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.
maybe this has already been mentioned but what's up with the newer sizing scheme?
ReplyDeleteIt would appear that they had extended their size range but to me it seems they have just renamed 0 to 00, 2 to 0, etc. I recently visited a store for the first time in a looong time and found I'm now a dress/skirt size 0. That's never happened. And I'm not any smaller. At first I thought they were helping out the thinner of us but I guess it's just on paper (?).
Subscribing. :)
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ReplyDeleteYes! I noticed they have xxs now and they aren't any smaller then the xs's were.
ReplyDeleteBoth a rant and a love - scored a much coveted bright dahlia double serge pencil during final sale. I received a pristine nwt that said size 6 but when I went o put it on - it felt different and looked inside the tag and it was a 4! Very sad that my prized purchase wasn't what I had hoped.
ReplyDeleteCS was excellent however, immediately refunded me my purchase amt and of course waived shipping. So if anyone has a size 6 they would like to part with email me (click through my name)!
I go into their store all the time and one of their employees like stalks me.. she counts the number of items I go in with and come out with.. she follows me everywhere I go like the entire time I am in the store and I have over head her saying.. She looks too poor to actually be buying clothing here just keep an eye on her..
ReplyDeleteFirst time it's ever happened to me: UPS mis-routed my package from J.Crew and it ended up in some random town in New Jersey. Then it said it was fixed and on its way. Then it got delayed again. I'm confused. I'm not sure if this is Crew's problem or UPS's, but it's definitely annoying.
ReplyDeleteA huge YES! to the sizing issue. What's more is that their online chart doesn't accurately reflect the measurements of the sizes. It's almost as if they want you to order the wrong size (and then not be able to return it if it's a sale item).
ReplyDeleteI'm also currently annoyed at J. Crew's return policy (or lack thereof). I was told by an unhelpful SA that J. Crew never accepts returns without a receipt. No other retail store has that policy. How can they get away with that? What am I supposed to do with gifts that don't fit from relatives who don't send gift receipts?
I'm on the verge of swearing off J. Crew altogether.
I second Lunarary: today's size 0 is equivalent to a size 6 from the '90s. Looks like J.Crew is on a path to Chico's sizing scheme.
ReplyDeleteSorry this is OT, but maybe not-where did the paisley cropped pants go? I just caught a glance on Thursday. Have they already sold out at their $250 plus price tag or are they hiding someplace? TIA!
ReplyDeleteThe sizing is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they "added" a new size by making 00 and XXS. I think they changed everything, so now 0 is 00, 2 is 0, etc.
I also agree the measurements aren't right. By the measurements I would wear about a 2 and I usually buy a 0 or 00. The swimwear charts are WAY off, too.
I agree the sizes are way off. The one piece swim suits are so much bigger this year than they have been in the past. My "normal" JCrew swimsuit size was way too big. I held it up to a JCrew swimsuit from 4 summers ago that is labeled the same size, and it looks like 3 sizes bigger!!! Crazy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with lunarary and everyone else about the sizing. It's a huge problem. Not only are their sizes no longer what they once were (even a season or two ago) but their charts don't match up either. It's drastically lowered my confidence in JC and as a result, I'm shopping far less.
ReplyDeleteI ran into this most recently with the Jenny dress. I bought a 2 because according to the sizing chart, that's what I should order. I was swimming in it. At least 2" of extra fabric on each side of the armpit.
Their tees also seem to be running large. I typically wear an XS and this season they're quite a bit roomier. I'll accept that because in the summer, who wants to wear a clingy top but I have a feeling this is a sizing -- not a style -- issue.
Sadly there are some people who will not buy a garment if some flattering size number doesn't fit, and there must be more of them then there are of us and that's why the merchants are all making this ridiculous shift. Maybe they should switch to pure measurements of the garment. For a sweater or blouse, the size is the bust measurement (not the bust they think it fits but the actual size of the garment). For skirts, waist and hip. For dresses, bust and hip. Is this asking too much?
ReplyDeleteNYT just wrote a piece on the vanity sizing issue this week - as usual, some of the comments were more interesting than the article!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/business/25sizing.html?ref=fashion
Last weekend, I went to a J.Crew factory store with my mother and sister. For several years, it has been one our go-to shops whenever we go to the outlet stores and we always manage to find something to buy. Not this time. Now, it's true that the quality of factory store items have always been a step below (or even as good as) regular J.Crew items (that's the whole point of factory stores!), but it's always been good enough to be worth buying at lower prices. I even commented about this in a past blog post. However, this time, I was appalled at the decline in the quality of the factory spring items compared to last season's items. Tacky colors, threads sticking out of seams, and seamless dresses that I assume J.Crew is trying to pass off as trendy but come across as cheaply mass produced. I considered buying two pairs of Saturday Pants but the fabric was so thin (fabric suitable for a shirt, not a pair of pants) and so many threads were sticking out of the seams that I couldn't bring myself to buy them, even with the extra discount. Even the stuff that didn't look cheap failed to impress me design-wise. I was more impressed by an earlier visit to a (non-outlet) H&M store than I was at the factory store. We were very disappointed and now I am hesitant to buy anything from a J. Crew factory store again.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm ITA about the sizes. I usually wear a size 4 in pants but wear J.Crew pants in size 2 (or P4). I have lost some weight over the years, but not THAT much! I recently gave a way an older pair of GAP jeans that are a size 6 but that fit me just right, which is proof that it's not me that's shrinking but the sizes that are growing!
ReplyDeleteThe one good thing about JCrew is that if you email them, they'll give you measurements for the item. That has REALLY helped me out a lot. Although it was obvious right away that the measurements they provided me and the size chart measurements for the same size were completely different.
ReplyDeleteI am so cranky with the crew for dumping my cart TWO TIMES in one day!! UGH - give us a wishlist!!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard people complain about shipping before, but I just have to add to the rant.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time I just know to tack on about $10 in shipping if I buy something online, but I purchased one skirt a few days ago and the shipping was about $15!!! I thought that was highly ridiculous, it is rare that I encounter such high shipping costs. What's even worse is that I'm in the same state it's shipping from.
Oh fshnonmymind, that's ridiculous! I realize J Crew uses UPS and UPS isn't cheap (though they probably get some kind of volume discount) and people and packaging cost money, but $15 is really excessive, especially same state! I think I'd rather they skip the free shipping promos and just lower the cost of shipping for all purchases.
ReplyDeleteThinks JC should offer a sewing kit/machine in their "In good company" section.:/ While requesting a return label yesterday for an item which came apart at the seams before I got out the door on the first wear, the CS associate inquired wheter it was beyond repair...My honest response, "No, but I'm just not a needle and thread gal." The fact that my local tailor charges $5-$10 for such minor fixes, totally takes away from the bargain of a FS+%off purchase. *Sigh*
ReplyDeleteI have an issue with their sizing and it's this: Women have breasts! I can't tell you how many tops and dresses I fall in love with on the website and am then crushed when I get to try it on in the store. Most of the time it's the simple fact that the seam does not hit under the bust. Usually mid to bottom of the bust, but not under where it should be. But trying on the summerstock maxi dress today was beyond the worst fit of anything I have ever tried on at JC. I'm a medium/large depending on the sizing of the bust. But the XL in this dress barely covered half of my chest and would not have been fixed by wearing a cami underneath. It was just the most ill fitting dress I have ever tried. Thanks, needed to get that off my chest!
ReplyDeleteMeg, you made me laugh. I have the same problem except that I have NO chest and am not even close to being a similar size on the bottom. So, I end up with a great fitting waist and a huge baggy chest. I guess at least I can alter or try a VERY padded bra but I feel your pain about the chest just not fitting right.
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