An exclusive J.Crew Bridal Boutique event (plus, 20% off)

"Thanks!" to Robin, who shared the following email from the Knot, this morning. The email announces an event to get a sneak peek at J.Crew's Fall/ Holiday 2011 Wedding collection.

The following are the details of this event:

When: Thursday, April 14th, 10AM - 7PM
Friday, April 15th, 10AM - 7PM
Saturday, April 16th, 10AM - 6PM
Sunday, April 17th, 12PM - 5PM

Where: J.Crew at 769 Madison
New York City, NY

For more info: (212) 824 - 2500

**Icing on the cake? While browsing for your dream gown, SHOP for your bridal shower, engagement party and everything else WITH 20% OFF (exclusions may apply)*

*Discount is on full price merchandise only and cannot be combined with any other sales or promotions. Discount may not be applied to the purchase of gift cards, bridal gowns and third party branded merchandise. Previous purchases are not eligible for this discount. Discount is applied at checkout and is valid at the 769 Madison store through 4/17/11 only.

Will you be attending this event? If so, please share with us the details of this wedding sneak peek. :)

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NYC, You're Invited to the Crewcuts Summer Trunk Show...

"Thanks!" to WillieW, who shared the following email from Crewcuts this morning. J.Crew is hosting a Crewcuts Trunk Show... in New York City, New York!

The details for the event are the following:

Summer's never looked so cool... You're invited to join us for a very special trunk show celebrating our best and brightest styles for summer 2011. Be the first in town to shop the collection.

Hosted by: Aline Shapiro

When: Tuesday, April 12th, 10AM - 3PM
Wednesday, April 13th, 10AM - 1PM

Where: 119 E. 81st Street

RSVP: alineshop@gmail.com
feel free to bring friends

**Receive an exclusive 10% off as well as free shipping on all purchases made at our Summer trunk show (exclusions may apply)*

*Offer does not apply to previous purchases, alterations or the purchase of gift cards. Offer not valid online. Valid from Tuesday, April 12, 2011, through Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 11:59pm ET at the crewcuts NYC trunk show. Free shipping offer is valid for a limited time via regular shipping 3 to 6 business days). Free shipping applies to all purchases made during the trunk show. Expires Thursday, April 14, 2011.

Will you be attending this event? If so, please share with us the details of this trunk show. :)

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JCA "Help Style Me!" Weekly Post

This is the weekly "Help Style Me!" post, where we can share items we are having trouble putting outfits together with. Elaine (in this post) says it best, "You know, that thing you bought because you love it and you keep pulling it out and then putting it away without wearing it?"

Please share your J.Crew item (either that you own or are thinking about getting) that you would love help creating an outfit with.

Also, please help out by offering your styling advice. Feel free to include links to your blog (where you incorporated that piece) or to Polyvore (where you showcased an outfit with that piece). Thanks in advance! :)

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"Looking to LOVE" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to LOVE with J.Crew" post, a place to share our favorite experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a positive situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including stellar experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

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Attention J.Crew Credit Card Holders!

"Thanks!" to Instant Fleeting who shared some very important news about an email received that affects J.Crew credit card holders:

This email was sent to you by World Financial Network National Bank (WFNNB). WFNNB issues your J. Crew Credit Card account.

Dear Valued Customer,

Our email service provider, Epsilon, has notified us that their email files have been accessed without authorization. We regret to inform you that your email address and/or your name may have been included in this compromised email file. Please be assured that no financial information or other personal information of yours was accessed or affected in any way.

As a result of this incident, you could receive some spam email messages. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. For your protection, it is important that you always be cautious when opening email links or attachments from unknown email senders. Remember, we would never ask you to supply or verify sensitive personal or financial information via email; only provide this type of information through a secure website.

Again, we apologize for any concern; your security and privacy are very important to us. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call the credit card Customer Service center at the phone number listed on the back of your credit card.

Sincerely,
Sallie Komitor
Head of Customer Service

I got a similar email about this, but from a different online retailer. This is actually a pretty big news story that affects customers from an array of companies (2,500+) they work with. Epsilon, the largest marketing services firm, experienced a massive email breech. There are tons of stories, including this one from CNN.

The only real solution is to make sure you monitor your email account and take note of suspicious looking emails. Do not ever open or click through links from emails you are unsure of.

Did you get this email? If so, please share! :)

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Sneak Peek: Madewell's Fall 2011 Collection

"Thanks!" to NYC Recessionista who shared in her "Sneak peek of Madewell's fall goods" post, that Madewell's Fall 2011 Collection is available to preview over at Racked (click HERE for article & images).
There are some cute things like the rugby striped knit dress. This is more like it Madewell! I will pretend that yesterday's emails ("Madewell Email: Not just jeans (+ free shipping)") never existed. ;)

P.S. What is up with the two mannequins with bandannas over their face like they are criminals?!? Awkward.

Mini Update: "Thanks!" to teeny84 (in this post) who let us know that the two mannequins are actually performance artists the Bumbys (facebook & tumblr).

What are your thoughts on Madewell's upcoming Fall Collection? Do you like how they styled the pieces at their presentation?

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More SUNNY Days Ahead (Extended: 20% off your order of $150+)

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Closet Crisis (in this post), as well as Ketan, who shared the following news from J.Crew this morning.

They are extending their offer for 20% off (on regular and sale items) on orders of $150+ with promo code SUNNY. This offer is applicable to both online and in-store purchases (just print out the email) at J.Crew, as well as J.Crew Factory online (click here to shop online). This offer now ends Monday, April 11, 2011.

As JCAs mentioned this before, this is a nice promo for JCAs who visit brick & mortar (B&M) stores. This is an okay offer for those ordering online (just depends on how much you order so you can see if free shipping or the percent off is the better deal).

Will you be checking out J.Crew & J.Crew Factory? Are there any items you are interested in getting? If so, please share. :)

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J.Crew's (Un)Official Blog Likes Us {gasp!} We Made It

Short story: I requested the JCA blog be added to J.Crew's 770 blog's Cool Clicks. (If you have not been following the story, there is the March 29th "J.Crew's (Un)Official Blog {will they like us?}" post, and the March 25th "J.Crew's (Un)Official Blog Is Here" post, for history.)

"Thanks!" to Lisa, as well as Gem Twin (in this post), who noticed and shared that J.Crew did add the J.Crew Aficionada blog link on J.Crew's blog. The following screen shot is proof that we made it ladies and gentlemen. (And the link works, I checked!) :)

Wahoo! Honestly, I did not think we would get added. (I even voted "Never" in the "Do you think the JCA blog link will appear on J.Crew's 770 blog?" poll.) I am happy to be proven wrong!

I want to thank J.Crew for showing some love to this little ol' blog. I also want to thank this amazing community of Aficionadas & Aficionados (who truly love the brand through the good times and the not-so-good times).

Congrats JCAs!

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"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

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Weekly Share: Other JCrew-like Retailers

This is the weekly "Other JCrew-like Retailers" post (similar to the "Off On A Tangent" posts), where we can share our finds from other retailers that have offerings similar to J.Crew (like LE Canvas, Gap, BR, Talbots, Ann Taylor, and the like.)

If you have recently encountered items that are similar to J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including experiences with certain merchandise pieces, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

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J.Crew & Women's Japan Love tee

"Thanks!" to Megan who let us know that J.Crew was selling a few products to help the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. They are also offering free shipping on these items.

Customers could buy the Love Save Japan tote (Item 52558; $25.00), or the Women's Japan Love tee (Item 52460; $25.00), described as:

This tee is available for pre-order. Wear your heart on your sleeve: 100 percent of the profits from the sale of this limited-edition tee will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society, which provides much-needed medical care and emergency supplies to victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami. The custom map design, created by our in-house graphic guru, is featured on soft cotton. Boasting a slouchier boy fit, this tee not only looks good, it's for an extremely good cause.Enjoy free shipping on this tee. Cotton. Crewneck. Short sleeves. Import. Machine wash.

But what makes this a bit more interesting is what Red (in this post) shared about the tee:

I'm a huge fan of J.crew, but 've got disappointed in Jcrew's current Japan relief campaign tee. ...The "Women's Japan Love tee," ... incorrectly labels the East Sea as the "Sea of Japan." This name originates from the period of Japanese imperialism and the brutal Japanese occupation of Korea from 1905-1945. It is part and parcel of the legacy of this time, which includes genocide, atrocities, slave labor, and the exploitation of tens of thousands of Korean and Chinese women as sex-slaves - the "comfort women" - by the Japanese. The United Nations has recognized that this body of water should be referred to as the "East Sea/Sea of Japan." Please change the name on this tee shirt to a less offensive and inaccurate name. ...

Well, apparently J.Crew took notice of this situation. On their Facebook page (click here), they share the following message with their fans today:

We received a number of emails voicing concern over our T-shirt design that we created to offer Japan support in their time of need. We are updating the T-shirt and have temporarily removed it from our site. Thank you to all who voiced concern—and most important, we hope you all share in our support of relief efforts in Japan.

I applaud J.Crew's move to help the victims of Japan. I am also happy J.Crew listened to all the concerns over the tee by updating to a more appropriate design. I look forward to purchasing the upcoming version. :)

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Madewell Email: Not just jeans (+ free shipping)

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Ketan & Irina, who shared the following email from Madewell today.

The email features the Heritage Premium Worksuit in Bighorn Wash (Item 39802; $200.00), which is lovingly described as:

Our latest and greatest invention: workwear gone irresistibly cool in small-batch, high-quality denim—simply roll, add sandals and try not to let all the compliments go to your head. Cotton. Slouchy fit. Long sleeves. Button placket. Belt loops. Chest patch pocket, slash pockets, back patch pockets. Import. Machine wash.

O.M.G. This is just the worst... the worst. Premium? Worksuit? Bighorn? $200? Ugh. And to say it's their greatest invention? No Madewell, you have done better (much, much better than this). I especially found the "try not to let all the compliments go to your head" line peculiar. I doubt that scenario would happen.

I have to say that I have been giving a lot of props to Madewell lately for its recent collection. But this is a huge step back. I mean, the denim jumpsuit looks dirty. Check out the item page, it shows what looks like dirt and paint splatters on the pant legs. Questionable item of the week? You betcha!

What are your thoughts on the Worksuit? Am I being too harsh in describing this one of kind piece? Have you tried this on or own it? If so, please share! :)

Mini Update: So J.Crew sent another email with Jenna Lyon's pick from Madewell, the Share with... Le Minor® Dip-Dyed Tee (Item 48155; $95.00). This sailor striped tee is apparently "custom-dip-dyed just for us by hip Montauk boutique Share With".

Meh. The tee looks like it got accidentally bleached. This reminds me when I accidentally washed a red scarf with my Vintage Bateau Tee from J.Crew. To reverse the effect of bleeding on the tee, I tried boiling water + bleach and ended up with a similar effect. I decided the tee was no longer good enough to wear outside and demoted it to a house-lounge tee. Had I only known I was creating the next fashion trend— at a fraction of the price! ;)

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J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs!}

This is the weekly "J.Crew Reviews {straight from the JCAs}" post, to help each other share our reviews.

So if you have recently purchased, or stopped by a J.Crew store to try on an item (or two) from J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Also, this request is not just limited to clothes. Please feel free to discuss bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc.

In particular, if you could mention a few of the noteworthy details like fit, size, fabric, and the like— that would be fantastic! Thanks in advance! :)

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J.Crew's Fall Arm Candy & More!

J.Crew's 770 blog posted some close-up shots of their Fall 2011 accessories collection. (Click on the above image to view larger.) They also share:

We snapped a few of our favorite accessories from our fall ’11 press presentation—from polished purses in unexpected patterns to bold bracelets and bangles in the season’s best hues. If only Bonnie could have nabbed one of these…

So many pretty things! I really love the classic shapes and candy shades of the newest handbags. I am going to need to save up, starting now! ;)

J.Crew also shares some of their make-up secrets for their Fall 2011 Presentation:

“We wanted the girls to look fresh, clean and dewy…The skin was left almost bare with just a slick of polish on the cheekbones, the bow of the lip and the eyelids. For a soft flush of color; the lips were matted out with foundation first and then with a pop of pink or melon just at the center parting of the lips. The brow’s were filled in and brushed up for a totally natural look with the eyelids left almost totally clean…a warm shadow for definition and just a curl of the eyelashes with one coat of mascara.”

Give hair a fluffy dry texture with a slight bump at the crown, then gather hair into a ponytail keeping hair loose over ears for a pretty profile. The finishing touch on each girl’s ponytail was a J.Crew tortoise barrette!

Face: Laura Mercier Primer & MAC Strobe Cream.
Cheeks: Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera & Petunia for cheeks.
Eyes: Laura Mercier Rose Gold Metallic Creme and a slick of Vaseline with Mabelline Great Lash Mascara.
Lips: MAC Lip Erase, MAC PRO OJ & Genuine Orange lip pencil or Make-up Forever 18C lip pencil.

What are your thoughts on J.Crew's upcoming accessories & handbags? Do you like how they styled the models at their presentation?

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The Great (Weekly) Exchange {looking to sell}

This post (of weekly posts) is for individual members who want to swap/sell/share among yourselves. This post is where you can mention your items and outside listing/ auction site (like eBay and eCrater & the corresponding user ID).

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Please note: this posting is not for resellers. If you are a reseller, your comment gets automatically deleted & you will get publicly called out on it. :( So instead of this, simply do not post in the Weekly Exchanges. Thanks in advance for your cooperation! :)

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Please note that any transactions are independent of this blog. (Especially since you will be using an outside listing/ auction site like eBay or eCrater.) I have no dealings or interactions with any of the potential communication, listings, or transactions. :) Moreover, please limit comments about items to swap/sell/share to the "Great (Weekly) Exchange" posts. (Refer to "A Quick Note to J.Crew Aficionadas" post.)

Do you have any items you would like to swap/sell/share among yourselves through your outside listing/auction site?

Sidenote: What's up with JCAs writing "sub" or "subscribing" as their comment? It just means they are subscribing to all the comments (which are then automatically sent to their email) in that particular thread. This way they can stay aware of all the comments posted. :)

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The Great (Weekly) Exchange {looking to find}

This post (of weekly posts) is for individual members who are looking for and interested in buying certain items. Please feel free to share a J.Crew store location and/or your outside listing/ auction site if it matches the requests made in this post.

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Please note: this posting is not for resellers. If you are a reseller, your comment gets automatically deleted & you will get publicly called out on it. :( So instead of this, simply do not post in the Weekly Exchanges. Thanks in advance for your cooperation! :)

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Also note that any transactions are independent of this blog. (Especially since you will be using an outside listing/ auction site like eBay or eCrater.) I have no dealings or interactions with any of the potential communication, listings, or transactions. :) Moreover, please limit comments about items to swap/sell/share/finding to the "Great (Weekly) Exchange" posts. (Refer to "A Quick Note to J.Crew Aficionadas" post.)

Is there an item (or items) that you are looking for and interested in purchasing?

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Sought & Found: Did you visit J.Crew this {past} Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale items at our various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If you are stopped by a J.Crew store this past weekend to see what's available (if anything!) in the SPRING sale, or to see some new SPRING arrivals {sigh!} in person, maybe you might be willing to share that with us in this post. In particular, if you could share with us a few of the noteworthy items that are available, at what prices, and potential sizes the store is carrying (as well as the store location)- that would be fantastic!

Also, please let us know if your local store was/ is carrying an additional percent off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

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SPRING FEVER: take 20% OFF your order of $150+, in stores and online

"Thanks!" to many of you, including MeganCrew (in this post), GigiOfCA (in this post), as well as Marietta ,Kathryn,Elseejay, & Louise, who shared the following offer from J.Crew this morning.

They are offering 20% off (on regular and sale items) on orders of $150+ with promo code SUNNY. Another amazing thing is this offer is applicable to both online and in-store purchases (just print out the email) at J.Crew, as well as J.Crew Factory online (click here to shop online). This offer ends Tuesday, April 5, 2011. The fine print includes:

*Offer valid in J.Crew retail stores and at jcrew.com only. Please print out email to redeem offer in J.Crew retail stores. Offer is not valid at J.Crew Factory stores. Offer does not apply to previous purchases, alterations or the purchase of gift cards. Offer not applicable to third-party branded merchandise. 20% discount applies to purchases of $150 or more before shipping, handling and taxes are added. Offer valid through Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 11:59pm ET. Savings are applied at checkout with code SUNNY. Offer not valid on phone orders. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or redeemed for cash. Limit one promotional code per order. Terms of offer subject to change.

This may be one of the better promotions I have seen from J.Crew! Again, bravo J.Crew! Whoops! I thought this promotion included free shipping on $150, but as many JCAs correctly pointed out, it does not. So this offer is okay, not great. It's nice to have a promo on regular priced items. And it is still nice for those JCAs who did not get the Mickey Green card to get a discount in a store. But paying for shipping on $150+ kind of washes out the discount of 20%. It's almost better to use the free shipping offer instead- this way if a customer returns any items, they are not out any money.

Will you be checking out J.Crew & J.Crew Factory? Are there any items you are interested in getting? If so, please share. :)

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