J. Crew's New Raw Denim

[rnrswitch]

Why are people hating on J.Crew and companies collaborating with J.Crew??? If you fools started an independent clothing company and J.Crew offered to collab, I'm sure you'll jump on it! Why? Money talks no matter where you came from or who you are. End of story!

I love it when people that worship money assume that money is the endgame for everybody else. Some people have artistic integrity and don't think of money as the main motivation.

I also don't think that many of the collab companies have sold out when pairing with jcrew. From what I can tell mf is not changing his steez for jcrew and neither is alden.

I just hate the "money talks" mentality and I especially hate it when money consumed folks assume others are money consumed as well.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

anyone else see that j crew are selling warehouse jeans?

i searched but haven't seen anyone else mention it

i feel like j crew has raided my closet

you can build an awesome wardrobe on their site without buying any actual j crew product

alden/russell/quoddy boots/shoes

mackintosh/barabour/baracuta/belstaff jackets

levis/warehouse jeans

superior labour tote

persol/ray ban sunglasses

impressive

[Lendo]

We'd been chatting about it in the Warehouse thread.

Picked up one of the wh sweatshirts from their site. Definitely worth getting.

They've got some good stuff for sale that isn't theirs.

[grooveholmes]

I have a confession to make: I shop at (though not often) J.Crew since moving from South Florida. Mainly because there is literally nothing else interesting (except Raleigh Denim) going on in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. However, this has actually allowed me the opportunity to appreciate some of their items. That said, their jeans are not very special at all. Not impressed.

I don't think J.Crew is disingenuous with their ad campaign per se. The quality certainly is not there, so I do think there's a bit of dishonesty there, but the idea of wearing them in doesn't contradict the goal of selling or pairing it with a pre-distressed item. But that's just my interpretation of the vibe I get, only because even great, small brands like Chimala, Mr. Olive, and KMW do the mix and match of distressed/faded with raw, crisp items without contradicting themselves. I also don't think a vast majority of J.Crew items are pre-distressed. Though if I'd have to shoot for a percentage, I'd say 35-40. They sell a lot of shoes, shirts and pants that aren't pre-worn in or distressed. The "vintage" label seems to be used liberally. In some cases it's used in appreciation of "classic" or "older" looks and fits, not necessarily distressed. If anything J.Crew is trying to provide something for everybody, while showing their support for some of the smaller, independent companies we like/love.

Someone else described J.Crew as Appleby's. That's pretty close, though I'd put GAP in that position and describe J.Crew as the Cheesecake Factory of retail. Same genre, but better menu items. But same genre, for sure.

[yachtrock89]

The problem with Crew is the pretentiousness. I quit working for them a couple of months ago, and I started right as the transition to workwear/ collabs was kicking off. It's the way they market and promote: deceptively. They make things seems one of a kind or somehow artisan made, that are actually produced old navy style in Mariuitius.

Bottom line: they were/are just the most on top of their shit of all the mall brands as far as being on trend is concerned, and they're sucking the life out of everything that was ever remotely cool.

[jyoni]

While out of town, I actually got to quote one of those guys from the 6-month denim expose. The client and I share a mutual friend, who told him about my denim addiction. First thing he did after a handshake was the jean stare, and then asked where I get my jeans. Affecting a cool, level gaze, like we were about to knife-fight, I said..."You got to earn it, son."

I burst into a chuckle halfway through saying it. It was lost on him anyway, so I took the opportunity to nerd out the basics a bit with him.

[grooveholmes]

I picked up a pair of the Levi's for J.Crew 501s in the indigo ridge wash. Online, they're marked down to $80. In store, they were 50% off, so I decided to splurge. I was checking out the standard STF 501s at Sears just for shits and giggles when I stumbled onto the these on sale at J.Crew. For $10 more, I'd rather have a pair of 501s with Cone Mill denim. The fabric is nice (label states "over 13oz.") and the wash (though some may hate) is interesting-- I have a feeling that with more wear, these will yield some nice hues. The patch is leather, not cardboard, though a little on the flimsy side. The hardware is definitely better than what's available on standard 501s. All in all, I think the overall value is better than what I've seen in the past. The only catch is a) they are not selvedge, and while they are Cone denim, they are made in Mexico. Other than that, I'm happy with the purchase while I wait for my LVC '47s to arrive in the mail.

Bonus: a wallet I've been working on. It's waxed cotton in natural-- I've been breaking it in with my ROYs, RT Work Trousers, and Levis so I can have the indigo transfer. I like how it's coming along.

[grooveholmes]

Pics added.

[nycsurfer530]

yeah sadly j crew pre distresses pretty much everything from footwear, bags, belts, shirts, chinos

[grooveholmes]

Yeah, I don't mind it-- if it appeals to someone else, more power to 'em. I just don't buy those items. However, these jeans have some "artificial" whiskering ("hand-sanded" oooooooo), but overall, it's not as bad as it could be. Still, I'm quite pleased with $50 pair of 501s made from Cone denim.