J. Crew October rollout reviews part 1

Hello everyone! The new arrivals from the October rollout just hit stores and I'm excited to share what I found. I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I liked what was in stores; the excitement level from the new catalog and online offerings was pretty low, but I found that I loved the tweeds, neutrals, patterned knits, and sparkle in-stores. By the way, I have the entire October catalog (set in Tokyo!) uploaded to The J. Crew Archives, if you haven't seen it yet.

Contrast Knit Blazer, size 00 (similar here, here, here)
The SA started gushing about this blazer as I picked it out to try on, and I think she's converted me to it as well! I love the chic, androgynous, smoking jacket look. This blazer is very well-fitted; it doesn't leave much of any room, unlike the Schoolboys I've tried on, and it was snug throughout the shoulders on me (I have wide shoulders), though not enough to be uncomfortable or problematic. The material is substantial and dense. It's 51% wool, 49% cotton and I don't remember it being itchy or uncomfortable. I can imagine pairing this blazer with a lower-cut black scoopneck and some dark skinny jeans and patent loafers.

Contrast Knit Blazer (similar here, here, here)
Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank (similar here, here, here)

From the side: form-fitting, especially in the upper body.

Contrast Knit Blazer (similar here, here, here)

I love how it looks with dark jeans, though I think I'd prefer skinnies rather than these.

Contrast Knit Blazer (similar here, here, here)
Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank (similar here, here, here)

One point of slight concern: I noticed the fabric already seemed a little fuzzy - not quite pilling, but not smooth like other 100% wool garments. I don't know if this should be regarded as a fault, or if it's intentional.

Contrast Knit Blazer (similar here, here, here)

The fabric contents.

Contrast Knit Blazer (similar here, here, here)

Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank, color: "ICS", size XXS (similar here, here, here)
The red and black version of this tank has been online for a while, though it looks like this color is only stores at the moment. The tank has long, oval-shaped sequins sewn onto a stretchy viscose base. There are no fastenings, but it's manageable enough to get the top over your head since the fabric is stretchy. I didn't find the top to be terribly itchy. The fit is good - TTS, but not tight. It is a little short - it ends right where my jeans start, so it would be better to wear mid-rise or higher bottoms with this tank.

Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank (similar here, here, here)

Fit looks good from the side.

Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank
(similar here, here, here)

Here is its tag, as this color isn't online yet.

Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank (similar here, here, here)

Detail of the long, oval sequins.

Collection Sequin Colorblock Tank (similar here, here, here)

Inside-Out Fair Isle Sweater, size XXS (similar here, here)
I love the patterned sweaters that are going around right now (some are described as "intarsia"); they're kind of a knit counterpart to the foulard fabrics that are so popular. This sweater was very eye-catching in the Fall Lookbook with its fun, pluralistic mix of colors and patterns. In person, the inside-out factor of this sweater is more salient - all the long threads in the wrong side of the knit confer an *undone* look to the sweater, which may be off-putting to some. I turned the sweater inside-out and found I actually really like how the right side of the fabric looks - some may wish to wear it this way! However, in that case the seams would be exposed and you'd have to take off the tags. The sweater is a substantial weight 100% merino and non-itchy enough that I could wear it without a tee underneath. The fit is TTS - not too figure-hugging, but not boxy.

Inside-Out Fair Isle Sweater (similar here, here)

Fit is good from the side.

Inside-Out Fair Isle Sweater
(similar here, here)

Here I've turned the sweater inside-out (so that the right side of the fabric is shown) so you can see what the knit looks like on the inside. Quite nice, I think! Some may actually just want to wear it with this side out, but then you'd have to deal with the exposed seams (notice the seam at the bottom of the sleeve) and tags that need to be cut off.

Inside-Out Fair Isle Sweater (similar here, here)

In contrast, here is the sweater with the right-side up, so the wrong side of the fabric is out again. The long threads could be undesirable to some, both for stylistic and practical (snagging) reasons.

Inside-Out Fair Isle Sweater (similar here, here)

Silk Boyshirt in French Hen, size 00 (similar here, here, here)
J. Crew is really going to town with the "put a bird on it" mantra this season! The fabric on this shirt is medium-thin, but very smooth. In contrast, the Blythes, which are about the same weight, have a slightly grainy, thread-y texture. I don't own a Boyshirt, so I don't know how the shape compares to the Blythes, but I found this one quite roomy on me. However, the Blythes are pretty roomy too. I noticed that the print was just as clear and defined on the reverse side of the fabric as the right side, so I guess that says something about how the fabric was printed. In the first pic, I have the shirt untucked to show its length. It's quite long and I didn't have much trouble tucking in the sides as well as the front and back into my low-rise jeans.

Silk Boyshirt in French Hen (similar here, here, here)

Here, tucked in.

Silk Boyshirt in French Hen (similar here, here, here)

Merino Zigzag Sweater, size XXS (similar here)
If you love the zigzag trend that's been big this season but sequins aren't your thing, this sweater is another option (see also Madewell's Graphic Songstress Cardigan; my review here). This sweater has a 7-gauge knit and is very, very thick. It actually felt a little fleecy, like a towel or a fuzzy robe to me - a little cheap-feeling, I thought. It is however, very soft and cozy, and not itchy at all, in my recollection. The silhouette is a swing shape which is wider at the bottom, which makes this sweater already not work out on me. In addition, the neckline kind of "sat up" on me in a very noticeable way, like a funnelneck. I realized it was because the chest of the sweater was too tight on me (I'm top-heavy) and rode up to a point where the sweater did fit my chest! So this is going to be a pass on me, but it may work for others with less-broad upper bodies. There is a short row of buttons from the neckline in the back, but I didn't need to undo them to get this sweater on.

Merino Zigzag Sweater (similar here)

I'm trying to show how tent-like the shape was on me.

Merino Zigzag Sweater (similar here)

From the side: lots of room in the front and back.

Merino Zigzag Sweater (similar here)