Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Weekly Share: Other JCrew-like Retailers

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.

12 comments:

  1. I needed new bottoms due to weight loss and for the first time in years have been looking outside of JC. For pants I have fallen for BAnana Republic Sloan’s and Avery’s. I have purchased from retail and factory and have been pleased with both. JC’s pants have never fit me right in any cut and I hate the fact that they cheap out and never have belt loops. The quality of the BR pants for the price is good. For shorts I bought a few pairs of 5 inch shorts from Old Navy. They are cotton and spandex and were only $7 with a recent promo. For as little as I wear shorts these will do for the price. Also purchased a few cute dresses from ON. There are some cute items that are 100% cotton or decent blends if you look. Finally I received the new Boden catalog and love a lot of items for summer. I really think my love affair with JC is ending. Quality and design just isn’t there for the price.

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    1. I LOVE BR's pants. The Ryan have been a new go to for me (I'm 5'8" but order the short length so they're more ankle length). Also love the Sloans and Averys. I have bought more novelty pants from Crew off eBay etc but they're not my go to for work pants.

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    2. I'm liking BR's Devon pants. They're billed as leggings, but on my chicken legs, they're more like slim-fitting straights.

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    3. I've tried past versions of Sloan and didn't like that the fabric was stretchier than JC Minnie and they bagged in the back. I think they've improved the cut since then though. Maybe it's time for me to try them again. Agree there are good full cotton and linen or cotton blend items at ON right now. Selling fast. I've heard good things about the JCrew Campbell pants. I really wanted to try the French girl crepe pants but they are sold out still in my size/color. I'm not totally sold on the idea of poly crepe fabric though. I have been looking for a great staple work pant since mid and high rise began trending. Ugh. I always get excited when Jcrew releases a new pant style only to be disappointed when they inevitably have something wrong with them. It's always so close but ultimately a miss. I was SO excited about the Easy Pant! The sizing was weird and the cut could have been so much more lengthening/flattering than it was. Sighs. I still have hope for Jcrew. I have been impressed with the quality at lucky brand but haven't shopped there enough to comment on consistency.

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  3. Ordered a silk & viscose mix short sleeve top from Boden. It looks really nice, has a soft silky sheen to it. The way they styled it on the website reminded me of the J Crew from a few years ago. I’ll post a pic on my IG tomorrow (fleurdelijs) and will report back on the top when I receive it

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    1. Please do! I spent a good 45 minutes paging through the catalog and looking on the website last night. Such pretty items for spring and summer. I felt really excited for warm weather with the bright colors, fun prints and colorful embroidery. I have not felt excitement towards the JC offerings yet in 2018.

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    2. @jessf it’s the first time I order something from Boden, so hopefully they don’t disappoint. Have you ordered from them?

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    3. I have ordered a few things before but the sizing or cuts never seem to quite work out for me in regards to the nicer dresses or pants. I have more luck with casual items. I ordered five or six things after the holidays and kept two. One was a print pencil skirt. Their pencil skirts work well for me and are filling in the void JC has left. I have to size up one from my JC pencil size. I also kept a denim dress that fit really well. I have a few t-shirt dresses and a maxi skirt that I love and were staples last summer. Everything I received has been really good quality and they don’t seem to skimp on the details when fabricating. I hope it works out for you!

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    4. I ordered a winter coat, and think it is the prettiest coat I ever had in a bright navy with a velvet stripe down the side. That said, the wool is light and I had to sew every button as they were all falling off. J Crew coats are better made, just not as stylish.
      I also have a tunic dress that is cute, but I'm glad I ordered a size larger than usual. It is well made.
      Oh, and a pair of pyjama bottoms that are adorable, but I'm not impressed with the fabric at all.
      I ordered a pair of patent loafers and was glad to pay to send them back. Unflattering. I turned around and bought 3 pair of J. Crew academy loafers which magically make my big feet look streamlined.
      Mixed bag, I guess. Since there's no store, I can't try things on or take advantage of drop-off returns.

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    5. @pbanos definitely a mixed bag. I love the Academy loafers too, flattering and comfortable which is a winning combination.
      My order still hasn’t arrived yet, it’s on its way but no tracking :-(

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    6. My experience has been similar to JessF's. JCrew is the one place I can go where I can find things that really fit me well off the rack.

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