November 10, 2007 7:40 PM,  Dain said...

They make good clothes, durable but thoughtful basics. I always feel slightly apologetic for liking J. Crew (how collegiate, how New England, how preppy), but it beats out Banana Republic by a long shot for quality.

November 10, 2007 8:38 PM,  Colleen Shirazi said...

Definitely...Banana Republic went down the tubes some years ago. It used to be very good.

I prefer J.Crew myself, although I'm thinking more and more about American Apparel, or fiddling around with indie houses.

April 20, 2008 1:32 PM,  cyberpenguin said...

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April 20, 2008 1:34 PM,  cyberpenguin said...

Hi Colleen,

Thanks for the shoutout!

As you can see from my blog, "JCrew-a-holics R Us," (http://jcrewaholic.blogspot.com), I write no-nonsense reviews of JCrew fashions. Sometimes I like what they do, & sometimes I don't; either way, it's all detailed there in my blog. The blog is written from the customer perspective, & while, I'm certainly a fan of their clothing for the most part, I don't work for the company at all. (I run my own fashion retail business, Ferlanti Couture, http://ferlanti.com, & also do fashion consulting via Liveperson (http://liveperson.com/cyberfashionista).

I wouldn't necessarily classify my own fashion identity as preppy, as I like to take inspiration from various fashion sources, but JCrew's clothing still appeals to me a great deal. Sure, they're great for basics like their chinos & perfect-fit tees, but what I really like about them is their quality, out-of-the-ordinary pieces in bright & unusual colors that can't be found anywhere else. That's why I look forward to shopping there.

JCrew has evolved a lot since their humble beginnings as a small catalog company & is not just for the college prepster crowd anymore. ;-) While it's true that a lot of preppies & college kids do like their clothing & that they excel at basics & classic clothing, JCrew has also significantly expanded their product lines & revamped their brand image, to appeal to a more fashion-forward audience. Prime examples of this include their limited-edition JCrew Collection line, & the accompanying JCrew Collection flagship store on Madison Avenue, & new signature pieces from their women's line (i.e., like the Camilla jacket, which I just recently blogged about: http://jcrewaholic.blogspot.com/2008/04/yesterdays-store-visit-what-fantastic.html).

These are the kind of innovative designs JCrew is becoming known for all over the fashion universe. Of course, this relatively recent shift in JCrew's fashion zeitgeist is no coincidence; the changes are due, in no small part, to visionary CEO Mickey Drexler, who was hired in January 2003 to revitalize the company's brand image, & move it forward into the future.

If you're curious to read more about JCrew's ever-evolving brand image, etc., you're welcome to read more about it on my blog, http://jcrewaholic.blogspot.com. ;-)