Wednesday, August 17, 2016

"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.

49 comments:

  1. many things are no longer final sale (not a vent). My vent is that despite knowing better, I ordered something final sale and 2 hs later, it is returnable. Make up your mind J Crew and get rid of fs!

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    1. Thanks for bringing this to our attention anthroblogger!

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    2. Email or call CS and let them know, I'm sure they'll let you return it!

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  2. Not a vent but a conversation: OT but here's a general question for my fellow aficiodadas. What are you incorporating this season to make your wardrobe feel fresh? I know the full fall stuff is yet to arrive but as someone who wears minimal color and not a ton of pattern aside from stripes and houndstooth I don't really see anything so different. (Which I guess is a good thing!) I like some of the new prints but they don't really work with my wardrobe other than maybe in a scarf.
    For my typical jeans and blazer wardrobe, I'd love to get a pair of the block heel mid heel shoes. I'm not allowing myself to buy another pair of jeans—I just ordered two that I had tried in in the past (one Jcrew and one Madewell) which I know will work well for fall/winter heels or flats.

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    1. That's actually a good question. I'm planning on doing another closet clean out soon and I've noticed how stagnant my wardrobe has felt lately.

      I am planning on adding some new Oxfords to my wardrobe. And probably replacing some sweaters but, yeah, how do you keep it fresh without adding another stripe shirt?

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    2. I replied in the wrong place so see below. I want to add that I also love the fresh look of the new navy lady jacket with the pleated ruffle down the front.

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    3. Funny you mentioned block heel shoes because that's what I have in mind too. I'm buying the sleeveless tunic sweater in navy, since I don't own a sleeveless sweater and I like the fit of this one. I'm always on the hunt for the perfect flowy boho type top so I'm keeping an eye out on that front too. I don't need to buy much because I already have a lot of classic J. Crew staples. I have to either really love something to buy it now or it has to be something I don't have that fills a gap.

      Setting aside the bright pinks and patterned shoes, this rollout contains a lot of classic wardrobe staples, so it isn't so different in my opinion either.

      I've been thinking recently about why J. Crew has had some bad years. In addition to quality issues, I think part of it is because J. Crew does classic/preppy so well, but fashion trends went away from it. Athleisure, boho, and unstructured styles have been in style and J. Crew doesn't excel at those like they do with preppy classics. Maybe trends are swinging back toward J. Crew now?

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    4. I liked the Madewell sleeveless sweater but the colors were bleh for me. Tunics don't work for me, I have a long torso and they tend to hit me in a weird spot.
      I already have a few houndstooth blazers from Jcrew so I won't get the pink. I kind of liked the red and navy from last year but the colors were a little off for me. (I ended up with the Rhodes micro gingham which is more neutral deep wine and navy that almost looks black).
      Last year I tried a bunch of new denim silhouettes but it's taking me a long time to get used to them.
      I have four pairs of oxfords, so I don't need those! As much as I love a good menswear inspired shoe.

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    5. I'm going to incorporate cabernet in clothing (likely a blouse or skirt) & a pair of shoes, would prefer a leather pump. I like the lucite heel in this color, but I only own a few pairs of suede shoes. So, not sure about them even though they're cute. I like the double cashmere top in this color, but will not pay retail. I have this color in a Vince pencil sheath dress from last fall & this color is really nice. It's also everywhere for fall. I have the Suoer 120s rmerino wool pullover on my wishlist in the camel & navy color. Leopard is a neutral for me, and I like the new silk top. In terms of the prints, I'm interested in birds of paradise shirt and midnight unicorn pants; will pair with a neutral to soften. I just ordered the Ratti into the wild print pants & if they work, I'll pair with Thomas Mason Mandarin collar tunic shirt from the clearance store. This is similar to how it's styled on the J Crew blog, so I can see this idea of a neutral pairing with prints working well through fall. The scarf could work well to add visual interest. I'm interested in birds of paradise perfect shirt and midnight unicorn pants. Since I don't shop J Crew exclusively, I also added a pair of Le Frame high low denim jeans & Pedro Garcia fox suede peep toe shoes from Nordstrom anniversary sale. Also, picked up red suede belted poncho jacket & olive suede shirttail hem button front top from Massimo Dutti while in Greece; they were a part of their summer sale. These items will pair well with J Crew Collection suede pants that were on super sale.

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    6. I hear you Suz Has! I am feeling underwhelmed by the color palettes and shapes for this fall. Do designers hate women? Because they can't seem to make clothes that fit right anymore, unless you have a boyish shape, which a very few of us have.

      That said I am excited to incorporate a lacey dress (I like the silk/lace or even some of the poly/lace mixes I'm seeing right now) and the kicked out pants with the slightly flared hems. Other than that, I'll probably refresh with some pretty new shoes and jewelry rather than new clothing.

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    7. I'm interested in finding some more pants I can wear to work that fit like skinny/slim jeans, but aren't denim. J.Crew's pants rarely work for me, although the Ryder cut and fit was awesome for me (until some of the colors I own stretched out). I've wanted to find just the right leopard print flat or low heel-- but I haven't find anything at quite the right price.

      I live in Wisconsin now, but I grew up in Los Angeles, and although I've had years to adjust, I am so committed to being able to wear the things in my wardrobe year-round. My preference is to buy things I can mix, match, and layer depending on my mood :-) Cabernet is one of my favorite colors to wear, so I usually pick up a thing or two in that shade during the fall. It looks great with navy, which I have a bunch of, and I spice it up with a metallic or sparkle somewhere.

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    8. I've been thinking of this lately as well. Like Miss JR, I'm planning on reorganizing and cleaning out my closet which will help to see what I have. I still have summer items with tags on so I need to be more choosy this fall/winter.
      I would like to add some of the bright pinks (I'm glad I still have my wool cafe capris in bright dahlia). I think it will freshen up the wardrobe and will also work well in winter and spring. I love the paisley printed leather low heels but don't think I'd wear them enough. I'd love a solid leather pair in that silhouette (the suede with glitter heels are cute but again I would rarely wear them). I do want to buy one pair of shoes maybe a block heel so I'm trying to wait to see what future rollouts bring. I'd also like to buy something in Cabernet, I only have the drapey tee and the casual side zip sweatshirt from a while ago.

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  3. I'm thinking maybe some of the new pink things. Love the pink houndstooth mini and the paisley shoes. Of course I love the pink fur coat from the runway and am curious what the price will be.

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    1. I think the price of the pink fur is on the blog, Leandra Medine of Man Repeller is wearing it in the pink challenge.

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    2. I saw that yesterday on the blog and on her IG but I can't seem to find a price anywhere.

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    3. Oh, I thought i read it! Sorry!

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  4. I'm very excited about the new promo this morning for 25% off select items, but is anyone else not seeing **any** items marked "25% off with the code REFRESH** or is that just a cookie problem on my computer? Because it's highly annoying. I go to the promo page and don't see any items marked there or in the individual product pages. I can't tell which items are in the promo!!

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    1. Did you try the "Limited Time Sales Event" link on the home page? That might be a fix.

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    2. @Roxy, I know what you mean, it is frustrating not to know which items qualify until you get to your Shopping Cart/Checkout. Mygoddy is correct and this link, buried halfway down the page in the Women's section, features the items that qualify:

      https://www.jcrew.com/womens_sale_events/25OffSelectStyles_sm.jsp

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    3. Thanks so much for your help Mygoddy and TM93!

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  5. I wish they'd stop putting gold buttons on everything. I might be in the minority but I think it looks cheap. (And also I take it as a personal affront because I loathe yellow gold anything, hee hee.)

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    1. I KNOW!

      on things like blazers, i usually prefer those leather knotted buttons... or at least NOT brassy gold

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    2. I'm not a fan of the gold buttons, either! The gold buttons limit the accessories and shoes I will pair with the outfit, and I'm not one who's mastered the mixed metals thing.

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    3. I like the buttons on the Regent - whatever those are called... they look sort of tortoiseshell? That said, I do realize it's a pretty easy fix, changing buttons, but it's still an extra pain & cost to endure. (First world problems.)

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    4. I like yellow gold and I agree. On some items it's a nice detail but sometimes it's too much. I have a black schoolboy I rarely wear because of it. I was thinking of changing the buttons but besides the two there are 3 on each sleeve!

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    5. Not a fan of the gold buttons, too. When I saw the sailor pants and Rhodes blazer, SMH. It doesn't look current.

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    6. Taylor, and the rest of you eloquent women, I don't like gold buttons either, I don't know if it's a "hangover" from my catholic school uniform, for 12 years, or do they remind me of something cheap looking to come off classy? Doesn't work.

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    7. A suggestion for hacking the buttons: nail polish. I've used it on small buttons on shirts and cardigans to solve the problem of visually-irritating buttons, not sure how it would look on larger ones. Takes less time than sewing on new buttons! You do need to be careful doing it, and let it dry thoroughly.

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    8. @cagliari67 I have done that before! I bought the most darling dress - cobalt & white striped top with a navy skirt bottom. The top had a small gold button closure at the front at the top so I used nail polish & turned it bright pink. The button was rather tiny though which is why I think it worked. On bigger ones, like the blazer buttons, I wouldn't chance it.

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    9. Totally agree. I would be snapping up the lightweight wool jackies but they ruined them with the gold buttons.

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  6. Replies
    1. Highly enjoyed your post, WFF! You have a very writing style. I hope the JC oxcart gets to your house, post-haste! (Oh, and I can't think of a better place than Paris to wear your lovely tapestry tops!)

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    2. Great reviews on the JC cloister collection! Witty as usual.

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    4. Love your post, WFF! I wish i have the gift to write like you do. Witty indeed.

      I ordered the Drake's pajama pant in Birds of Paradise, although I wish it came in the pajama top, instead of the button-up shirt. It would pair nicely with jeans and loafers.

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    5. thank you, ladies! I've had my BofP shirt since Tuesday and I'm still not tired of it!

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  7. So sad :( the Pleated wide-leg pant in windowpane glen plaid item F4679 is sold out! Does anyone know if it is in any stores or has seen them?

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    1. Almost Everything sells out right away, I bet they'll be back, especially after some returns come in.

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    2. These are showing back in stock in some colors. I actually grabbed a pair this morning. I had loved the catalog image of the blue ruffled top and the pants, but I didn't notice the pants when I looked at the website.

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  8. Size 0 Tall is sold out in the leopard skirt and the Button down wool skirt. :(
    I ordered the Tie waist skirt in cotton linen and the split is in the back not the front as pictured which is better IMO.

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    1. @unknown, I was thinking of the solid cotton linen tie waist skirt, glad to hear about the slit -is it comfortable having it in the back? That's a huge difference from the web and style guide pics which is surprising. Did you get the solid color? Thx :)

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    2. Yes, the skirt is slightly a-line and the slit in the back comfortable. I purchased the Gold color and love it.

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  9. I admit I am among those who don't really "get" the pajama top thing, the pants, I sort of feel like they look loungey and they don't really scream pajamas, but the shirts, for some reason--if they weren't CALLED pajama tops maybe i wouldn't have this issue. It could just be me, I tend to let new "trends" sink in a bit before I get used to them.

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    1. Same. I don't live in a very "fashion-forward" area (I still get LOOKS when I pattern-mix) & I know I'd look like the crazy lady who wore her pajama shirt to work if I tried this trend. I love the prints - just wish they were done differently.

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    2. My husband glanced over my shoulder as I was looking through the catalog and asked "are those seriously pajamas?" He just about had a heart attack when he saw the price per piece.

      I think the prints are super fun and would be awesome on more classic shapes (kind of a perfect example of classic with a twist, IMHO), but I get that isn't necessarily embracing the trend. More power to the ladies who can rock these pieces, though! I'm almost tempted to try the pants just to see if I can pull off the look, but I'm not likely to try the tops.

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    3. Agreed. Love the prints, but can't pull off the pieces :(

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)