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| J. Crew Majesty Peacoat || Zara Embroidered Lace Top in Mustard (size S) || J. Crew Sailor Skirt In Double-Serge Wool in Heather Honey (size 00; past season) || Prada Medium Saffiano Double-Zip Tote || Marc Fisher Mfescape Riding Boot |
My local J. Crew closed quietly this month–as part of the distressed retailer‘s plan for a smaller brick-and-mortar footprint–it’s a store that I’ve always assumed to have done well, with a limited sale section and steady foot traffic, but even it could have been a drag on J. Crew’s bottom line.
I’ve been wearing one of J.Crew’s greatest hits, the Majesty Peacoat (left off the roster for the first time since its introduction this fall/winter), with some frequency recently, and it’s making me nostalgic for the Drexler-Lyons era: it certainly wasn’t perfect, but when it was good, it was great.
Under the direction of new CEO Jim Brett, J. Crew has been expanding its line of sportwear/athleisure (somewhat belatedly? When will the trend buckle??), denim (now available in size 35), untucked shirts (taking a leaf from startup UNTUCKit‘s book), and swimwear (“Playa“–some early offers make me hopeful, but I am not the prime demographic for this line so am understandably not as enthused as J. Crew might’ve liked). I can’t say I agree with certain aspects of the pivot, because I think, at its core, J. Crew should be a workwear company, but it now moves further in the direction of casual wear.
It’s difficult to say right now if the bottom has already fallen out for J. Crew, but its doomsday clock ticks ever closer to midnight.
