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.
‘H&M, a Fashion Giant, Has a Problem: $4.3 Billion of Unsold Clothes’
ReplyDeletehttps://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/business/hm-clothes-stock-sales.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur
A fast fashion conundrum. This is what makes me sad. Too many clothes unsold with so many people in need of it.
That's interesting, thanks for sharing. The mention of buyers being more quality conscious and the impact they have on fast fashion also seems to be a problem affecting J Crew. I guess by closing B&M stores, that helps with leftover merchandise. The H&M at my mall is on two floors and is gigantic, the J Crew in comparison is a closet.
DeleteI saw that article as well. I ordered three tweed jackets from Zara last week. Awful. Cute online and you do get what you pay for but they could not hold up to more than a few wearings. I am just not into the "use it and throw it away" mentality that seems to exist today when buying clothing and furniture.
DeleteI've been reading a lot of comments that basically say there's nothing great at JCrew right now. This is the anti vent. I think there are plenty of cute options out right now if one is in need of this, that, or the other. On the other hand, there is nothing that screams must-have. Would love to see J0514 in a poly or gauzy cotton machine wash fabric. Would love an easy pant that has the silhouette of H7295. Maybe past iterations have looked that way on others but not on me. Maybe if I had exchanged sizes, but that is quite a hassle.
ReplyDeleteJ0514 is washable. Silk is washable. I do it all the time with silk blouses. I treat them like my cotton blouses - wash in cold, then hang dry and press with a cool iron. I don't own any poly and wouldn't buy it but I think the only slight advantage it might have is little to no ironing. Which wouldn't make up for the inability of the fabric to breath a least for me. I ordered this blouse and hope it will be a summer staple in my wardrobe.
DeleteI kind of agree: in the sense that nice things are available if you closely browse the site (including the sale section). But I think people expect more from J. Crew along several dimensions: stand-out styles (as you alluded to), a classy presentation on the website, including the use of rollouts rather than trickling in new items; and quality (debatable whether this has decreased I guess). I think the biggest issue is the first. Until I see something that really catches my eye, I'm just not likely to make a purchase because I expect more from J. Crew.
Delete@Panda, exactly, well said.
DeleteI’ll vent. This seems the longest ever with no extra % off sale items. If Jcrew is discontinuing the extra %, then they need do some more mark downs. Some of these sale items are priced much higher now than earlier and the savy shoppers on this site are not going to bite.
ReplyDeleteNot a vent. If you have been thinking about trying the Factory Anya’s as a replacement for the beloved Cece’s, today is the day. Factory has a “hidden sale” thing today and all the Anya’s are 70% off, or $34.95. Lowest price I’ve seen ever.
ReplyDeleteThe colors are basic, but I have worn the Belvedere Red a lot and love them.
Factory also has 50% off clearance - the l/s cashmere tees are marked down to $75 before the 50% off. Reviews are good - has anyone tried these? I think I'm going to try one as well as the pom slide sandals. I see Factory also re-released the bow shorts from last year that were popular.
DeleteAnne - I have one of the JC Factory cashmere tees. Similar to the retail version, decent quality, lighter colors may be a bit sheer. I bought the hot pink that is no longer available. The V-neck cashmere was a terrible fit on me, too short and wide and generally oversized. For the price, I think the cashmere tee is a good value.
DeleteNot a vent: I placed two orders yesterday, and got shipping confirmations for both this morning with delivery expected on Friday. Probably one of the fastest I've seen outside of an overnight delivery.
ReplyDeleteVent: I received the reversible cape scarf yesterday. I don't get it. It's literally a pashmina with two holes. As far as I can tell there is no upside or downside, but the armholes seem very wide apart - wider than my shoulders/body width so the whole thing keeps falling off my shoulders. It actually makes me look messy and unkempt wearing it. Where is the design element in this?? This seems like such a lazy item to put out.
Re: the reversible cape scarf, the same thing happens to me - I leave it at my office to keep me warm during slightly chilly days. When I have the time, I plan to sew snap buttons to the chest part so I can keep it closed, and maybe also at the wrist so my hands can stay put.
Deletewonder if its fast because website had so many issues ...shoppers didn't place orders.
DeleteMine is the plaid one and it’s in my office draped on the back of my chair. I tried to wear it one time and looked ridiculous. It’s so true that the holes are too wide to actually “wear” it.
DeleteCute idea but honestly ... it’s a blanket.
Trying to buy a couple of blazers from factory to try. I had some things in my shopping cart that I would never have chosen, and then realized I was somehow logged in as someone else. Interesting. Also, the website is ridiculously slow - just churning and churning.
ReplyDeleteI am always somehow logged into J crew website as someone else with their things in my cart. I refuse to buy anything online until it is fixed since that must say something about their security.
DeleteJ Crew's fourth-quarter and fiscal year results are out: https://www.ft.com/content/34e7872a-31f8-11e8-b5bf-23cb17fd1498. Another very good year for Madewell, but not much improvement on the JC side yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Link here if don't have a FT password: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jcrew-group-inc-announces-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-2017-results-300620534.html
DeleteIt appears they think the madewellification strategy is working. You can't dispute the madewell numbers I'll admit. But that means more of the current direction at JC, and fewer things I want to buy. Perhaps they are succeeding in bringing in more of the young demo they are chasing. Meanwhile I need some quality wear to work staples and am heading to MMLaFleur--don't care that the tops are all $145 each with no promo because I need some quality stylish items for the office and I can't handle the cheapness at JC, BR and AT these days.
Cass, check out The Fold.
Deleteagree..if you need quality work wear ...you will get what you pay for. years of wear vs one year.
DeleteI expect to read one day soon on this page...that the Jcrew we all love is gone/done. it will be a sad day. but they just keep getting worse every new roll out.
DeleteWFF, I've seen the fold but you have to pay shipping both ways from the UK and not sure of fit. I like the looks of many of their items, though almost everything is showing with full sleeves and sleeveless dresses are much more slimming on me. I just layer with a cardigan if needed for the office. Definitely going to keep an eye out for future styles and future free shipping and return options for the US.
DeleteJust dropped $1k on the MM LaFleur website--5 tops, 1 pr pants. Just so sick of the cheap, cheap junk available everywhere else in the market right now.
DeleteI’ve been happily picking thru Polo Ralph Lauren, Elie Tahari... can’t do junk.
DeleteIf the crew is just going to become more and more Madewell asetically why keep both? I do like some Madewell items but overall it is not my vibe. As others pointed out I need work clothes! The good news is I really only need pants and skirts and can probably make do with everything else.
Delete@WFF Elie Tahari started 30% F&F today on their site. I have some nice sheath dresses from them too.
Delete@JessF, I guess since Madewell is so much smaller it has room to grow; they are using J.Crew store space to sell Madewell now. At some point there will be a market equilibrium where the teenage/20s/casual wear market will stop creating growth for them.
DeleteI believe J Crew and Madewell will merge in some fashion in the future. J Crew’s debt situation ... all that retail and infrastructure duplication when one brand is in such a weak financial position is not sustainable.
DeleteI don't think it would be a bad idea. J. Crew and Madewell are different but not so different that a merger would be jarring to me. If such a move would bring back some older J. Crew-like styles to go into the mix I'd be all for it.
DeleteWhat happened to the "Looks We Love" section on the website? That was always the first place I went when new arrivals were added and I often bought entire outfits just from those looks. I'm missing it even more now that they no longer put out the Style Guide.
ReplyDeletei remember waiting for the guide to slowly load on pinterest...I was so thrilled for the new roll outs.
DeleteI don't get it. It's basically free. I love Pinterest, I refer to it every few days at least and it's so easy to create virtual scrapbooks. Why not post pics there. I have old pics saved. It's so stupid, at least to this non-millennial
DeleteAgree! A Pinterest style guide would be better than nothing. The stylists in house could snap some iPhone pics if nothing else. I don’t get much style inspiration from the website at all lately. I would love a feature where they mix new arrivals with old Jcrew that you may already have in your closet just to get some ideas.
DeleteI wonder if Gayle quit?
DeleteRecent styling is awful: swimsuit w/ anorak, gym socks and slippers...?
It’s evident that no one at the top is managing the women’s and men’s styling dept.
That's funny. I could totallly see my young adult daughters wearing that. Socks and slides are a thing.
DeleteWhat’s up with the birthday promo codes? I don’t feel like it was always like this but I’m trying to use it on a tankini top from factory but it won’t let me because the item is excluded from all promos. Is the birthday $25 off always considered that kind of promo? That’s annoying and it’s all I want to buy and the month is over in 3 days.
ReplyDeleteSomething similar happened to me this month with my birthday reward. I placed the order and then emailed help@jcrew.com and asked for the $25 to be applied to the order. Someone replied quickly and honored my request. :-)
DeleteOh that was nice of them. I called customer service last night and she said she could extend the date on the code but when I said okay but if it’s going to keep excluding things like that I still can’t use it and she made no offer of just waiving the stupid rule.
DeleteShouldn't the birthday reward be treated more like a gift card and not a promo tho?
DeleteYes that’s how I thought it used to be. So after I couldn’t get the tankini I tried to use it on a Tippi because I’m always stocking up on those and there is a 40% code on them right now but I can’t use the birthday card if I use the code to get 40% off. It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what I could even buy?
DeleteI just added button downs and shorts to my cart and all are “excluded from promo.”
DeleteAfter a week of trying to find something that was not excluded from promo, this morning’s email was — wait for it — PUPPIES.
ReplyDeleteI’m walking over to bloomingdale’s even though it’s raining.