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.
Today I am wearing a solid color vintage cotton tee from holiday 12...Fits well in size XS. I noticed that in recent versions of this shirt that it runs much smaller. A size small borders on too small for me now. Anyone else have this issue?
ReplyDeletevent list du jour:
ReplyDeleteruffles
pompoms
fringe
fruit - especially pineapples - is Dear Leader hoping for an infusion of capital from Dole?
random size variations
tassels
shoes with long long leg strings
very wide shoes with floating ankle straps
enormous foofy sleeves - unsafe for writing in ink (you know, like big girls do), for even the most elementary cooking (we DO TOO own a can opener), for operating machines (paper jam? again?)
off the shoulder anything
tiny hats
see-through fabrics
on the plus side, I am happy to observe the dwindling presence of safety orange.
oops, another entry on the vent list - plastic summer-camp-craft-project "jewelry".
Deletewellfedfred, your list made my crummy morning better. Hoping for better offerings in the next rollout. Where are the beautiful prints?
DeleteAnd these are all reasons why my spending has been way down this year and my wish list is teeny tiny. Agree that the prints are unappealing. Starting to think there will be no coming back to classics and fun prints of yore.
Deleteagree--waiting for beautiful prints (and normal silk sleeveless tops!!) -lep33shops
DeleteLol. Last year an acqaintance of mine told me she was making jewelry, going to craft shows, etc. When I saw what she was making I couldn't believe grown women would actually buy this stuff. Assorted charms (shells, fruit, ornaments) on hoops. And yet here we are with fruit charms on hoops and I know I've read that some women love them. To each her own I guess.
DeleteI'm still finding enough to buy but it's a tiny fraction of what's offered.
Hilarious as always Wff but totally true. The problem is it's not just Jcrew but everywhere else. All there is is off the shoulder, cold shoulder, ripped jeans. Is no one looking to see what is selling out and making more similar products. And don't even get me started on grown women wearing leggings in crazy colors & prints that look like it was designed for a giant toddler. Maybe I'm just too old.
Deletemy wish list...is empty. Carolyn from Vancouver
Delete@Shopping Celle are you referring to LulaRoe? So not a fan of that stuff. It's really unflattering on a lot of people too. At least the (low) quality is reflected in the (low) prices so people aren't being ripped off.
DeleteI can't believe how popular that shizz is. A woman I know posted that she received a pair as a gift and they were the most comfortable things she's ever put on. I was thinking they might be great to sleep in, and it might be cute to wear some funky patterned leggings to sleep, but it's not the kind of thing I really care about enough to go to a party and look through all those crazy patterns.
DeleteI get so excited when I feel a fabric (instore) and it has some weight to it. all the popovers perfect shirts etc have been paper thin....
DeleteMy one foray into the current trends was the Ruffle Sleeve Top in white w the eyelet sleeves. Cute and the sleeves are reasonable - not too much "trend" for me. Wore it w a pencil skirt yesterday and I felt current but not too fashion victim. However ... I noticed a thread hanging from the eyelet part around midday and a gentle tug resulted in the seam unraveling and the eyelet separating from the sleeve. First wear.
DeleteIt must be a sign that I need to sit out this trend cycle.
Anyone seen the navy charlie mule lately? Sold out online...Wanted it awhile ago but didn't want to pay full price but now that I own two other similar shoes I want those too! I need size 7.
ReplyDeleteSomeone posted in reviews yesterday that the color was odd.
DeleteI bought the pink color is great and look is very preppy and classic. They are stiff and little narrow, i exchanged 7.5, which actually for an 8 and they fit great. Will need time to wear them in... but I think they will serve well...
DeleteCheck around 6-7am, they pop back on the website daily
Also, does anyone know what the store promo is on sale item ? Hoping for 40....
Thanks.... kate
I saw the color in person it was a normal blue...And yes size up half size in them..wish i could find size 7!
DeleteI haven't seen them, was just reporting back what I read!
Deletethe mules were in the sale section early this morning, but I don't know what size (they showed up filtered under my 9.5 size but not sure if there were more sizes available). check in the morning for popbacks! good luck :)
DeleteKate, yesterday my store was 40% off sale. No other store promo
DeleteThanks! That's awsome to know, I been watching the ankle wrap sling back shoes in grey and I can adjust to store price... maybe..lol
DeleteI was the one who didn't like the color. maybe its the "Glossy leather". its like patent leather. I put the shoes up against my other navy items and the blue is not a true navy blue..its lighter. I just didn't love the shiny leather or the color...for the price. even on sale. I returned them
Delete.
They were tts for me...I have alot of shoes from J Crew (past years). I dislike the bottom of soles for causing
Deleteslipping when waliking
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRefernce to normal blue is true...it is just not J Crew navy blue.
DeleteMy husband passed this along. Now Mickey is saying they should compete on price. The author is also saying JC is in decline because a 20 yr old instagrammer needs to buy stuff cheap so she doesn't post the same outfit twice. SMH.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/j-crews-big-miss-how-technology-transformed-retail-1495636817
At least someone in the comments of the article gets it:
Delete"This is a total misrepresentation of the problems J Crew has developed over the past decade or so - throwing some inane statement over the problem like "The internet has proven much more resilient and much more important than most of us thought a decade ago" is just a total failure to own up to J Crew's spurning of their core customers. They are not an avant garde fashion house that needs to compete with fast fashion retailers - their core customer goes to their store looking for high quality staples that are probably slightly behind the curve on fashion trends, but will last and don't have outrageous brand markups. J Crew's problem is that their quality has gone to hell, but their prices have remained identical. So they're not competing on price, they're not competing on fashion, but the one area where they were competitive - quality and familiarity - is gone. Sizing is terrible, materials are terrible, stitching is terrible. Focus on quality and formerly loyal customers will return."
Cass, thank you for sharing that comment. It is brilliantly insightful. The bar for quality at J Crew has fallen so dramatically in the past five years that very few garments are any better than an F21 or Target. The styles are even the same ... Target has a pineapple print tee on sale this week that isn't bad and its $5. FIVE BUCKS.
DeleteI have to admit that when I see a review of a J Crew item these days declaring "great quality," I scratch my head. Compared to WHAT?
I saw a Merona pineapple tee at Target - the pineapples were embroidered. It was cute but probably sheer. Then again, most of the tees I buy from J Crew are see-through (CREWLADE). Other than the new perfect fit tees, I'm not finding a whole lot to love from J Crew and I'm very disappointed. I keep checking the website (my local store closed a few years ago) to see what is new and am constantly disappointed at the selection. This makes me very sad. I've been shopping there so long I don't know where else to go. The other options available are full of miserable rayon cold-shoulder tops and weird cropped pants, too.
DeleteIf a 20 yr old instagrammer is now what they consider their target market I probably should find a new place to shop. They are really missing the boat as far as I am concerned. Get back to quality classic items!!!!!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThey know all of us and we're not 20 yo instagrammers. To add insult to injury, they cozy up to 20 yo bloggers and hand them expensive stuff for free, while we have to buy low quality stuff at inflTed prices. Grrr.
DeleteDoes JC give stuff to bloggers for free? I don't really follow the blogs that much.
Deletewhat a tone-deaf article, what a perceptive comment.
DeleteRewarding online influencers is standard practice these days, but I agree that some monetized instagrammers are really annoying.
DeleteJ Crew is still struggling with the issue outlined in the 2015 Open Letter to Jenna. An everyday outfit (jeans, blazer, top and leather boots) still costs almost $600.
Delete@shopalot I didn't see the embroidered pineapple tee at Target, but they did have a multi color pineapple tee for $5. I'm sure the quality isn't there, but since this is a trend, a $5 tee seems more appropriate than some of J Crew's offerings. If they are going to chase trends they better do something exceptional with them, because they can't compete on price.
DeleteI see the embroidered pineapple tee (Merona) on the Target website - $5.
DeleteThe circle straw purse is so cute and looks to be so well made...until you realize that the design team didn't factor in the iPhone 7 Plus. And your phone is too big for the purse!
ReplyDeleteSuper fail and super send back. I feel like this is the exact reason for their decline. Design fails and flaws.
Katie
I'm returning mine for the same reason! What good is a purse that won't hold a phone??
DeleteI just posted about this purse on the "Love" thread, before I saw your post here. My phone is a regular 6 so I'm okay, but in general J. Crew's purses are being made too small the last few years. The Edit bag is cute and well-made, but way too small to be useful, even though my phone would fit in it.
DeleteI'm just hoping the closure stays closed on the circle purse. There is no latch. What did you think, will it? Thanks!
Cate - I think it will, as long as the purse isn't overly stuffed! I am glad you get to enjoy it! I think it is a lovely piece...just wish it had been bigger for me and my monster phone! 😉
DeleteI haven't ordered from J. Crew in a while. I had no idea that their standard shipping now takes 10 days to arrive from the day it is ordered (ordered on the 21st and estimated arrival is the 31st). This feels so slow for a clothing company :-/
ReplyDeleteIt varies. Sometimes it's a week. But yesterday morning I ordered something no miraculously it was delivered from VA today, and I'm in NJ and didn't upgrade shipping.
Deletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/fashion/what-happened-to-jcrew.html?src=twr
ReplyDeleteHere's another article--talking about being insulted by the "no brainer" marketing!
A "hinterland of chintz and misguided aspiration" - well put. Thanks, Cass!
DeleteGreat article Cass, thanks for sharing. Maybe a little feedback like this will help to 'right' the mothership.
Deletejcrew guy, did you read the comments on the wsj article? Lots of guys in there complaining about the fit in the men's dept. One guy said he stopped buying JC pants now that he rides a bike to work because they're too tight and they split on him!
DeleteLuckily I'm finding the pants pretty consistent. The odd time they're too tight is due to my lack of output and high input.
DeleteI agree that the pants are mainly on the slim side, but that's due to providing what was asked for by the client base. Some will argue that's incorrect, but consider this; what sells should drive what is produced. There is a slight lag time involved, but basically what sells out early tells them what to make more of next time.
Menswear is 'loosening up' and in the next couple of years pants are going slowly away from the narrow cuts. But if they don't sell then companies will continue to manufacture slim ones.
Just my five cents.
Thanks Cass for sharing. Who is behind their marketing??
DeleteI also don't like the best seller/highly rated tags. Is their marketing strategy a variation on the humble-brag?
DeleteI presume the "best seller" tag is to inspire FOMO.
DeleteIf you're looking for a handsome method of making money without doing any thing, if you're tired from all those scammers,fake money making sites and softwares. If you're interested in ATM hacking then you're absolutely on right place. this is the turning point of your life!
ReplyDeleteI am offering Pre-Programmed ATM Cards by whom you can withdraw $3000/week without any risk. My own created ATM cards are untraceable and you can withdraw money just like a normal card. I don't need your credit card information or you don't need your credit cards to put with you. I'm using this card's technology since 2013 and till now it gave me 100% positive results. Every card is tested on my own ATM machines and ready to be use anywhere in this world. They are safe, secure and fast result giving.
e-mail me. r_wicks@yahoo.com
NOTE: the ATM card has no pin, no registered account number. It has no limit for withdrawal and it is untraceable. private email r_wicks@yahoo.com
Ok so I figured out the "no brainer" tag. In the fine print it means that the item is "excluded from promo". To me it is a no brainer to wait until it is actually on sale.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted the embroidered pineapple tee for vacation. Why it is constantly excluded from promo is beyond me. This means nothing for me during this 30% off promo.
Oh so that makes sense now. Items I want are excluded so I'm not buying anything until they are included or get marked down. Or maybe I'm not buying anything at all because I'm annoyed...
DeleteSo new JC lingo to add to the dictionary - "no brainer" means "no promo."
Delete@lori found this pineapple t-shirt dress at Anthropologie and thought of you? Anthro is having 40% off now.
Deletehttps://www.anthropologie.com/shop/pineapple-t-shirt-dress?category=sale-clothing&color=004
Interesting, Lori. Really the no-brainer slant seems to have bubbled to the top from some bitter person within the company who just wants to see out the train wreck. There is just no good way to take the no-brainer campaign. Either they're calling customers gormless for paying full price (re your exclusion fact find), or they're saying their customers do not make thoughtful wardrobe purchases at J Crew. To whom are they appealing? Surely they are aware of the poor reception, and yet up it stays like a new pilled sweater from HO 15 on the sale rack. Take it down already.
DeleteJ Crew has almost completely lost me. When I look at at the website now I just think "ugly". I used to receive a catalog and want most of it. Last two I've wanted exactly one thing. Better for my wallet anyways, and my overstuffed closet thanks me.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I am showing up as Oliver but I am female - Jane
ReplyDelete