Crush on College

The sales girl is usually pretty unhelpful but the clothes are really cute.
They’re extremely overpriced though. Id love to see even more variety at lower price points. They wouldn’t make it in a place like Houston.

Bought my Oaklandish tshirt here and thought they had a great variety — perhaps even some more in stock than some of the Oaklandish stores here in the city! Definitely pleased.

Cute stuff! I love that I can find J Brand and Free People brand clothing at a locally owned store!

Not only does this store consistently carry a wide array of seasonal clothes, beautiful dresses, accessories, high quality jeans and awesome sale items, I just had the best customer experience ever at Crush!
I recently bought a really cute Gentlefawn dress and after my first time wearing it, the strap broke off. When I took the dress in to see if I could get a new one, the woman at the store seemed surprised and I could tell that this was clearly a fluke and this brand doesn’t tend to have problems like this. After I found out that they no longer carried the dress in my size, I casually mentioned that I wanted to wear the dress to the Beyonce and Jay-​Z concert, which was happening on Wednesday (I brought it in on a Monday). The woman immediately called her manager who agreed to repair the dress.
The next day I got a call from Nikki, the manager, who apologized and let me know that she personally took the dress into a cleaner who would repair the dress in time for me to wear it to the concert! I was totally surprised, stoked to pick it up the next day, and had an amazing time at the concert. It was only a $ 90 dress but they treated it with such importance. I am thrilled to continue wearing this dress and will definitely be back! I’ve never had any issues with other clothing I’ve bought and love that Crush carries such a variety of items, I always find what I’m looking for!

Since I live close to Crush, I can stop by frequently to see what’s on sale. I hate shopping, but I love every dress I’ve ever purchased from this store. Though more often than not, I leave empty-​handed, every now and then I find something cute and reasonably-​priced on the sale rack that fits me perfectly. This is quite the challenge as I am really short and always have trouble finding things that fit. I rarely look anywhere else in the store though because it’s just out of my budget.
This isn’t exactly a raving review, but if you’re in the area, the sales rack in the back left of the store* is definitely worth checking out. It’s well organized and you never know what you might find! Keep in mind that all sale items are final sale (no returns).
*FYI: A few years ago, Crush moved across College Ave to a different storefront so it is now located next to Tootsies. The store is only 1 floor now so there’s no upstairs sales section like other reviewers have mentioned.

I love this boutique for their sales section! I can usually find a cute and affordable dress for sale. Very chic and trendy and the owner is also very friendly.

Once again, I feel like the owner of Crush and Tootsie’s intentionally hires the most unfriendly and unhelpful sales employees.
After immediately leaving the dreadful service at Tootsies (we still bought shoes) we went next store and were not offered a hello, a «can I help you», a thank you for our purchase, or a goodbye. It was totally silent from the moment we walked in. The woman literally just swept the floor the entire time and ignored us — so rude.
Since my mom was in town we needed to get something on the spot but it actually pained me to spend $ 200 on overpriced items when the service was so poor.
I would hate to see this place close because it has cute items and adds to the appeal of Rockridge but it really irritates me to throw money into a business that does not care about custom service.
I will never go back again.

I love this boutique, and have had incredible customer service each time I’ve visited. Items are pricy, but the quality and styles available are well-​worth the splurge when you want to treat yourself with something feminine.
I’m not sure why others think the service is poor– I’ve had nothing but great experiences here, particularly when Nikki is in.

Poor customer service and high prices.
I’ve been somewhat of a frequent customer here as I work in the neighborhood and like to support local businesses, but at this point I won’t be going back.
The staff here are not very welcoming, or friendly, and often are busy talking with their friends on their phones, or who are visiting the store. I started to feel as if I was bothering them when I had a question about the items.

If you’re a fashionista and have the moola to spend on super cute outfits, I would recommend checking out this little neighborhood boutique.
They have adorable dresses, trendy tops, nice shorts, and lots more.
The regular priced garb is featured downstairs — but being a gal on a budget, I always head to the sale racks in the back, up the little flight of stairs.
I’m also a fan of their sister store across the way — both are a mother/​daughter operation.

Over priced, underwhelming. Who charges $ 80 for a thin cotton tshirt with uneven seams and poor stitching? Also, not handicap accessible… seriously???

This was my second or third time to Crush. They are a small store with great finds. I am not the person who spends a lot of time researching the latest fashions, and I appreciate the fact that Crush provides a sampling of «en vogue» looks without knocking out your pocket book. I will continue to stop by this local favorite for parties, work clothes or fun seasonal items.

I like it! It’s more Misses or Jr’s on the fashion/​size tip, but they do have cute trendy clothing and accessories I can see myself wearing, (I’m a non-​busty size ⁹⁄₁₀) especially all the cute dresses! I liked the BB Dakota stuff they had, and they carry some Kersh sweaters, which, for sort of plain looking cotton blend sweaters, have become an everyday basic that last surprisingly long in my wardrobe.
They had a good sale on fancy name brand jeans (only going up to waist size 31 – 32) and my Mom got some cute/​silly flannel pattern PJ’s on sale for around $ 34.00. She was pleased. They also had a lot of winter coats on sale. I like smaller stores like this because they don’t overwhelm me and the prices are good/​fair.
I’ll come back to support this local business when I need more leggings, leg warmers, maybe a cute top to wear out, accessories, a dress for an event, or to check out the sale section upstairs.
They also carry Hollywood Fashion tape products including nipple concealers. Yeah nip concealers!

i’m a dress girl. short or long, a-​line or empire waist, i love dresses. ask any of my friends, you will usually find me in a dress, unless i’m wearing leggings, which barely count as pants anyway. i own exactly two pairs of jeans — one pair of skinny jeans i bought simply to try the trend, and a pair of bootcut jeans from the gap that i’ve owned since college, and am quite certain would now fit only one of my butt cheeks. i just like dresses, what can i say? they’re preeeettttyyyyy!
i needed to kill some time in rockridge the other day before a hair appointment, and stopped into crush on the advice of Liz C., another dress aficionado who is always telling me how much she likes this place. i’m going to have to agree with some of the other Unilocalers here; a lot of the merchandise was way out of my price range, but there were absolutely great finds for those with time to browse, especially upstairs in the sale section. now, i love dresses, but i worship dresses with pockets. and amongst the sale racks, i was able to scare up an adorable gray and black mini with an open back, cinched waist, and pockets for only $ 20! yay! (yes, i just yayed over low-​priced clothing.)
crush has a sister store across the street, tootsies, that i managed to stay away from, lest i spend more money that i should be saving for say, rent and food. overall they have cute clothes, some of which have bloated prices to keep this boutique shop afloat. but it’s usually worth it to give small places your business, and crush has some affordable diamonds in their otherwise expensive rough.

I am a long-​time reader of Unilocal reviews, but I did not sign up or start writing my own reviews until today. I am only doing so now because I had such a stellar experience and I want everyone to know how fantastic Crush is.
No, wait. Not Crush itself, although it is a fabulous little boutique. The staff there is undeniably wonderful. The woman who helped me (forgive me! I never asked your name) was so helpful, thoughtful, articulate, and truly skilled at pairing the right dress with the right body. And after one look at me, she must have KNOWN that I needed help. After an hour of trying on a good six or seven dresses that she hand-​picked for me, almost all of which (shockingly!) fit nearly perfectly, I left with a lovely French Connection dress and heck of respect.
This place is not cheap… but you get what you pay for. Great quality clothes, lovely jewelry, and the most helpful staff a girl in dire need of a dress for a wedding could ask for. What a life saver!

I love patronizing small stores. It is fun to meet the owners and learn the story behind the reason they are there. This place is no different — a woman’s dream that was supported and encouraged by her women friends. (the reason I know this? my last visit yielded a nice chat with the owner) It gives the clothes a good feeling that money just can’t buy.
I have stopped in here a few times and always find something that I am looking for or want. Generally on sale! The clothes are on the «comfy» side — which I love. They are the kind of things you can dress up or down — not too up and not too down. Just right. Think weekend lounging with friends at a cool restaurant and enjoying drinks and a view… or at home entertaining where you want to be chic but not overly dressed.
I stopped in here recently (the night before an important trip) needing (wanting more like it…) a couple of new dresses to wear to dinner/​out and about. Liz (the owner) was really helpful and steered me in the right direction. I found two dresses that are fabulous! They also didn’t break my wallet (but look like they could have).
Someone else commented on the store policy of checking bags. I stopped in with my work bag (stocked full of papers) and a gym bag — I set both in the dressing room. Liz did ask if I would mind if she held my gym bag behind the counter. I was a bit surprised but also realize that she doesn’t know me from atom and has every right to protect her business. I wasn’t insulted at all. I was surprised — not insulted. Also — if she is implementing a policy — she is going to treat everyone the same and not «profile». So as much as I didn’t feel like I fit the image of a shoplifter — obviously the way thieves are successful is they do go unnoticed or the store owner would instantly pick them out.
Don’t let an owner protecting her business put you off. She and her daughter are sweet and helpful. After you find your perfect outfit — buzz across the street to her other store Tootsies to complete your look! Tootsies is like foot-​crack. Totally addictive.

This is difficult to do, but I feel forced to write this. I hope the owner will read this. I was recently in the store and was asked to «check in my bag» with the salesgirl. I asked why and she said it was a new policy due the amount of people stealing items by stuffing them into their purses. Ok, I get it– but I never understand making honest customers FEEL like criminals just because there are criminals out there. Why should I trust that the salesgirl will not steal from my bag? Horrible service policy. I’m sorry, I won’t go in again unless that policy is changed.
On a second note, interestingly enough– I did witness a man steal some shoes from their sister store across the street on a previous day. so, I am certainly aware that crime is on the upswing. Still, that type of policy is insulting. Theft is a part of being in retail, unfortunately.

Crush is a pretty good store, not one that I’d go crazy over, but one that I’d visit again if I were in the area. They had some great dresses and tops, and a good selection of jeans. I didn’t really see anything that I really liked though, but that may have just been the current collection of clothes. Items that piqued my interest either were out of my price range or did not have my size, but they were still cute.
The second floor housed the sales items (40% off I think). Clothes there were really cute too, but even at 40% off the original price, they were still pretty expensive for me. I did however get a cute Kensie top for about $ 15 on sale.
The dressing rooms were well-​lit and spacious, so I’m really happy about that. The girl at the counter was friendly, but seemed preoccupied on the phone. She was either talking to another employee or her boss, so it didn’t bother me at all.
I definitely recommend stopping by here if you’re in the area.

The Sweet:
This is a lovely boutique with some very nice designers and fabrics. Clothing prices range from $ 25 for knit tops to $ 50+ for dresses, skirts, etc. They have a nice selection of belts and other accessories as well.
It’s hard to describe the style of clothing here because it seems like they are trying to capture the taste of a lot of different women. Which is good, because you probably won’t have a problem finding something there that you like. But I’d describe it as pretty classic pieces, that are age appropriate (30s+) with a bit of flair. Definitely very feminine and not at all edgy. Also, the girl that worked there was very nice and friendly.
The Sour:
They don’t follow Unilocal… lol

I have a booty.
It’s a blessing and a curse and a direct result of being Latina. Strangers have slapped, grabbed and outwardly commented on my butt. Sometimes it’s fun and sometimes… it’s not.
Dress shopping is never fun. The first thing I do is the «booty check». Am I flashing butt cheeks if I bend over just 10 degrees? Mini dresses are cute but dammit they don’t cover my rear end at all!
Crush had the cutest stinkin’ dress!!! It’s short but long enough that I won’t pull a Brittney! I walked in 7 minutes before closing and the girl was a doll and helped me out and was super nice even though I ran over closing just a few minutes.