A big "thanks!" to AnneG who was kind to share J.Crew's latest email concerning their Factory Stores. J.Crew Factory Stores will be holding a sale, where you can "enjoy up to 50% off great summer styles". This sale begins tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20th and will last until Monday, May 25th. (No coupon is necessary.)
I have not been to a J.Crew Factory Store in years. I am not sure if the stores are worth it. I noticed that the reviews of JCAs are mixed- some JCAs really appreciate the quality for the lower prices & finding styles from past seasons, while others are not impressed with the quality. I will say that if a Factory Store was closer, I would check out this sale. ;)
Will you stop by your local Factory Store to check out the offerings & take advantage of this Memorial Day sale? If so, please share! :)
went to the vacaville, ca fac.store - lesser quality items, not stuff from the BM. IMO, not worth the one hour drive, prices not that good. Pass.
ReplyDeleteCaliglam: You summed up my concern about Factory stores in general: not worth the drive if its not close by. :)
ReplyDeleteAs with caliglam and Alexis - it's quite the drive for me to where our outlet is here, but if I go I'll be sure to report back. ;)
ReplyDeletei don't really care for the factory stores - while they have some older stuff from the regular jcrew store (i.e. jean washes that are being phased out)...i think the quality of most of the stuff isn't up to par with their regular stores. plus once i bought a sweater and it came apart after a month! :(
ReplyDeleteI've said this before, the denim makes it worth a trip but only if you need a "normal" pair, not for anything that will wow you. I always stop in Freeport, ME on my way to visit family and sometimes at Clinton Crossing, CT on the way to visit the in-laws.
ReplyDeleteyeah i doubt ill go out of my way to the outlet being that its a 50 min drive away, but you never know..if so ill report back, but unfortunately the factory stores are always hit or miss, and most times can lean on miss...still you never know...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the head's up Alexis!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I haven't been impressed by the local outlet. Most of the items are nice enough & appropriately priced... However, for the quality on offer, they don't strike me as good value. In my (limited) exp. the JCrew outlets aren't worth the extra drive time - which is about 45 min 'round here. I much prefer my usual B&M for 3 reasons.
1)the clothes - Most of the stock is made for the outlet & it shows. The giveaway is the noticeable difference in quality. For example, the Jackies come in slightly different colours & look like they would fade after the 1st or 2nd wash. If you're not certain about an item, look for the diamonds embroidered on the label.
2) the selection- Usually, there are plenty of the made-for-outlet items in several colours, but not a lot of variety in the items. You may find 1 or 2 unusual things from last season wedged in here or there. However, there's usually a reason; they may be all XS, have a weird fit, or are made of a sheer fabric. Basically, they didn't measure up to a regular B&M customers' expectations & were shuffled off to the outlet.
3) the store floor - The store itself is rather barebones. There are fewer mirrors, unflattering lighting in the change rooms & no- frills design choices (carpet is nicer on your feet & ankles than concrete).
That said, the staff was just as friendly & helpful as any SA I've met. Always willing to offer help.
So, you may find 1 or 2 treasures. I fact, I did find a great suiting skirt there once for about 1/3 of regular cost. Please note that I had to dig quite a bit & that was w. an edu discount - which may not apply this time ‘round. Also, this email is for “select styles”, it’s not an across the board discount. As a result, I think you'll have a better exp following the tips on this blog & ordering from the sale site or using B&M specials.
Hope my fellow JCAs score some lucky finds!
Heather:D
I want them to have a memorial day sale online!!!!! What do you guys think the chances are???? I have stuff in my cart that I NEED - ha ha!
ReplyDeletei have an outlet relatively close to my house. its great for basics but the stock definitely doesn't have the wow factor as th regular merchandise.
ReplyDeletei live near one! im gunna check it out... i noticed a lot of ppl here dont really like the factory store, but ive never been disappointed
ReplyDeleteI was there this past weekend. Of course, right before the good sale, but they did have a lot of things marked down already. I took a huge pile into the dressing room and ended up with a pair of their matchsticks (I figured would be good for a test run to see how they work, and they were $40), and a graphic tee with a huge fleur de lis and "C'est la vie" in smaller script underneath. The tee is really cute (I have a pic on my blog) and pretty well made, IMO. They had it in several colors. Also, another good find there was the number of graphic tees for men. I got one for hubby to test out, but I can definitely see getting tees for him ther more often. I didn't even bother with the sweaters, as I have heard very mixed reviews. I don't know that it would have been worth it as a sole destination, but since I was already close by for a girls' weekend, I'm glad I went.
ReplyDeleteIs the Lancaster, PA outlet local to anyone? It's been five years since I regularly made a drive to check out the store. I haven't stopped in for over a year.
ReplyDeleteI like the factory stores. I can't afford most of the items at retail anyway! I don't visit the outlets often because the closest one to us is about a 45-min. drive. But we're traveling to a wedding this weekend, so maybe I can convince my husband to stop at the outlets on the way back!
ReplyDeleteI visited the outlet in Jackson, NJ yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find a number of pieces in prints from last year. I especially like the bright yellow fiji print, galapagos print, and the bold abstract rose print that was popular last year. A ton of jewelry (long necklaces, some nautical themed) and silk rose accessories (hair ties, hair pins, belts, headbands) caught my eye. It has been a while since I last visited the outlet. I noticed that some of the seams weren't as nicely stitched as regular j.crew pieces. The styles were similar, but the fabric was a little thinner and seams were not as precisely sewn.
ReplyDeleteI got too excited and bought a gray silk rose hair tie, a rayon scarf in light blue and white galapagos print, a cotton skirt in a navy and white abstract rose print, a strapless pink and white beach dress in a large floral print, and some striped khaki and gray linen pants with patch pockets. With the student discount, my total came to $154. I'll definitely need to return some stuff this weekend.
In general, I liked the outlet for their fun prints, but I disliked some quality aspects (the thickness of their flip flops, etc). I will try to take good care of the things I bought so they'll last longer than 1 season, but I don't expect to get as much wear out of them as I get out of regular jcrew brand things.
julie, thanks for the info. is the abstract rose print the same as the kandinsky print that Michelle Obama wore a few times? If not would it be possible for you to share pictures?
ReplyDeleteThanks!! : )
jcbellemarie - No, it's not the kandinsky print. I forget if there is a name for it, but it's only 2 colors (one of them is usually white), and the print is more abstract. It's hard to tell that they're flowers sometimes. I'll try to post pics later this eve when I get home.
ReplyDeleteI went to the factory outlet at Woodbury Commons in New York today.
ReplyDeleteThe price list for guys.
Ties: $15
Washed Shirts: $25
Graphic Tees: $15
V Neck Tees: $10
Cardigans: $30
Shorts: $20 - $30
Chinos: $25
Boxers: Buy 2 or more ($10 off)
jcbellemarie: Here's a pic of the skirt I mentioned (it's actually called "brushstroke" on the receipt). I tried to capture the pink floral dress, too, though it's pretty blurry.
ReplyDeleteHope this works:
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt186/juhend1/jcrew%20outlet%20finds/IMG_0897.jpg
Thanks, Julie! : ) I don't make it out to the outlets much at all, always interesting to see what prints they have. Congrats on your new skirt and dress!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I go to the Jackson outlet too! yay nj lol
ReplyDeleteIRL - I live relatively close to the Lancaster, PA outlet. I haven't been there yet, but debating about taking the kids on a roadtrip tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteI have always had FABULOUS luck at the outlet in Manchester, VT. I used to live there, so when we visit a few times a year I always go there. The men's selection is excellent and they always have tons of everything in women's (no shoes except for flipflops). Their sale section is small, but they are always having a sale on almost everything else anyway. No sales tax on clothes is nice, too.