My review is based on the on-floor customer service experience. The staff is not all created equal. You could easily tell who really wanted to help the customers and they were usually helping multiple people at once and were lovely. Then you saw others just walking around helping no one which is not helpful at all. Since I was not the one shopping (my sister was) I was observing more than anything. I will say that the 3 stars is because of the rep we worked with who was lovely. However, when she radio'd to check for an item for us, she was told that Yes they have it, but it is on a mannequin and would not allow for it to be removed. They could have put a different size on the mannequin with some push pins and allow the salesperson to make the sale, but NO. I found this odd and disappointing. read more

Clothes that sell themselves and really friendly salespeople (three salespeople said hello to me while walking around) make this a standout experience. I don't know if all of their stores are this small, but they have a tiny well-stocked Men's department disguised in the back behind the much larger Women's department. (We men are used being an afterthought at every clothing store). After finding fun summer shorts on sale, there was an additional 60% off that, bringing an $80 pair of shorts down to $28. SALE! read more

Excellent customer service! I needed to do an exchange and the staff went above and beyond to make the experience great. They helped me locate the item, they were helpful explaining the exchange, and they were very kind! The store is smaller but has a fabulous selection of styles and sizes. It is like walking through the J.Crew catalog of the good old days. The mannequins and store arrangement are easy to shop and inspiring. read more

If i could give the store a zero rating i would. i went to shop with my new married daughter who just got a new job and just wanted a few sweaters , a somewhat tall med ash blonde sales associates that worked there acted like they werent even at work this day. While she had her cord and mic and was a worker there. She was dismissive and rude and could not even answer a question back with a nice tone. Customer service workers need a nice tone, people deserve respect when they are shopping at what is supposed to be a "better branded store. I will never shop Jcrew ever again! i would not support a company that hires such people to represent there store, she most likely was a manager or atleast a senior associate with the attitude she showed. A huge dissapoinment . Hire better people JCREW for a store that is located in a downtown area and its chicago with a diverse population! I HAVE SHOPPED MAG MILE THE LAST 30 YEARS. read more

This location is so bad I downloaded Yelp to leave a review. I recently went in to buy a suit, they didn't have a size so they said they could order one 'no problem' it was Thursday and I needed it by Saturday confirmed by all three individuals working in the men's department. Unfortunately, the sales staff doesn't know how to use their own system and I received notice of shipping that it would arrive Tuesday (way too late!) No worries I thought I'll reach out to J Cree and explain my situation. So I did: First response: blamed me for ordering wrong. (Sales associate ordered it in their system, not me.) Second response: passive aggressive 'sorry but not our problem' Third response: offered a discount less than the current in store sale on just that item. Fourth response: refused to check inventory at other locations. So end of the day customer service made the situation worse. All the sales team is doing to saying whatever you want to make a sale. Will tell everyone I talk too about this to go to other J Crew locations! The staff and customer service are worthless. * update: order arrived even later than expected and damaged. Looking closer the pants I got in store were pulling a seam too. All around fail. Shopping at Target would produce higher quality clothes. read more

Nice store but horrible customer service. I couldn't even tell you if they had anyone working because no one, and I mean no one EVER made an attempt to see if I needed anything. Maybe I didn't look like I was a JCrew kinda guy! Nevertheless, I most certainly won't be forcing any retail location to take my money. Save your gas and parking money and order online. You'd probably get better service. read more

I've had enough. I have been a customer for 20 years. Yesterday was a low point that exceeded my worst retail experiences anywhere. It's not only this particular store but their entire company and attitude. Things had been getting progressively worse. Slowly becoming overpriced while skimping on quality over the decades. Several years ago I bought some cashmere sweaters that didn't last a season. Pilling and small holes. Bad quality. We were shopping 900 N Michigan yesterday when I saw the family sign for 40% off rewards members. I didn't think to examine the tiny and meaningless print that said exclusions apply. It turns out that the items I chose were not on sale. Nowhere in the store does it tell you what is and what is not eligible. This doesn't work and I've never seen this anywhere. You're supposed to spend hours picking something you like to find out that it's not eligible? Really? The proper thing to do is to put out signs for the things that ARE ON SALE. Everything else is excluded. This is just wrong on a lot of levels and I have to tell you that this is NOT SOMETHING YOU DO TO FAMILY! I picked out a few things and a sales person on the floor asked me if I was finding everything. I commented that I was excited about the sale and she told me that the sweater I was holding wasn't included. I did not go through all the items in my arms to ask because I was pretty disappointed. She said that there were exclusions like the sign said. You should see how small the print is not that it is meaningful at all! She asked if she could take them to the register and I relented. I had invested a lot of time and thought into what I wanted. I got to the register and none of what I had chosen was there. The clerk asked me what the persons name was and what she was wearing. I said I didn't know. She proceeded to ask me again and I said I didn't know. She had the nerve to ask me a 3rd time! It was so disrespectful and ridiculous that I yelled back at her that I had answered her question twice. I walked out. It is doubtful that I will return to shop J Crew again. read more

This J Crew is inside the Shops at 900 North Michigan on the second floor to the left. This is a typical J Crew not that different from any other I've been to. We arrived when it first opened so everything as far as the displays and racks were all neatly organized and such. This particular J Crew seems a lot smaller than the ones I'm used to seeing in some of the malls. My favorite item are the khaki pants. I've bought many a pair of pants from J Crew because their quality is really good and they last for years because the material is durable. Some stuff was on sale this past Labor Day weekend at 40% off. read more

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YOU HAVE FAILED US, J CREW. I used to be a big fan of J. Crew. Last year was one of their best seasons ever. They had great colors, fantastic styles. We all know J Crew has gone up and down over the years. Well, this year is their absolute worst! THE WORST!!!!! WHY ARE YOU EVEN OPEN? It is part of my shopping routine to go to J Crew as i purchase most of my casual pants there. They fit perfectly, have great materials, and are just the most comfortable thing I've worn. You see, I'm hugely endowed and well....never mind (ok, completely joking, don't edit me out Yelp!). Seriously, their colors this year are terrible. They're boring with no distinction. It's like nothing even matches up to a complete outfit! Even on sale, at $10 I won't buy anything there this season. What a shame. read more

Keep in mind: I used J. Crew to dress my wedding party. This review pertains to my experiences with the J Crew "weddings" shtuff, and nothing else. If you're thinking about using J Crew for your wedding, read on. Please! Alright, so let me start off by saying that the dresses my girls bought were kickass. They looked great. We picked out the Cotton Cady fabric in the Spiced Wine color. And it was awesome. Now that that's been said, the fact that the dresses were awesome is the ONLY even remotely decent part of this J.Crew. (I realize the actual product goes a long way, here - but I still feel like future customers should be warned.) If you want customer service, do not use this J.Crew. If you think you're going to be treated any differently than anyone walking in off the street just because you "Scheduled an appointment 6 months in advance," or "Talked to someone about the appointment up to ten times," or "Are getting married," then you are wrong. I had five ABYSMAL experiences with the "Wedding Specialists" here. We were crammed into one dressing room the first time (not one whole area. one STALL of a main dressing area.) I was trying on my wedding dresses in the middle of a crowd, basically. The girl who was helping us gave us a slew of dresses to try on. My girls all picked the ones they like. Our girl then told us "Ohhh, Im sorry you like that one. We actually don't carry it anymore." to TWO of my bridesmaids! Why on earth would you give us TWO dresses to try on that you can't actually buy?!?!!? This wouldn't be so bad, but my third bridesmaid picked a dress, they had it, and she asked if she could come order it next week, because it was a bit more expensive than she thought it would be, and she was short cash. Our helper girl said "oh yes! This is our most popular style. It will surely be in stock, so don't even worry about it! You could probably order it the week before the wedding!" My bridesmaid called in to order the dress the following week - and was informed they no longer make that dress, and had to pick a different one. I realize these are all things that could happen on the brink of changing seasons, etc - but this isn't all. My husband bought his pants from J Crew, and had the same experience. No returned calls, emails, etc. Getting a hold of anyone who has even a remote idea of what they're talking about is nearly impossible. At one point, I had scheduled an appt to have one of my bridesmaids try on a few other dresses (I had requested they had three of the dresses available in a size smaller than 8, because my friend is a shrimp, was promised they'd all be there,) and was then greeted by the same girl I had met about 3 times with "Okay, who are you? Why are you here? What dresses do you want?" And then given three random dresses, not the ones I wanted, and all in a size 8. And then she didn't actually reserve a dressing room for us. So I got to clip my friends boobs into her dress (No, they don't help you with this,) in the middle of the men's dressing room. Bottom line, the customer service blows beyond anything you could possibly imagine. But if you know what you're going for with your wedding, just have your party try on the stuff, and order it online. (Unless you are students - then make sure to get the 15% discount through the store!) Our wedding party looked awesome, and wouldn't have been the same if it weren't for the dresses. So there, J.Crew. You get two stars. read more

J.Crew - J. Crew dresses, in spiced wine - cotton cady. - Accessories Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The two star rating is primarily for the service, also the (lack of) fitting room space on the women's side. I have only been to this location on a handful of occasions but I feel compelled to write this review after stopping by here one Sunday--I admit, I should have known better than to brave the weekend crowd at this location, especially with wedding season looming or already underway. On a side note, there seems to be a dearth of female sales staff. Only 2-3 that I counted on my last visit. Call me old fashioned, but having men in the fitting rooms, checking on sizes (?!) AND looking up shoes for me seems somewhat overwhelming (what next, will they be giving candid comments on how the items look on my body...perhaps I have stumbled onto a new business scheme here). In any case, I got the ballet flats I needed (last pair) in my size. From now on, I will be ordering online, or taking my custom to the St. Louis location in Plaza Frontenac, which is much better merchandised and actually has more than two fitting rooms to choose from. read more

I came into J. Crew envisioning shopping bags full of preppy cardigans and jeans and cable-knits. I left with two sequined shirts. Whaaa? Seriously, J. Crew is basically lined up with my style, and perfectly so. It's eerie. Of course, it's not somewhere I go for all of my clothes, given its price, but it's fun to look from time to time (and the 15% discount for students and teachers is awesome). J. Crew also does fun clothes that go beyond solid-color cardigans and such, but they're still not over-the-top...ever. You can trust that if you get prints or sequins here, you'll still be more in the realm of Charlotte from Sex and the City than, say, Lady Gaga. What sets this J. Crew apart is its fabulous service. Cody was incredibly helpful in finding stuff for me, and just overall very attentive. In fact, I always like the staff here - they're rarely condescending or anything, and they are indeed very helpful. (One thing to look out for: If you go enough [which was only true over a very boring summer vacation!]...you notice that the CD repeats itself a lot. Or at least it did in the summer of 2011, because my friend and I kept laughing at hearing this weird song called "Which witch is which?" Very strange song...) read more

At least an employee had offered a dressing room right away. I asked for a coat to be held while I continued shopping but when I went to the counter to buy it, the sales clerk didn't know where it was. I loved the cashmere. If you're pregnant, there's no selection for you here. There was only one wedding dress on display but there was a fitting in progress. read more

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J. Crew was the one and only place I shopped for my bridal gown. Why? It's not because I love J. Crew but because I feared stepping foot in any sort of bridal store and I didn't have the confidence in my budget or myself as a new bride-to-be to deal with those sorts of places. So if you're reading this and empathizing, my review could be helpful. My customer experience in their Bridal Boutique was one day good, one day bad. Setting my first appointment was totally annoying. I set it months in advance, which I understood as the norm, so that wasn't a big deal. But to have anything to try on I had to buy SEVEN different gowns in my size (J.Crew only has samples in one size and you'll quickly notice if you try on these guys that the dresses are pretty disgusting: covered in makeup, deodorant, and self-tanner. It doesn't make the whole process too enjoyable. And it sure doesn't make you feel like a pretty.) Not all would do this, but as I mentioned, I fought any chance I had of dealing with a David's Bridal. So I bought a ton of dresses and one worked. I returned six dresses and kept one. Really that's the end of the story. And that's about how much relationship I have to my gown. I wore it in October and thought it was okay, but there's definitely no "wow" factor. It's a cookie cutter dress that I intend on shorting to cocktail length to wear to black-tie functions in the future. My advice: you owe it to yourself to pony up and buy the dress of your dreams. You deserve to put on a gown and cry because you can't believe you're actually going to be get married to someone you love that much. You should bring your Mom and your best gal pal and you should attempt to enjoy the idea of being the center of attention. I failed to allow myself to enjoy it all and I ended up in a tiny J.Crew dressing room with a bunch of mediocre dresses. I could have done better but I didn't want to make a big deal about the whole thing. I should have. It was for my wedding day. A highlight worth mention: Lisa, my Bridal Consultant, was great. If you're going to try them out, request her. She's a doll, she'll make you feel like you've been friends for ages. She also works in the wedding industry, outside her work for the store, so she's full of good tips and pointers. And now that I'm happily married I can add this to my review: my husband has never seen me more beautiful. I don't think it had anything to do with the dress; it had to do with how much we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. He saw that in my eyes and was really blown away. So I still "wowed" him. In the end that's all that really matters anyhow. read more

Friendly folks, welcoming me in. Not too friendly, you know how that can be (creepy, annoying etc) but just right. I wasn't there for fun, I was there for function. Of the Best Man variety. Yep, that's right, I'm a Best Man. Three cheers for bucking tradition! But not too much bucking because the bride still calls the shots on the duds so off to J Crew bridal department I went. My coordinator Megan, was very helpful and sweet. She brought me all the samples in my particular style set (size 8 only, girls - heads up) and chatted with me while I tried them on. Had I found The One, I wouldn't have been able to buy it there since the bridal collection is only available online, but the store's return policy is 100% and with free shipping, there's not much to lose. Megan took my information, the bride's information and now we're in the system for any future needs. They don't do alterations in the store but have a list of places to go (though as somewhat of a seamstress, I can tell you that the seam allowances won't be too forgiving with alterations unless you're taking in so buy bigger if you're on the fence about a size). read more

I went to J Crew today for a bridal appointment and had an uncomfortable, embarrassing experience. They were lovely on the phone when I called to confirm. They had lost my appointment and managed to fit us in an hour after the time I had booked. I was asked to send in a list of dresses I'd like to try in advance - I did so, but I was met with the same question Katie M was asked in her review - do I have a list of the dresses I wanted to try on. The woman bundled a variety of dresses into the impossibly small dressing room and told me to go ahead and start trying them on - she'd be right outside. My only other appointment so far had included an incredible saleswoman helping me in and out of each dress. Now, I like to think of myself as an average-sized, low-maintenance American lady. But I do not wear a size 8, especially not in formal dresses, and that is the only size I was offered to try on. After awkwardly putting myself into two dresses that looked and felt terrible, I told my mom and ladyfriends that it was time to go - that I just was not feeling it. The saleswoman didn't seem surprised in the least, didn't try to help to make things better. Ladies - we can all do better, especially in a city as wonderful as Chicago. read more

I have to revise my review of J. Crew. I reluctantly came in here yesterday as I am in desperate need of work clothes and J. Crew always pulls through. I have never been a fan of the customer service at this particular location. Until yesterday. They were so incredibly helpful. It's like they did a major face lift and I felt so much more comfortable shopping there. In the past I always felt like they just ignored me because I didn't look like I would be a big spender. And for the most part, I'm not, but sometimes when I need clothes, I will spend the money. I had this GREAT staff member helping me, named Anne. I absolutely loved her. She is a personal shopper for J. Crew and she gave me her card in the event I ever needed her to help me pick out some outfits. I would trust her opinion any day of the week. She definitely knew her stuff and had on a super cute outfit that I just had to copy. Anyway, kudos to J.Crew at 900 North Michigan for really revamping its customer service by being more welcoming, helpful, and consultative. I'm sure I'll be back again soon. I heart Anne. read more

J Crew houses my two favorite fashion-related things: argyle, and a man in argyle. Okay, so I can't always be guaranteed a sighting of a mysterious man in argyle, but at the very least I can rest assured that there is a store that can share its beauty with the men of Chicago and hopefully get them out of the frat boy blue oxford/gray or black ill-fitting pants uniform that makes them all look the same to me. I have been shopping at J Crew since 5th grade and love that very little has changed about their style. Call that boring--I call it classic. Their classic, casual styles are laid back yet polished, and their business/dress collections are fantastic. This store offers it all--it is a great place to find a richly-colored t-shirt, cabled cashmere sweater or little black dress. But they also offer more stylized, unique blouses and dresses that fit just as fabulously as their classics. The trouser cut slacks are universally flattering and their suits are fabulous. And as an added bonus, it is the only clothing store that sells shoes that are actually cute and correspond to the styles of their clothing (yes, Banana Republic, this is a shot at you). As for the quality--I can honestly say that in all of the years I have been shopping here, I have only had one thing "fall apart" and that was a stretch v-neck tee that ended up with a tiny hole in the seam of the armpit. And that was back in 7th-8th grade. So I'd say their quality track record has been pretty flawless in my experience. I am giving four stars rather than five because, while this is the location that I come to most often, the North Avenue location seems to have more selection--particularly in the sale racks. Oh and be sure to check out the J Crew outlet in Aurora--same classic style but way cheap. A great place to stock up on sweaters as fall approaches. read more

This review is strictly for the bridal portion of the store and nothing else. I went in to try on a bridesmaid dress that my friend had picked out for her wedding. They didn't have anything in stock and were really no help whatsoever. Let's be clear here: The J Crew Bridesmaids line are not custom dresses. They are off-the-rack dresses that they could easily have available in all sizes, just like the rest of their clothing (colors wouldn't be necessary since that's generally chosen by the bride, so the swatches they have should be fine). I understand this may be a different story for their wedding dresses- they don't want to stock all of these dresses in every size for cost reasons, but the fact that they treat their maids dresses like this is ridiculous. This J Crew has a lot of work to do if they're looking to compete with other bridal industry stores in the city. They try to be upscale by making you schedule an appointment (which you can't get after 5pm without calling more than two to three months in advance...really?) but the consultants are downright rude, condescending and completely unhelpful. In the end, I ordered my dress online and got it altered at my local seamstress so it fit better. It was worth it to not have to deal with the attitude and bad service of the store employees. Save yourself the trouble and attitude and just order online. read more

I've shopped at Jcrew since I was in middle school -- since the 90's with their catalog where I'd hi-light everything that I wanted. I am a collector of cardigans and the bulk of my cardi's come from Jcrew. This review is about my experience with their wedding department. Due to my experience trying on bridesmaid dresses, I do not know if I can spend money there ever again. My fellow bridesmaid made an appointment for us to try on the 3 dresses the bride wanted to see, she specifically told the appointment taker that there would be 2 of us and our size range. The coordinator shows up with a size 6 in 3 of the dresses and a size 16 in one of the dresses. (Let's just say I fit somewhere right in the middle of there.) They had absolutely no expanders, shitty clips that I couldn't even walk to the mirror from my dressing room to see what the darn way-too-huge dress looked like, and overall subpar condescending service. (The coordinator offered to clip the size 6 to my fucking bra! Thanks, lady!) Overall this whole trip was an absolute waste of my time and energy. It is an example of very poor communication with no apology. I wouldn't have bothered attempting to try on any dresses had I known that my options for sample sizes are a 6 and a 16, I would have just ordered the 2 sizes I usually am and return the one that fit worst.. and this is what I recommend any future brides or bridesmaids to do.. unless you're one of the two sizes listed above. read more

this review is for my experience shopping for a wedding dress at J.Crew As Risa P noted, this is the only location in Chicago that carries anything bridal. Also, they only carry size 8 samples. If you make an appointment at least a week in advance they will order in the dresses that you would like to try on in your size. This is definitely a nice thing, but it also means that you better know exactly what you want to try on. If you don't tell them to get it in your size, then you'll be sol. I should have told them more dresses than just the few I mentioned. Even if you don't think a certain dress will work, it is nice to try on different styles of dresses. Plus, if you are going to make the trip downtown it might as well be worth your time. If you are coming here for bridal you also just have to be prepared that you will be treated basically like any other customer. They assigned me a "wedding specialist" to work with, but she was also assisting a few other dressing rooms. Sorta awkward when you need someone to zip up a dress or something. Oh yes, and about those other dressing rooms. There is a chance that they will will be filled with annoying teens that have too much money for their own good. And you will share the mirror with them. And that is also just a bit weird. My last disappointment was with some of the dresses. The silk dresses they have are basically the most unflattering thing I've ever put on my body. They will show every lump or bump or jiggle you have. They aren't necessarily bad for curves...but they are bad for somewhat untoned or uneven curves. I did really like one of the taffeta dresses though, only to find out that the dress was sold out. That was sort of a bummer. But, they will put you on a "wish list" so that if one in your size is returned you could purchase it. Down side of that? Once it becomes available they will charge your card immediately and send you the dress without asking. So, you have to be super committed to it. I guess I'm glad I came here. If I didn't, I'd probably always wonder. But, it wouldn't necessarily be something I'd recommend to everyone. read more

While I'm sure the rest of this J.Crew location is absolutely lovely, this review is for the bridal shop! As others have mentioned, this location doesn't have an entire portion of the store dedicated to bridal - so don't go in expecting to browse through dresses on racks, lounge on huge sofas, or bring your 12-person bridal party with you! You'll be trying on sample-size (usually an 8) gowns in a sectioned off portion of the women's dressing room, with a separate room for you to change, and a couple little seats for guests; it was perfect for an intimate and casual gown try-on with my mom and one of my bridesmaids. As requested when I made my appointment, I picked out 5 or so gowns from the website (plus one crystalline sash that was simply gorgeous to pair with a couple of the choices). Natalie, my wonderful, super helpful and friendly bridal specialist, had every gown - plus a couple others that she thought might be in line with my style - ready for me upon arrival, and all the sample gowns were in great condition. She clipped the dresses back to let me have a better idea of what they'd look like in my size, gave tips on sizes that would be best when ordering, and helped me accessorize the looks... even letting me try on her own necklace because it was so perfect for the deep-v gown I had on! Being someone who isn't drawn to poofy, heavily embellished gowns, the J.Crew gowns were a breath of fresh air: well priced and beautifully classic on their own, or a polished blank slate to add your own touches with accessories. Being able to try them on helped me find what I was looking for, and with J.Crew's amazing return policy on gowns if you order through the store (could write a whole new review on how great Natalie's customer service via email is!), I was able to order the gowns in my size to try on for the rest of my bridal party at home. Overall: great experience in store, great customer service! read more

I've been a loyal Jalcoholic since I was a teenager. Yes, I was the sort of teenager who wore sweaters over her shoulders and branded polo shirts. I was also kind of poor so I don't really get it, but whatever. I spend a little too much money here. But the clothes are of a nice quality, and employ trendy colors & styles without looking cheesy or cheap. Plus the sales are incredible, especially in-store since they tend to pride themselves on having good instocks, so as an XS/0/2-type person I can usually find tons of great stuff on their sale rack. This location is busy and a little small, so it doesn't have everything that your giant mall J. Crew stores have - but the staff is really nice and is happy to help you find an item in your size at another store or call online (that's what the red phone is for). I recently spent wayyy too much money on new suits, with a personal shopper helping me along the way. She was great at fetching sizes, recommending tops, and doing all those things that personal shoppers do to get you to spend money that you don't have. I opened up a J. Crew credit card to save 10% off my massive bill, and the personal shopper gave me an additional 10% off - which was tight. It's also good to know that they have a student discount, which I wasn't eligible for with my other discounts, but you should always, always ask for it. Additionally, J. Crew credit cardholders get free alterations. Suit wearers and office dwellers: get on this gimmicky bandwagon stat. read more

The best place to go for the sales is seriously online: J. Crew dot com. Unfortunately, you don't get the student discount online -- bummer. The store gets incredibly picked over comes sales time because of its location (obviously). The customers kind of rip the place apart. The sales associates have always been very friendly, though (I think we got a total of 5 "hi, how are you?"s when we went in last). Personal shopping is the best when you're in a hurry (offered to anyone with a J. Crew credit card) and the free tailoring (again, another J. Crew credit card holder thing) is great! read more

I am a huge fan of J.Crew--just not this one. I have been in this store 4 times in the past 2 months and not a single person on staff has acknowledged me or asked how they could help. I am usually wearing J.Crew clothes in the store when I go there, if they had any brains they would see that I'm a regular customer and give me the time so they can make commission off of my sale, right? Stores in the suburbs are much more friendly and attentive. The staff here is extremely rude, pretentious, and unwilling to help...you'd think they were the customers who can actually afford to buy the clothes and not asking "debit or credit?" all day. DONE with this location. read more

Where have you gone, J Crew merino? A nation turns its freezing cold eyes to you, and you're only partially there. I wouldn't exactly call myself a J Crew aficionado or enthusiast. I'm more of a J Crew cherry picker. I've only ever been able to wear certain offerings of theirs, including merino sweaters and shoes made by outside vendors. I learned my lesson as to J Crew's shirts and pants long ago. I can't go for 98% of their shirts or pants due to style and cut. The one thing I was always able to go for and have purchased liberally was the merino. J Crew's merino used to be of the finest quality, in my opinion. I have several of their merino sweaters I've had and worn for some years, and they are still like new and have held up incredibly. Well, I went back for more merino, purchasing a new quarter-zip merino online recently. Um, where did the material go? J Crew's merino is now about half as thick as it was previously, and the cut is much closer. Also, as happens with online purchases, the color looked different than it did online. And the stand-up collar wasn't as high. All of this, and the price is up around some 40% from just five years ago? Where have you gone, J Crew merino? So I decided, sadly, to return my online purchase to the J Crew at the 900 store. This store is the same as it ever was, with the same layout. Apparently, the store is moving to the south side of the mall on the same floor at some point. As with any J Crew store, you'll probably do better shopping their online site. But the store itself is good for trying things on and returning unwanted purchases. And my return went seamlessly. As for J Crew in general, it seems the quality in general has declined (same goes for the lambswool), the prices have gone up, they have added items from outside vendors such as $600 shoes and $800 coats for men in efforts to seemingly go more upscale and sizing is a perpetual problem (things run small, but sometimes they don't). If you wait for sales and jump on them immediately, you can do well for your pocketbook. Otherwise, be careful as to price and sizing. I still like you enough to cherry pick you, J Crew, but I'm probably going to cherry pick you even less going forward. Those Nike waffle racers are in the cart though. Thanks. read more

This location has to be one of my FAVORITE J.Crew stores. Lots to choose from - from selection, style and size. Every small Asian girl's dream come true! Best time to go - the day after Christmas right when the store opens. read more

Every time I want to get a dressing room here I have to spend about 15 minutes hunting one of their employees down. I take it they don't make commission? Either that or maybe they're instructed to ignore anyone who looks the least bit "alternative". Screw that, but I still might buy some stuff from ther catalog. read more

Generally overcrowded and overwhelming. People try on clothes in the middle of the store. Some gal was being serviced as if they were in a dressing room, but they weren't... Couldn't get around them to grab something and when I politely asked---gal and employee made zero effort to move... Found the staff to be snarky and pushy. The occasional cashmere sweater found here is noiceee. read more

With a wedding coming up in January I figured it was time to start looking at dress options. NOT a typical girl/bride, I have always dreaded dress shopping because (as a pretty serious athlete many years ago) I have shoulders that are 1-2 sizes bigger than my bottom half. As a first stop with only my mom, I wasn't really expecting to find anything... but it was the only place in downtown Chicago where we could get an appointment with less than 24 hours notice. If you're looking for a traditional bridal salon, Kleinfeld-esque experience, you won't find it here... but if you don't mind being in the regular J. Crew store off to the side in a traditional sized fitting room then read on! Lisa, their wedding specialist on Sunday, greeted us and asked me which dresses I liked. Oops... I had not looked online in weeks and didn't have any particular dresses in mind... She assured me that it was no problem, pulled out a book, and asked me to flip through and let her know what I liked... hated... would consider... 10 minutes later she brought 6-8 gowns into the dressing room. I tried on the Arabelle first and - bingo! It was perfect! Yes - the samples are all a size 8. Luckily I'm not far off that so it was easy to get a feel for how it will fit once I order my size and get it tailored. I have never had such an easy dress shopping experience... Assuming that was the only one that would fit well and that I'd like I agreed to try on a few more (for my mom) and was surprised that they all really looked great! In fact, we also fell in love with the Bow Monde style, so we ordered both dresses. They are 100% returnable, so when they arrive I'll be bringing a bigger entourage with me to try them on and help me decide... What a painless -- and inexpensive -- experience! I was worried that our dress budget would have to be up in the thousands... and the arabelle is just $575 and the other one is $1,500 -- both much less than I anticipated. Lisa was FANTASTIC, so if scheduling an appointment, I would very highly recommend her! read more

I probably shouldn't be writing this review, as I'm one of those rare women who hates shopping, but here goes..... I'd give it one star, but the trouser chinos are worth an extra star. I've never owned another pair of pants that were more flattering. I came in a few years ago to buy a pair of black ones, which I then found out could only be purchased through the catalog. No worries at all; there's a phone in the store for customers to call in orders. Other than the exceptional trouser chinos, I have no use for this store. The clothes are boring. Yes, I understand that some people are attracted to this classic style, but seriously.......you can do much better. The quality is crap. Go over to Loehmann's or Filene's and pick up some high-quality designer duds for less than what you'd pay for the crap here. My beloved trouser chinos are no exception, but the flattering cut makes up for the poor quality. It doesn't help things that the sales associates have never seemed all that helpful to me. read more

I've been a loyal J.Crew shopper for years. This is kind of problematic to admit... but since middle school I've had major J.Crew appreciation. And growing up in not-so-preppy Los Angeles, I had to move to the East Coast for college in order for folks to appreciate my dandy ways. I frequent this location most since it's closest to my place, and I must say, I'm soooo glad this is the J.Crew nearest me. The staff are attentive and generally friendly. Every so often, you *will* see a staff member or two on the floor moving around not really looking at anyone and just doing their own thing, but, in general, this store has a great crew. I think this location has the best selection of all J.Crew stores I've visited. I've purchased a suit here, a couple winter coats (remember, I *am* a California transplant placed in this tundra known as Chicago), and other basics (i.e. shorts, collared shirts, sandals, etc.). One particular staffer - Ray - is fabulous and friendly. Every time I have a question, he has an answer. I wish I could duplicate this particular store and their staff! This is why I'm here... a little too much. Ugh if only I didn't love gingham and khaki so much... *sigh* read more

I went here shopping with a friend who is getting married a couple of months ago and am only reviewing J Crew Bridal First, the bridal dressing room we were in was in the front next to the shoe department. It really takes away from that intimate bridal feel with you and your closest friends/family, because there are about 20 other people shopping around you asking the bridal consultant for different sizes. It was a little bizarre. Our consultant was very nice, but she had to keep grabbing other sales people to assist customers. The dresses are nice and very simple/sleek. My friend ended up finding her dress and ordering it online for cheaper. The prices are very reasonable and heck maybe you can do some personal shopping at the same time. read more

This is a great location. They always have the latest releases on their jeans, shoes and shirts. When it comes to their service it's always great. This is by far my favorite JCREW to shop at. read more

I like the store because not only is it fashionable but it does so without being too pretentious. Yeah I know, it is a little bit snooty. But given its location, it's as close to Army surplus in that mall. The layout of the store is a big plus for me, not having to maneuver around overstuffed clothes racks and unsold merchandise stacked in the aisles. Prices are competitive with most chain stores, given that I only buy stuff on sale or clearance prices. Yeah, I'm cheap-so what. I've had no problem with service or sales people. Unlike gum-smacking teenagers had other mid-priced clothing stores. I don't know how much more one can ask. Quality clothes, pleasant salespeople, great location to spend the day shopping and close to great restaurants and scenery of downtown Chicago. read more

I came here with two of my bridesmaids to look at dresses. I first went to the North Ave location where they told me that the Michigan Ave location is the only one with a bridal line. The sales associate that we worked with was really sweet and had a lot of information. So we tried on 5 styles of the cotton cady dresses. While I understand that they have a sample size so that a lot of people can try the dresses on (and they clamp you in) I was a little sad to see that they had chosen the color brown. My friend tried on one dress and we were all cracking up because it was way too big, and brown. She looked like she was wearing a potato sack. And for a petite cute girl, this wasnt really the best look. The sales associate did find us smaller sizes on the floor to try so that helped a bit. However, she did tell us that one style of dress (I think think the Sydney?) doesn't really fit anyone and always needs to be altered. Well...that is annoying? Why won't they fix the style of the dress so that may fit some people? At one point, we were all in the dressing room and she asked us if we were in college. Immediately we were all like "hahaha! no" and were annoyed because everyone always tells us that we look younger than we actually are. But then she said "well if you were, you could save 15%!!" Uh, duh, we could have grabbed old student IDs! Maybe not ethical...but those dresses are $225!!! She did suggest that I get a JCrew credit card and put all the dresses on the card and I would save some money there (ack) Also I found out that the next sale on these dresses won't be until March (with a wedding in June, that seems way too close) I didnt feel comfortable asking my friends to pay $225, it just seemed too much. Which was too bad, because I was planning on having different styles in the same color and same fabric and they could pick what they felt comfortable in (which I found at another store, review when I see the dresses!) It was fun, the store was clean and we had a big enough dressing room that we could all fit in there. I was just disappointed with the choice of color and size. More the color really, I mean a dress that doesnt fit but in a cute color looks a lot better than blah brown. I think that these styles of dresses could be really cute for a bridal party, especially if you get them on sale and each bridesmaid can chose the style that she likes and works for her body type. I guess you just have to hit the sales at the right time (though March seemed kind of far away for the next sale?) I did see that in the beginning of this month, a pink color was on sale but the petite sizes went super fast! read more

Though last on my Halloween costume shopping list, I found orange knee high socks here. Who knew, J Crew? I had something else in mind while shopping, and my eyes immediately to the hosiery wall. It seemed like everyone was holiday shopping because the store was nuts-o. Check out line was insane, but I was happy to find these damn socks. Bravo, J Crew. Bravo. For now... read more

Ahh...my first experience with a J. Crew store that has both Women's AND a Men's Shop in one spot. As you might expect, the selection was pretty extensive...I just wish there were better finds in the sale section. Prices? Good. Styles? Not so much. Oh well, maybe next time. read more

Mmmm, J. Crew. This store gets a lot of my dollars; I have a severe weak spot for their argyle and madras. Last Saturday (on my third J. Crew trip that week) the girl at the register asked if I wanted to open a J. Crew credit card...should have thought about doing that on Tuesday! The North Ave store is a bit smaller than this one, and I feel like their salespeople are more attentive. However, nothing beats Michigan Ave for selection - they're definitely more likely to have a variety of sizes/colors in stock. Mike who works in this particular store helped my friend and I in the dressing room, and fully supported my declaration that "madras is my religion." Thanks for that, Mike. read more

I've been shopping J.Crew since high school days but this review is actually for their wedding staff. Booking an appointment is done over the phone which almost seems archaic these days. The first appointment, we were told that they running almost 45 minutes late and honestly, I wasn't about to pay for another 45 minutes of parking downtown so we told them that we would reschedule. But once we did get in, Sam was AMAZING. I loved working with Sam who was intuitive and super helpful. She pulled all the dresses that was requested and then, some. She asked the right questions and even pulled a dress that wasn't even available on the website so I could try it on. I noticed that there was a sale promo going on and Sam confirmed that yes, I could apply a 25% discount on even the bridesmaid dresses. I was super psyched to order my dress and get it on sale. Thank you for helping me find my Matron of Honor dress that I will actually rewear again and for helping me stay within budget! If all wedding reps are like Sam, I'd gladly go back again in a heartbeat. read more