Q&A with Jack O’Connor of JCrew

"Thanks!" to Jim (in this post) who shared the following article from Selectism (click here to read the entire article):

Selectism Q&A | Jack O’Connor of JCrew
By Cary Randolph Fuller
April 9, 2010

We’ve all received (and given) bad gifts.

A few months ago we put our lady on the street, Cary Randolph Fuller, to the task of producing a guide for girlfriends (or wives) buying for their men. After some discussion, Ms. Fuller decided that a chat with J. Crew men’s stylist Jack O’Connor would prove fruitful. Below are her words and an insightful (and demystifying) Q&A. Many thanks are due to Ms. Fuller.

Cary: You’re at a J. Crew store, and you see women shopping with their boyfriends or husbands. What are some mistakes you notice?

Jack: I definitely see that. The guy thinks he’s a boot-fit guy, and the wife or girlfriend seems to think, “Well, he’s a boot-fit guy. He’s never going to stop wearing boot-fit jeans so why bother looking for something slimmer or something straight?” They think they can just narrow it down right off the bat and say, “Just show me your boot-fit.” I don’t think that’s a good call. It’s not the most flattering cut on every guy. Even if he thinks that’s the only cut he can wear because that’s what his friends wear, and that’s what he’s worn for ten years. She should probably bring him in, have him try something on and see for himself. We always keep that in mind when we put certain things together in the catalog and we choose who to put it on.

Some guys are afraid of “fashion” even those this isn’t really fashion. It’s more “style”. A lot of guys don’t want to look like they care too much. The idea of standing in a fiting room and trying things on and saying, “How does this look?” I think maybe that experience is a little bit intimidating. When we’re choosing who to put it on in the catalog and even how to put it together, there’s always a piece of accessibility that’s really, really important. We try not to be too intimidating because that will turn a guy off. So when you ask if there are any mistakes, I think it’s that: the guy says, or his wife says, “It has to be this,” or, “It has to be that.” It’s easier for women to see something new and try it out. It’s not as natural for a guy to do so.

There are more questions & answers over at the original post. (Unfortunately, it is too long for me to post it all.) It's great to read all the advice from Jack. I would love to see a similar "advice column" for the Ladies.

What are your thoughts on the Q&A with J.Crew's Jack? Do you disagree or agree with any of his opinions? :)