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.
Garance Dore has a lovely little piece on her blog today about her strategy to simplify her closet, refine her style and avoid buying junk in the age of accelerating fast fashion everywhere you look.
ReplyDeleteIf you are trying to stay strong and avoid end-of-season, 60% off FS mistakes that will go unworn, might be worth a read!
Do you mind providing the link to the story? I would love to read it.
DeleteSorry can't link. "My 10 (ok, 5) Commandments of Style" on www.atelierdore.com.
DeleteThanks for this positive reinforcement :) I've avoided impulse buys and am happier for it. I've made a few purchasing mistakes this year, but progress has been made since my buy-it-because-it's-cheap days.
Delete@carmelfor02, I think this is the link to the article Ruffles mentioned.
DeleteThat's a great post - funny that it's 4 years old, it seems so timely!
Deletehttp://www.atelierdore.com/illustrations/my-new-ten-commandments-of-style-ok-five/
ReplyDeleteFound it. Interesting, as I allowed the ruffle waist leopard pants to sell out from under me
Although I think the article I posted is several years old but maybe it's the illustration?
DeleteGarance is right, THE GOOD STUFF IS GOING AWAY. In fact most of the Good Stuff has already gone away. Fine fabrics, classy buttons, silk linings, DARTS, full-fashioned knits... and skills. The other day I found myself explaining to a "tailor" how to use single-fold bias tape as a false hem to let down a pencil skirt.
DeleteAs long as I'm on the vent thread, here's the rest: serging, itchy labels at back of neck and back of waist, nylon thread, serging, absence of waists in dresses, ruffles everywhere, serving, jittery website, NARVAR.
Thanks for sharing! I once was a simpler shopper with a simpler wardrobe especially during the time period when I was a "poor" student during professional school. Ironically after graduation and settling into my career with good pay, my wardrobe has exploded, partly fed by fantasy items, impulse purchases and the post pregnancy figure thinking clothes could help my perception of my changed body after 3 kids. I love JCA and fashion and of course this has also nurtured my crazy shopping habits (not blaming anyone by any means ;)!). In any case I hate to admit it but my closet is overflowing and I say I have nothing to wear!! Anyways I am really trying to get back on that track to simplify wardrobe. I was truly a "happier " person without stressing over the options and the clutter!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, peis - I too remember being a poor student that bought fall/winter clothes in September and spring/summer clothes in April (one big shopping trip for each). Because I had so much less in my closet, I can remember a lot of the pieces exactly (as well as the memories attached to them).
DeleteI really have gotten better about not purchasing things that I know do not fit my lifestyle or that will not match anything currently in my wardrobe and would lead me to buy more pieces in order to wear. Problem is I still just have too much. I sweep through my closet every few months and there are the easy pieces to get rid of but so much I still like and still fits but only gets worn two or three times a year because I have too many options. I really do enjoy shopping and I know a straight out ban would not work for me. I guess I really need to just come up with some stricter parameters on what is acceptable to buy and stick to it.
ReplyDeleteI've mentioned before, this is totally what I try to do. I've pared down a lot and stick with a really boring color palette. I do go a little crazy with shoes and accessories (within reason). My dress up clothes don't get worn often enough but I try to make excuses to get dressed up, even if it's out to dinner.
DeleteI have a memory of a team banquet when my kids were young and a mom I knew was wearing a fleece and running pants. I was all dressed up. I never want to be that mom in a fleece and running pants at a banquet.
Ha! I like to 'dress,' too. I remember complaining to a friend when my office went casual for the summer that I wouldn't get to wear my cute clothes. ;) I just quit my job, and am trying to break the habit of shopping for business casual-I have enough to last for many years.
DeleteThanks Suz. I am always the overdressed one out of my group and I am ok with that. I do stick to a navy palette and have done a pretty good job with it. I think my down fall is dresses. I really don't need any more office type of dresses but get easily sucked in. I know I need to stop buying them but dresses always end up on my wish list and in my cart. Thanks to you I went through the closet and purged a few more. I am going to try to make an effort to stop buying any more.
DeleteI went through a dress phase a few years ago, so I feel you. Good luck. It's a process for sure.
DeleteSorry about my long confession vent!
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your comment cause I soooo relate!
DeleteMy gripe has to do with the shipping orders in pieces. When an order comes in multiple brown envelopes, and I need to send back returns.. I don't have a box big enough to put them all in! I've spent more than I care to admit on return shipping this year (my B&M closed in January and I'm still not over it, waaah), and whenever I have to send things back it's a challenge in stuffing as much as I can into a single package. I miss the days of most of the order arriving in a decent sized box. : )
ReplyDeleteI really wish they'd implement something like the Madewell Insider program (free ship/returns) for cardholders, especially if they're going to be closing stores left and right. Just dreaming!
I preordered the tiger pants and the NY sweatshirt with the ship to store option, since I expect I may not want to keep the pants. I wish they had been available yesterday, considering a lot of stuff hit the floor already. And how come I couldn't preorder the tiger blouse, but some stores have it? Weak sauce.
ReplyDeleteMy vent: no style guides. I can handle if they want to not make a style guide on a month where it's pretty slow anyway you like January or July, but by golly there ought to at least be a September issue or something. We will see what happens but I know the catalogs have encourage me to order things in the past. There's something about seeing a future ensemble on a glossy page that encourages me to buy. I can't tell you how many times I've studied the guides and always felt like I had to have at least one piece from each issue. Even if they just had one catalog a season and maybe an extra one for holiday would make me happy.
ReplyDelete@Shopping Celle, I know JCAs have talked about this before, but this article tells a bit more about what the catalog plans - it doesn't seem as if they will be killed entirely:
Delete'The Style Guide isn’t getting killed entirely, but it will have fewer pages — savings that will ultimately get passed on to investing in digital initiatives. Men’s and women’s content will be split into separate books and shipped to customers in a more targeted way.'
https://www.racked.com/2017/6/12/15786880/j-crews-print-catalog-reduction
So hopefully there will be something to see!
I am so sad about this but it seems in keeping with the "Buy Now/Wear Now" model. A faster product cycle means more trends and about the same level of quality we're seeing now.
DeleteThe catalogs really "showcase" the clothes ... colors, silhouette, fabric content, styling options. They invite contemplation about each item. That's what I loved. With today's offerings, I suppose fewer and skimpier catalogs will result in less scrutiny.
Thanks for the info TM93! I like your observation about the catalogs inviting contemplation Ruffles.
DeleteI'm sad to see the August Catalog/Style guide disappear. Also sad to hear that "Fall" clothing won't be part of the August line up. I look forward to fall clothes and seeing all the new colors and styles. I don't care about buying more tank tops and ruffled shorts. This is a bad move IMO.
DeleteI know sales have moved away from stores and toward online purchases, but I don't think it necessarily means all browsing has moved online. I mostly purchase online, because my store has very little, and it is convenient, but I don't scroll though all these outfit ideas and pages of styling suggestions from J Crew. Who has time for that? I DO look at the printed catalogs though.
Delete@Ruffles, agree about the catalogs. I hope a shorter production cycle doesn't mean only producing trendy stuff, but rather, that they've managed to line up their clothes with the seasons. I REALLY like that camo Tippi, but there is no how, no way that I am considering purchasing it on a day like today in NYC, when the temp is supposed to be a hot and humid 95 degrees!! I can't mentally wrap my head around that idea. I wouldn't be wearing it until late September, if that. (Strange that the Tippi is available for purchase before the camo t-shirt!) Anywho, I hope it all works out for JC and for us.
DeleteI asked about this and they said they will be sending one in a few weeks. I used to keep them all, year to year. It's sad that this is now becoming so haphazard.
Delete