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!
I posted a review of the Hooded Downtown Field Jacket in the reviews thread, if anyone is interested.
ReplyDeleteApologies for the massive cut/paste but a friend who gets WWD sent me this article this morning and I wanted to share (posting in two posts since it's too much for one post):
ReplyDeleteThe retailer is focusing on core categories for fall, such as ballet flats, cashmere and the Jackie cardigan.
BY DAVID MOIN
Sept. 14.
That’s a key date for J. Crew Group and Millard “Mickey” Drexler, its chairman
and chief executive officer. It’s the day the retailer’s next delivery hits store floors, and Drexler told analysts on a conference call Thursday that will be when the changes he and his team are making to the struggling J. Crew brand will be visible.
“I am not going to say it’s the be-all, end-all, but I think you will be really pleased with what you see,” he promised. The delivery will focus on what J. Crew terms its “heritage” products, which include such items and categories as ballet flats, cashmere, the Jackie cardigans, the Regent blazers, washed shirts and denim.
But as the company focuses on those items, Drexler admitted there will be less
emphasis on its higher-priced J. Crew Collection products, which it has used
over the last few years to try to move more upmarket and generate more press
attention while increasing the visibility of president and creative director Jenna Lyons. More recent press attention has focused on consumer criticism of Lyons and J. Crew’s products.
On Thursday, Drexler was upbeat about the upcoming offerings on a day when
J. Crew reported further poor financial results, posting a net loss of $13.6 million in the second quarter versus net income of $10.8 million in the second quarter of last year.
Total revenues in the quarter ended Aug. 1 dropped 5 percent to $593.6 million while comparable-company sales fared even worse, falling 11 percent. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was $41 million compared to $67.6 million in the
second quarter last year.
By brand, J. Crew sales decreased 10 percent to $506.5 million and on a comparable basis fell 13 percent. In comparison, Madewell has been having a good year. Madewell sales increased 22 percent to $67.9 million, and were up 8 percent on a comparable basis.
“Our performance in the second quarter was in line with our expectations,” Drexler said. “Entering fall, we feel good about the assortments in stores and online, which reflect more emphasis on the key product categories that our customers love J. Crew for. At the same time, our team has taken a hard look at the business and made changes to drive greater efficiency
and profitability. We’re focused on our performance in the second half of the year and positioning the business for sustained growth.”
(part two)
ReplyDeleteThe positive comments Thursday regarding assortments going forward suggested some retreat from commentary in June when the company said declines at J. Crew in women’s apparel and accessories were expected to continue “at least through fiscal 2015.”
Drexler said in the conference call that the company was focused on three things: product, marketing and customer service. He stressed how J. Crew is changing as “calibration of product, not a change in direction.”
With product, Drexler said the team was focused on “core strengths in key categories” that differentiate the business. “We can’t overlook the fact that our heritage assortment has come back in a very strong way,” he said. With marketing changes, Drexler said efforts center on driving key categories and heritage items through a 360-degree approach including social media, style guides, traditional print and outdoor advertising. With customer service, Drexler cited engaging technology across all customer touch points, personalization of e-mails to speak to customers more about what they are interested in, and a more seamless experience between desktop and mobile shopping.
Drexler also provided an update on the launch of the J. Crew Mercantile value division, which opened its first location at the Park Lane shopping center in Dallas last month. “Our plan is to open eight stores for the balance of the year,” he said. He described Park Lane as “a mixed location of discounting, regular price retailing, food and supermarkets” and “an ideal place for us to put a value version of our business.” He described the launch of J. Crew Mercantile as “really a distribution decision.” The new concept represents an expanded effort to seek the value-driven customer in more places than just with factory outlets, such as strip centers, off-price centers and power centers.
For the time being, the J. Crew Mercantile stores will carry the same merchandise that the factory outlets sell. It is merchandise specifically produced for the outlets and reflecting the J. Crew aesthetic but at lower prices. It’s possible that in the future a label just for the Mercantile stores gets introduced. No clearance merchandise from the regular J. Crew stores will be available at J. Crew Mercantile. The outlets do not sell clearance goods. The regular J. Crew stores clear merchandise through markdowns, clearances and sample sales.Meanwhile Madewell, Drexler said, continues to perform well and is on track to add 20 stores to the fleet, ending the year with 105 units. The J. Crew Group is opening a total of 52 stores this year, including 11 J.Crew units, 21 factory outlets — which include the eight J.Crew Mercantile units — and the
20 Madewells.
There is a new jcrew opening here in Atlanta in the Ponce City Market.
Deletei don't shop at the Factory, but have friends wanting a Factory/Mercantile near NYC...These are the projections for the new store opening from their yesterdays financials:
DeleteQ3 – 17: One retail, two international retail, six factory (including three J.Crew Mercantile stores), and eight Madewell stores.
Q4 – 18: Two retail, one international retail, seven factory (including five J.Crew Mercantile stores) and eight Madewell stores. Close one retail store.
I'm looking forward to the new Fall collection now that I'm back in a city with a J.Crew B&M store. I so wan't impressed last year. the last thing I purchased from J.Crew was a cashmere scarf back in January. I miss J.Crew but I guess the feeling is mutual.well at least they miss my money.
DeleteI would love to check out their new Mercantile line but if it's anything like Factory, I'm gonna have to decline. I shall await the new rollout with bated breath.
Good to see you, D*ska! It's been a while. : )
DeleteThanks....interesting. My quick thoughts would be
ReplyDelete+ I do not shop Madwell as it is too young for me
+ I rarely shop factory as quality is less (imo)
+I have never bought a Regent Blazer yet nor a jackie cardi.
+All I really want is longer dresses and pants ( I am 5'5'')
+ collection was always nice to look at ( I have a few pieces I bought on super sale)
+ style guides...well . send me one. or better yet. just put the thing online all at once and be done with it. the pinterest process has irritated me...to not looking at all.
+semlined onlineshopping ...get the Canadian site sorted out. in other words look at the ridiculous price diferences and change it...FAST. You are losing customers daily.
+where is Jenna ?....I always liked her.
Just a few random thoughts after reading the above post. I am sure we all have many suggestions for Mickey and his team
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Anne - thanks so much for posting that article!
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I just don't have confidence that we're going to see those changes. JC is trying to do an about-face with less Collection/more "heritage" items, but they are missing the point, which is DESIGN PLUS QUALITY (emphasis added for JC - I'm not trying to yell). They've changed the design, materials and construction on some of their most popular items ("calibration of product", hmph) - sometimes they change the name, sometimes they don't.
I was reading some reviews on the site the other day, and for some of these classic items, the "most helpful" review says something to the effect of, "This is not the same item!", "Bring back the original", etc. For example, the new Majesty peacoat has 0% recommending out of 9 reviews so far. The Rhodes blazer reviews say the buttons feel cheap and plasticky. Most of the cashmere reviews are poor. A lot of reviews of items across the board mention the quality decline. I was pretty embarrassed for JC in reading some of them.
I just don't see how they can recapture their old glory because they're refusing to acknowledge the obvious decline in quality that they seem to be unable to stop. The items that they're able to retain quality for seem to have such glaring design flaws (reading the reviews for the cape, for example) that they've wasted good fabric there. It's frustrating that they cannot seem to balance these two things, and have not been able to for a long time.
What she said. Doubled.
Deleteand when did the Regent blazer become a "heritage classic"?
I wondered the same about the Regent.
DeleteHA! That's exactly what I said...."Regent blazer, Classic? Since when?" Never bought a regent....that collar is not classic, never bought a Jackie, never bought ballet flats from them....better quality ballet flats from lots of other brands, Factory is cheap junk.....sorry, but I think Mickey is just blowing wind up our skirts.
DeleteI agree ladies!
DeleteOmg the Regent as a "heritage item." Are you serious? Y'all know how I feel about that middle school home ec project :)
DeleteAnd couldn't agree more, silver_lining!
DeleteThis is not very encouraging. I don't like the Regent at all. Quality is something that Drexler needs to address. It almost sounded to me as if he was throwing Jenna under the bus with that collection comment.
DeleteThrowing Jenna under the bus? I respectfully disagree. Well, not only I (an excerpt from NY Times):
Delete"Millard S. Drexler, the chief executive, is taking most of the hits, and Mr. Mora clearly was the first actual fall guy. But Ms. Lyons’s job is to shape the company’s aesthetic strategy, even if she isn’t responsible for shaping every garment, and no one seems to be even querying her part in all this.
It’s almost as if she hasn’t played a part at all, to the extent that, in the news release announcing Mr. Sikhounmuong’s appointment, there was a quote from Mr. Drexler, but none from Ms. Lyons although Mr. Sikhounmuong will report directly to her, as he did at Madewell. That suggests either she is being protected, or she is being hidden, or they still have faith in her, or she is on the line. It could be any of the above."
I want to like that blazer but as someone with a "lob" haircut I'm really not sure what on earth to do with that "fashionably pre popped" collar. Where does it go?? Where does my hair go???
Deletebring back the everyday chinoooooossssss (that should be heritage ;) )
DeleteAnon, I think it's subtle shade on Lyons. They are reducing her visibility. I'll be curious to see where she is in the next couple of years. It wouldn't surprise me to see her leave the company.
Delete"But as the company focuses on those items, Drexler admitted there will be less
emphasis on its higher-priced J. Crew Collection products, which it has used
over the last few years to try to move more upmarket and generate more press
attention while increasing the visibility of president and creative director Jenna Lyons."
I think Jenna is actually very talented. Also, 25 years with the company must count for something. However...I think has she outgrown the company. Her very out-of-the-box, pro-high fashion esthetics do not sit well with the base of JCrew shoppers. I think it is "time" for her own fashion line or "graduating" to a more high-fashion/upscale "designer" house.
DeleteI am surprised at the "increasing visibility" comment as just a few months ago there were rumours in the press at him pissed at her "self-promoting", go figure.
Glad we'll see more JC classics, and hope they'll fix fit & quality issues as well. I've learned to check recent reviews before purchasing new iterations of my long-term favs, and more and more I'm reading of unfortunate downgrades in staples like minnies, signature leggings, no. 2 pencils, jackies, perfect tees. I'll gladly restock my closet if JC brings back the quality as well.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried the new Saturday pants? So curious. Loved the originals.
ReplyDeleteI bought them in navy and really like them; it's my first pair. They're very soft and comfortable. The original description said they were linen and that was one of the reasons I initially bought them. The product description has since been updated to cotton. Even though the fabric isn't what I was expecting, I kept them. I think they'll travel well and I'm taking them on my trip to Tokyo this week.
DeleteI had thought that was a misprint. they would not go over well in linen. cotton (sweatpant material) is more like it. I am wodering if they are exactly like the older ones. I only have the older ones. they are only worn at home .....never ever out of the house. smiliey face here
DeleteHi Unknown - yes, they are 100% cotton and very similar to the old Saturday pants (same cut, same back pockets and drawstring waist). I'd say the cotton is just a little bit thinner, but this is one of those reissues that's very close to the original. I'm still happy with my Saturday pants and the weekend skinny sweats from last year, but just had to see the new ones IRL to see how they compared!
DeleteHot Air. Unless a major improvement in quality follows, not much will change for this parton.
ReplyDeleteHa, an excerpt from growing commentary re: latest results:
Delete"Mind you, this isn’t the first time Drexler’s pledged that shoppers will see a pared-down J.Crew. In 2013, he agreed with disgruntled consumers and said that the label had ”strayed too far from the classics” and were—in all their mixed-print-and-sequin glory—possibly too overstyled, but urged consumers to be patient, as future collections would be inching its way back toward the brand’s basics."
Read more: http://stylecaster.com/j-crew-focus-on-heritage-items-fall-2015/#ixzz3k8FfnNRH
HOT AIR.
Have to agree. The decline in JC quality over the past 5+ yrs. has been alarming. Most things I buy there now are scarcely better than something I could pick up at Gap (or even Old Navy!). They will have to address the big Q in a serious way to win back all the dough I used to spend there.
DeleteSale is back to 40% off at my local store.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the day after I bought a bunch of tops. Sad trombone! :)
DeleteSo many requests for quality, J. crew, and for years on this blog of your biggest fans! Sadly, we are going to be permanently disappointed. What we see, including the poor new versions of those heritage styles, is the new normal. They have said as much ... The focus away from Collection and on factory and mercantile's low bar quality. The fine fabrics, careful construction, and special touches aren't coming back because it's economically impossible to do so without raising prices, let alone constant promo which is how they move undesirable inventory.
ReplyDeleteQuality wise, what you see is what you get, no matter if they call it a Jackie or a Matchstick etc. it won't be the same. I'm dealing with that and just much more discerning about what I am actually getting. The J. crew label inside doesn't mean what it used to.
I am intrigued by all of the comments and have a few thoughts to add while adding dittos to the comments about quality and designs that fit and flatter a woman's body.
ReplyDeleteWhile I like having the basic wardrobe workhorses at Jcrew, I especially love the collection pieces. I do buy them on sale but don't mind paying more for something fabulous. I love that Jcrew shows at NY fashion week. I love that they are favorites of bloggers and fashion editors. I love seeing what Jenna Lyons is wearing next. I love the edginess of classics with a twist. Even when everyone is grumbling about not finding much to love at Jcrew, a few collection pieces always catch my eye. I know the collection pieces are not in everyone's budget but I for one would be so sorry to see them fall to the wayside.
I agree Shopping Celle!
DeleteI couldn't have said it better @Shopping Celle, ITA!
DeleteI always enjoy looking at the collection pieces, and I've bought a few on sale. What I don't understand is why I was more interested in collection pieces when collection debuted but as time has passed, collection pieces have increased, but my interest has waned. Are there too many collection pieces? Is J.Crew making too much stuff in general? Is a collection piece in silk better than a regular item in silk? I love the anticipation of a new rollout but even collection doesn't impress as much as it used to either. Maybe it's just me.
DeleteI agree with you Shopping Celle! I do not mind splurging on a Collection item if it really intrigues me, fits well and has a place in my wardrobe (the Leather Tank for example, is most likely coming home to me). And I may be in the minority but I am LOVING the fall stuff so far -- I have already purchased three new work dresses to replace dresses I was ready to retire and would gladly buy more.
DeleteI don't feel quite the same about J.Crew showing at NYFW or them being fashion editor favorites. It doesn't bother me, but what works for fashion editorials doesn't always work in the real world. A lot of times pairings and stylings on the runway would look ridiculous in real life, and the items designed for a FW presentation are not always all that wearable -- they are more art pieces meant to make an impression and capture the imagination of their fellow buyers and editors. I like the shows in that way, as art shows, but as far as my wardrobe goes I could very much take it or leave it.
On topic, my B&M also is back to 40% off sale and the SAs confirmed that they are hearing Sept 14 for new arrivals. They said there will be an in-store event on the 15th. Didn't give details.
ReplyDeleteOoh thanks for passing the news...I hope they'll release some of the clothes they showcased on fashion week.
DeleteSome new arrivals online are listed as 40% off. It's obviously an error in pricing.
Deletethis would not be the first time that almost straight out of the roll out items are discounted. IMO priced too high to begin with. but it fools us to think we are getting a good deal .
DeleteVery, very true!
DeleteWhat's the point of doing 40% off if I (and it sounds like a lot of you guys) don't want the clothing? Why is this so hard for them to see?
DeleteUnknown, correct! The prices shall be 40% lower to begin with. Just saying something is 40% doesn't make is a great deal. But I agree, that's the sale trap many fall for.
DeleteExactly. I would love for J. Crew to just price things lower from the start and save me the hassle of waiting for a "sale."
DeleteWith many of you sharing thoughts on the new Heritage items, I thought I'd share this article from the WSJ. It's about how high end menswear companies like Saint Laurent and Vuitton are tackling the same thing; their greatest hits.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wsj.com/articles/menswears-greatest-hits-now-forever-available-1440711390
I know LL Bean and J Crew do not necessarily have the same audience but there are certain things I can always get at LL Bean and the quality in my experience has remained the same, I think that's a good thing. Comparing my older Jackies with the new, there is a noticeable difference. I also don't see much difference between Old Navy and Factory in terms of quality but the prices at Old Navy are much better.
ReplyDeleteHey all you J. Crew Experts......did the crew make a School Boy Blazer in a tweed or herringbone type fabric? I really want a new jacket and love the School Blazer I have owned for years and years? Let me know! I've got a search on ebay and I hope to find something.
ReplyDeleteHello Stray Cat - in some cleanup I found I still had the October 2012 Style Guide, and was recently flipping through it. They have a wool herringbone schoolboy in romantic pink and watercolor blue, style 94975K. Also a jeweled collar check in coffee/cream style number 99236K. Additionally they had a hacking jacket in herringbone (48263K) in Warm Camel, Manor Purple, Cream/Black, and Dusty Jade. Hope that helps.
DeleteI've flipped through this October 2012 guide more than once now, as it has some great styling ideas and had some really beautiful pieces - it's the style guide they shot in Tokyo.
DeleteOh.....be still my heart. Hacking jacket in herringbone! I want!!!! Thanks so much for sharing the info....it gives me hope!
DeleteGlad it helps! I so wish I'd gotten one of these at the time!
DeleteI have the Hacking Jacket in herringbone. It's a great jacket.
DeleteI really wish they'd bring back the Hacking Jacket. That was a great piece!
DeleteJ Crew also made a Houndstooth School boy blazer a few years ago.
DeleteI've got the Houndstooth Schoolboy. Beautiful fit and quality construction. IMO the original Schoolboy qualifies as "heritage!"
DeleteStrayCat keep searching ebay. I have found some beautiful jackets just over the last year in the Robert Noble tweeds and wools. I found another last week in my size, a beautiful pink with the leather buttons. I can't wait to get my paws on it, it will be my third of these jackets and they are so well made. Some are 10 years old and look brand new.
DeleteThey still pop up on ebay often and they are usually very well priced (I think I paid $30 for one of them).
Good luck! :)
As you may have read I'm doing some big time purging in my closet and home. This has left some gaps in my fall/winter wardrobe due to purging things I haven't worn in years and the loss of 15 lbs recently. Yesterday I saw the denim button front skirt by Alexa Chung ($250.00....seriously) on two different blogs and thought a skirt like that would make a good all year item in my closet . I make a mental note and head off to the mall. I parked in the Sears parking lot because Gap, J. Crew and Nordstrom is on that end and as I was walking through Sears I spot a denim button down below the knee skirt! There is one.....my size and it's on sale. I try it on....perfect! I feel like I need to look around and see some cute skinny black jeans and try them.....dang, super cute and boy do I look skinny in them!!! I check out....the skirt was $9.21 and the jeans were $26.99....then I have some kind of surprise points and get $10.00 off! Crikey! I feel like I'm on a roll and in a pretty confident mood so I head to Nordstrom to look around. We must have been feeling happy cause I let the annoying pushy sales guy talk me into trying on some jeans. All of them were between $150.00 and $250.00. What the heck? I couldn't get into any of them even though I was trying them according to my waist size. Extremely tight ankles and legs, very short legs, very short rise, really small butt area.....so I'm telling the guy....look, I don't know anything about this fauncy jeans cause I'm coming from wearing good old Levis for years. Then he waxes ecstatic cabout Levis and I notice he's wearing Levis. Geez!!! So much for that. I drive right to my local Goodwill and paw through the hundreds of jeans and find 9 pairs of expensive label jeans and buy two of the cutest nicest fitting jeans. One cute flairs by Paige and another cute Seven brand jeans. They were $9.99 and $10.99. Lesson learned. I'm thinking for what I'm trying to do in my life (purge, recycle, reuse and be more conscious about what I buy) thrift stores and resale stores are going to become my friends.
ReplyDeletePlus, you may find some nice J Crew from years past when the quality was actually good! That's so great you found so many nice things to add to your wardrobe!!
DeleteHi Stray Cat - I'm loving reading about your purging experience. I did a ton of thrifting in high school and college and got away from it once I got a "real" job post-college and could afford to buy elsewhere. However, some of my most beloved items (and those that have been in my closet the longest) are either thrifted or purchased off of eBay.
DeleteMy mom found a 2005 ivory Cambridge Cable sweater at the Salvation Army last fall for $2. I don't think it had ever been worn! It's fun to find those pieces if you have the time (and patience) to look. : )
@straycat Thank you for sharing your stories. You've inspired me to look through my closet and next week I'm going to look at consigning some items since I have too many that never get worn.
DeleteRe: the skirt and jeans you bought, great finds this weekend ! Isn't it the best feeling when you find something you were seeking especially when it's a great price. Prices have really gotten crazy when you compare them to years ago especially on denim. I remember when jcrew prices were lower and quality was much higher (ie for wool blazers, cashmere) it's really sad to see the asking price for inferior quality now. Not just a jcrew of course.
I love reading about it too. Sure you don't want to start a blog? I also love reading about great thrift or resale finds. I took another load to consignment today. J. Crew t-shirts this time. I still like my J. Crew t-shirts, but I had too many and wasn't wearing some of them. This is round 1; I have more t-shirts to purge.
DeleteStray Cat, love hearing about your evolving shopping strategy. I had a similar experience yesterday .... Went to the mall, parked by JC Penney, walked through the Worthington "career" section. Saw lots of dressy work pants, in Petite!, including the elusive chocolate brown color I'm looking for. I checked them out ... Laugh at JCP if you want, but those pants were a nice stretch fabric, full interfacings and piped seams, and seam binding at the hem. I.e., the construction for $44 was far superior to most JC garments. Modern cut as welll
DeleteWow! I love hearing all of your purging/cleaning stories too and love all the great fashion finds at stores that frankly most of us including me have poo-pooed as being old fashioned or not up on style. Maybe the good thing about the upheaval at J. Crew is that it's forced us to broaden our shopping and look at those stores like Sears and Penney's. I also like to check out T. J. Maxx and Marshalls. I love fashion but have learned the hard way that much of my fashion regrets have been about fantasy dressing....the women I wished I was. My closet was lacking in "real" clothes appropriate for my real life. So that's what my concentration will be on. I need a new black purse (I've been carrying a Dooney and Burke that I got a really good deal on at Macy's for years and years and it's still in good shape but I want a crossbody, so off to consignment it goes) but instead of buying a new purse from Nordstrom or Macy's I went to ebay and have fallen in love again with Coach. I'm looking for Made in USA bags. I carried Coach all through the 80's and 90's and love their classic lines. I feel good about buying a loved pre-owned bag. I'm enjoying thinking more about what I buy and really trying to plan well. I'll probably never have a "capsule" wardrobe but I'm going to try to implement as many of the concepts as possible in the future. I think the revolution is on girls! Broadening our horizons will bring us more unique and well priced fashion finds. Let's keep sharing our experiences! I really enjoy reading them! And Cate.....those J. Crew tee-shirts breed like rabbits! One day I have one, next day I own 10! Hee! I have enough to last a life time!
DeleteStray Cat, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are both awesome about returns, any time, without receipt. I don't know if that's their policy, but they've never given me a hard time about a return. Do you live near a consignment store that sells handbags? I see Coach bags a lot at the two I go to.
DeleteLaughing at the breeding tees… They really do. I'm going to sort them by color and pick my favorite in each shade, get rid of the rest. It's true they'll probably then proceed to get holes, but I'll take my chances. I still have my old Banana Republic tees from 5-10 years ago and they have held up beautifully, so they're staying (except I'm purging some colors I don't wear in those too).
Extra 40% off select sale items with SALETREAT. Free shipping at $100+.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Merino V-neck Tunic Sweater c9134 and Tippi Sweater e1277 show the extra 40% off when you look through the Sale > Sweaters section but the 40% percent doesn't work at checkout (or when you search by style number). I called CS and they honored the sale price.
I picked up the capsleeve Marble Print top in store before the 25% off shirts ended since in store the Canadian price is better than cdn online price. ($127 vs $160)
ReplyDeleteI also picked up the sleeveless flounce dress in belvedere red which went on sale this week. The cdn price games continue as it was originally $175 online but $138 in store. It went on sale online for $125.99 cdn but that's also the store sale price which isn't much of a markdown from $138. Hopefully store sales prices won't be what we see online because it won't be much of a markdown. I'm hoping they won't jack up original store prices to match the overinflated online prices.
I popped in today to make an exhange. I purchased the Perfect Shirt in Heather Dot online and while the fabric is lovely as well as the shirt itself, it runs a full size too small. I exchanged my normal size 2 for a 4 and the 4 fit just as all my other size 2 Perfect Shirts and Boy Shirts.
ReplyDeleteI also regrettfully left without purchasing a Heather Grey Excursion Vest with navy blue lining. It's lovely! I called to have one held to pick up tomorrow. I tried to purchase it over the phone but it isn't showing in their system yet. Apparently it was meant for the September roll out and a few stores mistakenly put it out early. Either way, it's a total keeper. Great shade of grey and I guess I'll be picking it up at full-price.
So many people have shared many divergent points of view on JC's woes, in interesting and thoughtful comments.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my thoughts, rather, here are some things I don't think.
I don't think quality and careful craftsmanship have to be inconsistent with flair and imagination. I think that when a merchant offers carefully made items, whether or not the items are mass-produced, at a fair price, that merchant is showing respect for his customers, and deserves respect from them in turn. On the other hand...
Here's another thing I don't think: I don't think taking last season's offerings and glamming them up with a few more spangles here and a lot more sequins there, is design, let alone good design. Moreover, I don't think there's anything wrong with continuing to produce tops with the same shoulder, shirts with the same darts, skirts with the same waist panel. Things sell because they work for people. I don't think losing the darts and adding a pocket made of non-washable sequins is design.
Oh, and while I love the idea of business-like dresses, I also don't think offering almost exclusively sleeveless or cap-sleeved "wool" dresses is quite right for the New York - Boston -Philadelphia market. Most of the time, the absence of sleeves in winter will not drive me to buy a jacket or a cardigan. It will drive me to Bloomingdales.
I do understand that there are some people for whom leather shorts are appropriate for all occasions, all seasons. However most of them do not live in North America, and most of them are male. And yet, oddly, I couldn't find any leather shorts for men in JC's catalog or on the website.
When a company culture is one of cost-cutting, penny-pinching and desperate economic measure, it's amazing when a few lovely items slip through the net. And, hopefully, into my waiting hands.
i think all of our shared thoughts were more the same than divergent, we all get the crew. one day we love the next day we rant. smiley face here,
DeleteWellfedfred.....well said. I can't tell you how many times I stand in stores (not just the Crew) and ask.....where are the darts? How about a real waistband instead of elastic ( All those elastic waistbands this season made me feel like I was ready for the retirement center!), some lining would be very appropriate. The missing feeling in all the clothes offered today is "appropriate and modest".....I'm not a prude or have any religious clothing dictates, I just don't want to wear sleeveless tops ALL the time, or sheer clothes or really short hemlines or skin tight. I didn't even want to wear those things when I was young. I collect vintage fashion magazines and I look at them and long for beautiful clothes with real design features such as darts, etc. But as you stated those "extras" cost money and are the first things to go from garments in our culture.
DeleteSo well said Wellfedfred!! Laughing about the leather shorts market... very true that one.
Deletegrrr- ordered shirts at 25% to find them at 40%- asking for price adjustment.... crossing fingers
ReplyDeleteI've never been turned down for a price adjustment. CS has always been really nice about it.
Deletedo it asap. i never have luck with this. i am sure i must have some redflag `serial returner on my data. C
DeleteEven though the items were not on sale- (mistake on the website) they honored it and gave me the difference.) :)
DeleteUnknown, I am not sure why you have such a hard time with the price adjustments. Just like Wendy, I have never been refused an adj. within the 7-day period, and I have made many over the years.
DeleteUnknown, I remember you wanted to let me know how the return of some final sale cashmere went. - A few weeks ago, I bought 2 cashmere sweaters that were from spring 14' (!) and looked like there were on the very bottom on in some clearance box since then.
DeleteWell, JC guarantees a refund for any items with defect. I told them that I expect a wearable condition paying a $100 for a "collection cashmere". Yes, they accepted the returns.
Ugh, annoyed. Yesterday I added several of the vintage cotton dolman tees to my bag (online). They were included in the sale section, so were 40% off, and it was clearly stated in red on the page. But as another poster mentioned, the code (saletreat) wasn't working at checkout. I was hoping jcrew would fix the glitch overnight, so I could buy today. But I just looked at the shirt again this morning, and they are no longer listed on sale. I live chatted with someone from jcrew, and she confirmed that the shirt was not in the sale section, even though I know it was yesterday. He/she said they could honor if it I had a picture of it being on sale, but why would I do that? I was ready to buy a good number of the shirts at 40 % off, but not at full price. I thought it was part of the 2 day sale, but maybe not. Get your sh*t together, jcrew.
ReplyDeleteOff topic.... Has anyone tried Factory Frankie chinos.... How do they fit in comparisons to retail jcrew ... Thanks...
ReplyDeleteI thought they fit better on me than the andies- the andies I was between a size 6 and 8 and could never make it work. The frankies slipped on easy no issues (size 8- and I am bigger than when I first tried the andies ;) ). The material is like a normal "khaki- chino" washed many times still good.
DeleteThe smaller of my two usual sizes fit exactly, and the larger of my two sizes slightly baggy, but I would go up and then shrink them in the dryer and they should be perfect. They were a tiny bit wrinkly and thinnish but the pocket show through wasn't nearly as bad as previous season's.
DeleteThanks to both f you for your help. The reviews are mixed, but I take 2p in 1035 trouser or bristols. Was thinking of 2 regular or do you ladies think I need 4 reg... Thanks again
Deletedoes anyone know if there's ever a sale or coupon code that works on collection? I'm in love with a collection leather jacket, but not sure I can justify the price. I know coupon codes usual don't work on collection (or leather for that matter) but wanted to make sure before I thought about splurging. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteEverlane has some great designs. Still, their new flat (preordering) looks suspiciously like the Madewell loafer of two years ago: https://www.everlane.com/coming-soon/women
ReplyDeletehttp://www.polyvore.com/madewell_stacked-heel_loafer/thing?context_id=381823&context_type=user_fav&id=90608433
So, Madewell is a little ahead of its time. So is J.Crew on a lot of fronts.
Fidele - Do you own the other loafers from Everlane?
DeleteI've been eyeing the navy ones for about a year, but haven't pulled the trigger. It mostly has good reviews but a couple I read on Instagram said that they've own the shoes for about a year now, and still haven't broken them in.
Also read that the loafers are narrow?? Might not work for me since I have somewhat wide feet...
Hi JSR,
DeleteI own 2 pairs of the Everlane loafers, 1 in the smaller of my 2 sizes, 1 in the larger (8.5 and 9). I have a wider than average foot, I would say -- but I fit most regular shoes just fine (i.e. never had an issue with the width of any J. Crew shoes). I do find these shoes to be narrow. The 8.5s were the right length, but a bit tight through the box. They gave a bit at first, but they didn't stretch out enough to make them truly comfortable. I can wear them just fine sitting at my desk (lol), but that's about it. I do love the shape of the shoe, so I decided to try a pair of 9s -- they were much better, not too long, bit still a tiny bit narrow. They definitely did break in, but I think they overly broken in. I've had them since May, and have worn them maybe 15 times -- they're in not great shape. I personally feel like the leather scuffs quite easily, and the heel and sole are soft in the sense that they look rather worn already. I mostly wear the shoes to run errands, go to work, and walk around at lunchtime. The leather is really broken in -- the top is very creased. My pair of 9s are the olive green colour, so they look like a more casual shoe to begin with, but they certainly don't have the elegance of a brand new pair of black ones. I think they are a beautiful shoe, but they don't stay that way. I personally don't recommend them, unless there's some sort of $ back guarantee. I'm thinking about trying the new pair of J. Crew loafers (item e0771) instead. HTH!