NYFW Spring 2013: J.Crew Plays with Barbies

10:00 AM, September 12 2012

By Natalie Matthews

Not everything at J.Crew's spring presentation was pink, but a lot of it was: berry-soaked magenta, icy blush, fluorescent coral (not quite glow-in-the-dark, but getting there). The pink that most stood out to me, though, was the fuchsia "darlings" embroidered on a gray crewneck sweater. I could've sworn I owned it already. Then I realized I was wrong—that sweater wasn't mine, it was my childhood Barbie's.

Yet despite the predominant palette, this is less a collection for Ken's girlfriend—the fussy prom queen—and more one for her quietly cool kid sister. From a beaded periwinkle polo shirt to skinny stripe trousers, J.Crew's spring collection is energetic yet approachable. Kind of like a grown-up Skipper.

Since it's not only one of the best but also one of the most affordable collections I've seen this week, I'm sure I'll buy more than a few J.Crew things next season (the floral applique t-shirt, the lime green shirtdress). That's a given. What I'm less certain of, though, are those neon baseball caps—the dark horses of our street style snaps this week—and if the Jenna Lyons touch instantly transforms them into a bigger trend. If so, we're on board: it's good news for bad hair days. The clothes, on the other hand, are just good news in general.