It couldn’t have been a more beautiful spring day last Thursday at the penthouse at Milk Studios when J.Crew presented its fall 2010 collection to editors. The sun was shining, the wind was blowin, the Dark ‘N’ Stormys were flowin and there were lots of familiar faces in attendance.
It has just started to get warm in NYC and looking at autumn clothes took some concentration, but J.Crew really nailed it with this collection. As I studied the looks at the presentation I told a friend – this is how I would dress everyday if I wasn’t so distracted or lazy, or a combination of the two.
Since the event and clothes have been out there on the internets, I thought it would be fun to take a different sort of approach and give you a comprehensive wrap-up of what was shown and what was said. That way you will be prepared come late summer when the collection starts hitting stores.
What did the bloggers think?
GQ said: “Too many stellar items to list.”
Secret Forts said: “You just want to put the clothes on, and with this collection, go get lost in the woods like Nick Adams”
The Pursuit Aesthetic said: “[J.Crew has been] transformed what was used to be little more than a preppy mail order catalog into one of the definitive sources for menswear.”
Por Homme said: “The Fall 2010 lineup is a versatile one with everything from a wool blazer to a Levi’s denim jacket all the way to a pair of classic chinos.”
Inventory said: “The fall collection aims to put a slightly toned down take on a number of outwear staples and J.Crew classics.”
Just the facts:
Collaborators for AW10:
Wexler & Co.
Crescent Down Works
Saint James customized for J.Crew by Mister Freedom (launching in the summer)
Hits stores and catalogs:
The fall collection items land at stores in late July, with more coming in August. Everything shown above will be available at the Liquor Store and the Men’s shop on Broadway in Manhattan, plus select stores throughout the U.S.
What about those catalogs?
In 2009, through its 14 editions, J.Crew distributed 36.4 million catalogs. That’s over 4 billion pages.
AW10 price range:
$30 to $1500. The most expensive item is the Belstaff Brad jacket.
yea first… seriously though, Levis 507 ftw. good price hopefully and not LVC-esque $200?
Dig the tweed suit and the fleece cardigan. Not digging all the rolled trousers. I already did that look 25 years ago. Don’t need to do it again.
Love it all, except for the patchwork pants. At least half my closet is J.Crew stuff these days. Makes me look forward to the fall already!
great post again. im loving the country casuals look. im country kid from england so ive always dug this style!!
J. Crew can do no wrong in my book – I love the line…but this season they’ve blown it out of the water. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of these looks!
I like your presentation on this post. Nicely done, as per usual.
J.Crew is one of the few ‘big guys’ right now who is doing a great job. Bring it on. Wish they had a location in Canada.
Does anyone else think it odd that half these guys are sockless? Scarves, hats and gloves, yes. But no socks.
Its silly that you make a whole big deal about buying american and fetishizing quality when you make posts like this.. clothing that falls apart after a few months,, and exactly the china/bangladesh/singapore crap that is pushing real american companies out of business.. you are a fraud and pushing a really stupid shitty ethos. and you are corny as F
Chris that really hurt my feelings when you called me corny. Gosh, that was mean.
so you agree with everything that i wrote but you dislike being called corny? i am willing to accept that. male fashion bloggers are the scum of the earth. i really hope that you die.
Eventually Chris, I assure you, I am going to die.
Great job as usual,Michael. Why is chris a meanie? And why is he on this site?
hopefully sooner than later. and i really hope before i do. you really are a silly creature. good bye. the end.
If I die before you Chris will you make sure my casket is made in China? They make the best.
No, chris is not a meanie, he just needs to get back on his meds. Chris, its of to the next life for you, I promise you wont be lonely.
Michael, is there some way we can keep very sick people off of this site. Like you know who.
What I like about JC is that they offer mostly well priced and affordable quality with a few stellar expensive items thrown in.
I must agree that JC is like a re-run of Polo but then again Banana Republic was like a re-run of Polo until it just went to sleep and started turning out solid colored dullness made of cheap fabric.
Hahah, im sorry. i said i was going to leave and i really will now. but did you just call me a “meanie”?
Hello Chris!
Eat shit and die.
Thanks.
First time I’ve felt J. Crew is beating out R.L. Well done.
If this makes you the scum of the Earth, then by all means, keep gettin’ your scum on. I find myself coming back to this site day after day. This was a pleasure to read/view. I was in J. Crew here in Boston just today, and I was thinking about the amazing change they have gone through in the past few years. I wanted EVERYTHING Thanks!
God this is all so boring. Doesn’t this customer already own these items. Real tired over the overpriced designer collaborations.
What’s the green coat that looks like waxed cotton, second photo from the top? Hopefully not the $1500 Belstaff.
I was really confused when I made my first tumblr blog. There was no option for comments. David Karp, the creator of Tumblr, said it was to “keep discussion board ‘trolls’ away” and also to keep tumblr “a positive community.”
Now I finally know what he means thanks to the unfortunate dialogue that has unfolded between Michael and Chris……pretty funny not gonna lie.
But in all seriousness,
Chris, lets make sure we remember the meds tomorrow.
My guess is that leather number 4th from the top is the pricey Belstaff.
This stuff is so nice it kinda makes me want to move out of LA. Can’t remember the last time I could wear layered wool without feeling like a tool.
…and hot.
Chris your hypocrisy is hilarious. If you hate fashion blogs why are you reading them? d-bag!
Frank is doing amazing things at JCrew, folks are equally proud to be reppin’ the brand alongside other “higher-end” digs. Nice post, Michael.
I think that J Crew is starting to make Ralph look like Tommy
I’m surprised (I)nventory’s review wasn’t “Beep-beep boop-boop, chambray, engineered garments, game changin, blark”
For those of us who could not make it into the event, this is a great, in-depth recap. Thanks MW!
Thanks for the informative post.
I also blogged about this the other day but from a fairly uneducated perspective (because I’m in the UK, we don’t have J.Crew, most people wouldn’t have a clue who they are so I don’t have any first hand experience) so it’s good to learn more about the brand.
Next time I’m over the other side of the pond I’m going to make sure I get round to checking them out..
Michael, is it true?
as you said
“If I die before you Chris will you make sure my casket is made in China? They make the best.”
I only know that the casket is very expensive in China.
The shoes look pretty good too. Especially the wing tips and oxfords with what appear to be proper welted leather soles. Are those J Crew branded shoes?
Thanks.
Can you get your choice of tartan lining in those caskets?
J. Crew definitely has some good looks going on here. What I find troubling about J. Crew as a whole is when I go to actually see the products and try them on I get completely disappointed with them. The fabrics in the shirts seem very inadequate and marginally assembled as compared to other brands in the same price points. The chinos/khakis are all but, ehh, nothing special – for almost half the price I can just get Dockers or Gap (OH GASP!). Some of the collaborative efforts are very marketable, but frankly I found the original product by those collaborators to be the products to have anyway. Every time I see their product label with “Made in China” It just reinforces the notion that this whole “Americana/country/Union” scheme that they are riding so hard is so transparent to me. J. Crew is doing some nice things – but they still have some distance to go before I would say they are outdoing RL. I know, I know – RL is made in Singapore and Bangladesh and who knows where else.
Michael – if you need a casket soon, lemme now – my brother is a Mortician and the best ones are in fact still made in the USA.
For the record, I’ll be hunting down that hooded down Crescent works parka, shetland sweater and button up cardigan – I should have stated I think J Crew does great sweaters.
My favorite is that Woodland Jacket… I hope it’s out around late August when it’s my birthday. Feel free to get me that as my gift, Michael! Haha!
Have to say I love the looks…Frank and the lads are doing a great job!!Quality…hmmm…. I live in the UK and get over to NY a couple of times a year and go straight to JC when I land but have to say the 2 crew neck lambswools I bought last time are great colours but there’s no tension in the waistband so after a couple of wears it now looks like I’m wearing a sack…. if you know what I mean…chambray shirt? Button has come off pretty quick. Sebago dockers…eyelet has come off. These are all easy fixes guys at JC…..!!!
While I don’t love everything (patchwork pants – not so much), overall I agree this is a stellar direction for J. Crew. That said, I think their menswear line is much better than the womenswear. If I was built more like a boy, I would buy their stuff more often. That, and the quality at times is somewhat lacking.
On another note – is there software for the humor-challenged? Some of these readers seem to lack the ability to note sarcasm and ribbing.
Yeah Batesville Casket company, you should do a factory tour. At the end they give you a nice chocolate casket. Informative, and delicious!
I like the fabrics at J.Crew. I have some items I bought 15 years ago. The last few years have been exceptional, and continue to get better. Sure, some items look recycled from previous seasons, but this is menswear. How different do we really want to get season to season?
Mike, I’m working with a company now (a client) that does funeral homes, and everything that goes with them. I’m sure I could hook you up with a sweet deal on a casket if you need. Take your time though. Still plenty more to report!
Used to work with one of the grandson’s owners of the Batesville Casket company. Took the tour a few times, while we were in the area.
William, most of the shoes are ‘branded’, look like Alden, Quoddy or Russle, for JCrew.
I’ve purchased items from J Crew that I’ve owned for more than 5 years and wear every week. I’ve had no issues with durability. For the price, I’m quite happy with the quality of their clothing.
Gotta agree with this statement: “Doesn’t this customer already own these items. Real tired over the overpriced designer collaborations.”
Plus is it just me or does anyone feel like when you go into a J. Crew store the clothes lose their appeal. Their is something about seeing their amazingly styled shots and then the clothes crammed on to clothes racks in poorly designed stores, feels kind of gross.
Thats all….
I still have and wear a boiled wool zip front cardigan and a fleece v-neck pullover I bought from JCrew in 1987. Good stuff. But seriously, would it kill them to iron a shirt once in a while?
Oh and the button on my jeans just fallen off……….
People who are complaining about J Crew’s quality, prices, and collabs are missing the point. I admit that my J crew secret wash button ups do loose buttons and are not the perfect fit for me, but at around $60, that’s less than half the price of a Steven Alan shirt and they are good enough for most occasions. Also, keep in mid that although much of the manufacturing is done in Mauritius, much of the fabric is sourced from the US, Japan, Italy, England, etc…
As far as the collabs go, they are there because they are all classic brands that Frank, Mickey, and the rest of the team all truly admire and do not believe they can improve on. The standard collection works as a gateway to understanding these heritage brands and a philosophy of dressing that previously was on the brink of disappearing.
The only problem J Crew is having is that they are somewhat lost in trying to translate their new philosophy of dress into a shopping experience. Liquor Store and the Men’s Shop are great, but even they are over crowded and feel somewhat corporate. It can still feel very impersonal and numbers driven at certain times. And forget about trying to find these items in a cool setting outside if NYC. The full “New J Crew” concept is only available to see in SoHo and TriBeCa.
That being said J Crew is leading the pack, making it possible for everyday guys to not only dress well, but learn how to dress well. Buy a man an outfit and he’ll look good once, but teach him about clothes and he’ll dress well for life.
@ Alan, well said, you actually changed my mind.
A company as large as JCrew ought to manufacture in the States.
Nice collection. Looking forward to it. What’s with the sockless look? And rolled cuffs? Rolled cuffs are so 1986.
Anybody know the story on the white dialed watch? Are they collaborating with Timex again? Thanks.
we’re also doing a colab. with Warehouse denim out of japan with an exclusive cut (something between our 484 and levi’s 501)
why is everyone so surprised at rolled cuffs? for starters they are everywhere… and not in 1996, but today. I would be surprised if they didn’t have rolled cuffs.
it’s so genius that the crew used waxworks models for the look book, those guys are always one step ahead with the creative stuff, and somebody said that the they were made right here in the you es of ay!….my spring look solved-and all from one store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This stuff looks pretty great, absolutely love the dark green jacket in the second picture. Still, as great as everything looks, I’ve always found J Crew too boxy and sized up for my tiny frame. This collection looks to be a step in the right direction without being enough of a change for myself to step into the store. Maybe next season.
Dear J.Crew,
Please arrange shipping to Australia before AW 2010.
the problem with j. crew is indeed similar to what chris pointed out, minus the very unnecessary remarks. it is poised as an american brand but which has its real roots in mediocrity (quality-wise), in pure branding (most recently with the hype for the womens’ line for obama and often throwing in a token black or mixed blood male and in this case an asian male for once!), and is made overseas. it does indeed speak of the other side of the things that this blog seems to praise, which is worth noting. and, yes, while the prices are cheaper, they are not so cheap as to warrant such praise. j. crew is indeed a fraud, and their liquor shop is just a bunch of pseudo curated nonsense which can be better had from the original source.
Not sure I love the ironic rolling of the cuff paired with the lumberjack look. Seems to hint at masculinity but then throw it to the wind with a whimsical peek of ankle.
Also, does anyone think it’s strange that in the JC stores all the mannequins’ clothes are tied and pinned in the back to provide a better fit? If these things can’t look good on the picture of perfection, will they look good on anyone? Or maybe they are cut for larger bodies and JC can’t bring themselves to put larger mannequins in the stores?
The sad thing is that it’s difficult for someone making under $30k a year to not buy clothes made in China, Singapore, etc. Except of course for vintage, and vintage is great, but nearly impossible to get clean modern items in one’s size without a hefty bill at the tailor. That said, J.Crew is coming up with some very classic ubiquitous items at a variety of price points. A good J.Crew item is one that you cannot tell is a J.Crew item. Hidden branding is the bomb. Also, when it comes to clothing brands in general it is best to know if a brand has a size that fits you as perfectly as a ready to wear item can. It is understandable that there are bodies out there that J.Crew does not fit (and this is primarily us small and stick-like types), but they are starting to get more savvy. Last of all, let’s not forget that they started out as a catalog brand and to this day this is their strength. Sorry to all the retailers out there trying to get commission on suiting etc., but the trick with J.Crew is to know your size and order online. If it doesn’t fit quite right return it and get your money back (they pack return shipping labels with your items). It’s really that easy. Oh and most of this stuff will be 20-40% off with free shipping in December.
Love the classic look.
I think of the ‘Americana’ trend, or whatever you might call it that’s discussed on this blog and elsewhere, is analogous to Alice Waters’ slow food movement and the DIY indie music scene that’s so prominent now in places like Brooklyn. All have a fundamental interest in keeping a connection to the materials, production, and, producers. A corporate beast like J Crew – however talented and well-meaning some of the people involved may be – will only kill this.
Alan, et al.: you said “The standard collection works as a gateway to understanding these heritage brands…” I’d say it’s the reverse: The heritage brands are the gateway to the piles of $72 shirts and chinos. Would any of you/us be talking about J.Crew if it wasn’t for the well-placed Barracutas and “collaborations”?
J. Crew has definitely has been smart by aligning themselves these heritage brands and borrowing their equity. When the trend fades, it will be interesting to see what direction that they move in.
Really love the line, but I agree with the other readers, I won’t ever like the rolled cuffs.
You roll the cuffs for the camera, to show off the shoes. It’s not like the trousers won’t fit properly unless they’re rolled, or something — it’s just tough to tell an ankle boot from a moccasin in a photo when the trousers are covering them. Same reason these guys are layered all to hell — it looks good, yes, but it also gets more pieces in the shot. Nobody’s actually going to laugh at you if you leave the cardigan at home.
JC is an odd beast. Mickey Drexler of Gap fame took the reigns many years ago and has slowly steered the company into what he thought Banana Republic always should have been: a direct competitor to RL. He tried to do this with the Gaps short lived (like 6 months) Hemisphere stores.
In my humble opinion, they have done damage to their brand by removing mens clothing from many of their suburban stores. I understand with a higher price point, scaling down mens production and moving it to urban areas where it can be appreciated in context. That being said, a company like JC makes its money in the burbs. They’ve got to move product. And just like with Banana Republics repositioning, the first clothes were made very well and from then on, it was crap-tastic production at the lowest price possible.
This really, really makes me want to be male. Why does J Crew feel the need to put ruffles and pallettes on every single item in the women’s line, spring or fall? J Crew womens’ needs an overhaul.
I wonder if that suit is herringbone or donegal?
could be out of my heart, thanks S
This really, really makes me want to be male. Why does J Crew feel the need to put ruffles and pallettes on every single item in the women’s line, spring or fall? J Crew womens’ needs an overhaul
why the hairpin as a tie bar though , really…
I really love the new stuff but am annoyed that they are turning themselves into a men’s luxury brand, with prices to match. $250 for Levis?!? I always enjoyed the value J Crew provided – stylish, timeless clothes at a decent price. As Mister Ken mentioned above, it’s annoying that the men’s sections of the regular stores have limited merchandise, even in the NYC stores but especially in the ‘burbs and the malls.
The J Crew story could also be listed under you “Waspy People doing Waspy things”
Anyone else think the backlash against wide lapels has gone too far? Most of these are fine, but for the charcoal wool number fourth from the bottom. I appreciate the roll and everything, but the lapel is almost nonexistent. Isn’t the idea of a lapel that the jacket could theoretically be closed to the neck?
I like, but am very selective about Jcrew lately in what I buy there- It used to be so preppy- I dont know what happened. Its leaning towards being hipster now to me.
And the scarf on top of the suit- I am an AMERICAN- I’m not some Frenchie sitting at a brasserie chainsmoking and drinking espresso on Rue de St Honore!
“I am an AMERICAN- I’m not some Frenchie sitting at a brasserie chainsmoking and drinking espresso on Rue de St Honore!”……………………
Classic, hiliarious
Liked the puffer jacket. Remains to be seen how the item will look like in person.
Some background – I used to work at JC pre Texas Pacific spin-off; this was in the days before the men’s collection had a remote clue and MD was trying to introduce higher price points for JC branded items. The men’s selection was poor, pant sizing was horribly off (e.g. the 32R jeans I had were more akin to a 34-35), the majority of men’s jackets left a lot to be desired in terms of fit unless you were barrel chested, et al. I’d say they’ve come a long way since then (this was ’05): they got smart to not trying to brand $500 and up items under their name, so they did the collabs (and collabs is the fad du jour); I’d agree with most other posters here – I’d go get my Barbour from Barbour directly; yes, there is a very wide demographic in the US (I’m not American), who wouldn’t know these brands at all, were they not introduced through JC, and perhaps, the brands themselves stand some synergistic benefit of being introduced to a younger audience as “cool”. However, in terms of dressing, and one of the posters alluded to this, a lot of the look for the past few seasons has been inspired by the Freeman’s led Neo-Antiquarian ubiquity that permeates the entire men’s market. I understand a trend and a cycle, but I also think I have an idea about “identity”, and as soon as people “get hip” to the idea that Barney’s selling $780 work boots (in wooden box and wrapped with RAW leather belt! Seriously, where’s my paper bag…), it will become apparent that there is a void there, so yes – it will be interesting where J.Crew will go. I personally would like to see them develop a solid stable brand identity, which doesn’t cater to hipsters or whoever. It should be simply “this is what we make and we make it well”. That’s what ALL the brands they’re collaborating with are about. Is Barbour hip? They’re utilitarian clothes made for inclement weather in the countryside. I don’t know. It’s hip to wear a Bedale now, I know that much. But they were making the same jacket long before, and will continue to long after. RL, who is so oft referenced above has to be given credit for consistency – the brand has never strayed too far from a certain waspy / collegiate / British-cut inspired image. JC on the other hand – still floating. Pricepoints? Put it this way – if you’re consistent in producing a quality (well made + well fitting) item, with a strong, consistent identity, you can charge the higher price point. If you want to be some Frankenstein fast-fashion retailer, earning cache by borrowing equity from established staple brands, while trying to push big box retailer figures…Good luck. (but I’m probably not shopping from you). Now I hope somebody over at JC is reading this and this is why: please take a 32W urban slim fit pant. Compare against 33W of same. Does that look like 2 inches to you or what? It does to me. Pant fit, on the whole, at JC, leaves A LOT to be desired. Don’t know who your size model is, don’t know who designs them, but I’d reconsider the first and have a talk with the latter. I’ll cut myself short here. On a positive note – I can get behind the sweaters, and I am still wearing my slim-fit oxfords from five years ago (please don’t do the “aged effect” with the rips. Erodes your brand and have you heard of A&F?) p.s. as far as fits and suburbia – alas, the average American male has a strong proclivity for plus size clothing. You can’t move numbers with form fitting apparel in the Midwest (and you cannot sustain a company as large on the purchasing grace of your more urbane coastal target demographic). p.p.s. Just get the pants right. T’will be a small victory