Friday, May 30, 2014

Seek & Find: Will you visit J.Crew this Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale items at our various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If you are stopping by a J.Crew store this weekend to see what's available (if anything!) in the SALE, or to see some NEW ARRIVALS {sigh!} in person, maybe you might be willing to share that with us in this post. In particular, if you could share with us a few of the noteworthy items that are available, at what prices, and potential sizes the store is carrying (as well as the store location)- that would be fantastic!

Also, please let us know if your local store is carrying an additional percent off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

P.S. I noticed that many of you have already been reporting sale items (and in which stores) in other posts which by the way "thank you!" :) I really appreciate how helpful we are for each other!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

JCA "Help Style Me!" Weekly Post

This is the weekly "Help Style Me!" post, where we can share items we are having trouble putting outfits together with. Elaine (in this post) says it best, "You know, that thing you bought because you love it and you keep pulling it out and then putting it away without wearing it?"

Please share your J.Crew item (either that you own or are thinking about getting) that you would love help creating an outfit with.

Also, please help out by offering your styling advice. Feel free to include links to your blog (where you incorporated that piece) or to Polyvore (where you showcased an outfit with that piece). Thanks in advance! :)

"Looking to LOVE" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to LOVE with J.Crew" post, a place to share our favorite experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a positive situation with 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 stellar experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Sweet: Extra 30-50% Off J.Crew's Sale

A big "thanks!" to many of you, who let us know the following promotion.

J.Crew is offering customers 30% off Sale and 50% off select Final Sale items with promo code SWEET. This offer expires June 4, 2014. The fine print includes:
ONLINE: 30% OFF SALE & 50% OFF FINAL SALE. IN STORES: 40% OFF SALE. Offers valid on purchases made in J.Crew stores and at jcrew.com from May 28, 2014, 12:01am ET through June 4, 2014, 11:59pm ET. Offers not valid in Liquor Store or Ludlow Shops; in 769 Madison Avenue, Bloor Street or J.Crew Factory stores; at jcrewfactory.com; or on phone orders. Offers cannot be applied to previous purchases and cannot be redeemed for cash or used in combination with any other offer. Offers not valid on full-price items. In-store discount automatically applied at the register. To redeem online, enter code SWEET in the promo code box at checkout. Limit one promo code per order. Offers valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Terms of offers are subject to change.
There are a lot of new markdowns, like the  Oui Mon Cheri Sweatshirt (item A7426), that made it to sale online. Plus, some random pop-backs like the Dizzy Anchor Dress.


As many of you have mentioned, brick and mortar stores are offering an additional 40% off sale. However, it is final sale in stores.

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? If so, what items are you interested in getting? Please share! :)

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with 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 poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

Another Interview with J.Crew's Jenna Lyons

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Peggy, who let us know about the following article from Forbes. (Click here to read in its entirety.)
J.Crew's Jenna Lyons On Fashion, Lena Dunham And Why She's Not Posting On Instagram
By Blue Carreon
May 21, 2014

Jenna Lyons and the J.Crew design team and CEO Mickey Drexler are in Hong Kong to celebrate the opening of their expansion in Hong Kong, the first in Asia to have free-standing J.Crew stores. Below, I talk to Jenna about J.Crew and fashion, ...and why she refuses to join the social media craze. ...

Speaking of day jobs, congratulations on the stores. Two stores in Hong Kong. Last year when we met you were just exploring the idea of expansion.
I didn’t think a year ago that it would be happening now. It’s exciting. Designing a store internationally — it’s been easier than I’ve expected as we’ve had that experience with our London store. It’s gone pretty seamlessly. I am so happy with the stores.

Why do a separate store for men and women?
When we do combined stores they are larger and there aren’t really a lot of large footprints here and also what we’ve been gravitating to are smaller and more specialized experiences. We’ve seen men respond well to having an environment specifically geared towards them, with a staff focus on their needs. And that’s been a successful model for us. That doesn’t mean we won’t do a combined store it’s just that the real estate is not available and it’s all about location.

You’ve had a couple of seasons at Lane Crawford, what did you learn from that?
What it gave us was an understanding of the market. We weren’t sure if people would respond to the product. We had no idea. But we’ve had a tremendous response from the Lane Crawford team and their customers and that was very encouraging and it made us feel confident.

We also thought that potentially the style here would be different, that they would dress differently but the fact of the matter is is that style isn’t necessarily attached to a zip code.

How are you addressing concerns over slightly higher prices here compared to the US?
We’ve done everything we possibly can to address that. We’ve gone back and forth with Lane Crawford a lot to make sure that things are adjusted. We face import duties and taxes. We are doing our best to keep it as tight as possible but there are operating costs with doing business in a country that you are not based in. Unfortunately this is something we have to contend with but we’ve put a lot of attention on the pricing.

Where do you think women’s wear is heading?
I love seeing all the shifts in fashion and I see them in the office. It’s fun to watch. What is refreshing is that there is a degree of freedom on the girl’s side. Although the rules have been broken many times before, for some reason the rules are opening up a little bit more. The sense of being yourself and looking less like a cookie cutter is more accepted now than ever before. I appreciate that.

Do you think fashion is moving too fast?
Everything is moving too fast. It’s one of the reasons I am not on social media.  I do find it hard when you’re at an event and people are trying to record the event instead of experiencing it. People aren’t enjoying the moment. And they aren’t connecting with the people they meet. I have a busy life and I want to talk the person I am talking to and not be taking a picture with them. And to have access to everything all the time is exhausting.

How do you do it all at work? Be creative and do management responsibilities at the same time?
All the people I work with for the most part have been there for over 10 years. We’ve developed a set of understanding of what’s inside and what’s outside. So much of what I do is finding the best things that are happening in the building and connecting them to the other best things in the building. At the same time the bar is high and I want everything to be beautiful from the price tags to the labels to the way something smells, the way something is photographed. All these decisions, it’s not always easy. ...
My thoughts on this interview, in no particular order:
  • Jenna always does a great job with her interviews. She keeps it classy.
  • I appreciate the question/answer about the price discrepancies with international orders. I think transparency about the additional costs incurred helps customers understand why something is priced differently.
  • I could not agree more about styling not attached to a zip code. It use to be that certain cities (like Paris) would be a year ahead of trends. Thanks to fashion blogging, I find that the same trends are popping up everywhere at the same time, regardless of location. 
What are your thoughts on the article? Agree or disagree with any points made? Please share! :)

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.

Tuesday, May 27, 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! :)

J.Crew Says "Bonjour Paris!"

"Thanks!" to WellFedFred, who let us know about the following news from Business Week. (Click here to read article in its entirety.)
J.Crew Looks to Paris After Hong Kong for Overseas Growth (2)
By Billy Chan and Stephanie Wong
May 20, 2014

J. Crew Group Inc., the retail chain that is opening its first Asian stores this week, plans to expand its international push with outlets in continental Europe and will be scouting for locations in Paris.

The company plans to open stores in mostly capital cities worldwide to boost brand awareness, said Chief Executive Officer Millard “Mickey” Drexler. He will head to the French capital in a few weeks to look at some sites, Drexler said. The company currently has no presence in continental Europe.

J.Crew, ...has been expanding overseas and the Hong Kong stores are part of its plan to open outlets abroad this year including one in London and about four in Canada after opening three in the U.K. in 2013. The store additions come amid slower pace of annual revenue growth for the retailer that draws almost all of its sales in the U.S.

“We are looking where we see the right environment, like Paris is obviously a great city to do business in,” Drexler said in an interview in Hong Kong today, ahead of tomorrow’s opening of its first two Asia locations in the Chinese city. “The ambition is to go slow and do it well with great integrity, and not do it quickly and lose the quality control that’s critically important to us.”

...J.Crew reported in March net income fell 42 percent to $5.92 million in the fourth quarter ended February as it’s working to bounce back from an industry slump that hurt holiday sales and triggered a wave of discounting among rival retailers. Revenue growth in the 12 months ended February slowed to 9 percent from 20 percent in the year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg....
I can easily see J.Crew open a store along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It is a super-busy street that attracts international shoppers. I would also be excited to see how they would design the store. Very exciting news! :)

What are your thoughts on J.Crew's international expansion? Do you think now is the time to ramp up international expansion? Do you think they are moving into the right cities?

Monday, May 26, 2014

J.Crew Factory: Free Shipping Today Only!

A big "thanks!" to many of you, who let us know the following:

J.Crew Factory is offering customers free shipping on all orders today (in addition to 40-50% off select full priced items) with promo code SUMMER.

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? If so, what items are you interested in getting? Please share! :)

The Great (Weekly) Exchange {looking to sell}

This post (of weekly posts) is for individual members who want to swap/sell/share among yourselves. This post is where you can mention your items and outside listing/ auction site (like eBay and eCrater & the corresponding user ID).


Please note: this posting is not for resellers, retailers or businesses. If you are a reseller, retailer, or a business, your comment gets automatically deleted & you will get publicly called out on it. :( So instead of this, simply do not post in the Weekly Exchanges. Thanks in advance for your cooperation! :)


Please note that any transactions are independent of this blog. (Especially since you will be using an outside listing/ auction site like eBay or eCrater.) I have no dealings or interactions with any of the potential communication, listings, or transactions. :) Moreover, please limit comments about items to swap/sell/share to the "Great (Weekly) Exchange" posts. (Refer to "A Quick Note to J.Crew Aficionadas" post.)

Do you have any items you would like to swap/sell/share among yourselves through your outside listing/auction site?

Sidenote: What's up with JCAs writing "sub" or "subscribing" as their comment? It just means they are subscribing to all the comments (which are then automatically sent to their email) in that particular thread. This way they can stay aware of all the comments posted. :)

The Great (Weekly) Exchange {looking to find}

This post (of weekly posts) is for individual members who are looking for and interested in buying certain items. Please feel free to share a J.Crew store location and/or your outside listing/ auction site if it matches the requests made in this post.


Please note: this posting is not for resellers, retailers or businesses. If you are a reseller, retailer, or a business, your comment gets automatically deleted & you will get publicly called out on it. :( So instead of this, simply do not post in the Weekly Exchanges. Thanks in advance for your cooperation! :)


Also note that any transactions are independent of this blog. (Especially since you will be using an outside listing/ auction site like eBay or eCrater.) I have no dealings or interactions with any of the potential communication, listings, or transactions. :) Moreover, please limit comments about items to swap/sell/share/finding to the "Great (Weekly) Exchange" posts. (Refer to "A Quick Note to J.Crew Aficionadas" post.)

Is there an item (or items) that you are looking for and interested in purchasing?

Sought & Found: Did you visit J.Crew this {past} Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale items at our various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If you are stopped by a J.Crew store this past weekend to see what's available (if anything!) in the SALE, or to see some NEW ARRIVALS {sigh!} in person, maybe you might be willing to share that with us in this post. In particular, if you could share with us a few of the noteworthy items that are available, at what prices, and potential sizes the store is carrying (as well as the store location)- that would be fantastic!

Also, please let us know if your local store was/ is carrying an additional percent off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

Sunday, May 25, 2014

WEEKEND Is Here {J.Crew's latest promo that is}

A big "thanks!" to many of you, including wellfedfred (in this post), who let us know the following.

J.Crew is offering customers 30% off select full priced items and all sale with promo code WEEKEND. This promotion expires May 27, 2014. The fine print includes:
*Offer only valid on full-price purchases of styles marked "30% off with code WEEKEND" at jcrew.com from May 25, 2014, 12:01am ET through May 27, 2014, 11:59pm ET. Offer not valid in J.Crew or J.Crew Factory stores, at jcrewfactory.com or on phone orders. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases or the purchase of gift cards and cannot be redeemed for cash or used in combination with any other offer. To redeem, enter code WEEKEND in the promo code box at checkout. Limit one promotional code per order. Offer valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Terms of offer are subject to change. 

**Offer only valid on purchases of sale items marked "30% off with code WEEKEND" in J.Crew stores and at jcrew.com from May 25, 2014, 12:01am ET through May 27, 2014, 11:59pm ET. Offer not valid in Liquor Store or Ludlow Shops; in 769 Madison Avenue, Bloor Street or J.Crew Factory stores; at jcrewfactory.com; or on phone orders. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases or the purchase of gift cards and cannot be redeemed for cash or used in combination with any other offer. To redeem, enter code WEEKEND in the promo code box at checkout. Limit one promotional code per order. Offer valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Terms of offer are subject to change.
When we first heard about this (refer to the "Starting Sunday: 30% Off Site-Wide at J.Crew {and ..." post) it seemed like this promotion would be site wide. Not sure why J.Crew decided select full priced merchandise was the way to go. 

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? If so, what items are you interested in getting? Please share! :)

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Happy Memorial Day! {celebrating with J.Crew?}

 
Happy Memorial Weekend Everyone! 
I wish everyone a great Memorial Day (with great weather and safe travels). :)

Since a lot of us will be attending various outdoor parties, parades, and traveling to visit family and friends- I thought it would be fun to get ideas of what to wear today.

I will be wearing the Embroidered Floral Racer Dress (item A5586), currently on sale for $119.99 before discounts. (I read from a fellow JCA that this dress went on sale for $129.99 in stores about a week ago. I immediately went to my local store and scooped one in my size. I am so glad I did! This dress has practically sold out in all sizes.)

I love this dress. The floral embroidery is so pretty in person. It can easily be dressed up or down. I plan on dressing it down with a Factory Denim Jacket in Carbon (item 02661) and a pair of black Cece Ballet Flats. Plus, it has pockets!

What are you planning to wear this Memorial Day weekend? Are you planning to go "head to toe" J.Crew or parts J.Crew?

Friday, May 23, 2014

Starting Sunday: 30% Off Site-Wide at J.Crew {and check your catalogs!}

A big "thanks!" to wellfedfred (in this post), who let us know the following:
PSA - read this on Madison Avenue Spy: Starting Sunday, J. Crew will offer 30% off site wide using the code WEEKEND. The two-day discount is also available in stores. Some restrictions apply but there aren't many.
One word on this upcoming promotion: Awesomesauce.

It is a little weird that J.Crew would be holding out this promotion for Sunday, but I am excited about it nonetheless. :)

On a different note, "thanks!" to meggs (in this post), who let us know the following:
Just received the newest style guide and there is a promo code for $50 off purchases $150 or more. This offer is good through June 8th. ...it's a bright orange cover with the code on the back by the address label. 
That is an amazing offer!!! So make sure you double check your catalog to see if you have a unique code/offer too.

Memorial Day Promotions at J.Crew Factory & Madewell

"Thanks!" to many of you, who let us know about the following promotions:
J.Crew Factory is offering customers 50% off select women's and men's styles and 40% off select children's styles No code is necessary, as the promotion is automatically applied at checkout. This offer expires May 26, 2014.


Madewell is offering customers 30% off sale with promo code OHYES. This promotion expires May 26, 2014. Also worth mentioning, Madewell is offering free economy shipping on all orders. No code is necessary for free shipping, as the promotion is automatically applied at checkout.

Will you be taking advantage of these promotions? Are you planning to stop by either store over the weekend?

Seek & Find: Will you visit J.Crew this Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale items at our various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If you are stopping by a J.Crew store this weekend to see what's available (if anything!) in the SALE, or to see some NEW ARRIVALS {sigh!} in person, maybe you might be willing to share that with us in this post. In particular, if you could share with us a few of the noteworthy items that are available, at what prices, and potential sizes the store is carrying (as well as the store location)- that would be fantastic!

Also, please let us know if your local store is carrying an additional percent off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

P.S. I noticed that many of you have already been reporting sale items (and in which stores) in other posts which by the way "thank you!" :) I really appreciate how helpful we are for each other!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

J.Crew Catalogs of Yore {eye candy time!}

 

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Robin, as well as LilyBart (in this post), who let us know that there are several images of J.Crew's older catalogs over at Into the Gloss. (Click here to view all the vintage images of J.Crew.) Below are just a few of my favorite images.

 * Gorgeous and stylish for today!
 * I want this skirt!
*Remember how the catalogs would bring a special offer code on the front?

What image is your favorite? Are there any styles you are happy to no longer see? Any styles you would like to see back? If so, please share! :)

JCA "Help Style Me!" Weekly Post

This is the weekly "Help Style Me!" post, where we can share items we are having trouble putting outfits together with. Elaine (in this post) says it best, "You know, that thing you bought because you love it and you keep pulling it out and then putting it away without wearing it?"

Please share your J.Crew item (either that you own or are thinking about getting) that you would love help creating an outfit with.

Also, please help out by offering your styling advice. Feel free to include links to your blog (where you incorporated that piece) or to Polyvore (where you showcased an outfit with that piece). Thanks in advance! :)

"Looking to LOVE" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to LOVE with J.Crew" post, a place to share our favorite experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a positive situation with 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 stellar experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

J.Crew Updates Website with New Arrivals!

 "Thanks!" to many of you, including JCREWGAL (in this post), and Federal Agent Fashionista (in this post), who let us know that J.Crew had an update to its website (click here to view online).

There are some new arrivals for men (click here) & women (click here). {wahoo!} It looks like Crewcuts (click here) has been updated, but not the J.Crew Collection (click here).

The MAY catalog (click here to view) is still up. However, the latest JUNE catalog is not. As mentioned by several JCAs, J.Crew posted several images of the newest catalog over at Pinterest (click here to view).

Some things important to note:
  1. J.Crew is still offering 25% off select regular merchandise with promotional code PACKME. This offer expires May 24, 2014. They just included an extra 30% off sale styles with this code too. Expires May 24th as well. This is an example where the promotion gets an upgrade... yey!
  2. Reviews are appearing and disappearing on the website. J.Crew seems to still be tinkering with the back end... good luck with that. 
I noticed that all the things I am interested in fall under the "classic crew" category. My top picks include:
I am loving the Crab top (item A5362), it is so cute with the crab print on the side, visible from the front and back. I am not loving the $98 price tag for the poly top. See you little guy on sale in a couple weeks. ;)

The Eyelet Stripe Dress (item A6588; $148.00) is a nice nod to the sundresses J.Crew typically offers during Summer time. Stripes and an eyelet pattern? Sold!

I think the Linen Embroidered Crab Sweater (item A5243; $79.50) is my favorite item from this rollout. I really like the graphic of the grab, woven into the sweater. Did you catch the heart in the middle? Cute! What I am worried about: "slim arms and an open body". I might be stuck between tight arms/true fit body or true fit arms/loose body. I will have to try on in-person now.

What items are you most excited about and why? Which items are you surprised (or not surprised) to see? Which items did you hope would be included? Were you expecting a bigger roll-out? Also, did you receive the latest catalog? :)

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with 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 poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

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.

Tuesday, May 20, 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! :)

Is J.Crew Getting Too Cocky {say what now!?!}

Last week, J.Crew sent out an email promoting "a brand-new kind of swimsuit". The email contained the following that made me give some serious side-eye:
The Rash Guard Bikini. Because... wait. Did we just invent a whole new kind of bathing suit? Whoa.
No. No you did not J.Crew. The combination of rash guard top and bikini bottom has been around for quite some time. I have seen tons of athletes, ranging from surfing to beach volleyball, rocking that look for years now. (By the way, did anyone laugh at the last word inclusion of, "whoa"? I just kept hearing Joey, from the early 90's TV show Blossom, saying it over and over again.)

This comes after J.Crew declared "You heard it here first: Birkenstocks will be everywhere this summer" a few weeks ago. Refer to this post. (Interestingly enough, J.Crew removed the "You heard it here first" line from all the Birkenstock item pages. Maybe someone noticed how over the top it sounded.)

I love J.Crew, but I don't understand why they feel the need to claim credit for styles that are not even theirs! Don't get me wrong, J.Crew definitely has their ahead-of-the-fashion-industry-curve moments. Remember when J.Crew introduced the Victoria Ruffle Cami... amazing! But the sandal/rash guard bikini instances are definitely not examples of it.

J.Crew, again I love you. But let's keep it real. Instead, the swim email should have focused on J.Crew's awesome "Mix & Match" feature.

I love it! J.Crew lets customers build your perfect swimsuit. You not only can pick the style, but also the size and color. Even better? They let you save your swim combinations. That's right, you can save them! This feature is crazy addictive... a real time suck in a fun paper-doll-dress-up-way. In fact, I would love to see something similar for the rest of J.Crew's clothing line.

What are your thoughts on J.Crew's declarations of style? Do you feel they rightly or wrongly deserve credit? Have you tried out J.Crew's "Mix & Match" feature? Please share! :)

Monday, May 19, 2014

J.Crew's June 2014 Catalog on Pinterest

"Thanks!" to many of you, including JSR (in this post), as well as Miss JR (in this post), who let us know that there are several images from the June 2014 catalog on Pinterest. (Click here for J.Crew on Pinterest.)
Unfortunately, the catalog is being uploaded in pieces. One. photo. at. a. time. Way to mute the excitement by stretching it out.
On a bright note, the catalog is already available in J.Crew stores. Plus, it is being shipped out to customers via snail mail.

Word among several JCAs is that the next roll out of new arrivals (online) is this Wednesday. Brick & mortar stores might already have items on the floor.

RELATED NOTE: "Thanks!" to J.Crew Guy In Canada who shared the following news with us:
...Sadly I've just discovered that Canada will not be receiving the style guide in the mail any more.  I emailed the company and asked for a copy to be mailed to me, but I'm unsure if it will happen for each edition...
This is a surprising move by J.Crew! I hope they will reconsider. I think having a paper copy of the Style Guide is a great way to get customers shopping. There is just something about seeing the catalog in person.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming collection? Are there any pieces you are super excited about? Does your local store carry any of the new arrivals yet? If so, please share!

Madewell: Free Shipping!

"Thanks!" to many of you, who let us know about the following promotion this morning.

Madewell is offering customers free overnight shipping on purchases of $150+ and free economy shipping on all other orders. The free overnight shipping offer expires May 21, 2014. No code is necessary, as the promotion is automatically applied at checkout.
*Free overnight shipping valid from May 19, 2014, 12:01am ET through May 21, 2014, 11:59pm ET on purchases of $150 or more before shipping charges and taxes are added. Offer valid on orders shipping to the continental U.S. only. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases and cannot be redeemed for cash. Customer must select “overnight” as shipping method at checkout. Free overnight shipping will be automatically applied to qualifying orders at checkout. Terms of offer are subject to change. 

**Free economy shipping valid at madewell.com on orders shipping to the continental U.S. and P.O. Boxes only. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases and cannot be redeemed for cash. See top right for shipping details. Free shipping will be automatically applied to qualifying orders at checkout. Terms of offer are subject to change.
Madewell's email also features Birkenstocks. I am surprised to see that both J.Crew and Madewell are selling the brand. Although, Birks seem more Madewell than J.Crew to me, I did not think J.Crew/Madewell would overlap partnership brands.

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion at Madewell? What Madewell item are you hoping to pick up? Please share!

4 hours only: Coffee Break (flash sale at J.Crew Factory!)

"Thanks!" to  many of you, including 312JCgirl (in this post), as well as Brittney (in this post), who shared the following email & promotion from J.Crew.

J.Crew Factory is offering 30% off and free shipping with promotional code BUZZ. This offer expires today at 3PM EST. The fine print includes:
**Offers valid on purchases made at jcrewfactory.com on May 19, 2014, 11:00am ET to 3:00pm ET. Offers not valid in J.Crew or J.Crew Factory stores, at jcrew.com or on phone orders. Offers cannot be applied to previous purchases or the purchase of gift cards and cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other offer. Offers not valid on men’s shoes, Thompson suiting, BAGGU®, Sperry Top-Sider®, Rainbow®, Toysmith™, Natural Products Ltd.™, Speedo® Neonwonders® goggles or Speedo® Skoogles goggles. To redeem, enter code BUZZ in the promo code box at checkout. Free shipping valid on orders shipping to the continental U.S. and U.S. P.O. Boxes via economy shipping (6 to 8 business days) and to Canada via standard shipping (4 to 7 business days). Return requests must be made in accordance with our return policy. Offers valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Terms of offers are subject to change.
There are lots of cute things at J.Crew Factory so it might be worth a quick look.

Personally, I am crushing on the  Factory three-quarter sleeve beaches sweatshirt (item A5099). I have enough sweatshirts, but this one seems super cute for Summer.

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? If so, please share!