"Thanks!" to many of you, including Marietta & Irina, who let us know about J.Crew & Madewell's latest emails.Both emails feature Madewell's Silk Cargo Shirt (Item 31437; $110.00) which they lovingly describe as:
Dressed up and laid-back all at once: a cargo-inspired, utilitarian silhouette reimagined in the softest silk. Slim fit. Hidden button closure. Long sleeves. Patch pocket. Import. Dry clean.Madewell is also reminding us about their offer for free shipping on orders of $100+ with promo code SCORE. This offer will last for a limited time. (It's unclear when it expires.)
It's interesting that both emails today feature the same shirt. That is some pretty good coordination on behalf of J.Crew & Madewell. Well done! It gives me hope that J.Crew can one day sync-up all their websites (J.Crew, Madewell, & J.Crew Factory) like Gap, Inc. does to combine shopping carts.The "As featured on JCrew.com {thanks for the shout out, guys}" line on the Madewell email stuck out for me a bit. I mean, they are owned by the same company— Madewell is the baby of J.Crew's CEO Mickey Drexler. So it's not like Jenna or J.Crew went way out of their way to help out an unknown partner or something. Of course J.Crew's going to help out their little sister clothing company. ;)
As for the shirt... It reminds me of the Silk Bromley Blouse (Item 30822; $98.00). Both blouses look pretty but I am concerned about the pockets. In the case of the Silk Cargo Shirt— those pockets look huge on the item page!
What are your thoughts on Madewell's Silk Cargo Shirt? Do you like the style? Do you think the patch pockets are a bonus? ;)
all this Jenna glorification makes me nauseous. She should stop thinking that we all want to look like her.
ReplyDeleteI like that blouse. I hope it goes on sale!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought the shout-out line was a bit silly too.
ReplyDeleteMost anything silk is a pass for me, & I don't really care for the style anyway. This seems like a top that could be bought in the Macy's womens section.
Jenna and fake "shout outs" for subsidiaries aside, I like this general style but not this particular execution.
ReplyDeleteThe style has a 70s vibe that I really like, reminds me of something Lauren Hutton or Faye Dunaway would have worn in the day. The color has that vibe too, although I would need a different color for my fair skintone. However, the pockets are way too big, too bellowy and too low for anyone who isn't flat chested.
While lately I've eased up on my ban on chest pockets in the right situation (I have a large bust), this shirt isn't doing it.
I like the color of this blouse, and I love the feel of silk, but still would not buy unless it was on sale.
ReplyDeleteThe price is steep for a blouse and I most certainly would not pay FP for it. Also, this type of silk would stain so easily and since it's not patterned it would be so apparent.
ReplyDeleteAs for free shipping code, unless they offer free shipping on returns I will not be ordering from Madewell. I don't live close to one and I'm sure their sizing is all over the place.
very pretty blouse but i don't think that color would look very good on me.
ReplyDeleteLove everything about the blouse pockets and all:) just not the color. Wouldn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the blouse. I don't like anything about it: the style, the fabric, the color, and especially those huge pockets.
ReplyDeleteAnd ITA with Dinster. Jenna's constant self promotion isn't a good thing.
Love it all but wish the pockets were sewn down instead of cargo-ish. I was finally ready to bite on their similar brompton shirt in the mink/taupe color and last I checked it sold out at full price. Wish I was near a made well to try some things on.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't do anything for me at all. The color is dreadful on anyone who doesn't have dark skin (imo) and it reminds me of the silk blouses I used to buy at Lerner in the 80s. And $110 too. No thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like the color..hate the pockets.
ReplyDeleteI have the Bromley and irl pics are in this post. I prefer the Bromley over the newer silk blouse although I haven't seen the latter in-person. ITA w/the issue about paying for returns on a brand most of us have never been able to try at least once in person. Regarding sizing, though, each piece I've purchased is S and they all fit well. I thought I'd be a M and it fit more jr, but that's not the case. They need to get their brand identity together because I clearly don't understand it.
ReplyDeleteI don't look to Jenna for what to wear. She's not my girlfriend. My style peeps are JCAs and the store personnel. I hope J Crew reads this and begins to put focus back on stylish, wearable clothes for real life. If they want a few fantasy pieces, that's fine as there are people who will buy and wear them. I will always have respect for Jenna's hard work & longevity with the company. I won't throw a woman on the ground and then kick her on top of it. But thinking I'm going to buy things because Jenna thinks they're cool -- no, I don't.
OT, Jezebel has done another J. Crew catalog review. Even when they're harsh it's funny
ReplyDeletehttp://jezebel.com/5625584/whats-hot-in-september-at-j-crew/gallery/
the Snuffy comment on jezebel ... i died. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm willing to bet Jenna's picks and promotion are not Jenna's idea... she seems like a very humble person given her success and she's worked damn hard for it. I like to read the picks. I don't choose clothing based on it but gives me an idea of what and why I am seeing the items in the collections. I meant 'bromley' in the earlier post. Gigi you are a lucky girl to have snagged it.
ReplyDeletegem twin - Rachel Zoe picks for Piper Lime and those items have proven to sell well. I think Jenna picks her own items for promo and some do well according to my PS. I agree, from what I briefly saw on Oprah, she's doesn't seem full of herself. Also agree that she may have very, very little to do with the pr they've chosen to wrap around her. I'm just stating that I don't connect with it. Nothing against Jenna personally. They did similar promo w/Jodi Arnold for The Limited and I'm like...who? I guess I should know who she is, but I didn't and was confused until I realized she did a partnership with them. I think. Never did clear that up.
ReplyDeleteThis shirt is a copy of the Silk Equipment shirts which used to be popular in the 70's I think? It was recently re-launched and is enjoying a renaissance at $175 a piece at the high end department stores. If you like this style, then Madewell provides a cheaper alternative. This is a case of Jcrew doing the copying.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Jenna, I noticed that Jcrew has started to use a model which looks like her on their website.
Gigi--me too--I never knew the name of any "high-street" designer until this year so I get confused by all the new-found celebrity. Add to that the fact I don't watch reality TV so I am way out of the loop.
ReplyDeleteMarie--I am old enough to have owned those Equipment shirts, I saw the relaunch and have been curious about them. Has anyone seen them IRL?
More sickening than the Jenna promotion is the CONSTANT Madewell promotion. It's on the J Crew website, emails, everywhere. I am going to cancel my emails soon because of this. I don't go to the GAP to get constant referrals to BR or ON, that would irritate me. Other companies don't do this so pervasively, do they? I will not buy Madewell when I am charged to return. End of story, and quit pushing it on me.
ReplyDeleteMust be one of those pieces that's not selling well so they figured a clever advertising piece might do the trick.
ReplyDeleteOthers work in marketing as well... ;)
Marie and gem twin, I remember lusting over the Equipment shirts (they were impossibly expensive, at least for me when I was 18) and I too have read about the new edition so I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of emailing works on me as I am not "trained" to checke the Madewell website yet. I basically forget about Madewell most of the times but I happen to like this shirt. Madewell's brand identity is not clear to me: I thought it was more junior than JCrew but now it looks like the two brands overlap a little bit, as Jenna is becoming maybe more suited for Madewell than Jcrew.
I shopped Madewell at Lenox square in ATL last winter and I loved it. The look was very casual but the clothes did indeed appear to be well made. Everything I bought has held up well and I still like.
ReplyDeleteThis blouse looks very silky and fluid, I think it would be an absolute dream to wear. Unforunately, the colors would work for olive complexions and maybe even the peaches and cream gals, but it would never work for my "roses and snow" complexion, as my sister calls it.
I pretty much have to block out mentions of Jenna now. Just wonder how much of her "picks" are really hers. Blouse looks nice, Gigi has been reviewing Madewell items and the brand's piqued my interest. Hope to hit a B&M next week to try on things.
ReplyDeleteI liked this shirt in olive. However I am not willing to pay more than $50.00 for it.
ReplyDeleteI stopped in the Madewell store a few weeks ago when I was in NYC and thier clothes did look well constructed. There were a few things I liked. Madewell's website is kinda plain and boring it doesn't do their clothes justice.
I was pleasantly surprised by Madewell, and though most of their pieces are casual, they have a nice urban/edgy vibe that JCrew seems to be lacking sometimes with their OTT ruffles & embellishments. Plus I don't know about your town, ladies, but I see JC clothes coming & going on other women almost daily and I don't want pieces that are that readily identifiable.
ReplyDeleteI bought a Madewell navy wool military jacket (Tokyo Blazer) in AW'09 that I love and more recently the taupe Bromley blouse, which at the time I thought was too expensive, but now am glad I did, because I like it better than this new incarnation.
I like the shirt, but am a bit concerned about the pockets adding bulk in the chest area. I really like the color.
ReplyDelete