Tuesday, July 19, 2011

J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs!}

This is the weekly "J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs}" post, to help each other share our reviews.

So if you have recently purchased, or stopped by a J.Crew store to try on an item (or two) from J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Also, this request is not just limited to clothes. Please feel free to discuss bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc.

In particular, if you could mention a few of the noteworthy details like fit, size, fabric, and the like— that would be fantastic! Thanks in advance! :)

40 comments:

  1. Here are some of my recent QUICK reviews.

    ENJOY

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  2. Received my latest order yesterday but 2 of the 3 items had to go back, very disappointing. I ordered the Attaché dress in white in my usual size. It looked great and fitted perfectly but there was a small patch of damaged fabric in the back, like it had come in contact with something sharp, plus there was a yellow stain on the same spot. I asked CS to send me a new one.

    I also ordered the Seacomb sweater and although it looked okay, the knit material was terrible and scratchy! It was like wearing a burlap sack - there were literally little pieces of straw-like raw plant material sticking out of the yarn on some places around the sweater. That one went straight back!

    I posted an IRL photo of the Fineline cami and the Camille wedges on my blog here. Both are favourites in my summer wardrobe. The Fineline cami is especially good. The silk fabric is wonderful. Plus it has little bra strap holders on the inside, a detail which is often missing these days.

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  3. Attache dress in white.
    Wanted it for a long time, and it did not dissapoint.
    Fits TTS in my regular dress size. I love, love the fabric and it feels very smooth and comfy.
    The waist is quite big and I don't have a small waist, so if you do, it may be an issue. I may move the buttons a little bit to the center to get a little bit more of a waist definition.
    But finally, a dress that is not short waisted.
    This dress works for my 'bigger on top and straight from waist down' figure, so I think that if you are pear shaped it may not be a best fit.
    I am 5'6" and it falls to my knees.

    Exchange dress in glenplaid.
    This was unexpected buy at my B&M since it was a great deal at about $35 but it is a great buy at curent $69 online price
    and if you get it with extra 30% off, even better. Fits me great in my regular size it is very comfortable.
    Becasue of fabric it is strictly wear to work type dress but the plaid has some faint blue in it and it will look great with cardi in similar color to soften the menswear vibe.
    Simple shift silhuette and easy shape. No vent in the back, but it does not interfere with walking. Fall to knees on me (5'6"). Lined in acetate.


    1035 trouser in superfine cotton
    Still $95 online but I got them for $24 at the store. Great, comfortable, well fitting, basic trousers. Work for my straight figure. Fit TTS.
    I got them in smoky graphite, which is great year round color. Love the fabric and they feel great on.

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  4. Any reviews from the outlets? Has anyone been to one that recently opened. The one coming to my area in Smithfield, NC is opening next week (with a crewcuts!) and wondering if they will open with fall merchandise.

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  5. Some winners and losers from my latest online swim order.

    Islet paisley hidden underwire ruched bandeau top and bikini in navy (37343 & 37300). Amazing swimsuit! Super cute and flattering...lots of coverage up top. This one runs big so definitely size down on the bottoms. If you are small cup size size down. I am a small 34 B and sized down to an A...and it fits well.

    Retro dot wide-band halter top and bikini in african violet (41916 & 41891). This one also ran big...so size down on both the top and bottoms. This suit is very comfortable and covering. Sturdy enough to do some real swimming. It has a 50's vibe to it and I will enjoy this suit for years to come.

    Major fail: Jersey Lomellina® mini-ruffle underwire bandeau top and bikini (43393 & 43412). I had high hopes for this one and it was awful. Well actually the bikini's were cute, but the top was way way to small. Not small in size, but tiny tiny...not much coverage at all. I don't think I would have been able to get in the pool without having flashed someone.

    Have a great day everyone :)

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  6. i posted this in "looking to vent" but it's also appropriate for the review section.
    i want to comment on the poor quality of the island paisley perfect shirt (silk/cotton lawn) which i purchased a few months ago but have worn only twice. i noticed while wearing it this past weekend that the seams along the length of the sleeves are beginning to come apart. this is happening on both sleeves and the fabric is literally being ripped away from the stitching. it might as well have been made out of tissue paper. it is basically a throw-away shirt. i've seen better craftsmanship at forever 21. it is very disappointing to see the quality of jcrew items go down while the prices go up. i also purchased the casbah printed perfect shirt (same silk/cotton lawn) which i haven't worn yet but am bracing myself for another disappointment. i will never buy another silk/cotton lawn item from jcrew again. i think i'll stick to basics like chinos and heavier cotton tops/tees. i'll save my money for nicer, more refined items from reputable, higher quality designers.

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  7. Can anyone comment on the Nicola platform heels? Appreciate any thoughts on fit, comfort, etc. TIA!

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  8. I just received the Greta canvas wedges in my latest order but will have to return them. I was searching for a simple, clean summer wedge, and these definitely fit the bill. They run TTS *except* the ankle strap was way too big on me. Ridiculously big.

    They are lovely and felt comfortable, so they are worth a shot if you are looking for a simple wedge. But if you have small ankles, stay away!

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  9. Hi Megcrew,

    Thanks for the reviews! I liked the Madewell striped shirt on you with the Blue Veranda pant. I agree with you about the peach silk shirt. I have olive skin and very dark hair and it looks great, but on a lighter skinned girl or blonde I think it makes your skin tone look off.

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  10. I also have and love the Attache Dress! I found it to run a tiny bit bigger than normal in my usual 0, but not enough to size down.

    Similar complaint about the silk/cotton perfect shirts - I wore my Teaberry Perfect Shirt once and one of the buttons has already fallen off. NOT cool!

    My Souvenir Dress should be arriving today, so I will post a review once I've had a chance to try it on. Mostly I'm incredibly excited for fall arrivals tomorrow!!

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  11. I've already posted that I love my Jardin skirt in the rich purple color. However, while pressing it this weekend to wear it for the first time, I found two small holes at the bottom of the outter layer. Grrrrrr. . . . .

    I was NOT happy about this! Luckily it is a very flowy skirt and I don't think you can see the holes, but it really bothers me that they are there.

    Seriously, what is up with the quality these days!?! I work my silk Casbah blouse to work yesterday and the stiching is coming undone at the bottom seam on it's second wear. . .ridiculous!

    Sorry for the vent, just had to get that off my chest. :)

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  12. Wearing one of my bazillion laceover tanks today, and I just love this top! It's so versatile --can be dressy or not depending on on what you wear it with. I also love that the back of it is slub knit cotton, another of my loves. So far no holes or other issues...

    I'll admit I'm scared to death that I'm going to snag the lace or mess it up in some other way, but until that day comes, I'm just going to feel pretty. :)

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  13. CCS, I've lost track of how many of my J.Crew silk tops had the same issue on the first or second wear. I can almost always count on the hem coming out... and fixing it myself is difficult with such a delicate material. Sigh.

    MaryMoo, first wave of fall arrivals are coming to the outlets today and tomorrow.

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  14. I too have had many issues with the perfect shirts. These include strained seams (even on shirts that fit loosely), buttons falling off, pilling (I have never had woven shirts purchased elsewhere pill) and even a couple of collars that have pulled apart. At this point, I am very careful about what shirts I buy from J Crew.

    I did notice the Alice skirt on the UK net a porter site in a tan color and a new grey blouse. The Alice skirt is the skirt that was shown in the lookbook in a darker color (olive maybe?) with the buttons down the front. Both items are on my wishlist.

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  15. I apologize if a review of this is posted somewhere else, but I got the August catalog from a nice SA today and there are such great pieces coming out! I love the new batch of perfect/boy shirts! There are two new plaids, a beautiful blue and white floral and even a leopard print! (And none of them look to be the dreaded silk/cotton blend!) Speaking of leopard, I am very intrigued by the new Eddie Patent Oxfords in a leopard print...I look forward to seeing them IRL. There is also a leopard pencil skirt for you pencil skirt fans. There are several new styles of sweaters for fall, and even a new Fisherman's Henley Sweater which I'm really liking. Can't wait to see it all this Thursday!

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  16. MaryMoo did you get something in the mail yesterday for 20% off at that new outlet? I did, I was shocked.

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  17. Elaine - I actually got an email. Wonder if I will get a snail mail too?

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  18. My perfect fit boatneck came withh a a hole and the finespun henly has a crooked placket that points to one side--both new with tags and never worn. I called customer service and was told that I couldn't return them for credit as I'd had them longer than 60 days.

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  19. Just purchased the 3" chino shorts. They fit TTS. I alsopicked up a few dresses recently. Portfolio dress in wool crepe, Maritime Dress, and Tea Stained Dobby Dress. If you're interested, check out the review here

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  20. J.CrewJD - Glad to know I'm not alone. I agree that it isn't easy to fix. I can sew on a button or stitch up a small hole, but fixing that is beyond my skill.

    BeyondtheBlue - Thanks for the recap of the August catalog! Sounds like some great pieces! I just worry about the quality after my bad luck this week.

    Boden has released a few fall items and I think I might spend my remaining fall budget there, as I know the quality is solid. Beautiful green blazer I'm eyeing.

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  21. Hi! Can anyone comment on the Crinkled silk Isola dress (item # 40553)? Does it fit TTS? Comfortable? Been eying this for a while and might just bite the bullet and order. Thanks for the help!

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  22. I got the purple Jardin skirt! Here's the thing. It fit great and the color is gorgeous. BUT I returned it. It didn't feel that much more substantial than similar skirts I've gotten at ON, and on top of that, it's not a super flattering look on me. I think it's a style that's better suited to the thinner ladies. I'm a 10/12 and the skirt is obviously full and I think just made me look kinda wide. I got the 12 and it was roomy in the waist, but I think if I had sized down, it would have looked bad. I think if it had been cheaper, I'd have kept it, but at FP, I can't justify keeping it if I don't think it's super flattering on me.

    Next I got the Accordion dress on the last 30 off b/c it had gotten so many raves. Everyone was right. It's fabulous!!! I got it in a size 10 and it is roomy, so yes, it runs a little big. But OMG so flattering!! And versatile. The only warning I'll give is that it's a bit of a higher waist, so beware. On me, it's fine b/c I'm high-waisted, but it may be a problem for others.

    Lastly, I got the Camille wedges in the light brown. I love them! They are high, but are pretty comfortable considering. Very nice padding in the footbed. The only thing about them was that the ankle strap hit me in a weird place, but they're fine anyway. Ok that's it!

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  23. I received the Eddie Borgo cuffs I preordered. I think they are much nicer than I expected them to be from the pictures. The leather is thick but pliable. The large cuff in warm ivory is just gorgeous. I will wear it a lot. I can pair it with work wear, the pearls and the soft color of the leather offset the harder edge of the trademark Borgo cone spikes. The thinner black cuff is great as well. I'm on the fence about it only because I'm not sure I'll get as much wear out of it as I will from the large ivory cuff.

    I see they're sold out online, I don't know if they're still in stores. I recommend, especially the wide one. I'm glad I didn't wait for sale this time!

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  24. you should send them an email complaining about the quality issues. maybe if they get enough complaints, they'll do something about it. i sent a complaint about the stitching ripping right through the sleeve fabric of my island paisley perfect shirt (silk/cotton lawn) and they offered no apology, only told me i could take it to a store to see if they deem it defective or not, maybe get a refund. whatever.

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  25. My review is of the Paisley pencil skirt but not for the usual reason. I purchased one online and really liked it but wanted to try one size smaller. I did a wwfify and they sent me a smaller size from NY City. My smaller skirt size fit BUT get this...the colors are different on the two skirts. The one from online has a dark blue and rust colored tone and the white in it does NOT stand out at all. But, the one from NYC has a very bright cerise color orange and brighter blue and the white is much more prominent. The fabric even feels different. I am keeping the first one because I did not like the bright orange and white of the NYC skirt. I just thought it was very very odd.

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  27. Shekster: That is really strange about the Paisley Pencil skirt. I recently caught it online in 2 of my sizes and both of them were like the one you described from NYC with the brighter orange and blue in it. I wonder if they made two different versions? Did you order the darker version when it first appeared on the website or was it a recent purchase? I know that Bright Flame and Cobalt blue are two prominent colors at J.Crew this fall, so I assumed the skirt was part of that color scheme. I saw it on a mannequin in the window at J.Crew today and it was the brighter version, too. (The first time I saw the skirt was several weeks ago in the store and I don't recall if the colors seemed darker then or not.)

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  28. I just tried on this season's version of the minnie pant in twill (they came out with a pretty red color), and it's been restyled! It's AWFUL! They are much larger than last season's version and include a large area for calves. Sadly, I'm running around NYC trying to buy up the last of last season's style!

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  29. Shekter- that is odd! Almost like the eyelet pencil skirt fiasco...
    I think they totally ran out of the great items, had a second batch come in and they were different. I can't think of any other reason to have 2 versions floating around?

    Either way I'm glad you got the print you wanted.

    Our lovely tiny store has 40% off sale right now. Nothing amazing there but just thought I would mention the additional 10%.

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  30. I LOVE the Knit Military Blazer. It looks awesome on, it is thick but not too thick, and fits like a glove. I am a 4/6 and I got a small. Highly recommend.

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  31. Hi FFM,

    I bought my first Paisley Pencil as soon as it appeared online. That is so odd that they are different.

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  32. Hi MegCrew,

    Thanks for letting me know about the extra % off. I have to go make some returns. It's funny you say that maybe they ran out and got more. When I showed it to my husband we thought it looked like it was a copy of the original. It looked like they ran out of the actual fabric and made a print of it onto a different fabric. The fabrics are not the same. Many, many years ago I used to do block printing and this is what came to mind.

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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! :)