Steal Alert: J.Crew’s Ludlow Legacy Blazer for… $49.50?

J.Crew Ludlow Legacy Blazer in Italian Wool Flannel – $49.50 ($450)

UPDATE: Sizes seem to be selling fast. Which isn’t unexpected.
UPDATE II: Make that exceptionally fast. Perhaps that was the deal though. Limited stock blowout?
UPDATE III: Sold out. Not surprising.

Nobody likes a mirage. Having an order cancelled isn’t any fun. Nobody likes a vulture either. Sitting around and waiting to capitalize on someone else’s genuine mistakes is no method for progress.

But it’s coming up on mid-day in the Eastern Time zone. And you’ve gotta think J. Crew would have changed this by now if it wasn’t “real.” Perhaps it’s some sort of A.I. nuttiness? Has some machine told their pricing team that this blazer is overstocked, out of season (for now) and perhaps putting it at a doorbuster-level price would get enough people through their digital doors that they’d make some hay if those customers bought something else while they’re there?

There’s so much “wrong” with this steal alert that the hesitation on posting about it is significant. But here goes…

Size 36 S, unaltered, on 5’9″/160

Buried in a “High-Summer styles” promotional section is this decidedly not summer blazer on sale for a decidedly NOT “high” price.

I mean… if it were on sale for $249.50, it’d be a very nice deal. Did someone forget the two? $49.50 is through-the-looking-glass bananas-foster-crazy-town.

Soft & lightweight wool flannel from Vitale Barberis Canonico.
Wear it in everything but hot hot heat.

Made from super soft Super 120’s Italian wool flannel from Vitale Barberis Canonico, it’s best in spring, autumn, and winter. It’s not super thick and it’s anything but stiff, but it’s not an airy and crisp hopsack. It is just half lined in the back, so it’ll breathe well, which is nice for those unpredictable fall and spring days.

Half lined for extra breathability.
There’s an odd misconception that half-lined blazers/suit jackets are “Cheap.”
It’s actually more expensive to do it this way, as you can see the “guts”/there’s nowhere to hide sloppy work.

Sizing seems true, and the sleeve cuff buttons are non-functioning for easy/affordable tailoring post-purchase. For the overall design, it nails the “modern” blazer look. Switching out the stilted gold or brass buttons for a tonal finish lends a more casual but refined appearance, as does swapping pick-stitching for topstitching. There’s a standard welt pocket at the left chest, but on the lower half there’s patch pockets which come with flaps. Nice. That’s pretty unique, and looks smart.

Non functioning sleeve cuff buttons make for easier/less expensive tailoring

J.Crew decided to switch it up this past year by dumping the timeless (and frankly expected) 2-button front, and instead opting for a 3-roll-2 closure. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as you can see online and in-person, it basically disappears in real-time wear as it’s designed to:

The top-most button on a 3-roll-2 jacket “rolls” behind the lapel on purpose.
It’s a tailoring detail that some geek out over. Bottom line: the Legacy blazer wears like a standard 2-button.

A nice, navy wool blazer is a menswear essential which works with everything from jeans to chinos to cords to dress trousers. Finding one under $200… let alone $300 has been a tough ask these last couple of years.

$49.50 and not even final sale (at post time it can be returned or exchanged) seems like such an aberration, that one would be forgiven for waiting for a “your order has been canceled” email after purchasing.

But again… what time is it? If it’s a mistake, why hasn’t it been corrected yet?

Is it possible this is real?

Is this real life?

Maybe they’re all on vacation in the Cayman Islands.

That’s all.

Carry on.