Thursday, November 13, 2008

J.Crew's "Of-the-Month" Club

"Thanks!" to Kate! (in this post) who let us know that J.Crew is offering an "of-the-month" club. To find this, click on "unexpected luxuries" under "women" in J.Crew's gift guide (click here).

The "of-the-month" club is touted as "twelve months of luxury- for someone who's been very, very nice." Unfortunately, the "more info" link does not work for me. I am not sure if the club is made up of different offerings (like jewelry, cashmere, and shoes) or there is a club for each item category. I am also curious how much joining the club would be. :)

There was a "shoe-of-the-month" (click here), and it had some really great items chosen each month. I am curious what items will make it to the new "of-the-month" club too.

UPDATE: "Thanks!" to Drewablank (in this post) who share with us the following: "they are offering only the "Shoes of the Month" and the "Cashmere of the Month" clubs for now. Both would be $1800, paid upfront. You may choose just flats or just heels or a combination of both for the "SOTM" club, and the pair for the month would be chosen every beginning of the month by the designers. The pair would cost $150 or above. As for the cashmere, each item would be chosen at the beginning of the month and would also cost $150 or above."

Would you participate in the "of-the-month" club from J.Crew? Do you know any more details, if so please share. We would love to know more about it. :)

62 comments:

  1. I would like to have more details about it before making a decision. :)

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  2. I think would like the jewelry of the month club as a gift but I am afraid of the quality of some of the pieces. I have read post from other Aficionada that the stones fall out, ect.

    OT Noticed Snow- leopard Simone Peacoat was on sale for $149. I not sure if someone else posted about this already but I know that quite a few people wanted it.

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  3. FFM: I agree about needing to see more details (although I am pretty to sure, if I have to ask how much it costs, I can't afford it!) ;)

    Anon at 9:29AM: I did get the leopard Simone Peacoat (and its suppose to arrive today!) At that price, I just couldn't pass it up. I tried it on in the store (when it just came out) and it was beautiful. Much prettier in person than online (and I thought online it was pretty too!) :)

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  4. I don't like the idea of my shoes or jewelry or sweaters being chosen for me. I'll stick to the fruit-of-the-month club!

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  5. Anon:
    thanks! I was looking for it and I ordered when saw it went on-sale. Should be coming soon.:)
    Alexis, I saw you posted you got one too. Great! I tried it in the store a while back and liked it. Hopefully, it is as nice as I remember it. I ordered one size down for a more tailored fit. How about you?

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  6. I actually ordered a size up in the Simone snow leopard. Arm hole openings were rather small compared to my other (10) JCRew jackets.

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  7. This would make a nice gift but I would rather choose my own items...sweaters would be nice but I wouldn't want the jewelry one. their jewelry is too big and in my opinion not well made for the cost. I can find much nicer (real) jewelry for the same price!

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  8. Has anyone seen the beautiful v-neck sequin shell? It is stunning. Looks a lot like the bergen but v-neck with some georgette bias trim around the neck, armholes and waist. The sequins cast sort of a pearly glow rather than a sparkly shiny one. It is rather reasonably priced for such a piece. I think it was $148 and I used my 10% coupon.

    Jcrew offered a similar piece in its collection line about 10 years ago (which I still wear). I am convinced that this piece will have the same longevity.

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  9. In the older post with the shoes you were not able to return any of the items...What??? I couldn't imagine spending 2 grand and not being able to return an item...No thanks.
    Sounds like this club thing is a dumping ground for left over items/like final sale!!!! I'd rather have the 2 grand in the form of a gift card:)

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  10. Slastena & Anon at 9:42 AM: Congrats on your snow- leopard Simone Peacoat!!! :)

    I tried the coat on, in the store, and went with the size 0 (I am normally a size 0-2 in jackets, and a size 2 in coats). The body of the jacket in size 0 looked better on me. But I am sure the shoulders are a bit snugger than I would like.

    In case anyone is interested, there was a review of the leopard simone peacoat awhile back (click here). It definitely is a beautiful coat.

    I liked the coat so much (but couldn't justify buying it when it was at full regular price on my budget), that I got the scarf in the same fabric Long washed-silk scarf. That is another beautiful piece.

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  11. alexis: How are you going to wear your Simone Peacoat? I have been hesitant to get it because I have a rather "casual" code of dress due to MANY sporting events between the boys. LOL. I do always like to look nice, however, and wondered if you thought this would just be too dressy. TIA for your advice! :)

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  12. hdayton: What is the item number of the sequin shell? It sounds fabulous! :)

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  13. JCrewJunkie: I have no doubts you look great no matter where you are (sporting event or at a fancy restaurant). :) I plan on wearing the Simone jacket in the same ways I wear the polka-dot san telmo (although the san telmo jacket is more casual than the Simone).

    I totally hear you that the Simone jacket looks a bit dressy, but it looks really casual-chic with a white or black long sleeve tee, a pair of dark jean trousers, and a pair of black silk flats. I plan on wearing the jacket to dressy events too, with a pair of black wide-leg trousers that I have. The great thing about the jacket is that it is really slimming in its shape, so it works great with trouser leg pants (which is what I wear most of the time).

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  14. OT:
    Jenna Lyons was quoted in a NY Times article today on "The Return of the Interview Suit."
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13INTERVIEW.html

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  15. Alexis:

    I was just wondering if anyone was having an issue with comments they made but for some reason are not showing up in the comments section. This happened to me on a post a while back and I thought it was a fluke. I just made a comment on this post this morning and my comment isn't there.

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  16. Lol. Nevermind. Guess it's still too early. I made the comment I thought "disappeared" on the New Arrivals post. Sorry!

    But the one I mentioned disappearing a while back I'm sure did. I swear I posted it and then it vanished!

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  17. Hi Marta B! Interesting about the comments. I am not 100% sure, but I think sometimes Blogger delays comments. I have often noticed that members will make the same comment twice, except one will appear before another even though they will have the same time-stamp.

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  18. Marta B: Out of curiosity, are you referring to your earlier comment in the Expect Some New Arrivals At J.Crew Stores! ;)": post? :)

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  19. Marta B: Happy to hear the comment was still there. :)

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  20. I'm sure that the jewlery, cashmere, and shoes are different "of the month clubs" last year they did the same thing. there was a cashmere of the month club where you got a different cashmere each month AND there was a shoe of the month club where you got a different pair of shoes each month. i guess they just added a jewlery one. I wonder how expensive the jewlery one will be? I can't see it being 2,000 like the other two

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  21. This is OT, but has anyone noticed an item sell out during the extra 30% off clearance, only to have it reappear in multiple sizes after the 30% promo has ended?

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  22. Does anyone have any idea when stores will do their next extra % off sale merchandise? Is there one going on right now? Thanks :)

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  25. this is a tangent, but i also the nytimes article. I have a corporate interview for a very conservative firm. So I planned the usual three button - black pencil skirt suit with a pristine white shirt...

    but I'm also considering a pant suit...which has a sense of a power i think that is stronger than a skirt suit. i also have a one button navy jacket, skirt, pants, and a coal three button with skirt and pants.

    i'm 5'4, 116 pounds...what would you recommend, a skirt suit or a pants suit in which color? and is a white shirt always the way to go?

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  26. I got my Simone snow leopard for approx. $188 the first week it was out...I got a discount for all my summer messed up orders and had a rewards card and then free shipping and my educator's discount. My size was sold out even when the jacket made it to the sale:) Love it:)

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  27. anon @10:50,
    yes, happened with the lucille - the other low(er) inventory items are always fluctuating, so i don't count those.

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  28. I would rather do a flower of the month club. Or maybe a soup of the month for that matter. J.Crew would probably totally send you a full price item, then after a week, put the item on sale and then there's no getting a price adjustment...it would be a nightmarish situation, I can imagine...

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  29. suilove- i would choose the one i felt best in (save the coral). although it's somewhat about what you're wearing i think it's also how you feel in what you're wearing. if you feel at your best and powerful that confidence will come off in the interview. :)

    do you know anyone who works in the firm currently? you can ask/see what they normally wear. if skirts are more often worn, you might choose that instead.

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  30. The "more info" doesn't work for me either. Wish I could see more information about this!

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  31. Jcrewjunkie: It is item #99843 color: putty

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  32. suilove:
    I actually think white is not a good color for most people as it washes us out. For that reason I try to keep color by my face and wear neutrals like black, gray or blue as pants or skirts.
    I'm partial to navy suits as it's still a conservative color but not as boring as black. So that's what I would go with, personally.

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  33. Does anyone have the dream tie neck cardigan? Does it run tts? Thanks!

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  34. Suilove -- as someone who works for a very conservative law firm, I have gone on many interviews and also interview many candidates. Here is my advise. Keep the color of the suit conservative -- navy, black, grey or brown are fine. Pin Stripes are also fine. All of the basic JCrew suits would be more than acceptable (no tweed, etc). And by all means wear a skirt or pants...I tend to lean towards a skirt for the first interview. If you wear pants keep the top conservative, ie white or blue button down. If you wear a skirt you can wear a crew or vneck sweater/button down in a accent color. Try to keep the colors "conservative" ie don't wear hot pink. But certainly a light pink, purple, green, etc is more than appropriate. Hope that helps. Good luck!

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  35. Hmmmmmmm, with all the pre-sales fiascos that we are hearing about. Would anyone really trust JCrew for something like the "of-the-month club"?

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  36. Suilove:
    It sounds like you already have some really good experience dressing for interviews but since you asked here is some advice that I have been given along the way. It is more traditional and more formal to wear a skirt suit on an interview. I have worn pant suits on interviews before but only if I know the organization is on the less conservative side. As far as the power thing goes, it can be a disadvantage or advantage. At some organizations you may come off as too strong, esp. w/ the men. I know this is the case at the place I currently work for but we are ultra conservative. Other places might think you are a real go getter. It really all just depends on who you are interviewing with. The best thing to do would be to research what the dress code is like (sometimes this is hard) and then go 1 or 2x above that for the interview. I always like to wear a light blue blouse with my skirt suits but that’s b/c I think it looks better with my skin tone. I like to wear a light pink blouse for interviews that I ware pant suits to b/c it’s a little less conservative but still feminine.

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  37. As one of those who missed out on the "Shoe of the Month" club, I'd love to get more details to this club. But I can't get the "More Info" link to work either. :( I can try to call...I'll see if I can get any info that way. :)

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  38. Ok, I was just able to talk to Steven, J.Crew Special Services (at the number they give to sign up), and he told me that they are offering only the "Shoes of the Month" and the "Cashmere of the Month" clubs for now. Both would be $1800, paid upfront.

    You may choose just flats or just heels or a combination of both for the "SOTM" club, and the pair for the month would be chosen every beginning of the month by the designers. The pair would cost $150 or above.

    As for the cashmere, each item would be chosen at the beginning of the month and would also cost $150 or above.

    I guess that means you can get a very basic cashmere sweater practically every month. :p

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  39. My response to this..NO FREAKIN WAY! I am so choosy I wouldn't even want this as a gift-sorry but inability to exchange just makes it completely unrealistic. I cannot have someone else choosing my shoes or sweaters...control freak, perhaps;)

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  40. Ok...so after hearing the details, I am a DEFINITE NO! I also agree with Covert5 in that I would NOT want them deciding what to send me, especially if I wasn't able to return or exchange it if I didn't like it.

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  41. Jordan: I hear so many conflicting information about brown suits, because it tends to drift in and out of fashion, as opposed to black / gray / navy. When I was interviewing, I remember reading so many articles and reports on 'what to wear' and everything eventually boiled down to, "But it depends!!" :) Frustrating for me at the time, as a young inexperienced college student, just trying to figure out what to do. I don't think I know what to do even now.

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  42. HA! Here is a quote from Jenna in the NYT article about suits:

    “To me, the most important thing is give people something to remember,” Ms. Lyons Mazeau said. “There’s going to be a lot of people out there competing for a job, so pick a color, as opposed to wearing all gray.” But no brights, she said, and “if you are a blonde, pinks can look less expensive. This is not about wearing a neon sign.”

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  43. if i had $1800 to upfront budget on shoes, it would be tempting. mainly because i have a hard time picking them out myself. cashmere, not so much.

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  45. (Deleted my previous comment due to omission)

    Suilove, IMHO, if it is a conservative firm and you are in doubt, it's better to wear a skirt. I started my career at a very conservative law firm and am old enough to remember when a pantsuit was a very daring choice for a woman. In fact, not *that* long ago a (female) judge in a nearby county reprimanded a female lawyer for wearing pants in court.

    Re brown suits: I love chocolate brown, and I have several pantsuits, skirt suits, and dresses in espresso super 120s and wool crepe. Yet I am always afraid to wear it in a "first impression" situation because of this anecdote: Chief Justice Rehnquist once called up the U.S. Solicitor General to complain that a female DOJ attorney wore a brown dress, rather than the traditional black or navy, to oral arguments!

    Now I certainly don't agree with these attitudes, but people like that *are* out there, and my be among those interviewing you.

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  46. I wouldn't mind the shoe of the month club if there is no shipping charges, and I can return what I don't want.

    The problem is the sizing is so variable I don't see how this can work for non-jewelry.

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  47. Does anyone have the measurement of the Simone Snow Leapard jacket size 2? I'm trying to decide between Size 2 and 4. Thanks a lot in advance!

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  48. This sounds fun in theory and I would love to get the sweater one as a gift or even the flat shoes but I could anticipate all kinds of problems with this....(don't want to go into any more neg. detail but I know you all get my drift....)

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  49. Regarding the "brown suit" controversy. I live in a very large city and do not spend that much time in court and I see attorneys in Brown suits all of the time. I think the most important thing is that the suit is classically and conservatively cut.

    But if you want to play it safe, I'd opt for the navy/black skirt suit with a white or light blue button down, minimal makeup, hair pulled back, no perfume, very minimal jewelery (watch, small necklace, wedding band, stud earrings), nothing too designer (ie...louis vuitton bag etc), stockings (of course), and conservative navy or black heels with no more than a 2.5 inch heel.

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  50. This wouldn't work for me :/

    I had difficulty joining Gevalia coffee of the month club because I didn't like ONE out of 12 chocolate/biscuit boxes they were sending with their coffee of the month.

    I'd rather order something I like on my own...how would JCrew know what colors I like and what I have in my closet? If they offered styling advice with this offer, then maybe (a small one). Otherwise, I wouldn't care how much it costs, I wouldn't be interested.

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  51. I cant even tell you how much I love this blog! I am addicted and come here everyday. Can you imagine my surprise to discover there are others who love J.Crew as much as I do.

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  52. jcpbuyer - you can get the measurement info from J Crew. Just call or email them

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  53. OT but anyone have a heads up on the next private sale? they usually have one every month, and it's been a month! i really want to make a trip to a store, but i don't want to go and then the next day get the email for the private sale!

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  54. anon 3:06-- They usually do one in early December. Hard to say, though.

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  55. I'd never do this. I'm too picky, and this is way too expensive. If I knew someone who was crazy about these items, and I had the money, I may get it for them--if the items were returnable. If they're not, this is bogus!

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  56. $1800? Are they kidding? I know it's for a full year of items, but come on. That's a big wad of cash--more than my mortgage payment, for heaven's sake. You could get a really nice piece of (real) jewelry for that kind of cash. I would have a flippin' cow if anyone got this for me, particularly in these tough times.

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  57. If nobody knew, under "Guy who has everything", to the right is a "Tie of a Month Club" available. It's in the same spot as the clubs for women. Honestly though, I don't think i need anymore ties . . .

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  58. hdayton,
    Do you think that shell is a store only item? I saw in store too and LOVED it but didn't buy. Now I'm regretting not buying it. My local store doesn't have it and I can't find on the website...

    It also came in a greenish-citron color that is beautiful!

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  59. I might just print this out poster size and hang it over dh's size of the bed ;)

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  60. Considering JCrew's shoes usually retail around $200 and their cashmere sweaters around $180 or so I think this is a pretty fair deal for people who do a lot of shopping at JCrew. I have to say the sweater deal is pretty tempting to me but I am not in love enough with their cashmere to justify it. Likewise, if their shoes were just more consistently comfortable I would be very tempted for the shoe of the month club. As it is, I have to pass on both.

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  61. thank you, lauren., laura1, jordan, anon 1156, melanie, anon 100, hexicon, for all your wonderful advice!

    i think i'll go with the navy skirt suit with a light blue button down shirt...more specifically the 120s three button with matching skirt, and a fitted brooks brothers dress shirt...with a pair of black ferragamo vara pumps.

    umm i'm a little uneasy about navy with black but i don't think it'll matter that much; my interviewing skills on the other hand haha...

    also perhaps pearl stud earrings or a simple small necklace...i have a college ring thats pretty conservative but hmm maybe not.

    whew, thanks again!

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  62. smarty: I'm not sure if it is an instore only item. Sometimes the stores get new stuff before the website does. I heard that the first Dec. catalogue will be out in about 2 weeks. Possibly it will be in there?

    The citron color sounds beautiful. My b&m only had the beige.

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