"Thanks!" to D, Mia, Em, & Amy, who shared an article over at the Daily Mail (click here to read the article in its entirety) that discusses J.Crew and its availability "across the pond" thanks to its partnership with Net-A-Porter (click here to shop online).Michelle Obama's favourite label J Crew is now available here - but does it live up to the hype?Let me start off by saying that I was disappointed by the "if J Crew were a woman, she would know how to bake cupcakes, and prefer the bedroom to the boardroom" comment. What the frak? If J.Crew were a woman, she would do all those things: bake cupcakes, as well as like the bedroom & the boardroom. Clearly the author doesn't know the kind of woman J.Crew really is: she is a daughter, a mother, a sister, a best friend, a wife, and she works at home, in the boardroom, on the floor, and even volunteers while earning her advanced degree. (P.S. I still do not know how to cook, so there!) ;)
By Liz Jones
May 10, 2010
The last time I got this excited about an American brand becoming available on these shores was in March 2008, when Banana Republic opened its doors in London.
That label filled a yawning gap in the British High Street: well-made, affordable clothes for work that put those of its rivals to shame.
Banana Republic has been a big hit, despite initial criticism that it charges us more than our American counterparts - a totally spurious accusation given the higher cost of running just three stores here rather than the 500 it has in America. ...
If J Crew were a woman, she would know how to bake cupcakes, and prefer the bedroom to the boardroom. I can see SATC's Charlotte in J Crew, but none of the others.
I would also say it's a teensy bit like Boden - worn by outdoorsy mums who like picnics and boats and labradors -but not as wholesome, or as remotely affordable.
J Crew has been around for almost 30 years. It built its reputation on providing preppy, sporty, hard-wearing clothes in neutral colours for off-duty Americans, and indeed today you can still find the chinos and the simple shirts and tees.
But for summer 2010, the brand has moved away from that super-safe and conservative image, and come up with edgier, quirkier designs as well, such as the soft and simple floral cotton jackets that can be slung over anything.
As well as clothes, the brand is big on accessories. Bags are big and slouchy - you'll pay about £200 for a large tote - and I love, too, the vintagey diamante necklaces.
The bad news is that there is, as yet, no childrenswear available here - which is a shame because it's so fabulous it almost makes me want to go through childbirth. ...
We will have to wait, too, for the bridalwear - silk chiffon empire-line gowns that are so simple and affordable they make me want to get married again. Well, almost.
For now, J Crew womenswear is only available here online, from www.net-a-porter. com, which means you won't be able to try it on first. So I thought I would put the brand to the test with a few key pieces to take me to work, to summer parties, and on holiday.
THE T-SHIRT
The first summer staple I always need is a good tee that washes well and holds its shape. J Crew's has a scooped neck, which I hate, and although the neon colours are pretty, the fabric is far too flimsy. I can imagine very few women who would not feel self-conscious and exposed in it. Anyway, at £32 it's way too expensive. ...THE SHIRT
One of its shirts is gingham and a bit skimpy - all narrow arms and tiny waist - and at £47 is again too pricey. I like a shirt to have a bit of Lycra so it hugs the body and doesn't look creased. ...THE CASUAL SKIRT
This is chambray tiered skirt is just awful. It's £38 but looks as though it's from Primark. ...
THE COMFY DAY DRESS
J Crew's black-and-white striped silk sack dress with a drop waist is very pretty. Wear it over a bikini on holiday, and over leggings in town. It is quite sheer, though, so this is not a label for anyone wanting to conceal lumps and bumps, or a bra line. At £85, it is also not cheap. ...THE CASUAL JACKET
Now I love this olive military boyfriend jacket - again, very summer 2010 - that I just know will look as good in 20 years' time. I'd wear this nipped in with a wide brown leather belt over anything - a soft, long sarong and flat glads, jeans, a pencil skirt. ...THE MAXI DRESS
For casual parties and for holiday, this long, pink and beige silk chiffon maxi with rope belt is a bit shapeless, and for £230 it looks very cheap. ...
THE PLAYSUIT
Do you really need a play suit? What are you, 12 years old? Its romper suit is very floral, very sheer and very expensive - £71 for something you will hardly ever wear. ...
THE PENCIL SKIRT
This skirt is nude, which is the colour for summer, and has vertical black panels on the hips that shave inches off your silhouette. It is well cut, lined, and has the nice touch of a vivid pink waistband. My only gripe is the price: £78. ...
A SPECIAL DRESS FOR WEDDINGS AND PARTIES
There's a J Crew dress that looks fabulous in photographs, but don't be deceived. The embellishment is too heavy for the fabric, and the horizontal stripes make even the slimmest woman look wide. I asked a friend to guess the price, and she said £60. In fact it's £458. ...
J Crew is available at net-a-porter.com from early May.
What I did like about the article is the author's honesty on the individual clothes she gave mini-reviews for. She really called out some of the pieces' quality at the price points J.Crew is charging. However I don't think she really captured the essence of J.Crew's offerings with the items she selected to discuss. There are lots of other {great} J.Crew pieces that are worth investing in that could have been included on her list. Ah well!
Lastly, I am looking forward to seeing what pieces make the cut over at Net-A-Porter.
What are your thoughts on the article? Will you shop J.Crew via Net-A-Porter? Are there any pieces you are interested in?
I don't see that the clothes are actually available on netaporter.com (UK or American). I would like to see what the selection is. The reviewer was very critical. I would have liked it if she found SOMEthing that she liked. The prices do sound high.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that she called J.Crew out on the flimsy t-shirts. I've given up on them...I don't wear a t-shirt so sheer it needs a camisole underneath. Territory Ahead has great thick, white cotton tanks and half the price.
ReplyDeleteWell, our First Lady is wearing J Crew, so there is worldwide hype that has set up a high expectation. I think the writer nailed the fabric issues. Tissue, tissue, tissue. The bedroom over boardroom comment also was a bit irksome. Until I thought about how low cut some of the career pieces have been.
ReplyDeleteThis author has not done her homework. It's been years since J Crew shed its "super-safe and conservative image", and J Crew is not like Boden--J Crew is much edgier and elegant.
ReplyDeleteLived in the U.K. for several years. The clothing sold in the country and its people expections of clothing are much different than the US. I can see where the author is coming from by my personal experiences living there, buying clothes there and also experiencing the US side of JCrew.
ReplyDeleteJ Crew is my go to for jackets, coats, merino cardis, camis, perfect shirts and pencil skirts. I also give some of their jeans high marks. I certainly agree on the pieces she didn't like. I find their tees, dresses and casual skirts to be poorly made.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the author had to choose from, but the sample of items was pretty poor. The only things she seemed to like are the jacket and pencil skirt, which are the items I feel J Crew does best.
I strongly disagree with her comparison to Boden. I keep trying to like Boden as their prices are great and the customer service beyond compare, but everything I get from them is just a little too boxy, a little too strangely colored, and just a little crudely made. And at this point, I have bought and sent back enough to feel I am being fair in this judgment.
Interesting perspective, Genny. I thought that the article was somewhat scathing in its criticism of the clothes but very right on as well. JC is offering a lot of F21-like styles at prices that are nowhere near in line with the quality. I know that people are buying, they're popular, etc. - but when I go to the B&M and see a bloated sale section racks upon racks of embellished tees and more ruffly, tissue-thin stuff I wonder if JC will keep this in consideration for the future.
ReplyDeleteI own one Boden skirt and was blown away by how well made it was - a cotton pencil skirt with a little bit of stretch, reinforced stitching and a full lining. And at $98 (I had a 20% coupon so it was $79) it comes in less than most of JC's pencils. I will definitely be looking to them for pieces in the future!
"JC is offering a lot of F21-like styles at prices that are nowhere near in line with the quality."
ReplyDeleteI think this is where J Crew is going to get themselves in trouble. Selling trendy junk and inflated prices is shortsighted. The merchandise in my B&Ms sale section is scary as the items look about ready to fall apart at any time. They really do like like F21.
However, they are still making lots of quality pieces that are pretty much worth the money. I have been very pleased by the two superfine pencil I purchased the day they hit the site. My honeyclover shirt has been worth full price to me and my white Cayla is getting a lot of use right now as is my aqua Celocia. And I hope they keep making those shirts with the tiny waists and slim sleeves because they are the only buttonfronts that fit me.
Honestly, I think if I looked at the site and picked the things I knew would have been the worst, I would have had very similar selections as were reviewed. It was a very sad sample, in my opinion and not what someone shelling out a premium to buy them off net a porter is going to expect.
Silver Lining, the workmanship in Boden's skirts is usually really good. I have a black wool one from this winter that is very well tailored. On the other hand, I have sent several merino sweaters back after they pilled worse than J Crew cashmere after one wearing. I also had a pair of darling shoes that were missing a stone right out of the box. So in some ways I would compare them to J Crew with the exception being that customer service resolved my complaints wonderfully.
I think the author made a fair asessment of the items reviewed. Come on, how many of us wait for items to go on sale because they are not worth full price, and those thin tee's...would you like yours with or w/o holes?
ReplyDeleteRegarding the "prefers the bedroom to the boardroom" comment, I'm not sure how to take it. Thinking about the bedroom statement along w/the SATC comment, the author obviously has limited visibility into JCrew. These days JCrew offers enough selection you can go whichever way you want or both!
Thanks for the post!
P.S.
I know how to dress well, cook and bake and take care of a household, all while I had a career, and I still like to look good (even w/o the career)!
kitsmommy, I absolutely agree with you on the JC must-have pieces - I have many of their pencil skirts, jackets and camis and have pretty much given up on their tees, knits, and some sweaters. Seems like many retailers are hit or miss with the quality these days... I personally find that I have better luck erring on the side of purchasing online because the items in B&Ms do not hold up to being tried on multiple times.
ReplyDeleteIt takes experience to be able to eyeball the site and pick out which items are going to be of higher quality than others, and I'm grateful for the JCA community that now I don't have to do all that trial-and-error stuff myself! I think that maybe JC will get bit by having a boatload of crappy tees and obscenely short skirts to get rid of at the end of the season, but who knows... they've been focusing on inventory management for a while now. I just feel like lately, a lot of the pieces are "nothing special" when I used to think that almost everything was. I didn't mind shelling out for something more unique, but when every retailer is doing sequined tanks, I'll just pick mine up elsewhere for less than half the price. They're sticking with what's "safe" and if that's what's working for them now, that's fine - but it may not in the future, and by then their preppy-chic niche may be filled by other retailers that are stepping up now (ie Canvas).
Ah, it's all speculation!
I found this article very interesting and felt a lot of what she wrote was *spot-on*. I have personally become a lot more discerning with my J.Crew purchases, and thankfully have enough experience with the brand to know what to try and what to avoid these days. I've grown tired of the *disposable* tees, see-through sweaters, and jewelry that tarnishes after a few times of wearing it. I do however, still love most of their Blazers, the Jackie cardigans, perfect-fit tees, swimsuits, pearls, and a lot of the dresses they make. I'm not saying they don't make ANY quality pieces these days, because they still do, but they are the exception instead of the norm now. I think they are making more and more *lower* quality items while still charging *higher* quality prices. I do still enjoy the *uniqueness* of many of the pieces, as well as the items that are true classics, and that is what keeps my love affair with J.Crew going...
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that many of the author's observations were right (and not knowing what selection she had to choose from). When you look at the cost of that t-shirt, it's shocking that they're charging 47 pounds for it -- roughly $90! IMO, that is ridiculous. Considering that their only option in the UK is to order online without the benefit of seeing a catalogue or the years of experience with the merchandise as we've had -- and no B&M stores at all -- I'd be pretty miffed paying that much for what I was getting.
ReplyDeleteI think what we shop from Jcrew depends a lot on our personal expectation of a product in relation to its price. For example, I bought the Solid lieutenant jacket the day it was released. I really loved it when I received it first.. the color, the military style. I haven't worn it yet and just happened to try it on yesterday. I just dint like it on me now because I just expect more from it.. I wish it were more fitted, like maybe a drawstring or elastic at the waist, and pockets little smaller. For me, I can't justify keeping it especially for the price I paid for it... I want to keep what I love and what I will love forever. I understand this is OCD about clothing... but its just about expectations and what choice we as individuals have about clothing.
ReplyDeleteApart from all this, Jcrew does give out less of quality pieces and more of not-worth-it stuff these days.
I agree with you FFM, I am also very discerning when I buy from JCrew, and I still love the brand as a result! When I look at my dresses and skirts, nice jackets and winter coats I have collected over the years, I really feel I have made good investments. The tee's, sweaters (with the exception of some Collection cardigans) and ballet flats will not have longevity in my closet, so I know to avoid them in the future.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fussed on the author's "bedroom over boardroom" comment, but maybe I'm taking it personally: proof that I identify strongly with the brand!
Thanks for the post. It will be interesting to see how this plays out across the pond!
Re the bedroom/boardroom comparison, I'm having a good LOL about Gigi's comment on the low necklines of the career wear (not to mention skirt lengths). To quote La Belle Helene, preppie prostitutes indeed.
ReplyDeleteI still love JC but I have to be sooo careful. The sale racks at the B&M are full of tattered odds and ends that look terrible just from shop wear. I'd be so depressed if I ordered all the way from the UK and received a ratty old tee.