So I met Jenna Lyons.

Pause for shock.

Breathe.

And continue...

And she is just as chic and friendly and beautiful in person as I imagined her to be. While I stood there nervously overheating and grinning like an idiot, a professional and poised Ms. Lyons kept her cool, kindly chatting with us bloggers and other fashionable guests at the Michigan Avenue J.Crew menswear party last night.

Ms. Lyons donned a tailored, navy menswear-inspired suit that was understated yet sexy, and she accented the simple silhouette with rock-star studded heels. 

The event - complete with whiskey and scotch for the fellas and chardonnay for me - highlighted J.Crew's menswear collection, of which we all know I'm a fan. If I could, I'd dress the world in J.Crew - starting with the men - and what a beautiful world that would be. It's no secret the brand is a favorite of mine. There is enough diversity in their apparel that you could come out of the store looking uber-prep, colorful and trendy, tailored and sophisticated, feminine and flirty (or plaid and rugged), or quirky hipster. Ok, so they're lacking a bit of the grunge apparel, but would anyone really miss that? No. I didn't think so.

What made the night even better was getting to spend time with other stylish Chicago bloggers. From the left is Danielle of Breakfast at Toast, me, Taylor of Curly in the City, and Sarah of Where the Sidewalk Begins. And surprise surprise! We had a fantastic navy and coral theme going on. Shocking I tell ya. Quite shocking.

As I'm sure you could have guessed, everyone in attendance was dressed to the nines in their J.Crew apparel. A bevy of thick-rimmed glasses, tailored blazers, plaid shirts, and rolled cuffs danced around the room, exchanging business cards and witty banter, politely obliging to pose for photos as I tried to focus the lens without spilling my wine (with the latter, I found myself unsuccessful). It was loverly.

 And I couldn't end the evening without one of my favorite shoe shots. After all, they're so beautiful and far too frequently unphotographed.

At the end of the day, I still cannot believe I was able to meet yet another personal idol. Jenna Lyons is a great talent and inspiring woman, and I can't wait to see what she does next. 

Oh - and if you've been on the fence about starting a blog, do it. Now. Who knows where it will lead you?

Click here to view more photos of last night's event at J.Crew.