Referencing {FAQ}

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Cardmember Email: Just for Cardmembers: a chic peek for summer

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Desert Flower, Marietta, Cass, & Irina, who shared with us the latest email from J.Crew to its card members.

The email above features the not-yet-officially-released-online Embroidered Flower Patch Shell (Item 27285; $148.00). J.Crew describes this silk top as:
We love a rich mix of textures , as seen in this dressier silk top all done up with a front panel of embroidered flowers and bedazzling sequins. For a modern touch, our designers finished it off with an exposed back zipper, bracketed by strips of the same embroidered flowers. Part of the J.Crew Collection.
From what I am seeing so far, not a fan of the design for the price tag. It's cute but does n0t necessarily stand out as a "must-have". But that is just me. :)

On a better note, this email means that new arrivals and a new June catalog are just around the corner! :)

What are your thoughts on the Embroidered Flower Patch Shell? Do you like the style- from the sequins to the style with its flowers?

29 comments:

  1. Hm I think it's cute but $148 is just not in my budget. Plus you have to tack on dry cleaning costs to that price. Hopefully it will go on sale eventually. :)

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  2. I definitely think that this top is cute, but again which it was a little less expensive. I'll definitely try it on though, and can't wait to see it IRL!

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  3. I really like that! But I would love it if the pattern was embroidered instead of sequins. The price and the potential for a cleaning disaster ruins it.

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  4. I love it. I can't really tell from the catalogue view how the sequins look. If they're more subtle, like the sequin henley, that would be nice. I like this in the black and white, I think it would fit into my wardrobe well. I wish I'd seen it yesterday when we had the fabulous JCA birthday code!

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  5. I love sequins, but I wouldn't pay that much for a tank.

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  6. I think it's cute, but I have to see this in person. Ann Taylor had a similar top a few months ago that sold out in no time during their F&F promotion. It is silk georgette and has a tonal lace overlay in front with shimmery rhinestone accents. It came in both regular and petite sizes, and was $88 before the 30% off F&F. It is so pretty, I'm just waiting for the warm weather to wear it!

    http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=24880&N=0&Ntk=KeywordSearch&Ntt=244614&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&found=1&defaultSizeType=Petite

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  7. I'm not sure about this one. The price is a tad high for what it is, plus it's not very flattering on the model wearing it in the online pic. It does look better on the model in the email with the cardigan over it though...I'll have to see it IRL to make a decision.

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  8. I think it is a pretty top (and the Ann Taylor one is as well), but I really am tired of all these dry-clean only tops for summer time.

    I like a couple of the cotton tops they have had lately, and wish they would produce more things that didn't need a trip to the cleaners every time I wear them in 90+ heat.

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  9. I like this top, and I just scored the Ann Taylor top via a store search. I can't wait until it arrives!

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  10. Blah. It seems they think slapping "collection" on a label is an easy route to fooling shoppers into paying more money. I'm not buying it. That watercolor garden shell, for example, that was $150 - it's just a thin cotton top with a thin cotton string for a belt. Absolutely nothing "collection" worthy about it. ...

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  11. Oh, it is very pretty!

    FFM, I agree, the way the model is wearing it on-line is not flattering to her at all. I think it might be sized wrong on her or maybe it is the way she is standing. I would not be interested in it if she was the only representation of this blouse.

    The shot from the catalog makes the blouse look so much better!

    It appears that the sequins are only on the top part of the shell. I am sure they are hand-done which can mean wonderful stitching and very secure sequins or it can mean that they will be a bit loosey-goosey from someone who may have been in a hurry when stitching them on (I have a starland blouse that had very loose sequins--I bought another and the second had much more secured sequins--yes, I did return the first one!)

    I love the black and white and see that it would be a versatile addition to any wardrobe. The pink/orange one is very lovely, though, imo, for summer!

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  12. A part of me loooooves this. It reminds me of this Madewell piece, only it is, I think, prettier, and it offers more coverage in the back. I'm just not sure I would wear it alone/not tucked in, on account of the pattern not covering the whole blouse... creates a weird color block/unfinished look on its own. But the way it is modeled in the catalogue - tucked in, with the cardigan - looks amazing. Seriously considering putting this one on the 'birthday list' so it's technically not meeee splurging :).

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  13. Same here... it's cute but not enough for me to be paying FP for it. I'm a bit weary of these unfinished edges and beading as two of my tops I've worn 1 time started falling apart.

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  14. La Belle Helene,
    I am so with you on the Watercolor Garden Shell. I got mine Monday and was SO DISAPPOINTED in the quality. The cotton is not even soft. It feels cheap! JCrew is WAY overpricing many items right now. ESP. the Collection pieces. NOT worth the money!

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  15. kitsmommy,
    Yes, I agree. Would like to see some pretty, washable high quality (thicker knit) cotton tops from JCrew. I bought a pretty tiered ruffle camisole from Land's End that reminds me of JCrew and it is well made and washable and I got it for $17.50 on sale. Reg. price $24.50 or so. Have gotten lots of compliments on it: "Where did you get that top!?"

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  16. I also got the Watercolor Garden Shell and it is going back. The fit is off, while one side fits perfect but the other side exposes too much of my bra. And frankly even if I still think that it is a pretty print, irl it looks matronly to me, I can imagine seeing something like it at places like JC Penney where I would pass it without ever considering it. It would probably cost 39.99 (at original price).

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  17. ajc and others,

    I agree with the Collection cami comments. I got one too and it is going back. Just went to the store this weekend so it won't be until close to the 60 days are up that I get to return it but I thought the fabric too coarse and while mine fit fine the gathered sewing on one arm was not straightly sewn!!!! I cannot imagine paying $150 for this let alone $70 that I did.

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  18. oh, and what happened to the perfect fit tees? I just got the perfect fit petal in vintage orange and it is a disaster. I used to buy my perfect fits in medium, I ordered small and you can see my navel through the 'scoop' neck. Petal details are hot mess and (this may be just my coloring) the vintage orange is a total puke on me. And the fabric is very sheer, like tissue tees, me no likey at all :(

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  19. ajc,

    Also wanted to agree with your JCPenny comment. Sometimes I get so caught up in the crewlade that I don't think...What if I saw this some place other than JCrew? Would I look twice? I love the print of the fabric but not this top's lack of quality (so glad I got the pencil skirt!)

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  20. I like the watercolor garden print, and am very happy with my pencil skirt. ... When I looked at the shell in a store (thinking it might look great with jeans), I was aghast at its price. Asked an SA why it cost so much, and she said, "It's collection." I politely asked, "what makes it collection?" she replied ... with silence, lol.

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  21. OT, for anyone who may be interested I received the canterbury bells pencil skirt and the new ikat pencil skirt. I love the canterbury bells, fit tts (it is short at 21 inches, good for me at 5'4, maybe not so much if you're taller). On the fence about the ikat skirt. I like the print, but the fabric is a heavy, embossed cotton and the fit is a bit off. It is a little loose in the waist which makes me think I'll be pulling it down constantly. The fit is just a bit different than either the canterbury bells or the impressionist floral. Hope that helps someone.

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  22. I also received the Canterbury Bells skirt and I was a little disappointed. The fit is nice and I ordered my bigger J Crew skirt size so it sits a little lower and hits at a decent place. I just did not expect it to be ivory. It looks white on all my monitors. This will be the 5th item in a month I returned solely due to the colors of the actual item not being as expected. It is well made and the print is nice.

    On the other hand I ordered the denim pencil skirt and I adore it - already wore it twice this week.

    Genny, I don't like knits as I rarely think they look polished enough for anything be very casual. I want more shirts like the Cayla shell or the silk/cotton Frances geo print instead of silk camis. I always get compliments on them and I can wash them out and iron them quickly vs. spending $6 a pop at at the only cleaner around me that does good work.

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  23. thanks Kris, good to know that you like the Canterbury bells pencil. I thought about it, but the print is too similar to floral indigo skirt from 09. As far as the length they say sits at waist but the model is clearly wearing it lower so it looks longer... How does yours look in the back, I don't like how in the back shot the flowers are running into each other. I try to remember that other people see a lot more of my behind than I do, lol. I wish JC would lay out their prints properly, especially when they are bigger scale, but of course that costs more money...

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  24. ajc - I hadn't noticed the print from behind, good point, now I'll have to check! It is similar to the indigo skirt, which I missed out on. The length does amaze me, this skirt hits me right at the top of the knee and I'm much, much shorter than the model. Makes me wonder if they make special versions for the models?

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  25. *lol* at JC Penney comments. Nothing against the store. When I discussed the same thing in this post on my blog, I referenced Sears. Some of the items, lower priced tees and the Collection items wouldn't get a 2nd look from me if they were hanging in another store. Very interesting to think about.

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  26. It's cute, but I never wear any teeny-tiny prints or patterns. I like them on other people, but not on me. I don't even think I'd pay $75 for that, let alone $148. No thx.

    And BOY do I agree about the watercolor shell. I tried it on 3 separate times in 2 different sizes trying to make it work, and I just couldn't, not even at $69.99. I actually like the pattern a LOT (despire my previous statement, LOL), as J Crew doesn't seem to do much with vibrant purple. But the string belt BUGGED me big-time. I considered buying the top and cutting off the belt or something. I just couldn't get a good fit anywhere on me, it seemed. I was so disappointed. I will have to chase down the skirt instead, I guess. :-/

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  27. I think it's pretty, but over priced. And I agree with the comments about the dry-clean only camis. It's very hot here and I would have to dry clean after every wear, as someone else mentioned. Remember the lydia from a couple of years ago? Machine wash and "silky" - perfect! I wish they'd make more camis like that. And, while I liked the cayla cami, I didn't love it, so I'm going to wait for a sale or hope for a white top that I do love.

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  28. Hmm, I don't find this very attractive at first glance. I love black and white but this looks black and ivory, which may just be my monitor but I still don't like it. The small pattern isn't that interesting and sequins do nothing for me 99% of the time.

    I don't believe I've ever liked the cardmembers preview items enough to order.

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  29. I actually found this item when doing a search a day earlier and purchased it with the "birthday" code. Looking forward to seeing it in real life!

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