Free Shipping On Any Order at JCrew.com

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Fabulous Florida Mommy (in this post), who shared the following promotion from J.Crew this morning.

J.Crew is also offering free shipping off your orders (no min!) with promo code FREESHIP. This offer expires Sunday, June 19, 2011. The fine print includes:

*Previous purchases are not eligible for this discount. Free shipping offer is valid through Sunday, June 19, 2011, 11:59pm ET on Internet orders shipped via regular shipping (3 to 6 business days). Free shipping applies to online-only orders before shipping, handling and taxes are added. Free ground shipping is applied at checkout with promo code FREESHIP. Offer not valid on telephone orders. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion.

It's a great promo. Although, it makes me still wonder when the additional percent off promo will be. ;)

Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? If so, what items are you planning to get. Please share! :)

JCA "Help Style Me!" Weekly Post

This is the weekly "Help Style Me!" post, where we can share items we are having trouble putting outfits together with. Elaine (in this post) says it best, "You know, that thing you bought because you love it and you keep pulling it out and then putting it away without wearing it?"

Please share your J.Crew item (either that you own or are thinking about getting) that you would love help creating an outfit with.

Also, please help out by offering your styling advice. Feel free to include links to your blog (where you incorporated that piece) or to Polyvore (where you showcased an outfit with that piece). Thanks in advance! :)

"Looking to LOVE" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to LOVE with J.Crew" post, a place to share our favorite experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a positive 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 stellar experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

NYT's Critical Shopper Looks at How Well is Madewell

A big "thanks!" to Diane, Emily, Jessica, Erin, Disco George, & Cara who kindly shared the following article from the New York Times with us (click here to read in its entirety):

Madewell, but Remade How Well?
By Alexandra Jacobs
June 14, 2011

FOR about five years, the brand Madewell has been rattling like rusty ironworks around the edges of my consciousness, producing vague and somewhat conflicting associations, like “flannel shirt,” “rain boots” and “Alexa Chung.”

After further investigation, I suspect this is the exact impression that its owner (or should I say hijacker), Millard S. Drexler — the mass-retail wizard who injected pizazz and profit into first Gap, now J. Crew — wants to convey.

Around the turn of this millennium, Mr. Drexler, known as Mickey, presciently intuited a groundswell of consumer yearning for traditional American dry goods and bought the rights to, though not the physical remains of, Madewell, a brave little workwear manufacturer in New Bedford, Mass., that opened in 1937 and closed in 1989, bookended by economic bad times. He then superimposed its true-blue, ye olde time-y logo on a line that might be described as Skipper to J. Crew’s Barbie. Fewer sequins, more lanyards.

This made-over Madewell is connected by but the flimsiest of threads to its defunct namesake; indeed, as several forays to its new flagship on the Ladies’ Mile attest, the company is now producing clothes not for the working class, but for the class of young women who attend expensive private colleges and are taking a gap year to, you know, figure out what they want to do with their lives.

How about a road trip? Or if you don’t have the energy: how about a souvenir from someone else’s road trip? A collection of T-shirts ($78 each) printed with Big Sky images taken during a cross-country drive by Dylan Forsberg, a Manhattan photographer, is titled “Where I Want to Be.” This idea of carefree, slightly removed itinerancy (tumbleweed by way of Tumblr) is echoed in the store’s décor, a hodgepodge of rusty bicycle seats, battered viewfinders, wagon wheels, Stewart Warner radios and stacks of burlap suitcases.

Atop the last are several smaller bags in the rucksack category: a “dusty roads messenger” ($245), for those delivering urgent files to rural shacks, I guess; a $132 “backyard binocular bag” in the vein of the still-extant heritage brand J. W. Hulme (now sold at Barneys); and, for the crosstown bus, the so-called “scholar” ($148), a shameless imitation of Ms. Chung’s signature, much more expensive purse for Mulberry.

Ms. Chung is the winsome young British presenter-for-hire who has designed a few items derived from her personal style for Madewell (cropped fisherman-knit sweater, $140, available online) and who is quoted on the wall, alongside Lucky magazine editors, declaring this season’s omnipresent chambray “a no brainer” and concluding, “Long live tomboys.”

I applaud her determination not to be crushed by the frill juggernaut, as well as the good cheer of the Madewell sales maidens, who place no restrictions on the number of items you can carry into the dressing rooms. “You can try on the whole store,” one said generously, shoving aside a curtain made of mattress ticking so I could take a pair of cute gold linen-Lurex shorts ($88) for a spin.

Later she was gracious enough to return to me the pair of scratched sunglasses I’d worn in and accidentally left on a chair — lucky for sure, as it’s not inconceivable that otherwise they might have been appropriated by an eager stylist and sprinkled into the store’s stock. “Found. A one-of-a-kind discovery from us to you,” read the artfully crumpled, handwritten tag adorning a Wrangler denim shirt ($78) spattered with an unidentifiable dark red stain. (Rust? Blood?)

Madewell brass, lovingly tarnished I’m sure, also pride themselves on showcasing items from local partners, or so-called “hometown heroes,” including Other Music in the East Village, which provides indie CD’s to throw into the car for the imaginary road trip; and Love, Adorned in NoLIta, source of some (oh, for a simpler time) Alyssa Ettinger “NYC-themed” white ceramic dairy bottles ($40 to $50).

They are less forthcoming about the fact that most of their all-American looks, including “heritage premium” overalls in a faded “bighorn wash” ($200), are made in China. Now that’s distress of another stripe. “We started out as a workwear company in 1937, so we know a thing or two about denim,” smoothly elides Madewell’s marketing literature, suggesting that the urbane Mr. Drexler personally took lessons in rivets and topstitching from a union foreman in New Bedford.

LIKE every other jeans joint in town, Madewell offers a denim bar, as if it were serving cocktails instead of flares and skinnies. Here there is also a bracelet bar, with plastic bangles woven from used floor mats in Burkina Faso ($10.50) and rope cuffs like the ones girls exchange at summer camp ($5). Dangling from the rafters and enhancing the Etsy-ish, wayfaring milieu were a few brightly colored yarn pompoms.

Defying a longstanding personal rule against white pants, I tried a slim-cut version called the Switchyard ($69.50), with an ankle zipper. (When in doubt, Madewell designers throw in a zipper: up the back of a strappy wedge, $228; on the pockets of a delicate blush cardigan, $69.50.) The jeans didn’t electrify. But they were nicely oversize — engineered, perhaps, to give every mall walker in America the illusion that she is Alexa Chung.

Madewell | 115 Fifth Avenue (East 19th Street), (212) 228-5172; madewell.com.

TRADE WELL A subsidiary of J. Crew, the store, which also has a location in SoHo, juxtaposes in-house labels (Broadway & Broome pleated ikat dress, $245) with lumberjill classic brands like Penfield (olive anorak, $149) and Stetson (chambray fedora, $78). There’s also a smattering of pieces from nearby independent businesses.

PAID WELL Staff members are cheery and helpful, if a bit vague about the main stock, which — despite the brand’s tenuous roots in all-American manufacturing — is mostly outsourced overseas.

FRAYED WELL Mason jars, exposed light bulbs, stray ladders, zippers and spools create a rare, if obviously cultivated, “homemade” atmosphere on a rather generic shopping row.

Well said! I think the author did a great job summing up Madewell in her observations of the store. The store definitely tries to portray itself as one way (small, made well products, slightly lower price points than J.Crew), while it really is another (more expensive than J.Crew for many items in many categories).

Now in all fairness, I find the associates at Madewell very nice. Even though I am not their target customer, I still manage to find one or two items to crush on, like the Staircase Skirt (Item 41703; $168.00). ;)

What are your thoughts on this article? Do you agree with the author's take on Madewell? Any points you found interesting?

J.Crew Email: Disappearing fast: NEW STYLES added to SUMMER SALE, in stores & online

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Irina, who shared the following email from J.Crew this morning.

J.Crew is reminding customers that several new items are making it to their Summer Sale (click here to shop online). "Thanks!" to Stene (in this post) who shared some new-to-sale items:

• Casbah Dress (Item 43316; $198.00, now $129.99)
• Pilar Printed Platform Heels (Item 44631; $268.00, now $179.99)
  

There are also some great updates this past week or so -and- great deals to be had at J.Crew's brick & mortar stores.

But the question on everyone's mind is, "When is the next percent off sale?" (refer to the "J.Crew's Summer Sale {when's the additional percent off?}" post). The guessing game still continues...

Will you be checking out the Sale section? Are there any items you are hoping to see or to get?

J.Crew Sample Sale {the info!}

As mentioned in the "Another J.Crew Sample Sale {coming soon!}", J.Crew is currently running a Sample Sale in NYC.

"Thanks!" to Erin who let us know about a new post over at Mizhattan (click here to read in its entirety) that has more information about J.Crew's latest Sample Sale. The image above also comes from that post.

There is also the "Inside J.Crew: Everything From Plaid Shirting to Sparkly Hot Pants" post over at the Racked that is worth checking out. There are tons of images of the actual Sample Sale, as well as the price sheet, to check out.


For the event's days/hours:

Wednesday, June 15th (10am - 8pm)
Thursday, June 16th (10am - 8pm)
Friday, June 17th (10am - 8pm)
Saturday, June 18th (10am - 4pm)

As with all their sample sales, all sales are final. The location for the event is:

Misorena
260 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10001
nr. 29th St.
212-725-5400

Will you be attending this latest sample sale? If you are, please let us know! If you could also share any information (e.g. merchandise selection, quantity, prices), it would be greatly appreciated. :)

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

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.

Weekly Share: Other JCrew-like Retailers

This is the weekly "Other JCrew-like Retailers" post (similar to the "Off On A Tangent" posts), where we can share our finds from other retailers that have offerings similar to J.Crew (like LE Canvas, Gap, BR, Talbots, Ann Taylor, and the like.)

If you have recently encountered items that are similar to 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 experiences with certain merchandise pieces, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

J.Crew Email: Meet Madewell: shop with 20% off & FREE SHIPPING on your first order

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Irina, who shared the latest email from J.Crew today.

J.Crew sent an email with a *unique promo code* that is good for 20% off and free shipping (no min) on any Madewell order. This offer expires June 21, 2011. The fine print, includes:

*Offer valid on purchases made online at madewell.com only through June 21, 2011. Enter code at checkout to redeem. Offer is valid for one-time use only and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Discount may not be applied to the purchase of gift cards, vintage and one-of-a-kind items or third-party branded merchandise. Discount code cannot be used in combination with any other promotion. Offer is valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Not valid on phone orders or in retail stores. Terms of offer are subject to change at any time.

So double check your email account to see if you got this offer from J.Crew! :)

Product Review: Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress

Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress
Click here for product page
Item 37356
Regular: $148.00
Now: $99.99

Since today is Tuesday (the day we JCAs share our reviews,) I thought I would add one of my own...

J.Crew describes this little number as the following:

One of our favorite spring dresses (and it's easy to see why), beautifully rendered in a classic shape and dressed in a gorgeous floral we're so enamored with, you'll spot it all throughout our collection. The motif hails from London's famed Liberty Art Fabric (they're legendary for their distinctive textiles and prints). So chic and easy in crisp cotton poplin—it's the one you'll reach for again and again. Short sleeves. Fitted. Button front. Slight A-line skirt. On-seam pockets. Falls above knee. Import. Machine wash.

I always had my eye on this Spring 2011 piece. You put together my love of shirtdresses with a beautiful Liberty floral print, and well... you get magic, that's what. So of course, I was drawn to this dress but not so much the price tag. When it finally got reduced to $99.99 (which is still pretty darn high), I thought I would take the plunge and order it. Good thing I did, because quantities are running out. But now for my review...

I went with a size 0 on this dress, and it fit perfectly on top. (For reference, I am a 34B and 28" waist). There is plenty of space for my size 6 hips thanks to its generous skirt. So when it comes to sizing, use just your chest measurements.

The dress is not lined and short. Which makes me wonder why J.Crew dares to ask such a high price tag for it. But after trying it on, I get it. It really is a cute dress. But it honestly should be lined. The dress isn't see-through or anything, but it's something that should be there. Also worth mentioning, the dress doesn't button open all the way down, so you have to step in it.

It also honestly needs another 4-5 inches in skirt length. At 5'8", I am not a giant. But I kind of felt like one. In fact, I felt a bit like Alice, as in Wonderland– with the dress' Peter Pan-esque collar, button sleeves, and short skirt– who ate the piece of cake to make her grow while the dress did not.

I ended up experimenting with different skirts underneath the dress. This is a trick I have been doing for some of the short-length Anthropologie dresses I bought this Summer, like the Magellen Dress. Seriously, did all the retailers get the memo to go really short or were they all just trying to save money (refer to "Cost Cutting Tweaks Help Retailers Save $$$")? Back to my point... I ended up finding that the grey version of J.Crew's Cotton Taffeta Belle Skirt (Item 97636; $78.00) looked really nice underneath the dress. The colors worked well together.

So I am on the fence, leaning towards keeping the dress. The sale price is still high for me, especially considering how short it is. But the fit, pattern, and style are all really cute and I can work with it. Would I recommend this dress, I don't know. What do you all think?

For more reviews on this dress, check out the following additional reviews & real life images:

• Tofu Salad (I'm Shoe Shopping): "Jcrew fitting room pictures"
• shopping on the fly: "J Crew Liberty Bouquet shirt-dress"
• my superfluities: "J. Crew Reviews: Floral Edition!"
• my closet travels: "Give me Liberty!!"
  

What are your thoughts on the Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress ? Do you own this dress? Have you tried it on at a store? Do you like this style? If so, please share with us your review. :)