Tuesday, September 13, 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! :)

37 comments:

  1. Review of the Merino Pencil Skirt here.

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  2. SKIRTS:

    Flair Skirt in Floating Rose
    Beautiful skirt. The fabric seems the same weight as the No2 skirts but I felt that it draped better for some reason.
    I did not like the solid flair skirt on me, but i did like the rose print much better.
    I would size up to 6 in this skirt to feel more comfortable at the waist. It fell right to my mid knee or maybe an inch before, I am 5'6".

    Liquid Silk skirt in bright dahlia.
    Once again, I took 6 in this skirt. I guess I am not a fan of fuller, longer skirts and I didn't like this one on me either. The fabric looks like it would be a greasy stains magnet. I am sure I will ruin it on my first wear.

    Leopard pencil skirt
    This was reviewed a lot and is backordered online but my stores had them in all or most sizes (Paramus and Hackensack).
    The print is very pretty, much better and more understated than from other retailers. I like that it is all cotton and machine washable.
    It fits nicely, a little longer than No2. It was looser on me than same size No2, but you probably don't want to go too tight in leopard print anyway.
    I just think it is overpriced for an unlined, simple cotton skirt.

    New color No2 skirt
    The color is TDF! Deep & bright. Teal is a color that can easily get muddy and ugly, but this is not the case.
    For some reason this fitted bigger on me than flame and veridian I have in the same size, but maybe it was just this particular skirt.
    Probably not enough to size down.

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  3. PANTS:

    Café capri in houndstooth wool.
    Fits beautiful and the wool is gorgeous. I liked that they are fully lined and thicker. But
    the thick wool and capri length combination was making me look a little stumpy.
    They would need heels for sure. Definitely not practical, too thick for warmer weather and too short for winter. Maybe you get away with wearing tall size as full leght?

    Hutton chino
    They are $99 online but they were $69 in store. Still overpriced imo. How about $49.99? They are very long and would need hemming. The fit is nice but they are high waisted, combine that with chino style, it verges dangerously into "mom's chinos" category. Non-willowy types need not apply, so I shoudl stay clear.

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  4. Reviews from the fitting room on the Blythe Shirtdress, Flair Skirt, Puff-Sleeve Popover, and a few others.

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  5. SWEATERS:

    Clipper Cardigan in heather saddle:
    I quite liked it as a longer, bigger, cozy, casual sweater. Slightly oversized but not too much. I am in between S & M in sweaters and S looked better.
    I would get it if it goes to about half of the price.

    Betsy Sweater in heater aqua
    This is a nice sweater, very soft. Fit is OK, nothing special, slightly boxy, S looked fine on me. It did look quite fuzzy, so I would be afraid of pilling.
    Heather aqua color is gorgeous. I repeat, gorgeous!

    Fisherman Sweater in deep plum:
    Nice color but I really disliked the boxy fit and 3/4 sleeves. Definitely added volume, I am bigger on top (34D) so it may be more pronounced than on some.


    Fisherman's henley sweater in champagne:
    Again, this was a major volume enhancer, definitely not something I am looking for. It may work if you are really skinny and tall and not, hmmm, well endowed.
    Would probably be better in navy. It is quite heavy because of being all cotton.

    Cashmere v-neck in plum orchard:
    This is a basic cashmere sweater and I own it in other colors and love the fit. Fits TTS but it is meant to be slightly slouchy.
    I buy M in this style as I like a little looser fit and since I wash them in the washer (dry flat) there might be some minimal shrinkage.
    The color is beautiful, darker than bright dahlia but still bright and not too deep.

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  6. Factory pencil skirt in begonia: I kept waiting for a better deal on this but I realized I was using up the fall transition time for which the rosy and rusty tones of this skirt are so perfect.

    I already own the Neapolitan factor skirt so the thin quality of the cotton (literally chintzy, LOL) wasn't a disappointment. The luscious pattern and colors make up for it. I think I might consider some other items in this print.

    Also: I know a lot of JCAs have been concerned about the lack of lining in the wool pants. It is hard enough to find a slip these days but I happened to notice that the Vermont Country Store still sells pants liners! Yes, those things you used to see in the Sears catalog, like a slip but for pants . . not to be confused with panty liners! They're not especially attractive but might solve the itch problem.

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  7. Hutton Chino---
    I tried the Hutton Chino,and unlike the description, I did not find this pant to be high-waisted. It was barely natural rise on me, and I WANTED a high waist. The fabric too, was not as luxe as I had hoped. I don't see a big difference between the Hutton chino and the J Crew Original Fit chino for half the price.

    Eddie oxford--
    These are pricey, but very good quality--leather all around. I like them because they're not too manly, nor too twee. The Chai color is pretty too.

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  8. Review of Lulu Frost Deco Bangles and tons of pics here:
    http://jcrewchick.blogspot.com/2011/09/lulu-frost-for-j-crew-jewelry-review.html

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  9. Re-ordered the wool Icon trench in black and I love it. The fit is great, the wool has a soft hand feel, it's a classic. I went with a 0, I am between a 0 and a 2 in coats but I wanted a fitted look, I can wear it over a slim sweater.

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  10. Hexicon,

    Good find on the pants liners (or maybe pants slips:) Anyway, Vermont Country Store does carry some unique hard to find items. I recently ordered from them this spring for the first time!

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  11. Flair Skirt, Button Box Sweater

    here

    Liquid Silk Skirt, Jardin, Origami in Peony

    here

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  12. Hi ladies. Strange question. Have any petite JCAs tried on the minnie pants in tall? I like the thought of the minnies, but cropped pants do not look good on me. The tall inseam would work for the added length, but was just curious if the rest of the pant e.g. crotch would be disproportionately too big?

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  13. Great batch of reviews so far! Anybody seen the Academy coat IRL? I love the combination of double breasted, 3/4 sleeves, and the little arm glove thingies underneath.

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  14. ajc, so glad to hear you love the rose flair skirt! I'm dying to get mine -- hopefully today.

    Posted pics/review of the Madewell Archive Boots here.

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  15. ajc-thank you for the review of Hutton Chinos! Made me laugh :> I have been eyeing those as I love fuller leg pants on myself, but maybe I should steer clear-LOL!

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  16. Savvyshopper, I would chat with CS about the tall Minnie. I can tell you (as a tall person, not petite-lol) from disappointed experience that J. Crew doesn't usually put a longer rise in their tall pants. Stinks for me, but perfect for you, in this case ;) HTH!

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  17. SavvyShopper, I'm petite (5' 2") and I buy the Minnie and Cafe Capris in regular sizes for the extra length.

    I've tried them on in both petite and regular and didn't notice any differene in the rise. Sorry can't help with the talls.

    I did size down from my usual petite size (6P -> 4)

    Mei

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  18. I just got my floral Flair Skirt and love it!! Will post reviews and pics tomorrow!

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  19. I received my last promo order and am so happy with all of the items. The Zip-Cable sweater in Golden Hickory is a nicer color IRL than the online pic. I sized up on this sweater because after trying the navy at the B&M I found that you see through the loose weave less with the larger size. The Quincy Plaid Boy Shirt and Dream Fair Isle Vest were both lovely and fit as expected.

    OT- I noticed a few new items on Net-a-Porter today, such as a new BlackWatch Plaid shirt and cute cropped herringbone pants. Hope this means a new rollout soon!

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  21. Got the Cocoon sweater in the camel color in a sz. Medium. Sized down from a Large which was enormous. I like it much better in the Medium. It's oversized, but I wanted that to wear w/the Pixies or skinny jeans and a t-shirt and a scarf in the winter. They had it styled on a mannequin in the store that way and it was so cute. Plus it was on sale + 30% off, so I scored it at a great price. Luckily I knew my size from trying it on in the store, or I'd have been very disappointed b/c I probably would've ordered the wrong size. Also, received a Lulu Frost bangle in the "apple cider" color and I agree w/Slastena in her review. I will be returning it. Too bad b/c I had had high hopes for it. Lastly, got the Lucca sandals in black in my usual JC shoe size and they are super cute and very comfy. Probably won't get a lot of wear out of them til next year, but they are really nice.

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  22. A couple of quick reviews from my recent order...

    Factory Tissue Stripe Tee in Cerise
    I ordered this because I love the Cerise/Navy combo of the Coastline tee, but didn't like the itchy wool and $98 price tag. I got the Factory tee for about $17 with LOVEIT, and I like it! The neckline is a bit more open, which I like. Its a thin tissue weight, but good fit and length. Really nice vibrant color.

    Factory Sequin Shoulder Tee
    I ordered the Olive of this tee--its definitely lighter weight than the retail version was last year, but good fit and details. Keeping this one too.

    Funnelneck Sweatshirt
    I ordered this in Heather Caramel as I am looking for warm and casual pieces for fall winter that aren't slubby. This ran large and a bit boxy...the sleeves were wide with a traditional ribbed sweatshirt cuff that made them bunch in a sloppy way. The wool cotton blend felt a little itchy, and the weave felt almost loose if that makes sense, like it might lose shape over time. This one will be a return--I may try a smaller size on sale but I will stick with my Solong Sweatshirt Tunic for now. :)

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  23. Majesty Peacoat in Peony - The Stadium Cloth is very substantial, on the label inside it says "Nello Gori". I am guessing that is the mill that made the fabric. The color is to die for. It is like bright dahlia only a slightly darker/deeper hue. The buttons are beautiful, gold buttons that are made in America. I love this coat. Fits TTS. I got an 8P and it fits like a typical petite size, slightly shorter arms. With your normal size that is room under for a sweater.

    Merino Turtleneck in black - nice basic piece. The wool feels the same as the Tippi sweater. My tippi has held up well and not pilled so hopefully the same will be true for the Merino sweaters as it feels of the same material.

    Matinee Trench - The shape and fabric are wonderful but unlined so it is going back, what a shame, the concept was great, the execution was not so great.

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  24. Posted pics and review of the floral Flair skirt -- love it!

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  25. Received my icon trench on Monday from the most recent 30% promo and I will have to echo all of the raves for this coat. I sized up from my usual coat/blazer size and I am glad I did. I'm about 5'8" and this hits just above my knee and the sleeves are a perfect length. I love the fun lining and slightly pleated collar and I'm glad the weather is getting a bit cooler so I can wear it immediately!

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  26. Sara - How was the fit on the Matinee Trench? Did you order you usual size or size up?

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  27. OT, but has anyone been to the B&M this week and seen new arrivals? I remember someone saying their PS said there would be new stuff in stores Tuesday (yesterday). Thanks!

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  28. Was in my local JC and they had all new items, I believe some of these have already debuted at other stores already.
    Double-breasted sweater-jacket # 47265.
    The SC could not get the buttons undone on the first one, holes were too small and snagging on the football buttons. I liked it but it is cotton/wool blend and it was shedding all over the floor and you could see pilling starting already.
    Like Sara says, the Majesty Peacoat is to die for, they had it navy but the dark grey in petite will be going on my wishlist. Loved the Vintage cotton stripe shoulder-zip tee but they did not have my size in either grey or navy stripe only spicy cinnamon.
    Sequin splash sweater - really cute but thin and boxy..

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  29. Maryeb- The Matinee Trench fit TTS. There was room under it for a light sweater in your normal size.

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  30. Hi All - I have J.Crew question and I thought you all could help me out. I love my Minnie Pants and have two pairs from previous seasons. I also recently purchased a red pair from this season.

    When they are fresh from the dry cleaners they fit perfectly and are very flattering. After only one wear, though, they stretch out too much and get baggy.

    I can't afford to get them dry cleaned every time and I don't think it's good for the pants either. Any suggestions? Does anyone else have this issue?

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  31. Has anyone purchased the Edie handbag (the large one in black)? If so, is it too big? Looks huge in the catalog. Also, anyone purchase the McAllister Wedge? Is it good quality? Fit?

    I purchased the Lula Patent flat in my normal size 8---sending back for 1/2 size up. They run tight. Also, I ordered the wedge in red and it's beautiful, comfortable and tts.

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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! :)