Tuesday, June 18, 2013

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! :)

21 comments:

  1. A few J. Crew Factory reviews if you're interested here. Items include Tailored Boy Blazer (fits similarly to Schoolboy), Printed Broken-In Chino Shorts (very soft!), and Cora Dress (found my size!).

    ReplyDelete
  2. My chambray shirt sMaCkDoWn continues with the shoot off HERE between the factory classic button-down shirt in dotted chambray and retail perfect shirt in chambray polka dot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I reviewed the Kiki flats on my blog this past Friday, big thumbs up, I love them! The red is a true dark red, I've been looking for ballet flats like these ones for a long while. Leather lining and wee heel, very comfortable right out of the box, I found them TTS.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Brompton Straw Mini Hobo in navy (caspian night) is currently on sale online from $198 to $178, and I purchased it with an additional 30% promotion for about $130. I purchased the original straw color last year, and it was my go-to summer bag -- so pretty and neutral and a perfect size. It has held up great -- it still looks new. I'd been eyeing the navy version since it came out this spring, but figured that it would go on sale before summer was too far along, and sure enough, it went on sale before summer even started.

    The Brompton mini-hobo may be my favorite JC bag yet -- it is a great size, with great storage and organization pockets, handles with a drop suitable for carrying on the arm or shoulder, and a cross body strap, when you need to go hands free.

    The navy is a true lovely navy -- deep enough to be a neutral, but not so dark that it can be confused with black. Not surprisingly, I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you had any problems with colors bleeding on your straw hobo? Did you treat it with anything? I ordered it last week with the 30% and sale price but haven't started carrying it yet.

      Delete
    2. No, but I haven't gotten it wet and I haven't carried it with white. I can't recall ever having a bleeding problem with any JC handbag...

      Delete
  5. I have a few factory reviews as well, including the striped linen-cotton sundress, striped gauze cardi, stripe classic button-down in linen, short-sleeve sweatshirt in turquoise, and a couple of pencil skirts. See reviews here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Working on iPad, it won't let me sub without leaving a comment.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Has anyone tried handwashing or machine washing the Daisy Lace skirt? It says dry clean only, but I'm wondering how it survives a cold water wash. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ordered the kimono-sleeve maxidress as a ride-on for free shipping (don't judge). I got it in black for $48.99.

    I am 5-2 and took an XXS. Very nice drape and fabric and the sleeves are very flattering and a nice option if you prefer dresses that are not sleeveless. The material (jersey?) was so soft and comfy. The neckline was a bit low on me but I had on a shelf bra that looks like a tank and it looked fine (like part of the dress actually).

    Length was fine - floor skimming but not dragging - but I am not sure if my seven month pregnant bump had something to do with it.

    It would have been a great maternity option but I sent it back because it was black and I am trying to stay away from black - especially for summer!!! Navy might have made it a keeper.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Two thumbs up for the knit princess seam dress. I purchased it in black (up one size from my regular JCrew size) and just went back to grab it in white. I paid around $90 for each of these but I saw the black on sale for $79 plus 30% off this past week in-store. It's such a great piece and I think I'll get some serious wear out of both colors. The knit is thick and substantial but not too hot for a summer night.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I went to my b&m yesterday for a return - ended up trying on and getting some nice things. I got a pair of the Liberty dark blue floral jeans. So cute!! Not normally what I'd wear, but I think the pattern isn't so big and loud so it fits my style which tends to the plainer side. The selling point for me was that I thought they were extremely flattering and comfortable. I'd say they fit tts to a little small. I got sz. 30 and I hope they aren't going to stretch too much. Normally I'm a 29 in other jeans like J. Brand or Joe's. I ended up getting the grey and white striped maxi skirt. I love these skirts b/c they're super comfortable but look great for a nicer casual option than shorts or jeans. I got a S, but it is roomy. I don't like tight maxi skirts! I tried on some other things that I really liked, but am hoping for further mark-downs. They had a black ponte peplum top that I thought was extremely flattering. I'm kind of ruler shaped, and the peplum definitely makes me look like I actually have a waist. It zips all the way down the back, though which I thought was a little odd, but not really a problem. I also tried the long sleeve gauze blouse in the maroon color. It's on promo now for $69.50 and you still get the 25% off on top of that. It was a no go for me. I wear a 4 or 6 in JC tops and the 4 was huge and shapeless through the body. Plus, you'd have to wear a cami underneath. At least I satisfied my curiousity. I really like some of the graphic tees, but they are SO sheer. I just won't think about getting them unless/until they get marked down and then % off. Grabbed a couple vintage tees for like $7.50. I love these, although they don't always hold up great, but for that price, it's ok. Based on Ema's post about the silk pants w/the beige stripe, I got them on popback and they are SO cute! Definitely something I don't have in my wardrobe and I think will actually be versatile. I got a sz. S and they look great and were roomy, but not too much so. They're meant to be drapey. On another note, I also ran into Madewell and they were doing 40% off sale. I got a great t-shirt for a good price. They had a gauze long-sleeve blouse that I loved so much I sprung for it FP. It was actually pretty reasonably priced to begin with. I've been on a quest for a l.s. gauzy top and this one looks so much better than JC's version.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Pleated Chiffon Top in yellow. I love this top. It is poly but I don't care. It is gorgeous on. Dress it up or down. TTS

    Leopard print shift dress - This looked like a disaster to me I didn't even try it on, ordered it, pulled it out of the box and put it back. The leopard spots were painted on. It looked weird to me.

    Tartan purse - small one - I love it and can't stop using it. It looked like it might be prone to scratches, but I have put it through the wringer and it still looks gorgeous.

    Goldsign white jeans. These were a complete disaster on me. The pockets were too low on my rear, the rise was too low for me, the fabric was nice though but they are going back. Fit was slightly small.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Review of the Suede Martina wedges in bright pomegranate here and how I styled them here.

    A few other recent purchases...
    Silk short-sleeve blouse in dried papaya (currently online promo $59.99). I don't believe I saw any reviews on this blouse but it's a short sleeve version of the boat/Talitha blouse from last year. You might be able to tell that from the photo but I didn't look that closely when I ordered it and was pleasantly surprised to find this to be the case. I sized up in this since that's all they had and I found it to fit well, maybe a little blousier than in my usual size which I have in the l/s version.
    You can see how I styled it here

    Also, I haven't gotten around to reviewing these on my blog but I scored a popback of the Bijoux ballet flats in navy last week with the extra 30% off - LOVE. I wish they were black but I love the bling on the bows and they sit atop a bit of fabric so the bow is somewhat elevated on the shoe. They're basically an embellished version of their regular ballet flat, I took my usual J.Crew shoe size (1/2 size up). They'll be great with dresses or jeans.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The Collection Silk Shantung Dress was such a disappointment for me. I was looking forward to wearing it with a bow tie and oxfords. There is a boxpleat in the back (at the yoke) that makes the dress puff out so I look like I have a hunchback. I went back and looked at the pictures on the web site and noticed they don't show a side view. They also must've pulled the dress forward a bit when they took a shot of the back view. It fit me perfectly in the shoulders and top and then it puffed out all over the place. I love the fabric and the idea of the design. I considered keeping it and having a tailor remove the boxpleat but I don't wear dresses enough for that expense. Sad.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Collection crepe dress: blech. Very stiff, heavy fabric that felt rough. I knew it was poly, but I remained hopeful nonetheless. Also too short to be decent in pretty much any situation (I'm 5'7). I wish they had made it in a nice lined silk version instead! The only thing going for it was the stunning blue color.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, is that the shift one? If it is, I tried it too in the blue color. It was terrible on me. The color was nice, and the shape would have been nice in a thinner fabric that draped. It was also too short, so an easy decision to return.

      In the same order, I got the origami dress in a very similar blue color and it was perfect, so I wasn't too sad to return the crepe dress.

      Delete
  15. i bought the HAWAIIAN SUNSET HALTER TANK swimsuit (item 85125). i don't normally buy one piece suits because sizing is so odd and two pieces are just easier, but i decided to just take a chance with this one because i liked the print so much. i went with my normal dress size and it fits really well. kinda surprised actually. i hate the removable padding (but it's removable so problem solved) and it's a very conservative style, but i think it's quite flattering. i do hate the fluctuating price problem it seems to be having right now. but i lucked out and got it at half price.

    ReplyDelete
  16. LONG-SLEEVE POCKET TEE IN STRIPE, item 01875
    Wow, sturdier fabric - too good to be true! I just washed this top on the handwash/delicate cycle, and now there is a hole next to the side of the pocket, just next to the stitching that holds the pocket on the shirt. It didn't even make it to the dryer! I've never returned a top that developed a hole but I will return this one. One wash is really unacceptable.

    ReplyDelete

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! :)