30% off J. Crew Sale & Factory w/ SHOPNOW | Brooks Brothers Semi Annual
*30% off w/ SHOPNOW at J. Crew is only good on sale items and Factory items w/ prices in red. Free shipping kicks in at $175 with a flat $8.95 before that. Brooks Brothers shipping rates are oddly based on your purchase price.
It’s summer retail clearance season and this year selection seems to be down. Maybe the last few years have been better because of the down economy and retailers had over-ordered, but they’ve since adapted. Whatever the reason, J. Crew’s sale section is pretty thin, but there hasn’t been an extra 30% off code like SHOPNOW in a bit. Meanwhile, the Brooks Brothers Semi-Annual Sale prices aren’t quite as good as the discounts they were running last week for father’s day. Odd. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some slightly hidden gems. Best of both are below…
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J. Crew Ludlow Three Button Loro Piana Suit – $470 ($650)

Just the jacket is on sale, so the extra 30% off only applies to your torso here. Still, under $500 for a J. Crew suit in tons of sizes doesn’t happen every day. And as far as the three button thing, get ready to see more and more of these in the next year or so (the two button will remain an all timer). Of course, only button the middle button, and let the roll of the top button produce a two-button like opening between your jacket lapels.
J. Crew Ludlow Navy Linen Ludlow Suit – $390.40 ($456)

And for this one, only the pants are on sale. And it’s only the blue color that gets the discount. Almost $400 is anything but cheap, but at least there’s a bit of a discount there. A complete luxury, but a pretty slick one at that.
J. Crew MacAllister Suede – $87.50 ($135) | MacAllister Oiled – $96.60 ($148)

So these are nowhere near as cheap as the Lands’ End Canvas version, but they’re made in Italy of Italian Suede or Leather, and come with “stitched out welt construction.” J. Crew customer service confirms that they can be resoled.
Tretorn for J. Crew Waxed Canvas Sneakers – $38.50 ($65)

Started out a little too expensive for most. Now down to not just Jack Purcell prices, but Chuck Taylor Prices (minus the shipping of course.) Full review of the non waxed version here.
J. Crew Lambswool Dotted Shawl – $69.99 ($148)

Hell of a good looking sweater for seventy bucks. Now more than half off with the extra 30%… it’s just the complete wrong season for it. Wear it on cool mornings and you’ll be glad you have it come October.
(UPDATE: This is one of those “expected to ship 10.2.12” things… which means, there’s almost certainly a glitch here. Don’t expect your order to go through…)
Factory Polos: Slub Stripe – $22.75 ($39.50) | Rugby Pique – $22.75 ($36.50)

Two t-shirt alternatives for now, and heading clear into autumn. Slub cotton hast that sort of uneven looking texture to it, while the Pique is going to a bit heavier, but those bold stripes are worth it for those who don’t like pique. Slub comes in two other colors.
Factory Pinpoint Oxford Bedford Pant – $44.80 ($68)

Still a little pricey for a J. Crew Factory item, but if these feel anything like the standard J. Crew Oxford pant, then they’ll be worth it. That fabric is noticeably breezier than a standard chino, but doesn’t feel limp or lifeless. Colors on the Factory pant are different, but not fire engine red/canary yellow / kermit green different.
B.B. Extra Slims: Mini Tattersall, Pencil Stripe, Tattersall French, Graph Check – $52.80 per*

But this $52.80 price is only if you buy four. Normally $88 a pop, four of these shirts would run you over $360. Buy four at once and you get 40% off. Buy just two and you get 25% off. For a lot of us, $53 for one shirt is pricey. And you have to drop $211.20 to get the deal. But plenty of you guys swear by these things. Brooks Brothers has four fits. Traditional, Regular, Slim, and Extra Slim. They run a little big, so extra slim fit won’t suffocate as many as you’d think.
Similar buy more/save more deals Brooks Brother’s is running right now:
- 40% off four polos, or 25% off two
- 40% off four sport shirts, or 25% off two
- 40% off two or more ties, 25% off one
- 40% off six pairs of socks or more, 25% off three
Ray-Ban Caravan – $97.50 ($135)

A really good price on a classic. Caravans can be found at various retailers, but getting a legit pair for under $100 isn’t an everyday occurrence. Part of the Spring Style Essentials rundown.
Brooks Brothers Linen/Cotton “Short” Trench Coat – $238.80 ($398)

Define short. It’s certainly not cropped to jacket length, but since it’s not the uber traditional below the knee, the Brooks Brothers people must view this as “short.” Looks like it’d cover a suit jacket easily, and a linen cotton blend sounds outstanding. No epaulets on this one, which a lot of you guys would prefer.
Brooks Brothers Buffalo Check Wool/Nylon Duffel – $249.00 ($498)

He sleeps all night, he works all day.
The Monster Splurge: Brooks Brothers Cashmere Regent Fit Sport Coat – $499.00 ($998)

Five hundred bucks is way more than most of us are willing/able to spend on a suit, let alone a brown sport coat. But it was a full grand for a reason: it’s cashmere. Real subtle windowpane pattern on the second trimmest fit Brooks Brothers offers. Three-eights lined with a full canvas construction. Luxury for sure, but versatile. I’d wear it with jeans every friggin’ day that I could probably.
The Comic Relief: Brooks Brothers Cashmere Cable Dog Sweater – $49.00 ($98)

It’s very much about the reviews on this one:
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Thinking J. Crew wins easily. Re-soleable Italian desert boots just don’t come along for double digits that often. Got a take on anything up above? Any additions that got left out? Like to suggest another dog sweater? Leave it below. The J. Crew Extra 30% off Sale and Red items at J. Crew Factory code SHOPNOW expires Thurs. 6/21/12
Must resist that duffel
Hart-Schaffner-Marx is having its spring clearance on eBay right now, including a pretty similar pair of chinos to those pincord Bedfords for $15.
Does Factory not do 34′ inseams? I noticed this on the Thompson suit separates you love on here and continue to never see pants that would fit me.
I picked up a ribbon belt from Brooks Brothers on sale for $19 and finally got a pair of knots.
Seriously considering that Ludlow jacket as a blazer (I’d obviously have to put on some contrasting buttons, but still).
I’m pretty sure my faith in humanity just dipped another notch lower based on the doggy sweater review…
LOL on the Lumberjack bag. Its pretty baller, and not in an Al Borland kinda way either…
Went to BB last night and was disappointed by what was available in-store. It seems they did not put out any of the newer stuff or it was already gone on the first day of the sale. Also, it is not really a 40% off sale. Accessories and sweaters are 25% off, but shirts are 25% off if you buy 2 or 40% if you buy 4.
J Crew has some nice sport shirts available right now. I picked up a white one for 42 bucks with shipping and the code.
Alas, poor Mingus!
Dear Joe, regarding on Lambswool Dotted Shawl, if you order it, it’ll go through all right. I know it from the experience.
Even if it were a glitch, they would still honor the deal and they actually do this (offering selected fall/winter item from previous season for deep discount and “FINAL” sale for a limited period of time) from time to time. As you know this one is from last winter and it seems like they’d be reissuing this for next winter as well. Obviously it’s final sale (except for medium: another one of those curious J.crew thing, but again, they’d honor it), so once you get it, you can’t technically return this. AND it’s wait-listed until October (not necessarily mean they’ll ship on 10/2, but “before 10/2”. They tend to ship a week or two early sometimes, but not few months before.) So your order would just sit for about 4 months before actually shipping. The good thing about it is that you can actually change your mind and call them and cancel it before shipping, so you’d have some time to change your mind. For me, the deal-breaker is the final-sale, but if you know how this looks and fits on you, maybe it’s a good deal. This sort of deal only last for 2-3 days usually.Hope this helps. I should know this since my wardrobe is about 70-75% J.crew. Heh.
Liking those suede boots. Anyone have any experience on sizing? I know with my Clarks I had to size down about a half-size, was wondering if these are the same. Wish J Crew had reviews for folks to leave comments about sizing and stuff.
What a bitch (the dog, not the reviewer)!
That J. Crew three-button suit, rolled to look like two, is very similar to what Bond will be wearing in “Skyfall” this November. Looks like Tom Ford is once again on the edge of style, ahead of the curve. Very cool!
Any opinions on how appropriate the three-button sutton would be for a fall wedding for a groom?
Mingus would have preferred the Omega Bond watch)
Have at it
I got a J. Crew Aldridge linen suit a few years ago in dark blue or indigo and love it – it’s my favorite suit and with the dark color works for three seasons.
Bought five Brooks Bros shirts today for about $250 with the discount.
I was at an actual J. Crew Factory store two weeks ago and picked up two pairs of the pinpoint Oxford pants. They’re really nice and perfect for the 100 degree days we’re having in Philly right now; certainly lighter than regular chinos. Nice drape and the inseam is pretty true. Didn’t even need to get them hemmed.
Just emailed J.Crew about that dotted shawl – apparently it’s not a glitch, they’re literally expecting it to ship 10.02! It’s over 100 days away so God knows why it’s up there now…
i purchased two of these (one navy and one charcoal) and thought about wearing it as a blazer/sportcoat. good idea, bad idea?