J. Crew final sale - worth the 'no returns' policy?

Is it too soon to start thinking of the holiday sales?

I've been intending to buy a winter coat for a few months - and with the after-holiday sales, I'm on the hunt! I'd prefer a coat with Thinsulate or Thermaloft for the most warmth, and need a tall size for sleeve and torso proportions to look good and fit properly. I've had great success with fit from J Crew, and am looking at their coats on sale. The catch is that with final sale purchases, there are NO returns!

Here's where I need some input - since I wear a tall size, I can't try sizes on in stores. I have a J Crew suit jacket in a 2 tall that fits like a dream, but I can't be 100% sure a coat will fit.

I'm so tempted by these coats because I have had great luck with J Crew's fit and quality with a price that is usually affordable for me. They carry tall sizes, and the Thinsulate or Thermaloft is a feature that other tall-size carriers like Banana Republic don't have.

Is it worth spending $150+ on a coat I can't return? Are there any suggestions on what to do?

16 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

That's a tough one. I shop at J. Crew all the time, but I usually make it a habit to only buy things final sale that I have already tried on in the store, or else are super cheap. If you do decide to order it, I'd call customer service and ask the measurements of the garment size you are thinking of getting--bust size, sleeve length, coat length, etc. I have had good luck with this, they actually measured two different sizes for me when I wasn't sure which one to get. It was the actual garment measurement, not the generic sizing chart they have on their site. Very helpful.

Anonymous

Good advice, Ana! Thanks!

Kellee

Active Member

I agree with Ana.
I recently called J .Crew customer service and they were more than helpful with checking the actual measurements of items.
I have received some of the items and so far they fit as measured.
It is always best to try on anything that is a final sale. But if you love the coat asking a lot of questions is the way to go.

Yes - they were very helpful! The measurements seem like they would give me enough room... but does anyone know how much room is necessary? The garment's measurements are below, mine are in parenthesis and are measured over what I would typically wear on a cold wintery day:

chest: 36" (35")
waist: 33.25" (31")
high hip -37" (35")
low hip - 40.25" (39.5")

Here's the coat I'm looking at - I believe Sarah may have gotten this in ivory. Majestic purple is my first color choice, although I'm intrigued by the citron or bright berry, but am unsure if they would flatter my complexion:
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Navig...../99303.jsp

Thanks for all your help!

I think if you measured over what you would typically wear, then that size you posted seems fine. The coat probably isn't heavy enough that you would be wearing it over bulky clothes, and the styling is meant to be somewhat fitted.

I just looked up an old photo of you that you posted. Is your hair color and everything still the same? I think the bright berry would be lovely on you! J. Crew's citron color can be tricky--the actual shade varies depending on what the material of the garment is. It can range from a greenish yellow mustard color, to a really pretty soft neon yellow. I can *sometimes* wear the color, but it's not my best, because I have a yellow undertone to my skin, and citron can make me look sallow if it veers too much into the mustard territory. The majestic purple color is actually a very cool, very blue purple. Can't think of exact name--maybe dark dark violet? Since the jacket is not returnable, I think the berry or purple would be the safest bet.

My hair color is the same - here's a more recent photo with better lighting than some of my older pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t.....138128225/

I have very pink undertones in my skin, and have been trying new colors so I'm not in browns and grays all the time. I think it would be fun to rock a colored coat!

shiny

That's my coat - I have the majestic purple, but I would call it more cobalt than purple:

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....orm088.jpg

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....008005.jpg

I have to say that I absolutely ADORE this coat and am 100% thrilled with it! I wasn't sure about the color (I just knew I wanted something other than ivory, black or brown), but I'm finding it to be quite versatile. It works very nicely with most of the clothes in my wardrobe and is such a cheery color. I wore it every single day of our trip to Philly, and now that the snow is melting and temps are warming up, I'm wearing it again here.

Originally I'd ordered both this coat and the Lady Coat in Ivory. I didn't like the fit of the Lady Coat at all and ended up returning it. It hit longer than I like but I had even bigger problems in the bust area. I couldn't get it to button over my B-cup chest. Whereas the Madeline is just the right length and fits just right. I even wore it over a jacket last night - no problem.

Laura, I don't recall what your body type is, or where you live and what kind of climate. I am an hourglass-trending toward inverted triangle (strong shoulder line), if that helps. Be aware that, even with thinsulate, this coat is not going to be the best option for temps under 32 degrees. It works very well in temps in the 40-50 degree range but below freezing, especially if there's a wind, it's not as warm as the Lady Coat which is made with much thicker material (and with thinsulate was almost too heavy).

Also when it rains the coat gets spots. The spots eventually disappear when the coat dries. It's just that the spots stay longer than you might expect! It doesn't do this as obviously in snow - just rain.

Finally, as for measurements, the best approach is to take a similar coat that you like the fit of, lay it flat, and measure it. But it sounds to me like you are quite safe ordering this coat.

I think you'll love it!! Post pictures!!

Yes, I vote purple or berry. I have a slight preference for the berry, but that could be personal taste. I love bright colors, and a bright coat like that does seem very cheerful and fun.

You posted your pic as I was typing... Your eyes are blue, aren't they? I think with your coloring, the majestic purple would be breath-taking!

The bright berry is very bright. I can't wear that color or the citron. I have difficulties with many of the Jcrew colors: I think they tend to be best for Spring palettes like Ana - I'm more of a summer (blue/red undertones).

Fantastic! I'm thrilled for the go-ahead by YLF! Thanks Shiny for the coat review - I loved it on you but didn't recognize it as the same in your post! I am a 5'10" pear, and live near Salem, OR. We do get a lot of rain, but not freezing temperatures (until recently!). It's good to know about how rain affects the cloth - I don't think that will bother me since I usually have an umbrella on hand. I have a slim synthetic down vest I wear to make coats warmer when I need it, too.

It will be so fun to get a pink or purple coat - thank you Ana for your take on the citron. I'll be sure to post pictures when I receive the coat!

Whoops! Shiny, you posted as I was typing! Yes, my eyes are blue - I am also leaning towards the purple, since my face gets pink pretty easily, and I'm not 100% sure the berry won't highlight that. Thank you!

tarzy

I agree - I think that majestic purple would be great with your complexion! I'm also trying to get away from black, grey and brown, but I find most of the J. Crew colors too bright for my taste. But I do love that coat on Shiny.

Tanya

Another vote for majestic purple here! I have similar coloring to yours and have some tops in similar shades, and they work pretty well.

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