"Thanks!" to Manda, who let us know that J.Crew is finally available at Net-A-Porter (click here to shop online).First impressions: not impressed. The layout (both in the main page and item page) looks bland to me. There are some positives though... (1) At least when you roll-over the clothing item on the main page, the site shows you an outfit with it. (2) The item page probably shows a more realistic image of what the item looks like.
Also the prices seem to have slightly rounded up. For example, the Suckered Gingham Shirt (Item 26238; $69.50) jumped fifty cents at the Net-a-Porter site Gingham Button-Down Shirt (Code 100215; $70.00). I am actually pleasantly surprised that the increase was so minimal, I honestly expected more. Also changed, the catchy product names and lavish descriptions. ;)
Lastly, I expected to see more merchandise available. So far I just see tops. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's because I am in the States? Maybe because more stuff is arriving online in the next few weeks?
What are your thoughts on the arrival at Net-a-Porter? Will you shop J.Crew via Net-A-Porter? Are there any pieces you are interested in?
Can anyone ID the dress the model is wearing in the picture?
ReplyDeleteNet-a-porter has always done a good job of showing product shots from multiple views. I like this and might reference the site once more items are listed before placing an order from J.Crew.
ReplyDeleteHi La Belle Helene - I think it's the "Organza Poulette Party Dress" (20964) from last Holiday season.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/organza-poulette-party-dress
I like the size & fit information, it tells you flat out that the top is sheer and you have to wear a cami underneath it. I have sworn off J Crew tees due to the quality of the fabric, they develop holes far too easily, I wonder how their tees will sell on Net-a-porter.
ReplyDeleteWhen you select an item and go to the "Size and Fit" tab, I LOVE the fact you can display the items measurements. Why won't JCrew do this on their website?? It would save a lot of buying/returning. They also list the model's height and the size of the item she is wearing (like we don't already know they're wearing extra smalls!).
ReplyDeleteWhy do you need an oversized white shirt if you're going to tuck it in to a tight, short skirt?
Thanks for the post and another place to research items.
I love size and fit information also. Maybe J. Crew will learn a few things from their website. Prices are even worse than at J. Crew. But I'm hoping they will get the Claudette tote. I miss it every time it pops back.
ReplyDeleteSo it is, silver lining, good catch. I think it looks decent styled under that jacket - by itself, it resembles a rare black chicken, tee hee.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we are getting the red suckered perfect shirt in the next rollout?
ReplyDeleteI thought Net-A-Porter was a discount site. I don't think I would make purcheses on Net-A-Porter for J.Crew unless they are discounted.
ReplyDeleteNet a porter is definitely not discount.
ReplyDeleteI think they have a related discount site, but the name escapes me right now.
When I think of Net-A-Porter, I think of very well-made, higher-end clothing. My Marc by Marc Jacobs cardi that I bought from them last winter (at a VERY DISCOUNTED sale price) is tailored just so, nothing where it shouldn't be, etc. The price I paid was worth it and more, and I can see why it was priced much higher at the beginning of the season.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the model that they use as being supremely elegant and lovely. She holds herself well and although she may not smile a la Vanessa, she wears the clothing so well, she makes me want them all. LOL.
I wonder if Net-A-Porter was selective, in other words, turned away a lot of J. Crew's current offerings because of quality issues. Hmm.
Speaking of quality, I think the should offer up the Painted Silk Bridget Dress at Net-A-Porter. I just received mine, and while a bit crazy for a SAHM to own such a sublime dress, it is incredibly beautiful and well made. I know that it would be sold out very quickly over at Net-A-Porter.
The grey tank with sequins is lovely, and if I didn't already have a ton of embellished tanks, I would be all over that! :)
I didn't realize Lyons took over as creative director in December 2007 - that is right about the time I pinpoint the start of a down-arrow on a chart of my fondness for j.crew. That fondness was at an all-time high those fabulous fall months of 2007, from Paris to the Highlands (I reveled in the Paris catalogue just the other day - I had to after my Ipod played the song j.crew used for its video, lol). It's also when quality took a nose dive ...
ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene,
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. I did not realize that either.
There are additional items (ie not just tops) available on the international sites. I scoped out the French one and found some cute dresses and cardigans (the "Amy Striped Silk Dress," for example-- very sweet and tres francaise!). Still, for the price-points I think American customers can still do better via regular J. Crew. From what I can see, the Net-a-Porter selection lacks the cute-casual vibe of J. Crew's regular spring/summer collection. I just got the Saturday Twist Dress, for example ($50 *plus* the 15% JCA discount-- thank you Alexis!) and it's total dress-up, dress-down love. Nothing like that on Net-a-Porter.
ReplyDeleteLike many others, I also like the size & fit information, and really wish that it was available on the J.Crew website. I agree with what Dina said about Net-A-Porter as well, and definitely don't think of J.Crew when I hear the name.
ReplyDeleteCan I just comment on J.Crew's terrible quality control issues... I ordered the "Spicy Olive" featherweight cashmere cardigan for the SECOND time... the first time they sent me a spicy olive cardigan that was mislabeled because it looked exactly like "heather mint." Well, I got this second cardigan labeled "spicy olive" and it STILL looks just like heather mint. I think a bunch of these got mislabeled.
ReplyDeleteA couple other JAs chimed in and said spicy olive is a cyprus color, very saturated... the two "spicy olive" cardigans I received are light pastel green.
Urghh...
I think J. Crews inclusion is due to some women internationally wanting to copy some of the pieces that Michelle Obama wears.
ReplyDeleteHey Alexis- change your country of origin. There'a lot more selection (albeit I'm glad I'm in the states), and it seems pricier...
ReplyDeleteHow dull to put t-shirts for sale, as if the world had a shortage of t-shirts. Besides, I prefer Petit Bateau t-shirts when I can get them (at a decent price).
ReplyDeleteI don't know why people would go to this site to buy a simple t-shirt from J Crew. But then, there are a lot of things I don't know.
does any one know what happened to the fenton fallon line?
ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene:
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize this either.
J Crew has changed. Instead of having to pare down from my favorites in a new rollout (so as to avoid financial ruin!), I now find very little to like in the new rollouts.
I’ve also noticed waning enthusiasm on the “J Crew Fan sites” as well.
I really love the way that JCrew's style has evolved with my own style!
ReplyDeletethe discount site of netaporter is theoutnet.com.
ReplyDeleteThe international prices are really high because they charge us not in north or south america in GBP. The tee shirts are at 48GBP, which is like 100USD!! I would never pay that much for a j.crew tee shirt.
I'll stick to getting my J.Crew stuff from mom and the US postal service...
I don't see where JCrew would fit in Net-A-Porter with high end designers. JCrew is NOT high end, it's just the equivalent to a Banana Republic with some higher end merchandise (although I see more and more T-shirts with holes and low end thin fabrics these days than in BR).
ReplyDeleteI predict that Net-a-Porter will have some unhappy customers once they get hold of the J. Crew stuff in real life.
ReplyDeleteI do love how they make up their outfits and how it's easy to navigate to the other items shown. Also love the details they provide in sensible, matter-of-fact language - none of this "it's so amazing that every girl in our office owns it" crap. Just clear information about fabric, cleaning, item length, etc.
They better learn how to say "as a one-time courtesy" in a lot of languages :-)
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ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene- I never really thought about the Jenna time line. Paris and the highlands were my all time- still dream about those catalogues- favorites! I often have wondered how she could be responsible for creating some of my favorite designs and styling ever to creating things that for the most part I feel completely uninspired by.
ReplyDeleteYou know what is another awesome catalog? The Isle of Capri one for February 2007. :) Beautiful. And every model was smiling.
ReplyDeleteI am changing to some of Jenna's ways, but I still dress "old school J. Crew" at least once a week, as it is classic.
I enjoy pushing the boundaries now, though, more than ever, and I feel like the mix of old and new J. Crew can be a lot of fun.
BTW, the international site of Net-A-Porter is what convinced me to pre-order the Marin dress (the striped one from Alexis' post on Sunday). It looks so nice! So thank you to those of you that mentioned heading over the non-US side of Net-A-Porter. (It is called the Amy dress over there, though.)
sun in seattle, totally agree. I've saved both the Paris & Highlands catalogues, they were that inspirational and aspirational. There's been nothing like them since - just an endless round of ruffles, frayed hems, say-what items like the La sequin crochet dress I know CheesyGoodness & I are both so fond of, and the occasional hit.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm pressed by the details on size and fit, right down to the model's measurements! Now that's service! Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI want American new arrivals...now!!! I've been wanting to buy something for so long and haven't found anything I"m passionate about. But I always keep hoping that the next rollout will have something I love. Most of the time I just wait for the sale, and by then I've lost interest.
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ReplyDeleteAll tops... all boring awful tops that don't seem "J.Crew" to me at all. Barf.
ReplyDeleteWhen are the new arrivals due online anyway? I would love to see something new.
ReplyDeleteI followed the advice of other and set my country as non-US and saw more items. Two of the most expensive, the Tiered silk-chiffon gown and the Jewel-embellished cotton dress, already say "Sold Out".
ReplyDeleteThe international offerings are definitely more interesting than the US on this site.
OT: I thought this was interesting.
ReplyDeleteSuper-stylish actress Diane Kruger dressed in a J. Crew sweater, skirt and belt (with $1000 Lanvin pumps!)
http://www.fabsugar.com/Diane-Kruger-Wears-JCrew-Lanvin-Pumps-FOX-Upfronts-Announcement-Event-NYC-8475484
I've never seen Kruger in their clothing before. I guess J. Crew's relentless chase after the high-fashion consumer is finally working!
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ReplyDeleteDisappointed. Just got my BIRTHDAY order from last week, and every single thing in it has to go back... the vista paisley swimsuit is a lot more pink and orange than in the web photo, the tshirts are kleenex-thin, the Raye top is weirdly baggy in the chest but tight at the (banded?) bottom, the ruffles on the ruffled vest look tacked on... sigh. I wanted to like these.
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