Are You A Poppy Girl?

With the exception of my amazing Whitney Watch, I've never been much of a Coach girl. This is a judgment-free zone so I'll just say it: if I'm going to have an item covered in the letter C, I want nothing less than Chanel. That said, I was pleasantly surprised to learn of Coach's new Poppy line.

Adapting to the times just like the rest of us, Poppy's price point is a little more manageable than your traditional Coach item. But even better is that Poppy embraces a fresh, youthful style--full of bright colors, metallics, and fun patterns. The overall look is so irresistible that I'm wondering why Coach didn't do this earlier!

In an interview in the July issue of In Style, president and executive creative director, Reed Krakoff, discussed the inspiration behind Poppy: Poppy has a preppy vibe, but with a kind of punky sensibility that comes through in the details. We mixed sequins and patent touches with Pop Art-inspired prints, for example. And there's quirky hardware and retro shapes for bags and jewelry.

Krakoff's description justly identifies the appeal of Poppy: the fusion of the preppy and punk; naughty and nice; and princess and rebel. What girl can't relate to that?

I immediately fell in love with the New Poppy Jacket, a navy wool blend jacket with oversized gold button details and a funky zebra print lining (for an added pop! to the Poppy style). While adhering to a traditional blazer aesthetic, this jacket adds just enough irreverent spirit to make the Blair Waldorfs of the world shake their heads. It's a great statement piece, complimenting a pair of faded skinny jeans and gold flip-flops just as well as it would a white pleated skirt and navy espadrille wedges.

I'm also loving the Skyla Flats in a bold hot pink, which make me think of a little-school-girl-all-grown-up. I just adore the flirty resin bow with gold detail at the toe, which makes this flat stand out from the standard line-up of ballet flats.

The cherry on top? The baubles and bangles from this collection may be the most tempting array of sparkles I've seen in some time. Just try to say "no" to the New Poppy Flower Necklace, a bib-style necklace of blooming flowers in an array of boldly colored stones with an unusual copper finish.

Are you a Poppy girl? With the same ease that Dorothy felt in an ocean of poppies, I have fallen in love with this collection. So go ahead: have your Poppy and wear it too!




Images in order of appearance: (1) Coach's Poppy Slogan, photo courtesy of Coach (http://www.coach.com/); (2) New Poppy Jacket, $398, also available at Coach; (3) Skyla Flats, $158, also available at Coach; (4) New Poppy Flower Necklace, $248, also from Coach.