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Is J Crew acceptable??

x26

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Hello;

Never purchased from J Crew; How do they rate:
Low-end
Mid
Respectable
Stay away?

Thanks in Advance
smile.gif
 

JayJay

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Originally Posted by shoe
these places (banana, zara, etc) are all fine and decent. just be vigilant on the pricing. there are always sales at these places , so think it through before paying full retail.
I agree. Also be vigilant about inspecting quality. I haven't purchased from these stores in quite some time; however, I know that in the past some goods were of better quality than others.
 

Serg

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J crew tends to be better quality than banana republic or express at least but it can still vary greatly by the item.
 

jabreal00

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The stuff at J Crew is decent, it's probably mid tiered in terms of quality and style. About the same level of A/X.
 

KBW

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Quality at J Crew is good...much better in my experience than most of those stores. Their khakis are very good and their cashmere sweaters are close to as good as you'll find at that type of retail store. They also carry some nice coats. I would not go for their shoes though other than their drivers. J Crew varies so much because they offer so many fits. Their slim isn't as slim as most designers but it is a good fit, their regular is regular
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, and their relaxed and giant fits are too big for wear anywhere other than to do yard work or if you like them that way. Overall for that type of store it is about as good as you'll find. I got a lot of their t-shirts to use as undershirts from their store here for $2.50 a piece the other day on clearance as they were getting in the new season's colors and those usually retail for 24.50 I think so they do have sales but they aren't overly high to begin with.
 

alflauren

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JCrew cashmere is lightweight, but a very good buy for the price. I have a collection of their v-necks that have held up well, and could be had at their sales for $99/ea.

Sometimes, there are also good deals in sportcoats. My favorite navy sportcoat is a JCrew cashmere sportcoat, can't remember exactly how much, probably around $300 on sale. It was made in Canada, and the tags on the inside look very similar to the ones on my Samuelsohn jackets (also made in Canada), which are hard to find for less than $700.

Also, I'm back in school now, so I'm in jeans almost everyday. While their jeans don't fit me all that well, I wear JCrew argyle socks with jeans on a regular basis. They have a long life and are very comfy.

So, as long as you have a bit of a discerning eye, it's a fine place to shop.
 

NoVaguy

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Originally Posted by x26
Never purchased from J Crew; How do they rate:

Mid-end, but some items are respectable. A few months ago I bought an 100% linen suit from J Crew that I've worn a couple of times - the price was great (sub $100), the fit was near spot on for off the rack (only quibbles are that maybe the sleeves could have be shortened an 11/4 to 1/2 inch, and the jacket length would ideally be an inch longer), and the quality is fairly good.

the one thing i would almost always stay away from would be the shoes (unless they're specials like those red wing for j. crews, or disposeable driving loafers on sale for less than $50).
 

ChicagoRon

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It's definitely respectable for the price. Just because some folks around here can find exceptional deals every now and then does not mean you can rely on those prices as a benchmark for what you can pay (e.g. Incotex pants for $90). A pair of J Crew cotton pants for $60 is fine if you need the pants right now and you don't see a good sale. They are not as good as pants that retail for $300....but you shouldn't expect them to be. I find their shirting to be a little flimsy....but again the retail is so low and I am buying their shirts for bars/fun and don't need a particularly long life from them.
 

MetroStyles

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I like their merino wool sweaters. I also think that some of their casual button-down collar shirts have good designs.
 

NoVaguy

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Originally Posted by ChicagoRon
It's definitely respectable for the price. Just because some folks around here can find exceptional deals every now and then does not mean you can rely on those prices as a benchmark for what you can pay (e.g. Incotex pants for $90). A pair of J Crew cotton pants for $60 is fine if you need the pants right now and you don't see a good sale. They are not as good as pants that retail for $300....but you shouldn't expect them to be. I find their shirting to be a little flimsy....but again the retail is so low and I am buying their shirts for bars/fun and don't need a particularly long life from them.

to some extent, vis-a-vis the sale market, i agree with what's said. you can't always count on Incotex being available.

on the other hand, some items, especially shoes, are nearly continously available on ebay on significant such that it becomes pointless to buy J. Crew shoes (or BR, Skechers, KC, etc, for that matter) at full retail. Hence my caveat about not buying J Crew shoes.
 

DocHolliday

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I'm not that enamored of J. Crew. I'll buy their stuff only on deep discount. The shirts are skimpy, the wool trousers thin and of mediocre cut. I might consider a seersucker or linen coat from there, on discount, but I don't recall seeing any wool sportcoats/suit coats that I'd consider buying. I do like their heavier khakis and jean-style cords, but have had little problem finding them for $20 or less. I've also gotten some interesting socks there for $2-$6. But it seems like everything ends up on the sale rack sooner or later, so there's not much incentive to pay retail.

As other folks have mentioned, the driving mocs aren't bad if you can find them on sale. But $118? No way. And that's exactly the problem with J. Crew. The pricing isn't remotely commensurate with the quality.

(Oh yeah, some of the suede shoes are pretty decent when found on sale.)
 

xchen

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I bought some suede wingtips on ebay for $40.00, and they were new. They are really uncomfortable, and I'm not sure they'll break in. I bought them a couple months ago and I've warn them 2-3 times. I might try to flip them and hopefully get my money back. They a 10.5D so it's a pretty common size.
 

The_Foxx

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I wouldn't buy a tailored jacket there, but I really like J Crew for casual shirts and the new slimmer cut chinos. I bought the blue and white gingham longsleeve, a tan and blue patterned shirt, and the vintage/ beat up blue oxxford cotton shirt and REALLY like them, especially with jeans and a sportcoat (and also with khakis or cordoroy trousers).

shirts are a slimmer cut, and the 'favorite wash' treatment means i can wear them with no ironing, or simply touch up the collar if i wear them to work.
 

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