THEBEST = 30% off at J. Crew (suiting excluded)
Didn’t we just do this?
It looks like J. Crew didn’t have a great first quarter. Yet they say they won’t drop prices to compete. But here we are with our second 30% off almost everything code, THEBEST, in one month.
Anybody else confused?
NEWSTYLE is the code they’re advertising on their site, but that gets only 25% off. THEBEST went out in an email to only a segment of their customer base, but it seems to work for everyone. 3rd party merchandise and suiting is excluded, but blazers are up for the code (The Wool Ludlow blazers with a center vent or side vents are getting close to sold out).
So does this 2nd 30% off sale in one month mean anything? Usually they’ll run an extra 30% off sale items code every few weeks… but twice in one month on the full priced stuff? Is this going to become the norm? On with the picks.
Unconstructed Ludlow Sportcoat in Twill – $117.60 ($168)
A smooth, navy cotton sportcoat can take you awfully far. A word on sizing: Medium leans more towards a 40 than a 38. But a small might come up short in the tail. So if you normally wear a 38, congrats… you’re a “smedium”. Which of course doesn’t exist. Expect some tailoring on that Medium. Your other option is the back-in-stock, fully lined, $88 Thompson Suit Jacket from J. Crew Factory. But at post time, those are putting up obscenely long ship dates (October?). There’s always the new self-fabric elbow patch cotton blazer at Banana Republic, but blazers are almost always excluded from their promotions.
Bowery Pant Classic Fit – $61.60 ($88)
Oxford cloth pants are hard to find at an affordable price… because they’re so damn comfortable. Retailers know what they have with these things. Don’t be scared off by the “classic” fit moniker. Unless you’re super slim, these shouldn’t be flapping in the breeze. Also available in a not quite as soft Micro-stripe cotton for $54.60.
Slim Slub Merino V-Neck – $45.49 ($89.50)
Already on sale and the extra 30% off makes this a steal. Cut in their slimmer “slim” cut (what a wonderfully constructed sentence that was). And that slim cut makes a big difference. Elbow patches, a not too deep-v, and the more casual slub style of knit. A perfect cool-summer-evening sweater if you’ve lucky enough to live in a place that has those, or, a good investment for the fall. Four colors available.
5″ Portofino Swim Trunks – $38.50 ($75)
Been workin’ out huh? Good on ya.
Linen Colorblock Worker Jacket – $138.60 ($198)
Bit of a splurge when it comes to upgrading your Spring/Fall light jacket. But would you? Or is there some risk in that this color-blocking trend is going to be relegated to the fad-dustbin of fashion history soon? If it is, at least the blue on blue here is on the subtle side. Unconstructed, all linen, and functional buttons at the cuffs.
Kenton Suede Bucks – $138.60 ($198)
You know the drill… Goodyear welted, made in China, nice quality, and a slimmer toe shape than most other bucks, which often look a little bulbous. Five colors to pick from. Full review here.
Abingdon Travel Kit – $40.60 ($58)
Pricey for a dopp kit, but the waxed canvas and double zipper entry is nifty. Available in that khaki or grey. Handle on top should make it a decent weapon for beating the snot out of the intruder who decided to break into your hotel room. (Hey, if Bourne can use a magazine, right?)
Indian Cotton Shirt in Slim or Regular Fit – $45.50 ($75)
Based on Madras without the patchwork crazy. Button down collar and available in their slim fit. Could look pretty slick under a linen blazer. Already marked down.
Silk Weightlifter Tie – $52.50 ($75)
Well dressed gym-rats unite! Okay, it’s a crazy price for one tie, but… well, kinda cool. Total splurge. Maybe a birthday gift for someone or yourself. Made in the USA and 2.5″ wide.
Ticking Stripe Belt – $27.65 ($39.50)
A spring/summer belt that doesn’t go wild with intense color. Just… lighter. Just about 1.5″ wide.
Ludlow Sportcoat in Herringbone Italian Linen – $229.60 – 243.60 ($348)
Dual vents on these blazers and all three colors are sharp enough to work year round. The option in Navy will look pretty darn good with jeans in the fall. Also in an evening ready charcoal, which is already on sale and thus the lower priced option at $229.60. These do have some construction to them, so the measured chest sizing will fit much more spot on than the Small, Medium, Large, etc. of the unconstructed line.
2013 New Fall Line Lookbook Items – $$$???
They just launched a lookbook for fall with some items available for pre order. You either gotta call or email them though, but good luck trying to get the 30% off code to apply. More info and plenty more looks over here. A call to customer service was inconclusive, and got me stuck in a bit of phone-tree hell at one point. Efforting more info + prices on a few items at post time.
So with two in one month, are you now expecting these 30% off site wide codes to roll around more often? Or you thinkin’ this was just a summer clearance type of sale? THEBEST expires Mon. 6/24.
I ordered the BR blazer on the code snafu from yesterday. Full review IF it ships to me.
The Ludlow herringbone linen jackets honestly look too “Fall season” and stuffy to be a summer jacket. But, of course, since it’s linen, it’s probably not right for warmth either.
And on the topic of BR, that Gilt deal worked on blazers and I believe it’s still active…
And what the hell are they doing debuting a fall lookbook? It’s still chilly outside! Let me enjoy summer!
Yep, saw your update about how you were able to use it in store. Tried the same at a local brick & mortar, but there were hardly any blazers in stock. Dang.
I have the Khaki/Black Herringbone in Linen and it does have a bit of weight to it, making it for me a 3 season jacket. I treat it like my boots, and only wear it for 75 degree and under weather.
I had the same issue as well, but BR was nice enough to have the blazer shipped from another store (in this case, Vegas) AND cover the cost of shipping it to my door. Worked out very well, as I now have the linen-wool blazer happily in my closet and ready to rock.
I ordered the linen blazer during the last code round. It is heavy, heavier than some wool jackets. Definitely not going to wear it on a hot summer day, but it should work nicely on a cool summer evening and it will be a good transition into fall and maybe even winter.
Nice! That linen-wool blazer is nails. Big fan of it.
“Nails”? Please teach me your slang!
i ordered the charcoal herringbone blazer on the last round of 30% off. the color is much lighter than the picture on jcrew’s site. i also agree about the “weight” of the blazer much too heavy for the summer but i was looking just to wear it in a overly air conditioned office. i returned it because of the color.
Everything I learned, I learned from Barbara Billinglsey: http://youtu.be/g0j2dVuhr6s?t=58s
Fair enough, just worth noting for anyone who saw “linen” and thought of summer, like I did on first glance.
Alas the code doesn’t work on Miansai braclets.
That Ludlow blazer in blue herringbone…man! So tempting.
J crew needs to drop their prices 10$-20$ per item.
I like their stuff and own some some but its WAY overpriced for what you’re getting.
The sale price is about what it should be normally priced…
I don’t know about that colorblock jacket…. almost looks like you left the bottom half sitting in the sun for too long. Colorblock can be nice, but the blue/blue isn’t doing it for me
Just bought two full-priced shirts from my local J.Crew store last week….bad timing
30% off – it’s the new regular price.
40% off or more – now it’s kind of on sale.
It’s like shopping at Macy’s: The norm is shopping with a coupon or on their “one-day-almost-every-day” sales.
The lookbook outfit on the right makes me think Ichabod Crane in all the right ways. The v-neck’s nice, too. I guess I’m not much of a summer guy, but I’m not looking forward to the next 45-60 days of 100+ degree Kansas heat.
Yeah, I just ordered a lot of stuff yesterday at 25% off… not that the extra 5% amounts to much, but it’s a principle thing…
I think their main problem is vanity sizing. I have some J Crew shirts that are roughly a half-decade old, size medium. They fit great. This season’s slim fit shirts are big on me in a size medium. Why have a slim fit if it doesn’t fit slim? I’ve been sizing down to a small, which are fine length-wise because I’m toward the short end of medium, but my shoulders are right at medium, so girth wise a medium should fit better, but doesn’t.
I may be the only person visiting this website that does not own a single, solitary item from J Crew. (I have nothing against them. It’s just kind of happened that way.)
the twill sport coat in desert tan is available in stores on sale for $89, use a j.crew card and you’re down to $63…just picked one up myself
Regarding the Unconstructed Ludlow Sportcoat in Twill featured above: I just got back from my local J. Crew retail store and the “Desert Khaki” color was marked down to $89.99. So after the 30% off coupon I picked it up for $62.99 + tax. Regarding the sizing, I guess I’m a “marge” to liken it to Joe’s description.
I wear 40R-42R jackets depending on the brand. I have the Japanese Cotton Ludlow sportcoat in M and that fits perfectly. For this one, the M was just ever so slightly snug for my taste in the chest/gut but fit fine in the shoulders. The large was too big everywhere. For the price though I couldn’t pass it up and I’ll be able to make it work.
Here’s another AUS-specific whinge, so feel free to look away now.
I’m conflicted.
On one hand, I love that JCrew will ship to Australia, that they show the prices in AU$, etc. How I wish other retailers would learn from them.
On the other hand, I want that linen sportscoat. But when I go to site, it helpfully shows me that the price for the navy one is AU$541. That doesn’t include shipping, that’s just what I’d have to pay.
Let’s use XE.com to bring that back to USD. AU$541 = US$498. Why is this, when the normal RRP shown about is US$348? Why do I need to pay an extra $150, plus international postage, just because I’m paying in AUD? Surely their payment processing partner isn’t stinging them that much in fees for international currency conversion.
I know – their shop, their rules. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. I get it. Doesn’t mean I need to like it though.
-Matto
The J.Crew suede bucks fit me nicely. There is good amount in room in the toe box area, which is a problematic for me sometimes. I ordered this grey belt:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bill-adler-1981-reversible-belt/3425146
Hopefully the grey will be a good match.