As mentioned in an earlier post, I am on vacation! Unfortunately, I won't be able to keep up with all the latest J.Crew news, promos, and the like.So this post is the "catch all" for J.Crew Aficionadas and Aficionados to share with one another the "current happenings" for today. Feel free to post your comments here- from current J.Crew promotions, sales, emails, and even questions on products (regarding fit & size), and the like. :)
What comments do you want to share or ask of other Aficionadas and Aficionados? What is currently happening (in terms of promos, sales, emails, products, and the like)?
25% off your order of $150+, in stores and online..use code TURKEY exp. 11/28/10
ReplyDeleteDo you think Jcrew will ever have a 40% off everything in stores?
Well... today I think I am going to my local b&m. I have to return something at Sephora and pick up some dog food at Target. Exciting, I know. All of these stores are 40 min from my house so I have to get it in all at once!
ReplyDeleteIs there still an extra % off in store on sale stuff? Thanks everyone, in advance.
Subscribing. :)
ReplyDeleteEm, no. Promo is the same than online: you get 25% off everything if you spend $150 (sale or not).
ReplyDeleteAnother story about the sale, this from last night's Dealbook:
ReplyDelete"The buyout firms that are paying $3 billion for J. Crew are not just bidding on the retailer’s array of sequined blazers and gingham work shirts. They are trying to acquire the man whose vision inspired them: the company’s chairman and chief executive, Millard S. Drexler.
The proposal by TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners has the backing of Mr. Drexler, 66, who built up two juggernauts of American mainstream fashion, the Gap and now J. Crew. Besides staying on to lead the company, Mr. Drexler is expected to maintain a significant ownership stake in J. Crew even after he cashes out on some of his shares, according to people close to the transaction.
Mr. Drexler is one of the biggest shareholders in J. Crew, with an 11.8 percent stake, including options. At the buyout offer price of $43.50 a share, his holdings are worth more $328 million.
Also on Tuesday, J. Crew...reported a 14 percent decline in third-quarter net income. Sales rose 4 percent, while sales at stores open more than a year fell 1 percent.
Eric Beder, an analyst with Brean Murray Carret, said that J. Crew’s pricing had been too aggressive. He said the retailer missed the mark on fashion this season, relying too much on heavy sweaters, which have proven less popular amid milder temperatures in much of the United States. “They take fashion risks and that’s part of the business,” he said. When this happens, he said, “ it takes about a quarter or two to clean up.”
The buyout deal represents a reunion of sorts. TPG brought in Mr. Drexler in 2003 to help turn around J. Crew, the onetime preppy icon that it acquired in 1997 for nearly $500 million.
Though he had been ousted from Gap after years of lackluster performance, Mr. Drexler still had a record of success in retailing. He joined the Gap in 1983, building the company’s annual sales to roughly $14 billion by his departure in 2002, from $480 million in 1983.
Even before joining J. Crew, he was a wealthy man. When he left Gap, Mr. Drexler cashed out shares worth more than $300 million, according to Equilar, an executive compensation research firm.
full story at : http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/in-j-crew-buyout-an-effort-to-gain-a-retail-visionary/
Big update in the sale section.
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ReplyDeleteHow'd they miss the mark with heavy sweaters... it's winter, I love sweaters. I'd buy a nice sweater before I'd buy most of this sequin and ruffle stuff they keep shoving down our throats. If the fashion industry got on the same timeline as regular people, they'd be rolling out their sweaters in October and November instead of August and I bet they'd see a huge jump in sales. People don't want to buy cashmere when it's 90 (although I do. :) ) They also want work appropriate things. Give us some longer skirts and tops that don't blind people with their shinyness.
ReplyDeleteArgyle Martini, I must admit that this fall I bought only one pencil skirt from J. Crew because of lengths. I would have loved the Sunnie skirt or the moss tweed, but they were too short for me. If they get even shorter for spring and summer, I'll be forced to buy elsewhere.
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ReplyDeleteArgyle Martini - I agree with you. That analyst doesn't know what he's talking about. J.Crew didn't miss the mark with sweaters - they missed the mark with steep prices on low-quality fabrics (and ill-fitting, strangely styled pieces in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely shot from the archives. Thanks, silver lining, for IDing yesterday's picture! Funny, I remember too how strange matchstick pants looked at first :)
ReplyDeleteMadewell - 30% off select shoes & boots, prices as marked. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more using code "Jingle".
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if J Crew does any Black Friday sales or promotions? I'm willing to brave the Black Friday crowds for some great J Crew bargains!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ema. I'll be skipping J.Crew then!
ReplyDeleteIt's 18 degrees in the PNW today where I am. I need heavy winter sweaters!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info yesterday on the Cropped Plaid Tuxedo pants Iwaldal and CCS! These look so cute I thought they would be selling out but there seems to be plenty of them still around. Guess I'll wait for a markdown and % off.
ReplyDeleteI really am very curious to hear more analysis of the buy-out. It's funny to see the analysts point to different factors, many of which don't make any sense to me as a JCA.
ReplyDeleteCertainly my spending at JC has tanked this year. We have a broad range of opinions here, but if the JCAs had to identify problems perceived by the consumer, I think the common themes are: pilling cashmere; hole-y tees; too many ruffles, sequins, and art tees; skirts too short; dearth of office-appropriate items; too many high-priced collection items.
Only the ruffle overload and the collection issue have been mentioned in any of the articles I've read on the buyout. Heavy sweaters as a problem? Maybe they ordered too many Arrows to sell them all at FP, but the JCAs love them. I didn't see any articles that flagged quality as a problem.
ginastorm - I would consider the current 25% off $150 or more promo as J Crew's Black Friday promo.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't yet old enough to really shop much at J.Crew when it was owned previously by TPG but I always worry that when PE gets involved, they cheapen things (I work in finance). Maybe we'll be seeing cashmere/poly blends made in Vietnam soon. :-)
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ReplyDeleteBright Young Thing, I agree. Private Equity doesn't necessarily always mean good things. Yes, you aren't trying to please shareholders anymore, but the owners have all the power and can dictate how money is spent. I'm work in Finance for a large retailer (not clothing) and I've seen competitors get acquired by PE and the stores went way downhill. The new owners just focused on expansion, and refused to put any capital into existing stores, making them look very outdated and run-down. I'm not so sure we can be certain that this sale will necessarily mean that capital dollars will be invested, nor more quality fabrics used. More often than not, they are just trying to increase the value to sell again or go public again. Will be interesting to see!
ReplyDeleteHappy early Turkey day everyone!
I want to start with 2 confessions here, namely 1) I enjoy this blog and 2) I am first and foremost a Ralph Lauren fan--but am also a fan of J Crew, J McLaughlin, J Peterman, and Jack Wills (I guess the J's have style, LOL)
ReplyDeleteI have to hand it to Mickey Drexler: I'm not sure if he was also responsible for Banana Republic in the early 2000s, but that was when I craved BR with a passion. Then I shifted onto J Crew in late 2004. I probably did most of my purchasing there between 2004-2006, racking up several wool blazers, including the Academy suede (my favorite). So Mickey's obviously got the magic!
I still like many of their offerings--especially the silk ripstop jacket (?), field jackets, Islington plaid poncho (reminds me of RL), the shearling vests, and the cocoon coat. They're all very elegant and tasteful, particularly when you have the right accessories.
But personally, this is also where they've missed the beat--according to humble moi. On one hand, they were aspiring to be RL almost too quickly. Mickey didn't realize that most people don't want to pay RL prices for a company that is not quite there yet in terms of reputation (i.e., $1,200 for a poncho??) This is coupled on the other hand with flimsily made, less expensive merchandise like T-shirts (especially the painter T's) that fall apart after several washings. If I'm having problems with a simple T-shirt, I am sure as heck not going to risk spending several hundred on a coat! (Or if I do, it will be off Ebay.)
It will be interesting to see what they come up with after going private.
today i got the chalet turtleneck in ivory in the mail. i LOVE it! i don't know why they call it a "turtleneck", it's more a cowl neck really. it is on the long side and has a slim fit with a perfect drape on the neck. it is a bit sheer and loosely knit but that's ok. perfect sweater.
ReplyDeleteThanks, gigiofca!
ReplyDeleteI found this article about the new 769 line (sounds like more expensive collection-like dresses) which is supposed to be carried exclusively at the bridal store.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.elle.com/Fashion/Fashion-Spotlight/Jenna-Lyons-Throws-a-Party
Jenna actually looks great in the pic, but that outfit in the middle with the poufy minidress over a button down shirt and tie is just a hot mess. Also notice how all the women are wearing uber-short skirts. They don't seem to be getting the message on providing other options for the many of us who don't like to wear those.
I saw the Elle article. There are only a few more days in this month so they should be debuting the 769 line soon. I would think in time for the holiday party season. Excited to see it. While I don't wear mini skirts I do think the Elle demographic is geared toward younger readers who enjoy them--oh to be young again!
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ReplyDeleteMy great online PS just offered to throw in free shipping on my order of 2 items. I had only gotten free gift boxing and she said no problem since I had been such a good customer all year. I was very touched. So if you have a good relationship with an online PS it doesn't hurt to ask:) I hope others have some luch as well. Really made my night after a long work day.
ReplyDeleteOn the first day of Christmas Talbots sent to me:
ReplyDeletea email for 50% off ALL ACCESORIES from 9am-12pm tomorrow and 9-12 midnight as well.
Ladies take advantage and get free shipping to sweeten the deal.
Accessories are great gifts. I got the $199 cashmere ruffle scarf when it was 40% off and free ship and it is gorgoeous on; the first one I got was not very soft but the second one they sent was divine. I was told that sometimes at the end of a bolt the wool is not as soft. Don't know if this is true but a CS rep at Ann Taylor told me that once so might apply to other companies as well. Hope this helps some else out:)
I think I will do a 12 days of Christmas post with Talbots as my center:) Thanks for all the great feedback, Summerilla. You are a true inspiration to me. Talbots is like the JCrew of old and keeping in line with this being a JCrew blog I plan to highlight items that were like JCrew's:)of the past and have come back to haunt us through Talbots.
In my opinion, if Talbots really wants to target people who miss the old J.Crew, they need to completely re-vamp their sizing. I wear a 0 at J.Crew and am 100% sized out at Talbots. From reading comments on this blog and on blogs of other women who frequently shop at J.Crew, I know I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteYes, does anyone know if Talbots has slimmed down their cardigans? I'm tempted to order a cashmere cardigan but their fit has always been way too boxy. J
ReplyDeleteCrew's cashmere is so bad, I want to try Talbots' or Bloomies'.
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ReplyDeleteI am a size 14 and Talbot's sizing is all wonky on me too. I find skirts to be cut too boxy even if they fit in the waist, and blazers are just all wrong on me. I ordered 3 sizes of the same blazer on the last promo and not one fit in a flattering way. All oversized in the bust and not right over the waist/hips. Their shoes are also cur very narrow and the leather is stiff so they cut off circulation in my toes. I have ordered several pairs of shoes from them recently that look cute style-wise but which are seriously painful to even try on. So I really want to like them but I am having major issues with the sizing too. I will say that the fabric quality is pretty good. But I also always feel like I am walking into my grandmother's house when I go into a store.
ReplyDeleteI'm a true size 10 in pants and skirts, and Talbots fits me well. Talbots pants are good for women who have curves. Now, I'm usually a 6 in tops, but Talbots runs large, so I have to go petites in tops, usually a petite small. Same with jackets.
ReplyDeleteSomeone here mentioned Ralph Lauren. I don't like the Lauren line in the stores, but I love the higher-end lines. They run small, though, so I have to go medium in tops.
I just had to comment that I scored the same Mary Jane heels on the picture of this post on ebay! I actually had purchased these shoes at FP when they originally came out but ended up returning them and oh how I regretted it after! But now they're mine and on top of that, I got a great deal on them. I'm a happy girl!
ReplyDeleteI'm also sized out at talbots. I actually liked their fall styling but their clothes are either too big on me or boxy, and the fit is just off. I feel their vibe is too mature for my lifestyle. AND, the one time I went to their store, I saw only older ladies shopping there so I decided I wasn't quite.there.yet.
I have tried the Talbots floral cashmere cardi in S and PS and several other items, including skirts. Pics on my blog.
ReplyDeleteHimmiefan,
ReplyDeleteThe Lauren is a hit or miss for me: sometimes they have very good quality stuff--especially leather, suede, and occasionally sweaters--but I tend to prefer Black Label, Blue Label, and Rugby. (I like Collection too--but it's a bit out of my range at the moment!) Rugby is geared towards college age people, but I've found some of their jackets to be of reasonably good quality. Last year, I managed to get a riding jacket in wool and alpaca that looked almost exactly the same as one offered in Collection this year.
Miss Penny Z,
I don't feel ready for Talbots either: although I do like their cords. Something about it is just matronly--and I'm no spring chicken either. Even if I were 60, I don't think I could shop there.
Same w/ Ann Taylor. It was actually great in the 80s--coincidentally when Drexler was there. They had very smart clothes. But they've slipped considerably over the last 15 years. I only go there for T shirts and simple tops.
This is why if forced to choose between them and J Crew, I think I would still pick the latter.
I wear the same size in JCrew as I do at Talbots which is nice. Their blazers actually fit me better than JCrews. JCrew's blazer are more boxy and Talbots more fitted and tailored which I was surprised to find but love. I tried on 4 blazers--3 JCrew and 1 new Talbots today and the Talbots one was much more fitted/flattering.
ReplyDeleteI shopped at Talbots in all stages of my life. I could always find something there but shopped exclusively with JCrew for 9 years prior to this year.
Right now, there are two things I like at Talbots: the long, black tiered silk skirt which reminds me of something that RL did a few years back. I also like the light gray wool coat. I can't remember the exact fabric content, but it felt so soft and rich.
ReplyDeletescored on RL Blue Label on a wool jacket that started its life at $698 and between the 40% off sale plus addl 25% off sale items yesterday plus addl 10% off coupon… oh, and 3% back from Ebates… $274? oh, and did I mention free shipping? life is good. have stalked the jacket since September.
ReplyDeleteLucky you! Was it the suede trimmed jacket in the blue?
ReplyDeleteRL's stuff has been looking so much better since 2002, and particularly with the start of the Blue Label. I've always liked the riding-to-the-hounds look, which he (or his designers)have tweaked to make sleek and sexy. The suede and leather detailing makes them that much more exquisite.
This somehow brings to mind something I'd like to see J. Crew stock again. Does anyone remember those cashmere blazers back in 2004-6? Unfortunately, I never managed to get my hands on one. I also liked the Lexington jacket with the trim. Ah, the classics...
Anne, I did get a couple of the JC cashmere blazers back in 2004/2005 and at the time, they seemed horrifically expensive. Now that $395./$495. price seems like a deal considering the quality.
ReplyDeleteI love RL too and the British influence in JC's 2004 fall catalog which Mickey used to great effect is what brought me in initially. I don't share the Talbots thing at all but RL and sometimes Rugby can have great items and no quality issues (so far!).