A big "thanks!" goes to Vicky (who's Anon at 5:13PM in this post), who shared with us a promotion card she received at at a J.Crew factory store, letting us know about the fantastic sale that will be coming up.
The card indicates that if you shop anytime between 11/26/08 through 12/3/08, you can get between 30-50% off select styles. Even more exciting, if you come in on 11/28/08, before 10AM, you can save an additional 50% off all clearance styles! To view the holiday hours for J.Crew factory stores, click on this link. :)Happy shopping! :)
Are items in factory stores from the retail store? Or are they different? ie Ann Taylor FS stuff is not what was in the AT stores.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete10 am EST or PST?
ReplyDeleteI have never been to a JCrew outlet store, but I am looking forward to visiting one very soon.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I am skipping a trip to a regular store to go hunt some last season's items :)
Thanks for posting the hours Alexis!
Whoops, nevermind, I thought it was online.
ReplyDeleteitems USED to be leftovers from real store , now 95% is made specifically for outlets and TERRIBLE quality
ReplyDeleteI find them to be a mix from older items and lesser quality items, depends on the store. Michael Kors and other designer stores seem to be filled with last season whereas J Crew, Gap, etc seem to have more lesser quality items. Btw, I have gotten better deals at designer outlets than J Crew every time.
ReplyDeleteI have only been to a J.Crew factory store once and I'm planning on returning the three tanks I bought there b/c they were not as long/different fit than the ones I am used to. I've found some good stuff at Banana factory stores but some stuff at the Gap ones seem really cheap.
ReplyDeleteSo it is stuff made specifically for the factory store? I was wondering about that; I just assumed it was stuff from previous seasons for the most part.
sanfranciscoca, you may be truly disappointed. I've always left feeling like it was a colossal waste of time and gas.
ReplyDeleteI'm still going to go and see if I can pick up some crest logo tees though. . .
ReplyDeleteI've found some cute things at the nicer and bigger J Crew Factory / Outlet stores (t-shirts, flip flops, and some basics) and some great things for my husband, but in general, I would rather spend my energy trying to get a good deal at the actual J Crew store or online. My last few trips to a J Crew outlet store, I've been in and out in less than 5 minutes... empty handed!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. I love the Banana, Coach, and BCBG outlets but usually find nothing for myself at the Jcrew outlet.
ReplyDeleteFYI, last holiday the factory store near me told me the JC outlets are no longer carrying cashmere or swim (in the summer, obviously)...they used to (and used to be GREAT deals on it) but no more :(
ReplyDeleteI personally LOVE the factory J. Crew stores. I think they offer FANTASTIC deals on pretty much everything! I buy for everyone in my family! AND i dont have any complaints about the quality, i think its GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI think the factory store has AMAZING deals and great product. I have bought MANY items from the JCrew Factory store (woodbury commons) and I am SOOOO happy with my product, in fact it often gets confused with the Retail product. I suggest everyone go out and check it out!
ReplyDeleteomg I cannot wait - I've been shopping j.crew outlet for years, and they consistently have the best quality & value around - sooo much better than all the leftover 'last year' stuff & the crappy quality I've been seeing elsewhere. The holiday stuff looks GORGEOUS, totally going to check out the deals.
ReplyDeletewho thinks anon at 1:32 1:37 and 1:39 are the same person?
ReplyDeletelol 1:53, yeah you can tell they're the same person because of the capitalization of the adjectives in all the posts. J.Crew Factory Store employee maybe?
ReplyDeleteI am anon 1:37 and I have no idea who 1:32 and 1:39 are, however, it seems we all share similar liking to J Crew and like to get good deals.
ReplyDeletewhy you a hater??
ReplyDeleteI often shop at the Wrentham factory store and find great deals!!! I have never had any issues with the quality...most of the time it is the similar to the items I have bought online or in the retail stores.
ReplyDeleteI had posted this in the other thread but, I would never buy something from the outlet as it wouldn't last me past a season... the quality doesn't hold up over even a short amount of time. (everything that's washed shrinks in odd proportions) And to me that's wasting money. I'd rather spend more money on something I can keep a long time
ReplyDeleteI go through the outlet stores and look at all the tags. If its from a real store it has a normal tag. If it was made for factory it will have diamonds or squares or some other indicator below the name. Banana and Gap really carry nothing anymore from the main stores, but I have found some great items at J.Crew outlets from the main stores. Though they are getting fewer and far in between. Generally the accessories are leftovers. Besides that the fit, material, and quality are different and I don't waste my time. The of the outlets in CT, Westbrook is bigger and generally has more on clearance and more from the original store.
ReplyDeleteI like the outlet stores that carry items from the regular stores, like Talbots, because I know the quality is there. I don't shop BR or J.crew factory stores v. often, because it's stuff made for those stores. Last time I went to a j.crew FS, about two months ago, stuff was really, really overpriced for an outlet place. Haven't been back since, don't think I'll bother to go next week.
ReplyDeleteI'm with the last poster, j.crew tends to be a little overpriced. I usually just go to JCPenney for women's sweaters. I hope things change at j.crew cause I really like their clothes.
ReplyDeleteJ.Crew outlets do have cute stuff, but I've found the quality to be varying...
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the basics, quality doesn't matter as much- there's only so many wears in a white tee.
But I've gotten tons of belts there that I love!
Love it. J.Crew is my fav store of all time!!! factory or full price who cares! it's all fabulous!
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteWith apologies to Talking heads...
And you may find yourself trying to shop a JCrew Factory store
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of an automobile for hours
And you may find yourself in a dreary store, with sad lighting & bare floors
And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?
Letting the sales go by/ the clothes bring me down
Letting the sales go by/ the accessories stay on the shelf
Onto the website again/after the money's not gone
Once in a lifetime/ not gonna do that to myself
And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful clothes!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful JCREW!
I agree with many other posters, I’ll save my effort for the real deal. It trekked out to the closest outlet during the last 40% off offer & I don’t feel the need to go back. Although the SAs were as courteous as those in the B&M I usually frequent, I was disappointed. They just didn’t have the same resources to work with. The store itself was very bare bones with the industrial loft / no furnishings style -- concrete floors & unkind lighting. There were stacks of “I can’t believe it’s not -----” versions of familiar styles. The “Jackies” had similar styling, but the fabric was inferior & the colours looked faded prior to being washed. The blouses looked like the striping or colour was stamped or died after the shirt had been sewn instead of woven into the fabric or cut & sewn after dying. The suiting lacked the same finishing touches. For example, the blazers didn’t have topstitching along the collar edge to give it the crisp look most JCrew suiting shows. Many styles were unfamiliar & the fabrics were clearly from a different supplier.
Like anon 2:39 I noticed that most items had the diamonds on the tag that indicated Made for the outlet. There were a few blouses & such that I recognized from at least two seasons earlier. Most were unpopular colours & styles that I had seen hanging around the sale racks for ages. Nothing that I had to have for either myself or as a gift for another.
I think I’ll just try to be patient & buy the regular JCrew items on sale. Thanks to the sales & this site, I have some lovely things that have lasted for years. Like most aficionada’s, I’d much rather go for quality over quantity.
Thanks for hearing me out :}
Heather:D
Why would you buy your sweaters at JC Penny? J.Crew has way better styles and the quality doesn't compare...regular store or the outlet store.
ReplyDeleteI like the outlet stores when they have deep discounts otherwise the clothes are overpriced compared to the quality of the material. I'm not saying the quality is bad, it's just the material is not as nice as what you can get in the regular store. I bought the Ava jacket in black about a month ago from an outlet store for $70. I'm very happy with my purchase, especially since I couldn't find the Ava jacket last year b/c it was sold out everywhere. The fit of the outlet Ava is excellent, the material is about 55% wool:45% polyester. The regular store version is 90% wool:10% nylon and ~$250. The material might not be as nice, it still looks nice and fits great. Overall, I like the outlet stores.
ReplyDeleteI posted this in another comment thread but this was my experience this last weekend:
ReplyDeleteI finally made it to a JCrew outlet store this weekend (Seattle). I hadnt been to one in years. I have to say I was disappointed. They had beautiful coats but most were still over $200 and only 20% off. I saw some sweaters I got on sale after Christmas last year. The outlet store was more expense than the price I paid after Christmas! I guess that was to be expected, but we are talking $75-$80 for argyle and I got it on sale last year for $35 or so. I was also kinda disappointed with the jewelry. They had some bangles, which were on sale. Other bracelets were still $30 and they werent like the ones in store, lower quality. No necklaces. They had the cute tartan ear muffs from last year but they were $45. I picked up a 50% off argyle sweater for my husband, a mini flask from last year (too cute) and a wallet. I was hoping for more deals, but the prices were still pretty high for me. Lots of blazers, still $80. :(
OT, does anyone have the tumbled leather driving mocs?
ReplyDeleteAre they available at the outlets and are they TTS? I have wide-ish feet and want to wear them with thin socks and insoles. Are they deep enough to add insoles? The website says for 1/2 sizes to size down. Im a 9/9.5.
TIA!
I went the other day and bought a purplish polka-dot button-down shirt (which retailed for 78 dollars in regular J.Crew stores, as indicated by the price tag and the shirt tag) and a sequin-striped cream t-shirt (made for the outlets). Thanks to markdowns, an additional 30% off clearance sale, and my student discount, I got both items for a bit under 44 dollars. Not bad at all.
ReplyDeleteThe outlet is also a great place to go for basics like tissue t-shirts and turtlenecks.
What coats have you seen at the outlets lately? I called my nearest one (Wrentham MA) and they said they had the: Roxanne, maryann, tabitha, a toggle coat, and some shorter pea coats. Has anyone seen the Roxanne, Tabitha, or Maryanne? I am looking for something fairly warm.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I'm looking to order the plain classic peacoat, but I'm not sure what petite size to get! Can anyone offer me some insight? I'm usually an xs/0 at any store, but I know petite is right for me over regular because of the shortened sleeve length and shoulders. Someone told me always to size up with Jcrew petites (4-6 instead of 0-2), and I'm wondering if this is the case with this coat in particular. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteanon @ 12:30: I thought that outlet items sell overstock and leftover items from a regular store?
ReplyDeleteI was really looking forward to going to one, there are at least 4-5 in the Bay Area...
Sanfranciscoca:
ReplyDeleteTo be 100% honest, I've only been to one Factory Store (in Gilroy, CA, so it may be one of the ones in your vicinity), but I have made repeated visits, each time thinking that the next visit will be better than the last. I've personally never seen any items from the regular store for sale at the Factory store. Instead it's full of "knockoffs" of the "basics" (khakis, kelly button down shirts, t shirts, cardigans, grosgrain flip flops) of inferior fabric and quality, colors. The tags are slightly different, possibly so people can't try to return at the regular store. The store is quite a drive away, I don't know why I kept going back. All I've ever bought over several trips are inexpensive flip flops and a pair of khaki shorts, which to be fair I still wear, but they're nothing special and certainly not worth the trip. I know I sound like a big whiner, but like others have said, I'd much rather wait for the Jcrew sales. That being said, if you do go, I wish you better luck!!
I haven't been to a J. Crew outlet store in about a year, but prior to that I used to go every few months (there is one about an hour from where I live). I have scored some great deals there - a striped Amagansett bag for $3, tees for $3, critter chino shorts, V-neck cotton beach sweater, belts, lots of bootcut cords, flip flops and quite a few Kelly 3/4 sleeve shirts for under $20. I have a lot of Kelly shirts from both online and the outlet and I don't see much difference in quality. In fact I like the striped Kellys I've gotten at the outlet a LOT better than the ones I've gotten online!
ReplyDeleteI think like with most outlets a lot depends on timing. It can be hit or miss depending on when you are there.
Anon @11:26:
ReplyDeleteVacaville store is supposed to be good, right?
I'll definitely visit when I get a chance and post on the blog if I find anything interesting
The deals are usually pretty good at the outlets, but the quality is definitely sub-par to the regular store. I go there for tanks/tees, but hardly leave with anything more than that. I never see any j.crew first quality merchandise worth purchasing...but maybe it's because my store is within walking distance from my house!
ReplyDeletesanfrancisco - I went to the Vacaville factory store long ago, but I wasn't a Crew shopper at the time. That said, I did feel that the quality wasn't as good as the store and that the prices were high. If I were you, I'd try the Vacaville store. The Banana Factory outlet is pretty good there.
ReplyDeletekendra - I have the tumbled leather driving mocs and LOVE them. I am a 7.5 and got a 7. If you have wide feet, you might want to get regular size.
I agree with tina m, on my recent trip to the Vacaville store, there was a mix of mostly items from last winter plus a few in season items, and a few from their factory line. Other trips, I saw mostly the factory line. All the things I saw had the diamond factory store label. I bought some crest tees that sold out last year, and they were at the factory store with the diamond labels.
ReplyDeleteHere's a pic of the tees I picked up BTW. 2 of the crest tees I recognized from last winter, but the blue one I don't remember. It might be for their factory only line.
http://img253.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jcteesza7.jpg
I used to work at the factory store and as many people have said, we carried a combination of factory specific clothing AND previous season retail merchandise. In addition to that, much of the factory specific clothing was just a redesign of previous season retail styles with less detail.
ReplyDeleteI really like the blazers/jackets/coats, so that's what I have the most experience with and can speak to directly. For example, this season there are some Bella jackets in different fabrics and colors. They don't seem to be quite as good of quality, but I purchased one and it's still very nice and fits well. They also have some factory Fiona jackets and I am very happy with the black one I purchased. Additionally, they have the retail Ecole jacket in some colors- I got a grey herringbone one for around $90 after I paid full price for a green tweed one online months before. This season they also have a long, navy wool toggle coat at the outlet- almost exactly like the one I purchased at retail last year. The only difference I can find is the quality of the fabric and the lining. Overall I've found the jackets to be not quite as nice, but if you can get them on sale they can be worth it. The main problem I have with the outlet coats and jackets is the quality of the wool, I find it to be much more scratchy and itchy than that of the retail wool (for instance, the classic wool peacoat which is very smooth).
I've also purchased tissue tees at both factory and retail and while I do like the retail ones more, they are so cheap at the outlet and I find that neither holds up for very long, it doesn't matter to me which one I buy since I use them mostly for layering.
Another thing I buy at factory is haberdashery shirts (button up dress shirts). They tend to carry far more patterns and colors at the factory stores and they are almost always on sale for $30-$40. Many times they also have some that were left over from retail and you can get them for as little as $20. I've had a hard time finding ones at retail that I like.
Overall I think that the outlet store can be very hit or miss. I wouldn't pay full price for anything there, but stuff is almost always on sale and sometimes the discounts are really great. For a trendy piece that you won't wear but for a few seasons I say it can be a good deal- for something classic you want to keep a long time it's probably better to invest in the better quality at retail.
This is purely relating what a SA told me on my last trip to a J Crew retail store (NOT factory)... I asked whether to expect any promotions for "Black Friday" at my local B&M and I was told the store would open early and would have the additional 50% off clearance items. I'm not sure what authority her knowledge on the subject came from, and i'm not counting on it as a certainty, but I will definitely be checking out what time they open on Black Friday so I can be there when the doors open to check it out!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else asked around their local B&M's if this will apply to the retail stores and not just factory stores?