Madeline, Oh Madeline

I have developed this (let's call it a) habit of wearing something at the collar of each blouse/shirt that I wear, be it a bow, a pin or a tie.  I am just not comfortable in a blouse/shirt unless I am wearing a bow, pin or tie at the collar.  Is this just the next step after buttoning up?  Am I just overly buttoning up?

The sweater that I wore today is a very old JCrew sweater.  It may even be one of my very first JCrew purchases.  I remember being introduced to JCrew.  First, there was the fashion editorial that featured heavy grey flannel trousers (no pleat in the front) and "clunkers" (clunky oxford shoes) from JCrew.  Then, there was the day a work colleague asked if I wanted to have her JCrew catalogues after she was through with them (of course I said yes).  Not long after (and possibly because the work colleague who was sharing her JCrew catalogues with me left), I ordered my very own JCrew catalogues.  Then I made my first purchase.  The rest, as they say, is history.  There is one thing that I will say about the time after I was introduced to JCrew but before I started receiving my very own JCrew catalogues.  I think that I was more enthralled with JCrew and thought it carried the coolest, edgiest, most avant garde basics.  After I started receiving my own JCrew catalogues, it wasn't that I didn't like JCrew anymore (clearly I like JCrew), it was that I thought it was a little too ... well ... mainstream.  Somehow, between the time when I became aware of JCrew and the time when I became a JCrew consumer, it stopped being experimental and became ... well ... safe.  Don't get me wrong, I like JCrew.  It's just that, sometimes, I wish it was a little bit more of the JCrew that I fell in love with.

Incidentally, I feel the very same way about Fluevog (and you know how much I adore Fluevog).  The only difference between Fluevog and JCrew is that Fluevog is, more and more, becoming the Fluevog that I fell in love with.  It gives me hope in so far as JCrew is concerned.

I am wearing an old shirt from H&M with an old tie from the Gap, an old sweater from JCrew, an old pleated skirt from the Gap (European Collection), un-sweatpants by Roots, a coat from Old Navy, an old scarf from JCrew and old fingerless gloves from American Apparel.  My socks are by MacGregor and my boots are by Aldo.