Last night, a reader of this blog, who would like to remain anonymous, emailed me after attending the Holiday Event at the J.Crew Collection store in New York. I first wrote about this event in the post, “Holiday Preview at J.Crew Collection Store.” The following is her review.
Hi Leigh!
I have been reading your blog for some time now and I was excited to see you post about the holiday party at the new Collection store in Manhattan. I received an invitation to this event and RSVPed to the number on the card. It was a special phone line just for this event. I was told that I could bring a guest so I invited one of my good friends to accompany me.
Before this event, I had never been to the Collection store so I was not sure what to expect. The invitation mentioned a holiday preview so I thought I might see some models dressed in fancy holiday wear.
I have been invited to special events like this before. The boutique or store will usually serve hors d’oeuvres and champagne while live models walk around in the clothes. The attendees ooh and aah and eventually, purchase items.
But I’ll admit, I was excited for this event. It would be a chance to meet Jenna Lyons and experience J.Crew in a different way.
My friend and I arrived promptly at 6:30 pm. There was a sign on the door which said the store was closed for a private event. Upon our arrival, we were asked if we there for the event and someone checked for my name on a list. She found it and checked it off. From the quick glance that I got, I could see that there were about 25 other names. I guess it was quite exclusive.
During this brief time, I also spied a side table near the entrance. It was covered with tiny silver boxes with yellow grosgrain ribbon. I assumed those were probably little gifts for the attendees.
We were the one of the first to arrive so everyone there eagerly greeted us. All of the J.Crew employees at the event were dressed in all J.Crew ensembles. The catered staff were all males wearing white button down shirts with jeans and tennis shoes. They were also wearing the same ties, item 93338 in a red and navy combination. I thought they looked great.
There was a coat check and we gave our coats to be hung up. I was approached by a caterer who offered me champagne. I took a glass and walked around the store, taking it all in.
The store is divided into about four rooms. There is the first room that walk down into when you first enter the store. The entrance is higher and you must go down three steps to be in the main room of the store. Off to right is another room where the cash register is. To the left of the main room is smaller little room where you can go up some steps to the two fitting rooms in the store. Off of that little room is a another room where the shoes are housed neatly on shelves. This is also where the champagne bar was set up. Also in this room is the entrance to the bathroom, which an employee told me I had to visit. I was surprised as I have never been in a bathroom at J.Crew store before.
The store had a very luxe feel where there were only three sizes of each style out. I walked through and looked all of the clothes. There were so many items that I had never seen in other stores or the catalog before. They also had items that were believed to be sold out. I saw the following items in person.
- Leopard-beaded dress, $3,500.00, Item 96082
- Leopard-beaded cardigan, $2,800.00, Item 96123
- Gstaad shearling jacket, $3,000.00, Item 10615
- Stormy tweed Lille coat, $525.00, Item 10663
- Herringbone Hayward coat, $495.00, Item 96636
- Metallic jardin sheath dress, $328.00, Item 96145
The store also had many items I had never seen before. There was a coat done in the same fabric and color as the bright berry Astrid bouclé jacket (item 10293). There was also a wool pink version of the Teagan ruffle swiss-dot top (item 99679). It was a deep fuchsia color.
I was also introduced to Jenna Lyons, which was the highlight of the evening. She was wearing a sequin tank from J.Crew that is not available in all the stores yet. In fact, it wasn’t even at the Collection store yet. She also wore a yellow skirt and a cardigan. She wore many long necklaces where were layered over her tank. She wore her hair down. She also had brown readers on. We chatted for about twenty minutes about many different things J.Crew. She was very well spoken and personable. I was surprised about her height; she is six feet tall!
Overall, I had a great time at the event and did purchase a few things. The card members received 15% off any purchase. I met some great employees who I look forward to establishing a personal shopper relationship with. Upon our exit, we received one of the silver boxes.
In the cab home, we opened our boxes to discover a thank-you note and the Jenna bracelet. All in all, it was a great night.
It sounds like the event was small and intimate. I wonder what the other attendees thought. Thanks so much to this reader for the review. She also sent me some photos of some items that she tried on in the fitting room. I will have those up this weekend.
What are your thoughts on this event? Did you get to go? If not, did you want to go?
Here are some other posts about the J.Crew Collection store.
November 13th, 2008 - 1:34 am
Thanks for the recap!!!! Very detailed! So it really wasn’t a preview of new Holiday? So great that you got to chat up Jenna Lyons. I had hoped that all the unseen stuff that will be in the new Dec. catalog would b on display. I am really having a hard time waiting for the new stuff! I literally CANNOT wait. I am hoping it will be out in the next week or two. It will have to be out before Thanksgiving…
November 13th, 2008 - 7:15 am
Thanks for this wonderfully detailled review of the event; good that we can experience it vicariously! Love that your reader got to chat w. Jenna L. Yes, I would love to have gone, waah, but I am new to the jcrew zone & live in Cali.
November 13th, 2008 - 8:26 am
What a wonderful review. Thank you both anon and Leigh for letting us experience this fabulous event vicariously. MUCH appreciated!
November 13th, 2008 - 12:13 pm
Thanks so much for the great info! I almost feel like I was there! Except I’m too much of a sale-rack grub to ever be invited to such a party. LOL.
November 13th, 2008 - 12:16 pm
Sounds really nice. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a very exclusive party with only a few people. Lucky:)
November 14th, 2008 - 8:54 am
Yes, fun…..I’m curious, wonder what the 3 sizes of each style were that they had out…
November 14th, 2008 - 12:42 pm
Is the Jenna bracelet really large? I have heard some say it was, but I think that it is beautiful! Also, what are some of the other outfits that you saw employees wearing? I’d love to know.
November 14th, 2008 - 4:18 pm
I tried on the Jenna bracelet back when it came out and liked it better in person than in the photos - but yes it is very large.
November 14th, 2008 - 4:29 pm
I bought the bracelet and returned it. Man, it is really large and not my style at all…
November 14th, 2008 - 6:34 pm
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had reviewed the cascading flowers jacket. It’s still available in black. Does anyone have it and love it? Or returned it for some reason?
November 14th, 2008 - 6:49 pm
Full reviews on JCrew Aficionada website–lots of comments both sides of the jacket–positive and negative
November 14th, 2008 - 10:42 pm
Hi ladies. I forwarded all of these comments to the reader who attended this event. I will have an update for everyone. Have a great weekend!
November 15th, 2008 - 12:04 am
Wow Leigh! What a blog you have! Thanks for stopping by. It must be a great feeling to have an avid follower of your blog send such detailed e-mail.
Cheers,
Uduak Oduok
Ladybrille Blogazine
Editor-in-Chief
November 15th, 2008 - 4:52 pm
Janna: I had the CF Astrid in Black and it is lovely. I would suggest sizing UP because if you don’t then it lays at an odd angle on the bust (looks like it is gaping open even if you are NOT very well endowed (which would be me!) I originally ordered a size 0 and had to return it for a size 2. I personally like the black because I think that all those cascading silk flowers are more subdued than on the lighter color. Just my personal choice in color because they are both gorgeous! HTH.
November 16th, 2008 - 11:28 am
jcrewjunkie, Thanks so much for responding to my question. I have never read a blog before, so I’m so surprised at how efficient this can be to get opinions. I live NOWHERE near a store (really, I’m about 2.5 hours away from one), so I do all internet shopping. I have been wanting product reviews for such a long time!!
My biggest problem is my size: at 5′1” tall, I’m barely 100 lbs., even the Petite O sags on me. It is a bit depressing, because if you saw me, you wouldn’t think that I’m very thin at all. I am sooo small-boned, I wear a size 5.5 shoe. My weight fits my size pretty well. I just look “petite.” So. . . do you think the CF Astrid would engulf me?
November 16th, 2008 - 11:42 am
Janna, I am very small boned as well. I am 5′3″ and weight 100 pounds. Size 7 shoe. I am also nowhere near a B&M and do all my J Crew shopping online. If I needed to size UP in the CF Astrid then I can’t imagine that the 0 would not fit you. I do think that this particular style ran very small, and if you check other blogs the consensus is pretty much the same. Good luck!
Leigh, are you going to post more pics that you have of the Holiday Collections Event? I hope so! THANKS!!
November 16th, 2008 - 9:07 pm
Hey Janna and jcrewjunkie, we must fight over the 0 petites all the time
as I am 5′3″ and 100 pounds, 5.5 or 6 shoes. I’m 10 minutes from a store but only shop online so I really appreciate all the comments about how things fit.
November 16th, 2008 - 11:07 pm
Does it seem that the smaller sizes sell out much more quickly than the others? Maybe it seems like this to me because these are the sizes I focus on. I now sometimes buy clothes that I know will sell out, even though I’m not sure yet if I should keep them. For instance, the Shimmy Dress is now beautifully boxed in my closet. I’m still deciding, but I think it’s a keeper. I adore the ivory color and the silk!! But I wish it was just one size smaller (I have the 0, but it doesn’t come in petite sizing). However, I still love it! I have 2 belle taffeta skirts in 0, and they are big on the waist, but I think they’ll work. I may have the waist taken in. I bought the adorable parfait skirt at full price this summer, but had to return it b/c of the fit. I was so disappointed. I snatched the Italian Jacquard coat from last winter a few weeks ago; it came on the website in the final sale for 2 days. I absolutely adore it. My husband likes my 2 pairs of corduroys that I recently purchased, in aubergine and indigo. However, they are too big and I have to cinch the waist with a belt. But. . . I wanted something non-jeans. This is why I where jeans a lot: I can get a good fit if I shop around enough when I travel to cities.
I so love all the collection pieces. I only wish they came in petites, or sized to a 00 sometimes. For the price of a lot of the pieces, I really need a better fit.
November 16th, 2008 - 11:09 pm
I meant “wear” jeans a lot; sorry everyone, I am recovering from a the flu, or something unfortunately quite like it.
November 17th, 2008 - 4:36 am
Yes, but probably because that’s what we look for. Other people tell me that I get the great deals because I can fit the tiny sizes that are left on sale. I find almost all skirts to be big in the waist but I think many are suppose to ride below your waist. You were lucky to snag the Italian Jacquard coat. The Shimmy dress is very cute. The worst thing I’ve ever done because of sizing was buying a wedding dress (even though I’m already married) because it was gorgeous and it came in 0 petite.
November 17th, 2008 - 6:25 am
JCrew junkie, Let us know how the bigger size CF Astrid goes! Good luck on the fit:)
Leigh,
Where are those pictures? I HOPE you have some! I checked out your blog all weekend hoping to see them:) Cheers and thanks:)
November 17th, 2008 - 10:08 pm
Hi Ann, I have emailed the reader but she has not gotten back to me. Hopefully, she will soon. Thanks for checking the blog!
December 4th, 2008 - 9:26 am
What a pathetic post - nice to see shallowness and vanity are still in full gear somewhere!!!!
GO JCREW