Madewell Spring '16 Is Everything We Want to Wear Right Now

When I walked into Madewell's Spring '16 presentation, I wanted to change my clothes immediately, preferably into something that was hanging on one of the denim-clad mannequins. In her first full collection for the brand, head designer Joyce Lee built on Madewell's reputation for great jeans, giving us what she calls "denim outfitting" — new wide-leg shapes with nipped-in, higher waists; denim dresses; overalls; and a custom-embroidered jacket. In fact, even the bandanas (tied chicly to complete nearly every look) and the waistbands on jeans can be custom stitched with your name or initials so you can put your stamp on these pieces just the same way you've been able to monogram the brand's leather goods.
Add to that the beautiful embroidery that pops up on dresses, inspired by the designers' trips to Morocco; lightweight linen tops with laces up the necklines; and a striped, cutout jumpsuit, and this collection perfectly captures that balance between everyday clothes and extraordinary details. It's the stuff you'll want to live in, but it'll still feel special every time you slip it on. What's not to love about that? Read on to see the lookbook in full.