J. Crew Factory “Thompson” Suit Jacket & Matching Pant – $256.00
Suit Size Shown: 38 Regular, 32/30 pant. For complete body type and measurements click here.
For as easy as it is to give Frank Muytjens and the rest of the J. Crew design team hell, when they get something right, goodness do they ever get it right. These suit separates are from their step-down more affordable brand “J. Crew Factory.” You wouldn’t think to expect much, but they over-deliver here, and the result is a conservative colored suit that can easily go head to head with any department store brand in this price range.
The Pros
- The Second Skin Feel: It’s extremely lightweight, but doesn’t feel cheap. It’s not 100% wool but instead an 80/20 wool poly mix. It feels just fine to the touch, and moves incredibly well.
. - The Off the Rack Fit: It’s not labeled a “Ludlow” but it fits trim and even a little better than J. Crew’s signature fit. Well scalloped, minimal shoulder padding, and the jacket isn’t too short ( unless you’re holding your arms out at your sides.) Should look terrific with extra tailoring.
. - The Price: Usually $250 but Factory often does site wide 20-30% off sales in conjunction with those extra markdowns J. Crew will do on sale items.
. - The Lapels and Sleeve Buttons: It’s a conservative color but the slimmer lapels mean it doesn’t have to be reserved for business and funerals. You could easily wear this out on a dressed up date. The sleeve buttons are non functioning, have zero accent stitching, and should be extremely easy to tailor.
. - The Color: Not a solid, but instead a very lightly marled charcoal. Deep and dark but with barely noticeable flecks that give it depth and make it look much more expensive.
The Cons
- The Button Stance: It’s low, which is the trend right now and that’s great, but it seems like the top button should maybe be up another half inch. There’s an odd amount of no-man’s land between the top button and where the lapel naturally terminates. Hardly a deal breaker at all, and a picky knock at best.
The Bottom Line
Miles ahead of an Alfani Red or Tommy Hilfiger Trim Fit. Unlike a department store suit, this one is lightweight enough that your body never fights against the suit while moving in it. Yet it doesn’t feel flimsy in the least. It’s oddly comfortable and bends and flexes with you. It’s a bit of a surprise to say it, but without a doubt this has got to be the best looking and feeling suit available for $250 or less.
Shirt by ratio/clothing, watch by Seiko, tie by Lands’ End Canvas, shoes by Allen Edmonds
Can this only be ordered Online, and if so, what would be something to try on to get an idea of the fit? Thanks.
Yep. That suit looks really good. I’m totally interested. But that picture? That’s really something. Well done.
nice. Like the watch too. What Seiko model is that?
I recently bought this suit and I love it! I got it last Wednesday and have worn it twice. I get tons of complements and it feels great. I completely agree with the second skin feel. The 40R fits me great, The pants are 34×32. I’m 6’1″, 42″chest, 35″ waist. The only thing I’ll have a tailor do is take up the sleeves a little. J. Crew arms run a little long on me. I also have a couple of Ludlow Sports Coats and both of them need the sleeves taken up. On shirts I wear a 33/34 sleeve length to give you an idea. And the sleeves aren’t terrible long, but a little longer than I perfer. I highly recommend picking this up!
Here it is, linked to it under the final pic: http://dappered.com/2011/06/in-person-the-seiko-5-snzj59-review/
I’m not sure if they carry these at J. Crew Factory Outlets… as far as figuring out the fit, that’s tough. Because I don’t think it fits quite like a Ludlow, or anything else for that matter. It’s a bit of a stand alone. What sizes do you normally get? Height/weight?
I’m all about style, but I don’t think I would ever wear a suit to power wash the quonset shed. Nice suit though. Unfortunately, I’m not currently in the market for one. Drats.
In Alfani Red I am a 42R with 36W. I am 5″11 and weigh 174. I just started a new law job and would love to order the suit but wanna make sure I am right on the size. Thanks for the help.
I think I’d stick with those measurements then. It’ll be more trim than an Alfani RED, but sizing up to a 44R at just 174 is the wrong move (I think…) Have you ever tried sizing down? To a 40? Do you have really wide shoulders? I’m only about 10 pounds less than you, but a 38 fit me really well off the rack. Here’s more about my measurements for reference: http://dappered.com/2011/07/joes-measurements/ Don’t forget, you’ll get nailed on return shipping here too if you don’t like it. They do free shipping every so often, so, might be best to wait till that happens.
I’m currently wearing that seiko (off this site’s recommendation, btw) – and i love it. Just looks great and is highly versatile and durable. Money well spent.
Thanks so much for this! I was eyeing the suit, but couldn’t find any reviews on it. Think I’ll give it a go!
I have tried downsizing, but I had wide shoulders and a large chest that typically prevents me from droppin below a 42R in most slim fit lines. How are the fit of the pants? Pretty in line with slim fit jcrew or trimmer than that? Thanks again Joe.
Not overly slim. Not relaxed by any means either. Right in between.
Curses! No 36Rs. That’s ok, though, I don’t need another suit quite yet.
Curses! No 36Rs. That’s ok, though, I don’t need another suit quite yet.
Too bad about the 20% polyester.
Looks like an awesome suit but 38R is too large. Anyone know where I can find a trimer suit for a short skinny guy? I’m 5′ 3″ 130lb so finding something that fits can be a challenge.
That area above the button is really throwing me off! Not digging it.
Honestly, I think that’s what makes it so light and able to move. I’ve tried on 80/20 DKNY suits before that kinda feel the same way. When the wool can’t be the highest of quality due to cost, I think a bit of synthetic magic actually can help and not hurt.
I have that tie, thanks for the tip!
Bummer there are no S options…this is one case where I wish the jacket was actually cropped shorter so I could do the regular.
Joe, you think that at 5’8″ a 38R jacket would be too long?
Darn! Im a 36.
Like a Goldilocks fit?
Seriously! What’s the deal with stopping at 38R? As a 36 I feel robbed…though I am a 36S so even if they did 36R I would still gripe 😉
Porridge like.
You could get it shortened by a tailor. Might not be the cheapest job, but, it can be done. I’m 5’9″-5’10” and it’s perfect on me.
I literally LOL’d at the picture!
What gave it away for me was the striped knit tie. I own the same one because of this site. And I know that it is not sold by J.Crew.
The picture is awesome.
Where’s your pocket square?
can you please measure it from bottom of collar to hem and post the measurement??
29 3/4″ ish
Thanks! That’s a perfect length, esp. if you are in between sizes like me (5’8″)
too dark to wear with brown?
Just got mine in the mail, and it’s the best-fitting off-the-rack jacket I’ve ever tried on. Got the 42R and it’s perfect for me at 5’11, 190 lbs. I’m slightly larger than average through the shoulders and usually have to squeeze into a 42, but not here. Also, the 33×30’s in the pants won’t need any tailoring at all — a perfect 1/2 break, I’m stunned!
The feel is nice and light — lighter, in fact, than any cotton suit I had worn throughout the Phoenix summer. Very comfortable and jacket length hits my knuckles exactly. The only tailoring I foresee is in the sleeves (to be expected) and slightly in the torso.
Picked this up at 30% off, totaled out at around $206 and looking well worth it so far.
Also, I forgot — the order invoice references “LUDLOW” repeatedly, which leads me to believe it’s the same cut with names changed for branding purposes.
OK Dappered, I’m gonna jump in on this suit, now that it’s back in stock, based solely on the reviews here!
I really want to try this suit. The Ludlow 42L cut jacket is fits me pretty perfectly. I wear a 32×34 pant size, and it looks like the closest with the J Crew factory pant is 33×32. Is there enough fabric there to extend the length?
I just ordered this suit and it came in yesterday. I’m 5’10 220 pounds. I went with the 46 jacket and 38 pants. The pants are just the right level of slim but not skinny they fit amazing. The jacket does have thin lapels which is different and I’m not entirely sure how they look against my bigger frame. The color is great, not a solid black so it lacks that undertaker quality. It’s a great feeling suit. The suit certainly doesn’t look like a poly blend but when touching it you can feel it’s not 100% wool. I got the suit for around 200 and I can’t complain one bit. It’s a great buy at 200 but I would not go any higher.
Is it possible for a tailor or myself to change the length of the lapel? By that I mean change the angle of the roll such that I can decrease the distance between where the lapel ends and the top button.
Joe, I don’t have a Factory Store near where I live. If I wear a 42L normally, should I stick with my normal measurements?
This post is still alive and kicking from 6 months ago! I saw your review and decided to take the jump. This weekend (2/17/12), J. Crew is doing a 30% off on factory items, and an additional 30% with free ground shipping on $100+ with coupon code SHOPNOW. Brought my purchase down to $166.40.
Also, I noticed that when I purchased it through Paypal, the item tag shows LUDLOW SUIT PANT WA0547; BUTTON LUDLOW BLAZER WA0547.
Are you saying that they sent you better items?
Me Too! After having lost a lot of weight, I’ve been rebuilding my warddrobe over the past 2 years, and had not yet added a suit. Suddenly the occassion to wear one arose and I faithfully searched out Dappered for ideas. I hope it is as good as Joe’s review sounds!
You’ve convinced me, Dappered. Just got mine for 187 (using FABFEB). Gracias!
One thing i notice with other cheap suits is that the top button gets worn out after only a couple months. Can anyone attest to this happening for this suit?
I too recently purchased this suit, along with the wheat colored italian chino ludlow. I love them both, but I noticed a lot more compliments on the fit and overall look when I wore the FACTORY suit. I’ve taken them both to my tailor to perfect the fit, but at 5′ 4″ 135 lb (approx) I found the fit to be pretty spot on with the off the rack 38R…only the sleeves need to be brought up a bit on both jackets. This is my first post, and I’ve been lurking the site for some time. I’m very happy to find a group of gentlemen as interested in looking their best as I do! I’m 27 and, while I’ve always liked dressing well, it’s been a goal of mine the last couple of years to update my dress, and gain a little more swagger. I lost approximately 50 lbs over 2010 and 2011 and all my old suits have been donated…Obviously with this recent weight lost and increased confidence, I’ve been receiving a little more attention from the opposite sex…especially now that I’ve got two solid suits to wear out. I’ve startted my new suit collection with these two wonderful suits from Jcrew and I’m ready to wear them out confidently every occasion that calls for a suit….and many times when it doesn’t! I feel like a new man! 😀
Checked this out today at a factory store. I’ll probably end up buying it. Here’s a pic I took in the dressing room with just the jacket:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1468341/IMG_20120302_125153.jpg
I went ahead and ordered one of these. Hopefully the pants and jacket work out.
I’m about 5’11 and 180lbs. Ordered a 33/32 and 42r coat.
Used 10% off coupon and paid $186 total shipped.
I wear a 32×34 as well, did you end up making the plunge with the 32 inseam?
just snagged it at the 30% off and it fits perfectly. i have an athletic chest (6″0 – 200lbs) and the lapels dont lie perfectly flat, but im hoping the tailor can fix that up. other then that, sleeve length is perfect
For those who have seen this IRL, any thought son whether this suit is too dark for brown shoes?
Just bought this on Dappered’s recommendation (the whole thing was under 180 for Memorial Day), and it fit almost perfectly out of the box. Feels great, moves great, looks great. Couldn’t be happier. Thanks Joe.
Got this with dappered’s reco, have only got great comments (somebody asked if I was a gq model!). Fit was perfect, right of the rack. Very happy with the purchase.
Holy thread resurrection, Batman! I nabbed this suit (and the Mcallister suede chukkas) for dirt cheap during the 40% sale with OURTREAT code. I love Dappered even if my wallet doesn’t…
Oops. Double post.
Mini-Review.
Price: $189 after 40% off final sale price. I would not recommend paying full retail for this suit.
Fit: The fit was true to size. Fine throughout the jacket torso and
pants, though I will need to hem the pants length slightly as well as
the jacket sleeves.
Material: Extremely lightweight (good for spring and summer in the
South) but on the other hand the material is a lot thinner than I
expected. I held it up to the window and I could see light coming
through the suit material and the inner lining (which was minimal). It’s
not like people can see your skin through the suit jacket sleeves or
anything, but material is a relevant consideration from a durability
perspective, which is the only reason I bring this up.
For comparison, I held up a Calvin Klein suit I got (off Gilt for
about $300) and I could discern pin pricks of light, but nowhere near as
much light as through the J. Crew Factory suit. The lining and
thickness of the material is definitely where the cost-cutting came into
play.
Damage: The thread holding the left edge of the breast pocket came
undone, meaning my breast pocket flaps down. This will need to be
repaired at the tailor.
Conclusion: 3/5. Would I buy again? Well, if it were more of a summer
color, definitely yes. This appears to be more of a summer weight suit
(granted this is a wool/and in a more “wintery” color (versatility not
withstanding). -1 star for damage to the relatively flimsy breast
pocket. Since I usually buy for quality first and price second, no, I
probably wouldn’t purchase again. That said, I’m taking this to my
tailor.
Joe,
Does this suit ever come in a 48R?
Thanks,
are these photos the thompson in 100% worsted wool charcoal or the 80/20 heather gray? and is it as dark as it comes across in the photos (near black?). thank you.