Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Fortune Article on Mickey Drexler Has Arrived!

As mentioned in yesterday's post (J.Crew's Mickey Drexler: King Of Cool), Fortune is having an article on Mickey Drexler. The following is a portion (of the lengthy) article. (Click here for the article in its entirety.)

Retailing icon Mickey Drexler doubles down
By John Brodie
August 20, 2008

...Drexler is wearing dark-blue jeans and -you guessed it- a blue button- down shirt. He then proceeds to engage in a straw poll on what color shirts the men in the room are wearing. The majority are wearing blue or white.

"You know what ends up on the markdown racks? All the weird colors. Guys don't wear orange or citron." The point, or what in Drexler-speak is known as the "big call-out," is to watch out for over-assortments (the same item in too many colors).

Today is the moment in the life of a garment when art meets commerce. The occasion is the Spring 2009 Men's Finalization Meeting, a quarterly ritual where the designers present rough drafts of future items to their colleagues in sales, whose job it is to move the chinos, gingham-checked shirts, and desert boots through the company's 267 retail stores, catalogs, and Web site. Together, the designers and the sales team will decide which looks are home runs and which will be shelved. (Among the verdicts: black chino shorts are in; over-assortments of madras shorts are out.)

The merchandise must be both fresh and popular, because the current retail environment, says Drexler, is the worst he's seen during his 40 years in the business. He wants his merchants, who decide how many of each piece J. Crew should produce, to be smarter than ever.

"Don't be buying out of emotion. Buy less if you love something but feel it's a risky item. We don't want overstock. And remember: No profit, no fun!" he says by way of a benediction.

This little speech might come across as the pedantry of a CEO in love with his own instincts and the sound of them coming forth, but Drexler has the track record and passion to back up the bluster. By his own admission, he is a control freak, happiest when he is involved in every facet of J. Crew's merchandise. ...

...What does Drexler's trend-spotting instinct tell him now? He thinks the dominance of the big-name designer is played out. He's stacking his chips on quality goods at a fair price, repositioning J. Crew as a luxury-for-less alternative. ...

As confident as Drexler is, the timing is risky. While J. Crew is offering a better value proposition, it's going upscale at a moment when the average American consumer is scaling back on discretionary spending. In May the company revised its earnings guidance for the rest of the year, projecting that comparable-store sales growth will be flat or in the low single digits, which sent the company's stock from $49 in May to $28 in August.

And therein lies Drexler's dilemma. Wall Street wants to see growth, but the CEO doesn't want to go on a store-building binge, because if the chain is too far-flung even someone with Drexler's bandwidth won't be able to walk into every one of the stores - something he loves to do - and quiz associates about what they're seeing and hearing on the sales floor ("Which competitors' shopping bags are we seeing?" "Are customers complaining about designer prices yet?").

..His logic is straightforward: Why can't an American retailer use the same Italian mills and fabric makers as European designers but then deliver a more affordable alternative to goods sold at department stores and boutiques?

"Designer goods have become much too available, either through their own distribution or through logo counterfeiting. I see the world moving away from carrying a bag around with the designer's initials or designer's logo," says Drexler. "The more you see of anything, the less special it becomes. It's kind of like the first slice of pizza vs. the sixth. The first you're like, 'God, this is amazing!' The sixth you're like, 'Enough already.' So I think there's an opportunity for us to deliver stylish, quality goods like a woman's blazer for $350, compared with a designer one for $2,500."...

...A major change at J. Crew since Drexler took over is that the company's design team has more influence. Jenna Lyons, the creative director, has been at the company since 1991 but lately has become a rising star in the design world. ... Women she considers chic are wearing her handiwork and supermodel Inguna Butane will be in an upcoming catalog. Since Drexler's arrival she has also been able to source textiles from better Italian mills, including Ratti, which provides prints to some of Europe's leading designers.

She will be debuting an upscale line called J. Crew Collection this fall. More important, the relationship between designers and merchants at J. Crew has changed. "We used to get pretty serious, heavy direction from the merchants in terms of what they needed. Now we get to completely design a line - we get to dream the dream," says Lyons. ...

...Selling directly to customers, either through catalogs (of which there are 13 a year) or over the web, is more the focus at J. Crew. Compared with the flat or slow revenue growth expected from the stores this year, the company is predicting direct-sales growth in the high single digits. Last year 28% of the company's total revenues came from web and catalog sales. That's markedly higher than competitors, including Talbot's (19%), Urban Outfitters (14%), and Limited Brands (which includes Victoria's Secret and clocks in at 14%).

Wall Street likes to see healthy direct sales because that's a way to show growth without real estate costs, and as more and more computer-literate progeny of the baby-boomers graduate to adult brands, online shopping will continue to grow. The downside is that when there's a hiccup with the Web site, as there was during an upgrade to improve customer service this summer, the Street reacts. On July 31, Drexler and Tracy Gardner, J. Crew's president of retail and direct sales, posted an apology. "We've made some mistakes ... too many, in our mind ... We know we've let you down." This cyber apology may have made customers feel better, but it knocked two bucks off the stock....

What do you think of the article? Do you like Mickey Drexler more or less after reading it? Do you agree or disagree with some of Mickey's comments and decisions for J.Crew?

48 comments:

  1. Mickey really is an interesting guy. I think he can lead the Crew in the right direction. They'll totally come out of this economy on top!

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  2. I bought JCrew stock at $30, and now it's $25... Tempting buy more or wait

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  3. Muffy: I agree with you that he is an interesting guy. :) I also hope you are right that Mickey can lead J.Crew in the right direction. My only hope is that in his quest to go more up-scale, he doesn't lose some of his shoppers. :)

    Anonymous at 12:42PM: I bought stock at its highest ($48-ish), so you are better off than me. :) I thought about buying some more stock, but every time I did the price would go down some more.

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  4. hmmmmmmm...interesting. I guess I really didn't have an opinion of Mickey before reading the article and now I kind of think he is a pompous a$$

    I'm not sure taking JCrew more upscale is the smartest move at the moment. I think they have a lot of work to do before they could be considered a "luxury-for-less" option. IMO their quality has to significantly improve. Don't get me wrong...JCrew clothes are better than the crap a lot of stores are selling, but the quality is far from "luxury"...especically their sweaters...no matter what the fabric: cashmere, merino, dream...they all seem to pill terribly. In addition, the "upscale" market isn't going to tolerate the CS issues we have all encountered this summer. IMO that ridiculous apology does nothing in terms of damage control. Another poster mentioned the NetFlix issues in the past week and I too was very impressed with the immediate actions taken to communicate the probles. JCrew could certainly learn something from them.

    Love the direct sales statistics quoted: Last year 28% of the company's total revenues came from web and catalog sales. That's markedly higher than competitors, including Talbot's (19%), Urban Outfitters (14%), and Limited Brands (which includes Victoria's Secret and clocks in at 14%).

    First off, I suspect their web numbers this year are going to be seriously off because of the on-going problems, plus I would not consider Talbots or Urban and Limited brands to be JCrew's competitors.

    Anyway, I hate to be Debbie Downer but I'm not at all enthused by the direction my favorite store seems to be headed.

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  5. Anonymous at 12:58PM: I don't think you are a "debbie downer" at all. I think you have some realistic (and rightfully so) concerns. I also am wondering how their online sales figures are going to "look" in a few months, when they reflect the website fiasco downgrade.

    I also would have liked it if the author addressed the website issues some more- I think that needs a lot more coverage. Frankly, I am still not a 100% sure what is going on and what is being done to remedy the situation.

    I also never considered Talbots, Urban Outfitters, etc. to be J.Crew's competition. I thought their competition was more of Gap Inc's the Gap and Banana Republic. Maybe the Limited. :)

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  6. I am wondering what is web sales of Banana Republic?

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  7. I have to say I thought the article was good and I hope J Crew continues to bring me LUX for less. I agree the sweaters do pill and I wish they would fix this but everything else has been very well made in my opinion.

    I also wanted to mention that I placed an order last week when the 30% off sale was going on and everything arrived today. I ordered 9 items and I LOVE them ALL. If not for the 30% off I would not have bought any of them just because my closets are completely over flowing but I am so glad I did. I'm a happy customer today!!!

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  8. I thought the part about their sales over the web being their focus was so interesting. If that is the case, you'd think it would have gotten fixed by now.

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  9. Oh, and I totally agree, Talbots, Urban Outfitters, etc are NOT J.Crew's competition. Banana and Gap are. But, I hate banana because its all working women clothes (I'm a SAHM) and while I do buy some Gap it is geared at more high school/college. I think J Crew fills the 30 something who doesn't get dressed up for work every day void that I feel is in the market place.

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  10. First thought after reading the article is that I now KNOW Madewell is not meant for me, and I am more convinced that Mickey is trying to *weed out* the sale i.e. *core shoppers* in exchange for full price shoppers. I also think he is wrong about the customer who now buys designer opting for J.Crew due to it being *luxe for less*. The people who buy designer can afford it regardless of the state of the economy...I don't think they will be that affected, nor do I think they will *downgrade* to J.Crew. Quality at J.Crew does not warrant the prices they charge now, and really won't warrant the higher prices if J.Crew goes *upscale*. I LOVE J.Crew, and really cannot imagine wanting to shop anywhere else, so I am really, really hoping the whole *going upscale* plan does not force me out. Like musthavejcrew said...I too think J.Crew fills the void in the marketplace for the 30-40 somethings that other retailers don't. It's perfect for my lifestyle and is also affordable (mainly on sale) the way it is now...I want it to stay this way!

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  11. The part about blue shirts being so popular for men made me laugh. My fiancee is a huge blue shirt devotee! I bought him a Ralph Lauren shirt in conservative green-and-white stripes to shake his closet up a little. I figured green was almost like blue, just with more yellow. He didn't like it, but agreed to wear it to our friend's rehearsal dinner because he saw how upset I was when he pulled an "eh" face. And what happened? EVERYONE complimented his shirt, saying it looked great! If only he'd listen to me more!

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  12. I don't agree that Banana is for working women only...I am a stay at home mom and I shop there a lot.....

    Anyway, about the article...JCrew is changing their focus...that is for sure...like it or not their prices are going to go up, up, up. Yes, they may loose the b5rgain shopper doing so..but I guess that doesn't bother Mickey...as we have seen they are not coupon code stacking so will let us have discounts but on their terms.

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  13. Although I don't like the fact that they are trying to be more upscale, that was a fascinating article! I love how it gave small insights on how J.Crew's core works, ie the design team in relation to the merchandisers.

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  14. A couple of random thoughts;

    JCrew is probably headed to $19 per share. Not a reflection of their management team or it's near term strategy but indicative of a depressed retail sector. Long term I'm looking for a $60 - $70 range. Keep the faith!

    With the introduction of the Thomas Mason dress shirts - JCrew is definitely moving into a diversified fabric and pattern selection. I completely disagree with Mickey's view that white and blue rule the day. Thomas Pink - has terrific variety at $150 - a $25 premium over the T Mason line. What could really help JCrew is diversifying its collar selection. Let's add some spread and english spread to the mix. Guys definitely look for that - at least I do.

    Regarding web sales - as a percentage The Gap and Banana Republic generate high single or low double digit web sales. Simply put they have so many stores (too many) that most customers can just as easily stop in as part of "running a couple of errands" and don't necessarily view either brand as a web destination.

    It will also be interesting to see what happens with their sales items. In truth I'm pretty patient. A prime example would be the tan Baird McNutt linen suit which was originally $378 but I snagged it for $150.00 (not a 3 button fan except at a steep discount) including the 30% off coupon. Let's see if the new high end men’s pieces end up in the sale bin as well.

    This will be a fascinating transition to watch.

    BTW - thanks to Alexis for creating a terrific (and addicting Blog) - starting to distract me from my day job!

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  15. I am so bummed that he wants to take the brand more high end. I hope they dont stop making their classic clothes. I still need chinos and I dont need hand sewn sequin dresses!

    This article sort of left me feel very "blah" about drexler. I sort of thought to myself "he doesn't seem like such a god to me."

    Frankly, even now that I am no longer in grad school I dont have the $ for their prices to go up agian. Their sizing is all askew. they still can't get orders to customers. Frankly they need to fix so many problems before the company can move forward! Until that can happen I am not impressed!

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  16. I thought this was kind of interesting. I think he's right about designer logoed (logo'd??) bags being over. Not just because of overdose, but also because there are so many fakes, that when I see a logo bag, I usually assume it IS a fake. (Sometimes my friends and I play real or fake when we're shopping. I know it's childish, but so am I. We see women with designer bags and give our opinions on whether it is real or fake.)
    Also, the fact that J.Crew is getting more expensive also makes it more desirable. Maybe you didn't consider that tee shirt when it was $48 dollars, but now that it's $24.99 plus 30% off, it suddenly looks good. The price is okay, and you can think of it as a $48 tee! I understand this but I still fall for it (silly, right?). I'm sure that some of the high prices are tests. If that dress doesn't sell many pieces at $198, it might get lowered to $88.99. It's in the sale section, but you know they're still making more, because every once in a while more sizes pop up. So maybe it costs J.Crew $10 to make. They're still making a profit. And the buyer gets to think of it as a luxury item. (Not that you can't get some really great deals, I have. I've gotten a lot of cute kids' clothes for less than they would have cost at Target.)

    I don't really think they're going to try to get rid of sale shoppers, because there will always be items that go on sale. However, there are a lot of people who have plenty of money to throw around on clothes. (Some ebay seller has or had a picture of Julia Roberts wearing a Fiona jacket to advertise the Fionas he or she is selling. I saw it and wondered if Julia lies on the couch flipping through the catalog, or if her styist does it. Does she call and place the order? Does she use a personal shopper?

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  17. I'm too am so discouraged by the new "direction" they're tying to take. I really don't think they can take the high-end shoppers away from their designer labels. Shoppers wanting "luxe for less" can go to Neiman Marcus Last Call or Off Fifth (Sak's outlet store). And they can get high end designers at J Crew prices. I know that my mom is one of those people and would much rather spend $300 on St. John and Escada on sale rather than J.Crew any day!

    To me, J crew has always been the "knock-off" store where I can find age appropriate (30-something) trends at a descent price. If they move to the high-end market, I believe they alienate a huge market that would no longer be addressed by any retailers.

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  18. Hi Weab, just curious why you consider J.Crew clothes to be knock offs and not original designs.

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  19. @ weab: Web sales are a significant part of the sales revenue, but retail is Mickey's baby. If the holiday season is the disaster we've seen with the latest transition so far, don't be surprised if they halt web and phone sales and go retail-only for an indefinite period while they retool their direct sales infrastructure.

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  20. mekiki: J crew tends to follow some of the high-end designer trends like the Marc Jacobs-like Quincy Bags, The Marc Jacobs-like Jamie Bag. Several years ago they did a tumbled leather bag that resembled the traditional Chanel bags. Now they are using many little details that are very Chanel-like.

    Don't get me wrong. I love J crew and probably always will but I don't believe that they can compete with high-end designers. Like ffm mentioned, those shoppers are not affected by the economy as much and will stick to their love for labels. It's only when those shoppers want a more affordable cashmere tee will they look to J.crew. imho

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  21. you know, this article kind of rubbed me the wrong way too. I don't like this new direction, and agree with FFM that I think they are going to have trouble drawing people that buy designer to j.crew. And alienate us, the loyal customer, in the process.

    I must say though, if this blog has taught me anything, it is to not buy at full price. I used to be about half and half in terms of buying on sale and buying full price, and I just will not allow myself to purchase full price anymore. This will probably bite me in the butt when I try to find an andrea jacket in honey glaze, but with all the great aficionadas out there helping each other out, I have faith that it's pretty possible to find something once it "sells out" online.

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  22. A few replies to comment on -

    I totally agree with Douglas and his shirt collar comment. My DH is a Tyrwhitt shopper, but same difference. The collar is the key point in his shirt purchase decision.

    It is funny that several of you do not think Talbots is J Crew competition. I only shop at J Crew and Talbots. I have never really liked Banana. Talbots clothes are plain enough that I can dress them up with great accessories, plus the quality is usually quite good.

    Lastly, as far as designer clothing purchasers and J Crew. As a Vogue reader, I have noticed several of their editors and writer's have mention how much they wear J Crew. They love the pieces for wearability and to complement the designer duds. Also, you would be surprised how much some of the designer shoppers are affected by the economy. Not the truly rich, but the paper rich really are limited when the economy takes a turn.

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  23. J.Crew is a mid-market brand. Scaling up so far that mid-market shoppers can't afford it anymore isn't risky, it's suicidal.

    J.Crew isn't LVMH. People who can afford Chanel will never be J.Crewaholics and savvy shoppers like the majority of the people who contribute to this blog. They are the 3% who will always buy Chanel, and supplement their wardrobe with interesting J.Crew pieces. With less money to spend in this poor economy, it's one less sweater I'll buy at J.Crew if I can't afford to pay the price.

    And btw, it isn't just outrageous colors that wind up on the sale racks. I've found some great bargains in blue and white there, Mickey.

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  24. Musthavecrew: Congrats on receiving all your items- that is fantastic news! :)

    Weab: You raised an excellent point on that article about sales over the web. I really thought by now the site would have been resolved.

    FFM: I agree with you that Madewell is not for me (or at least what I need to wear for what I do). I am also very worried that he is trying to do what you are saying: exchange his sale customer (e.g. me) for a luxe shopper (e.g. not me). That is why I really, really, really hope there is room for all types of shoppers in J.crew's future. :)

    Katherine D.: I agree that it was nice to see/hear the design team. I love to know more about all of them, not just Mickey (who I do like to hear about as well). :)

    Doug: I hope you are right about their stock price. Because I bought it at $48-ish and things aren't looking too good right now. :) (But I thought of my stock purchase as an investment in the long run...:) )

    Also thanks for the nice words about the blog- the members are the reason why its terrific. :)

    And one more thing, I love hearing your perspective. You really know your retail- and I love that! Perhaps you would consider guest blogging sometime. :)

    Blumre: I agree with you that in order for the Crew to move forwad, they have to fix those problems- and major issues at that! :)

    mekiki: I hear you about the designer logo bag- I always wonder if the Gucci/Fendi/Coach bag I see at Wal-mart or Stop&Shop is real or a fake! :) I also hope that you are right- that J.Crew won't lose its sale shoppers.

    Weab: Time will tell if their move into the Luxe market will pay off. Like you mentioned, it will be somewhat hard to get consumers like your mom to spend their $300 on J.Crew instead of Escada. But it will be interesting to see how this plan develops in the next few months. :)

    Anon at 3:15 PM: I would be fine with them shutting down web/phone sales for a week or two to address the web/system upgrade, but more than that time frame would be disastrous for them I think. ;)

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  25. To a degree, I probably represent the demographic Mickey is looking at. I wear designer bags, shoes, and clothing....and J Crew and Gap....I mix it up. I would sooner lick the sidewalk than I would duke it out for multiple discounts on clearance items with a CS rep. This blog is more representative of uber bargain shoppers than it is the average profit generating J Crew customer.

    What Mickey seems to be saying is that everyone, including customers that buy designer, is more savvy and more educated about about where these designer duds and fabrics are made, and if he can offer the same factories and perception of quality for a fraction of the price, he can stir up some serious competition for that designer buyer. I've seen evidence of both hits and misses in regards to that goal. In fact while the selection of cashmere has gone way up, the quality is no differentthan your average Macy's or Bloomies. J Crew can't be beat for cashmere styles though.

    They will always offer khakis and other basics, but it's interesting to see them explore an emerging market: that designer savvy, affluent customer that could be realistically lured into comparison shopping Saks to J Crew. We're already doing it.

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  26. I think Mickey is moving in the right direction. When the economy is poor people like to good good in well made stylish clothes.

    I can't squeeze off Ralph Lauren Purple or Black label clothing, far too rich for me, but J.Crew can capture that look for much less. Will it be more than the Gap, yes and I'm fine with that. The Gap and Banana are not at J.Crew's level for fit, finish, style and even more importantly not shrinking in strange ways.

    I doubt J.Crew will leave behind it's core customer, namely us. What they will do with the Collection line and the limited edition is show directional pieces for a few with $$$. Items to dream about and then they will offer the same look for less in house.

    Car companies do it. The average guy buying a Chevy can't get a Corvette, but they are both cars and often the Corvette gets him into the showroom and then he gets his car at his level.

    J.Crew needs to bump up the cashmere quality to the same level as the merino sweaters and the washed favorite shirts. Suits need more two button and less three button cuts and be a little more fashion forward. I agree with Douglas, not every shirt needs to be button down in blue or white.

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  27. I love your comment about- rather licking the sidewalk than duke it out with CS for multiple discounts....everyone likes a good bargain but sometimes...well...I pay full price and don't worry b/c I really like/want the item...Also, I really liked reading your take on this issue...

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  28. In my experience I have had better luck with BR for quality...For example: I have NEVER had a button fall off while trying on clothes for the first time...this has happened so many times at JCrew I can't count...plus, crooked sweater seams from JCrew, receiving items with holes, and navy threads sewn into a solid red sweater....JCrew really needs to watch the quality of their "average" garments....

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  29. I think that J.Crew can offer their higher end pieces while still retaining their core customer. The J.Crew Collection, in my opinion, is geared towards the designer shoppers. Most of the intricate bead work, special leather, and luxury details belong to items in that line. I doubt that they will stop making their suiting, classic coats, or line of affordable sweaters. I know that there is a J.Crew Collection store on the Upper East Side in Manhattan that is geared towards the "designer set." It would be interesting to see how well that store does - it's not going to be selling basic t-shirts and jeans, for sure. It seems like the luxury element will become a part of J.Crew, but not the crew in its entirety.

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  30. Anonymous at 5:17 PM: I also thought your "lick the sidewalk" than duking with a CS rep comment was funny! ;) I agree with you that it will be interesting to see how this plan unfolds in the next few months. :)

    JCrew Guy In Canada: Your analogy to a car company was an excellent one. I hope that J.Crew can pull off both customer segments. :)

    Anonymous at 5:31 PM: I know all too well the falling button of a J.Crew garment. :(

    KatherineD: I am also curious as to how J.Crew's Collection Store in NYC is performing. I would love to find out their sales figures. :)

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  31. If anyone is interested in how the upper end retailers are 'fighting back', take a look at the Saks August Fashion catalog. You will see anumber of J. Crewesque items at J. Crewesque prices in one section of the catalog.

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  32. J. Crew is the closest thing in the US to my other favorite brand: APC from France.

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  33. I just want to say that I carry all designer bags (authentic) and shoes (again, authentic) but my entire wardrobe is J Crew. While I could certainly afford a closet full of designer duds, I think that J Crew's clothing is so classic and transitions so well with my designer items that I can't imagine purchasing my clothing anywhere else. While I never haggle with CS about prices or discounts or free shipping I DO applaud those of you who ARE savvy shoppers. I am totally impressed! I too am fearful that J Crew will move into a realm that will put it in competition with Saks and NM. I can assure you that if they decide to go in that direction I will choose Saks and NM over J Crew for the simple reason that I get better quality at the same or nearly the same price!

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  34. I agree with what others have said; I'm surprised that they consider web/catalog their focus when CS is so difficult for these shoppers.

    I feel that I represent the kind of customer J.Crew wants to retain. I am never, ever going to purchase designer clothing--it's just the Puritan in me. Even if I had unlimited funds I couldn't drop thousands on a single outfit. As for designer accessories, my theory is that if I'm wearing something with someone else's initials all over it, HE should be paying ME. And as another poster said, J.Crew is not LVMH and is not going to satsify the customer who's looking for that.

    But, I want great clothes, shoes, and accessories. I'm not in it for the luxury experience or the thrill of bargain hunting. No complientary champagne at the designer store--and no luxury-store attidude. No Macy's-style crazy one-day sales. No hunting through bargain bins at TJ Maxx. If I saw something I liked at J.Crew I'd buy it. Click the mouse. Full price. Period. (And yes, that included some Collection items.) OK, I usually tried to wait for a shipping coupon. And, of course, if something was a little spendy I'd wait for a sale.

    But now, for the reasons I've detailed ad nauseum in other posts, I am not confident ordering from J.Crew, and I feel that they do not value my online business.

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  35. Gah, please excuse typos, fingers are shaking, better go eat! Good night!

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  36. Anonymous at 10:09 PM: Thank you for sharing with us. You are exactly the target customer J.Crew/Mickey is aiming for with its Luxe line. So it is interesting to hear that you favor Saks & NM for that higher price point. :)

    Hexicon: I totally agree with your surprise at the web/catalog being the focus. It's too bad the article didn't focus more on that issue.

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  37. I'm glad I came back to this thread. Very interesting comments! I just want to add that I cannot fathom the high end customer tolerating high school & college age SAs.

    Not sure where to put this for our employee lurkers, but the SF dressing room walls need to be repainted. And before that they need some SERIOUS dusting.

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  38. Oh Gigiofca: NO! Thats gross. That is the #1 reason I dont shop at BR and Gap more often; there are always dust balls everywhere. OH ewww that is so gross!

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  39. Hi I am new to this blog and sadly can no longer shop at J Crew on a regular basis since I live in the UK. Anyway, I too share the concern with the direction that J Crew is heading. They say that they want to make luxury affordable, however, their main customer base, the middle class, doesn't have resources to drop 350.00 on a blazer designer fabric or not. Moreover, the people that can afford to spend 2,500.00 on a blazer, as Mickey states in this article, will still do so. They are not going to shop at J Crew. So I am baffled as to who they think their customer base truly is. Once they lose the middle class their sales will hit the floor. Since I have been shopping at J Crew (many years now) I have seen prices more than double, they are pricing most of us out of the store. Now, when I visit, I only buy things on sale whereas I used to buy most everything full price. For example, I own several pair of J Crew shoes and I love them, they are built to last and at the time of purchase I could justify the 50-100 I spent. But there is no way I can justify 150-300 for their shoes now when I can get something that looks almost the same at Target for 26.99. Sure they won't last as long and Target doesn’t have the variety that J Crew has but I can buy several pair and it won’t break the bank. Now I am all for quality clothes that last but I also have to pay the bills with my middle class pay check. I feel as if Mickey and the rest of the J Crew clan have lost touch with the reality of living on a budget and are alienating their largest customer base.

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  40. Gigofca: I think it is great that you requested the dressing rooms of the SF store to be dusted! ;)

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  41. Hi gang. This thread is really interesting--lots of different views but they're all well thought out and well presented. That's one of the reasons I read this blog. It's partly because I like J.Crew, but also partly because there are so many different, interesting, SMART people.

    Okay, Weab, I see your point. I don't know which bags you are discussing (I guess I should see if they're on ebay), but do they have the two pockets in front? Yes, that would be a knock off of Marc Jabobs, but, on the other hand, that is also becoming so much a part of basic style that it would be hard not to offer a bag like that. Isn't Fendi even doing a bag like that? I think it started with MJ, but that look is everywhere now, it's now classic. (I hope this is the look you're discussing. I really should have done my research first.)
    Second, the same goes for Chanel. (Although the classic Chanel jacket has been around for much much longer thatn the MJ bag, many more people knock off the MJ bag--because it's so darn great!) Yes, I did notice the Chanel influence when I saw the Andrea jacket, but I didn't think of it as a knock off. I guess it is. (Coco Chanel kind of came up with that look and Karl Lagarfeld (sp?) continues it because he is the Chanel designer, but he didn't invent it. So he's not knocking it off because he's supposed to be using the look, but he didn't invent it. Oh man, I am babbling like a nut.)

    I also found the "lick the sidewalk" comment to be very funny.

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  42. I have to say I think Anon from the UK is right! The women in my family would never consider buying their "good" clothes from J.Crew. Their suits, dresses and more formal clothes come from Bloomingdales, Saks, Bergdorfs, Lord and Taylor where all the big designer names are carried. If there is an item they know they want they will walk right into that designers store. I know how they shop and they gawk at me if I saw want a new suit and I want it from Jcrew. My grandmother bought me a dress two months ago and took my straight to bergdorfs... she flatly said "J.Crew doesn't make the type of dress you are looking for." And this was just a dress to go out to dinner. For T shirts and shorts bathing suits etc..., sure they go to Jcrew, for a suit or more expensive items... they wouldn't be caught dead in a J.Crew

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  43. The women's collection store is opening in September, I'm sure Women's Wear Daily and all the usual suspects will be beating down the doors for photos. Hopefully we can find out how well they do!

    I for one think now is the time to grab their stock . . . I have a friend who buys their cashmere 6 at a time. In case you didn't know, they get their cashmere from the same Italian mill that makes their own label that sells sweaters for like $1500!

    I wish they'd get the word on out their partnerships more. It seems like no one notices that they're partnering with places like Ratti and Liberty of London, these are not companies that Banana or any of the other "mid-market" stores have a relationship with.

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  44. Anonymous at 11:26 AM: You really seem to know a lot about J.Crew's suppliers. Do you know any other suppliers they partner with? (I think that kind of info is really interesting.) :)

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  45. I just saw mickey at the tribecca store. That picture doesnt do him justice. Here he looks like a scruffy old man. Today he looked cleaner and looked much beter. i think the sport coat he was wearing helped a lot

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  46. Blumre: Is it just the older women in your family that aren't into J.Crew, or everyone? I can see your grandmother not thinking J.Crew has a variety of dresses (by the way, did you end up getting a new dress at Bergdorf Goodman? Tell us about it!), she might think it just carries preppy-casual staples. I think most people, though, are getting into the whole high/low fashion thing and also are realizing that things don't have to be from a traditional designer to be cool.

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  47. mekiki: You would be surprised at how fashionably aware my grandmother is! She knows quite a few designers personally (its intimidating and crazy!). She still looks 50. We go out and people ask her if she is my mother!

    No it is pretty much all the women in my family. I have 4 aunts, 2 step sisters, and 3 female cousins! NONE of them would buy their suits, fancy dresses or anything like that from JCrew. They all think I am crazy for doing so!

    I did get two very cute Lisli dresses at Bergdorfs. They are my new favorite designers (its actually a married couple). One looks like a Missoni dress the other is acutally navy and black stripes (you wouldnt think that would work but the optical illusion is SO cool!). But that was 3 months ago (almost) so I dont know how new they are anymore. I've worn each about 4 times already!

    I think Jcrew might have trouble attracting shoppers away from some of the other designers out there!

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  48. mekiki: I would also say for some of the really big glam events in NYC (and there are a lot of them) the high low fashion doesn't fly! For example I wouldnt be caught dead in a J.Crew dress at the opening night at the met. High-low doesn't work in NYC... its all HIGH. I am odd in that I am just preppy and simple most days.

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

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