In this review, J.Crew Guy In Canada reviews (& compares) J.Crew's Macartney-Stripe Wool-Silk Tie (Item 15037; $69.50) with J.Crew's Factory Stripe Wool Tie (Item 24335; $42.50, now $24.50).
Nobody like a steal of deal more than I do. Why pay $70 for a tie when it's doubleganger can be had for less than half the price. A tie is a tie is a tie, right? Or is it?
Two very similar ties are the Factory stripe wool tie #24335 with a regular price of $42.50, but marked down to $24.50 compared to the Macartney - striped wool/silk tie #15037 for $69.50. At first glance they both look so very similar that they could almost be the same and with a difference in price of over $40 there must be something different.
And a different there is. The Factory tie is a wool blend with the fabric definitely lacking. While many Factory ties in silk or wool are a great value and look very good, this one falls short. It looks and feels cheap, not very J.Crew, more like J.Phew. I have several Factory ties, both in wool and silk and I've been very pleased. They're not as sharp as the regular ones, but close enough especially when sale prices from the Factory site are factored in. Why buy one for $70 when you can two or three. The Macartney is head and shoulders above its Factory cousin.
The heavier fabric, more solid construction and more expensive look contribute to making this a no brainer. The Macartney kicks the Factory to the curb. No need to go cheap on this one and here's an example where you definitely get what you pay for.
Will I still buy the odd Factory tie, possibly. But the more likely result will be watching the regular site for deals and sales. Macartney will be getting some play with Ludlow and Bowery. Gotta love the names J.Crew; an easy way to remember favorites.
"Thanks!" again to J.Crew Guy In Canada for his great review of these two classic pieces!
What are your thoughts on J.Crew's ties for Men? Do you own any of their ties? If so, please share with us your review. :)
I love the names for items, too! This is a great review. I agree that sometimes the factory silk ties are really nice and they are always on sale!
ReplyDeleteI've bought a couple for hubs, thanks J Crew Guy!
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ReplyDeleteYes, great review! I love that gray/yellow tie and might pick that one up for my husband now that I know it's good quality. In fact, I was in the new Toronto Eaton Centre JC men's store for the first time last night and I have to say I'm so impressed with the quality of the men's line, moreso than I am the women's. Everything I looked at seemed so much more substantial. Loved how it was all merchandised too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I have bought a few items for myself from the Factory line and overall, quality has been quite decent for the price. I have held back on buying any of the menswear, as I'm leery of handing something substandard to my husband (he'll spot the difference right away!). I'll keep a closer eye on the Factory menswear from now on.
ReplyDeleteJC Guy, I have been meaning to ask, are you in the GTA area, and if yes, have you had a chance to visit the men's store in the Eaton Centre?
Ha, JPhew, that's funny :). My experience with factory has been similar. Some items are of similar, occasionally even better, quality to retail. Others fall far short and it becomes much better to wait for retail sales. Thanks to everyone who shares their experience so we can know which way to go!
ReplyDeleteI buy the J Crew silk ties (retail version) whenever I find them at the Warehouse sales for my sons. As you can imagine, teenagers are quite hard on ties but they still look great, even after being rolled up in a back pack for several days! I don't keep up with the latest men's tie fashion so it's good to know that the wool tie is a nice option. I'll be on the look out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLadies, thanks so much for all your comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you can find some great deals on silk ties from the factory store. But as we all know the ties from the regular store are made in the U.S. and both the fabric and construction are far superior to both factory stores and our friends over at BR.
Louise, sadly I am out west far away from any b&m sores. My last face to face with a J.Crew store was in California in August.
Wool ties are killer with a blazer with texture while silks are better with more polished fabrics and under sweaters. I have the odd wool tie that I wear under a sweater but usually wool ties are a little thicker and therefore don't work as well for me under a v-neck or cardigan.
This is so helpful, jcrew guy. Keep these up, please! What would also be awesome is if you might perhaps write up a gift guide around the holidays so that we know, from a male perspective, what the men in our lives might like.
ReplyDeletePhoebe I can definitely put together my own version of a wish list for guys. I'll be sure to include plenty of easy to get items where sizing should cause any troubles.
DeleteJ. Phew! I am going to use that in the future for sure :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I love your site, especially since the style of J.Crew being a really popular and trendy style, it is good to see reviews on their products.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask, in regards to the factory ties, you said that there were a set of nice quality factory ties and then there were the cheap-feeling ones like in your review. How do you know which is which? I know the regular J.Crew are made with fine wool but the factory ones really don't say much but at the current sale they're being marked down to a pretty low price!