J Jill

I go back and forth with this store. I don’t know if it is the season or me… the clothes are always comfortable… and usually look good on… but not some seasons are done better than others. Right now I am waiting for Winter…

I first fell in love with J. Jill when I saw their catalog. The images of bohemian professional women are quite appealing, and the idea of non-​profit support is nice. The clothing looks comfortable and chic.
When the store at Eastview opened I was so excited. During the past several years I’ve shopped there quite a bit — it became a habit to pop in and check out the sales racks. The regularly priced items are expensive, and I have thought, in the past, those items are worth it if I absolutely love them. Having said this, I am disapopinted in the quality, and I do not know if it is the dyes they use or the fabric, itself. Most of the high end garments are actually made with blended fibers. I love the clothes – but I am a busy woman and I hate spending too much time washing delicates.
A saleswoman at the store once recommended a lovely set-​tank and sweater, in teal, saying that they washed beautifully. Baloney. The sweater faded (despite washing as a delicate) and it stretched out terribly. It was AWFUL, especially since I spent a small fortune on it. And then the cotton tank got a mystery spot that wouldn’t go away no matter what I used on it. Just about everything I have from J. Jill has faded, spots easily (Salad dressing? Forget it. Throw out your top. It’s useless to continue trying to get it clean – the garment wtih stretch and fade terribly.) I have thrown out a LOT of J. Jill clothing for this reason.
Also, as far as sizing goes, the tops are sized pretty mainstream – a medium is really a medium – but watch out for the pants. Pants sizes often go small. Stretch fabric pants are great, but in time they seem to shrink when washed. Also, not all styles are size consistent when ordered in different fabrics. The boyfriend jeans fit well, but don’t get the same size boyfriend in a different fabric – it will be too small. I’ve actually lost weight – but a pair of brown stretch jeans have faded and shrunk over the past year, so much so that just looking at them in my closet is a huge disappointment. My experience with this retailer is that I no longer trust them – but I still think the clothing is so beautiful and dreamy looking, so I give 3 stars.