I’ve always thought of J. Crew as a good option for men on a budget, but that comes with some caveats. Their shirts, for example, have collars that are too faddishly short to wear with tailored jackets, and I’ve found their knitwear to pill and lose shape easily. In my opinion, you can get better value in shirts from T.M. Lewin and knitwear from Club Monaco (so long as you wait for one of their many sales).
There are some things, however, that I think they do really well, such as their outerwear. A few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to try on this season’s jackets after stopping by to exchange some Quoddy boots. One that I really liked (and ending up buying) was this “Broadmoar quilted jacket” in burnt caramel. There are some things about its quality that one can quibble about – the interior seams aren’t taped and I wish the insulation was a bit warmer. Still, at $150 (with the current discount code GOSHOP), it’s a third of the price of that quilted Aspesi jacket I wanted earlier this season, but sadly sold out in my size. Truth be told, I’m not sure I like this J. Crew jacket any less. The stand up collar, big quilted diamonds, and creative pocket design all make this a great piece to wear on casual days.
J. Crew has some other nice outerwear this fall. I was impressed by their navy waxed field jacket and Wallace & Barnes’ line (namely the Gransden jacket and wool hunting overshirt). The Wallace & Barnes collection seems to be made from much better materials than the company’s mainline, but it also comes at a much higher price point. I’m not sure they’re worth their full retail prices, but J. Crew is a sales game anyway.
(Pictured above: Quilted jacket by J. Crew, Donegal wool sweater by Inis Meain, utility chambray shirt by Mister Freedom, 14.5oz straight legged jeans by 3sixteen, shell cordovan boots by Brooks Brothers, harness leather belt by Don’t Mourn Organize)