Thursday, February 12, 2009

Product Review: Zebra & Fish Tee

I think one of the most talked about items this season has to be the Zebra tee (refer to here and here). It was unclear whether or not the orange zebra on white version of the shirt was even available. However, Roxy has confirmed for us that it has indeed gone into production and available for purchase!

"Thank you!" to Roxy who shared with us her great review of the Zebra {it IS for sale!} and Fish Tee (plus several real-life images). :)

I called the Garden State (New Jersey) J.Crew store after Anon @ 3:56 PM (in the "Love It or Leave It: Beaded Zebra Graphic Tee" post) commented that this store had the Zebra Tee. My call confirmed that they had several animal tees available, so I ordered both the Zebra Tee and a Fish Tee.

Each style of tee came in one color only. The sales associate I spoke with could not have been nicer! She described them to me over the phone and helped me pick out which ones to buy. The SA wasn't sure if other J.Crews will be getting these tees or not. She shipped the shirts out to me same day though I was charged shipping ($12).


Both shirts are 100% cotton. I ordered a medium and found the tee true to size. I would call the cotton 'slub' to put it in J.Crew terms. The material is thinner than the current rosette tee in the Spring line; more like the Crest tee from last fall. It's also slightly sheer.

The Zebra tee is a peach base with a pink Zebra the Fish tee is ivory with a shiny gold Fish. I really like that both of these tees are long; it makes them great for layering. The fish tee was really popular with my Happy Hour crowd and I think it is my favorite of the two. I know the Zebra Tee has been quite polarizing among JCAs but I have found both tees to be versatile, with several outfit possibilities for each.


The Zebra Tee is style #13619 and the Fish Tee is style #14057. The tees were $32.50 each.


"Thanks!" again to Roxy for her great reviews and even providing us with the style numbers (incredibly thoughtful)! :) Also, I have to say that she looks great in both tees. Congrats Roxy on your purchases!!!

P.S. I noticed that the Zebra's neck is on the left in Roxy's version, while the neck is on the right in the LookBook version (click here). After staring at the images, I realized that Roxy took a picture in front of a mirror, which explains the reversed image. I thought I would share that in case anyone was slightly confused like I was. ;)

What are your thoughts on the Zebra & Fish Tee now that you have seen some real life images? Are you considering or already have purchased either of these items? Have you seen them in person at your stores too? If so, please share with us your reviews! :)

53 comments:

  1. I love the low price! The one I bought was dark slate, and it was 68.00.... can't wait to see it IRL! I also bought the fish, but now that I see it I'm not sure I like it too much... Hairwild

    ReplyDelete
  2. Does anyone know what other animals are the different tees?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hmm I think I'll pass. $30 is too much to pay for a tee that thin. But I'm glad jcrew came to its senses and produced the zebra tee in something other than that hideous CalTrans/inmate orange.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Alexis and Roxy for making this review possible!

    Well now, if this tee is indeed slub cotton like last year's Crest, Shoe, and French Market Fish tees, I would definitely order one. I find the slub fabric sturdier and more flattering than either the ringspun or tissue variety, plus I love its cool feel.

    Anon at 12:04am, what color is the zebra on your dark slate?

    And wasn't there also a grey version with a black/white zebra in the Lookbook (under the Keagan)?

    LL

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooooh, I want the fish tee! Gimme! ^_^ I love fish prints for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm not a big fan of the fish tee. They just sorta slapped a fish on there an called it a day. I wonder how the conversation went like when they had the bright idea.

    "Hey, any more animals we could cover"
    "Erm, we haven't done any marine life"
    "Oh, how about a squid, or one of those parrot fishes"
    "That might be a bit too complicated, how about we just use the picture on the cover of this month's issue of National Geographic?"
    "You're a genius, no one can deny the profile shot of this here fish!"

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry for the OT question, I need help in wearing the scarf of the bucle tweed coat (#10993). I looked on the JC website, but it looks too posed - stationary for everyday wear. Does anyone have idea? alterations? I am ready to trim the scarf off. TIA.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hmm, I like that the zebra tee, although not necessarily subtle, is more subtle than the fish tee.

    Jeff, LOVE you faux J. Crew designer conversation - great end-of-the-evening laugh...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the fish tee. Great price point. But more sheer than the rosette? That doesn't sound good.

    Anon@12:47 AM - Here is one way to tie the scarf coat: http://gigisgoneshopping.blogspot.com/2008/12/j-crew-boucle-wool-scarf-coat.html

    Slastena also has pics on her blog, http://jcrewchick.blogspot.com, but I am not sure of the date.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Roxy, thanks for sharing AND taking pictures!!!!
    The color looks a lot different than in the catalog-I'd have to think twice before purchasing this one....I do love the other tees the stores currently carry :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would not wear either one. I think they are both reallyt tacky and show no fashion sense. Best left to the teens and early 20 crowd. I just really don't get why a 40 year old woman would even comtemplate wearing one of these.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. If you type in Zebra Tee, and not the item# in the Search box on the website the Zebra Tee will show up and you can order it now in the Orange color. If you type in the item number it will not show up.

    The Fish Tee is not yet available on line.

    I agree the Slub cotton holds up better than the Ringspun cotton.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Roxy: Thank you for taking the time to write a review AND take pictures...it's greatly appreciated! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks gigiofca for your suggestions. I'll try them. I love the fit of this coat, and almost feel that the scarf is hiding it, especailly tied thickly. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Not sure about these, mainly because of the thin cotton. I used to avoid their outlet tees because of the difference in quality (they stretch more, are thin, and sheer) but I might rethink that and hit my local J Crew outlet to see if they have similar tees for the spring.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Old Navy had almost the exact zebra tee last summer. I guess J Crew copied Old Navy -- lol!!! Old Navy has some great slub tees right now -- octopus, mermaid (small, logo like), dolphin, anchor, etc. On sale for $10.00. I'll save my money on this one.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I saw the zebra tee IRL yesterday and found the pink color of the zebra to be kind of fluorescent. They have a similar tee with a flower print on the bottom corner in green and dark slate but the zebra design is more unique.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm sorry, but neither of these are appealing to me. The white background made it worse than the orange, for me anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anon 12:47-Do not CUT the scarf off the jacket. Sell it before you think of doing that as the coat doesn't look good with nothing at the neckline. This is something you can tell when the scarf is just hanging (before you tie it) and it looks really bad without something covering those top buttons/gap.
    It really has 2-3 ways to be worn-all of which I find to be very chic and stylish. Although, I do find that when I throw each end over each shoulder, one end tends to keep falling down which drives me pretty NUTS! Anyone else??

    The coat is just too fab IMO--you must work with it--look at the J Crew pics for more help if need.Hope you can make it work:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Still not feeling the zebra tee. I could see a bunch of other JCAs rocking it though.

    I like the fish tee slightly better, but the fish placement seems a bit high. I'll pass on the catch of the day.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  23. these are a little too sheer for my comfort; I'd layer over a long sleeve. agree with others on fish tee-- awkward placement, looks like an afterthought. the zebra is cute, but it's probably something I would buy on a whim if it were on sale, because I probably would not get much wear out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I could see myself thinking i could pull of the Zebra Tee, then i'd wear it once then never wear it again.. it's one of those tee's that everyone is going to remember, so i'd be hesitant on wearing it to much and becoming the "That girl who wears the Zebra Tee"

    but a BIG THANK YOU to Roxy for the photos and the review!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Scarf coat - thank you for your thoughts. I bought the P2 and the fit is perfect. I was standing infront of my mirror trying to manage the scarf and got very frustrated. I want the buttons along the lenght to show, makes me look a bit taller. But no matter how neatly I tried to tie the scarf, it looked bulky and rough. I thought of adding a hook&loop mid-top of the scarf to create the collar you're referring to. Don't know...I love this coat but would have to figure IT out. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Snow,

    Lol, I was thinking the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have not drunk enough of the Koolaid to pay that much for either one of these tees...

    ReplyDelete
  28. Roxy: Thanks for the reviews, the shirts are not at my B&M yet.

    I'm not really feeling the tees. I really don't like the gold fish and white combo. Maybe if it was another color tee.

    I am sure that there will be JCAs that look awesome in both tees. I would love to see what sets FFM creates with the tees:)

    ReplyDelete
  29. The Garden State J. Crew store is the location that corporate uses to stage the "rollout" of new merchandise. They get everything a week or two before the other stores do so they can plan placement.

    JCrew PS

    ReplyDelete
  30. The zebra, on the zebra tee, would have been better in a rich brown or even navy. I've been over the neon orange J Crew is obsessed with for a long time now. A terra cotta orange would have been so much prettier if they were insistent on orange.

    I like the gold fish idea, but agree with Jeff that the placement of the fish is slapdash. It looks like any cheap tourist t-shirt. They should have made the fish bigger, more abstract, and had it swimming from an angle with some light curvy lines to suggest waves.

    ReplyDelete
  31. $12 shipping is too much for 2 tees.

    It would cost about $5 if using USPS priority.

    ReplyDelete
  32. The zebra tee is defintiely not something I would wear but more power to you if you love it!

    Also, I only like the fish tee because of the gold, and I think the placement is high so Mr. Fish shows if you're wearing this season's v-neck cardi's over the tee. I'd purchase Mr. Fish if his price goes low enough. ~<

    One mistake I made with some of the embellished tee's that cannot go in the dryer was sizing up. I didn't know they couldn't go in the dryer before purchasing them. Some of the tee's seem to be growing longer, even though I do lay flat to dry.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oops...forgot to say thanks for the post & real life pics ladies!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I just don't like anything graphic-y around the boobal area...I'm not sure why. I just think it would unnerve me to look down and see that fish grazing around my boobs.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Looks like something you would find at walmart....sorry :(

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks for the review and photos Roxy. The IRL pics are so helpful.

    These tees are a "pass" for me. I have a lot of really nice-fitting tees and a few wonderful graphic tees. I can probably wear a tee twice a week, max and a graphic tee maybe once every other week. For that reason I am not keen on buying a bunch of new tees every season, it has to be something REALLY special.

    I did buy a couple of the soft tees on sale after Christmas and they are so soft and very form-flattering in bright colors with no transparency. I can't wear them with my suits because of the raw-edge neckline but they will be perfect for a casual day.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Is $32 a reduced price point for J.Crew graphic tees? I never buy them so don't pay attention to the pricing.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I don't really like the graphic tees at jcrew because the neckline is SO high. Not that I want to show skin, but the really high neck is not a good look for me, if anyone else knows what I mean. I wish they would have just a little bit lower of a neckline.

    ReplyDelete
  39. sweet! i love they pink on white version of the zebra. thanks for sharing!

    Last night I went to the J.Crew outlet in Vacaville,CA and I saw a bunch of random tees with funky designs (which weren't embroidered) I had never seen before.. Bicycle, Elephant, Bananas, Some flowery one.. Lemon (? i think i dont remember but it was definitely a fruit)and some island map.

    The Outlet store had a bunch of stuff I hadn't seen before online or in regular stores and they also didn't have much of the new spring looks. I managed to purchase a jackie cardi for $33 (reg. now 59.50), a cotton vneck sweater for $34 (reg. $64)... ehh not bad i guess.. I was going to get a graphic tee but I wasn't feeling the colors much and couldnt decide on a design. So maybe next time..

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anon 2:21 I TOTALLY AGREE-I hate that about their tees (and the jackie shell/vest sweaters)!!

    I have thought this and made mention many times but you are the first that has made the same comment or was in agreement! Sadly, I am once again a hypocrite (can u say shoes? Same. Bitch but wear them anyway!)
    I have far too many for someone that can't stand it ;)*Thumps head*

    ReplyDelete
  41. I have the bicycle graphic tee from the outlet! And I didn't feel bad about buying it because even if it WERE lower quality, I paid about $14 for the shirt. That's not bad at all. And it's cute too!

    ReplyDelete
  42. mjMuffin: I noticed those graphic tees at my local outlet too. The bike tee is almost the exact same as one they had out last summer. I really liked it until I tried it on and the bike was up too high close to my neck. It looked weird. I've never been too impressed with the outlet stuff, but their cardis looked pretty cute last time I was there...

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks, Roxy, for the pics!

    I'm not loving either of these. I'll be interested in seeing some of their other designs in the graphic tees for this spring/summer though. I think they're adorable for casually wearing around town during the summertime.

    ReplyDelete
  44. "Zebra" must be "in" for spring - just noticed this on Gap's website:

    http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=17077&pid=642184

    Not really my thing...but it may be an alternative "zebra" for those who cannot locate the JC one.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thank you Roxy for the pictures and review.
    I don't like the golden fish but I am still liking Zebra Tshirt. I would wear it in summer with shorts and flip-flops to the beach.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Just got off the phone with a J. Crew CSR, the fresh orange sequin/beaded version of the Zebra tee is so popular it's backordered until mid-March!

    ReplyDelete
  47. The orange sequin zebra tee being backordered to March sounds like a ploy to create demand for it. They probably only made a few. That way, if they didn't sell, it wouldn't be a big loss to JC, and if they do sell out, there will be another "chiffon rose tee" phenomenon, where people are willing to pay way too much for a tshirt just because they can't get it. Either way, JC wins. Very smart, Mickey...

    ReplyDelete
  48. I just saw the Gap zebra tee. I like it alot more than the JC tee. It is more neutral colored and less "cartoonish", IMO. Also, it is a "red" product, so profits from it supports Aids research. And it's only $28.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Ladies-it's not backordered. The first batch is simply not ready from the manufacturer yet. Wait till the 1st batch comes in and judge from that. I'm sure the cs person used the term backordered, but trust me-it just isn't in yet.

    ReplyDelete
  50. It's funny... in Baby Mama the movie, Amy Poehler was wearing a long white tee with a black zebra head print that's literally the same as this J Crew version =)

    ReplyDelete
  51. I do NOT like the bright salmon color of the zebra. I would not buy these tees unless they were 9.99 or under... After seeing the pics, I prefer the bright orange with pink zebra. Who woulda thunk? (and I wouldn't buy that unless it was under $15)! ALL are a pass for me. Sorry!

    JenG.

    ReplyDelete
  52. This is an old post, so not sure if anyone will read this but wanted to give you guys a heads up about the zebra tee (gray sequined one). I got a medium today in the graphite beaded in Baltimore (Inner Harbor Location). They had one medium and one small left when I left the store today at 12:00. Also, Columbia Mall J. Crew (Columbia, MD) had one large left. The Bridgewater Mall J. Crew (in NJ) had Large and XL left. I called around to a bunch of JCs last night so that is how I know. I was on the fence about this tee, but it's cute IRL in the gray color. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  53. i want to buy a fish tee.. can any one help me find one.. i cannot find one in chicago.. and my girl likes it so much that i want to get it for her!!! let me know if anyone has it.. i will pay for everything :)

    ReplyDelete

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! :)