Name: Kimberly N., our buyer extraordinaire

What kind of shoes are you wearing?
Our new Weatherby rain boots—they are the perfect solution to looking good, even in the nastiest weather. And I love the back zip—it’s a surprising little extra that makes them both fashionable
and functional!

If your shoes could talk, what would they say?
Bring on the rain!

How do your shoes make you feel?
Sensibly chic. They make a rainy day so much more fun!

If you could walk anywhere in these shoes, where would it be?
Picking blueberries in Maine (the blueberry capital of the world), near where I grew up—you always eat more than you pick!

(post by Dulci Cuprill)

PAIR IT:
with an armful of colorful resin bangles (we say the brighter, the better) and crisp white jeans.

WEAR IT:
to a clambake on the sand (we’re majorly savoring summer).

Describe your style…
I’m a big fan of classic, laid-back style—I grew up in Southern California, so I’m inherently drawn to a more casual approach to dressing. I’m also inspired by iconic American actors and the male leads from French New Wave films.

What do you do for J.Crew?
I help find the latest and the greatest men’s footwear and accessories for all our J.Crew stores.

What did you do to make the Ludlow your own?
I threw on my favorite chambray shirt, an old tie and my favorite summer boat moccasins from Quoddy®. I’m a big fan of Quoddy moccasins! I love the story behind the Maine-based company,
and they’re simply the most comfortable shoes you’ll ever own—and they only get better with age.
I wear them with just about everything but had never tried them with a suit before. So just for fun,
I decided to throw them on with the Ludlow and loved how it looked: kind of a mash-up of California beach guy and big-city slicker. It’s an outfit I’d wear to a summer wedding on the beach or to a
rooftop cocktail party.

What do you like best about it?
It’s incredibly classic yet at the same time has a modern slim fit, so I feel confident wearing it with just about anything in my closet. It’s great for work, but it’s so lightweight that I also wear it with old chino shorts and one of our broken-in tees for laid-back summer brunches.

If you could pack one suitcase to take with you to a deserted island, what would be in it?
My pug Duke (luckily, he likes close quarters), a solar-powered iPod dock, my Saturdays swim shorts, tons of sunscreen, my vintage aviators and anything written by Vladimir Nabokov.

Any hidden talents worth revealing?
It’s not so much a talent but an obsession: I am a walking encyclopedia on German culture.

Check out all our Ludlow-wearing J.Crew staffers here, and stay tuned for more Q&As.

(post by Dana Wagner)

Our favorite go-to beauty tip is adding a bold lip color. We are partial to a quirky coral but could never find one that was just right, so we called in an expert to help us make our own! This season we have collaborated with Poppy King to make our dream lip color: a bit of red with a hint of coral. It’s the perfect shade of Poppy. Worn here by a few of our women’s designers—you can see it’s a color that everyone can agree on!

Describe your style…
On more than one occasion my look has been described as a sea captain, the Gorton’s Fisherman or Rex Harrison’s character in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir…which makes sense, because I’ve always been obsessed with the beach and I watched endless hours of television in the ’80s (both of which clearly made their mark on my style). My beard is in homage to Jeff Bridges in Against All Odds and, thanks to Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I., I’ve been chasing the perfect pair of vintage shorts (and the perfect tan) my entire life.

What do you do for J.Crew?
Public Relations—which means it’s a secret and I can’t tell you because I’m working on an exclusive. You can pick it up on newsstands in three months.

What do you like best about the Ludlow jacket?
I discovered the Ludlow suit before I even started working at J.Crew. I wore it during several seasons of Milan and Paris fashion week and I got a ton of compliments every single time—proof that the fit is so right on! I even got a thumbs-up from a friend of mine who wore Dior exclusively; the next time he visited NYC, he bought the Ludlow suit and has been a fan ever since (welcome to the club!).

If you could pack one suitcase to take with you to a deserted island, what would be in it?
I’m guessing it’s a tropical island, so a swimsuit, a pair of Persols, Lancaster SPF, Bud Lights, a deck of cards and a stack of magazines.

Any hidden talents worth revealing?
I can out-Smurf anyone!

Check out all our Ludlow-wearing J.Crew staffers here, and stay tuned for more Q&As.

From sapphire stripes to true-blue chambray, we’ve noticed the cool color cropping up everywhere in our offices right before the weekend. Above, five stylish staffers sport head-to-toe-ensembles in our pre-getaway shade of choice.

1. Go for contrast, like an icy cobalt (our inkdip popover) against a warm, faded denim.
2. Azure thing: It wouldn’t be summer without a classic stripe to inspire your inner wanderlust.
3. A bolt of bright pattern—like this blue streaked short—keeps the tonal look playful.
4. Give the look a little grounding with an earthy neutral shoe, like our bronze-tipped ballet.
5. Bring your love for blue on the road with our crush-worthy weekender.

(post by Amy Gray)

Everyone has a lucky number or a date they love to remember…now you can wear it.

Stacking the CODE numeral rings has become a J.Crew obsession. Kim wears her husband’s and daughter’s birthdays combined, while Marissa’s lucky numbers 3 and 13 share space with other treasures. Inspired by the typeface found on the doors in the historic Plaza Hotel, CODE rings are classic no matter how you wear them.

CODE 14K gold numeral rings are available at the 1035 Madison and 769 Madison Avenue stores.

(post by Tracy Rosenbaum)