This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.
Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.
For JC's convenience (because we know you're reading this) I'm itemizing the most frequent JCA grievances:
ReplyDelete1. Too short tops
2. Too short bottoms
3. Construction shortcuts (unlined wool in particular) and sloppiness (unfinished buttonholes, glue on shoes)
4. Poor quality materials leading to pilling, shredding, unravelling (see in particular Dream yarn, Cambridge cables)
5. Design "mistakes" (see #1 and #2, as well as exposed zippers, raw edges and other cost-cutting measures masquerading as "modern")
6. Inconsistency of fit
7. Redundancy of poor design (read: Jules dress)
8. Inaccurate product description (ie, "falls above knee" means "falls anywhere between crotch and mid-thigh on 98% of population")
9. Inaccurate color representation
10. Inventory management - seasons-long backorder on some items
11. Final sale - sticking the customer with all of the above with no recourse
Luckily, I've got a 5 point plan to help you out:
1. Conduct interviews with a focus group (hint: there's one right here!) to identify issues/themes
2. Use feedback to make improvements - the data you gather is no good if you're not using it!
3. Edit the line - there are too many offerings. See Final Sale.
4. Analyze sales - what sells out at full price? It's not usually the overly trendy stuff. Take the hint.
5. Return to the quality of "days of yore" - silk linings, seam allowances, better finishing, thoughtful little details that made you JC in the first place.
The best part is that you can pay for these improvements by cutting down on waste (see: Final Sale) and fraud (see: Copywriter from Space).
Silver Lining is the JCA of the Day!
Delete*whistles*
Bravo!
DeleteThis is great. I chuckled at the example for #8.
DeleteSo funny, but sadly correct.
DeleteNo more prickly shoulder pads and cost cutting measures on the Blazers and jackets I would never buy another 1 from them
DeleteThis is the best. Thanks silver lining!!
DeleteBravo silver_lining!
Delete"Wash, rinse, repeat…."
DeleteI think Silver Lining's entry should be at the top of every "Looking to VENT" post until the message is heard. Thank you, Silver Lining!
Very well written...hopefully someone at J Crew will take note. With only one item on my wish list (in my head not on the website) from this latest rollout, my clothing dollars are going to be spent someplace else. Plus doing a $200 + return today on a handbag...just can't justify the same bag in another color. Boo to who ever cancelled the Copley Saddlebag in Green, unless J Crew wants to sell me the one from the November catalog shoot.
DeleteAmen, silver lining! Amen! I am a definite J.Crew addict, with 95% of my wardrobe coming from J.Crew. But this year, I have finally had to put my foot down, as there are barely any quality items left to cherrypick from the otherwise dismal offerings.
DeleteI tried on the double serge wool pencil skirt the other day because the vivid jade color was so pretty, even though the wool felt so scratchy and looked so fuzzy and thin. It made me so sad once I got it on, because any other year I would have bought the skirt, even though they maybe cheaped out on the waistband (after 2009 they started using those terrible grosgrain waistbands) or something. That I could ignore because of the beautiful color and perfect fit. But the obvious decline in fabric quality this year is just something I cannot ignore. It feels like the fabric used in the factory skirts, which is SO itchy, fuzzy, and cheap looking. Ugh.
Now that they've managed to ruin the one item I have purchased every year since 2008 when it came out, there is hardly anything left that is worth buying. It makes me really sad. But rather than spend my $ somewhere else, I am just keeping my $ and shopping my closet because I have yet to find another retailer that is as good as 2006-08 J.Crew for a similar price point. Maybe that will never exist.
Hear hear on unlined wool! No, JC your wool is not so soft that you can get away with not lining it.
DeleteAnd exposed zippers are not modern, they are cheap.
Also, fix shipping. Once again I received the wrong item.
Great post. I totally agree with the "days of yore" quality comment. The fabric and details on my older jackets are beautiful. Wearing them is a delight. The recent cost cutting measures have taken away the features that made J.Crew jackets special in the first place.
DeleteYES! Very well said. :)
DeleteNice. It would also be nice to have stuff that are less exclusive, and less trendy.
DeleteBravo!
Deletesilver_lining, this is everything that I would want to say to JC but way more eloquently said..and funnier too. I'd probably have put number 3 in the top spot since I'm on the shorter side and 1 & 2 affect me less though. I really hope that they do read this because sadly everything you wrote is on point.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of waste. I recvd duplicates of an item and requested a return label. Most companies will send a UPS label via email. Or there is a section on the website where the customer can download/print a label. J Crew? They mailed a label to me, along with a letter on 8.5x11" paper. What a waste, not to mention such a delay in time getting the label to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd WWFIFY needs to be fixed. I requested an item and with an hour got the aw shucks, we tried and couldn't find it email, call us we have other great styles for you. Uh no, I wanted my top you never searched for. Anyway, I ended up receiving the top in the mail. Yes, *after* I got the cannot locate email. I returned it because of course I found the top myself on a popback online.
One more....the bank contracted for the credit card pretty much sucks. There's some horrible math on the screen for balance/available credit & rewards info when I open my account information. It's nowhere near real time.
ReplyDeleteOmg, sometimes I look at it and feel like they don't understand math! I glad I am not the only one annoyed by this.
Deletegigiofca, I have the same issue with the bank/credit card. None of my math adds up, either! My points balance makes no sense.
DeleteI agree about the statements and the rewards information is a chinese puzzle to figure out. Plus, J Crew is quick to clear the rewards balance at the end of the cycle but so slooow to get the rewards cards out. I have posted before in this day and age, email the reward, or put it at the top of the statement (like Banana Republic) why do we have to wait over a month to know what we are getting and get a physical card...stupid and wasteful.
DeleteCompletely agree. I have a degree in finance and I can't even figure out how to reconcile their silly statements and rewards points.
DeleteYou could not be more correct about that stupid bank! I was this close to cancelling my card last year when I went to Aspen and spent maybe $70 on the card. It was declined. I was totally humiliated in front of everyone, despite knowing that I was nowhere near my limit. When I got home, I checked and it turned out I was less than a week late on my payment. But I'm NEVER late and I was nowhere near my limit. So, WTF?? I contacted M.D.'s office and they contacted the bank- I got apologies and a JC gift card. Still, I think they should contract with a new bank. I'm not at all convinced that it wouldn't happen again. World Financial Bank, I think it used to be called. Now it's Commenity (never heard of it).
DeleteI noticed I hardly ever look at the Factory website now that it's a separate order from the regular website. I like Factory, but not enough to bother placing a separate order. Plus the promo (30% off final sale) on the regular website isn't on the Factory website. I wonder what this will do to their bottom line. I haven't ordered anything from Factory since they split the websites.
ReplyDeleteamen. I wonder why they thought that was a good idea.
DeleteCate, I didn't notice that but totally agree. I haven't looked at it either except for once when JulieStyles pointed out a skirt she tried on.
DeleteGood point cate. I haven't checked Factory at all since they split either, basically just forgot about them.
DeleteI don't buy Factory but if you go to Lands End Canvas and Lands End, everything goes to the same shopping cart.
DeleteTotally agree. I've barely glanced over there since the split. I used to almost always add factory items to my promo orders since the factory store is much closer to me and it was rarely final sale. Now, you have to go to a different website, they have a whole final sale section (and those prices are nearly identical to the promo prices outside that section), AND promos don't apply anymore. I will definitely be buying MUCH less from factory. Wool blend skirts and coats for the same as retail sale prices? Don't think so. Bad move JC. Make them all one cart, including Madewell!!
DeleteTotally agree, I wish Factory were still part of the regular J Crew web site. This morning after purchasing a J Crew top I would have surfed the Factory site but didn't want to be shuttled off to a different web site. So I skipped Factory.
DeleteMe too. My orders from JC usually have between three and six items in them, and at least half of those things would be from Factory. It was a great deal when you could use the promo codes on both retail and Factory, but now that we can't do that anymore.. I doubt I'll be ordering as much.
DeleteI genuinely think they're trying to make Factory the "normal" line as they attempt (pshh) to move retail into the upper echelons of high fashion. Unfortunately, I think they're going to be losing a lot of my business.
Just noticed that the Factory is advertising extra 30% skirts and dresses with prices already marked only it's the same price as last week without the promo?
DeleteJ crew should seriously just set up the sites for j crew, factory, and madewell like the gap brands sites. All in one spot. All with clear promos. All with combined shipping. Do you know how much damage to my credit card I would do?!
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful idea...I love that all my orders are in one place, one sign in and password to remember. Those companies each have their own return/shipping etc policies plus lots of nice consumer friendly features.
DeleteIt really is a good idea. I also wish I could use my J. Crew card for my Madewell purchases, but I can't. I guess I might earn more rewards that way, and we wouldn't want that... ?
DeleteHa, posted above before I saw this. Completely agree! Are you listening JC? You'd probably get more business across all brands if you combined carts/shipping/cards! You don't even have to combine promos to make this work ( though of course we'd like that better ;) ).
DeleteMy biggest gripe has been and still is lack of wishlist and reviews.
ReplyDeleteYes, agreed Liz.
DeletePlace my first (and last) Madewell order laSt week. got the item and it is defective. Not impressed.
ReplyDeleteMay I admit I read these vents to keep me from drinking too much Crewlade and then being angry and disappointed? My vent today is my husband's new sweatshirt is gentle wash. Seriously? A sweatshirt Why is so much of crewcuts gentle wash too? Something with beads and glitter I can see, but leggings, tee shirts and knit dresses? My kids are wearing these things, gentle wash isn't going to get the clothes clean. I think it is because the regular wash will be too hard on the poorly constructed clothes. Why oh why do they have cute stuff?
ReplyDelete@Georgine
DeleteAfter years of buying my son Crewcuts (winter coats, jackets, sweaters, just about everything,) I've decided to stick to Lands End for his 'heavy duty wear' items, like coats, sweaters & sweatshirts. I tried LE last year for my son's light jacket & wintercoat, and they've held up perfect. The latest sweater & fleece purchases from Crewcuts have been too thin, or had ragged edge, which looks terrible. I'll still snag the cute crewcut graphic t's on sale (I can't resist), and chinos (they fit him the best), but am looking to LE for sturdier items.
My J. Crew sweatshirts don't wash well for the most part. They are very soft and comfortable, but they become shapeless and sometimes pilly after washing a few times. And, they shrink in my normal dryer cycle (I'm looking at you, Short Sleeve Sweatshirt). No more for me. I don't understand how they mess up a sweatshirt, seriously.
DeleteI love Lands End for my boys. I have purchased a few jackets and shirts from LE and they have held up wonderfully. Not too thin and no holes. Can't say the same about Crewcuts.
DeleteI agree with everything! And I really cant stand #9! When you have a white shirt dont take the picture with a white background.....
ReplyDeleteOT: How do I get my name to show instead of the "unknown" moniker?
At least they are photographing the wedding dresses against a blue background now. When I got engaged I tried to check out their dresses, but it was impossible to even see the silhouette against the white background. Wonder whose dumb idea that was!
DeleteUnknown, try clicking on your profile name. There should be an "edit profile" button at the top. You can add a new screen name and a thumbnail, if you like. HTH!
DeleteTotally OT but I was on the cbc website today and there was an ad for j.crew on the side that says, "enjoy free shipping, free returns and duty free shopping through december 30th. See site for details". Anyone have any insight on that? Sounds too good to be true, but it's right there! (but see nothing about it on the site).
ReplyDeleteYou're right - it is on the CBC site. But when you click through to JC, there's no info on that at all. And if you try purchasing, the shipping is certainly applied; and if duty were removed, then our Canadian prices should be the same as U.S. - but they're not! Yet another instance of JC's left hand not knowing what the right is doing.
DeleteThe Gap group has things much better organized for us Canadians. Off to the BR site.
yep, I got the same ad popping up on another site but couldn't find anything about a promo when I clicked through...
DeleteI love how JC somehow thinks the fact that they stopped charging duty ON TOP of the Canadian prices (which already include the duty levy on imports) should make us grateful...yeesh
@silver_lining...Perfect! And so funny--love the nod to "election-speak!" One of us needs to copy it and email it to Mickey. Since he seems to respond to customers who contact him directly, I would really love to hear him address these issues when pointedly asked. We want answers! (And hopefully, he won't dance around the issues like *some* people.) :D
ReplyDeleteWould you believe that I just checked in to our first hotel in France, poured a glass of champagne, and opened JCA? SilverL, I raise my glass to you, and to all the JCAs who commented. Salut!
ReplyDeleteLike! ;)
DeleteHave fun in France! (I sneaked away to Paris this last month and loved it. I am so jealous you are there right now!)
Deletec'est formidable!!
DeleteReceived my polka dot Blythe. Had it on for an hour and saw that on the seam by the buttons on one of the sleeves, there was a huge hole and the fabric was majorly frayed. Since this blouse was a size big on me and I wasn't wearing anything on that sleeve that could have ripped it, I'm thinking that it came that way and I didn't notice it. Crossing my fingers that I can fix it, but seriously annoyed about it. Love the blouse, but it will definitely be my last Blythe.
ReplyDeleteMy super sale polka dot Blythe also had issues ! Makes me wonder if they did intentionally drop the price to move defective merch. Near one of the dots on the side of the blouse is a dark smudge mark. It definitely arrived that way bc I didn't notice it until I was ironing before wearing for the first time. It's not super noticeable bc my arm hides it, and I figured it would be more trouble than it was worth to try and exchange since I had already cut the tags.
DeleteHowever, still annoying and another reason why I'm taking a break from JC.
earlier this yr i bought the silk heart throb blouse. i cuffed the sleeves like i do in all my blouses & mid afternoon i noticed something was off. looked again & there was a hole! the stitching on the sleeve had come loose. took it to a b&m store & they had their seamstress fix it and shipped it to me for free. if you have a store close by take it in & see if they will repair it for you.
DeleteOther than what everyone else just said (especially Silver Lining - you hit it on the head!!), I am just BORED. The last few rollouts have left me seriously disinterested. Blah.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I purchased tons of stuff from the Fall/Winter 2010 line, I was still purchasing it well into the beginning of Spring 2011. And then practically nothing. Fall/Winter 2010 was so awesome, luxurious fabrics, beautiful colors, great styles that were a funky twist on classics. Everything looks cheap and messy to me now.
DeleteI just want to reiterate how annoying the short tops are this season. I am petite an find the length of tops completely unwearable, in the regular sizes. I was lusting over the two-tone sweatshirt for awhile and finally saw it in my store. I could not believe how short it was in the torso , looked like it could have been crew cuts. Wth JC?? Not flattering and impossible to wear without exposing belly everytime I raised my arms.
ReplyDeleteLike others I am disappointed that J.Crew is chasing the Fast Fashion market. I have always shopped other brands but I have always been able to find a couple of treasures at J.Crew too, and I really miss that. It's especially evident now that I'm back in the U.S. and I visited the B&M but came out with nothing. The same thing happened in spring and it's just not fun to shop there anymore.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Houston and I noticed that F21 is opening right next door to J.Crew in the Galleria. I wonder how that will affect J.Crew's sales. I know they say their target market isn't the same but I think a lot of their line is exactly the type of merchandise people look for at F21. We've all seen the drastic discounts on items languishing in Final Sale and thought that the price was finally about right for what they offered because the original prices are crazy high for the level of quality and trendiness of design. We keep reading that they are making money so obviously this model works for them but it sure doesn't work for me.
StylishlySpoken, I agree with you 100%. I'm 5'7 and have a long torso; I can't wear belly exposing tops to work and don't want to wear them on the weekend. I've taken to wearing a perfect tank (at least those are still a decent length) underneath my J Crew tops. It's ridiculous that they're making everything so short now. Does it really save that much money?
ReplyDeleteQuality Vent: Perfect Shirt in Tartan
ReplyDeleteI received this years version of the tartan shirt, and every single button hole, except at the collar, is not sewn properly. When unbuttoning the shirt, the buttons are 'tangled' in loose threads. It looks like the seams were not stitched all the way to the edge of the slit made in the fabric for the button hole. JC is overnighting me another shirt, just as soon as they quality check it before they send it out. Other than this fact, the shirt is beautiful on, but I do think it could look even nicer if it had navy buttons rather than white buttons. They're a distraction.
@ silver_lining: Your comment was epic :) Thank you for summing it up so well!
ReplyDeleteI e-mailed Mickey Drexler last Friday. The title of my e-mail was "Why has J.Crew Stopped Lining Their Wool Pants for Women?" It was long. I mentioned all of my other lined wool J.Crew dress trousers from past seasons and pointed out that all of the current men's wool dress trousers are partially lined in Bamberg while all but two of the women's wool pants are unlined. Outlined my understanding of high-quality garments and the reasons for lining wool trousers. I also asked him if J.Crew is now trying to be H&M or Zara with clothes that turn to rags in one season or less. He responded within the hour and cc:'d Jenna Lyons, Tom Mora, and the Director of Customer Care. She and I then e-mailed a bit about wool pants. She said it was not about cost-cutting, had more to do with design, i.e. the soft hand of the wool and the slim fit of the trousers making the lining bunch. I didn't buy it, told her that I had multiple slim cut J.Crew wool flannel trousers from previous rollouts that were super soft and were all lined - why the change? She offered to send me a pair of the Stovepipe trousers and pay for shipping and the return if I didn't like them. I thanked her and declined, saying that I had tried on the wool Cafe Capris (same material)and unlined wool pants are just too itchy for me to wear.
tl:dr Everyone who responded was very accomodating and appreciative of my customer feedback, told me that they are aware of the issue and have heard this complaint in the past, but were unable to give me a satisfactory answer about why they suddenly stopped lining women's wool pants.
Whitney thank you so much for bringing this to their attention. I have the exact same complaint. The wool cafe capris/stovepipe pants are too itchy for me too. That is total BS that slim fit pants can't be lined. I have beautifully lined slim fit pants from other retailers. Also, not all their suit pant styles are slim fit, yet they are unlined. I do think it is a cost cutting measure.
DeleteI think they stopped lining women's wool pants because they've had to mark down items and they look at the sale cost of the pants as the real price. But it's a catch 22 because the items wouldn't need to be marked down so much if they would have lined the pants in the first place.
DeleteI paid full price for two pair and wore them as I was traveling but I know now that those pants are for short wears because if you wear them all day, it feels like bugs crawling on your legs. It's awful and I won't be buying them again.
Too bad because a well made wool, lined and cuffed Cafe Capri is a great work pant.
They don't do this with Men's because men won't buy it. Period.
I was surprised at how quickly the wool cafe capri showed signs of wear. The wool fabric is not good quality.
DeleteWhitney - The Factory wool skimmers are lined. I think skimmer means slim. (ba-dum-bump)
DeleteGood for you speaking up on this. Hope you had us all in mind, supporting you in spirit :)
@ cass: Bingo on the unlined suiting trousers (Hutton, Super 120's). I mentioned that as well.
Delete@ Elizabeth: I have last year's Tartan Cafe Capris in wool flannel, and they're lined. Nice pants, too.
@ Gigi: thanks :) Also, those Factory Skimmers are an excellent example. They're lined, but they're also a poly-blend. Are they so itchy that they had to add a lining, or was the blend so cheap to produce that they could afford to make it look like a higher quality product by adding a lining? The mind, it reels.
Also, aside from the itchy-ness factor, unlined pants are freakin' cold in the winter when the wind blows right through...
DeleteTo me, if we buy these unlined wool pants, we are supporting their decision to keep making them cheaper. Men would not tolerate itchy pants. If we let them rot in clearance, they might finally get a clue.
DeleteI refuse to buy Jcrew unlined wool pants. The fabric simply does not hang in a flattering way without the lining. All of my wool suit pants from BR are lined and BR suiting is priced comparable or even less than Jcrew. I can think of absolutely no good reason to make unlined wool pants other than cost cutting.
DeleteWhitney, you were right to decline the stovepipe trousers. They are itchy for sure. I was in a hurry and purchased the navy stovepipes without trying on. I could have sworn I read a review that the checked stovepipe pants were lined; the navy have no lining. Unfortunately they are final sale. :(
ReplyDeleteI think the checked stovepipe pants *are* lined, that's why I was so surprised when I went online to get the regular wool ones in green. When I saw that I said "Ok, I CAN'T with this sh*t" and started writing my e-mail to Mickey.
DeleteOT- I noticed that the Toni Tassel Loafer shoes online went down today in price from (I believe) $159.00 to $129.00. I looked quickly, but couldn't tell if anything else was marked down. I just had a moment free and called a J Crew store to ask if there were any new markdowns in store today. I was told that because of the new roll out that there would be no markdowns until next week. Imagine my surprise when (15 minutes later!) I received an e-mail from J Crew stating that new styles were added to their sale section in store and online, and that the 30% off would remain in effect until Sunday. So confusing!
ReplyDeleteKnitYarns - I did a quick scan in the store today and didn't see any new prices on markdowns. However, that means zero zilch nada because some of the tags didn't have the current price and some didn't have any sale prices on them at all. We know this has been an issue, but hey we're in the vent thread.
DeleteI know that the electric plaid pencil skirt did *not* get a 2nd cut, still $149.99. The sequin bow pants are $349.99 online & $299.99 in-store.
Gigi
DeleteThanks for the confirmation. You are always so helpful!
ha. Ha. HA. My coworkers and I were just laughing at how insane the collection fair isle sweater price is. I mean, if you can't find something better to do with $650...but, seriously, that's like half a mortgage payment.
ReplyDeleteI'm obsessed with the sweater because I want it to go under my dublin green cocoon coat but the price is INSANE! There are much better designer brands that have cheaper sweaters! I'm hoping to pick this up after a few markdowns + a % off sale promo...fingers crossed!
DeleteI am sad that the Wallace and Barnes shetland wool sweater higlightted by Jenna in the November catalogue are only offered in men's sizes! That was one of my favorite items in the entire catalog - reminded mt of my J.Crew shetlands I bought years ago and literally wore to pieces. But now I can barely fit into XXS women's sweaters - there is no way I can wear the men's ones. Sad sad sad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe crewcuts has some shetlands?
BTW, I have super sensitive skin and the unlined super-120s pants don'r irritate me. It is kind of a miracle.
Ugh, that was one of my favorite items from the catalog, too! I used to have a beautiful J. Crew shetland crewneck sweater. Why oh why did I get rid of it?!
DeleteI wish they still offered their cashmere sweaters in petite sizes. It was so much easier to wear the sweaters untucked when there wasn't too much fabric below my waist. The regular sizes just look to sloppy on me.
ReplyDelete(Im 5' 3")
I've been searching, calling, begging to find the Colorblock Cashmere Sweater in the mint/gray combo for, oh, a month now. (Stupid me for not ordering it when it went on sale.) But last night, unbelievably, I saw it on a mannequin in the window of my local B&M. What the what?? So, with heart racing, I found the nearest SA and asked if she could take it off for me to buy. Nope, they can't do that. Ok, so please pretty please can you ask your manager as I've been looking for this item forever and OMG you're advertising a sweater in your front window that no longer exists anywhere. Manager looks at me pityingly and tells me no, they can't touch the displays. I even offered to pay for it then and there, but I was told it was "too big a risk". (For who??) BUT, they're taking down the display Friday morning. So, she took my name and number on a scrap of paper and I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts I will not be getting a call on Friday, and that my sweater will be put on the sale rack and I'll be SOL. Disappointing CS, you bet.
ReplyDeleteThe end!
I ended up buying that sweater a size too large because it sold out so fast. IMO that mint green/grey combo is the prettiest color combo JC has done in years. I hope you get a call, maybe stop there before they close on Thursday night?
DeleteThanks, Elizabeth! I'm afraid now that the size on the mannequin will be too small (it's an XXS and I would probably take an XS). I'm going to try another store tonight and try on the XXS in another colour to see.
Deletefarmgirlsue - That is doo hickey. One of the stores near me has the items on display changing on a regular basis. The mannequins were layered up, but it's clear pieces have been pulled and alternates substituted for others. I've never ever had a store tell me they wouldn't pull something off of display. Is there no one in the store, perhaps a VPS, who can come up with something creative to put in the place of the sweater? Furthermore, why keep advertising something that's not in-stock in the store?
DeleteAre you talking about the colorblock Dream sweater in mint/carbon? Its back in stock online. My husband bought me one as a gift, and I love the colors. I need another size, but can't decide if I should exchange it or simply return it. I've read some awful reviews about Dream sweaters. But that would mean either hurting DH's feelings or admitting that I've spend hours reading - and occasionally posting - on J. Crew blogs! A no-win situation.
DeleteJCK -- no, this was the Collection Cashmere Boyfriend sweater, similar to the Dream sweater you're talking about but lighter colours and wider stripes. I haven't ever taken the plunge on the Dream fabric because of all the bad reviews I've seen of it.
DeleteGigi -- trust me, I was practically on my knees and using every rational retail angle I could think of to get them to remove the display. No luck. One of the women said that New York dictates their displays and they're not allowed to change it, to which I echo you with 'doo hickey!' While I do understand that it might be too busy in the store for them to have a SA pull apart the mannequin and switch out the sweater, this was a week night and the store was not busy. There were SAs milling around doing a lot of nothing as far as I could see.
Sometimes the items pinned on mannequins have been tailored to look fitted to the mannequin, and they have big holes or tears in them. Also, sometimes the sales associates wait to buy them for themselves. But I agree with Gigi, I've had plenty of things removed from mannequins over the years. If I am looking for a size for my daughters (usually 4s and 6s that are on mannequins) the great SA's at my store will check for the sizes on all the mannequins for me. I'll echo Gigi and you - "doo hickey!"
DeleteThat is ridiculous, but not uncommon. I worked in retail a long time ago, for Abercrombie and we were not allowed to ever sell the clothes from a mannequin, not even when we changed them. I was told that all mannequin styles go back to the company. I don't know what the deal is with J.Crew, but I have not heard that that they do that. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised. If I were you, I'd call customer service and see if they couldn't help you with this.
DeleteThat's ridiculous. They're in the business of selling clothes. If a customer wants to buy it, they should be happy to sell it to her! That being said, I've been known to undress mannequins myself...
DeleteOT but does anyone know why a comment would disappear entirely after being posted? I posted a comment on this thread earlier and it is gone now. I remember one JCA mentioning something about how her comments were going to spam. But if it went to spam somehow, then it never would have posted in the first place, right? Or is that wrong? I don't understand what happened.
ReplyDeleteMine disappears, too. I can't even comment from my iPhone anymore, ever since I've upgraded to iO6. So the only way I can comment on JCA is when Im at my desktop. Total Fail.
DeleteJCrewJD - Every comment register thru email. That is, if you're subscribed to the thread you will always see whatever you & everyone else posts. If the comment ended up in the spam folder on the blog, you will still get the subscription email showing the comment, but you won't see it when you come to the blog. If you're specifically seeing your comment here on the blog and then disappearing, I don't know what that's about. Unless you think your word verification went thru & it actually didn't. That's happened to me a number of times.
DeleteThanks gigi and JSR. I am not too happy about that, but it sounds like I can't do anything. Oh well!
DeleteJ.CrewJD: I have had that problem a couple times in the last few months. It ended up having something to do with cookies or whatever they're called. When I cleared my browser's cache, it started working again. Worth a shot for you!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just received a style guide in the mail...it's another October, Tokyo-themed one! Where is my November catalog?! Anyone else receive a duplicate October style guide instead of the new one?
ReplyDeleteI receive dups for every catalog now, AND the new ones later. I don't know why this is so difficult for them.
DeleteI went to my b&m today. I tried on the necklace t-shirt. First of all, it is almost see through sheer And secondly, it is ridiculously short. I thought I had picked up a defective one or something, but nope, they're all like that. JC's graphic t's used to be among my favorite items to grab b/c they were so cute, well made and went w/everything. In the past 2 years, I haven't gotten one that's held up - and now, they've screwed up the shape of them on top of it.
ReplyDeleteI saw that tee yesterday and was so excited -- that is, until I picked it up and saw it was short, see through and $45!!! Was hoping for a new, cute tee like back in the day. Guess I will keep wearing my old ones under cardigans & jackets. It's really sad when your favorite retailer can't even get a tee right anymore.
DeleteI hate the november catalogue...sorry, "style guide." i'd love for someone to tell me where the style is in that thing. i'm pinning my last hopes on the holiday rollout - anyone have any idea when that might be coming out? i really appreciate it! TIA.
ReplyDeleteI hate the Jules dress ( too short) the crappy buttons on the blythe blouse,all the other dresses (short and no hem to let down)All the cute prints and colors for capris but no other real pant options in these fabrics and colors...I wish Madewell had all the short/young stuff and J crew was like it was 5yrs ago....more classic long lasing pieces...not fads and not disposable clothing.
ReplyDeleteThe wool cashmere icon trench has moved to final sale for $259.99. So much for trying it on after my rewards card arrives!
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that this final sale nonsense is going to end when this promo does.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or has anyone else noticed that prices seem to change daily on the factory site? I ordered a pencil skirt on Monday and paid $69.50 (CAD). The next day I got an email saying skirts were on sale. That day's price: $73.50. Today I noticed that they are $81.50. Huh?!
ReplyDeleteYes, I noticed this too! I have a pair of jeans in my cart and the price has increased at least 3 times, from about $55 to $78 CAD, since the new site debuted. It's crystal clear that the new factory site exists so J Crew can increase the prices and stop customers from using promo codes from J.Crew.com. If they had just left the sites as they were, I would've bought those jeans plus a few more items weeks ago.
Deletecustomer service chat is awful. This is not a very customer focus. Example. Yesterday I ordered the Nicky top in Jade. Paid $8.85 shipping. It hasnt shipped or been picked. The navy Nicky top popped up and I wanted to add it to the order. The response I got: "I'm sorry that we can't add to an order. It would require a separate shipment and a new shipping charge." That is a terrible response for an addition to an order. I work for an online retailer and that is a bad customer experience that we would not do to a customer. I'm not paying $17.90 to ship 2 silk sleeveless tops when the other one isn't even shipped. This is a bad customer experience. Never mind. I won't get it.
ReplyDeleteAnyone want a factory 20 or 30% coupon? Email me.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
florapower9@gmail.com
Just a short vent. It took a chat, then a long phone call to get JCrew to honor the free shipping w/factory first membership for the jcrew.com site. It shouldn't be so hard for something that was emailed to me in writing!
ReplyDeleteOk, vent over!