For years, many of us living above the 49th parallel just couldn’t get enough of our J.Crew catalogues.

But that’s all a thing of the past. Thanks to the recent introduction of stand-alone stores in Vancouver, local stylistas—from the yacht-rock set to the indie-pop crowd—can get their summer J. Crew fix right here in the Lower Mainland.

The first location (1088 Robson Street) opened for business last spring, and just last week a second store (which has the distinction of being the first all-women’s-clothing J.Crew store in Vancouver) celebrated its grand opening in Pacific Centre Mall. That’s where the Straight caught up with Tom Mora, head of J.Crew women’s design.

“We don’t really market to an age group,” says Mora, during our private tour of the new digs. “You can have a mom, a daughter, and grandmother come in and all three of them will buy the exact same pieces, which I think is very unique to a brand.”

There are definitely some crossover pieces on display, namely the selection of beautifully detailed lined eyelet tops (from $108 to $118), bleached-out chambray shirts ($92), and timeless Ts ($48) that come in a multitude of fresh spring colours. But the reason J.Crew has such a wide appeal is that there seems to be two intertwining streams of merchandise throughout the store. Mixed in with the core line of business-casual separates and nautically themed basics are all these beautiful, bright hits of youthful colour and novelty prints.

So right by the timeless white cotton slim pants ([$104] for the yacht-rock set), there are chino short shorts that come in a cute seahorse pattern (for the indie-poppers [$54]). And for a blending of the two sensibilities, there’s a short-sleeve, grey sweat top that features one big floral anchor appliqué with an embroidered white rope looping around it ($84)—adorable!

In the shoe department, there’s the classic Kiki, a black patent-leather flat made in Italy with a tiny gold heel ($190), not to mention a cool selection of eye-popping neon flats ($160). But the real centrepiece is the Day-Glo pink Mari crisscross strappy sandal with a somewhat clunkier high heel than we’re used to ($169). They’re very “of the moment”, as Mora would say, meaning the chances of you busting these out two summers from now are slim, but man, you could really have fun rocking them this season.

But perhaps what strikes customers the most about walking into a J.Crew store (as opposed to thumbing through the pages of a catalogue) is how far the brand has come with its jewellery designs.

“Yes, our jewellery has really become a feather in the cap of the company,” concurs Mora. “We spend a lot of time on it. It feels almost like heirloom jewellery.”

While most of the current collection does have a vintage vibe to it, it also boasts some very fashion-forward twists, in particular the big, beautiful chunky chandelier necklaces ($188 to $268), an eclectic mix of opaque candy-coloured glass gems, milky stones, and clear crystals. And yes, much like most of the store, this stunning series is something you really have to see in person to truly appreciate.