J. Crew’s “math” continues to confound. Their big summer kickoff sale is advertised as “40% off” but prices are well and truly all over the map. Like, why have a big graphic slapped on your home page which says “40% off!” and then the first item you see when you click on “shop men” is a polo that’s 14% off. Fourteen ain’t forty.
Yet LOTS of their inventory is 50% off or more.
What follows are picks that we think and hope maximize the price to value/versatility/style ratio. We will almost entirely stick to items that are 40% off or more. Off we go.
It does appear that J. Crew has a true hit on their hands when it comes to their new Tech Oxford Cloth pants (which are excluded from this sale. boooooo.) So making shorts as well seems like a smart idea. 9″ or 7″ inseams. Not a ton of colors yet, but the sky-blue is classic, and the green-white is interesting. Additional options in gray and khaki would be ideal. Fabric is a 55% cotton/43% recycled polyester/2% elastane blend. So know that they’re not the same as the tech-short fabric. Nor could they be, as an oxford cloth style.
Their lighter weight poplin shirts with a broken in but not broken down washed feel. Not their oxford cloth shirts (we’ll get to those). But instead a smoother, crisper poplin. Great for the sunny days ahead.
Summer means woven belts. And these stretch for comfort, in case you hit the bbq’d ribs a little too hard and need to digest slowly or risk the meat sweats. And what production assistant had to get all of these belts to lay/nestle/curl just “so” for the photographs? That must have been maddening. There’s no way those belts all “behaved” for their photos. Had to have been like the menswear accessory equivalent of snake charming.
UPDATE: all inseams are included now. For awhile there, the 9″ inseam (perfect for most guys of average height) were excluded. No longer. They’re also 40%+ off. These are the shorts version of their flagship, popular, almost always excluded stretch chinos.
Stripes. Classy stripes. Don’t be surprised if these tees shrink up a bit in the wash. If you’re 5’10” or over, consider a tall size.
Tapered end and rounded buckle makes them just different enough. Available in either snuff (top) or chocolate brown.
Summer “nerd chic.” Saddle shoes used to be the sole territory of Professors and Steve Urkel. But if you get them in a low contrast/tonal suede-to-leather look like these, they’ll be less “did I do that?” and more “I did it.” Okay, that’s a reach (and two years too late on a DJ Khaled song reference) but grant me the poetic/prose-etic justice, please. Bottom line: Saddle shoes are like bucks, only non committal on the full suede. Wear them with lighter/breezier suits when you want to dress down a tailored look, and work them in with chinos and polos in other scenarios. And as shown above, they work with jeans when the weather is cooler.
Slim, classic, or tall fits. J. Crew’s Baird McNutt Irish Linen shirts can sometimes be excluded from sales. One of their bestsellers. Half off is nice. Quite nice. Linen’s texture helps these things feel and look breezy and summery. Not stiff and starched like a short sleeve dress shirt. Far from it.
Can a summery hoodie be “chunky?” And should it? If to you the answer to both of those questions is a resounding “yes,” then there’s your hoodie.
No personal experience with these, but hopes are high. They’re new and part of their ever expanding “performance” line. Fabric is 67% cotton/28% polyamide/5% elastane. That’s a significant amount of elastane. Here’s to hoping they truly do stretch and wick and breathe.
In general, swimwear is expensive. And while these aren’t some hyper-engineered hybrid that’s built to hike mountains and fly to mars and solve the Theory of Everything and then go for a dip (admission: some of those hybrids truly are great)… they do appear to be nice looking swim trunks. For under forty bucks. Not bad. Lots of colors and patterns. Mesh lined.
Check out the earpieces/temple pieces. The tortoise temples are a nice detail. Helps knock some of the shine down on a pair of otherwise classic aviators.
Slim, classic, or tall fits here as well. Seersucker is that puckered fabric you sometimes see Derby-Day suits made out of. And that perfect pucker helps increase airflow, as the texture keeps the shirt from laying flat against your skin.
We mention the suede version all the time, but the leather option should get some love too. Stitch-down construction, natural rubber sole, unlined/not-very-constructed upper for casual and easy use. Super versatile. Full review here.
Was really hoping these would get the “40%” off, but sadly… not to be. Still though. Terrific boots. Casual, comfortable, and can be dressed up a little if need be. But also looks great with a pair of beat up chinos, a t-shirt, and a dive watch. Shown above is this year’s version of their “auburn” suede. It’s lighter this year. Still really good for the price. Just featured over here.
“Re-introducing the pinnacle of shirt engineering.” What is this, an Audi commercial?
UPDATE: What’s up with the tags? Berserk photoshop job gone wrong?
NOT final sale. These are their 4-season weight, stretch Italian wool (Tollegno) flagship suits. Easy to tailor non functioning sleeve cuff buttons. Timeless 3″ lapels. Available in four colors. Jackets are here, trousers are here. Remember since they’re suit separates, you have to put each piece in your cart individually before you check out. Was 48% off, which was already a steal. Now half off. They must have wayyyy overbought this fabric, or something. Who knows.
Same Italian stretch worsted wool fabric, different fit template. This one is for the more athletic body types that need a bit more room in the chest, shoulders, upper legs, and backside.
Classic, sharp, and Made in the USA. A piped, 100% linen pocket square will finish off many a suited-up look, especially for a big event like a wedding or something like that. Wear the green-bordered one with a navy suit, light blue shirt, smart dress shoes and a simple dress watch. Make sure the green edges are sticking out just a bit. Linen is a great fabric choice since the natural texture sets it apart from wool suiting fabrics.
Still interesting thanks to the rounded buckle, but they’re elegant and versatile too. Italian leather. Four colors.
And now a belt that leans significantly more casual, but still won’t overwhelm with a “I earned this at a local rodeo” buckle. Italian tanned pull-up leather. Will start to immediately take on character as pull-up leather changes with use, as the waxes it’s stuffed with get “pulled up” to the surface with wear. That’s where the patina will come from.
J. Crew has struggled with their dress shirts… but these seem to be the exception. Less-likely-to-wrinkle finished 98% cotton / 2% stretch with a sharp button down collar. Slim, classic, or tall fits.
No cotton in these. None. Pure performance fabric. They’re a blend of 57% recycled nylon, 39% polyamide, 4% elastane. Lots of stretch, and when it’s hot and sticky, they’ll help keep your pieces and parts from getting hot and sticky. Expect these to make some “swish swish” noise when walking. But the comfort is well worth that small drawback. They’re one of the best reviewed things on the J. Crew site. That’s a 9″ inseam in “coal grey” shown above, in person.
Classic keyhole bridge with exaggerated thickness to the frames.
Broken in oxford cloth isn’t stiff or scratchy. Available in slim fit, classic fit, and yes even a tall template.
It appears that J. Crew fixed their Bowery dress pants. For a few months there the reviews were littered with quality-control problems. But the most recent reviews seem to indicate they’re back to their bestselling best. Fingers crossed. And try them on/inspect thoroughly before taking the tags off upon arrival. Sold in 30, 32, and 34″ inseam lengths. So unlike a lot of other wool dress pants, you may be able to skip a post-purchase trip to the tailor with these.
And the crisp cotton version of the Bowery dress trouser. Should look great with a hopsack wool or linen/cotton sportcoat for a warm weather wedding, cocktail hour, dressier workplace, etc.
Denim in the summer just feels too hot. That’s where chambray comes in. Chambray is a much, much, much lighter weight fabric compared to its beefed up older brother, Denim. Like the linen shirts, these should feel airy and crisp too.
All linen. Which is great if that’s your thing. Expect wrinkling. That’s what linen does.
The new sport-version of their Dock shorts. 57% recycled nylon/39% polyamide/4% elastane fabric exterior. Lined with a stretchy boxer-brief inside.
If you stick to textured solids (like the linen or seersucker shirts), you probably don’t need a bunch (or any) patterned short sleeve poplin button up shirts. But if you wanted one, then this micro floral with a white base would be as versatile as it gets.
97% cotton, 3% elastane. 5-pocket jeans style layout. A few spring-ready colors. Slim or straight fits. Almost half off. Not bad.
Dots = not as stuffy as stripes. Which is good as we’re now heading into prime warm weather wedding season. 2.5″ wide at its widest point.
Merino. Go with merino. Year-round. Because cheap cotton will feel stuffy since cotton holds onto moisture. Not these, since they’re merino wool. Even good for summer depending on where you live/how aggressive your workplace AC may or may not be.
J. Crew’s summer kickoff sale is set to run through Tuesday 5/28. Don’t forget that rewards members get free outbound shipping no minimum, but returns through the post/UPS will set you back a $7.50 return label. If we missed anything, send in a style tip if you would: joe@dappered.com is where to find us/the Joe guy who runs Dappered.
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