I’ve been working on my office wardrobe, and I picked up a dress and overcoat that I adore at J Crew. Since then. I’ve been receiving their catalogs. What I can say is I just don’t get it. I understand they are supposed to be preppy, and that’s cool. But somehow I just can’t grok what the look they are going for is. I see a lot of pastels, not particularly artfully mismatched patterns, and boxy, not particularly flattering styling.
Can someone help me make sense of what vibe they are selling?
They are selling existential bullshit.
3+ years ago they sold preppy yet functional and comfortable clothing in a variety of classic, bold colors. They marketed to white collar upper middle class women who wanted something a little more fashion forward than Ralph Lauren for their 20’s.
There was nary a pastel or plouffy flower or cigarette pant in sight.
I used to adore Jcrew - anything they made, I could picture myself wearing. Good quality stuff in great, flattering cuts. Now I only buy their straight leg jeans and cords, 100% wool and 100% cashmere sweaters.
And now…they sell existential out of touch bullshit.
Well said.
I worked for J. Crew in the mid 90’s. I loved their stuff back then. In fact, I’m wearing a J. Crew sweater right now that I bought before I started working there, so it’s probably close to 20 yrs old. Everything used to be such quality then. Classic clothing you could wear for years.
Then they trended more toward what Lindsay said. Preppier, more fashionable, lots of bright, bold colors. Not really my style, and I wasn’t working where I needed clothes like that so I stopped paying attention to them at all. I recently went back to look at their stuff and was surprised at what they are selling.
I miss the vintage J. Crew of the 80s and 90s.
I’d call it some sort of preppy/wannabe-hipster hybrid. Taking the preppy basics and putting what they see as a quirky spin on them, akin to how a hipster girl might wear a short flowered skirt, striped tights, a polka dod shirt, a crazy hat in a color unseen in the other items, and a huge pair of glasses. But it’s still JCrew, so they won’t go nearly that far, which means that the idea gets kind of muddled.
They do have some good pieces still, but you have to look at them in isolation and ignore some of the odd combinations.
I was obsessed with their spring 2010 collection (ethereal pastels, ruffles, lots of bling). I haven’t understood anything they’ve done since.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t quite get it. I work with a lot of white, upper-class, preppy young ladies and I don’t really see anyone sporting this look. A lot of the catalog features basics, which are obviously fine. But I can’t figure out the motivation for showcasing your pastel teal and butter yellow color-blocked sweater with shiny indigo and red patterned shorts.
I can kind of see the prep-gone-hipster thing, I guess, if I squint. I’m trying to figure out, though, what this is supposed to evoke. Preppy stuff is supposed to make me think of boating, relaxed weekends in the country home, upper-class sporting events and classy dinner parties. I wear a lot of Banana, which makes me think of killing it at meetings, going to tapas after work, and general somewhat classy professionalism. I also wear a lot of Anthro, which makes me think of quirky bohemians, the modernly retro, and the delightfully outré.
What images are supposed to be going through my head as I flip through the new J Crew catalog? What am I supposed to be aspiring to?
There are some blogs written by hip young women who sport the look, or an approximation of it. Rockstar Diaries is the one that comes closest.
SO JEALOUS! 
Sigh. I hope my post didn’t come off as bitter. I like looking good AND being comfortable. I don’t mind spending money to do so and I like a very exact aesthetic. Lots of clothes simply DO NOT fit me. I hate clothes shopping.
I fell in love with Jcrew probably around age 20. And for 3 years we were a match made in heaven. I just turned 26 and for about 2-3 years it’s been increasingly more difficult for me to find anything there beyond sweaters, jeans and cords. All of the basic items have dropped in quality and I find myself like a fish out of water.
Right now I’m wearing a brooks brothers boys chambray button down shirt and straight leg michael kors jeans right now. The first belonged to my youngest brother before he hit puberty (he’s almost 18 now) and the jeans are from a high end consignment store. I hate piecing together clothing like this. Blah.
In the 90’s and up until 2-3 years ago, you were supposed to aspire to be the head of a nonprofit, a cool pediatrician, maybe work in fundraising for a cancer research center.
Now you’re supposed to be faux-ivy league educated, hanging on the arm of an i-banker. Brunch is your currency.
Their basics have dropped in quality…and risen considerably in price. The oldest sweater in my closet is a grey wool crewneck men’s pullover sweater I bought from J. Crew in 1996 for $29.95. It still looks great (except for a hole in one cuff, but I don’t mind it).
Now you cannot find a men’s sweater for under $60, and women’s sweater for under $80. That shit is bananas.
Easy there Carrie Bradshaw. Being an I-bankers arm candy is so pre-2008. The modern J Crew woman should be a career-minded junior editor at Conde Nast living in Williamsburg and dating an up and coming hipster blogger.
I miss the 90s where J Crew for men meant dressing like a Gloucester swordboat captain.
I don’t see the draw, either. It is season after season of rehashed cardigans, blazers, sweaters, and dresses. If you will: a more colorful and embellished version of Gap, with the same degree of unspiredness. Everything is just so contrived, from the concepts, to the way the pieces are not artfully - agree with you there - mixed together, down to the standalone pieces. They lack the effortless downtown, je-ne-sais-quoi of stylish youth. I guess if you are just getting basics, then that is not so bad, except that their basic cuts are unflattering, not of good quality, and far from contemporary.
And they are guilty guilty guilty of grotesque vanity sizing. I know it’s practically everywhere in the US to some degree, but when a lot of their “Size 00/XS” are really more like Size 6, then that is going overboard.
Quite honestly, I also have no idea what vibe Jcrew is attempting to create, but stylish upper middle class? That’s a laugh. More like soccer mom who’s trying. When I think of a contemporary, fashion forward young woman, I think more along the lines of Phillip Lim, Derek Lam, et al…
Well, that makes me nervous, since I typically wear the same size in JCrew as I do in other brands. Great, are they all vanity sized? What brands are known to NOT vanity size?
Post a link to one of these odd outfits. I am curious.
The guy’s stuff is getting pretty weird too. Lots of bizarre mashups of patterns and colors that don’t even look good on the model. They keep pushing (for men) that rolled up pant look that I have never seen anyone wear (outside of the magazine itself). It is almost like they have decided that they are going to create trends rather than copy/follow but the results are stiff looking and strange (but also oddly deja vu like).
I still buy all my teeshirts from there though.
Yeah, I’m totally on board with this. J Crew used to be a go-to and I have no idea what happened to them. The worst part is that they still occasionally have normal basic pieces - non-skinny jeans, plain knit shirts - but only online. I can’t find them in stores. (And they aren’t the only store I’ve noticed doing this. I’m looking at you, Limited.) The problem is, if I order an item online and it turns out I need a different size, or I want to order more colors, then there’s a good chance that what I want will sell out before I can reorder. So if there are, say, three or four pairs of pants I want to try on, I’ve got to order all possible sizes (“Looks like this style rides low, so do I need a long inseam or not? Am I a 6 or an 8 in this cut? What? 4?! Why?! I was a 10 in that other pair…”) in all the colors I like. I’d have to order 30 pairs of pants at a time. And when the quality has gone to hell, and the prices have skyrocketed… forget it.
Of course, if I’m looking for ill-fitting pieces in obnoxious colors and mind-boggling patterns, with fabrics chosen from the bargain bin and the upholstery section, sporting unfinished hems and seams and covered in random sequins, then I’m all set!
I’m linking to the site, because you do not want to miss the zoom on these babies. Here’s a beaut. And another. Seriously, what is going on here?
That last shirt reminds me of something, though. Oh, yeah: it looks like a replica of an original Gordon Gartrelle.
Wow, your “another” link seriously looks like she’s wearing the shorts with the butt facing front. I mean they were already ugly and ridiculous but the front-butt takes it to a new level.
It’s not just JCrew that does that mix-n-match thing, though – that’s just “in” right now, and no, I don’t get it or like it either. You can look at those outfits on the models and subliminally accept them as attractive because they’re legitimized by being on a model, on a website or catalog, for sale…but in real life, you wear that exact outfit and you look like you dressed in the dark. It’s ghastly and I refuse to conform.
I will wear navy tights with a navy dress, I will! I don’t care if it’s “matchy-matchy” – why the hell is that a problem? No, Anthro catalogue, I refuse to believe you that dark grey tights and black shoes go with a navy dress. No, they do not!
I will always have a fondness for JCrew, I used to be a sales dolt there many moons ago.
I have to agree that the prices have skyrocketted over the last decade. No argument there.
The clothes however look great. Those women’s clothes look very hip, in a wealthy, preppy (80’s) way. Women’s fashion is always fleeting. These styles looked bad a year ago and will look bad next year. Right now, if you show up somewhere and can pull it off, you will look great.
As far as men’s, their stuff is so conservative and preppy, I am not sure whats wrong with it. I poured over 10 pages and found only a few articles of clothing that were ridiculous (bright blue pants, etc.)
wow, those links were horrible; people buy that? :eek:
what clothes DO y’all like?
I have shopped (catalog)
J. Jill (but, please, does EVERYthing have to be neutral?)
** Landsend** (can you make the petite pants an inch longer, please?)
Coldwater Creek need more petites
Eddie Bauer need lots more petites
Do you guys walk into a store, grab the exact outfit that is on the mannequin and that’s that? If that’s the case, then yeah, you’re going to be unhappy with a lot of stores lately. Another non snarky question: how old are the respondents here?
Of the previously posted links:
This? I see girls 17-25 dressed like this all the time (outside of work, that is). That said, the shorts are a bit young for most, but that top would be great with jeans or even a more standard skirt for the office. In fact, that top with some capris or shorts and wedges? Cute summer look.
This top is a bit silly put together like this, but throw it with some skinny jeans and a fierce pump? Maybe a leather jacket? Excellent going out outfit for someone in their 20s or a trendy 30 or 40 something.
This skirt belted with a white button up and nude pumps would be great for the office. Denim shirts are a thing now (one I’m not particularly into) and while I’d never wear one like this, I’ve seen people pair them with shorts in cute looks.
The blazer isn’t my style, but I don’t even have to explain how styled differently, it’s fine. Same with the shirt. The pants are also not my thing, but I’ve seen girls wear those types of pants with flowey, tunic tops and it look fine. Actually, not even just girls-- that’s a look I see frequently on middle aged women down in So Cal.
And in this one, I like the pieces separate from one another. I wear tops like that all the time, though I just wear mine with jeans and more flowy and open. Mint is super, super in right now (I just bought a mint stretchy mini skirt), so those shorts would be super cute with a chunky white sweater and some fun accessories.
Don’t get me wrong, I have never in my entire life purchased a single thing from J Crew and don’t plan to, but I think that most stores style their looks in ways that are more editorial than practical. It’s just to give you a sense of what can be done-- then you take the pieces and make them work for your life.
