Those of us who love Mad Men are undoubtedly very familiar with Joan’s pen necklace. If she’s at the office, she’s never without it around her neck in case she might need to make any quick jots. She’s Joan. She’s always prepared, always professional, always perfect – and that’s why we love her.

On my previously mentioned jaunt to Kate Spade, I gasped when I came across a very Joan-like pen necklace in a modern style and I knew it must be mine. Not only can I appreciate the clever functionality, but I’m looking forward to sporting the sure-of-myself Joan mentality it will undoubtedly bestow upon me.

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This little wonder is unfortunately not sold on Kate Spade’s website, so you’ll have to “drag” yourself to the nearest Kate boutique to find it. The good news? It retails for an affordable $25, so it won’t break the bank. You’ll have plenty left to have your hair set at the parlor.

I used to think I had to pay $250 for jeans. No, really. Nothing was ever long enough, fit right, or held its shape if it didn’t also have a designer price tag… until I rediscovered GAP 1969′s. I don’t know what they’ve been drinking over there but I do know that it’s working. Recently GAP’s aesthetic has gone from yawn to yay, and I especially can’t get enough of their denim. Not only are the latest styles right there with the times, but they all come in many lengths – including long AND extra long.

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Legging Jean

To make matters even better, GAP has a love for sales. Unlike the Current/Elliott and Sevens of the world, GAP gets inspired on a fairly frequent basis to practically pay you to take their stuff. I recently placed an order in which I scored a pair of stylish bleached jeans, and two pair of the Real Straight with inseams for days. Total: $92. The deal was so good, I felt like I owed them an apology.

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This fall, mix any of your favorite styles in with your splurges of the season and no one will even know that your jeans cost less than your Thursday happy hour bill.

Always Skinny Bleach

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Cropped Always Skinny Zipper, $69.50

Whenever I’m paying for something at one of my fave stores and the salesperson asks for my e-mail address, I always politely decline. I don’t need more subscriptions clogging the old Hotmail account I started in 1999, let alone more perfectly styled, cutely designed HTML messages taunting me to buy things on a daily basis. But last time I was at Kate Spade, I was feeling inspired by their adorable aesthetic and handed the girl my card. I’m happy I did, because last week the most inspiring little parcel arrived in the mail for me. Kate’s new promotional materials for their new fall bags are worth sharing (even framing, according to Jaimi). Plus – whether or not they intended to do it, each card totally represents a different Fashion Feng Shui personality.

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