This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.
Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.
OT, but markdowns this morning. Lots of new stuff, like the new pencil skirts (Aurora tweed and Horizon stripe), the commodore blazer (the one with the gigantic pockets, so not flattering), the double-breasted bonnie blazer, and lots of popbacks (the tartan plaid shirt in size 14). Some are final sale (like the foiled floral cardigan), but others are not. Weird. I love a sale but these markdowns are coming so fast, I haven't even gotten around to trying things on. Pass for me.
ReplyDeleteI bought my first pair of shoes from JCrew, the Miller short motorcycle boot. I am disappointed at the poor quality of these puppies; namely the soles are a cheap plastic/rubber. Cheaper than a Steve Madden. For a $250 shoe, I can't believe JCrew is manufacturing crud like that. People are getting the wool pulled over their eyes for buying at that price- I am assuming it's just for their name.
ReplyDeleteSub
ReplyDeletehi pathos, I'm sorry to hear about your boots. Quality-wise, JC shoes have been on a steady decline for quite a while, but their prices are increasing at almost the same rate. That's why some JCA's were turned off by their "Made in Italy" video.
ReplyDeletedinster, there are quite a few new items on promo. Either it's because a) they've heard so many complaints about new items going to FS on first markdown or b) so they can jack the prices back up after they've been on promo for a month. Guess which I think it is? ;)
I'm sorry to say that I'm noticing more quality issues. I received my second pair of Macalisters and there's another issue. The first had a pen mark (!) and now the second has a misshapen sole.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've just realized that ALL my skirts that require hem repair are from jc. Oh, and the hem came out of a new t-shirt last weekend.
Where is quality control? I have better things to do than go back and forth to the mall or deal with their failures.
dinster,
ReplyDeleteWow. Thanks for the post. I wanted that cardigan but won't buy final sale. JCrew's loss. What other company puts sale items on first markdown directly to final sale? They have really lost me completely!
I did pick up the foil cardigan because it is one of the few things I have tried on this season and I really liked it (I love the hot pink in the pattern) But totally agree that final sale for 1st markdowns is crazy! Save FS for the items from 2 seasons ago that are still lingering! AND how about marking down some of the outerwear? I purchased a lot from the Talbots recent 50% off sale because it was REALLY marked down. $359 gorgeous long coat for $135-Yes! Lady day coat exactly like last season and still $179 & $199-No!
ReplyDeleteSubbing
ReplyDeleteDid both of the locket necklaces sell out??? I ordered the silver, which should come in today, but was contemplating the gold...and now I can't find it....
ReplyDeleteLockets are gone- I still have the page open because I've been refreshing everyday because I want the silver. Here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/jewelry/necklaces/PRDOVR~41500/99102314308/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~locket/41500.jsp
If you are looking for gold, the Norfolk, VA store had quite a few last week, you could probably call and order one!
If anyone sees a silver locket, please email me at jesta2 at email dot wm dot edu
Hope this helps!
OT: Final Sale is gone from Madewell. It's back to regular sale now. Did anyone else email them the other day with feedback when they had changed it to Final Sale? I did, and heard back yesterday that they were taking it into consideration and possibly revisiting their decision. Looks like they decided that it wasn't fair or customer-friendly after all.
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ReplyDeleteI also noticed they didn't seem to sell much from the Madewell sale section once Final Sale hit, either. So I'm sure that was also one of the deciding factors.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they don't care how absurd and customer un-friendly the final sale at J.Crew is.
I mailed in returns mid-December and I still haven't received a refund even though they were marked as returned in my account at the beginning of January. I was trying to be patient with the Christmas rush, but it's been nearly 2 months and it's over $500. Boo!
ReplyDeleteHow about a SALE? There hasn't been a category sale since before Christmas. Jeez!
ReplyDeleteGave in and ordered the Collette Jacket in Heather Twilight because I loved the color so much. Extremely poor quality. Definitely not worth what I paid. Truly disappointed in the offerings and declining quality. I'm visiting the website less and less, whereas a year ago, I was on a shopping ban from them!
ReplyDeleteemilie-I know! I'm waiting for a sale on tees or something to get me excited to shop for spring.
ReplyDeleteDear Leader must be apoplectic with how quickly things are being discounted. That Aurora tweed skirt was just released, no? Speaking of which, has anyone seen it/tried it on/checked the hem? I'm mildly interested, but I haven't seen it in any of the stores near me.
ReplyDelete@pathos, send the boots to JCHQ. Pin one of the myriad of articles touting j.crew's quality to them. Tell them you're literally & figuratively giving them the boot.
This isn't a vent but I'm not sure which post to put it on.
ReplyDeleteJ.Crew is launching a blog! (YAY! or Boo! depending on your take on the whole thing.)
You can read more about it over at Fashion etc.: http://fashionetc.com/news/fashion/511-jcrew-blog-jenna-lyons
I'm tired of the offerings on work pants - many of them are now unlined. But I'm even more tired of the pants I already own where the linings are shredded. Can't they make a sturdy lining that won't disintegrate after 20 wears? I'm just sitting at my desk, I'm not doing jumping jacks, for lord's sake.
ReplyDeleteThere are a bunch of new items I'd like to try before I buy and I can't find them at any of the NYC J.Crews! It seems crazy to me that the stores all seem to be carrying the same few items with lots of bare space in the stores. It's driving me nuts.
ReplyDeletei purchased stuff from jcrew factory and i hit submit. I guess i didn't write down the order number because I figured J.crew would process my order. A few days later, I still have not received an email notification and i checked my account and my credit card and it seems like they really didn't process the order. Has this happen to anyone? and do you have any advice? it's a total bummer that I didn't get my purchases...Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI wore the Notte tweed pencil skirt for only the second time today, and I just noticed (after I got to work, of course) that there's a huge split up the side seam! Not cool.
ReplyDeleteHi ratsonparade - Barf. As far as I'm concerned, JCA is the JC blog. This will undoubtedly be more propaganda. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletesub
ReplyDeleteOT: Free shipping over $100 thru 2/25
ReplyDeleteWX4K2M
Agree about the J. Crew blog - I already know it's going to just be posts about what's in Jenna'a bag for her trip to St. Bart's or the IT's obession with his new loafers or more stories about how items are made in tiny villages in Europe by 90-year-old cobblers and seamstresses.
ReplyDeleteI do hope there will be a comments feature on it though! Can't wait to read those! I know poor CS and quality control issues are not limited to those of us that read JCA.
Oops that should read "the IT guy's" - need more coffee.
ReplyDeleteratsonparade, interesting news but I have to agree with others, it will be propaganda-based. A comments section would be excellent though.
ReplyDeletepammywu,
ReplyDeleteI had this happen several years ago. My order just did not go through. Most items were sold out but I just reordered what I could. I did however have an order number but it could not be found.
I'm still waiting for JC to spend some money and update its website features. I mean how hard is it to put some fabric contents by % and allow customer feedback for size and fit issues? Lots of others have mentioned in the past as well, but the zoom feature and the wishlist along with order history would also be up to par with a lot of other retailers.
ReplyDeleteAgree w/others, would rather see a wishlist feature & review section on website than JC propaganda/blog. Don't get me wrong, I like to hear Jenna & Marissa's fashion views, but for real inspiration & buying decisions, rely much more heavily on IRL pics/reviews from bloggers & the lovely JCAs who contribute here.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, JCA is my go-to place before I buy. Thanks for providing us with a forum!
Agree with y'all, I will be shocked if the blog is an actual blog and not just a marketing gimmick. My hopes are not high given their total FAIL of a Facebook page. It could be great, but it's not being handled properly.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that as a communications professional going back to the days of paste-up layouts for newspapers, I used to think hiring someone to oversee social media efforts was silly.
But it's just exploded in the last year or two. And I'm really disgusted that of all things, a brand that has a serious cult following can't see the opportunities it's missing!
Hi Elaine! You're absolutely right - FB could be a huge opportunity for some back-and-forth dialogue. Look at Talbot's FB page, for example - their moderator (who their fans call "The Wizard") is on there every day responding to comments, taking requests, doing damage control, whatever. On the other hand, JC never responds to comments on their FB page unless it's to identify the song playing in one of their posted videos, and for quite a while, they didn't even give fans the option to start their own post. I'm not holding out hope for much of a dialogue on their soon-to-be blog.
ReplyDeleteI had to stop by and see the citron No.2 pencil skirt this afternoon and was disappointed in the weird seaming in the top back of the skirt, and by the fact that the ones in store were already kind of pilling. *eyeroll* If you're going to take the plunge, I recommend ordering online so you don't get one that's shopworn. Color was cute, though.
Exactly my beef, silver. There is no dialogue. J Crew uses their FB to talk at us and not to us. What a waste. Too much time in Turks & Caicos and not enough time in the real world!
ReplyDeleteThe Christabelle miniskirt is 14.5 inches long. Wow. Just wow.
ReplyDeleteSale rack at B&M currently filled with itsy-bitsy minis, many at half price. When will they learn??
This is the only Jcrew blog. They must want some damage control because when you google "JCrew Blog", this one comes up, the good, the bad, the ugly and the really ugly.
ReplyDeleteTruth of the matter is, I'm not interested in a bland selection of sequins/stripes/acrylic/regurgitation that is over priced, discounted then marked back up, 30% additional off after I purchase the night before, 30 day return policy, getting shipped used items without tags on them, one time courtesy and attitude from CS and the people in the store.
I'm about 2 steps to moving on to a different brand. In this economy, it's not like you're the only retailer out there.
Late to the party but ITA with the previous posts re JC blog. Lame. But I do hope they give a column to the Copywriter From Space.
ReplyDeleteWFF - maybe you can host a daily French lessons on the JC blog, just so they get the words on their T-shirts right.
ReplyDeleteThis comment should probably go into the Reviews post from yesterday but it is kind of a vent so I'll post it here anyway.
ReplyDeleteI received the Maritime dress this week and took it to my tailor to see if she could remove the zippers, lower the hem and bring the skirt portion in for a closer fit. She said of course she can do all that but then it is a totally different dress. She asked me why I just didn't go buy a better dress.
That's when I knew I was drunk on the crewlade. :(
I'm sending the dress back this afternoon.
@ cass, 14.5 inches? That's a belt! And it's got those gigantic pockets that JC loves so much this season. The fabric they used for the pockets could have gone into lengthening the skirt. Still wouldn't be worth $178.
ReplyDeleteThen you have the Organza dots skirt (# 36810). The Copywriter from Space didn't even bother putting in a skirt length for that one. Beautiful fabric on that skirt. Would buy if 2-3 inches longer.
ReplyDeletePathos I'm sorry the boots didn't turn out to your liking either. If you haven't checked out Frye boots, I encourage you to do so. I sent the Miller's back and got myself a pair of Fryes and love them. The quality and look are exactly what I was after. I have 3 pairs of Frye boots now.
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ReplyDeleteis the other retails post not working?
ReplyDeleteRatsonParade, thanks for the link to the article about the JC blog. I checked it out, and I love this quote from Jenna SOOO much that I am posting it here for all the JCAs to share:
ReplyDeleteLyons actively sought J. Crew contributors outside of the fashion departments, looking for people with captivating tastes and points of view.
“We asked this cool guy in IT; we asked someone who’s a stylist; we asked someone who does all the sets for the shoots,” she said.
“We looked for the most interesting people in the company … and we want a range. I want to hear what the IT guys are listening to because they always have awesome music.”
So now we know why the web site is stuck in 1992 -- the IT guys are zoning out on awesome music. Maybe this blog will answer some of our questions after all.
I just received the jCREW Aime maxi dress which claims it "falls to the floor" and it is 47" top to bottom, which falls about a foot short of the floor!! I'm 5'6 and this dress looks ridiculous! So upset!
ReplyDeleteThis is THE JC blog, as far as I am concerned. :)
ReplyDeleteJust received the Chalet popover that I ordered last weekend...took it out of the bag and immediately noticed the very strong scent of perfume. No tags of any sort on it, either. It was obviously worn as i couldn't imagine that strong of a perfume smell on a garment that had only been tried on. Done with Final Sale. How do you even return clothing that doesn't have a tag on it?
ReplyDeleteGrrr- I have to share my most recent vent with the JCA world. I went to a good friend's birthday this past weekend, and wore my beloved Safari Juliet Patent Pumps (which I have only worn maybe 10 times), as well as my Crystal Infinity Earrings which I had NEVER worn...We were out for about 4 hours and I realized that one of the stones had fallen out of my earrings. Then an hour later, I rocked back on my heels for a second, and the wooden heel CRACKED and dislocated itself from the shoe. wtf! I paid good money for those pumps and they should not have broken so soon...
ReplyDeleteand, Sub :)
ReplyDelete@silver_lining -
ReplyDeleteITA on the citron No.2 pencil skirt. I put it on hold last week, only had a few minutes to swing by the store and pick it up - so I ran in, grabbed it and left. When I got home, it looked like someone had worn it for three days (straight). I thought maybe an SA had worn it for the day to "model" it? But the pleat stitch was still in place in the back... does this skirt look THAT bad after being tried on a few times? Yikes. I'm going to take it back - I LOVE the color and the feel of the fabric - but I really question its durability. Bummer - because it is a great color.
my friends and i have been having issues with shipping this week. we've all gotten tracking numbers but it's been 3 days and there is still no UPS activity at all! only this: A label for this shipment has been created, but UPS does not yet have possession of this shipment. Once we receive the shipment, the tracking status will be updated.
ReplyDeletemaybe it's because of the snow?
Maria, that sucks about the Aime dress...perhaps they were trying to save money on fabric. :) Speaking of which, how was the fabric quality? I was eyeing the shorter version of the dress.
ReplyDeleteDonna, that sucks--major JC wardrobe fail!
Sour Patch Yoon - are you on the west coast? I am and my packages always do that. It says "label created" for about 3 days then when it is in the system it starts out in Salt Lake City.
ReplyDelete@Kristin, no, i'm in a suburb of chicago. it usually only takes 2 days for my jcrew packages to ship out of chicago and get to my house! i'm a little bummed, especially because it's an item i've wanted for a long time
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ReplyDeleteOT but wanted to post that there is a NWT bisbee satchel on ebay that ends tomorrow with only $50 in bids and the item number is 180619729856. Not my auction or anyone I know but wanted to pass it on. I know some people here were looking for that specific bag so I hope that helps someone.
ReplyDeleteI was at J. Crew recently and saw a hole in one of the new cardigans! It was fresh on the hanger no less. Boy, they need to revamp their quality control!
ReplyDeleteHi Cass,
ReplyDeleteThe quality was really great! I was pleasantly surprised. It was strechy and super soft, unlike the JCREW cotton dresses from seasons past. It was really cute, just too short. :(
Thank you so much everyone about the kind words on the JCA blog! Our community, and our honesty with reviews, is what makes this place such a great resource. :)
ReplyDeleteGood morning- Just some Crew Cut reviews. Just received the "Lightweight Slub Fleece Hoodie" and the arm seems are pulling from the torso, threads showing, ready to split apart. This happened last year with ALL of the tees I purchased from Crewcuts-the material is too flimsy to hold a seem, and the stitching is too loose to hold the material. Also, this year's jersey coton tees are thin, but the seems aren't showing on these at least.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I wish: JCrew would use Hanes tees and dye them! Then we'd have thick, quality tee shirts in fabulous Jcrew colors. :(
@Wolfy-
ReplyDeleteI have 2 pairs of Frye's-both Engineer style :-D They rock! Worth the money, for a lifetime!
J. Crew--I need longer skirts--about an inch and a half and shorter heels--also about an inch and a half!!! Puh-leeze!
ReplyDeleteHad a bad experience with their phone customer service this morning, i find that they do not like to listen to you and starts transferring you to someone else. When the other person found out she were wrongly transferred to, she did not even let me explain and starts talking non stop and transfer me again to another person. They just wasted a whole lot of my time, only if they LISTEN!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dumping my cart again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for no wishlist.
No really, thanks.
@leslie @js - Lockets are online again. backordered till April but at least you can order them. HTH.
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