"Thanks!" to many of you, including Marietta, who shared the latest email from J.Crew this morning.The email once again announces that J.Crew Factory (click here to shop online) is open for business.
What are your thoughts on J.Crew's Factory new arrivals? Do you like some of the latest offerings?
I know someone was looking for a sweater VERY similar to this in a post earlier this week. Can't remember who it was now, but hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteGlimmer pocket cardigan
I'm not shopping from factory online but would like to check out B&M factory soon.
ReplyDeleteNo factory for me either.
ReplyDeleteThe factory prices are a joke!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, the Factory online feels sparse and sad to me. Maybe I just miss J. Crew's infamous descriptions!
ReplyDeleteI bit.... I ordered the tiered lace cami, which is back in all sizes, although back ordered to Feb. 2011, and the whirling ruffles cardi in heather carbon, which I missed out on last year. Psyched!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, awfully pricey for "factory" in my opinion! But fun browsing. :-)
ReplyDeleteFactory is a rip off, both in store and online. I went in the local one the other day, and they had current season retail offerings priced HIGHER than they are at retail. I was appalled. Not to mention the actual factory line stuff was only a few dollars less than the retail stuff, and the quality is terrible. For example, a button up boyfriend shirt was 64.50 at the factory store, they are 69.50 at retail. Who would buy the outlet version instead!? I just don't see the appeal.
ReplyDeleteI did buy a tissue tee because I wear them under sweaters and I throw them away after each season because they lose their shape so much. I got it for about $10 as compared to $30 at retail, so I guess for "throwaway" items it is a better bet, otherwise, not for me.
Can anyone comment on the quality of the sweaters, skirts and coats at the Factory Store? I haven't bought anything from the Factory in a very long time, but I noticed they brought back the pencil skirt that Michelle Obama wore a couple of years ago. Just curious if the quality of it is worth bothering with?
ReplyDeleteSince I was able to use the promotion code, I had purchased hip-slung jeans and a flannel perfect shirt from the the JCrew factory site. The jeans were very thin and unsupportive (if that makes any sense), almost as though the denim could be used as leggings. They 'felt' inexpensive. The quality of the flannel perfect shirt was fine & it fit me just as the 'perfect' shirt should in my size, maybe even a smidge roomier which is a good thing considering how restrictive the arms/shoulders can be in JC's button down perfect shirts. It's extemely soft and comfortable but I disliked the color. Also, I couldn't get past the feeling I was wearing pj's because of the color & feel of flannel.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering about the quality of the sweaters too. I may break down & order one that I know I'd get a lot of wear out of if I like it.
I posted this in the "seek and find" post, but it is relevant to this post as well.
ReplyDeleteStopped by the outlet today.
Here's what I saw:
Clearance was an extra 30% off. Mostly tees, a few Jackies, and a few cotton skirts.
Wool blazers 50% off.
Wool carlin coat 50% off.
Most cardigans were 40% off.
Velvet Eden blazer was $60.
Wool ruffle coat 50% off.
Jewelry was 30% off.
I think the original prices in-store match the original factory prices online for comparison. With the in-store promotions, a lot of things are cheaper than online. You may want to stop in or see if you can get one of the factory stores to ship items to you.
FYI, I was at the Sawgrass Mills store in South Florida.
To everyone asking about quality- it is pretty bad. I'd say it is somewhere between gap and old navy, closer to Gap. I worked in a Factory store in college, so I've owned a lot of their stuff, and it does not hold up well. It just doesn't last. As far as specifics:
ReplyDeleteThe coats do not have as nice of a lining or any other detailing, and the material usually doesn't feel good. I love J.Crew coats because they feel luxurious- this is not true at the outlets.
The sweaters pill A LOT and do not hold their shape. Usually they are on the thinner side as well, and I find a lot of them have angora or mohair or something else mixed in (which I am allergic to and don't like the feel of). The cashmere is slightly thinner than retail and just doesn't feel as soft.
The factory line as a whole just seems to have different lines, the sizing can be off and the fit is not there. A lot of things are boxy and short. One of the things so good about the retail J.Crew is that everything is long and fits so nicely, this did not translate to the factory store.
I do not have ANY of the stuff I bought at the factory store during college, as recently as two years ago. I've given it all away because it became so misshapen or just old looking. On the other hand, I have quite a few retail pieces that I've had in my closet for 3 or 4 years that still look fantastic.
I do not buy anything expensive at the factory store. Tissue tees here and there and maybe something dirt cheap if I need it in a hurry (it's a lot more convenient for me than the retail store), but other than that it's a pass.
My BF agrees with this about the men's stuff, too. He does buy jeans at the outlet but won't touch the sweaters and button ups.
I wonder how long the online factory store will survive.
ReplyDeleteFYI - This news clips talks about Mrs. Obama and J crew - interesting!
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/video/politics-15749652/first-lady-fashion-first-class-finances-22596971
My two cents on the factory items--
ReplyDeleteI have bought a fair amount of factory and retail items in the last year. The retail items are in poorer shape than my factory purchases at this point, which puzzles me. I'd say I wear everything pretty equally.
For some reason, I can't fit into retail pants, but factory denim and cords fit me perfectly. I have a pair of retail petite trousers that are pretty decent as far as fit, but they are wool and pill like crazy!
I'm not sure why I seem to have such good luck with the quality of my factory purchases. My biggest complaint about the factory stock is that I rarely find much I want there for a bargain price anymore. I really appreciate being able to scout the stock out online ahead of time before making the trek out to Pleasant Prairie, though.
JCrewcrazy,
ReplyDeleteWould love to read the article but couldn't get the link to work when I typed it in.......
Only been to a factory store once. I bought some belts but did not realize they were not leather until I got home. What a bummer.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the clothes I tried on were ill fitting.
I do like the ribbon floral belt I bought.
The flip flops were not of the same quality at regular JCrew flip flops and cost just as much.
It was fun to look and I would still go back if I pass one on vacation like I did this summer but I would never buy anything online.
I know it's a factory store, but I find it irksome that none of the items are on models. Some things just don't look good splayed out on a table. I know the prices aren't great compared to J Crew, considering it's factory, but I wish I understood the quality factor more. Some of you say it's terrible, some say it's ok. I wonder if it's that some people who are used to higher end items are disappointed. I am not used to higher end stuff, so I wonder if it would be fine to me? And I have not found J Crew's stuff to last any longer than Gap, where I used to shop all the time, so this drastic difference between J Crew and factory that some mention is confusing. I just got a few cardigans back from the dry cleaners (J Crew retail), that I bought over the last 6 months, and they look AWFUL. I have learned that I am DONE with "raw edged" anything. I finally learned that this means, after you wear or clean it, you better plan to get out your thread scissors to spend a good 15 minutes on each item. My featherweight cardis are junk too. Oldest item in my wardrobe is still a merino/acrylic Limited sweater that I abuse, but it seems indestructible (and it is also a thin knit, imagine that).
ReplyDeleteCharlotte- if you think retail quality is bad, you will think factory is horrendous. Stuff pills like crazy and it is just ill fitting. Things lose their shape after one or two launderings, if they had any shape to begin with.
ReplyDeleteIt is a completely different line, designed for and made for the factory outlets. They use different fabric blends and the items have a different cut than their "inspired from" retail styles.
I find the retail quality to be FAR better than outlet, and I don't even think retail quality is that good. I'd put retail quality on par with BR and maybe slightly better than Gap, but the outlet is barely above Old Navy for me.
I've only ever bought 2 sweaters at the outlet and they were both rags after a few gentle washings and drying flat. This was a few years back when quality on everything was supposedly better. I won't shop outlet ever again. I don't shop Gap or ON either, after having Gap jeans that developed holes and had defects in the fabric that showed up over time. I'm not into disposable, cheap clothes. I'd rather pay for higher quality, even if that means I have less in my closet.
ReplyDeleteThrowing my $.02 in...
ReplyDeleteI don't see much of a difference in quality between factory items and retail items. I don't know if this is just because the retail quality has suffered so much in recent years. Looking at the Jackies I have from both, I can't see any difference after a few washings except that the tag is different.
I will say though that I NEVER pay full price for either retail or factory items. This is probably why even though I spend several thousand at J. Crew every year, I never get the special promotions. I know Mickey hates me and I DON'T CARE. I'm just not going to spend $100 on a sweater (regardless of what name is on the tag) if I can't wash it more than two times.
Slightly on topic - I went to the local Talbot's outlet yesterday. They had all of their summer/early fall merchandise out, and I'd say about 80-90% of it is overstock from the retail store. I've rarely seen anything with the "outlet" tag on it. This particular store groups racks of clothes by rollout, like "August B&M" which can be helpful if you know what you're looking for. The prices look to be whatever the last markdown was on them from the retail store, plus there are usually signs around for an additional % off. They had a table of summer silk scarves for 75% off the lowest markdown price.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this is what an outlet should really be. Why have a separate line made for the outlet, when you're already unloading retail stuff at warehouse and sample sales?
Back on topic, I ordered the marled shawl-collar cardigan from Factory out of curiousity (description said just "wool") but it smelled really bad - like it had been packed in a box with tires or something. I know some JCA's mentioned stinky factory items before. I won't be purchasing from factory in the future - quality is just too hit-or-miss.
silver_lining - I asked Talbots cs about their outlets and they told me there are no items made specifically for the factory store. It's all stock from retail. Yes, how an outlet should be. Sometimes I feel like JC treats its customers like we're stupid and will suck into anything they present. I don't know why they think the consumer would demand or even want sub par quality knockoffs of previous releases at the regular, b&m prices.
ReplyDeleteI received the factory Tori and it's going back, along with the factory pointelle cardi. The Tori hangs very sloppily and the material is rough and thin. Definitely sub par from the original. The pointelle is similar in shade to the original but it has white stripes on it!! I did not see this in the description or from the photo.
ReplyDeleteOthers I kept:
The factory classic stripe tissue tee was fine albeit the XS is loose. The spectator hat is cute and not itchy. The glittens are better than the original since they have a hole in te thumb IMO. And I love the professor blazer that I missed out on. The trim is real silk, the buttons are cute leather feeling and the cut is pretty true to retail. The material is thin but it's fully lined and I'm fine with a lightweight wool blazer to wear with jeans. HTH!
Hi! I'm about to get my friend to buy me a top from J.Crew (I bought a cardigan earlier this year, but don't have the size tag anymore) and as I'm from Europe, I'm not really familiar with the sizes. Would someone be able to help me with choosing the right size? My bust is 35.68 and my waist is 27.3. I'm 5´4. I would highly appreciate your help in this! :)
ReplyDeleteNew York & Paris --
ReplyDeleteI purchased the Mrs. O pattern last year in the blazer. Compared to the original, the outlet version thread is much thicker and has more gray than brown in the tweed. I didn't like it at all. J Crew also made an outlet version of the blazer, but is missing the chain detailing twisted in the collar for anyone that missed out.
I have some factory pieces, a couple of oxford and button up-shirts and some tees. I find that the factory is hit and miss. The two older button downs are great and interchangeable with the ones from a regular store. The one tee is equal to anything from the store; but chinos and sweaters are a different story. Colours are off and the fit is slightly different. Not the usual J.Crew quality, like another poster said a step above Old Navy or a slight step below the Gap. At least J.Crew factory pieces don't shrink in strange ways the way Gap clothing does. I find their cotton does all kinds of weird things when it fits the dryer.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the Factory store has the Silk Cascading Ruffles blazer for $198?! If anyone here is interested in that blazer, I'm selling my retail version from last year for $30. It's NWT and sz. 10 If interested, email me at ajswirsky AT sbcglobal DOT net
ReplyDeleteTiina - It sounds like you're a size small, but it would be best to know which top you have your eye on.
ReplyDeleteHi Gigiofca!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply! I was thinking something like these:
http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/shirtstops/camis/PRDOVR~34024/34024.jsp
http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/shirtstops/camis/PRDOVR~31646/31646.jsp
Usually I'm S or M, but I'm confused about the numeric sizes...;)
J Crew Guy, good to know, my bf will like that info. I think I get what people are saying about factory quality. Thanks all, I think you saved me an order and likely some aggravation.
ReplyDelete@Tiina: you can call or use the chat feature to find out the size of the specific items you're interested in. I try to do this when I'm in between sizes. Just give them the item number and the sizes you'd like for measurements. Hope this helps.
ReplyDelete