J.Crew Factory reviews: 2 shirts, 2 sweaters, and a J.Crew coat review

Hope everyone has had a great weekend.  Since we're lazing around, I finally have time to do some reviews of Factory items I have picked up over the last month.  To me, J.Crew Factory is very hit or miss.  But the four items I purchased recently have all been winners, and I bought them all for great prices.  Here we go:

Factory intarsia Charley sweater in dot, navy, here

Turquoise polka dots on navy?  Love.  At first I was a little disappointed in the blend of this fabric.  I didn't pay attention when I ordered it and figured it would be a 100% merino sweater.  Nope. The tag says 36% nylon, 35% viscose, 28% merino wool, and that pesky little 1% alpaca.  I'm still concerned about pilling., but it doesn't feel too bad on. I am wearing a size small, and the fit is great.  Not too short or tight.  Go with your regular Tippi size.  I paid $50.40 for this, with free shipping.  Kind of high for a Factory item...I guess I was blinded by polka dots.  I think this will look great with my retro jade skirt and wool capris. 

Factory classic crewneck cardigan in bright azalea, here

I needed a pink Jackie cardigan to throw over all of my Lilly Pulitzer dresses I have packed for our Christmas Florida trip, so I decided to try out the Factory version during a recent promo.  I paid $23.70 with free shipping.  It's on sale right now for a great price too, only $24.50 so if you need any colors now's a good time to stock up.  I was very happy with this cardi...it's nearly identical to the retail version, in fact I may like it better because it seems a bit longer to me than the retail Jackie.  It is a thin material, but not see-through.  I always size up to a medium in Jackie sweaters to accomodate my chest, and I did so here as well.  You can see the fit is spot on, so go with your normal Jackie size.  Love the color and fit, and it was well worth a mere $23.70!

Factory two-pocket chambray shirt in blue chambray, here

It kind of drives me bonkers how Factory prices are always changing.  This shirt is currently $59.50, but when I bought it I only paid $32.00 with free shipping.  So if you like it, hold off...it will go down again.  Since I have firmly jumped on the chambray bandwagon, I decided I needed another option other than that Banana Republic linen blend shirt I have.  I love this Factory version.  The color is a nice grayish blue, and the material is 100% cotton.  I am wearing a size small and it fits fine, sleeves and all.  So go with your normal button down size.  I really love this and am quite happy with the price I paid. 

Factory ruffle-trim button down shirt in pink, here

This may be too corporate-y for some ladies, but this is a great basic shirt to have if you work in an office environment.  I paid around $20.00 for it, with free shipping.  This is a size small, and I'm surprised by how long the sleeves are!  They may be too long for petite girls.  The material is very nice, not too thin, and I love the ruffle detail at the collar and cuffs.  This shirt has been languishing on the Factory website forever.  My only disappointment when  it arrived? The material is a very thin pink pinstripe, rather than the solid pink I thought it was.  Here is a close up of the ruffle and the color:

I would have preferred solid pink, but for $20.00 it's fine.  The ruffles will look cute peeking out of blazers.  A great deal for a great work wardrobe basic.

Those are my Factory reviews.  I now have one other review for you from J.Crew retail.  I hadn't purchased a new winter coat in two years, and I figured I was due for one.  I have mentioned before that I have commitment issues when buying winter coats!  I am always afraid I will make a wrong choice and hate my selection within a couple of months.  During a recent promo, here is the coat I picked out:

Double-cloth metro coat with Thinsulate, here

I bought this for $164.99, down from $325.00.  I think that is a fair price for a nice winter coat.  At first I was a little put off by how the material felt.  I imagined a thick, soft wool, and that is not what this coat is at all.  It is 75% wool and 24% nylon, and it has almost a rough feel.  I was kind of disappointed by that.  The vintage berry color is pretty, and the shape nice.  I am wearing a 6 Tall, and I was thrilled that it comes to my knees.  Not many coats do!  The sleeves are nice and long, and it is fitted without being too tight to fit a sweater underneath.  I'm not 100% sure I am keeping the coat, mainly because of how the material feels.  I guess I just didn't realize how the double cloth material felt. But I am leaning towards keeping it, because of the striking color and nice fit.  What do you think?

I hope my reviews were helpful to you today!  What do you think of these items?