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J. Crew Factory vs. H&M – Store Wars Rd. #1

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STORE WARS: J. Crew Factory vs. H&M

Store Wars 7sStarting March 17th and running through April 7th, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2014.  For a full introduction see this post. The bracket on the right will be updated as the tournament progresses. Click on it for the full size. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown:

 

JCF1

Strengths: A finalist from last year. Their flagship Thompson suit separates (in wool-blend, all wool, and cotton) are as good as it gets for around $200 (if not much less). Their tweed-like winter blazers and merino wool v-necks are cold weather staples for many of us. Factory is also smart enough to NOT make their jacket sleeve buttons functional, or even bother with any accent stitching around them… that makes for easy tailoring. Lots of sales and codes, so if you’re patient and play the game, you can get some great looking stuff for an extremely reasonable price. Seems like they actually responded to requests by those of you who wear a 36R or 36S to start making their suit jackets and blazers in that size. $5 flat rate shipping is one of the lower shipping rates out there.

Weaknesses: Sometimes the fabrics used on the fall/winter blazers can disappoint (but other times, they’re great). Quality of their accessories seems to be lacking. They play the code game so you’ve got to be patient. Some of their basics (like tees) can seem strangely expensive. Suit pants can be a little baggy, but they have come out with a “slim” option for many of their suit pants in the last few months.

 

handm 4

Strengths: Prices are super-affordable. They also turn over a bunch of different styles at breakneck speed. Finally got into e-commerce after years of not offering online shopping in the US. Usually has a good selection of blazers & sportcoats to pick from. Lots of casual basics. Brick & mortar presence in the U.S. is strong and expanding.

Weaknesses: Can feel like a cheaper-quality UNIQLO. Feel of the goods can be downright flimsy. Blazers can be very short in the tail if not chopped. They can sometimes suffer from the “looks better on the rack than it feels after putting it on” syndrome.

Your votes determine who goes on to the next round.  Cast your ballot below.  Voting closes at midnight ET.

Store Wars: J. Crew Factory vs. H&M

  • J. Crew Factory (88%, 2,013 Votes)
  • H&M (12%, 285 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,289

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Comments

  2. Went with JCF. Love the Thompson and also the slim fit shirts are a great casual button down.

  3. JCF has got to be the winner here. While I like H&M (and am currently wearing a piece from them), JCF has the more versatile pieces that will outlast any fashion trends. My vote goes to JCF (which I’m also currently wearing).

  6. Looks like JCF is running away with this one already. I own way too many items from JCF (and their big brother) to vote for H&M against them. I think the only competitor that can beat JCF, for me, is J. Crew.

  8. JCF has really been my main resource in my efforts to up my style over the last year. It seems like they get better every season, with more diverse options.

  12. I can wear JCF XL Slim button ups OTR with no need to slim them any
    further at the tailor. The only retailer I’ve found that I can do so.
    For that they get my vote.

  13. I do fancy myself a bit of a contrarian, but I can’t believe I’ve voted for the loser in nearly every single one of these.

    Today will be no exception as I go for H&M. It’s possible I’m just not preppy enough to appreciate the offerings from J. Crew Factory. But I also know what I’m getting with H&M…unbelieeeevably cheap stuff that I don’t really expect much quality from. “All this for less than a tank of gas”? Yep, sometimes I need that. And I expect it to last just as long as that tank…any longer and I feel like I’m making money!

  15. The H&M out here in LA has gotten it’s own men’s store now which also means they got some of the lines that don’t usually get seen in the smaller stores. It’s a nice surprise and their quality on the newer items has gotten better. Not amazing, but you don’t feel like things will fall apart any longer, which is a big step!

    Being a veteran H&M shopper and all………JCF destroys this.

    My vote goes to JCF.

  16. Voted for H&M solely based on the fact that JCF raises prices before starting their sale

  17. I finally stopped in the Georgetown H&M in DC last weekend and found: NO clothes on the floor, clothes on the racks were next to the same items on the rack, checkout didn’t take forever. I was like, “Do I even know you?”

  18. RIGHT?! I’m excluding Black Friday because….no store is safe on that day. But I think if you give H&M another…year they’ll have more respect. I saw they had some cutaway and extreme cutaway collars at the LA location in some sort of “premium cotton”.

    I. Literally. Cried.

    I’m telling you man, one more year!

  19. I dunno what the beef is with H&M. As long as the H&M wear isn’t your daily driver clothing, I have no problem with buying it. I avoid the chopped-tail blazers, but you can’t go wrong with their premium quality dress shirts. (I’m wearing one now.) The double-monk boots I got more than year ago are great, and the GQ-recommended chelsea boots get me plenty of compliments.

    That said, in this matchup I have to go with the better quality brand, JCF. Against someone else, I might vote H&M.

  20. H&M is fine, but it’s very much a “get what you pay for” kind of place. With JCF I feel like the quality exceeds the price.

  21. just how does JCF quality compare to Jcrew? Not as far apart as say, BR and BR factory? I have a pair of cords and a vneck sweater from JCF, haven’t washed them but they have held up well.

  24. Looks like we’ll be seeing a repeat of last years J Crew/JCF final round. I don’t see anyone on the left side who can beat J Crew, and unless I miss my guess, I don’t see any serious challenge for JCF on this side.

  26. The fact that my H&M cords and sweater went into the trash after one winter, while my JCF cords and sweaters have lasted 2 years so far and are still in great shape, might be considered a measurable difference in quality.

    In my experience the hierarchy of “affordable” quality would be H&M < Target < JCF

  28. I dunno. The raised prices on J. Crew’s Blazers (and everything else?) might have worn on people over the last few years. I think BR has a real shot. And Nordstrom always puts up a fight too. But that said, I also thought Suitsupply would make a strong challenge. I was, uh, really wrong there. If we DO go J Crew / JCF 2 years in a row… man, I wonder what that means.

  29. I was rooting for Suit Supply too. I was surprised by that outcome. I Does BR have a shot? Maybe, but I’d vote for J Crew. I’m a little clueless about Nordstrom apparently, because we don’t have one and I’ve never been in one. So I was one of the minority voting for JCP there, simply because in spite of the fact that I don’t love them, I have and do find stuff to wear there.

    If this years outcome mirrors last years I think that means we’re overdue for a new brand to shake things up. Last year I thought and hoped that would be Bonobos. If Bonobos had stayed the course over last year, they might have had a chance, but recent changes to warranty and returns policies have really marred my perception of them over the last few months, and I don’t think I’m alone. I mean I still like them, but they’re not on a trajectory to unseat any giants any time soon.

  30. For me, J Crew materials are softer and more flexible. JCF is a little more stiff. It’s more likely that you will notice the difference when wearing, than that someone on the street could discern the difference. I’ve bought a lot from JCF with no quality issues yet.

  31. 2 youtube videos of this song and NEITHER ONE IS SMASHING PUMPKINS.

    WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS

  32. JCF’s quality and durability may not blow anyone’s hair back, but in my experience it is markedly superior to H&M’s. I once bought an H&M shirt, wore it once, washed it (cold, delicate), dried it (low heat), and it literally came out destroyed. The fabric was puckered and even fraying at all the seams, some of which were already coming undone. An H&M linen sportcoat I owned and loved didn’t survive its first and only trip to the drycleaner – and that was just to get steamed and pressed.
    Meanwhile, I’ve worn (and washed) the crap out of some JCF casual button-downs I picked up for $8 a pop off the clearance rack a year ago. I wore them a ton in warmer weather for after-hours and weekend wear in lieu of a t-shirt. They are still in nearly-new condition. I’ve got a bunch of other JCF garments in regular rotation… linen trousers, wool trousers, lambswool sweaters, a few different versions of the Thompson suit. All are still in fine condition. I’ve never had JCF stuff literally fall apart on me the way H&M stuff has.

  33. I guess I’ve just had better luck. I only have 1 H&M button down and 1 H&M turtleneck, both bought for less than $10, and they both turned 2 a couple months ago. The turtleneck in particular fits me better than another turtleneck I own and that one retailed for $200

  35. Funny you should mention cords. I find the fabric on their cords a bit rough, but something that’s made me laugh on more than one occasion is that JCF’s cords have YKK zippers, which are so smooth you could swear they’re made of butter, and big brother J. Crew’s cords have off-brand zippers that want to snag every damned time I use them.

  36. I don’t have much from JCF, but the few items I do have (quilted vest, lightweight deck/mechanic? jacket, ?) I wear a TON.

  37. Okay, that link helps clarify. I was under the mistaken impression that despite the sales the prices were actually constant.

    Guess that’s one more retailer’s sales pattern I have to learn (I’ve got Gap, Target, J. Crew, and Brooks Brothers down, what’s one more?)

    Still, it’s a shame the great JCP Ron Johnson experiment flamed out.

  40. JCF is great- except their suit pants rarely come in 34Length…..very frustrating

  41. So another JC/JCF matchup is looking more and more likely all the time. JCF will probably go up against Nordstrom’s, and I guess we’ll see wether you’re right that Nordstroms can present a real challenge to JCF. If we DO see a repeat of last years final match though, I’d like to see JCF take it this year. That would send the message to J Crew that we love what they do, but we can’t afford what they do, which rings very true for me at least.