J. Crew is looking good
October 10th, 2007For a long time I wasn’t inspired by anything at J. Crew. I hadn’t been shopping there with clients for ages. That changed a few months ago when I discovered how super their women’s range was looking. Their colourful, preppy, modern-classic look is not for everyone, but certainly worth a look this season if that’s your style. Their cashmere special ($99 for a plain cru), wool coat assortment, dressy knitted tunics, trapeze cardigans, fine wale corduroy, checked wide-legged pants and cozy lounge knits really caught my eye. It’s a pity that their on-line shopping site does not do their clothing justice. You don’t seem to get the same impact when you browse on-line as you do when you browse in store. So reserve your judgment until you get to a store! J. Crew remains a price point above Banana Republic and they seldom go on sale, but their clothing is beautifully made and I’m happy to have them back on my shopping list.
Images from the J. Crew Autumn 2007 look book.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:22 am
I’m with you. They’re a little overpriced imo, but you can’t deny that if you wear J.Crew–you will look good.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Even though I’m not preppy, I like a lot of J. Crew clothes. They feature some quirky, vintage-y looks and bright colors, which I like, and they have some great basics in tall sizes.
Some of their stuff is over-priced, but some of it isn’t: I just bought 3 pairs of their corduroy trousers for about $85 each, which is equivalent to Banana Republic prices. They fit great, have a teeny bit of stretch so they’re comfortable, and they’re machine washable. Perfect pants!
October 10th, 2007 at 10:09 am
That middle picture was just featured in an Elle article by Nina Garcia called “Less Is More” Chic dressing at any price. Good eye Angie
October 10th, 2007 at 11:25 am
I’m glad you’ve come around Angie! I’ve long been a JCrew shopper, and I’ve watched as their range has gone from good and basic to better and fashionable. I’m sort of modern classic, with artsy, urban rifts, I suppose, and JCrew has always provided basics that I could mix and match with other pieces. All of their styles go together, and year after year I’ve been able to wear old pieces with new pieces–thus getting more bang for my buck.
I recommend their cashmere line. They have a huge selection of cashmere sweaters with varying weights and numerous styles throughout the year. Almost all of my shoes are JCrew, as well. They aren’t good “8-hour” shoes for those with fussy feet, but they have worked well for me. Plus, they offer classic styles with a twist, i.e. funky designs or colors, which is what I love. Plain on top, fancy on bottom.
Angie and I have discussed their pants, and that seems to be where JCrew falls flat. They don’t have a wide enough range to fit me, a petite rise, regular (though on the short side) inseam, small gal. So, for now, I’ve sworn off their pants.
I think JCrew has not been given enough credit over the years. I say, three cheers for this post!
October 10th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I knew that you would comment on this post Christie! You have remained a J. Crew fan through thick and thin. I’m so glad that you continue to shop there for your own personal style reasons. Their sizes are still roomy though. I’m hoping that they get a little more up to date with their size curves and fits. This season they get my thumbs up though…I look forward to spending fashion dollars there soon.
Alas I can’t indulge in cashmere. I find wool itchy. I have eczema which makes matters worse. But they do indeed have the best selection of cashmere in at the moment.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
What is the sizing like? For someone thin, tall and no shape? Will it work? TX Michelle
October 11th, 2007 at 12:07 am
I love J.Crew but shopping their site the past few years has been very frustrating for me as a petite-size shopper. They used to have a much greater range of clothing for those 5′4″ and under. While the style quotient has increased during the last couple of years, the number of products offered in petites sizes has drastically decreased. What I have loved most about J.Crew are their classic/modern sweaters but there is not one sweater offered on their site that is sized for petites! Boo.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Michelle, I’m not thin & tall, but I’m thin and small, and their sizing runs very big, as Angie just noted. You might actually fit in their pants. I’m 5′4″, but my inseam is long enough that petites look like high waters on me. Regular pants are too baggy in the rise (what is supposed to “low to medium rise” comes to right below my belly button). I’ll say this, although their pants don’t fit perfectly, every item of clothing I’ve gotten from JCrew, I have loved to death. Their cords are supremely comfy in particular. I would encourage you to try some Michelle, just expect that you may need to buy a size or two smaller than you normally wear.
Re: Angie’s comment, I am sad you can’t indulge in the cashmere. It is actually the only sweater I can wear without itchiness. To be honest, I am a recent convert. I always thought cashmere was too expensive when I could buy a similarly designed, non-cashmere sweater for about $30-50 less. But being able to wear the sweater without anything under it is amazing to me.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:21 am
Good for you. I was rather impressed with their corduroy pants myself because the wale was so fine and the colours so vibrant. I don’t wear corduroy myself, but have liked it for others whose style it matches.
October 11th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
I’ve found J. Crew good for cotton/cotton knit basics, but does anyone else find the torsos way too long on their tees? I love their tees but can only layer them under something because they are very long on me, even though I’m 5′5″, which is not particularly tall but not too short either.
I have bashed their cashmere all around the web now. J. Crew cashmere just doesn’t hold up and pill way faster than other cashmere I get in department stores (Bloomingdale, Nordstrom) at a similar price range. Someone please tell me if their cashmere quality has improved. I love that J. Crew does cashmere in a wide variety of colors, but the few times I bought their sweaters they start to pill after one season.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Funny, I just sent an email to j.crew telling them that their cashmere sweaters have gone south in terms of quality. I have a sweater I bought from them maybe 3? years ago that I love, and is amazing - light but warm, hardly pills - the sweaters they offer now do not compare. Really disappointing, if only because their colors are so great. Most big box store cashmere comes in these dreary gray-beige-black-pastels that are soooo boring.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
This is good to know and I shall definitely get the word out. I don’t wear cashmere so I wouldn’t know, but this information is invaluable - thank you Amy.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:16 am
At 5′4″ pants are always long on me, but I don’t think I’m petite. I just went through an extended size comparison with the jcrew corduroy. What I discovered was that from top to bottom, the regular 2 short and the petite 4 are the same length. However, the inseam on the regular was about an inch longer which the 4 petite made up for in the rise. The petite 2 was just too small. I ended up with the 2 short but I thought this whole thing was a bit strange.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
i want a jcrew cashmere! my sister has one and ive been waiting for it to go on sale (like, go below $99) but the last time i went in a Jcrew store was Black Friday and they removed all their $99 cashmeres from the shelves.
I dont know if they still have them in that price range. Online, they are way too expensive for me.
I normally wouldnt indulge in a piece of clothing so expensive, but cashmere is a classic, and it will definitely keep one warm (i know, ive tried my sister’s).
January 15th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Listen, DO NOT buy J. Crew cashmere. It is awful. Especially this year’s lot. I bought a sweater at full price, wore it twice and now it is completely pilled. It shouldn’t be this way: I have a J. Crew cashmere sweater from 5 years ago that is still beautiful. J. Crew went cheap on us and now I feel really burned by them. Save your money — these sweaters aren’t worth a dime.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Thanks for the advice, Amy and Jenny. I have been wondering whether to go for J Crew cashmere or not, thinking the quality would be high. I already have a fantastic cashmere turtleneck, though, that I got for $35 and has done pretty well through several handwashes. I was mostly attracted to the great colors, but a lack of quality is the bigger concern now. Come to think, I have the Luxe Dream bateau sweater ($98, “updated with more cashmere”), a wool/nylon/cashmere blend and have worn it three times, around the house and once on a casual workday, and am already sorely disappointed by the huge amount of pilling. It’s ridiculous! The same goes for the wool/cashmere gloves I got- pilling on a pair of gloves after two days! I sound excited, I’m sure, but it really is a shame. The styles are fab, but they need to watch the quality of their wool knits, and I’ve contacted them to say so. Their pants still seem to be of the highest quality to me.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Dont bother with J Crew. As acustomer for over 10 years, I promise you their quality has gone downhill while their prices continue to rise. As you mentioned, the cashmere is some of the worst Ive seen. Thin, pilling, and the rolled edge finish… I dont care how they desribe it, its an unfinished garmet. So too, for the Tshirts. The binding around the neck used to be doubled over and sewn together to give a finished look to the garmet. Now the binding is cut from a single piece of material and sewn on, leaving the edges unfinished. I have some T shirts purchased several years ago and they are finished much nicer and the cotton weight is better than their current Tshirts. I have bought a few of their suiting pieces but am staying away from sweaters/t-shirts. I am trying to find a company with same style but better quality… is difficult.. but Brooks Brothers has great quality, a littlemore conservative in style though.
February 11th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
There is an awesome way to get instant discounts J.Crew discounts. Buy a gift card on one of the online gift card resellers. Its usually an instant 20% off! Cardavenue is my favorite.