Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Weekly Share: Other JCrew-like Retailers

This is the weekly "Other JCrew-like Retailers" post (similar to the "Off On A Tangent" posts), where we can share our finds from other retailers that have offerings similar to J.Crew (like Anthropologie, LE Canvas, Gap, BR, Talbots, Ann Taylor, and the like.)

If you have recently encountered items that are similar to 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 experiences with certain merchandise pieces, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

14 comments:

  1. Cate and Dina have already voiced their love, but I wanted to add to theirs: Boden cashmere is really lovely; it's noticeably softer than JC cashmere and holds up really well to wearing and washing without much pilling. The off duty cashmere jumper, in particular is fabulous. I was late to the boat on this one and missed the 25% off promos, but they are now discounted about 15% which is better than nothing.

    On the other hand, I will also say that my JC cashmere purchases this year are also wearing very well, also with minimal pilling. Even the textured stitch cashmere sweater, which has a larger weave, has held up great.

    Ann Taylor cashmere is about similar to JC, IMO, and they should be having in store sales on their cashmere soon, if prior years are any indication. Styles tend to be more basic, but they are great for basic cashmere tees and cardigans.

    Gap cashmere -- I've tried this for the first time this year. It is TOTALLY not worth full price. It doesn't pill badly, but is not nearly as soft as any of the above lines. I need to wear a tee underneath, but this isn't a big deal for me b/c I typically do that anyway. Last night Gap had a promo where most of their cashmere was priced around $60, and for that, I think it's worth it just b/c cashmere is so warm for its weight.

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    1. audreys! I actually agree regarding the J. Crew cashmere. I found the chevron version in the muted tan/grey/ivory shade to have held up very well so far. I was pleased!

      I haven't tried the Boden cashmere this season, so it's good to know they have kept the quality up! :)

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    2. I'll ditto audreys love for the Boden off-duty cashmere tunic -- it's lovely and has held up very well to multiple wearings, as I want to wear it every day. Same does for the open cardi (can't remember the name) - so soft and cozy.

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  2. Hi BR shoppers - I have a question. There are a couple of things I'm interested in in their new arrivals, but they're all "BR Picks" (seems like there are a lot of these) and they're excluded from discounts. Is it your experience that these items are eventually not BR Picks (maybe when they're not so new) and then a discount would apply? I'm not about to pay FP for stuff that I won't be able to wear for a while.

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    1. silver_lning - I just try to wait it out. Some of them are BRPICKS forever. Then after awhile they start getting released & the promos can be applied. The blazers sometimes stay BRPICKS forever and/or are excluded from promos until they get marked down hth. I wish I could give you a time frame of how long something stays a BRPICK, but it seems to vary.

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    2. Thanks, Gigi. If there's one place I'm definitely not paying FP, it's Gap brands! Especially when you have things like last evening's Gap 50% off sale that pop up out of nowhere. Their promos change so much!

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  4. My Uniqlo parka that I mentioned last week was $80 and very similar in style to the wintress puffer arrived last week. It's fabulous! I wore it out during the arctic freeze from a few days ago and it kept me warm. It's super lightweight too. I can't speak to how well it will hold up over time, but I've heard good things about Uniqlo. This is my first purchase. So far, I'm very pleased with it.

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  5. Some Anthro reviews and photos here.

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  6. I've shared several J.Crew-like items in this post. Included this week are alternatives for the Boy shirt in stripe crepe de chine, Enameled giraffe bangle, & Collection Kiki calf hair ballet flats, just to name a few.

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  7. Okay, so Boden rolled out their spring line on Monday. I wrote more about it here (which includes a coupon link for those of you who need one).

    Many of the items I "picked" in my picks post rolled out, but a few are not set to be released until late March. Boden usually has previews on items that roll out together, so this is a first where there is a delay on some of the items (they are probably early summer season, hence the late date).

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  8. I just purchased 2 linen tops at BR that are super cute. They have boatnecks with small button detail on shoulder edges. It's kind of weird the stripe one is a linen/cotton blend and the heather gray is 100% linen. They don't feel quite as soft as j.crew's from summer,but very nice. 3/4 sleeve and not too boxy, not too tight. I also picked up a b&w polka dot version at madewell. I know it's not going to be warm here anytime soon figured it's never too early for spring!

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  9. Banana Republic - If you're awake, there's about 20 min left to stack new code BRDRESSED for 30% off + NEWSTYLE 35% off. Some restrictions.

    NEWSTYLE will end at 11:59 pm pst.

    Thanks, Caroline's Day!

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  10. Today I got an order of 7 pairs of Happy Socks from their website! LOVE! I bought 4 pairs at Madewell and loved them so much I had to have more. They are the best, cutest socks ever, and they are 30% off and FS! Super cute and great deal!

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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! :)