Vintage books are the new neckties.

The latest J.Crew catalog recently showed up in my mailbox, and it has a literary theme! The shoot was called "East of Eden", and the models were photographed reading (er... "reading") vintage books, as well as doing an assortment of other glamorously intellectual-looking tasks, including writing in journals, using typewriters (including a pink one for the ladies!), and eating cereal while staring pensively into the distance. The pictures were good for the occasional snicker, but the snicker turned into a full-on giggle fit when I noticed a little advertisement on page 102: "Shop our vintage book collection at the Men's Shop in Soho (484 Broadway, NYC)."

Yes, dear readers, you can now accessorize with J.Crew-approved literature! It's the perfect shopping short cut for all those people out there who want to look well-read, and don't mind paying J.Crew prices for vintage books they could probably pick up at the Goodwill for 25 cents apiece.