Tuesday, July 22, 2014

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! :)

19 comments:

  1. A review of Marc Alary's songbird bracelet here:

    http://onecantgetoverthehabit.blogspot.ca/2014/07/style-wednesday-review-of-j-crews.html

    it is a lovely bracelet - the blue enameled birds are lovely and it really does give the effect of 'birds on a wire'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A review of the Patio Skirt in Leaf Print here I really like how the patio skirt fits! And, a review of the Lillian Patent Low Wedges here I hope this helps someone!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A few reviews of older items:

    * fatigue jacket, item 47864. I love this particular fatigue jacket b/c it is lined with a very soft jersey making it ultra comfortable. It's not at all for rain, but I find myself choosing this over my other fatigue-type jackets all the time for its comfort. It runs largish. I am a 2 in JC outwear, but always prefer S over XS. I had this one from a couple years back in a S, and bought it this time around in a petite S and it is a much better fit (I am only 5'2"). If you can catch it, it also comes in navy.

    * Stretch denim jacket in light blue, item a1433. I LOVE this denim jacket. It is so totally comfortable. It does not run small b/c of the stretch, it just is much softer than regular denim. I also love that it is not cropped, as many denim jackets are. Go with your regular size. (The original stretch jacket in a darker wash was reviewed long ago by AJC and prompted my purchase of that one. I miss her!)

    * Emma bow ballets flats, item a0595. I know there is not a lot of love for the Emmas, especially among the Cece crew, but I have to admit that I do love these particular Emmas. There are several new colors on sale, that I don't remember ever seeing -- I picked up the white w/ black bow and gold w/ silver bow this time around. The bow is larger than the standard ballet flat bow, and I love them. Definitely definitely go 1/2 size UP to account for the ruching.

    * silk eyelet top, item a6201. This is just a lovely top. I think it runs slightly narrow in the shoulders -- I typically buy size 4 in JC tops b/c of my shoulders, and in this one, I needed the 6 to have full range of motion in the shoulders. I have this in black and ivory, have not seen the ginger.

    * beach towel, item a2606. I love the pink pattern, I think it's the same used in other items this season. The cotton is nice and thick, but not so super thick that it takes forever to try in the drier. My daughter totally hogs this one (we swim every day).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AudreyS - We have the pink beach towels, too :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the fatigue jacket review. I am waiting for a small I got on pop-back and picked it over the others on the site and without waiting for the one in the upcoming August roll-out because it is a little longer. I'm looking forward to receiving it!

      Delete
  4. Hi, long-time lurker, first-time blogger. I posted some mini reviews of J.Crew sale items I picked up over the last few weeks at dresslikeanengineer.blogspot.com. The items mentioned: this year's schoolboy blazer in linen, bateau tee in stripe, pearl starburst necklace, 3" chino short, Viv patent flats, and Collection icon trench. I know many people are currently suffering from sale fatigue, but this can be a great time to pick up some wardrobe classics.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rynetta has a good post on celebrities wearing J. Crew, if you haven't seen it. Stylist June Ambrose head-to-toe in the gemstone floral top & medallion print pants could've been done better, but it's interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gigi: You're amazing! Thanks SO much for the link love!

      Delete
  6. A few brief reviews of sale items:

    1. Structured V neck shell, ($14.99 after discount): thumbs up. Runs TTS but is a little clingy. Not everyone will like the exposed zipper in the back, but this an inexpensive versatile piece that works well on its own or under a jacket. Unlike some reviewers, I did not find the V to be too low. This is a rare JC piece that works for the well-endowed among us.

    2. Pearl Pairs necklace ($24.99 after discount): okay but not great. The necklace is surprisingly heavy and substantial. The style is okay - perhaps a little too newscaster-ish for me, but I'll find uses for it.

    3. Navy/ivory stripe color block pencil skirt ($45.00 after discount): thumbs up. Okay, I'm an addict, but this is a fine addition to my pencil collection. TTS. Nice fabric and well lined.

    4. Hughes satchel ($120 after discount): I bought this in January for $90 in store and with some mixed feelings. Seven months later I can say that the lack of internal structure (pockets etc. and it's heaviness has gotten to me. Also, in black it looks a little too much like an old fashioned doctors bag. In another color it is likely better.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I picked up the cashmere getaway hoodie in black and the lightweight merino henley hoodie in heather dusk during the recent 50% off sale. As online reviews suggested, I went with the larger of my two letter sizes in the cashmere getaway hoodie which was a good call. The body is slightly looser but the sleeves fit which seemed to be the complaint of the online reviews. The cashmere is thicker than the featherweight cashmere but doesn't seem as soft as my other cashmere cardigans - it almost feels like it went ot the dry cleaners and lost some of that initial cashmere softness. It'll be nice for layering in the fall. The merino hoodie is just as described - very lightweight and it runs a little large so took the smaller of my two letter sizes in this. I'm not sure how warm this will be, it seems thinner than my merino cardigans, but maybe a good as a toss-on sweater for summer evenings and such. For $25 I was ok with it.

    Looking forward to seeing the new rollout in person but for now I'm definitely feeling a little shopped out and have ended up with mostly basics lately.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OT: Sorry if this was discussed before, but Marissa Webb is joining Banana Republic as it's new creative director and VP....interesting, to see how this will compare to J. Crew's lineup, which has been a little disappointing to me recently. I know the announcement came out earlier this year, but apparently these are some of the looks.

    http://www.fabsugar.com/Banana-Republic-Fall-2014-Sneak-Peek-35303335#opening-slide

    ReplyDelete
  10. August new arrivals reviews on my blog:

    -Turner pants
    -heart dot blouse
    blouse in blue floral
    -funnel neck sweatshirt in striped
    -vote for love tee
    -vneck cardigan ...and more

    see it here.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A great reminder as to why I have stopped shopping with J.Crew came in the mail today. Full price item ordered. Plenty of stock. Wrong color received. No tags on the garment. 3 inch tear in the fabric. Ridiculous

    ReplyDelete
  12. I haven't bought from any recent rollouts recently but I just pre-ordered some Collection Dulci pumps!! I will post my opinion as soon as I get to try them on.

    ReplyDelete
  13. OT: The Mari Leather D'orsay Heels from Ann Taylor are $99 + 60% off. They are very J.Crew-esque.

    ReplyDelete
  14. what a great idea! thanks for linking your reviews!

    ReplyDelete
  15. 40% off promo & final sale continues. Code has been changed to TREAT. Free shipping on Wed only. Yay! Even though I don't really want anything.

    VIsit the Irl Pic Guide.

    #nofinalsalehangovers

    ReplyDelete
  16. I ordered a bunch of stuff from J.Crew Factory:
    - stretch wool peplum dress: LOVE this! The description said "fitted skirt" so I sized up one size since I have a big booty, and it fit great. Definitely glad I sized up because my normal size 2 would have been waaaaay too tight. Also I'm 5' 6'' and hte dress hits exactly at my knees. The dress feels and looks a lot more expensive than it really was! I think I paid like $30 for it after all the discounts. Don't think it's available on the site right now, but if it pops up I highly recommend this dress for work purposes.
    - factory printed sun shift "florida sun" - I took this dress in my normal j.crew size 2. It was a tad bit too tight in the hips/butt area for me but still wearable I think. Size 4 would have been too loose in the chest/waist area. Wouldn't reccomend this dress for people who are in between sizes. Color is super cute too. Also it's kinda see through. I've come to expect this from J.Crew factory (and most retailers) so I'm okay with having to wear a nude slip underneath.

    - Factory long sleeve striped tee dress: Took a size Small in this, and it's very roomy and comfortable. Not as see-through as I would have expected. Hits right above my knee. I may still wear a slip underneath just to feel safe. I tried this dress on with a brown belt and dressier brown flats and I think it could pass in my "business casual" workplace.

    - Factory pique polo dress: also took a S in this. LOOOVE this dress. Roomy, comfortable and can wear it to work. I have a feeling it shrunk a little in the wash though, at least in terms of hem length. It hits a couple inches above my knee. It's a tad short but I wore it flats and it still looks decent.

    - Factory tipped tunic dress: Another hit from the Factory. Took a size 2 in it, was a little tight in the hips/butt area but it stretched out in a good way during the day. I got SO many compliments on this when I wore it to work!! Highly reccomend this dress.

    - Factory oxford shirt dress: Took my regular size S on this. It's WAAY too big. Its interesting because its the exact same cut as the factory tipped dress, but its made from oxford instead of stretch-cotton. Usually I can predict how J.crew things will fit because I shop there so much but this time I was wrong. Unfortunately it was final sale so I will need to get this altered or find a cute waist belt that can camoflauge all the extra material. But it's still a very cute dress and I recommend it if you can size it correctly :)

    - Suede scalloped ballet flats in pink/navy: OBSESSED! I have been wearing these a lot and I get a lot of compliments on them. Took my regular size 9 and they fit great after breaking them in a little. They did give me blisters on the back of my heel the first day I wore them, but I expect this kinda thing from most new shoes.

    - Factory skimmer pants: Took a size 4 in this, which is my usual J.crew bottoms size. They are a little tight but they def have stretch and I know they will stretch out during the day. They are very stiff right out of the package and they fit funny ankle at the area. They kinda pucker at my ankles. I don't know how to explain but they don't hug my calves like leggings (like they do on the models on the website) and they don't lay flat across my ankles either. I'm curious to see how they fit once they have softened up in the wash.

    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! :)