just wasn't the same. You broke my heart.

In closing, we are officially in a fight until further notice.

Regards,
Ally

Fall J. Crew

While I'm still working on my next post involving my adventures in letterpress & bookbinding, I thought I'd share a few things that are on my Fall '09 J. Crew Wishlist.

click to enlarge (but only if you want to)

First Row: Slub cotton silk streamers tank, Scattered petals tank, Merino ethereal ruffle cardigan.
Second Row: Velvet Eden blazer, Navy wool schoolboy blazer, Stretch wool Olive dress.
Third Row: Charlie ruffled suede platform Mary Janes, Downtown trouser cord, Nottingham tall leather flat boots.
Fourth Row: Library necklace, Cheetah calf-hair belt, Scattered-locket necklace.

I will not be purchasing everything on my Fall '09 Wishlist (I added these items to my cart and it was equivalent to more than one month's rent!), but I am in love with most of the J. Crew Fall Catalog. I'm excited about their colors and choices of fabrics, and I really appreciate all the feminine details that they have put into their clothing. My one gripe with the company is that the quality of their clothing doesn't match their pricetags. While I have definitely curtailed my spending, there are still a few pieces that I will probably buy, including the merino cardigan, silk streamers tank, locket necklace, and hopefully the ruffle shoes (but I'll probably wait for the price to drop a bit on the shoes).

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the first day of the season when the air is crisp enough to wear a sweater, the brilliant shades of color that come with the changing leaves, the harvesting of wonderful fruits and vegetables and the delicious recipes that can be made as a result, the smell that creeps into the air that gently whispers, "it's fall."

While it's true that I love all seasons, fall in New England is special. It's the one time of year when I feel completely at ease and content. I have no idea why, but I always welcome it with open arms, and these clothes have me wishing this 90 degree, humid weather away!

What's your favorite season?

Things I'm loving from J. Crew right now.

I have a problem. I cannot stop shopping at J. Crew. I'm addicted to their clothing, their style, their everything. Here are a few things that I've purchased in the last few weeks that I adore:

from here.

I'm definitely in a pink and gray mood lately. I am just frustrated with their website because it keeps crashing lately. Oh well... I guess it's better for my wallet.