Review: Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, vs J.Crew cashmere sweaters

Dec 10, 2009 By Shann in All J.Crew, J.Crew reviews, Other brand reviews, Reviews Tags: ann taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, best cashmere for under $100, cashmere sweaters, J.Crew, quality, review

I’ve been searching for good quality cashmere sweaters at an affordable price for awhile now. $100 or less per piece is my prefered budget since there is a chill in the air for most of the year up here and I need a good stock of sweaters.

I purchased a couple of J.Crew cashmere tees and vnecks last year but I was disappointed with the quality. Since JC’s sweaters retail for $150-$200 each, I was expecting them to hold up with out much pilling. This year, I decided to try Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft and compare the quality to J.Crew. I have heard many good things about AT and ATL cashmere but after trying them myself, I feel I may have been too hard on J.Crew…

I ordered the Ann Taylor cashmere vneck in XXS. I was hoping to avoid a boxy fit by ordering the smallest size they make. The sweater fits pretty well but the fabric definitely stretches out. I find myself repeatedly pulling it down over my hips through out the day. If I don’t, the sweater bunched up and look a little matronly on me. I purchased the vneck in Crimson. I expected it to be a true red but it is not even close. The shade is actually a deep pink wine color. I think a name like Port or another wine inspired name would have been much more accurate. Today is the third time I have worn the Ann Taylor cashmere sweater and I am finding is wears very similar to my J.Crew cashmere. There is a small amount of pilling under the arms and along the sides of the sweater. The body under the chest is definitely getting fuzzier. I expect by the end of winter it will be a dead ringer for my JC cashmere. The Ann Taylor cashmere is thicker and plusher than J.Crew’s. However, I do think that J.Crew is the still the softest to the touch. The Ann Taylor sweater almost has a ribbed knit, which I don’t really care for.

Ann Taylor cashmere vneck

J.Crew review metallic tweed mini bag

Dec 3, 2009 By Shann in All J.Crew, J.Crew reviews, Reviews Tags: handbag, J.Crew, metallic tweed charmed mini bag, purse, review

J.Crew’s Metallic tweed charmed mini bag is here and it is fabulous
Read more…..

What J.Crew’s Q3 report means to shoppers

Nov 27, 2009 By Shann in J.Crew reviews Tags: conference call, earrings, J.Crew, Q3 report, what is means t consumers

J.Crew released their Q3 earrings report this last week and showed a big increase in earnings. I love seeing one of my favorite brands doing so well but this success also made me wonder…what does this mean for consumers? Are inventory levels really low? Will we see any great holiday sales? Will the current Jenna Lyons style reign on?
I combed through the J.Crew investor’s conference call to find out what we can expect…

Quick note: The info here from J.Crew is NOT word for word. If you have ever heard Mickey answer questions on the fly, you know he may come out with 10 answers all jumbled up in one sentence. I edited to get straight to the point and give you an easier read LOL.

INVENTORY:
Merchandise margin performance was significantly better than anticipated resulting from a substantial increase in full price sell-through.
Inventories at the end of the third quarter were $224 million representing a 10% decrease versus the last year and were down 17% on a per square foot basis.
Right now we are thinking about flat invetory levels and then increases would be for Q3 of next year.

PROMOS
On promotional events, our mission in our dream, is no promotions. As you can see we are in a relatively good inventory condition, we have 17% less per square foot than we did a year ago We have always had friendly priced items throughout the year particularly in men’s, because men’s get much more value fourth quarter when buy a gift quickly get out and don’t spend too much money. So we have done that.

But unlike the promotions of the century last year, we have no over arching promotions that are meaningful and for us the environment is about so being focused on the right assortments, the right pricing upfront. I hope this doesn’t change in two or three weeks. We are also everyday looking at what the consumer is seeing out there

In terms of Cyber Monday, it’s an opportunity for us this year because last year we had a lot of difficulty. We were down for about six hours on Cyber Monday last year, so we see, obviously, an opportunity this year

J.Crew reviews: Vintage fleur, stardust skirt, Fair Isle, Gypsy rose cami

Nov 24, 2009 By Shann in J.Crew reviews, Reviews Tags: fair isle cardigan sweater, gypsy rose cami, j crew reviews, J.Crew, Reviews, sizing, stardust skirt, vintage fleur top

I have 4 quick J.Crew reviews for you. This is the last of the items I tried on last weekend but I do have reviews to come from my online order. For those wondering, the Gathered tie front top did fit pretty well in the XXS. It definitely would have been too big in the XS. I am debating about keeping it though.. I’m not sure if it is flattering. I’ll get pics soon, so you can help me decide!

Fair Isle cardigan

I tried this on in an XS. I really like Fair Isle patterns but didn’t find this cardigan flattering. It flattens the chest and added bulk to the waist. I also was not fond of the buttons on each side of stomach . They seem completely out of place. The cardigan has shortened sleeves and it hits higher on the waist than most JC sweaters. It hits right at the spot that makes me look disproportional and hippy. I don’t recall the fabric being itchy. It is a thick and warm knit.

Gypsy Rose metallic cami

I didn’t get a very good pic of this one but I wanted to share anyway so you could see the scale of the rose. The embellishment is large, awkward, and feels like it is growing out of my chest. It does not even look like a flower, just a mash of fabric in my opinion. This is a size 0 which is too big. No surprise though because I can never wear JC camis. This top is particularly wide across the waist on me. The fabric is very gold and has a pretty metallic sparkle.

Stardust pencil skirt

This is such a pretty skirt. My 6 year old plucked it off the rack and insisted I try it on. Even though the store only had a size 4 and I knew it would be too big, I indulged her and myself lol. For a size 4, the fit was not too huge. It was big but I could probably take a 2 if I wanted to wear it low on the waist. I think I’d stick with a 0 though because I like pencil skirts to sit on the natural waist. I am holding the skirt up behind my back to give an idea of fit here. The fabric is quite light weight and covered completely in small sequins. It sparkles beautifully without being obnoxious. I’m not in love with the elastic waist band. It doesn’t seem to match up with the workmanship in the rest of the skirt.

Tiered vintage fleur top

One day I will find a tiered top that looks cute on me, but today is not that day. This is a size 0. The top is okay on the bottom but the top half is too large. The third ruffles falls in the worse spot making my chest look like it is hanging over my waist. The tie exasperates the problems. J.Crew says the ribbon is removable but I thought is was tacked to the shirt. I remember I couldn’t move the tie up and cinch down that ruffle.. On the bright side, the floral embroidery and silk fabric are lovely.

Have you tried on any of these pieces? What do you think of them?

Also! Hooray for an extra 20% off J.Crew sale! Are you buying anything?? I haven’t taken a peek online yet….trying to avoid it lol