Another J Crew Article - YouLookFab Forum

Murph11

Interesting read, LP. Thanks for sharing. Oddly, it makes me want to visit and shop J Crew in a nostalgic, last-chance way.

7 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Thanks La Ped. Interesting read.

7 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Makes me wonder - I have nieces and great nieces who seem to be looking for role models more than ever. Same goes for many of the young people in the rural area where I live. Jcrew was a role model of sorts to me when I was younger. Banana Republic was too of course and that was way back when they didn't have models in the catalogs but had a more J.Peterman style - complete with the fantasy lifestyle mini-stories in text format.

If millennials don't want a "style guide" then I wonder why do so many of them seem so lost? And is the "Internet" really a viable source for life inspiration when most of their days are spent on social media where ads and information is projected to them based on the keywords often from their "personal" conversations?

7 years ago

Meredith

Veteran

A few things that jumped out at me:

"...discerning ones [millennials] turn every purchase into a research project:" Guilty.

Small store size: Any time I've lived near a Jcrew the store was tiny. I might buy from the sale rack but usually had to order what I really wanted online.

"During the Obama years, nostalgia might have seemed harmless, even admirable, but today it feels like a troubled and doubtful impulse." This is an incredibly interesting observation and I really wonder to what extent this sentiment will affect how millennials embrace retro.

7 years ago

Anonymous

I decided to delete my comment because I realized that I don't know what I'm taking about.

7 years ago

Mel

Active Member

Very interesting article. I usually don't like J Crew's outfits, but have a lot of beautiful pieces from them that I get nearly new off ebay for a fraction of the original price (70-95% off!). Their normal and even sale prices are just too high for me to be purchasing new items regularly from their stores.

I agree that these big retailers could be do themselves a big favor by putting more detailed information about their products on their websites. I refrain so many times from buying something online because the information is insufficient and I don't want to go through the hassle of buying something and then returning it. I really like to get it right the first time, if possible.

7 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I miss the lookbooks actually...

7 years ago

LaPed

Veteran

I'm an "old-ish millennial" (born in '86), so I see both sides of this, actually. Like Texstyle says, J Crew, along with Banana Republic, sort of taught me "how to dress". I didn't always dress nicely, of course, being a rebellious youth, but when I did, that was my template. Still is. Well-fitting trousers, an interesting shirt, a menswear-inspired jacket when necessary.

When I started really re-building my wardrobe three years ago (after a couple years of travel and then having a baby), I felt completely betrayed by J Crew (and BR and Gap, for that matter, and Land's End and LL Bean and Eddie Bauer -- all the names that were synonymous with quality for my parents' generation and when I was a kid). The quality was gone, everything fit oddly, and some of it felt like it could have come from Target or Old Navy. It took me quite a while to find my footing in the new retail landscape, and come to terms with the fact that the brands I'd considered old standbys just weren't anymore.

My longest-standing articles of clothing are J Crew, from the early '00s. They're getting a little rough, but they still ooze a level of quality and character I don't really see at that price point anymore, especially from big-name retailers. Taylor Stitch is doing a good job of carrying that torch, IMO, in terms of quality, fit, design, and even the cohesive lookbook style storytelling. I've ordered two things from them so far and both are slam dunks. I'll definitely be back for more in the fall. I wish I could say the same of Everlane, but I find their quality just a bit too flaky and their sizing/fit is hit-or-miss. And my basics mostly come from Uniqlo -- they've more or less replaced Gap for me -- solid-colored, mostly- or all-cotton at a reasonable price, nice selection of colors and graphics, etc. So yes, the fall of the retail giants has pushed me towards newer "millennial" brands. And the simplicity and anonymity does, admittedly, appeal to me. People my age (or at least me) grew up under the influence of Naomi Klein's No Logo and Adbusters so maybe that underpins the aesthetic to some degree -- but then, we're all wearing Adidas again, so maybe we haven't come as far as we think, or escaped the siren call of kitsch and irony entirely...

7 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

I'm with you, Rachey! I found one while I was cleaning out my desk at work. I put it in recycling. The next time I asked for one at the store, I was told to 'go look online' by the SA.

7 years ago

K.M.

Veteran

On a side note, I love the 2007 catalogue pages they reproduce at the top. I had that argyle cardigan in a different color! I loved it (along with the whole vibe of that outfit). Over the years I've continued to admire the growing quirkiness of J.Crew, but I identified myself with it less and less. (Maybe it just means I didn't like the changing fashion trends in general?).

7 years ago

cindysmith

Veteran

It was an interesting read, thanks for sharing!

I was born in 1970, which means I'm not a Boomer and I'm not a millennial and I'm not really much if anything LOL but I've definitely gotten to a point where I know what I want and most mall brands just don't offer it so I don't even bother anymore. I shop a lot at yoox and Etsy, with the occasional first into a bricks& mortar tjmaxx, and that is really it.

I've found that most retailers feel like a sea if sameness to me over the last few years. I'd be more ok with that if the quality hadn't taken a nosedive. When you add the crappy quality to that sea if sameness feeling, it left me uninspired by a lot of what I see in stores, and I quit wasting my time.

The media acts so shocked by all of these retail closures and bankruptcy, but obviously they haven't been paying attention to all of the discussions I've seen all over the internet that talk about that sea of sameness and/or the lack of quality fabrics and construction in even the nicer places like JCrew.

I did appreciate how this article looked at the problem, because it actually looked at the problem instead of acting shocked

7 years ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I agree it was a great article. Of course I don't understand "preppy" at all as so not a thing here. But I feel there are clear generational shifts. I remember in the 90s, as a young Mum, looking around my area and feeling there were a lot of what I called "old lady shops" ( apologies to the fabulously stylish Joy, Bonnie and Mirjana) which just didn't "get" me. And it has taken a while, but now as a late boomer born 1961 I feel "got" by lots of shops. The other type of shop is mostly gone, the 60 and 70 somethings who may have shopped in them are now in their 80s and 90s or not even here any more. And I wonder if that has happened to brands like J Crew, that they just don't "get" the younger people now? Probably very uninformed thoughts sorry, but have noticed changes even without the internet zeitgeist.

7 years ago

Mel

Active Member

La Pedes- I'm also a quality hunter and have been dismayed by items I've seen at Banana Republic and other major retailers lately. It pays to know what you are looking for instead of blinding trusting that the store will offer you 100% great quality items. I get marvelous vintage items off ebay, items made of wool, silk, linen, pima cotton, substantial polyester, including stuff from Express, a brand I would probably never touch in the mall now! And I basically steer clear of all the "Factorys": J. Crew, BR, Gap, Ann Taylor, etc. I've just had too many quality issues with them.

7 years ago

Anonymous

I've never really been in the J Crew demographic. I was already in my 30s when they came on the scene. But the clothes are generally cut for my body type and often come in petites. Oh, the joy of finding a lightweight button front or popover that I don't HAVE to roll the sleeves on. Ditto a well-fitting cotton pencil skirt that doesn't require hemming! I still stalk the Andie shorts on Ebay, because they are a personal classic for me. I still like the merino sweaters, too.

And they do lightweight summer tops and casual dresses better than just about any mainstream retailer. That is huge for me given that I live in a warm climate.

I admit, I never found the looks in the style guides particularly appealing - though they would often draw my eye to an individual piece that I liked. But then, I'm boring like that.

I like the look of the clothing at Taylor Stitch and sometimes Everlane, and I find the commitment to transparent and hopefully ethical manufacturing admirable, and something I would like to support. But they appear cut for someone a good bit taller than me, so I haven't actually tried them.

So I'll miss J Crew if the line perishes, or morphs into something else.

7 years ago

LaPed

Veteran

Ryce -- Everlane does run quite tall. I have a pair of the wide leg crops (finally) and I'll need to hem them up an inch or two (I'm 5'4"). I like their "boxy" shirts and sweaters because on me they hit at high hip -- which is plenty cropped in my book. But Taylor Stitch I don't think runs tall/long at all. I have pants and a dress from them, and both are spot-on for my size and shape (the pants hit right at the ankle bone so I can wear them rolled up or not; the dress is a true knee-length). I've been meaning to post pics, but I've been too busy.

7 years ago

Anonymous

LaP, Thanks for your input on Taylor Stitch sizing. I think I'm done wth clothing purchases for S/S, but I will definitely be giving them a look in F/W.

7 years ago

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