Oh J Crew, how I love you

My recent discovery of J Crew has perhaps ruined my clothes shopping forever.

I used to be the queen of the deal. If it was cheap and it fit somewhat, I bought it. As a result, I had a closet of poorly made, poorly fitting clothes and had little sense of personal style. I didn't even realize I didn't have a style.

And then last December I discovered this great website called J Crew. Every link I clicked on, every picture I viewed held a piece of clothing that I loved. There it was, my style. My own closet suddenly was lacking. My regular outfit of dark pants, black shoes and a dark sweater or blouse suddenly seemed so boring.

Over the last month, I've gone on a little (ok, big) J Crew shopping spree. However, everything I've bought has been highly discounted even though it is still higher than my usual clothing budget. Oh, who am I kidding. I don't budget for anything; I spend. But I have come to realize that one J Crew cardigan bought on sale is worth more than 3 or 4 tops from Old Navy or Walmart. My new pieces fit better, feel better and look better. I get compliments on my outfits almost daily.

Last night, I had a sudden realization of my style change when I was grocery shopping. Our grocery store here, the Superstore, also carriess clothing. The best part of their clothing line is that it is CHEAP. Last night, the Superstore had a huge clearance sale. I'm talking about 5 dollar blouses and sweaters. I spied a purple blouse very similar to J Crew's Gianna blouse (item 97882) but at a fraction of the price. The thought came into my head that maybe I could get the J Crew look and still be the queen of the sale. Then my hands reached out and touched the fabric and I knew I could never go back. The blouse felt plastic-like and cheap. It was not something I wanted to put next to my skin for an hour, let alone a day.

J Crew has spoiled me forever.