https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:49:31 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314833 Thu, 23 Mar 2023 03:06:27 +0000 Indigoprint 2314833@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such an interesting read. I have 3 j.crew sweaters I purchased around 1996 from the catalogue. I had no idea the story behind the brand but appreciated the warmth/style the wool sweaters had to offer for our rugged Wisconsin winters. Still live in Wisconsin, still love them ....wear them a lot .....and they show little wear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314831 Thu, 23 Mar 2023 02:13:34 +0000 BlueJay 2314831@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for the article UmmLila! It's true that J. Crew prep is interwoven "as a sartorial sensibility", as there are items that I didn't even know we're "prep" such as Fair Isle sweaters and plaid, but maybe it's the way J. Crew styled them that was different. (Incidentally, I thought the name referred to rowing, which can be a preppy (and privileged) past time.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314824 Thu, 23 Mar 2023 01:49:08 +0000 Jaime 2314824@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just want to give a shout out to the podcast American Ivy, which was - eventually - mentioned in the article. All three seasons of Articles of Interest are excellent.&nbsp;<br />So prior to listening to that podcast I had precious little interest in prep. The look and vibe never appealed to me. I did grow up in the NE US but not in a prep school environment and when I eventually became exposed to preppy types I was not impressed . I was fascinated to learn, via the podcast, how other subcultures subverted or just borrowed from the look. Thanks for sharing UmmLila! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314810 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 23:38:03 +0000 Suz 2314810@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Pretty dress, <b>Karie</b>!&nbsp;</p> <p>I see how J. Crew would seem arriviste to a true prep. I think it would have been&nbsp; LL. Bean and Brooks Bros. (I know my husband, who grew up in Massachusetts and went to prep school there, got his clothes at Brooks Bros. and still shops there at times.)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314809 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 23:36:45 +0000 kkards 2314809@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you so much for sharing the article. &nbsp;I do remember the store they opened in the chestnut hill mall, I was living a couple of miles down the road at the time. &nbsp;Nice trip down memory lane&nbsp;<div>Back in the day, as UmmLila &nbsp;says, jcrew wasn’t really considered preppy, at least by preppies. &nbsp;Even now, I’m not sure I would say it’s preppy. &nbsp; I do think it’s got a lot of preppy pieces. &nbsp;</div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314796 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:08:01 +0000 Karie 2314796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting article! J Crew has always been one of my favorites because their clothes fit me very well. I just purchased a map print dress from J Crew Factory for an upcoming cruise. Can’t wait to wear it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314793 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:45:04 +0000 slim cat 2314793@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great article - I wasn't aware of the beginnings of J. Crew as a family business! Have just one graphic linen tee from that brand currently - great quality and timeless style.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314771 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:00:26 +0000 Jenni NZ 2314771@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great article, I really enjoyed it thank you! As always I don’t understand East Coast American culture, never have and I think never will. Down here in NZ we were way more attuned to California and the California girl was much more of an aspirational character to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314769 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:55:19 +0000 cat2 2314769@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>UmmLila, I had a similar exposure; prep was J. Press and Brooks Brothers, and J. Crew and Ralph Lauren were seen as arriviste. Such a narrow world! I love classic pieces, but not often the preppy spin on them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314749 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:17:16 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 2314749@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can never completely wrap my mind around the idea of J Crew being preppy. This is due to my having attended a Connecticut prep school with a not super-strict dress code but very rigorous social expectations as to what one should wear. J Crew was not on the radar, but certainly LLBean was. As the child of expats, I always had it wrong. When I got to college, I first heard about J Crew -- and I thought, oh, they are such an upstart brand, not properly preppy (you see, I had absorbed that preppy thing after all &nbsp;</p> <p>But I've been wearing their clothes on and off since then, depending on my own feelings about color and edge and tradition. When I am looking for a particular item in a particular color, J Crew is often one of the first places I look. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314748 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:04:43 +0000 RobinF 2314748@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have never been a J. Crew shopper - too expensive, not my fit and not my style (although I have to say I love Suz's items so maybe I am wrong about that). But I remember my first few years of college preppy was a fad - the Sperry's, twin sets, polos and accessories with little ducks or whatever on them. The Resident Adviser on my dorm floor had shelves full of beautiful color coordinated sweaters. I couldn't afford that and wore my college sweatshirt and jeans most of the time, maybe setting my preference for more casual wear in stone. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314744 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:37:45 +0000 Helena 2314744@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, you're so right about the colours ... even though I'm a neutrals girl, it is always a breath of fresh air to see what they are carrying and the wide selection of hues, even when the rest of the stores are selling 10 shades of black </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314741 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:25:46 +0000 Suz 2314741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Looking forward to listening to the article later.&nbsp;</p> <p>As many of you know ad nauseum, J. Crew <b>is</b> my brand and I was so sad to see it leave Canada....I'd been ordering from their catalogues since the 90s, from before you could do it online!&nbsp; &nbsp;(Rollneck sweaters, anyone? -- making a comeback now, of course.) They were pricey for me then, but I could just about manage a few pieces a year.&nbsp;</p> <p>Later I shopped online and then in store, and a good third of my wardrobe came from there (recently retired some items so don't have quite as many).&nbsp;</p> <p>Why? Not because I want to emulate the "upper crust."&nbsp;<b>Because it fits! </b>And because I crave colour. I have to be careful of the colours, though -- they skew a bit too "spring" and bright for me (more <b>Angie'</b>s colours) but when they are right, they are <b>so</b> right and even when wrong, they give me joy.&nbsp;</p> <p>My parents are from the east coast of Canada and I spent a lot of summers as a child in the northeastern US. Maybe that influenced my personal style more deeply than I know?&nbsp;</p> <p>I don't like full on prep -- that's not me, either. But if you told me that in the future, I could only ever shop at one retailer, I would probably choose J. Crew because I would know I could get dressed in complete outfits.&nbsp;</p> <p>This is just what's in the current closet! You should see the stuff I've worn out/ retired! Note that some of these items are a decade old and still going strong.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ordering from them now is kind of awful. The prices are outrageous in CAD. The quality is less reliable than it was even five years ago (some items are fabulous, some, not so great). Returns are expensive and a hassle. In future, I'll probably shop only their sales in Canada, and if I want a current item pronto, will order to the US and go down and pick it up at earliest convenience.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314739 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:18:40 +0000 Helena 2314739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What an interesting read; thank you Ummlila!</p> <p>I like J. Crew as inspiration, but it's too pricey for me (and not overly accessible in Canada as noted above!). I enjoy preppy style insofar as it tends to fall under the 'classic' umbrella and as such tends to have staying power and practicality (and works with my personal style). The social stratification that it represents is very fascinating; suffice it to say emulating the 'upper crust' is not interesting to me, at least in part because I don't think it can be done with clothing anyway (Inventing Anna being the exception proving the rule?!?) ... but that's another topic!</p> <p>Thanks again Ummlila; now off to browse their spring looks! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314734 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:22:25 +0000 Irina 2314734@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for the article.&nbsp;<br />I remember going to the JCrew stores once they opened in Toronto. One of them was in the mall I frequented and I often dropped by it. I loved their clothes and yet hardly bought anything. I tried and tried but what was so lovely on a hanger, look so wrong on me. I wish I had better understanding of my personal style at the time. It would explain why it looked so unauthentic on me.<br />Now, I browse the website once in a while and look for something generic like a stripe tshirt. But I'm keenly aware that it is not my brand. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314732 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:47:04 +0000 Dee 2314732@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>J. Crew stores only existed in Canada for a short period of time during the 2010’s and at that time there was already plenty of competition and more affordable preppy retailers available like the Gap, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod, Nautica and even Old Navy.</p> <p>The one thing I use to appreciate about this style of clothing, especially in the era before fast fashion, was it’s timeless quality and its sturdy construction. It’s definitely harder to come by these days.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314730 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:41:18 +0000 Vildy 2314730@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Appreciated Ginger's history.&nbsp; I have another take on it as well from the mid sixties at an Ivy League school where kids came from from prep school and the girls wore Peck and Peck, purchased from a bricks and morter store.&nbsp; I'd describe it best as "matronly." </p> <p>ETA&nbsp; also Villager and it had to be the new season prints and therefore could not be purchased at discount.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314728 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:35:34 +0000 Ginger 2314728@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting article, I just wish this part wasn't so completely wrong:</p> <p>"Prep fashion has its roots in the nineteenth century. In <b>1849</b>, Brooks Brothers introduced the ready-to-wear suit to American consumers, radically changing how people dressed. The availability of premade garments in standardized sizes had two effects: it made “gentlemanly” dress affordable to everyday workers, and <b>it loosened the silhouette of menswear from the fitted, custom tailoring of </b><b>the Victorian era.</b>"</p> <p>Total bunk. The Victorian era began only 8 years prior in 1837 and ran through 1901; ready-to-wear hardly "loosened" anything. I suspect either he meant "Georgian" instead, or he just used "Victorian" to mean anything before the 20th century. Either way it's sadly ignorant. Ready-to-wear did slowly revolutionize fashion by homogenizing styles* and creating a clothing industry. Where before there were independent tailors and an absolutely booming secondhand clothing market. There are extant 1840s dresses clearly remade from 1760s gowns - materials were that good and long-wearing.</p> <p>* ironically, by creating the unimaginative and basic dark suit that men have more or less been restricted to ever since</p> <p>I'll get off my soapbox now. I appreciate the history of J. Crew and also marvel at honestly how irrelevant "preppiness" was in my youth! Perhaps I'm just working class who never aspired! (Or maybe the "Americanism" of prep is a fallacy, and more just shortsightedness on the part of those who are accustomed to it.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314724 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:25:02 +0000 Roberta 2314724@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Their history is so interesting! Prep was never my style, a plump girl from Akron Ohio, but I can't wait to read the new book. Fascinating to think that they started as a mail order catalog, and THEN expanded to stores. I seem to remember that J Jill did the same thing. I used to get the catalogs and then all of a sudden they had a mall location. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314722 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:22:25 +0000 Jenn 2314722@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fascinating article. I remember gravitating towards prep as a middle- and high-schooler in the Midwest, for exactly the aspirational lifestyle reasons the article describes. I really believe there's an east-coast/west-coast divide in American fashion, though, because that preppy influence slipped away, even as an aspiration once I moved west of the Mississippi in my early twenties, and I barely see it all (especially amongst women) out here in California. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314701 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 12:16:02 +0000 Bijou 2314701@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It does seem that JCrew is experiencing a renaissance under Olympia Gayot. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/j-crew-and-the-kingdom-of-prep#post-2314699 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 12:12:18 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 2314699@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://https://apple.news/Azx-eFg4zTs6qJCzngmPk8w">http://https//apple.news/Azx-eFg4zTs6qJCzngmPk8w</a> </p> <p>J. CREW AND THE PARADOXES OF PREP</p> <p>By mass-marketing social aspiration, the brand toed the line between exclusivity and accessibility—and established prep as America’s visual vernacular….</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/27/j-crew-and-the-paradoxes-of-prep">https://www.newyorker.com/maga.....es-of-prep</a></p> <p></p> </p>