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! :)
Quick reviews of a few things from the 50% off end-of-season styles HERE.
ReplyDeleteBonus: it's my blog anniversary so I'm doing a little giveaway, including a J.Crew gift card. :)
Good morning, JCAs! Has anybody tried this year's Factory long belted puffer coat? In reading through JCA archives, it seems like one year they were awesome, another year they were not so great. I'd love some feedback. I was not planning on getting a coat this winter but my 10 year old LE puffer coat is falling apart, and the price on this one seemed right.
ReplyDeleteI tried a few Factory things.
ReplyDeleteThe Factory Waffle Henley in Heather Acorn. I'm not sure how I feel about this Viscose/nylon/merino wool blend. It feels okay, I guess. My regular size is the right size in this, although I guess I could size down if I wanted it to look fitted. It's fine, but I'm not crazy about it.
Factory Leather Cardholder. I got this from retail early this year and I use it daily so I ordered a backup from Factory. It looks the same to me as the retail. This is one of my most used J. Crew purchases. I keep the 4 cards I use the most in this inside my purse and it's super quick to pull out of my purse or to carry in a pocket if I don't want a big wallet. I'm not in love with the mint color, but it was the only color available and still is unless I go to the Men's brown version with 2 extra card slots.
Factory Addie Suede Loafers in Navy Gray. I didn't think they were as nice as the Darby Loafers, although they looked like the same style. The reason I'm not keeping these is that there is a sharp thing sticking out of the trim of one of the shoes into my instep. It's only the one shoe, so I think it's just a random thing. I might re-order these. At the lower price-point, it might be nice to have a pair of loafers that I don't have to worry about getting wet, although I wish J. Crew would just make the Darby loafers in leather already.
Factory Patch-Pocket Pullover. I really wanted to like this, because I really like my retail cashmere version, but I didn't love it. Someone in another post mentioned an odd smell from this sweater, and I smelled it too. I ordered the sweater in a couple of colors and they both smelled chemical-y. This is the Viscose/nylon/merino wool blend again.
This order is probably all a return except for the cardholder, which I'll save for when my current one wears out.
One other Factory review, the Factory Jeweled Raglan Sweatshirt. I always like raglan style tops and this would have been my first jeweled item of clothing, but the jewels on it were too much for me, and I thought the way they angled down to the armpits that they would snag at the sweatshirt knit in that area after a few wears. I have no evidence of this, though, since I returned them right away. I tried my usual size M and also a size L because I sometimes like my sweatshirts slouchy. The jewels on this meant that slouchy is a bad call. They sagged and looked terrible in the size up. They looked very cute in the right size, though. My hesitations were jewels turned out to not be my thing and that they seemed like they would snag the fabric. That and how would I wash it without ruining it. I guess that's a lot of hesitations. It's really cute, though, just not going to work for me.
ReplyDeleteNew review up for the Wintress Puffer HERE. I actually liked it way more than I thought I would. I have a review started for the Military parka, too, but that wont be up until tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! That puffer looks amazing, hopefully it'll make it to some kind of sale.
DeleteI received the Factory Gigi Leather Panel Pant yesterday. I loved the fit of the pant itself, as it makes everything look quite nice. However, the faux leather front was a little too much for me. The faux leather felt nice, but it was a little too shiny for my taste. They are a great alternative for those who want to rock the leather look without paying that much, but I have coated jeans from Madewell that'll do the job just fine.
ReplyDeleteI'll probably try other Gigi pants, though, because I loved how they fit and made me look.
Oh! And I thought they were TTS.
DeleteMilitary pocket shirt – This top definitely has character. It’s a nice, heavy cotton with subtle weathering (e.g., slight fading at the seams), twill tape above one pocket (where a nametag would be sewn?), and dark buttons (a welcome change from the too-common white plastic ones). TTS for a boy shirt, but the straight cut and thick cotton makes it too bulky to tuck and on me it poufs out in front and back. Size 00 is 34” at the bust and waist. I’ll be returning it b/c of the fit, but if it drops significantly in price I’ll definitely be tempted to re-buy and spend the savings on getting the torso slimmed.
ReplyDeleteAs silver lining mentioned above, I too am very curious about the factory long puffer!! I'd love to see a smackdown of the regular vs. factory version. The price difference is HUGE. I am 5'10" so I was leaning toward the regular JC one since it is offered in tall sizes. I am hoping they have one of their outerwear promos soon - I recall in the past they would have a pretty big % off outerwear, but maybe that wasn't until January or something...
ReplyDeleteSome sale reviews. The half-placket dress in tossed hearts, diamond and plaid scarf, scanned floral tee, colorblock flare mini & flare mini in this post.
ReplyDeleteHave a review of the Collection Gilded Paisley Skirt HERE (at the bottom of the post). I wish it came in petite sizes (or that I didn't have cankles :P). Pretty but not meant for me.
ReplyDeleteI got to pop into the store this weekend while out shopping with my mom. It was nice to have another person’s opinion this time.
ReplyDeleteShirttail mini in wool: I retried this on for my mom…she really liked it on me. Length is good for a mini (I’m 5’3 for reference). Like that it is lined, but I have a love/hate relationship with this material. I love that it is a thicker material, but the material seems like it will attract lint and be prone to pilling. Anyone have this skirt and does it pill or attract lint? It kind of reminds me of an old-school lint roller…ha, but dang I keep going back to this skirt.
Cate cami in iced lilac paisley: So pretty in person. Ended up sizing down one size. Like that it had the bra strap snaps and could wear with a normal bra…big plus. It wasn’t too low cut for me, but it will vary from person to person and I think it will also help to size down. I liked gilded paisley lamé more in person than online, but still didn’t win me over (just doesn’t go with my skin tone). I do see some of you rocking this over the holidays. Just a word of caution on the lamé one, I did notice a couple of them already were snagged. I think this material is a bit more delicate than the lilac version.
Popover in navy foulard: I believe this is TTS, but popovers rarely fit me correctly (always gap at the chest). Really liked the print as did my mother (one of her favorite things in the store). Although this wasn’t too sheer on, it’s too thin for my liking for a fall/winter piece. I’m surprised this was in a fall roll out.
I liked the Crinkle stripe shirt in Navy and Mixed prints tee, but didn’t get to try these on. Also, really liked the Stadium-cloth cocoon coat in sandstone. No true need for a heavier coat, but this one really caught my eye…and I don’t think it would overwhelm my frame too much.
I have a skirt from Factory that's the same material as the shirttail mini, and it's a total lint magnet. No pilling, though.
DeleteI have the retail version and can also report that it's a total lint magnet! So disappointing because I do love the cut and fit.
DeleteBummer, but I figured it would be a lint magnet. Thanks for the feedback on the skirt! :) I'm still hoping to find a wool skirt I'll like before the end of the year.
DeleteCAMBRIDGE CABLE TURTLENECK SWEATER
ReplyDeleteitem 10076
I had high hopes for this sweater, but the fit is really off - boxy - and the feel of it is cringe-inducing. It is really not a pleasant mix (Viscose/wool/nylon/angora) and I wanted to take it off as soon as I had gotten it on. Kind of like the feel of a ball of cotton that you begin to pull apart. I am big into the feel of materials and this sweater was a huge disappointment.
I haven't seen this, but this sounds like a similar blend of materials that I tried in the Factory sweaters. I wanted to take them off. I'm not sure what the blend is on my old Cambridge Cable turtleneck sweater, but I never want to wear it either. I prefer a pure wool or cashmere.
DeleteI popped into Madewell this past weekend and I'm happy their style has moved closer to J.Crew....last year it was just so different that I wouldn't even go into the store....but now I want so many items that I need a sale to occur.
ReplyDeleteReview of the calf hair belt:
ReplyDeleteClothing Fixations: J Crew Review: calf hair belt
I got XS and it's not particularly small! I love it nonetheless.
So many new items in the sale section this morning!
ReplyDeleteI ordered the Collection Patch Pocket Pant in Wool Gabardine last week during the promo, and now it's on sale (FIGURES). Pros: Lined. Lined, lined, lined. The construction is really beautifully done, and I like the patch pocket style since that solves the problem of figuring out what to do with unflattering poufy pockets. Cons: The price is kind of nuts for a cropped wool pant, but maybe I'm just biased since I'm still wearing all of my lined wool J.Crew pants from 10 years ago that only cost $100. The pants are pretty relaxed through the thighs, and I feel like they would be more flattering in a slimmer cut b/c the gabardine is very thick. The main reason that I'm not keeping them is actually the thickness; I expected a lighter, drapier weave, more like my old gabardine trousers. These are just too heavy for GA. Size-wise, they are comfortable to roomy in my usual size 4, so you could probably size down if you're in between sizes.
ReplyDeleteCurious, anyone seen the antique linen metro coats in person? Wondering if antique linen is a true winter white or if it's blah in person. I'm being swayed by the sale + 40% off :)
ReplyDeleteI received the Collection Studded Penny Loafers this morning. I sized up one size and that may have been a mistake. They seem very long on me. They also seem very long in general. The shape is not a classic penny loafer shape. I wanted them to be a bit chunkier than they are. I know the sleek smoking loafer is really in right now, but I was really looking for a classic penny loafer look that I could wear with rolled jeans and slim ankle pants. I think that they are going back. I wish my store had shoes so that I could see what a size down looked like on my list. I don't know if I like them enough to send them back and wait for the smaller size.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the Bass Studded Wayfarer. I bought these loafers a couple of weekends ago at the Bass outlet store. They are fabulous; all leather and totally adorable. I had to go down 1/2 size as they seemed to run a little large. I've worn them with my skinny jean and slim ankle pants and received tons of compliments.
DeleteHello JCAs! There are a lot of new Promo-Priced items & markdowns added today. I've noted them in this post for those interested. :)
ReplyDeleteHi ladies - new markdowns in store. Floral sweatshirt (04966) $89.99 in both colorways - sold out online, toothpick jean in distressed cone denim (01851) $89 or $79.99 - $99.99 online, stretch herringbone skinny cargo pant (04759) $59.99 - still FP online, tricolor stripe scarf (06193) $29.99 - still FP online. These are all before 40% off. Word on the street there is that 25% off $150 will be back tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteTwo reviews:
ReplyDeleteJaspe tunic (08680) - this was such a weird piece. The fabric felt like a sweater, and it had both of my most despised design elements: exposed zippers AND dropped sleeves. It was thick and kind of stiff so there was really no 'flow' to it but because of the wider neckline totally does not need the zipper, much less one that goes over halfway down the back. I found it to be incredibly unflattering, and the price was very high for something I'd expect to see at LOFT for 40% off.
Open cardigan (08379) - the lambswool is pretty much like the elbow-patch sweater, but thicker and almost wiry IMO. I totally see the cocoon shape that Ina mentioned in her review - it kind of sticks out at the sides and the raglan sleeves add to the whole round feeling overall. Pass for me - and that hurts to say because I love almost all grey cardigans.
The Jaspe tunic had that long cold zipper on my back, yuck! Not a good design element. If they have to put a zipper on there, at least back it with something so i can't feel it. That was a pass for me.
DeleteI just tried on the Convertible Toggle Coat, which I've been eyeing online since it launched. I'm really glad I did rather than just buying it sight unseen, because I really do not like the way the hood "unzips" itself from the coat. It looks messy.
ReplyDeleteI kept trying to zip the hood on more securely, but it continued to unzip itself. Otherwise it's absolutely gorgeous!
Which color did you try on? I've been eyeing the navy.
DeleteThe store only had black so I tried that one on. The navy is pretty!
ReplyDeleteI was trying it on for fit, and then realized how much I didn't like how the hood attaches to the rest of the coat.
I purchased the navy blue sleeveless jeweled ruffle neck top at b&m. I got it for 36 bucks! How would you style this piece? I figure a cardigan. Any ideas would be great!
ReplyDeleteOT. But stopped by my B&M, button down shirts, ballet flats and leather bags were all 25% off according to the signs. A SA told me that new promo starting tomorrow, 25% of an order of $100. Not sure if items mentioned above will lose their discounts and what will happen to sale items which are 40% off. There was nothing that I wanted, really bored with the new rollouts from J Crew lately.
ReplyDeleteHi there! I ordered the Marled Colorblock Sweater in a size small and medium. I LOVED this sweater when I saw it in the most recent catalog and when it came, I loved it just as much. Except for one sad fact: the fit is super baggy. The medium made me look like I gained about 20 lbs, and the small was way too short on me, and still really wide. The width wouldn't bother me so much, except that the bottom hem cinches in a little, so it's just a really hard to shape to pull off. I was so tempted to keep the medium and just pray that I could pull off the baggy relaxed look, but it really was just so unflattering that I had to return it today. I was so bummed! I would imagine it would work better on petite ladies, but on my average build it was a lost cause. Hope that helps someone out there!
ReplyDelete