"Thanks!" to many of you, including Marietta, who shared the email from J.Crew this morning.The weekly email once again announces that J.Crew Factory (click here to shop online) is open for business.
What are your thoughts on J.Crew's Factory new arrivals? Do you like some of the latest offerings?
I'd love to hear any comments on Factory outerwear. There are a couple pretty coats online, but I'm worried about the quality. The retail coats are not working for me at all b/c the sleeves were way too long on me. TIA.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird that they say the factory is only open on weekend...you can look at it any time during the week. I've never actually placed an order during the week, but the website looks exactly the same as it does on weekends.
ReplyDeleteI recently purchases a celosia cardi. After wearing it 2 times the neck had a big tear. I emailed J Crew and they happily sent me a return address label to mail it back (I don't live near factory store) I also have a navy one and am wondering if the same thing will happen. I too, wonder about the quality of the factory items.
ReplyDelete@Jruby18: I'd look at the fabric content for the outerwear before purchasing them. The last time I was at the factory store, I wasn't impressed with the feel of the coat fabric. It's irritating JC doesn't state the percentage of the fabrics because 90% wool and 50% wool makes a whole lot of difference. The Carlin coat I felt (not tried on) was much stiffer and rougher to the touch. HTH.
ReplyDeleteI'm tempted to get some factory stuff of the styles I missed out but only if I check it out in person. I'm kind of shopped out right now...
I tried on the Carlin coat and agree with jcrewphd that it is a little rough. I tried it on with a sweater and thought it was great, and then tried on with a sleeveless dress and thought it was itchy on my arms despite the lining. I'm really sensitive (I'm beginning to find out) to itchiness though so it might not be a problem. The purple color is a gorgeous color though for this coat and the length is perfect!
ReplyDeleteTextured Jersey Streamers Tee - LOVE this shirt. I usually wear an XS, but ended up with a small in this because of the sleeves being a little tight on me. The soft willow color is what I got and it's beautiful. It's like mint ice cream and goes with everything. I also washed it and dried it as a delicate and no shrinkage or anything negative happened.
Printed slip silk dress - I think the nectar print is to die for. Unfortunately I tried on a 0 and it was huge on me! The length was right above my knee (I'm 5'3"). The top was really big (34A) and because of that, it billowed out weirdly and was loose all over the place. I would have loved to get it but was sized out. I would try this on in the store if you can, or order a size down in my opinion.
Inworry about the quality of factory so I won't be taking advantage of this one!
ReplyDeleteI have the Alpaca Long Shawl Cardigan that regular J. Crew put out last year, and I see the Factory has them...does anyone know if the quality is at all similar? Mine held up really well (minimal pilling, etc.) last year, so I wouldn't mind picking them up again if the quality is there.
ReplyDeletenot impressed at all with the quality. I'd stay away, as far as menswear is concerned.
ReplyDeleteCan you use the 25% (through Saturday) promotion on factory items as well?
ReplyDeleteI agree - the coats all feel like felt. Also, most of the factory sweaters that have fabric blends feel really scratchy and are not soft to the touch.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the nectar print slip dress and tried it in my regular dress size. Definitely size down - otherwise it gapes on the sides of the chest. It would be so cute with a cardigan and belt, though.
I think factory t-shirts are better quality than retail because the fabric is thicker and less prone to those little holes that all my retail t-shirts get. I have 3 factory t-shirts that have withstood washing and wearing so far.
Factory outerwear is nowhere near as nice as retail. I had a coat from there and never wore it because it was so scratchy. Buy retail instead, it's worth it, especially since most stores are doing 20% off outerwear and then 25% off your whole purchase!
ReplyDeleteOkay...does anyone else think that the factory is just as expensive as the reg. store prices? In fact, most of this stuff goes on sale at a lower price on the reg. website....not sure why they have this if there's no real benefit. and I love JCrew...but really??
ReplyDeletewww.plentyforpennies.blogspot.com
Their ts are better quality imo. All of mine have held up very well.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone bought the Factory wool duffle coat? I've heard raving reviews for the not-factory duffle with thinsulate, but has anyone bought the one without thinsulate? Is it warm enough? I recently bought it in camel and I am afraid it won't keep me warm enough- the weather here drops down to below zero quite often.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi cgannon - I have not seen the factory duffle coat but IMO, I'd go to eBay and get the original from last year...I think it's worth it to get one with the Thinsulate, especially if you're in an area with a lot of low temps. Also, last year's version is 100% wool, and they're around $150 (or less) as opposed to the $200+ online. Just my $0.02!
ReplyDeleteI went to my Factory Store during the week because a SA there told me there would be a "new rollout." It's a thrill at first to see all my old favorites and prints that I loved/missed out on before, but it's deceiving. The prices are without a doubt almost retail, shockingly high in some cases, especially for someone like me who tends to stalk new etail items til they go on sale anyway.
ReplyDeleteThere is no question that the quality is lower on almost everything, you need only to feel the fabric, look at the construction, and read the fabric content to see the difference. I agree that exception is the tees, which are regular cotton jersey for Factory items vs. the ringspun that is so fragile and prone to holes. Which is ironic because I'm not as concerned about the quality of a tee to begin with, vs. that of a coat or a sweater (which I've found are always inferior).
I approach Factory very carefully and evaluate what I am really getting for the money vs. retail. I haven't found that much worth buying.
OT: Sorry if someone has already said this...
ReplyDeleteThere are pictures of the J Crew Women's and Men's Spring collection at Fashionista.com.
Leah
I just got back from my local Crewlet/factory store and tried on a bunch of items. You can check out my pics and reviewshere.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteElena, thanks for the link. Frank is really pushing for those Alden wingtips even with shorts! :-)
ReplyDeleteJust one more comment on factory outerwear to echo what others have said about fabric. I tried on a factory Winne and the fabric felt terrible compared to the real thing. It was scratchy and thin which meant that it meant that the collar didn't stand up as it did on the original. It was dirt cheap and I still didn't bite, totally not worth it.
ReplyDeleteOT -- Land's End promo today through Monday, $20 off a $75 purchase, or $50 off a $150 purchase, and free shipping no minimum:
ReplyDeletePromo Code: SAVE20OR50
Pin: 1293
It works for Land's End Canvas, too. LE got my shopping $ this weekend, not JC Factory :)
Ruffles, LE has some great stuff for men too.
ReplyDelete@plentyforpennies -- I totally agree with you re: the price of the factory store being almost retail. I just googled the "silk tiered cami" and found multiple bloggers saying they picked up the camis for $20 at the end of 2009. As such, I can't justify paying $40 for it online + $9 s/h. If they really want to make the factory store a competitive/viable option for consumers, everything they sell needs to be sold for the lowest price it went for in the retail stores. Similarly, I know the bling cardigan was going for $30 last year, but now the factory store is selling it for $50.
ReplyDeleteWell, I made it to the factory this weekend. You JCA's are totally right. I agree that the outerwear coats are not as nice as the retail versions. The fabric content was no higher than 50% wool w/acrylic and poly as other fabrics. I did get a really cute striped tee w/a little beaded "je t'aime" across the front. I think it will be really cute under a blazer or cardi. Also, picked up a forever cardigan (100% merino wool) on sale. I like the Forevers so much better than the Infinity cardis this year. Pretty much everything in the factory store was 30% off or more. T-shirts were 50% off.
ReplyDeleteIf the quality looks poor in the pictures online, I can only imagine how the items would look in reality. Happy to pass...I'm not even interested enough to browse.
ReplyDeleteSorry to write this so late. I went to the Woodbury Common outlets in upstate NY this weekend which is when I found out there is a factory store online. The fabrics of coats are definitely not very good quality. Besides the coats, tees and dresses are pretty decent. I didn't check everything but the fabrics are pretty similar to the ones in store. Many tees are 50% off the ticket price which are about 15 dollars more or less. I was able to find a chiffon tank top from clearance for 10 bucks and have 20+20% off that price. There are also some Essie Nail Polishes in the store as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are more percentage off on top of the online prices in the outlet store. I would recommend those who are interested if they can get to an outlet, go check things out first. I found so many outlet stores are selling made for outlet items and the quality is questionable.
Nevertheless, the Jcrew outlet products are as gorgeous as the retail stores :)
I ordered from factory online before I read this blog! Clearly, I do not wear J. Crew. I learned a lot. Anywho ... I placed an order on a Monday & I used the code JCREW for 30% off + free shipping. AND IT WORKED! My order was shipped today. Because I got the extra discount, I may keep the items if the quality is sufficient. I'll update you when I get the goods.
ReplyDelete