Dear Average Woman,

I was once told that JCrew was far from chic. Six months later, I still cannot stop obsessing over it. Perhaps I am defensive on the matter because I wish I were a walking JCrew catalog, but to me, they embody chic for the average woman.

The average woman can't afford to deck herself in Chanel or swing by Hermes to get a new handbag. (I will say that it is completely reasonable for the average woman to make occasional splurges on key wardrobe pieces that will last from season to season. Stacy London and Clinton Kelly have jobs because they know that exception to the 'I'm average' rule so well.) But, the average woman is a lot like me. While I have serious label lust, I also have about $100 bucks in my bank account and my sole source of income is my nannying gig. Dealing with children has taught me that women will most likely end a day with peanut butter on their shirt and have to do an unnecessary amount of diaper changes. It is far from glamorous. Lusting ladies out there like myself, can't wait until they save the cash to splurge on that designer dud they've been longing for. They want it, and they want it now. The answer? JCrew.

JCrew makes a woman look effortlessly put together and dare I say, comfortable. They create pieces that are just as classic and well-made as the big labels, except for a fifth of the price. They also don't limit themselves to certain products, if you can wear it, they've got it. Cashmere sweaters, sweet cardigans, silk tiered tops, leather ballet flats, suede booties, far from tasteless jewelry and a certain velvet blazer I've been eyeing. They've got everything from shorts you can hike in to attire for an entire bridal party. As you can already imagine, I'm obsessed. I wait for Jenna's picks (the creative director) every month just to see the things that I wish I could own too. If you thought that JCrew was just seersucker pants with lobsters on them, take another look.

Oh, and their bridal! I am an aspiring journalist, which basically translates to broke perpetually. So when my time comes to try on gowns, I will visit Kleinfeld to try on Carolina Hererra and probably end up getting mine from JCrew. They are classic, classic with a twist. They are for that average woman who lusted after the labels, but decided to feed her guests instead. I must say, their bridesmaid dresses are so refreshingly un-bridemaidy that I couldn't possibly even THINK about looking at David's Bridal. (Not that it ever crossed my mind.) The dresses shown are just a taste of what they've done. Make sure to look at the bridesmaid dresses! Your friends will thank you.