This is the weekly "J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs}" post, to help each other share our reviews.So if you have recently purchased, or stopped by a J.Crew store to try on an item (or two) from J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.
Also, this request is not just limited to clothes. Please feel free to discuss bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc.
In particular, if you could mention a few of the noteworthy details like fit, size, fabric, and the like— that would be fantastic! Thanks in advance! :)
Review of the jeweled sweater tee. One of the two colors is on promo. Use WIT20 for 20% off sitewide, as discussed here on The Mothership. Ends tonite.
ReplyDeleteNew cuts & irl pic links today, at the top of this post. Highlights incl Kiki mirror metallic flats ($99.99), Lillian wedges (various), stripe chambray popover ($29.99), etc...
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to love the Keyhole Dress, but the waistline was set too high (shocking, I know) and was just not flattering to my figure. The style is cute, the length is appropriate for the office, and the Windsor Violet color is beautiful, so if you have a small bust and a short waist this dress might be perfect for you.
ReplyDeleteWhitney - I tried the crepe cap-sleeve dress and found it flattering. The waist is lower than many of the dresses we've seen this year. The bright cerise is like a bright red. I don't recall seeing the other color.
DeleteSome reviews of a few more new arrivals here
ReplyDelete@ gigi and OperaRach (sorry I can't reply directly on this computer): thank you for the fit info and irl pics for the Crepe Cap-Sleeve dress! Once my return gets processed and they re-issue my reward $$, I might have to give that dress a try...although it would be a sweeter deal if it was about $50 cheaper. I still balk at the thought of spending almost $200 for a poly dress!
ReplyDeleteWhitney - A dress promo may be one of the ones they throw in rotation. Yes, it's poly. A heavy, crepe-like poly. Never thought I'd be saying this, but the fabric used gives a nice hang to the dress.
DeleteNo problem! It is a really flattering shape. I'll have to go back and try it in my
DeleteActual size to see if I can get it to work !
Review of the jeweled short sleeve sweatshirt,the akropolis paid shirt,the andie chino and the lace front sweatshirt here.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the hunt for a nicely fitted work pant, so tried the stovepipe trouser in stretch wool -- meh. I did like the narrower leg, which is fashionable but still office-appropriate. However, the unlined wool was very itchy (and I'm usually not bothered by wool) and the waist/hips ran large. Measurements of the 00P that I tried: waist 29", front rise 9", back rise 14", inseam 29".
ReplyDeleteHi JCAs. If anyone has reviews of what is offered currently in the factory store, I'd appreciate it. I have a feeling that there are some great items not online, and I would love to know if I should do the 2+ hour drive to the nearest store this weekend. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSavvy Shopper, I just went and there is some cute stuff. The striped ruffle tee from last year (the ruffle along the bottom, the french Hen cardigan, charleys, and button down, the herringbone excursion vest, etc. However, I didn't buy one thing--I felt like everything would get way cheaper before long, and it's way too hot to wear still!
DeleteI bought the Herringbone excursion vest and the French Hen sweater in Navy. Both look like the retail version and in my store, both were moving fast.
DeleteI posted about both items recently: http://what-i-bought-today-tc.blogspot.com/
Hi HollDoll129 and TC, thanks for the info. Visited the store last night, and got a great haul!
DeleteHello JCAs! There are new promo-priced items and a lot of new markdowns today. I've noted them in this post. :)
ReplyDeleteWIT20 still works until the end of today, too.
DeleteThanks, FFM.
DeleteLOL at the calf hair case for iPhone. Oh, JCrew, what will you think of next.
The Andie Chino is TO DIE FOR!!! I am a little hippy with a fairly full bottom but the cut is EXTREMELY flattering and gives a long lean line. Great slim cut that skims the shape and very very soft. Feels like my hubby's 5yr old chinos. Go try a pair!
ReplyDeleteMegan,
DeleteAs a curvy JCA, I am grateful for your review! How are the Andie Chinos in terms of sizing? TTS or should we curvy girls go up a size?
Thanks!
The mirror metallic Lillians are on sale, $139.99. Review here.
ReplyDeleteClassy Girls Wear Pearls is wearing the collection silk mohair sweater in yesterday's blog post. I think this sweater is absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I must be the only person that didn't love the Andie Chinos. I tried them on in the store and they didn't do anything for me. They weren't that slim on me. There was weird bagging through the legs. I much preferred the skinny utility chinos, which were slim throughout with no bagging.
i actually did not like anie chinos. Like you I thought the skinny utility chinos were much better fit for my too skinny legs. they were little on the high waisted side though.
DeleteAndies were little too low on the waist for me and I didn't relaly like the thick fabric- for me it felt like it added weight.
Nope, sadly the Andies didn't work for me either. See my comments below.
DeleteSo SO sad to report that after first wear of the jeweled short sleeve sweatshirt that I am in love with...all the jewels on the arm caught the side of the garment and made tons of pulls in the fabric-both sides. Going back-so sad.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear! I ended up returning mine because I was scared the jewels would snag. And I did see one in store that was very beat up (and it's new!!).
DeleteI hope they can figure it out for next time...it's just so cute :(
DeleteI'm sorry :( This problem could easily be anticipated by J. Crew with all these jeweled items. Most other retailers don't make these and probably for this reason.
DeleteQuestion for those who tried on Andie Chinos: how do they compare to cafe capris or jean sizes? Do you think they would work for someone with no lower-figure curves? tia!
ReplyDeleteAJC, I am a 00 in cafe capris and in the tux stripe andi, the 0 was the right fit. In other colours the 0 was wierd and made me look fat!
DeleteI chose P2 size in all of them and that's my favourite. They look great now.
I usually take a P2 in cafe capris, but bought the Andie in a regular 0. I tried the regular 2 and liked the fit in the legs, a little looser than the 0, but the waist in the size 2 was way too big. I liked the extra length of the regular. I thought the pants looked cute rolled and the longer length should give me more options for wear.
DeleteI agree with maryeb,as i found they looked cute rolled.
DeleteSizewise,i took my regular size and they were TTs to a little small,but i dont think i could have sized up.
HTH
I originally really liked the Andies when I tried them on in the store. I had to order my size in the color I wanted. Unfortunately that pair did not look good. They are lower waisted - not as low as the Scouts, but still low. I'm not curvy and the legs fit good, but the waist felt snug - well really, it just hit me in the completely wrong place. I had tried the size up and while I liked the fit in the waist, they were extremely baggy everywhere else. For reference, I'm not curvy. I'm high waisted and not real hippy. I really wanted these to work and while they were much better than previous khakis I tried on by JC, they're still a miss for me, sadly. HTH!
DeleteI took a size 2 in last years cotton cafe capris but would need a size 4 in the Andies. (I take size 4 in scout chinos). I liked the length (I'm 5'7") and the slimmer leg (slimmer than cafe capris) but found the low rise to be an issue for me. When sitting they were very low/revealing on me.
DeleteI wear two sizes larger in the Andies than the Cafe Capris.
DeleteThanks to you all for this information about the Andies. I have some Cafe Capris in size P00 that are very baggy all over and big in the waist, so I'm guessing the P00 Andies might fit me well?
DeleteI'm very slim hipped with a flat bum and short legs!!
TIA for any help - it's so appreciated as I live in Australia and have no chance of trying onstuff
Maybe this comparison will help, Ruth. I'm a bit short, 5'3.3", and a bit curvy in the hip and butt. The Cafe Capri in P2 are baggy on me and a little big in the waist. The Scout chinos in P2 fit better in the waist and are less baggy in the butt. The regular 0 Andie are definitely a slimmer fit, more like the Matchstick cords, with no bagging but I do get some wrinkling at the knee and a little bunching at the ankle. HTH
DeleteThanks Maryeb, that's super helpful. I think the P00 should fit me pretty well. Now to decide which colour…
DeleteIs the grey colour quite dark? It's hard to tell from the online pics….
I'm sorry, they didn't have the grey at my store.
DeleteToday I received my pre-order of the collection gray wool pants. I think they were the only non-capris in the entire group. I took my usual size 2. They fit very well, a little higher on the waist than pants have been fitting. The wool is a very thin heather gray. Not lined. The original price my VPS quoted was over $300. He said when I ordered them there were only 500 made. Don't know if this was pre-order hype or not. These came out to be $243, with shipping. I like them. They will fill a huge gap in my wardrobe, but like so many things from Crew, I find myself getting inordinately excited (no weird fabric, no sequins!) about something I would have characterized as a decent basic five or six years ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear they fit nice, but I can't believe for $250 the pants are unlined!
DeleteGot a chance to try the trench dress in store today. I know others have professed love, but I am not so sure. The construction seems very solid. Nice snaps to hold everything in place. Overall, however, it felt like a flight attendants uniform. Not sure I that was because of the weight of the wool -- I think it was. I also have a thicker midsection and was able to get into the smaller of my dress sizes but I think the next size up might have been more flattering on the lower half (but then too big above).
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about buying this one, but I think I won't based on your review and also the odd photo of this dress on the JC homepage. On the model the belt seems to bunch up the dress in all the wrong ways.
DeleteI wanted to like this dress!
I agree with you on the "flight attendant" vibe with the trench dress, but I still went ahead and bought it. I found the waist/hips and length to be very flattering in my usual size. The bust is quite tight but I think a different bra will solve that problem. The belt is weirdly long (I think so you can tie it instead of fastening it, as shown in the catalog). For winter, I plan to wear it with a tissue turtleneck (grey, wine, or camel). I might also swap out the belt for a brown leather belt. I'm open to other styling suggestions.
DeleteI think a leopard belt would look cute (of course I think leopard goes with everything!). Cousy, I am with you, I wanted to love this dress. I do think though the belt is long, it didn't cause the dress to do anything strange when I tried it on if that sways you back. And I agree, Denise, fit up top is fitted which was nice for a flat chested me! I just wanted to feel chic and it didn't quite do it for me.
DeleteWhat is the difference between the Tippi sweater and the Factory merino Charley sweater?
ReplyDeleteHi st - from what I could tell, there wasn't much difference at all between the Tippi and the Charley - they're both 100% merino and have the same cut. Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to tell in a blind "taste test".
DeleteI puchased a black and gray factory charlie merino sweaters. I also have a few of the tippi from retail store. The factory seems to hold up and wear just as nice as tippi. I had them dry cleaned and they look great!
DeleteAnother review. Well, two. The jeweled sateen shell & kiss tee.
ReplyDeleteAntique floral tee- bought during the tee promo. I liked the graphic for fall and the longer length. Nice and soft material. I sized down though because my usual small felt baggy although I am small chested. Sizing down looked better.
ReplyDeleteTipped silk collar top (Peter pan) - also picked up during tee promo. I took my usual small and it fit nicely, not snug at all. It felt comfy and I like the silk trim collar. I liked this collar better than last years on me as it seems longer/not as short or rounded as last years.
Matchstick jeans in Sutton Wash- matchsticks are usually my go to jeans. I love the fit but there's too much poly in this wash for me. It's either 6% or 8% poly and I found the jeans felt quite rough. Especially compared to the old glory wash from last year which is so soft. For the price they are going back. They were tts to a bit snug in my usual size.
I don't like the poly in the jeans either. I like the way the JCrew jeans look on me, but they're a 'no' with the polyester.
Delete-- And they don't tell the material composition on the site - they just say cotton with a hint of stretch.
-- I also noticed that the white jeans don't have the polyester, so what gives?
-- My husband, without knowing what the Sutton jeans were made of - asked what they were made of, because he said 'they didn't look right'.
I wish they'd leave the polyester out. The 2-3% of elastesyn (sp?) was enough stretch.
Too funny that your husband noticed that. My old glory wash matchsticks don't have any poly, same with some older pairs that I have. I hope the poly isn't here to stay. I also miss how more of their jeans used to be made in the U.S.
DeleteSo I did a two-fer review of both J. Crew and Boden today. The review I wrote of the Tartine Satchel is at the bottom of this post . (I bought the sandstone color when it went on deep discount this summer.)
ReplyDeleteShort and sweet--love it, has held up well considering that it is a lighter colored leather and I have kids. Definitely worth the price I paid.
I ordered the colorblock flare mini during the 40% off promo and this has turned out to be my #1 favourite item from this summer's collection. As I am 5'4", and with a 17" skirt length, it is not super short on me, but I also sized up one size to a size 6 so that it would sit a little lower on the waist. The hem falls to 1" above the knee with the larger size. The fabric is excellent, a tightly woven thick cotton canvas with a polished finish such that the skirt has a really nice structure to it - with the inverted pleats, the skirt bells out and helps give the illusion of a waist and an hourglass figure (none of which I have!). Due to the polished finish, the fabric is also very resistant to staining. I was worried about wearing white around the kids, but so far, any stains I have gotten come off really easily with spot cleaning. Fabulous skirt, now planning to get the solid colours.
ReplyDeleteI also ordered the boy shirt in white, as I really wanted a simple white cotton shirt. I ordered my usual size 4, and although the body of the shirt fit fine, I found the sleeves to be strangely narrow (and I know I don't have large upper arms!!). I have reordered the next size up to see if it will make a difference. Otherwise, not a bad shirt, with nice shell buttons and a non-flimsy collar.
I bought the calf hair Martinas over the weekend. They are similar to the hazelnut leopard pattern/ color in some other JCrew shoe styles (such as Vivs). These are not online yet but I am guessing will be in one of the future roll outs. They are gorgeous and they fit like my other Martinas (which are all patent leather), which is to say I size up from my normal non JCrew shoe size like most other JCrew shoes I've purchased. They seem comfortable like my other Martinas but I haven't worn them out yet. They are quite pricey ($358) and probably not worth full price (I used bounceback coupon and my rewards card). I think they are waitlisted if you call customer service to order but I've seen them in all of my local stores, so should be available via WWFIFY or charge send.
ReplyDeleteFYI the Herringbone puffer is on the factory website as a new arrival (need to click through the link provided in an email). Also has a free ship code!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone reviewed the sleeveless peplum ponte top, which comes in solids and a horizontal stripe? Sorry if I've missed it. It has recently hit the sale section.
ReplyDeleteJust got a package today with my girls' Barbour summer LIddesdale Gilet Vest and the girls Barbour Beadnell Jacket. I reviewed the vest last week, saying that the XXL was too large for me -- I am nearly always a size 2/4P in JC (non-third-party) outerwear. With the WIT20 discount (thank you again Alexis!) I reordered both the vest and the jacket in both an XL and XXL.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned last week that the XXL vest is similar to the excursion vest S/M. I think I will revise that to be a S, and the XL vest is like the XS, perhaps just a smidge smaller. In the end, I decided to keep the XXL, even though it is a little boxy, because I want to be able to layer over sweaters.
As for the Beadnell girls' jacket -- the XXL is very similar in size to the Beadnell women's size 4, which is similar to JC outerwear size 2.
I LOVE both. I have the Beadnell in black (women's) and a dark olive (girls'), with Liberty prints inside (the black from JC, the olive from Bloomie's), so I sort of knew how sizing ran with the girls' version.
Re color: I love Barbour jackets with a pretty lining because it adds a bit of femininity to a somewhat masculine jacket. This version has a very charming purple floral (and I don't even like purple!), and I love it. One thing to note is that the navy is a super dark navy, the type that can be confused with black in some lighting. Not good or bad, just something to be aware of.
The only thing that I don't love about the girls' version versus the womens' is that the pockets have a horizontal opening instead of diagonal or slanted. Maybe children use pockets more for holding things instead of keeping hands warm, and a horizontal opening keeps their things safer. Not a huge deal, but again, something to be aware of.
I've looked at the new JC roll-out both in store and online and this is literally the only thing I have been interested in. My closet is thankful for this as it is bursting at its seams.
Review of the silk boy shirt with contrast trim. Comes in regular & petite. Part of SHIRTS25 promo thru Fri.
ReplyDeletethe horsing around sweatshirts arrived yesterday, in grey and navy. they are cute, the material is the thicker sweatshirt material, the horses are plain black applique. i ordered the xxs and they are pretty true to size, not too tight or too loose. i did try them under a blazer and my arms felt too tight/wrapped, not very comfortable, although the model pulls it off pretty well.
ReplyDeletealso ordered the crewcuts barbour vest in L (mentioned above), i'm normally 00 in excursion vests and the L was too large, the arm holes have an extra 2-3 inches and i could fit 2 sweaters under it. i'd order the M but i'm afraid i'd lose the length so it would look too chopped. the horizontal pockets were a little confusing :)
hope that helps.
-masha
@Masha- thank you for the info re: horsing around sweatshirts. Are the horses white on the navy one? Also, how is the length and boxiness? Thank you!
DeleteHi jan. the horses on the navy are off-white (closer to the background color of this site than white). I didn't find them boxy - they have the trim stretchy band on the sleeves and hem. It fits just slightly bigger than my peony sweatshirt, if that helps. The sleeves are raglan. I can email you pictures of both shirts too. Hope that helps!
DeleteMasha
Masha, thank you:) An email would be fantastic! My email is ryanjanet@bell.net
DeleteThank you for your help!
I received the Collection Dual Foulard dress today, the fabric is gorgeous, it's a thick structured silk fabric and I absolutely love the colors. The length is on the shorter side, it's about as long as Jules on me (I'm 5'4 so the length isn't too bad, just a little above the knee. Dress is pull on style with buttons at the chest (no side or back zippers). As for fit, I got my usual 10, I am on the busty side and found ample room up top which is difficult to find in non knit dresses, however I found the hip area a little snug although I am endowed in this area as well so if you are "hippy" you may want to go up a size, however if you have a straighter figure your regular size should work. In conclusion, I am going to keep the dress for now since I am on a bit of a weight loss journey and because I have 60 days to return I'm going to see if the fit around the hips improves with a few pounds shed.
ReplyDeleteI recently purchased the thistle print jeans, sz 24. I'm 5'2 and they fit pretty well except for the waist.. it was huge! I have an enormous gap of fabric above my butt, of which I need to tame with a thick belt. But doing so doesn't solve it completely, as you can see the fabric folding along the sides. Strange it's cut like this - are all of this line styled as such??
ReplyDeleteHas anyone purchased the factory version lf the minnie pant? I think factory version is called winnie? I Ordered and received a black pair. They feel nice. Do they stretch out a bit and will they hold up? I don't own the retail version.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 pairs from the outlet, yes they are the Winnie pant. So far I've only worn one pair, washed once, washed well. I love them!! They fit alot better on me than the Minnie pant :)
DeleteHas anyone seen/tried on the Merino Baseball Tippi or the Tippi in French Knot? My store didn't have them in yet when I visited last week. I like the look of the baseball Tippi, but what color is it? I thought it was white/navy or white/black but the color is listed as Parsley Breeze, which leads me to think that the body is a pale green. Thanks for any sizing help as well!
ReplyDeleteI ordered both in my normal size in Tippi sweaters.The Navy French knot fits perfect and is so cute on! The baseball tippi did not fit me well and was just big all over the color is dark green almost black and a light greenish blue I returned it today I probaly need to size down one size .I think I will wait to try it on in the store maybe they will get them in the next roll out I hope this helps!
DeleteThis was a ton of help, thanks so much Mary!
DeleteI *just* received the Milo Mary Janes. I did a quick review here.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where to post this, but I just put up two photos on my blog from the September roll out.
ReplyDeletehttp://bichonluvrscloset.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-few-j-crew-september-preview-pics.html
Thanks for sharing, Suzy! Always love these sneak peeks.
DeleteI noticed last week that JC is finally offering the downtown field jacket in tall sizes (yay!), so I took advantage of the WIT20 promo and ordered it, figuring that the way promos are going this might be the best deal I can score for awhile. I am 5'10" and a medium in tops. Compared to my old downtown field jacket (the black one from a couple years ago), the fit in medium feels identical in the shoulders and chest. The measurement down the back of the old one is 25", and the new one is 25.5". The measurement down the sleeve of the old one is 25 1/4", and the new one is 26 1/4". The buttons and zippers are the same on both. I appreciate the extra inch in the sleeve because I'm always having issues with showing my wrists in too-short tops.
ReplyDeleteI have been pretty happy with the black one and am undecided if I need the mossy brown one too, even if I prefer the sleeve length. Does anyone have advice about this color? Do you find that it is more versatile than black?
I don't have the black one, but I own and really like the mossy brown. I tend to wear a lot of green/blue/pink, so I think it goes really well with what I already own. HTH!
DeleteThanks for the input. I appreciate your color suggestions!
Delete