Before we get started, let’s jump in the way-back machine to earlier this week when J. Crew had launched a 40% off deal:
Their fine print says this 40% off is set to expire Wednesday… which seems to indicate they have something different in the works for Thanksgiving onward. Haven’t even heard a whisper. Just reading the fine print like anyone else. Now they DID send out an email saying starting today (11/25) in stores they’re doing 50% off select + 30% off their usually excluded chinos and suiting. So that’s another clue. We’ll keep an eye on it and update if/when necessary.
Well. Sometimes reading the fine print and between its lines pays off.
Okay. Back to the present.
This is by far as good as it gets for J. Crew. 50% off with minimal exclusions. 30% off their usually excluded suit separates and chinos too. Off we go. Scheduled to end Saturday Tuesday 12/2 (they extended this for Cyber Monday.)
These things are almost always excluded from sales and codes of any kind, because J. Crew doesn’t need to mark them down to sell boatloads of them. And that should tell you something. Slim, Straight, or Athletic tapered fit. Lots of colors. Fabric is an all-season weight, 7.9-ounce cotton/elastane twill that’s casual but not beat up or grungy looking. They can be dressed up with an OCBD and sportcoat, and they can also be dressed down with a t-shirt and sneakers. They’re a flagship bestseller which only goes on sale a handful of times a year. This is one of those times.
Leather lined. Vibram sole. Timeless classics.
J. Crew’s excellent Dock Peacoats are back for another season with their perfectly placed chest-high handwarmer pockets, 80% wool / 20% nylon fabric, and PrimaLoft insulation. Here’s how a size medium (in black) fits 5’10″/180. “Just” navy so far. No black yet.
Consider sizing up by half. New for this year. Review of the previous version can be found here, when they were making them in a darker suede. Richer and (even) more eye catching this go-round. Seems like they still may run half a size small.
Consider sizing up by half. Looks like AE’s Higgins Mill, costs half the price. Not gonna be quite the same quality and not made with weatherproof leather, but… you get the idea. Runs on the small side. See our shoe expert’s review of last year’s suede version here.
Their flagship Italian wool suits. Fabric is a worsted wool from Italy’s Lanificio Di Tollegno. It’ll look a little more interesting and less flat than most other suit fabrics, without shouting or being weird or shiny. Sold as separates. Don’t forget the pants.
What about Crosby fit? Yes, these are available in their more athletic/more accommodating Crosby fit for both the jackets and pants.
Wasn’t expecting these to be included in the half off-deal. That’s a true surprise.
These have been all but excluded since their launch earlier this year. Haven’t seen them up for a significant discount like this yet. Just black. No brown yet.
And the open-lacing derby style. These do come in brown (and black too).
Ocean Blue or Carbon Gray. Full review here. Big fan. Size shown is a 40R and 32×32 trouser on 5’10″/185. Italian wrinkle resistant stretch-infused wool from Tollegno. Two versatile colors to pick from. Jackets are half-lined in the back for extra breathability.
Something to go over a suit. Or frankly, anything than else. Topcoats look just as good over a sweater and jeans as they do over a suit. Lots of class in a simple, 95% wool/5% cashmere package. Three colors to pick from.
Winter texture for your torso. Sidenote: as someone who does a lot of laundry, that looks like the laundromat load from hell. Wash with like colors on cold, people!
“Shaggy” sweaters are a prep standard. Stripes are hard to beat. Best of both worlds here.
Usually excluded. Blackwatch pattern, waxed cotton exterior, all the trimmings you’d expect from a country-gent styled jacket. Good looking, timeless, and functional. To get it on any sort of sale feels super rare.
Supremely giftable. Even if (especially if?) the recipient is you. Solids as well as a couple of plaid options available.
Cashmere lined. Sheepskin leather. lil’ dingle on the index finger so you can use your smartphone without taking off your gloves. (“lil dingle” is the technical term, right?)
Every year J. Crew sources fabric from England’s Abraham Moon & Sons for a set of their unconstructed fall sportcoats. These are those. 53% cotton/47% wool. Unlined back. Non functioning sleeve cuff buttons make for easy tailoring. Wear it with jeans, chinos, cords, or…
… the matching trousers if you want to create a casual but still smart fall/winter suit.
The official at-home sweater style of “oh the weather outside is frightful.”
The shirts that made J. Crew famous. Their bestselling, lighter weight, broken in feeling but not broken down cotton poplin shirts. Slim, classic, tall, or slim untucked fits.
Still made in Italy. A real favorite. English leather uppers, natural crepe rubber sole, unstructured and casual without looking sloppy. Something J. Crew has been making for years. Full review here.
One of J. Crew’s heritage/flagship styles of outerwear… only in wool. Perfect for this time of year if you live in an area that’s just a little too cold for their classic cotton barn-jackets, but don’t often need to be super insulated/bundled up.
J. Crew’s new revamped 5 pockets. Something that’s in-between classic chinos and jeans. It’s the style of pants a lot of us reach for multiple times a week if not almost every day. 97% cotton/3% elastane.
Goodyear welted, versatile shape (not overly pointy or elf-ish). Mini lug sole for traction. Also available in black. Pair shown above = the 2021 version. Review of the 2021 version can be found here.
These shirts are surprisingly good. Maybe not great (like something from Ledbury) but good. Quite good. Lots of colors and patterns, three fits (slim, classic, and tall), and made from a not flimsy feeling twill fabric with good stretch. 67% cotton/28% polyamide/5% elastane. Sold in “alpha” sizes though. So they’re more ballpark than the traditional neck and sleeve measurement shirts you’ll find elsewhere. Size shown above is an unaltered medium slim on 5’10″/185, and it’s a tad too small (especially in the neck) for my normally 16/33 shirt wearing frame.
Niche and spendy for sure, but it’s one of those items J. Crew has lifted from historical archives and bougie-d up. 100% cashmere. Boatneck. Breton-style stripes.
Slightly different than their already mentioned worsted wool flagships. Fabric comes from Loro Piana, which is a famous Italian fabrics producer. Six colors to choose from. Half canvas construction. Sleeve cuff buttons are non-functioning for easy tailoring. In terms of styling: know that you are very much not required to wear your pants “flood stage” short as the J. Crew models are doing. That’s just something the stylists seem to do for their photos. Trousers shouldn’t be artificially cropped in terms of fit out of the box. It’s just J. Crew doing J. Crew things with their visuals. Again, sold as separates. Don’t forget the pants.
What about Crosby fit? Yes, these are available in their more athletic/more accommodating Crosby fit for both the jackets and pants.
Ostentatious as hell… or to-hell-with-it awesome. Maybe it’s both. Or it’s both until the owner finds their head in a guillotine, instead of sipping champagne and nibbling on brioche. Then it probably leans harder to the former. (Too dark?)
It’s prime cords season. So here they be. Five pocket jean-like styling. Fall/winter ready colors.
And the trouserfied version. Meaning: pockets are like chinos or dress pants, instead of the jean like 5-pocket style. These have slashes up front and welts in the rear.
All cashmere, six colors, and extremely well reviewed.
100% cotton. Textured knit. For those who appreciate the ease of cotton and/or have an allergy to wool or are extra sensitive to anything that may “itch.”
Still no camel option. Navy, black, or gray. Merino wool. Yes one can certainly find cheaper options out there, but perhaps these are worth the upcharge over the competition. From reader Toby R.: “I’ve always found J. Crew’s wool sweaters to hit really well at the ‘somewhat budget conscious but also wanting to look nice while being long-lasting and functional’ intersection.”
One of their annual bestsellers. A quilted, insulated jacket that’s not puffy like a puffer, and doesn’t have the synthetic “shine” cheap-y quilted jackets can sometimes have.
And the vests too.
For when you just wanna batten down the hatches and stay at home. 100% cotton for these. Just black so far.
60% cotton / 40% recycled polyamide for a bit of extra water resistance.
Can look really smart and different under a more casual leaning sportcoat or suit or v-neck. For when you get tired of the same old poplins and oxfords. Chambray is a little more rugged looking, a lot more interesting, but still easy wearing in this “one-year wash.”
“Ain’t it the wrong season for those?”
Not if you want a perfect pair of house-shoes to slip into when you get home.
“Good point.”
Full review of the lake shoes can be found here.
A price-increase note: Last year these were $59.50 at full price. This year = $75. Yowza.
A customer favorite. Their standard weight henleys. Henleys are great, and J. Crew’s vintage-wash fabric has its fans. Not super thick or bulky. Ten colors to choose from.
And now the short sleeves. Something to mix it up when a t-shirt feels too boring and a polo feels like too much. Looks great with jeans and under a chore jacket.
Lighter than a wool coat but still plenty of protection thanks to the water resistant twill and extra length. Half lined in the back with a plaid cotton, and lined in the sleeves with Bemberg for easy on/off. Once you find one of these you like you’ll be surprised how often you wear it.
Ouch. Tuxedos are expensive. These are no exception. Any savings helps. But again, even these come in separates, which is exceedingly rare if you’re shopping for a tux. Italian wool, shawl collar, traditional one button closure (although the buttons are standard and not covered like a “true” tuxedo). Are they available in Crosby Fit? Not for the shawl collar jackets. But they do have black peak lapel tux jackets in their Crosby fit. Trousers are here.
That’s either holiday party dynamite, or the North Pole is missing its gigolo. Milk and cookies don’t pay the rent, Agnes. Leave the cash on the nightstand or you’re going on the one “naughty” list you’re not begging to be on.
The J. Crew Black Friday/Cyber Monday event is set to run through Tuesday 12/2.
Smart casual briefcases, classic dive watches, and retro sneakers.
A casual but still put-together look for dressed down winter festivities.
Looking sharp but not over the top. Out on the town or at someone's place.
Tis-the-season to bring some style.
Tues. = Leftovers + extensions moved to the top. 20% off Huckberry's 365 pants, BRF…
Cozy duds, paper pets, some good reads, and a heated outdoor chair.