happy store spotlight: J.Crew

I do a lot of online shopping. Out of the budget I allow myself for shopping each month, I spend most of it online. My favorite brands are very hard if not impossible to find here, and the prices online are always better. I usually only buy stuff that's on sale to make up for the ridiculous import taxes (28% for clothes in case you were wondering) Despite that markup, I think it's still way better to shop online because of the variety of stuff. Don't tell me that it hasn't happened to you, that you score a nice dress at Zara only to wear it out and see at least two other girls wearing it.

Besides the variety of clothes, you know what else is missing from our local stores? Nice decor. Stores here make no effort at all. Have you been to the "new" MNG? Lucky for them that their clothes are nice, because I go into that store and lose my will to shop. Bad lighting, crowded racks, teeny dressing rooms. It reminds me of an outlet mall store, without the outlet prices. I'd still shop there and at other stores guilty of being fugly, but would it kill store owners to spruce up their places a bit? You wouldn't have someone important over at your house without cleaning it up, would you?

A few weeks ago I featured on the blog one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie. Going into one of those stores, is like a girly, bohemian paradise. So, so, SO pretty. I think we're lucky for NOT having that store here, because I think I wouldn't have a paycheck left every two weeks. What Anthro is to the boho girl, J.Crew is to the preppy girl. Not all of their stores are as nice as Anthro ones, but there are certain ones that do tug at your purse heart strings. Here are a few shots of J.Crew South Beach, my all time fave!