"Thanks!" to many of you, including Christine, who let us know about the following latest email from J.Crew.J.Crew is increasing the perks of opening a J.Crew credit card. From now until July 6th, J.Crew is offering 20% off your first purchase when you open an account with them.
Is this offer enticing enough to get you to sign up, if you haven't already? :)
I was surprised to receive this offer. I always thought it was only for American citizens.
ReplyDeleteIs it really a worthwhile card? What does membership give you?
I received this email. Except I'm already a cardholder so no perk for me. The only real perk are the rewards cards, $25 for every $500 you spend. Else everything they advertise is just a marketing gimmick.
ReplyDeleteYes, other than the perk roxy mentioned their are none...unless you use the free hemming on full priced items. (which I never have-)
ReplyDeleteNot enough to get me to sign up. There's never *really* a J Crew emergency, right?!
ReplyDeleteI would totally use this if I didn't already have a card!
ReplyDeleteIf J.Crew did free shipping for cardholders I would get the card. Otherwise it's worth it to me.
ReplyDeleteTrue..the rewards cards are the only good thing abt having a jcrew card.
ReplyDeleteUnlike BR credit card that sends rewards with every statement..JC sends it only 4 times every year, the last one was in May.
I'd def get one if they offered free shipping for card members.
ReplyDeletePay your balance in full, last time I looked JCrew's interest rate was 20.5%
ReplyDeleteI would consider this card if J.Crew offered free shipping for cardholders and disbursed rewards once earned, not just quarterly and with a year's expiry.
ReplyDeleteI am a cardholder but even free alterations are now limited to simple ones. I had to pay for shortening the sleeves of a suit I bought recently even if I paid full price. Previously, all the sleeve alterations for my coats were free. Other than the rewards, very little incentive to get the card.
ReplyDeletethey should be sending the 20% off to current card holders too... : (
ReplyDeleteyeah i got the card in april, the only noticeable perk i can call as of now is the reward card $25 for every $500 spent. as ive spent nearly $1500 in two mos (ive really gotta cut back...) i guess its ok but with the high interest rate its wise to pay the balance down each cycle.
ReplyDeletethe reward cards are sent at the end of each quarter, a cust svc rep told me the next batch wont be til the end of august....btw
ReplyDeleteFigures that this comes less than a week after I applied for a card.
ReplyDeleteI applied and got the JC card in December during a similar 20% promotion and was upgraded to "silver" (whatever that means!) in the Spring. I didn't purchase an overwhelming amount, so I'm sure JC is just doing what they can to bring in business - either by upgrading current card-holders or enticing them with percentage off offers. Hey, there is something you want (I was trying to get DH to get a suit LOL!), the 20% isn't half bad!
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, OT, I received my Campo Bag and mini-review: Got the bag today and it's going right bag to my local b&m...it's far larger than I imagined. Corry was right on the money. While the dimensions are 11"H x 11.4"W, they took the 11" width measurement right at the base of the bag. The side pockets and stiffer vachetta leather make the actual dimensions of the bag, when laying flat, more like 11"H x 17" wide. The bag is lined. The handle drop is nice (about 8") and while the bag stiffness isn't so great for the bag portion, it's great for the handles, as it makes the drop (length) very roomy and comfortable...
The leather came with quite a few marks on it already, just from banging around in the box. I'm sure that the intention is that the bag look well- worn and vintage-y over time, but I'm not sure I'm a vachetta leather gal. It's silky and smooth in that vachetta-leather way. It's stiffness makes the interior very spacious - there's tons of room for stuff and I picture this as the perfect "bucket"-type bag for summer (to take to the beach, vacations, etc.). However, I have small kids, so I can't have a bag that's too clunky on my shoulder, and unfortunately, with the boxy shape, this is what would happen. Nice pockets...ample room on the side pockets (though I would be afraid of a phone falling out), great exterior front and rear pockets and two interior pockets that run the length of the bag.
It's a shame that the bag is so large, because something even just a little smaller would be so ideal for summer for me.
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ReplyDeleteThanks audball, for the Campo bag review. I am hoping they do a smaller version because the original is way too large for me. If I filled that unit I would be killing my shoulder/neck hauling it around so it is definitely a no-go in the uber large size. I'll just admire from afar.
ReplyDeleteI got JC card in December and was also upgraded to silver recently. No extra perks though, just a reminder that I spend a lot. I pay my bill in full every month b/c with that interest rate it would be really bad not to.
ReplyDeleteReview of some new items:
Merino flutter scoopneck sweater: Even though I wasn't thrilled with the price I ordered to try on before it ended up going straight to final sale on first markdown. Glad I did, b/c it's disappointing. Since it came with the July rollout I thought the merino would be more silky and summerweight but it feels the same as their merino winter cardigans (i.e. tartine, melanie etc) That is too hot for me for the summer. Also it has really awkward 3/4 sleeves w/ tight cuffs--and I have thin arms. The cuff is even itchy/scratchy on the skin. If they were going to do 3/4 sleeves they needed to make the cuff about the same width as the rest of sleeve. It just looks really odd. So this is going back.
Merino 4 pocket cardigan: this is more like it. The merino feels silky/lightweight, but more durable than their old featherweight merino. This is also a good style for those who don't look good in the longer cardigans. It's about the same length as a jackie cardigan.
At the time I opened the card (during X'Mas), they offered 20% off as well (I think it lasted all day) which I made several purchases that day.
ReplyDeleteOnly wish they will offer 10% off every purchase like BR... >__<"
I'm not a cardholder, and am not interested. I did remember mention of an article that listed Jcrew as one of the worst credit cards, and this email doesn't entice me in the least. Besides, I'd have to admit that I buy over $500 worth of jcrew per quarter. Who me? Nevah!
ReplyDeleteI am a BR cardholder, though. I've got 2 $10 reward cards, and a "save 15% on the day of my choice" card sitting right here in front of my computer.
Cleo26
ReplyDeleteYou only have 6-8 weeks or so to use your rewards card from JC. It is definitely NOT a year to use your rewards!
Also, the rewards cards will be figured at the end of June and be out in July...They are figured every 3 months. 4 times a year.
I agree with others: GAP card, BR card, ON card send out rewards right away, have free shipping for cardholders...much better deal. Same with LLBean. Free shipping any amount, free return shipping and free monogramming along with 10 rewards cards that come out more often.
No question, Gap, BR, LLBean have much better cardholder benefits. Even Lands End sends free shipping emails practically every week w/no minimum.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is ... it's JCrew that I love, and not those other places! So I just suck it up and am content that I at least get my rewards 4 times a year, because the sad truth is ... I'd shop there anyway.
OT - the cotton denim safari jacket was sold out as of Monday. I called CS to do a "find it" and they said they had so many calls for this jacket that they were pretty sure it wouldn't be found for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you like this style and see one in your B&M, I wouldn't wait to purchase it.
audball, I'm sorry the Campo didn't work out for you either. I hope that, like me, you didn't pay shipping, and that your return is not inconvenient. If either of these had been the case for me, you can bet I would have been on the phone to CS complaining about misrepresentation. I don't understand why neither the CS rep nor the PS I spoke with provided more accurate dimensions. Thanks to the poster last week who explained how bags are measured-I've learned a thing or two about buying bags (although I do have to wonder why JCrew chose to picture the bag in the catalog and on the site without a model so that it is difficult to gauge dimensions). I'm glad the bag has worked for some other posters!
ReplyDeleteAnother case where others may be disappointed is the linen sweater jacket-in the catalog and in Jenna's picks, they conceal the snaps pretty well. On the model on the website they are more accurately depicted, although they have folded over the collar pretty carefully. The snaps are a bit unsightly, particularly at the collar IMO, and make the piece more casual than perhaps I'd like, but oh well.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Corry, no I didn't pay for shipping (thank goodness!) and actually thought that last week's free shipping over $150+ was an ideal time to try the bag. As it is, I'm glad I got a chance to, since now it is backordered until July....at least I got the urge out of my system LOL!
ReplyDeleteI think bag measurements are very subject to interpretation, and what would have probably avoided my ordering and return was a picture in the catalog with something else for a field of reference. And yeah, some internal shots of the bag in addition to the bag being worn on a model would have been excellent. I don't give much credence to look book stuff because I figure they can always change something during production (although in this case they didn't).
But yeah, the bag was kind of comical on me -- I think I could have put one of my kids in it! Not to say that if the bag went on final sale with additional 20% off I wouldn't think about it. The leather was quite nice - never say never!
Not enticing for me. Reward cards for every $500 doesn't seem to be such a great incentive... if anything maybe the free alterations are a better deal. The BR/Gap/OldNavy has much better rewards. But I generally prefer to accumulate miles for my purchases
ReplyDeleteJust and FYI for those living near Charlotte, NC I was at the SouthPark Jcrew location today and to my surprise I noticed that just across the way they have placed a temp wall with MADEWELL opening soon August 2009. It is located in 1/2 of the old Tiffanys Jewlery store locaton. (Tiffanys moved across from Louis Vuitton and Neiman awhile back).
ReplyDeleteCorry thanks for confirming what I suspected about the linen sweater jacket. I'm a detail person and when I saw those snaps I was totally turned off, and noticed that they were somewhat hidden by the way the photos were styled. It may seem clever to J.Crew but once people get it home and find the snaps unsightly, they will send it back. Why couldn't they do something a little more refined instead of those big plastic snaps?! Ick.
ReplyDeleteHey Captain Crew, those 'big plastic snaps' are quite a trend lately so maybe JCrew is just getting on the bandwagon, to their own detriment. Much like the exposed zipper on some of the recent skirts.
ReplyDeleteA couple of times now I wanted to order the mica mini but the exposed zip makes it a no-go. Too tacky-looking. Same for the big plastic snaps on the linen sweater.
Some trends are OK but these two examples are just lame. I expect better styling details from JCrew.
I got the JCrew card years ago, so no extra perks for me. I am also cutting back on spending on JCrew, I am sticking only to basics and good quality pieces (which are rare in JCrew these days).
ReplyDeleteI cannot stand exposed zippers either. Esp. on the front of dresses! They make the item look so tacky and cheap. I have noticed people wearing these and just think NO WAY! My hubby always states (as a joke) Easy Access!
ReplyDeleteGah, in total agreement on exposed zippers. Ann Taylor had a great pencil skirt (can't have enough of those) this spring: Loved the material, cut, color choices; alas ... it was with an exposed back zipper. I think it's an example of trying to reinvent the wheel. The original idea is great - don't mess with it.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of the post, I don't have a j.crew card and nothing I've read on this blog has persuaded me it's worth getting one - quite the contrary.
Baybaybay,
ReplyDeleteThe denim safari jacket is back on the website, backordered until November 2nd!!! By the time it comes in, nobody will want it and it will be in the sale section.
Kate - thanks for the heads up. November is a long way out for a backordered item. :(
ReplyDeleteI just recently had an item canceled that was on backorder for four months so I don't trust that this item will come through later and even then you're right, the time will have passed and we will be looking for something else, like wool jackets.
I hope I'll receive an email tomorrow saying that J.Crew found it for me and it is shipping out.
baybaybay,
ReplyDeletenot sure what size you are looking for in the denim safari jacket, but the rock center store had several larges and one extra small this afternoon.
Hi jca-
ReplyDeleteI've been following this blog for several months! I've started mine at: www.mybagoverfloweth.blogspot.com
Just starting out, but having fun with it!
Another perk should be FREE SHIPPING ALWAYS for credit card holders. Or at least $5 flat rate!
ReplyDeleteSo, do some of you also shop at Banana Republic? I get the impression that many do. As some have observed, their cardholder benefits are much better. Many cardholder discounts, sneak peeks, and rewards cards next billing cycle, I believe.
ReplyDeleteI still love J. Crew's styles the best, though. Do any of you know people who feel the same way about BR? Most of the time I feel that J. Crew's styles are just miles more appealing, but BR does little imitation. Not sure why. Anyone have any ideas? Particularly, do you know anyone who regularly prefers BR to J. Crew, and why?
Just curious... I have some ideas about why they don't do more imitation, but BR's niche seems less profitable on its face--as evidenced by the nicer promotions, etc.
Abigail,
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic. I shop at BR for basic work-appropriate styles like sheath dresses, pencil skirts, suits, pants, and also for casual basics like jeans. They pretty much offer every style they sell in extended size ranges (0-16) online and many more in tall which is important for me. They also offer many more jeans styles other than skinny jeans or basic bootcut (pretty much all JC does). I shop at JC for "cute" items where the length is not as important, i.e. embellished cardigans, tees, silk tops. So BR for classic basics and JC for interesting/statement pieces.
What are your ideas as to why BR doesn't do more immitation?
Cass, that's a good point. BR is very good about offering 'special' sizes, like tall and petite in almost all of their pants. Even skirts in talls! That completely ROCKS, especially when so many styles appear to be too short even on the model (above the knee--not particularly appropriate for office, I think).
ReplyDeleteJ. Crew is pretty good about talls in pants, although often I see a style that I won't be able to wear for that reason. There may not even be enough material under the hem to lengthen, which just makes me sad. Same thing with Ann Taylor--and their tall sizes seem to sell out immediately.
My best guess as to why BR, or any other retailer, doesn't immitate J. Crew more is that two retailer that sell products that are really similar to each other end up with tougher price competition. By moving away from its (perhaps less profitable) niche in into J. Crew's, BR would lose out on those profits and receive little in return.
To follow up on that, my reasoning only makes sense if BR has a 'niche'--a group of loyal customers. I was basically just wondering about that.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just my taste/style. I'm frustrated with BR the last few seasons b/c they have been making a lot of styles that don't look good on me, like those 'jackson' slacks with no side pockets of any kind, a-line boring-color, boring-fabric skirts, and really plain and boring cotton sweaters that just don't seem to be very high-quality, even.
I haven't likes their suiting separates for AGES--J. Crew's are always awesome. There are a handful of exceptions, of course, like the lightweight wool suiting separates this season, but they are few and far between. I'm really hoping things will turn around with the fall line.
Abigail, I love that BR offers skirts in tall too! So many JC pencil skirts are too short on me to wear to the office. I buy a suit online and end up returning it for that reason. I also wish that they would make more pant styles with a cuff if they are not going to do them in tall--then at least you have the option to have the cuff taken down to make longer.
ReplyDeleteBR is sort of immitating the idea of doing special pieces without knocking off JC with their monogram line. Otherwise I think they are more mass-market anyway.
Regarding BR v. JC --
ReplyDeleteI used to really like BR stuff, but for the last couple of years I've not been so impressed. The pants are difficult to fit (same with certain JC pants, so maybe it's my body?) and the ones that do fit I don't find so flattering. Ditto for the business-y skirts.
This summer's BC collection has been downright boring IMO. I was in their store this weekend and everything was so drab, didn't love the fabrics. And yes, I did notice many JC rip-offs includint jewelry, but not nearly as nice.
I do like BR's basics -- they've got some slubby t-shirts that are good thickness, but only 3 colours. And their regular t-shirts are good too.
On the whole, I got the impression that BC isn't quite sure who their market is, or what their brand is. some of their styles are very mature bordering on old, others are younger, but all just seem like a mish-mash, not cohesive like JC.
Yes, I think most of BR's attempted "fashion-y" items have been pretty gross lately. However their classic styles--like the lightweight stretch wool separates--are excellent. I have several pairs of these suiting pants I have worn-year round since '05/'06 and they are still in good condition. More than you can say for a lot of JC items.
ReplyDeleteRegarding J. Crew pants and BR pants: I have tended to prefer J. Crew's pants because the styles almost always have some kind of front pockets--front slant or on-seam. All of their fits seem to work for me, too.
ReplyDeleteFor BR, basically only the ryan or martin fits work for me--or tend to have the front pockets that I like. (Sorry if I'm being a compulsive freak about this, but I really think it's a more flattering style on me, being less curvy and more straight below.) The now-very pervasive-jackson fit does not.
The other thing I've noticed, actually, about BR versus JC pants: I've had several J. crew pants ruined by dry cleaners (shrink overall or in length). BR pants get ruined with noticably lower probability. I've switched dry cleaners a few times, too.(Really not happy about this as a tall person...)
Has anyone else had this problem with dress pants? I wonder if it's a problem with the materials they're using.
Speaking of immitating JC, Ann Taylor has some new arrivals from its new "design studio" that are very JC-ish: chiffon trim cardigans, chiffon ruffle shells, etc. Here's a coupon code if you want to try some items: 30% off any full price order $150 or more w/ code 104007268 (6/3-7/6). I just placed an order.
ReplyDelete