24 Comments
Jul 27, 2020Liked by Michael Williams

One brand I did not see mentioned but think are doing a great job picking up the ball from J Crew mission-wise is Alex Mill. Great quality. Affordable basics with an American Prep lean.

Expand full comment
founding

Great piece and just let Rowing Blazers take over J.Crew!

Expand full comment

The line between J.Crew Factory and J.Crew became less and less clear over the years on price and quality. Re-purposing the namesake confused consumers and devalued the brand.

On pretending to be a high volume, low price merchant, Moneyball said it best: "If we try to play like the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there"

Expand full comment

Thanks for this post - I have loved JCrew but over the past couple of years, I have fallen out of love. The quality has gone downhill big time. I get it - when you are promoting everything at 30% off, you have to strip the garment in order to still hit your margin goals, but I have been in shock of how bad it really has gotten. In all categories really. The only thing I have bought from them was the Nike Killshot, but since Nike.com carries it now, I just buy it there. I thought all of your ideas made a lot of sense. Fingers crossed the management team figures it out! And I will shout out Alex Mill as well - keeping the SKU count tight and keep the styling classic - so you can wear it for more than one season.

Expand full comment

Great article, totally agree on your points. I was an avid J. Crew shopper, and am really hoping for them to rebound and reinvent. But, to do so, there has to be a renewed focus on quality control. I can't tell you how many items I bought from them that started to fray, get holes, etc., after only a few wears and gentle washing (or dry cleaning when needed). A bunch of my friends (both men and women) experienced the same thing. It almost became a running joke amongst us, and it resulted in many of us abandoning the brand. I love J. Crew and want it to succeed so badly! But they have to produce a better quality product.

Expand full comment

I have been wearing JCrew since the mid 90’s and still have a few choice pieces. The staples mostly fisherman sweater, structured blouses, cardigans and shorts. I love the quality of many years past items and frequently look online on Poshmark for my favorite jeans that are no longer produced. I would happily get back on the JCrew train if the quality and style went back to the older standards. You can always put your ‘style stamp’ on good quality clothing at a fair price. Good luck JCrew!!! I am rooting for you!

Expand full comment

As with everything in life it starts and basically ends with the quarterback right Michael? Post Muytens & Snyder its been a few serviceable but not elite guys under center(think Brian Hoyer to Brady) and imo thats where it has stalled in recent years. To keep the sports analogy going its REALLY f''ing hard to find that guy to take you to the mountaintop. For the numeralable reasons you mentioned I sure hope they get there again.

Expand full comment

J Crew should remain synonymous with prep; that's its bankable identity and wheelhouse. The challenge is to reinvigorate the concept of "prep"--- high-quality basic clothing for people under 40 -- so that it appeals to today's demographic. Maybe it's a heavy lift, but who better to pull it off? Forget risky dabbling in pricey runway-fashion stuff with a two-second shelf life. Re-focus on well-made casual clothes that won't go out of style fast--that's the way to ensure J Crew's long-term health.

Expand full comment

Couldn't agree more, JCrew prices were all over the place for years even in the 2008-2012 years, they lost their way in women's wear first in design, then fit & quality. Men's has held closer to the aesthetic but it's so much easier. Chasing market share and size as a measure of success has to be reevaluated, as it has been the downfall of so many companies, Hoping Brooks Brothers & JCrew can reestablish themselves with appropriate relevancy and value for future.

Expand full comment

Quality has definitely gone downhill. My two major concerns, have been: lack of acknowledgement from salespeople when I walk in and no larger sizing. They only come up to me as I'm leaving. I normally wear an XXL in shirts and other than a random return in store, I'm always told to order online. What if I needed something for an event that night? Shoes usually stop at 12. It's frustrating to know that I can never shop in a store unless I'm shopping for short sleeve shirts or shorts.

Expand full comment

I own four pairs of J. Crew shorts from 2004. I love the colors (think summer), fabric, the cut and how they have softened with time. I ordered an additional two pairs last summer and was positively stunned at the lack of color choices (do people really want to only wear khaki, black or white shorts all summer?!) and the inferior quality of the material and how poorly they looked after being washed. Your three ideas for making J.Crew good again are spot on. I would only add that they should stop pandering to what they think millennials want and recognize that Gen Xers helped in their early success and would likely return if they offered a brand who’s purpose they believe in and who’s style and quality of goods matches their own.

Expand full comment

They should go 100% anti-fast fashion. I love j.crew but unfortunately I'm in the factory line tax bracket right now. The quality is still pretty good imo. The reason I like the brand is because it's classic and I'm done with trendy clothes. I want classic and flattering styles/ silhouettes. I'm frankly pretty tired of how the fashion industry has us changing every year what waistline or pant leg is on trend, i.e., what's in this year is total opposite of last year. These mom jeans that are popular now are the worst things I've ever seen, and I grew up in the early 90s, one of the worst times for fashion (for regular people, couture is a different story). There's always a market for clothes that are timeless and good quality. Leave the trendy stuff for other brands.

Expand full comment

You are spot on - come on JCrew! Get it going again! And as for women’s clothing, lose the raggy boho blouses/dresses - even your models don’t look good in them, and you can buy cuter items in this genre at Target for way less and not much sacrifice in quality. Just look at your old catalogues for the blueprint of where you need to go!

Expand full comment

America has demonstrated a consistent forgiveness for mistakes, when a retailer admits them and restarts. Your thinking is compelling and complete. The notion of returning to the place where you were last successful and pivoting with hyper relevance in the equities that they truly own so that they can be loved for their authentic J Crew DNA sure seems like the first place to look. It's measurable and I hope they get out and find it.

Expand full comment

Awesome piece! Ironic that Liquor Store is now a TS, even though TS is AE. Maybe he (TS) has a say in that? I think all of these brands need to tear a page out of Polo, who has brought in literal aesthetic geniuses to rework their catalog. I’m looking forward to a picture of the fresh faces leading the next wave for these brands. It can and will happen.

Expand full comment

Well written Michael. At the beginning, middle, and end of the day, product is king and needs to be inspiring. Mickey, Frank, and Todd all new this and were passionate about it. Other factors are important; but if the product is not there, the ship will soon veer off course.

Expand full comment