Real men admit their mistakes, so we should fess up and admit we F'd up by not posting the latest J. Crew sample sale at Clothingline -- Tuesday through Friday, 11/3-11/6. We just figured it would suck as hard as the last such sale, and the one before that, and the one before that... but we're hearing different. Among other reader emails, our friend Sam Jacobs at EatingBrooklyn.com wrote in to say:"The latest J.Crew sale is actually pretty decent. I checked it out this morning. They actually have men’s shoes this time – and a pretty decent selection. Besides that, it’s mostly outerwear and blazers with some sweaters and fleece for good measure. I walked away with a British Millerain Oilcloth jacket for $40. It retails for $198. Not too shabby."
J. Crew sample sale - Clothingline - 261 W 36th St between 7th & 8th - 2nd fl - 10am-7pm daily - Map
Any XS there?
ReplyDeletelook closely. picked up 2 sweaters at the last one and when I got home one had holes in both pits. i had worn it once, maybe twice, but doubt I am the one who ripped them. maybe expanded what was already there, but check the seams.
ReplyDelete--always-- examine merchandise closely before buying, especially non-returnable sample sale merchandise.
ReplyDeletePicked up some great boots for $60 :)
ReplyDeleteMade in Italy :)
Actually Choosy Beggar I respect you for not having posted this sale originally. You are, after all, the "choosy" beggar. I check this site daily because I trust you to weed out the schlocky sales that are a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping to keep my wardrobe in tip-top shape.
cosign on the above comment.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I absolutely REFUSE to go to this sale again after going to the last 2 and leaving sooo disappointed. For a bit more cash, you will have a better experience shopping at the actual store with more options and size selections!!
ReplyDeleteThe Beggar has a tough job, being a filter through all the bad sales and informing its readers about the good. I agree they cannot post every sale.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as a blog, the Beggar also has a responsibility to post info and let the online community give it's input. A post gives an opportunity for commentors like us to go to the sale and give feedback. No Post, no feedback.
In this case, I think it would have been best for the Beggar to post the sale but with the caveat, "warning to shoppers, the last two sales have been sucky." That way people could take their chances and then inform the rest of the readers how they fared.
That is my input. The Beggar does a great job 99 percent of the time, so please keep up the great work.
i don't find "sucky" or "bad" to be terribly useful descriptors of sales like this. these sales(CL J.Crew sales) have gotten a bad rap for not being cheap enough which is the main reason they're considered bad, however, they're quite cheap indeed if you're a common size say a medium or 32x32 which are very rarely in stock at the crazy retail discounts which are often cited for comparison. yeah, $20 bucks at retail beats $40 at clothingline, but only if I can get my size. As to the issues about quality, sample markings, no mirrors, etc...it's a sample sale not a retail store.
ReplyDeleteat any rate, anyone know if they've got much of a shoe selection in 11.5 or 12
Let me better define "sucky": clothingline j crew sales typically are stocked with shoddy, irregular and/or defective merchandise which the surly staff will not let you try on. When you are buying samples, trying on is key because you really can't rely on the items to conform to the normal sizing conventions of the label. You could end up buying something you'll never wear which isn't saving you any money at all. To top it all off, they charge prices that aren't even competitive with what you'll find on in-store clearance, and as a regular j crew shopper i can tell you if you check in regularly you can find your size from time to time no matter if you are a medium, a small or a XXXL.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm glad the Beggar passed along the tip that this sale might be a little better than normal. I might even stop by, but i have been burned so many times I am very, very skeptical.
i'm a sample size, Mediums & 32x32, so i've been to all the jcrew sample sales that clothing line has had & honestly this particular sale has the least amount of stuff i would get. was hoping to find some winter weight pants but no pants at all.
ReplyDeletethe workers weren't 2picky about trying stuff on this time around which is a plus.
Last time I checked, they had seude bucks and j.crew's mcasllister boots ($60) for mostly every size, with a couple of sperrys in 10's and 9's. Red wing boots were going for $200. Saw some nice Irish Settlers in size 12 - wish they fit. I picked up a wool legacy blazer for $144. All in all it was decent and the staffers were quite nice.
ReplyDeleteI went to the sample sale early Tuesday morning. As was mentioned, no pants were to be found. I think the best part of the sale was the shoes. There was a great selection, ranging from sizes 7 to 12. I remember seeing Red Wings, top-siders, driving mocs, penny loafers, oxfords, wing tips, macalister boots, wallabees. There was a good selection of sweaters and outerwear. I picked up that same British Milineri coat (small) for $40, and a pair of Sperry top-sider nubuck chukkas for $60 (9). It was a good sale.
ReplyDeleteI went today. Shoes: mostly suede loafers, some desert boots, nubuck shoes. Plenty of big sizes 11+
ReplyDeleteSweaters: bland solid and stripes, merino, overpriced cashmere and cardigans.
Woven shirts: Not much here, not much fashion, basics.
Pants: cords, some jeans (mostly faded washes)
Disappointing that shoppers are not allowed to try on clothes, except jackets and blazers.
I spent 30 minutes and walked out with nothing.
I just went about an hour ago and wanted to be in and out quickly, so that could have contributed to my experience with the sale.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was disappointing that you couldn't try anything on as I don't have any articles of clothing from J. Crew. I was hoping to snag a fall/winter like sportscoat in tweed or herringbone, but it was just too difficult to find sizes on the clothing. They were either on different places on each piece or did not have a size at all.
I probably will not be making my way back there for J. Crew.