J August

I love J August! I’ve purchased quite a few Harvard logo items here and I’ve been pleased with the price, style, and quality.

For the largest, most-​affordable Harvard swag, J August is the place to go. Having attended a class at the law school, I decided it was time to invest in an official hoodie. No sooner did I walk in the door did I find one in the style and color I wanted: dark grey with red lettering and Veritas crest; a pull-​over. Even better: it was only $ 40.00; twenty dollars cheaper than at the Havard Coop.
Next, my eyes wandered to a navy blue fitted cardigan for ladies, also with the Veritas crest. Unfortunately, my size was not in stock. I still wish I had this for my wardrobe!
I also bought a notepad enclosed in a grey and black folder with, you guessed it, the Vertias logo. The paper pad is replaceable and there is also a small pocked on the inside and a pen holder. Another great find for under $ 10.00!
Packed wall-​to-​wall with as many items as you can imagine printing the Harvard logo onto, it’s the best deal in Cambridge for both students and tourists alike.

I’m a Harvard student and as such find myself in need of a steady supply of random insignia items to provide for a line of relatives. Every time I fly back home I need to carry with me an assortment of t-​shirts, key chains, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and the occasional baseball cap. Now, if I were to shop for all these *required* items at the official source for insignia (the Harvard Coop), I’d long ago have amassed a debt higher than my student loans. Don’t get me wrong, the Coop is the best around for selection and quality in this department, but the prices are absolutely outrageous (still, when I want to splurge on an $ 80 hoodie, I know where to go.)
The Harvard Shop on JFK St. is run by Harvard Student Agencies and is pretty decent on prices, BUT I have found their selection of items and sizes to be inferior to J August Co. J August then falls somewhere in between Harvard Shop and the Coop on the matter of pricing and selection. The quality of the items is also pretty decent, much better than you’d get from a random street vendor (though still not Coop quality). So overall I give it an A-​Ok for pricing and selection and decent quality.
As for service: never had any issues myself. Then again, I tend to walk in with a shopping list, get what I can find at the best possible price, and walk out. No fuss, no grief.
Show your Harvard Student ID before they ring you up to get an extra 15% off.

The Harvard Bookstore doesn’t carry Harvard T-​shirts or memorabillia anymore, so one has to shop at J August Co two blocks down. Worst service I have EVER received. I went in to purchase Harvard items as gifts and the store employee was EXTREMELY rude and curt. A shirt I wanted was not available in the size I needed and I was informed that everything that was available was displayed. I asked him to check the size on the display, and the employee was quite «put out» about having to help me. When he took the display down, I noticed several shirts tucked away behind the display and asked if I could see those and was told «no, they are all small». I asked how he would know that and he answered «I just do». So I again asked if he would please check the sizes and he refused and walked off. Since the display was beyond my reach, I was not able to check the sizes myself. There are several other stores in the area that carry Harvard items and I would recommend going to those instead of having to deal with terrible service. What a shame that the Harvard Bookstore has discontinued carrying Harvard memorabillia.