What do you get when you mix an all-American label's preppy East Coast heritage with a jeweler's delicate design sensibility? A limited-edition lineup of modern heirlooms with a sun-soaked feel—one you may end up wearing all season.
Just in time for summer, J.Crew has teamed up with Brooklyn-based jewelry band Catbird for a collection attuned to warm-weather wear. This new drop sticks to the classics. Bow-shaped stud earrings are refreshed with oblong pearls dangling off the bottom. Delicate gold chokers can be turned into charm necklaces with an array of sweet pendants. One piece is an anchor inspired by the charm that Olympia Gayot, J.Crew's Creative Director of Women and Kids, used to wear. Another heart-shaped option makes the perfect Mother's Day gift, thanks to the word "mom" delicately engraved across the front.
Catbird's Creative Director, Leigh Plessner, exclusively tells Marie Claire that typically coastal elements—the references for which were pulled from J.Crew's iconic '90s catalogs—were refreshed with aspects from the bustling city. Catbird’s office in the industrial Brooklyn Navy Yard was one such jumping-off point, as were the iconic sailboats in Manhattan’s Central Park. “We played with hearts and anchors and bows in twisted rope finishes—all made with 100 percent recycled 14k gold," she says.
Add this tiny sailboat charm to your favorite charm bracelet, or let it shine on its own from a thin chain.
These pieces are meant to fit into a summer jewelry uniform of sorts. "We think of our jewelry as put it on, never take it off pieces that become a part of you," Plessner says. They're designed to blend into their wearer's life over time, not unlike the thin, welded bracelets that Catbird has become famous for. J.Crew understands this concept all too well: The brand's linen pants and button-down shirts are fundamental building blocks in the modern summer wardrobe.
The collaboration also furthers both brands' penchant for giving vintage pieces a new twist. Many of J.Crew's most recent collections include reworked versions of archival designs, like its heritage denim or roll-neck sweaters. Naturally, J.Crew would link with Catbird, a brand known for pieces that look at home both in a vintage store and in the brand's Williamsburg studio. (Catbird's engagement rings, for instance, have become popular for this very reason.)
Devotees of either brand also know that this isn't their first collaboration. J.Crew first linked up with Catbird in 2014, with a set of delicate stackable rings and barely-there chain necklaces.
Their latest partnership picks up where the last one left off: what's old is new, and what's classic should stay that way. Shop editors' favorite pieces from the lineup below.
2024's favorite shape, the bow, gets updated for spring with an oversized pearl.
Pearls are given new life with this bow-shaped necklace.
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Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she covers everything from the latest beauty and fashion launches and sales to celebrity outfits and news. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and STYLECASTER. In her spare time, Julia can be found creating shopping guides for all of her friends, spending too much money on yet another pair of black boots, and cooking in her far-too-small kitchen.
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