"Thanks!" to Max Kaplan (in this post) who let us know about a recent article in the New York Times' The Moment (click here) featuring Frank Muytjens.
Asked and Answered | Frank Muytjens of J.CrewBy Bifen Xu
August 13, 2009
Image above is Frank Muytjens’s mood board
Remember when the cast of “Dawson’s Creek” modeled in the J.Crew catalog and suddenly everyone was wearing those rollneck sweaters? J.Crew has come a long way from the East Coast prep look it once embodied. Now it’s a (relatively) affordable style resource for many types of guys, offering versatile suiting for the office man, some broken-in chinos for the outdoorsy guy to wear with a Barbour jacket and, for the arty hipster, a secret-wash shirt paired with vintage jeans. Speaking of jeans, Frank Muytjens, the company’s vice president of men’s design, tells us about the debut of the Levi’s Vintage collection at the men’s stores (available for sale as of today) and gives us a little insight into life at J.Crew H.Q.
Q.How did you come up with the idea for the Levi’s Vintage collaboration, and what are your favorite pieces?
A.During a meeting with Levi’s, we were shown the Levi’s Vintage Clothing, a collection of vintage-inspired pieces that, after this season (fall 2009), will no longer be produced. Everything from the quality to the heritage of pieces made it a perfect addition to our men’s shops, so we decided to purchase the remainder of the collection. My personal favorite is the Dead Stock Jean, as I am a huge fan of breaking in your own denim. Through wear, the heavy weight of the Dead Stock Jean starts molding to the fit of your body and the whiskers start developing in all the right areas.
Q. How are you involved in the men’s stores that have been opening lately?
A. By curating our line and by adding interesting one-off vintage pieces, as well as working on all the collaborations with third-party brands. Also finding vintage collections like pencil sharpeners, staplers and fans from the ’50s. In general, it’s making sure that our design philosophy is carried out all the way to the end.
Q. What’s the biggest fashion faux pas a guy can make?
A. To not dress your age, or trying too hard to look cool … following one look head to toe.
Q. Any summer wardrobe advice?
A. Try the no-socks/bare-ankle look, but make sure your feet are tan. Roll up your khakis or jeans for a more casual, summery look. Or, if you must wear socks, try a flashy color like purple or green and pair them with wing tips.
Q. What are your least favorite trends?
A. Too many acid-washed jeans, square-toed shoes, overdesigned sneakers, oversize anything.
This article was a good one. I have a couple of notes... (1) I totally remember the Dawson Creek & J.Crew catalog back in 1998. I also remember letting a friend borrow it and she never returned it. [That would be you Avital! ;) ] (2) I found the advice about "dressing your age" to be a good one that sometimes people forget. Especially during the summer time. :) (3) I found his least favorite trend of "acid-washed jeans" to be another good one. I think he was referring to men, but it is funny that J.Crew's sister store Madewell is promoting acid-wash jeans for women. [Refer to this post.] (4) I am not sure about the flashy color socks for guys though. The look is great in a catalog, but I am not sure how acceptable it would be for guys at the work-place.
What are your thoughts on the article? Were there any pieces of advice made that you found particularly insightful?
i wish they would bring thse roll neck sweaters back i only have one left and it was from college...
ReplyDeleteI remember the Dawson Creek catalog too! Overall good advice, with the exception of the needless insulting of customers with fair skin. (Just a pet peeve of mine - no one would ever tell customers with dark skin to lighten it before wearing certain styles, so I don't see why the reverse should be acceptable)
ReplyDeleteI have two rollnecks from around 2002--cotton/cashmere. I love those sweaters! I baby them and hope they last a long time. They are fitted on me and not oversized at all....I think if JCrew brought these back they would sell well.
ReplyDeleteI did not like Dawson's Creek, but I remember that catalog (I remember being annoyed that those actors were in it, actually, ha).
ReplyDeleteMy bf hates when the JC male models are sockless in suits. It's a pet peeve of his, I guess. :P But for a casual look, it's ok.
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ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure rollnecks were offered for men and boys last fall/winter.
ReplyDeleteSummer,
I have one of those! It's a very pale blue. I only wear it maybe once or twice a winter these days, but I love it! :)
Thank you for sharing the article Max Kaplan and Alexis.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple cotton rollneck sweaters. I recall they used to be a staple offering every year. I don't wear mine anymore, I don't like the rollcuff. I really need to get a box of things together for goodwill soon.
Club Monaco is also doing vintage Levi's for fall/winter. They are promoting the 501s via email. I have never been a big fan of Levi's. There are many other brands that are much more flattering IMO.
Muytjen's best comment was regarding dressing one's age. I know too many who are wearing graphic t's best left for kids in high school or ripped jeans. Ripped jeans are fine if you are developed the rip through wearing them, but paying for it when you're over 35?
ReplyDeleteAll this talk of roll necks makes me wonder what I did with the two I had. Maybe I'll do some vintage shopping in my own closet.
there are a couple of guys in my office who wear flashy socks. in a very conservative dress code, I think it's their way to be a little more unique. It works very well with suits and no one says a thing.
ReplyDeleteThe sock comment reminds me of the scene in The Birdcage when Nathan Lane is attempting to appear straight & then shows off his hot pink socks, benignly saying, “One does want a hint of color.” :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree that men should dress their age. I sometimes have to remind my 45-year-old husband not to dress like a "giant boy".
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm still wondering how Frank's last name is pronounced...anyone?
tastymoog,
ReplyDeleteOne of mine is pale blue too:) and the other is ivory. I still really like mine. They are fitted and not oversized and very good quality which I cannot say for the summer merino sweater I wore on vacation recently. It was brand new when I left and boy did it pill and look crappy really fast!
JCrew Guy in Canada,
ReplyDeleteI hope you find your rollnecks! I do lots of vintage shopping in my totes in the basement:)
La Belle Helene: That line from the Birdcage is hysterical!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteAdding the LVC line is so damn sweet. Fall 09 is looking fine.
ReplyDeleteGals continue to wear graphic tees (from JCrew, etc.) into their 40's why can't a guy. Personally, I don't buy graphic tees from JCrew b/c they are over priced for the quality. I have found nice thick cotton ones with beautiful embellishments and stock up in Europe.
ReplyDeleteMr. Muytjen,
ReplyDeleteI agree that men should dress their age. A little flash in a nice sock can be quite nice as wll.
NOW, in terms of wearing oversized clothing, you are correct sir. No one wants to see their man looking as if he is a reject from a mid ninties hip-hop video.
Keep in mind, the opposite is true as well. Undersized clothing on men is repulsive and far too trendy. One thing that Crew is forgetting about men's sizing, as of late, is that not all of us are Manhattan thin. We are not fat, either. It's just that your XL now fits like a J Crew Large from about ten years ago.
Don't forget us. Otherwise, you'll lose a huge portion of J Crew fans who have been with you for the better part of two decades...
Interesting Post!
ReplyDelete