I loved J.Crew. And I admired Mickey Drexler. And that is why I am often confounded how the coolest brand in the world become faded, a footnote in the history of retail. There is absolutely nothing they offer that I want to own. And this is me, who lives in their T-shirts, white shirts and … Continue reading (Mickey) Drexler vs (Elon) Musk
One of my favorite brands is J. Crew: I have been buying their chinos and casual shirts forever. Their t-shirts have been part of my wardrobe for a very long time. One of the reasons why I love the brand — they sold classically styled, high quality clothes at an affordable price.
Better than Gap and not as trendy as Banana Republic. I think of them as a young man’s Brooks’ Brothers. In a good year, I would buy at least half a dozen shirts, an equal number of t-shirts and a couple of chinos and some sundry items. It was a nice about $600-a-year relationship. No more.
My relationship with the brand changed over past few years — I still buy their T-shirts (about three to-five a year) but I don’t make it a priority to buy shirts from them anymore. Why? Because they have changed the cut of their shirts to tailored fit – slimmer cut — which are essentially not meant for guys like me who have inched into middle age and have some extra weight around their waist. Nothing looks more hideous than a shirt stretching across a belly :-).
Most (but not all) of their shirts are tailored fit. What that means is that I have to buy off-the-rack shirts that are one size too large. That is a terrible idea because then your shoulders are off, sleeves too long and the shirts when untucked (aka how casual shirts are worn) look completely ill-fitting. What is worse is that it is getting harder and harder to find classic fit shirts.
This is a disease not unique to J.Crew. Most of the brands have started offering their shirts in slimmer size and moving away from fuller fit shirts. Banana Republic is going down this route and so is Brooks Brothers. Others such as Thomas Pink are not far behind. Continue reading “Why the Slim Cut Shirt Trend is Stupid”
