Madewell's Fall/Winter Collection

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October 11, 2008

Madewell, J. Crew's younger, more affordable line, has a fall/winter collection that makes me smile. If you were to give me everything in it, right now, I would be golden. I could cruise through the colder months in style and comfort. But since that's not going to happen, I have to review their looks with a more critical lens. The problem is, I've never actually been to one of their stores, so I can't attest to the quality of their clothing, and at these price points ($88 for a cardigan; $110 for skinny jeans), quality is the key factor for me in determining whether or not these duds are a good value. There's no e-commerce yet at madewell1937.com, but you can order old-school by phone.

What I love, from the images at least, are the glorious boots, the edgy takes on modern classics, and the crisp use of color. I especially love how they pair colors of the same shade but different intensity together - always a smart look. Or, pairing complementary colors such as yellow and purple to punch up neutral basics. I also love the concept of a more affordable J. Crew (I know, I need to hit the outlets!)...but Madewell is still pretty pricey. I imagine Madewell's target audience has the means to shop at either, but J. Crew needs a place to groom their future customers, and their customers need a place to start so they can graduate to J. Crew.

I know some of my readers are devoted J. Crew fans, so I look forward to hearing what you have to say about Madewell. And if anyone can comment on the quality, I'm dying to know.

Comments (15)

Posted in: Trends F/W 2008

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Comments

As someone who loves JCrew (when she can afford it), this looks to me like a slightly less expensive JCrew that isn't cheap enough to be a bargain and lacks the fit, tailoring, quality and timelessness to be worthy of the cost or the name.

#1 Jessica on 2008-10-11 05:39 (Reply)

I'm curious to hear about quality, too ... especially as these pieces don't seem THAT much cheaper than actual J.Crew. But I'm with you, BB, on the styling and appeal of individual pieces: I could happily live in this line all winter.

#2 Sal (Homepage) on 2008-10-11 10:39 (Reply)

I'll be honest ... As one of the devoted J.Crew fans you speak of, I've never bought anything from Madewell. (Although the fact that Reese Witherspoon is a big fan of the line has tempted me to check it out. I'm a sucker like that when it comes to certain stars.) I have to agree with Jessica, though. The reason I've never actually purchased anything from Madewell is that it lacks the J.Crew essence. Just browse J.Crew's latest catalogue - entitled "if" - online and tell me you can't see the difference in the quality of the pieces ... through your computer screen, no less! (Plus, J.Crew's catalogues are practically works of art.) I consider each piece I purchase from J.Crew an investment, and the trendiness of Madewell just doesn't make me want to make the jump.

#3 Katie on 2008-10-11 11:27 (Reply)

HOLY CRAP, I'M IN LOVE. These look awesome (though a little out of my price range). My favvvvorite thing in these outfits has to be the boots! Haha.

I wish I knew where I could get the boots from Look #1, 7, 14! (I can't really tell if they're all the same or not). I've been looking for a pair of nice brown, leather (faux or not) boots and those look perfect! If only...*sob*

#4 Celeste (Homepage) on 2008-10-11 13:35 (Reply)

I have long been a fan of jcrew, these coats look really cute however i often find the armholes too small and high up. since i live in new york, i need a lot of coats- it is after all, the first thing someone notices. I have been drawn to the dkny and via spiga line. i found many of them up on overstock for far less than in the stores they sell at.
Great stuff! ill continue to buy jcrew sweaters and tops, but i think the coats just dont fit me well.

#5 charlotte on 2008-10-11 21:18 (Reply)

I love the sophisticated nature of JCrew pieces, but to be honest, I've only ever bought two sweaters from there, and actually it was from a JCrew outlet (which has since closed). Currently I'm living on a student budget, have ten years of paying off loans to look forward to, and will not be making a fortune in my chosen career. As much as Madewell doesn't look like JCrew, I still like the look. If the quality were good, I'd consider buying sale items from Madewell but otherwise the prices are still too high.

#6 M on 2008-10-12 06:25 (Reply)

I've been a long time of J Crew too. They always impress me every season by always keeping up with the latest trends. Love it!!

#7 jazmine (Homepage) on 2008-10-12 14:16 (Reply)

I actually have been to the Madewell store in Northern VA. I bought an Ultra-Long Cardi in Black on SALE!

I am so addicted to it, that I practically wear in twice a week. The quality is not as refined as J.Crew, but I have paired it with a silk tank from J.Crew, jeans, and patent leather heels...you would never know the difference. Definitely shopping there again and I would highly recommend it to all looking for something to pair with some of J.Crew's "louder" pieces.

#8 Lauren on 2008-10-13 10:00 (Reply)

Man, I gotta tell ya the price point is still high. Jeans $200, boots $300. If you love J Crew you can always find pieces of their original line at places like Rugged Wearhouse or stores that buy excess manufacturer and department store merchandise. Also I bought a pair of cropped J Crew pants at Burlington Coat Factory for $13 dollars. I ended up messing them up the wash unfortunately. Is there a J Crew Outlet stores? I've never seen one.

#9 Budget Chic (Homepage) on 2008-10-14 08:16 (Reply)

Never heard of Rugged Wearhouse, and had no IDEA you could find J. Crew at Burlington! Now I have a reason to go back there.

As for J. Crew outlets, yes they exist, I went to one in Freeport, Maine and I think they have them at Premium Outlet malls across the country. However, they usually carry clothing made specifically for the outlets, which doesn't appeal to me as much as discounted "originals."

#9.1 The Budget Babe on 2008-10-14 09:12 (Reply)

Some great looks here -- very fun and wearable. I will definitely be checking them out!

#10 Tara (Homepage) on 2008-10-14 11:11 (Reply)

The purple ankle boots are hot!

#11 Jaime (Homepage) on 2008-11-01 18:58 (Reply)

I have shopped at J.Crew let's just say a t-shirt that costs $48 is a little too much and there are cardigans that costs up to $400. Prices like that are not often in Madewell. In comes Madewell with sales of 2 t-shirts for $30. The store has a sense of bohemian and younger outlook than J.Crew. They have good selections for sale items so it's never needed to buy non-sale items. I love their out of norm color for jeans: bright blue and purple. People might expect extremely cheap prices then Kohls might be the choice. Gap isn't as cheap and clothing material are horrid.

#12 Jess on 2009-06-21 02:59 (Reply)

madewell has GREAT quality clothing. ive shopped there at shorthilss mall, which is 100% high class mall, and the one in Boston. they both didnt fail to impress the many hundred customers in that cramped boutique store, but still its awesome.
i heart it.

#13 megan on 2009-10-07 16:04 (Reply)

Madewell has amazing quality. I LOVE their jeans. I bought three pairs over the summer. They fit beautifully and have great structure. I love the vibe of the store and they give a 15% student discount like JCrew does too!

The prices at madewell are random though. you can pick up jeans that are 60 or you can pick up jeans that are 89. There is no rhyme or reason to their prices.

I can't wait to go again when I get home! (Tysons Corner Center)

#14 ashley on 2009-10-23 14:27 (Reply)

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