"Thanks!" to many of you, who let us know about the following updated feature from J.Crew.During yesterday's new arrivals, J.Crew also included Part 2 of their "Made-in-Italy" feature, with a neat little video titled "About a Thread":
The BackstoryYou can watch the video at the end of this post. You can also click the link HERE. To check out the suits, click here.
Why do we insist on "Italian made" for our men's shirting and suiting fabrics? Because we obsess over every detail and want to make sure our designs are the best of the best, from start to finish– and the artisanship and craft that go into making Thomas Mason and Crespi fabrics are second to none (they're exactly what you'd expect for some of the most important pieces in your closet). So our design team traveled to each of these centuries-old Italian mills to discover in detail the processes involved in making these fabrics– and they caught it all on film. Check out the footage from aware-winning filmmaker Douglas Keeve ...
Once again, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look. It was fascinating to visit the town & production center of Thomas Mason. Did you notice the quick appearance of sequin pants too? ;) I look forward to seeing the last video "About a Print".
What are your thoughts on the video? Do you think you like the styles more now that you have seen the video?
Thanks for posting Alexis I'll go check it out!!
ReplyDeleteNext in the series: "Made in China: About $0.45 an Hour" ;)
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I just choked on my coffee!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, those were my thoughts exactly! Only instead of Jenna marveling that there is an actual person managing the loom equipment, she can marvel that there are an army of people hand-applying the sequins and beads for 18 hours a day.
ReplyDeleteNoticed that they are flying in a private plane. Just an observation, not a condemnation.
In all seriousness, I do love to look behind the scenes. I was fortunate to see the workings of a family-run silk garment business in India during the visit for my friend's wedding there. They made the silk saris for the bride and attendants/bridesmaids, which included me. Unbelieveable fabric, tailoring and hand-detailing. The people working there were extremely proud of their work, too. When you have passion, it shows.
My husband has Thomas Mason shirts, the cotton is so unbelieveably soft and tailoring is perfection. It appears as though J.Crew may be really serious about the return to quality. Fingers crossed.
:^)
sub :o)
ReplyDeleteGreat video, though I'm really tired of the shakey camera technique. :)
ReplyDeleteRegarding labor costs ... yes, there is a little bit of hypocrisy here, but if they used highly-paid Europeans or Americans to assemble the clothing the costs of the finished garments would be much higher. I don't know about you but I refuse to pay designer clothing prices. What we should appreciate is that at least J Crew uses quality materials, and even if the clothes are made in India or China they are usually very well made, they're clearly not using the cut-rate shops. Contrast this to some of the designer brands that go cheap from start to finish, slap a logo on, and charge a premium price.
I'm liking Jenna Lyons the more I see her.
Wow, private planes, truffled risotto at €245 the plate, personal couture wardrobes… oh, right, J.Crew is an "aspirational" brand. OK, I get it, I'm aspiring.
ReplyDeletemeanwhile, for those of us whose budget doesn't include room for any more investment pieces, see thewhiningdiner.blogspot.com for a link to a more relevant than ever crafts project.
wellfedfred, I'm not criticizing your post, but I wonder what you think would be correct for the very successful President of a very successful business? To travel like a middle-class person? I think she rakes in like $5 million per year. :)
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ReplyDeletetamara, why can't they fly business class to Italy on what is most likely a direct flight less than 9 hours long? I work for a large global company and our CEO makes much more than Jenna Lyons. He travels frequently and flies on commercial airlines in business class. He is adamant that we provide customer, shareholder and employee value for every dollar. He expects us all to follow that direction and he leads by example. It's refreshing. Of course it is not an American company so there is no cult of celebrity or sense of entitlement in our line of business either.
ReplyDelete^ Not that all American companies have a sense of entitlement and cult of celebrity but it certainly seems more prevalent there than elsewhere IME. And I am American BTW.
ReplyDeleteLarge planes can not land in the small towns around Lake Como--so while likely a jet it may also be a puddle jumper. It is hard to get an entourage the size of theirs all seated on business class without a lot of notice.
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ReplyDeletexoxo ... for the shoes video they were in Florence, for the shirt/suit fabric they were in Lake Como area, and there's still the upcoming prints video which hasn't yet been published and they were probably somewhere else for that. It's possible/probable that they made other stops too. Using commercial transportation on a multiple-stop trip is not very practical and it might have actually ended up being more expensive, who knows.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you criticize Lyons and the others who travelled with her for wasting money on a private jet and expensive food, and you also joined in on the criticism of using Chinese labor ... and yet you buy J Crew clothing. I don't get it. If economy is one of your top goals, then I'd think you'd be turned off to the brand entirely, not just because of the issues already mentioned but also because the clothes are so much more expensive than other mainstream brands. Not starting an argument here, I just don't understand your apparent double-standard.
Am I wrong to sense some sexism? If this were a company run only by men, would the private jet even be an issue? Are we expecting more of Lyons than any male counterpart? Just a question...
tamara, it is difficult to get the tone or context from a simple comment in a blog. So, let me try to clarify, with the best of intentions, as it appears you may have misunderstood my comment.
ReplyDeleteThe CEO of my company is a man and my comment was that he travels business class so it is not being sexist to ask why Jenna Lyons and crew cannot do the same. It is a question that is valid for a publicly-traded company, particularly in today's economy when workers are often asked to help cut costs. I asked why can't "they" and only mentioned Jenna in response to your salary comment that mentioned her specifically. There is zero sexism involved, I have lauded Jenna's success on this blog many times. Personally I think she's great and I admire what she has achieved in her career. That doesn't mean she, or any of the J.Crew execs are exempt from spending scrutiny. Until the company goes private anyway.
I didn't criticize the money spent on food, that was another poster. I have spent a whopping amount for a meal more than once myself but out of my own pocket, not as a business expense. I do feel that if you are travelling you should splurge on the best local cuisine at least once during your trip. Still, that is neither here nor there, I didn't say anything about the food originally.
I didn't say economy is one of my top goals, because it isn't. I do try to get value for my money but I am definitely not trying to scrimp and save and what I consider value may not mean value to someone else. Maybe I misunderstand what you meant by economy as a top value but it wasn't something I mentioned.
I buy J.Crew clothing because I like it. I buy plenty of other brands that I like as well, J.Crew is less than 50% of my wardrobe, but I may be in the minority here. J.Crew is not more expensive than the other brands I buy but again, it's possible I am in the minority here.
It is very difficult to exclude all clothing that is made in China and I don't even try, I look more to the practices of the retail company because I don't really have a way to check into what goes on in their Chinese factories. I buy what I like and what works for me. It is well-known that working conditions in China are poorer than conditions in Italy or the U.S. but maybe the jokes are hurtful to some so you gave me some food for thought here.
Even though I may not be as much into J.Crew as some others I enjoy hanging out here and on related blogs, there are some excellent posters and bloggers with entertaining and enlightening posts and it is very entertaining.
I do recognize that sometimes it can feel very negative, particularly for some posters because there are days when the positive comments they would like to see are scarce but people are chiming in based on their thoughts and feelings and I respect that. I certainly didn't intend to offend you and I enjoy reading all the comments, even when they don't agree with mine. It's an open blog and everyone can have their say.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Jenna may make $5 mil a year, but it's the company that's paying for her travel expenses.
ReplyDeleteI don't tend to bow down to others just because they make more than me. Respect is earned, not a given.
They can showcase her any way they want, but PR has to realize that giving her a Marie Antoinette image isn't going to help with the people who buy her clothes.
Nobody knows the exact reason behind them being on a private plane (whatever size plane it is). Maybe it is cheaper given the amount of people in the group, who knows. But I don't see anything wrong with questioning the reasons behind it. If Jenna or Mickey want to take a private plane on vacation, go for it. It's clear that this is not a personal trip, and if the private plane does cost more (I'm just assuming it does), somebody's paying for it. Not all of it is written off as business expenses, and it's likely we as consumers are paying for this propaganda as consumers through higher prices (a common complaint on yesterday's new arrivals post) or shareholders through reduced dividends. J Crew seems to think they're moving in the right direction with this PR onslaught and maybe they are, but I'm not seeing it yet. The company is free to conduct itself any way it wants, but we're entitled to our opinions about it.
ReplyDeleteI will say I thoroughly enjoy hearing different opinions on this blog, and as much as I love J. Crew clothes, it's the women and men who make up this community that bring me back to this site.
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ReplyDeleteMany people visit Versailles to marvel at it as an artistic achievement and to enjoy it aesthethically, not because they are dedicated Royalists on pilgrImage. I wear JC clothes because they suit me (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I would like to believe they represent value for money, which includes economical use of corporate resources.
ReplyDeleteIn another life, I have once or twice been in the awkward position of explaining to an irritated CEO that since "his" company is now public, and subject to different levels of regulation and scrutiny, many "company charges" are not permitted or, even if technically permitted, not appropriate topics for publicity when EBITDA is down. Fewer boards are accepting "lifestyle marketing" as a justification for overspending.
Oh, and do forgive me if I have trouble connecting 16" minis, uncomfortable shoes and glass baubles set in mystery metal at my neck with the lifestyle that the videos are showing. First you have to establish a base, then you start showing the merry lifestyle. Otherwise you might just as well sell stick-on logos. Qu'ils mangeant du gâteau, indeed.
A number of corporate travel specialists are recommending chartered van travel in countries where showrooms are in different areas from "cut-n-sew land," especially where the country has high-speed superhighways, or where going from an airport to a quaint little village can be quirky. The van saves time spent on airport formalities, can go door-to-door, and allows for conferencing and resting between calls.
And of course I desperately admire the achievements of the senior personnel of JC and the drive and ambition of the more junior staffers (excepting only the Copywriter from Space), I just sometimes forget to begin comments with the requisite opening statement. My bad.
Large planes can't land in any of the small towns in Lake Como area where they were... So while probably a jet it might be a puddle jumper ;-)
ReplyDeleteand remember that WSJ report that discussed the JC exec team in a rented van (in Chicago I think it was) ...they weren't in a fleet of limos.
ReplyDeleteI'll check this out later. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty clear that some people have more exposure to corporate finance than others, hence the comments about that rather than the clothes and I appreciate both perspectives. I was thinking that maybe the expensive meal was provided by the hosts but then I remembered that there are usually conflict of interest policies for companies around that. Ours will not let anyone accept gifts or hospitality over $50US so that is more like spaghetti and meat sauce with a bottle of cheap chianti. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see background clips on Thomas Mason shirts. It's expensive but the fabric and cut are really exceptional. Cost per wear is really low considering how many times I wear it. It always looks new and crisp. Compared to the current liberty shirts on offer at $148 and which are really thin and flimsy, TM shirts are better buys. I can only afford one a year which is subsidized by my rewards card. Also, I reckon I can forego 3 JCrew plaid shirts which look tired & common after a season for one TM.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Marie--the only regular JC shirts I buy are the ones that are supposed to look rumpled and casual. I do have some men's XS shirts and the fabric is much better in those but still not as nice as the TM fabric. I have that shirt Jenna is wearing in the video and it always looks just like hers--really wrinkly!
ReplyDeleteI love behind the scenes footage but these videos are kind of awkward. By highlighting the great quality and craftsmanship of certain items, it casts a spotlight on the fact that many other items that aren't celebrated via promotional videos fall short on the quality scale. I wish there was a real move back to quality instead of all the effort being put into trying to convince us of quality.
ReplyDeleteIt just dawned on me that the discussion of Jenna's mode of travel is based on like 2 seconds of video footage at the beginning of the thread count film. :) How does anyone know if this is a "private" jet? As gem twin pointed out, there are probably not any long runways in the Lake Como area. That might have been a commercial airliner, albeit a small one.
ReplyDeleteI have to appreciate a brand that is willing to use quality materials and offer the end result at a reasonable price. Have you seen Eileen Fisher clothing? Awesome materials and workmanship, a good chunk is made in the US and the rest overseas as obviously high end plants, but the clothes are likewise expensive, much more than J Crew, and when they go on sale the discounts are not very generous.
Near the other end of the spectrum is Gap, cheap materials and cheap labor resulting in cheap clothes.
J Crew fits in well in the middle. Since it wouldn't make sense to use expensive labor on cheap materials, they're using cheap labor on expensive materials. If you object to the use of cheap labor, then by all means don't buy their clothes, I fully support anyone who has this attitude. I used to refuse to shop at WalMart until the economic debacle caused me to think that a crappy job is better than no job, so I allow myself to buy groceries there now.
I really found all the back and forth very interesting and gives me a lot to think about. Christy, your remarks really hit a mark and gets me thinking. I realized the more I see of Jenna recently, the less impressed I'm becoming. I know my feelings won't be very popular here but I'm daring to say it. It seems to me she spends more time promoting herself more then J.crew.
ReplyDeleteBesides that point, I enjoyed seeing the video and I hope the quality will show in the future seasons.
All -
ReplyDeleteWhile I could care less how Jenna and her minions get from point A to point B, I respect the view of others. What I do care about is the price J Crew charges for their Thomas Mason shirts. RIDICULOUS!!
Here's a tip. Go to www.mytailor.com and you can constructed your own Thomas Mason shirt with multiple collar/cuff options and still save some money.
I still love JC but I refuse to pay top dollar for their dress shirts - just not worth it.
for a related newsy story--marissa webb interviewed here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stylecaster.com/fashion/11338/j.crews-secret-weapon-marissa-webb-head-womens-design
Great discussion ladies! And kudos for keeping it civilized ;) Love reading the different view points.
ReplyDelete@gem twin: thanks for sharing the link to the article! Loved hearing about Ms. Webb's inspirations, such as Isabel Marant and Lanvin. I'm looking forward to her increasing influence on future collections (as in, fewer ruffles and sequins).
ITA, jojo, I'm not at all impressed with Jenna's style or the constant self promotion.
ReplyDeleteDCN, I believe that website is only for men's shirts. Is that correct?
It's always interesting to see a manufacturing video IMO, but to see how much history is behind some of the items is absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeleteInteresting points-of-view today and I really appreciate that they can be different and offered with respect!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the challenge of reading into both the PR-shaped and candid views we get of Jenna and the rest. But I got my Corsa bag yesterday, and what I love even MORE is the personal thrill of a new JC item I've wanted IRL!
Thanks for the link to the interview with Webb. I found it interesting that she said "I love that we have new lengths in both skirts and pants", considering that people have been discussing the LACK of variety of J Crew skirt lengths.
ReplyDeleteI saw a clip of Tim Gunn this morning, he's doing some kind of fashion advice column for Marie Claire I think they said, and Gunn thinks that skirts should never be below the knee unless they are pencil shaped, and then they should only go as far as just below the bottom of the knee, not any longer. He said longer skirts are "dowdy". I totally disagree with him. I can point to a number of great examples from top designers' shows this year and last (including couture), one of my favorites being Marc Jacobs Fall 2010. Far from being dowdy these lengths can range from nerd girl chic to retro cool to ethereal.
Dear Tim Gunn, does this look "dowdy" to you? Really?
ReplyDeleteArmani Fall 2011
Wow, Nice. Made in Italy clothing are full of elegance with its designs and colors so these are popular worldwide.
ReplyDelete