J. Crew 30% off Lots of Suiting (even some wool Ludlows & Crosbys)

DAPPERED = 30% off select suits at J. Crew

So this is paraphrasing, but here’s how this happened:

J. Crew: Hi! We like Dappered. Would you like a unique 30% off select suiting promo code to pass along to your readers? Our annual suit sale is coming up, and this would let your readers get in on it a week in advance of the general public.

Me: Well that’s awfully kind of you. But is there any way you could include some of the wool suit options? Usually it feels like these suit sales are just seasonal fabrics.

J. Crew: We’ll see what we can do! 

Thus endeth the re-enactment of how this 30% off DAPPERED code came to be. Totally unprompted, and yes, we’ll absolutely take it. Ends up that most of the suits on sale are seasonal fabrics, but there are a few year-round wool options in there too. Is it possible that you could nab one of these for even less once (if?) it hits the sale section, and an extra 30% – 40% off code comes along? Of course. But that means you have to: A. wait, and B. hope your size is still left. Off we go with the highlights:

 

Ludlow Fit Italian Wool Traveler Suit Jacket & Pant – $490 ($700)

On the high end of the budget for a lot of us, even with the 30% off, but these traveler suits are gonna be seen as the bee’s knees to plenty. A super high-twist wool helps resist creasing, but still breathes and drapes well. Plus, and this is key for a lot of us who run a bit warmer than most, they’re only half lined in the back. That increased air flow is greatly appreciated. Sold as separates, as is the case with all of their suiting, so for those with not-so-normal proportions? You can pick and choose pant and jacket sizes, instead of getting stuck with nested pairs (as is the case with Suitsupply and Spier & Mackay).

 

Ludlow Shawl Collar Dinner Jacket in Fiore Cotton – $208.60 ($298)

Full honesty here: If you’re expecting some super-lightweight, breezy, loose weave cotton jacket for sweltering summer nights, you’re gonna be disappointed. It is cotton. It is summer appropriate. But it’s also pretty structured feeling thanks to the substantial fabric. It’s got a really attractive basket weave to it, but bounce and float on the breeze it does not. Still a great looking jacket, but if you’re more of a Crosby body type? Then this thing is gonna feel restrictive. Full review here.

 

Ludlow Fit in Italian Wool-Linen – $319.20 ($456)

Combines the summery-ness of linen with the durability, breathability, and wrinkle resistance of wool (probably still gonna wrinkle, but not nearly as bad as a 100% linen suit). And that blueish grey color will stand out, quietly, at all those summer weddings you’ve been invited to this year and will be attending in the years to come. Just half lined, which is also a plus.

 

Crosby in Med. Charcoal, Charcoal, Navy Worsted Wool – $455 ($650)

For the fellas who are a bit too hulked out for the standard, slim Ludlow. (Get it? Hulked? The green? HAHAHAahahahhahehhhhhhhhh…) And kudos to J. Crew for taking leg day into account for the pants. There really is more room in the seat and thighs, which is hugely appreciated for those of us who can’t stand the fact that most pants feel shrink wrapped around our lower appendage meat. (Wait, what?) Shown above is a medium charcoal, unaltered, 40R jacket and 33×30 pant on 5’10” / 185-190 lbs of American Mongrel. Full review here. Also shown at the top of the post (albeit the pic at the top of the post is after a bit of tailoring).

 

Crosby Fit In Italian Wool – $455 ($650)

The hell is the difference between worsted wool and regular ol’ wool? This should help. But in my experience (take that for what you will), J. Crew’s worsted options aren’t quite as smooth and silky as their standard Italian wool which is shown above. Yet, the worsted options feel harder wearing. They ain’t tweed, don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t as… delicate? For what it’s worth, I’m a big fan of the worsted. Looks great, wears great, you can beat the snot out of it. At least, I have. But the standard Italian wools aren’t anything to sneeze at either. If you prefer a center vent, they do make a navy option with a center, instead of dual vents, right here.

 

Ludlow Fit in Irish Linen – $319.20 ($456)

“But it wrinkles.” Sure. So? That’s some of the appeal of linen. And look, if you don’t like the wrinkles, got it. No problem. But a wrinkled linen suit appeals to a lot of us who aren’t the super buttoned up type. A summer suit for the non-suit types. One thing though, you’re going to want to get a steamer. Otherwise, it’s dry cleaning/professional pressing every other (or… every) wear with all linen suits. And that’ll be absolute hell on the construction.

 

Ludlow in Italian Oxford Cloth – $382.20 ($546)

Big fan of Carpini’s Oxford cloth fabric. It’s soft, and has that true oxford texture, but it’s not overly thick or smushy. And kudos to J. Crew for making their oxford cloth suits in a more versatile grey this year (as opposed to last year’s sorta faded baby blue). Just half lined in the back. This is the kind of suit you could easily break up and wear the pants or jacket with other pieces. In fact, that suit jacket might look great with jeans once it cools off. Kinda bummed there’s no Crosby fit option.

 

Crosby or Ludlow Fit in Italian Cotton Pique – $382.20 ($546)

A cotton summer suit, without the density/ultra-smoothness of chino. And no disrespect to chino of course. Subtle texture to the fabric. Fully lined, which kinda stinks, but more breathable than the more dense chino. Fabric is from the Italian Carpini mill.

 

Ludlow in Houndstooth Italian Linen-Wool – $319.20 ($456)

Different for sure, but not crazy wild thanks to the small size of each individual houndstooth. Linen-wool blend by Marzotto. Just half lined in the back of the jacket. Seems like this could be a great alternative to wearing seersucker, if you just can’t bring yourself to wear a full seersucker suit.

 

Ludlow Jacket & Pant or Crosby Jacket & Pant in Ital. Chino – $319.20

Ring a bit of a bell? The Ludlow was just in the sale section and going for the mid $200s. But… time marches on, and its not there anymore. Still not a bad price for a crisp summer suit. Note: Something is weird with the J. Crew site at post time, and attempting to click on either of these suits via their suit page results in an error. So you have to search out the jacket + pants individually. For now?

Also part of this sale but not mentioned in the picks above: The Ludlow or Crosby in Microstripe Italian cotton. The Ludlow in Italian Stretch Chino. The Ludlow in Japanese Seersucker. And finally, two cotton dinner jackets. One in white with a peak lapel, and another in a dark jacquard cotton with a shawl collar. Thanks once again to J. Crew for reaching out, unprompted, with the code, which is set to expire on Sunday 7/10. Look for another code to launch the following day for the general public.