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.
I placed an uninspired order for a white button-down from BR Factory (birthday rewards that were about to expire). Lo and behold, my $20 shirt has darts! And seaming/shaping along the back! And it's a nice, thick stretch cotton that's not see-thru! Happy day.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying BR Factory online. I'm not close to an outlet mall - I have found some great deals. I bought like 3 pairs of the Hampton Pique crop pants over the summer. They were comparable to the Cafe Capri & came in fab colors. I've also purchased several cardis which have been good quality.
DeleteI'm astounded by how much I love my BR leather midi skirts (yes, grabbed the olive and the black). Beautifully tailored, nice fit.
Delete@cobalt which shirt is that? I have birthday rewards that I would like to use.
DeleteVent: I bought a romper from BR factory while visiting family down in TN and I am very sad to say that it is coming apart on the inside. Every single time I wash it, there are more and more frays. I didn't pay much for it, but I've only had it for a month!
It's the "factory non-iron fitted sateen shirt", item #152867 (petite) or 151853 (regular). I'm usually a 00 or petite 00 at JC; I ordered petite 0 and it's a good fit across my relatively broad shoulders, tapers nicely at the waist (not long- or short-waisted), and the darts hit at exactly the right spot for me (halfway between shoulder and elbow). Flares out a bit more than I need at the hips, but the fabric is substantial enough that it gives a peplum effect. Sleeves are a bit longer than comparable JC shirts, torso a bit shorter but still plenty of length for tucking. HTH and happy birthday!
DeleteSome Anthropologie here and some Madewell reviews coming soon!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have recommendations for stores I can buy good-quality cotton t-shirts? A couple of my older J. Crew painter tees are starting to look a little too raggedy to wear outside of my house but I don't dare buy new ones because I've been burned by J. Crew knits in the past couple of years (e.g. holes developing after a couple of washes, shirts and tanks falling apart at the seams). I'm looking for replacement tees but it seems impossible to find nice cotton tees. Help!
ReplyDeleteI would recommend Boden's Essential Crewneck long sleeve tee, $28.50 when it goes on sale which is does periodically for $23.80. I have the navy/ivory striped ones. I haven't washed them yet and I have a feeling the cuff opening might stretch out throughout the course of the day.
DeleteJust recently a friend was telling me about Michael Stars t shirts:
Deletehttps://www.michaelstars.com/essential-tees
they are high quality and good material (supima) - she was showing me one she has had for 6 or 7 years that still looks new! Prices run about double what a JCrew t shirt would be, but if it lasts 4 times longer, it's worth it to me. I haven't ordered from them but would like to next time I'm in the market for basic Ts!
I'm also looking for tees! I haven't tried them personally but have seen good feedback about Everlane - their basic tees start at $15. Two items qualify for free shipping and $5 returns so I may try a few of those.
DeleteThere are a lot of Everlane reviews on gretchenscloset.com, especially in the comments to the post at http://grechenscloset.com/everlane-update/. I have a couple of the heavyweight tees from this past spring & they've held up well. Definitely a cooler weather tee, though, as they're almost sweatshirt-like in thickness.
DeleteI second Everlane for basic tees. I have both Cotton U-necks and Cotton V's. The U-neck's are slouchy and the V-necks are a more standard fit. I think they both run TTS.
DeleteGo to TJ Maxx and Marshalls...Lots of basic splendid, c and ca california, michael stars etc....normally priced $20-$30 but worth double that!
DeleteI live in Everlane tees! Been washing mine weekly for about 18 months and they still look and fit perfect.
DeleteI'm sure most have heard of this and it's not any great mystery, but just in case, there's Boden. I've bought the British Tweed blazer (retail $228) got it for under $100 end of season, hoping it would be like the schoolboy. The good...it is slightly longer in the back as compared to the front and is rounded too in the front, it's a nice change. The bad...on the one that I have I had to tailor the sleeve width to be more fitted like a schoolboy or regent. I like a more trim looking sleeve. So with that said I don't know that I'd buy another British tweed unless it was on sale for sure and I was prepared to spend more to get the sleeve tailored, I can't remember what I spent to do that. I also bought a few Blenheim blazers from them and those didn't need to be tailored, again size 2P is equal to a 0P. If you're looking for a nautical striped shirt with a bit of stretch since the striped painter tees that JC has are all cotton and don't have stretch, Boden makes a really great l/s version called the Essential Crew Neck Tee. I got it 23.80 on sale from $28 which is less than J.Crew's version. One last thing about the British Tweed blazer, if you're the type to like making a suit, where the skirt and blazer match, they sell pencil skirts in the same print as the British Tweed blazers. They have 4 different styles this year. The gingham multi is the one that I love, but the striped one is also eye catching.
ReplyDeleteI ordered some Ts from Boden a few years ago and had to return them. Too small and too big in places. Many of their prints are oddly suburban without the interesting detail that makes J.Crew stand out when its clothes are working.
DeleteAnother retailer that is cut like J.Crew is Brooks Brother's black fleece line. They run smaller than their regular line meaning a regular size 0 is much bigger than a Black Fleece 0 which they call BB0. BB0 is their smallest size which I think is comparable to a P0 in JCrew. All of the sizes start BB in front of the number.
ReplyDeleteRed Fleece Brooks Brothers (it's geared towards young people) is their most affordable line and I think their styling is most similar to J.Crew in terms of their sweaters and blazers.
ReplyDeleteOrdered a few items from Land's End with their Labor Day promo - will report on the fit and quality when they arrive. Among the items is a cream turtleneck that I hope won't be see-through.
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend, i placed an order with LLBean, for their classic as well as nylon totes (gifts for my mom, replacements). Order placed late afternoon, shipped the very next day - during holiday weekend! Shipped UPS ground, not that nonsense SurePost.
ReplyDeleteHi JCA’s! I received my first Uniqlo order today and wanted to post some reviews. First impression: wow, the quality of the items really blows JC out of the water. I think the sizing may be a little tricky and would probably recommend ordering a few sizes or trying in store if you can get there. I should’ve probably sized up from my usual JC size in most of the things I tried.
ReplyDeleteWomen IDLF Trench Coat - wow, a sherpa-lined trench for $129? This was REALLY well done. The lining is removable and warm. It doesn’t have epaulets, which I liked a lot. Unfortunately for me, the beige was a bit darker IRL than it was online, which didn’t look great against my skin. It was also not water-repellant cotton like the Icon Trench. In addition, most of the reviews stated that it ran large and I would agree with that - it felt big all over. If the color worked for me I would’ve exchanged it for an XS.
Women IDLF long sleeve sweat pullover - I tried my usual S. This was slightly cropped with long sleeves and looked like the cut of the Tilly sweater. It felt thick and well made. Not plush/soft on the inside, more of a french terry.
Women IDLF Chino Pants - Tried my usual 4 and they were so tight that I couldn’t zip them. They were quite low-rise (I’d guess 8” rise) so I think sizing up wouldn’t make a difference for me as I’m not doing low rise pants for the most part. However, they were excellent quality, slim cut in the legs and not frayed/distressed.
Women Extra Fine Merino V-Neck Sweater - The quality was just as good (if not better) as any JC merino sweater I’ve tried, for only $29.90. I’d size up to a Medium to be able to layer over a long-sleeved tee. Great color selection.
I've bought many things at Uniqlo, but I would never say its offerings were better than J.Crew's, especially the sweaters. I've had at least three merino or cashmere-blend sweaters pill to the point of unwearability in a month or two.
DeleteI like their lightweight down vests and print Ts, although the latter are pleasant,but very inexpensive-looking. J. Crew has much better design, cut, and fabric in its regular line.
Good to know about the sweaters, Reader - thanks! Like I said, it's my first order with Uniqlo so I'm curious to see how the merino holds up.
DeleteI would have to agree as far as quality goes. I've bought leggings (a hole after two wearings), sweaters, tanks...they barely last a season. I guess that's the point of fast fashion, so I decided it's not for me.
Deletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/style/sc-fash-0907-style-notes-jcrew-alternatives-20150901-story.html
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of JC-like retailers. Overdue from last week.
I also took advantage of the Uniqlo x IDLF collection, but I only bought a couple of items:
ReplyDeleteHeavy Gauge Cable Crewneck Sweater: Got this in "beige", and while I do love it and believe it will be incredibly warm, the color is not the most flattering with my skintone. Not really a huge problem if I have the collar of a shirt peeking out, and since I usually opt for such a look (button down + sweater) anyway, I don't think it'll be a problem. Quite itchy on its own, but again not a problem for me since I always layer. Otherwise cozy; a bit shorter in the body length than I hoped for, but still reasonable.
Gathered Skirt: I was skeptical about this since it's 100% rayon, and I don't usually have good experiences with such fabrics, but I was admittedly surprised by this, in a good way. It's quite a bit heavier than I expected, with a poly lining, two pockets, a hidden zipper (+ button), and it fell a bit below my knees. I also like the way it sits on my body, and I usually have quite a tough time with skirts. Sizing chart on this one is accurate, and there's little stretch in the waist band, so I'm glad I ordered the size I did.
I'm sad that the entire collection wasn't released, but oh well. I'm dying to get one of the patterned crewneck sweaters as well as the wide-lined crewneck sweater.
Also, tried Uniqlo this week. Had a chance to visit Ginza store in Tokyo; it's amazing with 12 floors. This was my first experience with Uniqlo. Here's what I tried in IDLF collection.
Delete1. The heavy gauge cable cardigan in beige with brown buttons. Fit TTS. I wore a Med, but would definitely need to layer with a long sleeve shirt because it's so itchy; decided to pass on this one as a result.
2. Tried the windowpane style flannel dress in beige and also the navy. Both fit TTS, M. If you have a bust larger than C cup, you may need to size up because the buttons may pull. Love the pockets and casual style; however, the pockets show through in the ivory. Flannel felt thick enough and soft for a transition piece. Didn't keep as it's not something I really need.
3. Tried on the wool blend long skirt in navy and grey pinstripe. The skirts are lined and fit beautifully. Has an elastic waist band, but it's subtle since it's black & not gathered. The pockets are also nice. I bought both; the pricing was great. They were, 3,990 yen which is about $33. This was cheaper than online price of $49.90 + 8.25% tax. Really happy with both of the skirts and they will be used quite a bit this fall and winter.
4. Finally, tried on the plaid wool blend skirt with pleats in the burgundy/navy. The skirt has a nice drape and I like the pockets. Tried on a size 6 and could wear it. I didn't buy it because it reminded me too much of uniforms I wore in private school years ago. So, this was a pass for me.