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.
Has anybody else noticed an odd cut in the casual button-down shirts lately - it's like no matter what size I try, the shirt pulls across the bust at the second button down from the top (not counting the button at the collar). I've tried at least three since the fall that have been like this...even if I size up to the point where the body is sloppy, there's still that pulling (I'm a 34B). When I started looking closer at the online and catalog pics, a lot of times this button is left undone. What would the point be of cutting these shirts so strangely? It seems more like a defect/error in the spec than a cost-cutting measure.
ReplyDeleteI find all the fits...pants shirts coats sweaters are all over the place for me this year???? C
DeleteHi silver_lining, that happened to me on the shrunken boy shirt in Buffalo check and I'm small chested. I thought it was a fluke but I guess not. I still bought it because it looked good overall and is very comfy. I hope this gets corrected.
DeleteThe cotton button down shirts have all been a little tight on me. I have not much of a chest, but my upper chest is wide. In the Stewart plaid perfect shirt (?) the 4 was tight and I tried the 6. It was so wide on the waist it was ridiculous. I was tempted to get it because I like the print but the cut was not good for me. OTOH, I bought a striped shirt that had a little stretch and it's much more fitted through the torso. (Maybe that one is perfect and the other is boyfriend?)
DeleteThe cotton button down shirts have all been a little tight on me. I have not much of a chest, but my upper chest is wide. In the Stewart plaid perfect shirt (?) the 4 was tight and I tried the 6. It was so wide on the waist it was ridiculous. I was tempted to get it because I like the print but the cut was not good for me. OTOH, I bought a striped shirt that had a little stretch and it's much more fitted through the torso. (Maybe that one is perfect and the other is boyfriend?)
DeleteSizing has been off ..way off. Reviews have been the only aid when trying to determine which size to order (not all reviews,of course, just the ones that offer useful information..not the ones that say "oh,so pretty.. I will wear with my pink sweater"
Delete( really?..thanks :). I sized up on two button downs I got with deep discount and they work..cuffs'buttons needed to be re-stiched to bring wrist to appropriate size but that was it. If you add overall quality to it you have your answer on why I feel compeled to buy only when price has reached its lowest.
I have basically given up on the button down shirts. They all fit me the way Silver Lining describes. I have never had a problem with the fit of their shirts before this season.
DeleteThanks for the feedback, ladies!
Deletejan, I noticed this with the buffalo check shirt in particular - I tried a 4 (my usual), 6, and eventually ended up with a tall 6 once it went down to $24. It feels like a Madewell boyfriend shirt in this size, but I like it - it actually fits my long arms! The body is generous and that pulling is still there if I button that second button, but I just leave it open and then it's fine. As produced, IMO there's no way this shirt is worth FP ($89.50!). I hope that JC can get their fit under control in 2016 - if not, the reviews will only highlight the issue.
The Favorite Shirt fit me really well. I haven't really bought much more than that as I'm not really into pattered shirts.
DeleteNothing specific, but J. Crew has been so uninteresting lately. It's a slow time of year for new merchandise, but J. Crew has discouraged me from even shopping sale because of the Final Sale (and their recent crackdown on enforcing it). If I buy something Final Sale and it doesn't work out, I feel bad that I wasted money and it reinforces that I shouldn't be shopping J. Crew sale. But I'm not going to buy at full price either because everything is priced too high to start (and there hasn't been new merchandise in so long anyway). So I'm not shopping at J. Crew, even though I'd like to be. Doesn't that seem messed up?
ReplyDeleteYES! I have to size up on the perfect shirts now because they are cut smaller in the shoulders. The shrunken boy shirt I ordered last week just fits in the shoulders/bust but is way too big in the body. I am 32B, so certainly not busty. They are not making them like they used to, that's for sure. Also very disappointed in some of the fabric quality. Wearing the white/gold dot perfect shirt today; it is completely see thru. Of course I have a sweater over it, but really J Crew? This is Forever 21 quality. The Crewlade got me again. As I was struggling to iron this poor quality fabric I said to myself, if you saw this at Target you would not have bought it because of the sheer fabric.
ReplyDeleteShopalot, I have the white/gold dot perfect shirt too and it was a huge disappointment. Target quality is being kind. It's virtually unwearable without a full-coverage sweater.
DeleteI am seeing the quality decline the worst in the thin see through fabrics that wash and iron very poorly. My older shirts and tees fit better and are made much better. Not buying at current quality unless under $20.
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ReplyDeleteThanks JCAs, based on a prior post about cleaning out items you don't wear so much. I was thinking about culling out some of my many buttons downs. But I decided that if J Crew can't even make a quality, well fitting button down, a staple of my wardrobe, I will hold off.
ReplyDeleteSlightly OT but I guess a vent, new factory arrivals this morning and they are all a snoozefest...I've bought less and less from factory in the past year but there wasn't one thing I was remotely interested in.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I was excited to look at some new springy items. Nothing added to my wishlist except for the elephant jewelry tray. Snooze fest is right.
DeleteSame. I did put the sketched doggie tee in my cart which I then removed as I remembered how many JC tees I have sold as of late on Poshmark! I just don't wear them, as cute as they are. (KONMARI FTW!)
DeleteI had the same reaction. I too have been shopping there less and less. Their rollouts all look exactly the same to me each month - like I am convinced they never get new jewelry but are just rolling out literally the same pieces month after month and acting like they're new arrivals.
DeleteCome on, just include all the cashmere in the "winter essentials" promo. As many New Yorkers
ReplyDeleteOups, I hit Submit at mid-sentence. I was saying that as many New Yorkers I hold off buying cashmere before/during the holidays because of the oddly warm weather. I would buy a chunky turtleneck (or two) right now but need an incentive, I am not going to buy full price. They should understand that!
DeleteI have two of the chunky turtlenecks and love them. Actually, they are the only items I've purchased this season with the exception of the camel Regent blazer. Nothing is striking my fancy. That's good because I'll have more money to spend on my next trip to France!
DeleteI think my love affair with J Crew is pretty well over. I still love the shoes (most I can't justify the cost) and jewelry. But my purchases are waaay down from last year. I placed an order a week and a half ago. One of the items was sitting in limbo- had a tracking #, but nothing was ever updated. I inquired about it last week and was told the tracking info had updated and it would arrive on 1/19. I chatted with CS today and they tell me the item never shipped and they were crediting my card b/c it was now sold out. Why wasn't I told that the first time? I don't see why it should have taken two contacts to CS, when they should have safeguards in place if something isn't available. The other items from the order were FS and don't fit (of course). I've been sending my money to Bloomie's lately- can't beat their cashmere (great price and quality to boot).
ReplyDeleteis it just me, or so many t-shirts and sweaters are so thin as to be see-through (especially in the lighter colours)? Even in the darker colours, as they are so thin, they show every bulge, the relief of my bra etc. How on earth am I supposed to wear that? How is that flattering? What is the point? Who wears that?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am reluctant to place any order online, as I am afraid that I'll end up with an item I just can't wear.
I am a huge fan of thin tees, as long as they are well made enough not get holes. I just like the way they drape. I find as long as I wear a nude bra nothing shows through. Different strokes I guess.
DeleteI've got a few of the cashmere tees with the small roll at the bottom. The problem is that now they're all rolling up to my waist. I hate having to keep pulling them down. Does anyone else have this problem? Do you think I could somehow stitch them down?
ReplyDelete@himmiefan I have a few of the cashmere tees and I won't buy any more because of the rolled hem...it's so annoying. I'm not sure about stitching it down, but if it was an option I would do it, I rarely wear mine because of that.
DeleteIt's a shame, isn't it. They're beautiful but very annoying! I don't wear mine much anymore either.
DeleteI usually find if I wear a tissue tee or something similar underneath the cotton helps it stay put. If I wear a Spanx tee it rolls up to my stomach. HTH
DeleteI had an older one, from about five years ago, with an unfinished hem and it didn't roll. My new cashmere tee has a finished hem, so I can't really speak to that. Sounds very odd though.
DeleteI hate final sale. I live two hours away from a retail store & three hours away from a Factory store. It is NOT FAIR (first-world problem!) with all of their sizing inconsistencies that if I order something & it doesn't fit, I can't return it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am in Roanoke, VA. WHY is the closest retail store two hours from here? WHY is the closest Factory / Mercantile store three hours from here? We have Virginia Tech, Radford U, Roanoke College, Hollins U, Lynchburg College, & Liberty U all within a 45-min driving distance. I don't get it.
Why don't you go to the real outlet in Lynchburg? It's an hour away at most and the prices are incredible!
Deletesega61 - I do make frequent trips to the clearance store! It is FAB. However - you never know what you might find there which is a blessing & a curse. if there's something in particular I want to try - there's no guarantee that they'll have any at all, let alone in my size.
DeleteI'll jump on the bandwagon and vent with the rest today.
ReplyDelete1. The perfect shirt is not perfect like it used to be. I wanted the Perfect shirt in Stewart plaid to work so badly but I reluctantly had to return it. I sized up but the fit was off and way too short for my liking. I'm 5'3" and I like a shirt to peek out from under my sweaters. I can only imagine how short it would be on you taller ladies.
2. I miss having a January catalog. I need new merchandise to look at and dream about during the dead of winter.
3. I stopped by the store yesterday and found nothing to buy. Hardly anything new since December. The sale section was full of ill fitting pants but of course when I needed to size up they didn't have the size I needed. Why do they stock dozens of xxxs & xxs. Don't they do any statistical analysis of their sizing demographics. Don't order as much of the outlier sizes and order more of the median sizes based on what sells out in your area. There have been several pieces that I was interested in but my size S, 4-6 is always sold out and this is even before final sale kicks in.
4. Final sale. Have a 7-14 day return window on "final sale" merchandise. My store has nothing to buy and my online cart is full of merchandise I would love to try.
I posted a few picks from the new style guide on my IG. Enjoy!
DeleteThanks, Ema! Any favorites???
DeleteYay! Thanks Ema.
DeleteI hope there's more than stripes and gingham in the style guide. I'm not against either, and I know everything's not for me, but this sounds like a design rut. I hope it's just a design way station.
DeleteEma.. What's your IG name?
DeleteMiss JR, I go by crazyaboutjcrew. I will post more today. It was already dark yesterday and with the artificial lighting I was afraid the colors would be misrepresented.
Deletemany thanks! :)
DeleteJust looked (thank you!) - I'm cautiously excited about those Teddy pants.
DeleteAnother final sale rant. After getting a dress that was incredibly short waisted (note to self:in future, when the model is holding her arm across her waist in the stock photo, be suspicious) and totally unflattering, I just boxed it up and sent it back. I'm curious to see how they will respond. A gift card would be ok, but why in the world can't they just offer a shorter return period for these items? Esp, as many have said, when collection items are hard to come by in store to try on, and many don't live near a store.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny. You will have to let us know how JC responds!
DeleteI bought a final sale item and received a used item. J crew is abusing their final sale! Shame on this company. And I sent a complain email to jcrew last week, of course no response was heard.
DeleteYou can't be afraid to complain or return it. And explain why. I had an issue with a pair of ballet flats, they told me they would accept the final sale return because it's a quality issue. I've never not had CS respond to an email.
DeleteThe first time I returned a FS item I hadn't actually realized it was FS. (It was not marked FS anywhere, including the packing slip.) I kept checking my email to see if credit was posted, but after two weeks of waiting I decided to call CS. I was told that the reason a credit was not issued was because the item was FS. So basically, if I hadn't called them they would not have issued the credit. When I replied that it was not marked as FS anywhere I got the good old "one time courtesy" response and finally the credit was posted. I thought at the time that that was pretty passive aggressive.
DeleteI've learned since then to just politely email CS if I want to return a FS item. So far, they've been terrifically understanding and have allowed me to return all items I had an issue with. I, on the other hand, try not to abuse it and return only items that are used, damaged, or are misrepresented on the website. (I don't have a B&M nearby, so I have to rely on the online stock photo and description of the product.)
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DeleteAgree with all the comments about returning FS damaged, used, or misrepresented items (eg., described as 100% silk, but unmentioned was that the lining is 100% poly) -- all you have to do is call CS and they will put a note on your order that will let you return in store or by mail. I have never had CS refuse. On the other hand, I don't even try to return FS items that just miss the mark...
DeleteIn fact, sometimes I don't even want to return a used FS item, but the ick factor just wins out. (E.g.: perectly good lady day coat, except for the chewed-and-spit-out-but-thankfully-wrapped-gum-wad in the pocket...) CS was appalled...
This isn't the fault of online customer service, who did their best, but the price adjustment I was talking about earlier (where the in-store staff incorrectly said I couldn't make a PR without the item unworn, with tags attached) apparently can't be made online after all, due to Canadian-US exchange regulations, so I was told to go back to the brick and mortar store to get a price adjustment. The problem is, it's definitely been more than a week now (when I asked originally, it was right on day seven), and it's a complicated situation to explain. Does anyone have any experience with this? I do have a case number, re: the online PR they tried to do, so can I just bring that to a store and they can talk to someone at customer service after giving the case number? I'm tempted not to go through with the hassle and potentially being a difficult customer, but $40 is a lot of money I'd like to get back if I can.
ReplyDeleteXan, I would just go in and pleasantly explain to the sales associate that you came in within the 7 days for a price adjustment and you were denied it without the actual merchandise. Say you talked to customer service and found out that you should have been given your price adjustment and would they please do that for you. If they resist then you can pull out the case number. I have been told by CS a few times that I could return a final sale item and when I told the sales associate they allowed me to without further questions or proof. I don't blame you at all for wanting to save $40! It's just too bad you had to go through the so much trouble to get it back.
DeleteHi Xan, I agree with Lauren just go back to the store and explain the situation. I'd politely talk to the manager and have them call customer service if needed. I've never had a problem with a price adjustment before over the many years I've shopped JC and I find customer service is always great so I know they will reconcile this for you. I have received a PA over the phone from a store (in Canada) before since I live out of town from any store so I did not need to bring the item in. $40 is a lot so I'd def go to the store.
DeleteHey, Lauren and jan! Thank you both so much for the encouragement. I ended up going in to a store (not the one that made the mistake, one that tends to be quieter, so I wouldn't be holding up the line or making anything too awkward) to ask about the price adjustment, with the case number on-hand, and it all worked out great once they called to get what the adjustment price should be from customer service! I ended up getting close to $50 Cdn back, which was a huge relief and definitely worth it. Thanks again! :)
Deletewent to the Robsen St. store Vancouver to do returns. I had 6 items in total ( they came in three boxes) the look the SA (I believe she is the manager) gave me ! she said " wow...that is alot of returns" I replied....yeh. So what. the cs at this store is the worst of the three we have. always new people and either snarky or just plain ignore you. I prefer the ignore. C
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I hate it when I get attitude/comments at the store for returning items. It makes me feel uncomfortable going in the store. It shouldn't be problem, it's a service jcrew offers and the cs is paid to do it.
DeleteHi Unknown,
DeleteI actually have to make a Vancouver return and have been dreading it, but my 60 days is almost up! The last time I went to Pacific Centre, and the SA helping me clearly didn't know how to do a Borderfree return (not her fault), but the other associate instructing her insisted that the reason she was having difficulty was because the purchase had been made more than 30 days ago, and that was beyond the return policy. I was shocked, and asked "when did this come into effect?", and she explained it had always been the case. I started to pull out my phone to show her the return policy, but she had already pulled out the store iPad and said that the on-line return policy only applied to US customers. Fortunately a manager stepped in and said "60 days is the policy..." while the SA kept pointing to the iPad, insisting it was only 30 days. It was an uncomfortable experience.
I thought I would make my next return at Robson, where I would be "safer" but I consider myself now forewarned!
So many people complain about the perfect shirt, yet the reviews on jcrew website aren't that bad. Jcrew has made review not easy ( compared to other retailers such as amazin and Walmart), I bet they sensor their reviews too. Won't and don't complete these reviews
ReplyDeleteI've left several negative reviews on J Crew's website and they have all been published. Lately I haven't been bothering to leave reviews but I guess I should start up again to warn others about poor quality items. Have to help our sisters out, right? :)
DeleteI have also left negative reviews and they have been published. They do have guidelines about what they will and won't publish though - you can't put what you specifically paid for an item but I haven't had an issue getting mine published if I've been negative about an item.
DeleteHowever, for the perfect shirt I have to agree with the raves. This is one of their button downs that I had a lot of luck with - the fit was excellent on me, I am very busty and this actually fit my chest with minimal gaping and has nice seaming/darts as well. So I guess I can agree with the raves on that particular shirt.
I am likely the only one with this complaint but I actually prefer UPS sure post. I live in a neighborhood where it is not wise to have UPS packages sitting on the porch if I'm not home. UPS most times does not come until after 6:00 PM. We are usually out to dinner and running errands in the evening. Our mail comes by 10 AM each day, thus, I am usually home to get the package right away. So, when I say I want my items delivered by USPS Surepost that is an actual choice I am making. Please stick to it! Don't give me the, well we'll be in your area so will just deliver one day earlier via regular UPS. That is NOT the shipping option I selected!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that client customer service related to returns and refunds has gone way down. I've been a client for over thirty years spending much $$ but basic issues like trying to get a refund on a very expensive twinset when the cardigan was delayed extensively to be ultimately canceled leaving me with a brightly colored sleeveless sweater that didn't go with anything as I hadn't requested a refund in the time allotted even though I kept waiting on promises of their own inventory control system and I didn't want a gift card at the sale price so I ate their mistake in my opinion. Then a few times I made returns well within the time allotted but was sent emails saying if I didn't respond within 48 hours I would get my refunds in gift cards again. Since I don't check my emails every day was stuck with that too. All of my major complaints have been with their refund process and I don't make too many. The difference in the amount of $$ to have done the right thing is so minuscule to chasing away a large dollar customer that it's kind of surprising.
ReplyDelete