What American Apparel was to Hipsters, J. Crew is to me

Hello, my name is Ana Maria and I'm a J. Crew-aholic. I've always been a fan of the brand but in the last couple of years two key things have happened: they've amped up their style (thank you Mickey Drexler and Jenna Lyons) and I'm finally able to afford bits and pieces from their collections.

Being a sucker for classically styled looks that blend tom-boyish charm with feminine sensibilities, I find their quality hard to resist. The fact that I know I will want to wear each piece for years to come makes buying from them even easier. And can we talk about their catalog photography?! The on-location ones never fail to please.

J. Crew's latest catalog, Gone Hollywood, was shot all around LA: the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills, Paramount Studios, and Chateau Marmont. I literally drooled at the sight of this sneak peek via the LA Times last week.

Yesterday, I learned about their new documentary About a Shoe. It follows members of the J. Crew design team to Italy as they visit and work with their shoe manufacturer. The film is beautifully made and I absolutely love that they pay credit to the shoe artisans who have been working their craft for generations.

Needless to say this makes me love my leather ballet flats even more...It's pretty ridiculous how excited I get about their collections, catalogs, and now movies. They've got me. They've really got me.