Referencing {FAQ}

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs!}

This is the weekly "J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs}" post, to help each other share our reviews.

So if you have recently purchased, or stopped by a J.Crew store to try on an item (or two) from J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Also, this request is not just limited to clothes. Please feel free to discuss bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc.

In particular, if you could mention a few of the noteworthy details like fit, size, fabric, and the like— that would be fantastic! Thanks in advance! :)

41 comments:

  1. My closest B&M had arrivals from the Feb catalog out tonight. I tried the admiral bluefloral print skirt and the same print in the lilian dress. The dress was well made and will look good on certian horglass body types. The capsleeves didn't work so well on my broad shoulders. Th skirt was made of the same fabric and they were both slightly disappointing in a subdued cotton sateen, when I was expexcting the lustrous silk prints of the past. The skirt is also shorter than fall pencil skirts at only 22" I much prefer the longer 23-24' and will hold out for more of those. Also tried on the heart print silk buy shirt. Very nice fabric/contruction shirt, but the print was just too much for me. I would look for the shirt in a solid. Price was steep at $135 with snags in it already even though it's only been on th efloor for a day.

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  2. Went to the J Crew Outlet in Desert Hills and was generally unimpressed. Tried on the leather ballet flats and they are pretty comfortable, but I think one of my feet is bigger than the other and it was perfect on one and a tad tight on the other. Also good if you have narrow feet as they don't have a lot of side support. Fit is TTS.

    Also tried on the Silk Marlice popover, it was large to size so size down 1. It looks okay, but I was not a fan of the bulky rolled up sleeves.

    Hope that helps!

    Kim
    www.aprettythought.com

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  3. Some reviews here. More to come later this week.

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  4. i reviewed some bracelets on my blog.

    ina-wonderland.blogspot.com

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  5. Cass, my heart sunk when I saw your post. I was so hoping the skirt in the Lillian print would be long enough for me :( In most stores, 22" is petite or close to it. I cannot wear skirts well above my knee to the office. Sigh.

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  6. I don't think the silk marlice popover runs large. I found my normal size slightly tight through the shoulders and bust. Then again, a size up probably would be too big everywhere else. I'd recommend that you stay away from it if you have a larger chest like me.

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  7. Felted Wool Shift: I think this is my favorite purchase this season. The seaming at the waist is just beautiful. However, it does not fall below the knee on me...maybe about an inch or two above. (I'm 5'9") It also has snaps for bra straps and I did not find it to be itchy at all. TTS.

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  8. I bought a pair of black booker boots in November. They're already slouchy around the ankles and tend to slip down. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there anything I can do to stiffen or harden the leather? Thanks ;)

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  9. sugarmagnolia:

    with my boots, i take newspaper and crumple it up into a sort of burrito shape and stuff them into the boots so that they're not slouching all the time... not sure how to stiffen leather but at least when i'm not wearing them, gravity isn't pulling the ankles down. (i hope that makes sense)

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  10. sugarmagnolia and Miss JR, you can buy boot shapers/forms that will hold the boot's shape when not in use. They are available from shoe stores, the Container store and ebay sellers. If you don't want to go that route I'd recommend storing them lying flat in a box, stuffed with newspaper as Miss JR recommends. Wearing slouchy thick socks with the boots can also help to fill them out so they don't slouch. HTH

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  11. I bought the No.2 pencil skirt in basketweave tweed in blue and it is really nice. Fabric is 94% cotton with 6% rayon, which gives it a nice silky feel and drape and I wore it once already with minimal wrinkling. Fit is consistent with other J.Crew No.2 pencils. If I wore green I would pick that one up too but I'll wait for Thursday to see how the cotton fanfare print looks.

    The cotton v-neck sweater and space-dyed cardi have a bit of a slouchy fit so I had to size down from my usual M to a S in both and they fit much better. For reference I am usually size 8/10 in tops and jackets.

    The abstract blue is a perfect royal blue. The space-dyed cardi is listed as royal blue and has a bit more gray in it than appears on my monitor but it's still nice and both are very soft.

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  12. I posted some Factory reviews on my blog including the: Factory Maritime Blazer, polka dot crossover tee and the skimmer pant in modern red

    megancrewreviews.blogspot.com

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  13. I saved all the packaging from my Christmas online orders and realized the other day that those little air pillows (connected by performations) are really handy for gently stuffing into boots to help keep their shape. They're just squishy enough that you can fit one down into the footbed and then put one or two into the boot shaft to keep them upright. So much better and less messy than bits and bobs of tissue paper, which is what I'd been using. :)

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  14. A couple of months ago I bought the cafe trousers in cotton. The fit is doable but not fantastic - they are pretty loose around the thigh area (not a problem I usually have).

    My main objection is the fabric - the pants have shrunk at least two inches in length, even though I washed them only in cold water on the gentle cycle (as directed). The wrinkle factor is huge. Instead of tailored trousers that are appropriate for work, these are super-wrinkly lightweight chinos that I wear only on weekends. It doesn't seem to matter whether I air-dry or machine dry. Ironing them takes forever.

    These pants aren't terrible - but know before you buy that they need to be dry cleaned and starched.

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  15. Does anyone have the G.H. Bass & Company for JCREW Penny Loafers (sold out, but I'm shopping eBay)? If so, how do they run? I'm debating between sizes. Thanks!

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  16. OT, Ebates is back up to 2% for J.Crew.

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  17. Elaine, the plastic bubbles are a great idea for boot shaping but you have to be careful since plastic doesn't allow leather to breathe so you can't pack it in too tightly, and if there is printing on the plastic the leather can sometimes absorb the ink from the plastic.

    My former dry cleaner used to have it printed on the protective plastic that it should not be stored next to leather because of the ink issue. I always wondered why they just didn't have plastic without the printing.

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  18. Thanks, Ema. That solves my dilemma of what to do at lunch. Looks like I'm taking a walk over to J Crew!

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  19. I use magazines to keep my boots upright when not in use. Much easier than newspaper and cheaper than boot shapers. I have boot shapers too but magazines are easier to get out when I want to get dressed ASAP! Pretty sure I got the magazine idea from Sal at Already Pretty!

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  20. Have the bootcut jeans coming to me. My much beloved Matchstick Jeans in Lived-in Wash already have a hole in the knee! Hoping these will be a good replacement. Will review when I receive them!

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  21. For those throwing things in their cart to meet minimum shipping requirement... the pinttuck lace shell (57769) in maize is a (semi hideous) mustard yellow. Not at ALL what is pictured in the photo, which to me looks like an almost neon lemon yellow. Disappointed, mainly because I have hardly any lemon yellow clothing and I need a few tops in that color in the mix!

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  22. Hi! I did a post that has reviews of the jaspe pullover in heather indigo and an in store (maybe only for now?) necklace called the mini orbit necklace.

    Fair warning, I am a huge fan of both. :)

    http://mysuperfluities.blogspot.com/2012/01/j-crew-jaspe-pullover-and-mini-orbit.html

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  23. Just posted a winter coat discussion here; it's still cold!

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  24. Here's another one, on the Carriage Coat Dress. It is sold out, but if a popback happens, someone will be happy. LOL. :) (The popback price plus 40% off would be amazing!)

    http://mysuperfluities.blogspot.com/2012/01/j-crew-carriage-coat-dress-irl.html

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  25. If you can find the glitterati flats, I give them 2 thumbs up! I wore them for the first time out shopping Saturday and they were comfy. I do size up 1/2 size in JC flats because I have a wider foot. I had two people tell me they like them, and one was a JC sa (the other was an Ann Taylor sa). She didn't even know they were JC shoes! :) But, she wrote down the style number and was hoping to find them in her size. What I don't understand is why sa's don't keep track of the merchandise. One would assume they have computers with internet access. And obviously access to the catalogs. :)

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  26. Does anyone have reviews of the panelled cashmere sweater? I'm interested in the yellow...but I'm worried it might be neon bright.

    Received my Marceau tote bag yesterday. I really like it, although the handles are a bit short to wear over the shoulder. The dark green colour is really nice and I think it will be pretty good as a work tote since it is large enough to hold documents and a small laptop but still looks quite streamlined. The leather is substantial but some of the green dye has already rubbed off at one corner when I accidentally brushed it up against a wall (there is a tag attached to the bag which warns of colour transfer). It's not too heavy for an all-leather bag, something I was afraid of.

    Also received the cotton/silk perfect shirt - I already guessed beforehand that the fabric would be pretty flimsy but I really wanted the shirt in the warm jade colour. The colour is really beautiful, a rich emerald green colour. I only wish they had used a heavier fabric, because it is very thin and I feel that it might tear at any instant! Fit is generous. I ordered a size 6, the larger of my dress sizes, and it is quite loose through the torso. The size 4 would likely have fit better out of the package, but I have a feeling this shirt will shrink despite my best efforts so I'm sticking with it.

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  27. I just rec'd the Suzette blouse today in the navy and wow I love it!!I ordered a 2 and it is a little flowy but I think that is how it is supposed to be. I plan on wearing it with toothpick jeans, so pretty and feminine. I give it 2 thumbs up!! Also got the Jardin skirt and the cafe capris in wool check. I sized down in the capris and it worked out great. This was a good J Crew day!!

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  28. Recently wrote an entry on a new J.Crew striped knit, the Wynter V-neck sweater. For pictures check it out. It's a warm and cozy loose fitting knit and I've worn it with everything from maroon corduroy shorts to a navy pleated skirt. Very cute! http://hailtothechic.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/mamasuniform/

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  29. Has anyone reviewed the Quincy tall or short boot in suede?

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  30. Just posted reviews of the Carriage Coat-dress, Silk Pleat Crimson Floral Skirt and Wool Cafe Capris in red/tangerine. REVIEWS

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  31. Tried on Drea open toe pump in store and they run large. Take a half size down if you are planning to buy. Very comfy otherwise.

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  32. Has anyone seen this sweater, skirt in stores? Wondering if this Spring 2012?

    Very 70's!
    http://lemonadeandivy.tumblr.com/page/2

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  33. In case someone is interested in a Farrow Trouser popback, as many sizes are currently sold out. I fell in love with the pants when I first saw it in the catalogs, but unfortunately never came across it in store to try for sizing. I ordered my usual size 2. While the pants fit comfortably, they do sit much higher and tighter than pictured on the model. I think they must have sized up for the model, to get a slouchier look. Just FYI... wish I had known! The fabric feels quite nice.

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  34. @Louise: I have the Royal Paisley shirt and shirts from past seasons which are made in the same cotton/silk blend fabric as your Jade Perfect shirt. I had to size up as the fabric has no "give". I somehow shredded the shoulders of the Pilar Paisley, after only about 8-10 wears/washes. I've learned my lesson, and aside from sizing up, I wash them in a lingerie bag, on gentle cycle, cold wash, hang to dry, and medium iron. I was very tempted by the same shirt you have, but my size sold out before it came down to a tolerable price point for me. HTH.

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  35. I didn't make it in this weekend, since I didn't get my Rewards card yet. p.s. I do have a few new arrival reviews posted today. I also have a bunch of other new arrival reviews posted over the past few days if you missed them.

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)