Friday, January 9, 2009

J.Crew Email: Beads, Please + Free Shipping

J.Crew sent an email featuring the Glass-bead ribbon necklace (Item 11487, $55.00), as well as the Stone-bead ribbon necklace (Item 11488, $55.00). I have seen these necklaces at their stores, and everytime I think they look absolutely lovely (in all the shades too)! The only concern I have is the weight of the necklace- they seem a bit heavy to wear. But since I have not tried one on, I am not sure if this is something to be concerned about.

The email also reminds us (1) about their final sale and (2) that they are offering free shipping with promotion code FREESHIP09. This offer expires 1/11/08.

I am very tempted to get a few things with the new promo code, especially since a lot of items have been newly reduced in price. However, I am holding off (for now) since I have a lot of items I have purchased during the holidays that I have yet to wear. ;)

What are your thoughts on the ribbon necklace? If you own or have tried on these necklaces, please share with us your review. :) Moreover, have you been taking advantage of the latest promotion code? If so, what new items did you get? :)

47 comments:

  1. Has anyone noticed that the dark fog glass bead necklace looks so light in the email and in the catalogue but really dark in person. I ordered it and was surprised at how dark the beads are(close to black). I do love it but was hoping it would be lighter in color.

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  2. Ahhhh, not tempted by the FS reminder, but the be-ribboned stone beads . . . [dashing off to locate her diminishing Disposable Income, wherever she hid it in an Attempt at Preservation] . . .

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  3. I'd also gotten the Dark Fog Glass Bead Necklace before Christmas and ended up returning it. I'm SO not a fan of statement pieces or anything that's particularly big, and this was no exception. It's just so irritating how unbelievably large the beads are - they look very pretty in the picture, but in the real life all it consists of is giant beads threaded on a piece of ribbon (not particularly "special" if you ask me). I'll pass.

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  4. I also have the dark fog glass bead necklace and LOVE it. It seems heavy when you hold it but I never notice it when I have it on and I am VERY picky about heavy jewelry (i hate it!)....

    Definitely a good thing to have that goes with everything. :)

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  5. I got the same e-mail onlt in the upper right hand corner i had the "spend 150$ and get free shipping with 09freeship" code...

    :(

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  6. I have the dark fog glass beads also. LOVE them. They don't feel heavy when you are wearing them, and I like how you have the option of tying different legnths with the ribbon.

    The dark fog is much darker IRL than the photo.

    I would like another in the glazed pecan but was hoping it would go on sale soon--guess not.

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  7. The ribbon seems like it would show wear and tear.

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  8. So I was looking around at the final sale, and stumbled upon some pretty crazy and very evident photo-shopping on J.Crew's part in the pictures for Baja patchwork madras french string bikini.

    Alexis, and other JCrew aficionadas, I thought you'd be interested: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/swim/separatebottomsdontuse/stringbikinis/PRDOVR~95376/99101488814/95376.jsp ... for the first photo is clearly pretending like the bikini covers a lot more than it does in actuality. It makes me wonder how much photo-shopping occurs on the J.Crew website of the clothes, as well as the models' bodies that we are not aware of. What do you think?

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  9. Maggie in ivory and francie in sea salt just came up in my size again! I ordered them. :)

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  10. Emily-there is actually a whole website devoted to this stuff and JCrew is mentioned frequently for their terrible photo shopping-esp swimsuits! Google it if you want to see some fun stuff:)

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  11. I have the dark fog bead necklace and I don't think it's heavy at all. I agree with the OP that it's versatile because you can change the length. The ribbon is nice and sturdy, but flexible and doesn't seem to show wear. It's not something I wear every day, though, so any wear on the ribbon will be minimal. The color is much darker IRL.

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  12. I have the avocado color stone-bead necklace and I wrap it around the key lime fireball necklace (like in the favorite tank photo online) and I've gotten compliments each time. It's a *little* heavy, but not enough to bother me or deter me from wearing them both together. Also, I'm pretty petite and it is not so bold that it overwhelms me. Just adds some fun sparkle to a basic jeans and tee outfit. So cute!

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  13. I am growing very weary of purchasing JCrew jewelry. I bought a bracelet before the holidays and received two necklaces as holiday gifts. All three items have broken within the first one - two wearings. Guess I didn't realize my desk job was so rough and tumble!

    Given I don't have issues with other fashion/costume jewelry I wear, the quality in comparison to cost is concerning when items at these price points cannot stand up to a normal day's wear.

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  14. Wait Gia--you wrap these two together like that photo? I just looked at it. Sounds interesting-I will have to play with some of the necklaces I have.

    I love the way they merchandise! So fun to see unusual things put together--it definitely keeps me coming back for more ideas:)

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  15. Mari,

    I stay away from JCrew jewelry the quality is so poor. Sorry to hear about your problems though.

    Julie

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  16. If you look closely, the two necklaces on the far right have the exact same grey ribbon -- when in reality, only the dark fog is supposed to have grey ribbon. Of the two, the one on the left is dark fog, and the one on the right is a mystery, cause it's never actually been sold online, that I'm aware of.

    I have the dark fog one & I love it. It's heavy, but I don't notice it when I'm wearing it (and I'm really petite). I do plan on getting at least one other color if/when they go on sale. I also tie it higher than the models do in the catalog, so you can't see the ribbon.

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  17. I also have the dark fog necklace and the avocado necklace and I absolutely love them. I don't think it feels heavy at all when worn, even though I have worn them together. As a whole, I think that J. Crew's new jewelry assortment is great for this season. I plan on buying more jewelry and statement pieces and mixing them in with my basics to save some money, and the J. Crew pieces this year definitely seem like they will get a lot of mileage compared to some of the other costume jewelry I have bought in the past.

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  18. I think it's SO strange how long this necklace has been out but never on sale?? I mean remember when Slatena recv'd one from Mickey-that was a LONG time ago when they first came out!
    Do they sell a ton of these or were they pricier to make for some reason?? It's weird.

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  19. I am sorry to hear so many negative comments about the poor quality of J.Crew jewelry in general. Which brings me to this question for everyone out there: Should a cambridge cable cardigan pill after just two wearings (I haven't washed it yet)? I am astonished that other items with competitive price points are also pilling after minimal wear. I haven't had this problem with similar merchandise from J.Crew competitors.

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  20. Hi all,

    Thanks Alexis for the necklace post. I also have the avocado & love it. I had hoped to buy an additional avocado & a glazed pecan as presents... Unfortunately, they got swept up in the pre- holiday shipping confusion & never made it to the box (although they did make it onto the inv) but that's another story.

    The necklace itself is lovely & I get loads of compliments when I wear it. However, I wouldn't call the colour "golden avocado". It's more of a celadon - pale jade green as the photo on site shows. It's a remarkably flexible piece. The colour goes with a lot of tops; pretty much all of my Kelly blouses & most of the tees. Also, the ribbon is great because you can adjust the length. I have a scar just below my collarbone & prefer to cover it. I've had to pass on a lot of nice necklaces in the past due to the length & am delighted that this one works so well.

    I just wish I had bought more during the HOHOHO discount. I honestly expected them to go on sale after the holidays. Much as I enjoy the one I have, I can't justify spending more $$$ on extras. Even the glazed pecan I've been stalking. BTW, does anyone have the pecan? Is it stone or wood? I'm curious because the stone does take a while to warm up & wood would be lighter / softer than the stone beads.

    TIA,

    Heather:D

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  21. Heather -- the pecan is definitely stone, and I believe it's tiger's eye, which is a really cool stone which looks different depending on how the light hits it. Really really pretty.

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  22. Hi again,

    Thanks anon 1:48. I've never had a tiger's eye necklace. Sounds lovely & I bet it would go with a lot of my tops. Hmmmm... Maybe I'll get a rewards card soon.

    Oh, that reminds me, did anyone rec'v a rewards card in the last few weeks? I KNOW I racked up sufficient points on the last few promotions (Turkey & HOHOHO) but have yet to see anything in the mail. I'm wondering if DH recycled them by mistake. Please let me know so I can decide if it's worth a call to JC.

    Thanks!

    Heather:D

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  23. Yes, the pecan is a stone. I have the orangey one (forget the name) and I really like it. I've wanted the grey one, but I noticed that the grey one they're selling now has lighter beads than previously. The older ones were very dark and now they're more of a grey tinted glass (which I like better).

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  24. Emily, that is hilarious about that bikini. You can see the fabric print is skewed in the photoshopped one. I tried this on and the fit is ridiculous. It's all puffy, looks like you have stuffed it with kleenex. And no, it's not my body hair, there is none in the bikini zone. I showed my husband and he LOL, asked me if I had an "accident".

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  25. I don't buy J.Crew jewelry, but I do like their ideas. I have several pearl necklaces in smaller lengths and I use ribbon to give them extra length or put different ones together. It is really nice with Tahitian pearls and white pearls intertwined, or pink and white. I love a lot of necklaces with my Victoria blouse and since I already have them, this just adds some flexibility and makes them new again.

    I love the look of the pecan necklace here. Maybe the tiger eye stone will make a comeback. It was popular in my father's day, he has an old ring with that stone and another with a star sapphire. I used to tease him about his "Guido" period but he said that was the style then and was not considered ostentacious at the time.

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  26. The ribbon necklaces are beautiful on. I have tried it on several times. $55 still seems like a lot to me...if it were $39 I would get it in a second...I am not sure why I am balking at the price considering it is far less than other J.Crew gems...

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  27. ^
    No offense to those of Italian heritage WRT my "Guido" comment. It is something we started saying in our family after watching all the Soprano's DVD over the holiday season.

    I apologize if it was hurtful to anyone.

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  28. Love the look of the beads too. I haven't tried them on b/c I've been waiting for them to go on sale. The pale blue color in the picture doesn't seem to be available on the website though.

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  29. I like to layer my dark fog glass bead necklace over my clear cascade necklace from fall 2007. Very cute, not too heavy.

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  30. Anon 2:39-THANK YOU FOR THE LAUGH!! you are HILARIOUS! I thought the same thing when I saw that poofy look on the front of that bikini--I mean I knew that it was prob just stiff fabric puffing out but..too funny:)

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  31. Hi again,

    Oh dear... Maybe we should call this site JCrew Addicts... Despite my good intentions to stay on budget I went & bought the pecan necklace!

    On the plus side, the v. helpful SA on the phone honoured the pricing from my earlier order. Also, she waived the shipping since there had been some trouble with the delivery before So I got a discount & free ship! Let's just hope it makes it into the box this time :}

    Have a good weekend everyone,

    Heather:D

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  32. bug pin, JCrew seems to have this madras bikini every year and it always fits the same. If you ever see it in store, try it on for a giggle. The top fits OK, but then, I am naturally filling it out.

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  33. I have the brown one and LOVE it, it reminds me of acorns. I would estimate I wear it around 4-5 times a week. It's totally versatile and really makes any outfit pop. The ribbon has no problems, but I have noticed that it's heavy, but I kindof like that about it, and I love that I can make it any length based on the neckline. But the glass beads are definitely lighter, I bought my sister the gray glass and it was noticably lighter than the picture and lighter in weight than mine. I reccomend one for every girl nevertheless

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  34. I have the green one and love it!

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  35. Heather D:
    I haven't received my rewards cards either and I also qualified, thanks to HOHOHO and TURKEY :) I posted on another thread asking if anyone had seen theirs but got no response, so I'm glad to hear you're looking for yours too...I hope they come soon!

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  36. I love these necklaces but not the price! My Mother makes jewlery and I sent her a link to the JCrew website. She has made me this necklace for a 1/4 of the price and it looks exactly the same! She is also making me the long freshwater pearl necklace on black ribbon in the fine jewlery section. Again, for MUCH less than JCrew charges!

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  37. Gwen-HOW NICE! I would love to have my mom making me these fun pieces:) Enjoy!

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  38. If I'm not mistaken, the orangey bead (is it the one that is named Pecan that everyone refers to here?) is carnelian. I've loved this stone for a long time, because I'm South Pacific-Islander with caramel/auburn/bronze-ish highlights, depending on the season, and the color of this stone is good for my coloring.

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  39. what about the "burgandy"? has anyone seen it in person? do the beads look cloudy or they look more like glass?

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  40. I like the smokey grey one but waiting for the sale.

    Did they always have the lemon jade and the bungundy ones?

    Now if they have ones in turquoise I will buy them in a hearbeat.

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  41. Gwen,
    exactly, JCrew jewelry is WAY over priced...esp. for the quality. Congrats on your pieces. I have great luck finding beautiful vintage pieces in the town I live in....

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  42. Sorry to go OT, I was browsing through Banana Republic's spring jewelry and found this ring that is almost identical to JC's gold starburst ring:

    http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=7931&pid=626314

    Just wondering you thoughts on the ring and if you would buy it (if you loved the starburst ring) :)

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  43. I just got my glass bead necklace in the mail today - the chartruese! Its lovely, but it immediately made me think of a bunch of grapes. I was thinking I bought the wrong colour...but then I tried it with grey and it looked really pretty. I want to order the brown but the cost...

    I am in Canada and so I always have to add in additional postage, plus a little bit extra for exchange. I also bought the chiffon cardigan. SO cute but not the most flattering...still, looks cute belted.

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  44. Does anyone know how big those beads are in that necklace? It is definitely super cute!!

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  45. Oh just found out - I think they're about 1/2 inch in diameter. Nevermind! :)

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  46. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  47. Jewelry and glass share a fascinating connection, as both are exquisite forms of artistry professional commercial glass company that beautifully meld craftsmanship with creativity. The delicate interplay of light and color in glass mirrors the allure of carefully crafted jewelry, creating a captivating synergy between these two forms of adornment.

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)