I was among those invited to take a look at J.Crew's Spring/Summer line yesterday.Was great getting to chat with Jack and catch up with Frank as well as shoot the sh*t with the usual suspects(Mort, MW, Randy, etc.)
All in all, Frank and his staff have continued along their well established path of sturdy takes on work wear, refined suiting with clean silhouettes and the well chosen and curated collaborations, new among them, one of my faves, the Hill-side(will be available only at the Liquor Store and the men's shop at 484 Broadway in NYC). Familiar collaborations like Alden, Baracuta, Superior Labor and Mister Freedom(Jack telling me that there is actually a "tri-laboration on some t-shirts between J.Crew, Saint James and Mister Freedom). Some stand outs in the line for me include the wax canvas/leather Red Wing Wabasha Chukka, the Ludlow suit in a navy sharkskin, both the nail head tab collar workshirt as well as a new red chambray version, and the firemen's jacket. Also a stand out, my old friend and studio-mate's paint covered cut off army shorts(seriously). Have a look at some photos from the presentation as well as scans of the smartly packaged lookbook.
25 comments:
i think J crew is doing a great job and love what they do...
however sometimes the blatant RRL knock off from 2 summers ago(paint splattered army green cut off shorts) are a little much...
they even went as far as to add the turquoise and green paint!!
Maybe they should pick some real men to model their clothes. No offense, but those models look like a bunch of pretty boys.
All in all it looks great, however I do have one problem with the whole work wear trend; I feel like companies and designers in general are getting so lost in work wear that they are forgetting about keeping the looks clean and fresh. I see these chukkas and I can't help but think about the early 90's with chunky, fat soled, Polo sport boots, or something of that type. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic desert boot and other types of chukkas however these seem to maintain a clean sense of design where as some of the others seem to be getting so caught up in the work wear, just like every other trend that comes and goes, that they are forgetting to keep the designs clean, fresh, and sharp.
I like a lot of it, but why in the world would anyone want to wear cut off shorts with paint all over them? And if I were going to wear them I would cut and paint some short I already had. The Aldens and Russell Mocs are fantastic, though.
J-Crew stuff falls apart a week or two after you buy it. Why bother with it. Go out and get the stuff thier "designers" are ripping off, its better made and you will not be chucking it or giving it to your friends in a year.
Ok. They have Alden, Rogues Gallery, Timex, Hill-Side and Red Wing.
That's totally awesome. However, it seems the best part of this lineup is the stuff from other companies...
Granted, all rocking collaborations, but still...
I think the quality and detailing of J. Crew stuff is pretty great, especially given the price point. Sure it's not quite Engineered Garments, but in terms of fit, quality and design direction it's very nice nonetheless, and certainly a huge cut above other (in some sense comparable) American mass retailers like Banana Republic, Gap, etc.
Any more info on the Fireman's jacket? Is it a collaboration? Looks great...
Love the tab collar sportscoat, too.
Are any of you even serious? This isn't even close to being real workwear. J Crew will always have its roots in yuppy culture. They haven't even come close to crossing the workwear threshold yet.
This post has apparently caused a bit of a stir and ruffled a few feathers. Yes, J. Crew has roots in "yuppy culture" but times change, directions shift and although the company is certainly a main stream operation, they've, in the past few years, strode into new territories. Look, they're smart and deliberate people over there, and they've shifted into making accessible clothes for men and women who can appreciate far more expensive clothing but don't want to pony up for it. There has been a bit of a recession happening. It's almost an archaic process of thought to write them off completely. Many comments point out that while J. Crew's penchant for co-opting or co-branding with older, "heritage" brands rubs some the wrong way, those very same people have a closet full of J.Crew BD's. And indeed, they certainly stand out among other larger manufacturers and neighbors along 5th ave. Not to mention, they've been fairly successful in creating an interesting experience in their "specialty" shops here in the city, i.e. Liquor store, 484 B'way, the Women's shop on Madison...It's a thin line they tread but more times than not, it seems to work.
I can appreciate both sides to the coin and by all means, keep the dialogue coming. Thanks to everyone for visiting Secret Forts and I always welcome/look forward to the comments left.
best regards,
James of Secret Forts
In my opinion the best brands are the ones that subtly incorporate elements of a particular aesthetic into something versatile and wearable. Militant workwear hardliners might get misty-eyed looking at the latest Post O'alls offerings, but most anyone commenting on a blog like this one lives in a city, and that's the audience J. Crew is targeting. I live in New York: I spend my free time at galleries and bars, not splitting cords of wood or baling hay. Consequently, I shy away from wearing anything that smacks of costume-y pretension, even if that means it's less "authentic" as measured by some fundamentalist yardstick.
In general I agree with James: it's nice to see J. Crew collaborating with great brands, and presenting a cohesive, approachable aesthetic. I'd buy my entire wardrobe at Odin if I could, but it's great to see a brand like J. Crew producing thoughtful, well-cut stuff I'd still like to wear, and doing so at a more reasonable price point.
for a big company, sure, j crew is doing a good job but the blatant ripoffs and the overall mediocre quality of their materials ruin it for me. its also made for a big guy...their shirts rarely fit properly on me.
in the last photo next to the alden shoes, isnt that a blatant rip off of the unis waxed double breasted coat from a few weeks ago?
How can any of you bloggers ever be objective anymore when you are clearly just paid parasites to these corporate cunts.
Having a short inane moronoic film made about you surely is indicative of how sad things have become in blogsville.
Im sure you won't post this
Easy for you to say, "Anonymous."
why would I not post your comment Anonymous? I encourage any and all comments, criticisms, thoughts, ideas...bring it on. But maybe, and this is only a suggestion, be upfront as to who you are. Indeed, it's just too easy to lob such scathing rants from the safety of anonymity. You know who I am, why not let me know who you are? Thanks for visting Secret Forts.
This makes me want to quote Abe: "You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time."
No matter what is said or posted there is always going to be a vocal minority of people that complain about it. The J.Crew stuff is solid. They are a large retailer dealing in high volume, we should be happy they are an option to choose from. If you aren't into it, I say move on.
In regards to Anon 7:20am. Are you a child that can't make your own decisions about how to spend your allowance? "How can any of you bloggers ever be objective anymore." What is really objective in life anyway? The news? The government? James doesn't have an agenda here, most bloggers don't (myself included). Even if that weren't the case, be able to think independently, be an adult and be able to make decisions for yourself.
Personally, I like to see all of the collaborations, even if it's just J Crew selling a few select items from another label. I think it sometimes can lead to a bit of brand dilution, such is the case with The Hill-Side products. It seems everyone is selling the ties and bandannas these days. That said, ever since I picked up a red (plum) Hill-Side bandanna several months ago, I instantly thought that they should be making shirts out of that chambray. It's great to see that J Crew is helping make that happen.
I think the design team from J Crew is dope. I for one was not even checking for them a couple years ago. The thing I like most about the clothing is that it is void of logos. Classic stuff....
Are the fits different ? Last time I was in NY I went to the Mens Shop and the fits on the wovens where horrible ?! Baggy arms and a boxy fit. And I tried a Small !
The images look good but that's an illusion..
Wow, Anonymous really changed the tone there! Or maybe it was a different Anonymous? There are so many nowadays.
I love J.Crew. Always a good option for those of us that can't pay a fortune for every single piece in the wardrobe.
As for the durability discussed earlier: I'm wearing a white J.Crew oxford shirt as we write/read. As I have been for the most part of the last two years. Wear and tear would be welcome by now but there's very little of it.
I think this J. Crew stuff looks good and I am excited to see it in person! I live in NY and (aside from a number of you) I like the way their stuff fits me, not to mention what they've done with the Liquor Store and 484 B'Way.
I think Michael from ACL has a point. They are a large retailer and they've done a good job in giving us options that won't break the bank.
I for one respect this blog and others for providing information and a forum on which to exchange ideas and opinions.
I enjoy the posts guys!
I think the J. Crew stuff is a nice blend of workwear, military and sport influenced casual wear. It's definitely not for the seeker of exact to detail repros, but wearable modern clothing.
god. the fact that people even complain that j.crew would follow suit of another company, or rather 'rip off'.
you guys don't know how good you have it in the states. when i head down across the border i preplan where a j.crew is so i can at least get a few things in my wardrobe that i truly love and can also afford.
i cannot wait for some of that s/s 2010. thanks for the preview!
Seems the one thing I'm interested in isn't part of the collection. In pic. 32, 3 guys with their back to the camera, the guy on the left (blue blazer & glasses). Are those 1 of a kind vintage boots, or repro's? Anyone know?
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