JCA Community {quote it!}

Silver Lining (in this post):

They should just change the ticker at the top of the screen from "6 days etc for standard shipping" to "6 days etc until Final Sale comes back"!  

Ha ha ha! {sigh} #sotrue

JCA Community {quote it!} J.Crew Online Reviews Edition!

Lauren (in this post) shared the following about J.Crew's Pajama Pant in Plaid Flannel (item b5220; $49.50):

I came across this gem when I was doing some Christmas shopping on the website yesterday: (they are reviewing the Pajama Pant in Plaid Flannel)

"I know hate is a strong word, but I hate these. The paltry rise is perhaps 7 inches. You can even see in the pic that the fabric stops right above her, ahem, crack. I'd rather sleep in skintight hip hugger jeans from 2002 than these things. At least those would be warm. Fabric quality does not match price. I really do miss the good flannel pj bottoms J Crew had back in the day. I still have a pair even. Nice pockets and what's that? An ELEVEN inch rise to actually land somewhere near a waist?! How lovely since I'm not usually prepping to pole dance whist wearing flannel pj bottoms and that's all this current pair is good for. I'd be more than happy to mail my old pair back to y'all so you can fashion a decent pair for next year".

HA! Pretty darn good! I especially appreciate the last line where the reviewer offers to help J.Crew out. Priceless.

JCA Community {quote it!}

snowbrdgrl (in this post):

oh... and don't you just love the feeling when you *think* you've gotten a great deal on a sale item with add'l % off. Then 2 weeks later the price went down again! *sigh* 

Ha ha ha! {sigh} {wiping away tear}

JCA Community {quote it!}

JenniferD (in this post):

I have three crinkle boy shirts - blackwatch plaid, red check, and black/white check. Ironed them all, then literally watched them "re-crinkle".

Maybe that's a selling point . . . "retains crinkly / wrinkly texture despite washing, drying, ironing, stretching, bending, cajoling, persuading, bribing, strong arguments, kind words, and general wishing." 

HA! ;)

JCA Community {quote it!}

Suzy (in this post):

This is off-topic, but relates to J Crew. There is a posting on Thought Catalog called "21 Signs You're Destined To Be a Soccer Mom" and number 1 reads:

1. There is a feeling you get when you set foot in a JCrew, and it’s a feeling incomparable to anything else in your life. It’s a sort of spiritual certainty, accompanied by a buzzing excitement and a sudden, overwhelming urge to spend the next 45 minutes trying on enamel bangles and touching sweaters. It is your Happy Place.

You can read the full article here:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-fagan/2013/11/21-signs-youre-destined-to-be-a-soccer-mom/

Silver Lining (in this post):

There seems to be a cycle:
1. New arrivals! Weeeeeeeeee!
2. Reality sets in when new arrivals are reviewed (for better or for worse).
3. Sale section is updated with new markdowns! Weeeeeeeee!
4. Sale section starts to feel tired.
5. Additional % off! Weeeeeeeeee!
6. How long is that stuff going to be in the sale section?!
7. New arrivals! Weeeeeeeeeee!

We're kind of at #6 right now.

HA! So true on both accounts!!! I love walking into J.Crew. There is something about the store that makes me linger and touch the merchandise.

With that said, I am going through a down period with J.Crew. I am not buying that much right now. I feel like I own everything I want, and there is not much left that I need. Even though the new arrivals look pretty, I am just not swooning over any pieces like I use to. I am sure that feeling will turn around in January! ;)

JCA Community {quote it!}

There are a lot of good quotes and it is getting harder to choose just one. So I won't! Here is a sampling of the ones that made me chuckle aloud...

From the "J.Crew's October Catalog Sneak Peek on Pinterest" post:

• J.Crew Guy in Canada: "Fall and J.Crew go together like salt and pepper. ...I'm looking better if poorer."
• Mamakoh: "...Is the jewel drenched sweatshirt in stores? It's not online yet and I NEED THIS. I've avoided most of the jeweled stuff cause I know they'll just entice my toddler to try to pull them off me but I'm willing to fight with her for this one!"
• Clotted Creame: (Planning meeting)
  Head Stylist: Okay, moving on to the liberty floral print shirtdress. Any photo story ideas?
  Assistant #1: This would look great with butterflies swirling around it in the middle of the plaza.
  HS: Hmmm...beautiful idea, but not in the budget. We’re only ordering limited stock this year, remember, to create the illusion of scarcity.
  Assistant #2: Why don’t we utilize the local talent in Venice and incorporate Venetian pigeons? Venetian pigeons are way more chic than New York pigeons. They even understand Italian!
  HS: Good thinking, A#2! You are now promoted to Assistant to the Head Stylist. A#1, you are now Assistant to the Assistant.
  A#1: Ugh! Why didn’t I think of that?! If I had just rearranged a few letters of the alphabet and said “pigeons” instead of “butterflies”!!!

From the "Questionable Item of the Week: Paint Splattered Khakis" post:

• Cate: "...I personally don't like wearing J.Crew head to toe, but sometimes I don't think their pieces mix well with clothes from other retailers and I find it hard to put a personal spin on their clothing. It seems to lend itself to wearing with other J.Crew things. Maybe Mickey is a genius!"
• Cate: "...somehow salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and wine don't look quite as cool on my pants ;)"
• GigiOfCA: "...All this talk about the pants/clutch/heels. Is no one wearing a shirt w/these pants?"

HA! Thank you ladies and gentleman for the much needed laugh! :)

JCA Community {quote it!}

Virginia PrepModern (in this post):

Once again I am disgusted with the pricing "strategy." It's like "festival seating" at a concert. Not my cup of joe.

HA! So true! I know many of us have discussed on this blog the uneasy feeling of buying an item only to find it reduced (sometimes drastically) after a few days. At that point you feel like a fool paying the higher price and therefore wonder if you should ask for a price adjustment or just return it altogether.

I find the pricing fluctuations happen at both regular retail J.Crew and J.Crew Factory. A "classic" example is the Classic Schoolboy Blazer, which jumped from $198, then $99, to $60, up around $128, then to $178 in just a two week period (refer to the "J.Crew Classic Schoolboy Blazer {new school vs old..." post).

When it comes to Factory items, the pricing fluctuations tend to relate to the promotion going on. When there is a new promotion (like x% off a product category), then the base price of the item goes up. So the price of an item might be the same before the new promotion was even introduced.

JCAs almost need to maintain a spreadsheet to keep up with all the changes! ;)

JCA Community {quote it!}

We are in for a treat as there are two related quotes on J.Crew's French Hen Sweater (Item 14492; $95.00) :

Straycat (in this post):

...All I think when I see it is "put a bird on it"....ha! I'm from Portland, Oregon and it's a joke around here because we really embraced "putting a bird on it". ...

Life as a Cat (in her "Overheard: J. Crew sales associates puzzle over the French Hen Sweater" post):

Store Associate 1: I don't get it. I mean, I don't have to get it, I guess, but I just don't get it . . .

SA 2: It's like in Portlandia - you know, "put a bird on it"?
SA 1: Yeah, but that's supposed to be making fun of the whole put-a-bird-on-things trend, not advocating for it.
SA 3: Well maybe we're being ironically ironic?
SA 1: No, that just doesn't work . . .

HA!

JCA Community {quote it!}

Greta (in this post):

And does Barack ever say to Michelle, "slow down a little now, it's been too many boxes from J Crew"? Like my husband sometimes does to me?

HA! Been here too. ;)

JCA Community {quote it!}

J.Crew Guy in Canada (in this post):

My closet has reached critical mass! No more new items may enter until I do an edit and a small purge. I already have far more than I can use, adding to this would be simply prove how I hate having any money in my wallet.

LOL! Been there.