J. Press York Street FINAL SALE Blowout
Like 63-year-old-Jay Leno stepping aside for a 39-year-old (and younger seeming) Jimmy Fallon, Heritage brands & retailers with an aging customer base have tried, hard, to young-up these last few years. Look at Red Fleece by Brooks Brothers. Or even the Wooster experiment with JC Penney. And like some late-night transitions, some go better… and some go much worse than others.
J. Press has been around since the Wright Brothers were skittering about the skies. But their younger leaning line, “York Street” hasn’t been around that long at all. And the speculation is that York Street might be going the way of Conan.
Prices have been slashed. So much so that it appears that it’s all final sale. Any items discounted by more than 25% “are not refundable and will only be considered for a size/color exchange or a store credit.” Shipping appears to be steep, especially if you’re just getting something inexpensive. Major thanks to reader Ben R. for the tip on this one…
UPDATE
Their website has gone a bit goofy on this one. Items are coming & going from sale, stock is all over the place, etc… looks like their web team is having a busy Monday morning. Good luck fellas.
Eastland Cap Toe Made in Maine Loden Green Boots – $131.25 ($525)
Made in the USA and… green. Horween leather, but green. Still an awfully good price for a pair of well-made boots with (obvious) character. Also available in an eyebrow raising “multi” scheme.
Hanson Triple Pleat Sportcoat in Moss Green – $210 ($525)
Putting the sport(ing) in sportcoat. All wool and unstructured. Double barrel shotgun not included.
Hanson Triple Pleat Sportcoat in Golden Wheat Moleskin – $131.25 ($525)
Same as above, only in cotton moleskin. Sold in exact chest sizes.
Made in Scotland Shaggy (Mr. Boombastic!) Dog Sweaters – $61.25 ($245)
Now let me hit you off with this question sign: Perhaps the star of the sale? Available in the bi-color + blue shown above, plus a lighter charcoal, and a navy with yellow arm stripes.
Side Stripe Herringbone Scarf in Green/Gold or Navy/Burgundy – $30.00 ($120)
Phil did see his shadow, so Winter may be sticking around for a bit. Great use of colors and pattern on these things. 95% cotton and 5% cashmere.
Recycled Denim Weekender Bag – $87.50 ($350)
Hand made in Japan from recycled denim. On the small side for sure. 18″ x 13″ x 7.5″ = just 1755 cubic inches of space, so don’t expect to make it a long weekend unless you pack real light.
Holmes Quilted Sportcoat in Navy or Green – $112.50 ($450)
Season transition outerwear for the blazer addicts amongst us. All poly, 3/2 roll front, and elbow patches.
Quilted Sporting Rugby-Hunter Green – $36.25 ($145)
One way to relax (or play) yet not look like you’ve got the flu. Reminiscent of the old Ralph Lauren quilted shoulder/chest rugby shirts, only this one has minimal branding (the 1902 on the hem). Quilted elbows as well. All cotton.
Classic Wool/Cashmere Topcoat in Grey or Navy – $245.00 ($980)
Limited information on these, but they could be a steal depending on construction & fabric mix. Ticket pocket, two perfect for winter shades, and a classic to the knee length.
Ring Belt in Blackwatch Plaid or Herringbone – $24.50 ($98)
Yep. Ninety eight bucks was their original asking price. That’s a lot. But these things do the summer-casual belt thing for the other three seasons quite well. 100% wool. Made in the USA. Also available in a tan herringbone.
Grosgrain Belt in Gold/Navy, Green Multi, Navy/Burgundy, or Orange Multi – $22.25 ($89)
Speaking of warm weather belts…
Branford Signature Navy Plaid Sportcoat – $245 ($980)
All of their blazers look cropped if not chopped, so even with the massive discount, the final sale-ness makes this pretty risky. All wool and made in the USA though.
Stripe Cuff Alpaca Hat or Cotton/Cashmere Herringbone Hat – $19.75 ($79)
Same price, two very different hats. All alpaca with a pom pom on top, or the 95% cotton / 5% cashmere herringbone w/ navy/burgundy stripe cuff.
Vintage Reverse Sweatshirt in Green or Light Grey – $33.75 ($135)
Something to wear while getting a job done and now at a price you can feel comfortable enough at to wear while getting a job done. Chest pocket. 100% cotton terry. Go chop some wood.
Block Stripe Merino Wool Shawl Collar Sweater – $68.75 ($275)
Any Wolverines in the audience? Blue Hens? 100% Merino wool. Probably not many of these shipping to Columbus.
Thermal Arm-Stripe Henley – $33.75 ($135)
Most certainly belongs over here. Thermal waffle pattern to the cotton body, with two red stripes around the left arm.
Wharton Navy Corduroy Sportcoat – $131.25 ($525)
Interesting looking buttons on this thing. They look like a warm brass, but don’t appear to have much if any etching or detail to them? Can’t really tell.
Irving “Casual” Moleskin Suit in Grey or Indigo – $318.00 ($795)
Moleskin is a favorite fabric of many. Sorta like velvet without the shine, moleskin is a cotton fabric with a soft texture. The nap isn’t nearly as deep as velvet, yet it’s super soft and plenty warm. If you wouldn’t wear a corduroy suit because you think it’d look a little too 70’s and/or trendy, moleskin might be the next step back from that ledge. Different, but not so immediately noticeable.
Anyone have experience with J. Press and York Street? Leave it all below. Also, at checkout, you get this notification: IMPORTANT NOTICE: From January 15th through February 10th, 2014, order processing may be delayed much longer than usual due to inventory moving…We apologize for the inconvenience. Merchandise shown may not be available in all sizes. If an ordered item is not in stock, you will be notified via email. So you might order something, only for it to not be in stock, and then they’ll contact you after the purchase?
The website appears to be currently unavailable due to maintenance.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s because they’re adding their Spring 2014 collection. I got an email saying as much from them this morning. It’s worth the wait, though.
The inventory on the site at the moment seems way out of whack. The shaggy dog sweaters have been sold out of almost all sizes except XXL or XL for several months now. I happened to see one of them in a medium last week and went ahead and ordered it and got a note a few days later stating that all Shaggy dogs are sold out in size medium. Yet there’s several showing all sizes available at the moment. I’d still go ahead and order since you never know but just be prepared to receive a note from them stating it was an inventory error. That might be the case with a lot of the stuff that is more appealing on there currently. I’ve had store credit that I had been looking to use for the last few weeks and it was tough to find anything I liked in a normal size.
Regarding sizing – the York St stuff runs very slim. I have a few of the Shaggy Dogs in my standard medium sized and they fit me perfectly yet snug. I ordered a sweater hoodie from there in the same size and it was definitely too small. Since then I decided to size up and ordered the reverse sweatshirt in green and the waffle henley Joe has recommended above in a size large. They are expected to arrive tomorrow and I can give a more accurate update on the sizing then.
My current recommendation is that unless you’re built like a beanpole, I’d recommend sizing up 1 (except in maybe the Shaggy dogs). Even if you are a beanpole and order the correct size, expect the arms to be too short for you. For reference, I’m 5’8″ and 165 lbs with an athletic build and the shaggy dog fit me perfectly in a Medium, including the sleeves. I could see those same sleeves being too short for someone who is 6’0″ and the same weight as me.
So the Shaggy Dogs run slim but true to size while the others you should plan on sizing up?
How often do they have sales?
Yup, exactly. I’ve only tried on the shaggy dogs and the 1 hoodie so I can only speak based on my limited experience. I did try on a standard j press shaggy dog in store sizing down to a Small and it was still way too baggy and too much material under the arms. My thinking is that the Shaggy dogs are meant to be baggier so if you want the type of fit we usually go for, your standard size should work fine. Maybe the other stuff isn’t meant to be as baggy so when you order your normal size it ends up fitting much slimmer. That’s my thinking anyways.
I was able to fit in to the medium hoodie but it was skin tight, similar to an underarmour shirt you’d see athletes wearing. I’ll know better after the package arrives tomorrow with the sweatshirt and Henley if I made the right move in sizing up. Even if I’m wrong, a sweatshirt wouldn’t look as bad if it’s a bit bigger. I’ve posted a few pics of me wearing shaggy dogs in WIWT in the past but can post some more clearer ones if there’s a demand for it. I no longer have the hoodie since I sent it back so can’t get you a pic of that to show you how tight it was.
Rarely, and almost never this much of a sale. This is the lowest you’ll see shaggy dogs without buying second-hand or using a time machine.
Once, maybe twice a year from what I can remember.
This one has been up since at least early-mid December. Although they just recently moved everything up a tier. There was no 75% tier until a week ago.
I’m kind of liking green boots? I mean different, but in a good way. Hmm.
They don’t look as green In that pic as they do on some other sites. Do a google search for them and you can see them on other sites and they are most definitely green. Just didn’t want you to be surprised at the color difference if you pull them out of the box and they end up looking closer to the color on other sites.
Thanks. I’ve never heard of the brand. Guess I won’t be shopping there with their prices.
Anybody have feedback on how their henleys fit?
Hey how good a deal are the shaggy dogs? I learned about them not too long ago, and wondering if I should pull the trigger on just one to see how I like it, or 2 to not miss a good price.
This is about as good a price on a truly iconic piece of ivy/preppy clothing as you’ll see outside of buying them second-hand and you should be able to get a decent amount back through resale if you don’t like them, but shaggy dogs are decidedly shaggy and not to everyone’s taste. I’d have bought quite a few if I didn’t already have shetlands in all the colors I’m interested in, but that’s just me.
I like them so much that I’ve picked up 3 of them this season for closer to $100 each and thought that was a really good deal. If they have your size at $60, it’s a no brainier to me. They are very fluffy and warm, yet super light at the same time. I’d pick up more colors if I could at this price but they emailed me last week stating that they have no more mediums left in any color. I guess it’s possible that they found some extra stock that was hidden away somewhere.
For what it is worth, I think these boots are probably the same as the Monroe Made in Maine boots. After seeing the firesale on J Press, but my size sold out on the Brown, I ordered the Monroe from East Dane for $212. They seem to fit pretty true to size. Unlike other boots, I would not recommend sizing down. The leather seems to be good quality. They seem a bit more comfortable than the Red Wing 877’s I recently tried on. Still deciding whether or not to keep them. If you dig the green, order your true size and go for it. If you prefer black, they were available in most sizes on East Dane as of last week.
Hold on. Can we talk a little bit about the front-back color block pants on the navy topcoat model for a bit? I mean, it seems like they should be offered without comment … but I can’t help it. Patriots in the front, Green Bay in the back?
http://www.jpressonline.com/chinos-multicolor-panel/
Woah. The website’s back online and they’ve completely shaken up the sales. They’ve added a LOT of new items and taken some things off sale. The boots are no longer available but there’s quite a few of made-in-maine loafers for ~$100. They’re a little different in design some of them aren’t too crazy. Worth checking out and scrolling through everything, but this guide’s definitely out of date now.
I’ve shopped at J Press nearly all my life. Everything from sweaters to sportcoats to my favorite overcoat to a semi-custom tux. A store credit at J Press will always be useful for something or other.
Recently took in a ca. 1997 J Press tweed blazer to have elbow patches put on. Store manager called over the salesmen: “Looky here! Ever seen one of these? A J Press tweed jacket with side vents & a ticket pocket!”
For how important a measurement it is, it drives me CRAZY that so few retailers give you a shoulder width for their blazers.
I just called J Press and asked about the York St Shaggy Dogs since some of these color and size combos have been sold out for a month or two now. She said this is definitely an inventory error with the website and she’s going to look in to it. It might apply to other items as well but she’s not sure until she further investigates it. Just a heads up to anyone who is placing an order. I’d still go ahead and place it but just be ready for some of the stuff to get cancelled.
Picked up a couple oxfords from Nordstrom a few months ago. Love them.
Wow. I had two shaggy dogs in my shopping cart, but by the time I went to check out, they had sold out. I blame you guys.
Figured this had to be the case given the total lack of non-XL/XXL sizes during earlier mark downs. Still went ahead and ordered two Shaggy Dogs in Medium – the charcoal and the navy w/rings – on the off chance. It’s been over an hour and I’m still without a confirmation email. What is it they say about things that appear to good to be true?
When I got my cancellation notice last week, it came about 2-3 days after I placed my order. I figure with them closing down 1 of their stores and moving inventory around there’s bound to be a delay.
Anyone have experience with the top coat? I’m a 42, 34″ waist and I need something warm I can wear over a suit jacket (and sometimes sweater). I need to layer in the winter (not crazy amounts, but enough). I have BR topcoat in medium that fits just fine, but can be pretty snug with suit jacket + sweater. Thanks!
A red “bandana tee” marketed to yuppies and preps is just about the worst idea I’ve ever seen.
I was about to impulse-purchase a pair a few minutes ago, but the price had gone back up to $500+.
Ordered 2 Shaggies – and got an instant confirm. The York St. ones I feel are properly priced now. When I tried them on in store the York St. ones were slimmer but seemed less warm than the originals.
Fingers crossed.
I’m in for two–charcoal and blue. I’m boring and my wardrobe is all navy/gray/earth tones/black. Other colors just dont work on me.
Argh I wish I had taken a look at what else they had instead of going straight to checkout with 2 shaggy dogs. I could use some decent loafers. Were there any other brown loafers available? I only see the bowtie tassel one.
Just wondering…I don’t have experience with J.Press or the brand image, and so I was wondering if the brand image that they are trying to go for is preppy/ivy league. I go to an ivy, and I have not seen anyone wear a shaggy dog. If I do wear em, do you think it can come as douchey/elitist?
Those were it for wearable shoes. The white version could be pulled off with some effort but the navy/white spectator pennies were not a good idea at all. Those brown bowtie tassels hit the preppy sweet spot, though. High quality construction and traditional with just a dash of GTH.
J. Press isn’t going for the preppy/ivy look, they’re one of its founding fathes and much closer to their roots than Brooks Brothers. Shaggy dogs are one of the iconic pieces of preppy/ivy attire, and part of the magic of them, like bass weejuns and Brooks OCBD, is that they’re simple, casual, durable, and work well in a wide variety of outfits and circumstances. If you had one of their infamous pink or baby blue shaggys, yes, that would be preppy as heck. Charcoal, navy, burgundy or even that green/charcoal one? Nope, you’ll be just fine
I ended up buying a tie for $27 (J Press York Street). However, $10 for shipping? Really? $10 to ship 1 tie???
Any updates on your order? I’m 5’7″, 165, with a 38″ chest, and it feels weird to me that I might have to size up to a Large.
I posted in the forum in the recent purchases thread yesterday that I’m glad I sized up to a large. I can take some pics and post them in there later today. I purchased the reverse sweatshirt and the thermal hoodie and neither would have fit me in my usual medium.
Your measurements are exactly what mine are. It’s pretty scary. Your blog is already one of the ones I follow but now I’ll have to pay even more attention knowing that we are the exact same size.
Thanks, really appreciate the update.
Do you usually wear Medium? I find that I’m a Small at places like Lands’ End Canvas, J. Crew, and Club Monaco.
In LE outerwear I’m a Small. I have 1 LE shirt and that’s a small too. At JCrew I wear a M in their polos or slim fit shirts but am in between a Small/Medium in their outerwear.
I sent you a message on your site but basically – It’s about 50/50 with the York St stuff on sizing up. If you want to be safe I’d size up 1. If you want to risk it, go for your normal size but be prepared to donate it to someone who is 2″ shorter than you and about 20 pounds lighter.
The Shaggy Dogs in M fit fine. I’ve tried on their Baracudda jacket before and that fit perfectly in an M. Their button up shirts would fit in a M except my chest is a bit big so you can see the buttons pulling a there. I’ve tried a knit hoodie from them before and it was way too small in M. I ordered a thermal hoodie that just came in and even the L is snug but not in a bad way. A S in that would have made it seem like I was wearing UnderArmour. I’ll post some fit pics in a few hours here in the recent purchases thread if you want to keep an eye on that.
Did you pick a size? I am a 42 long – 34″ waist… Not sure if I should go L or XL
Just saw the fit pics … thanks!