If there’s one brand I have an inexplicable emotional relationship with, it’s J. Crew. Explain it to someone outside of the pages of American menswear forums and you’ll get some blank stares and eye rolls, but J.
Crew gave me my first real “good” oxford shirt. I saved up my allowance and paycheck from my summer job when I was 17 and purchased it during one of my weekly trips to the mall with my mum. Walking around Banana Republic Kids with that crisp, photo-ready navy bagsimply carrying groceries felt like I’d been initiated into this whole new world of grown-up clothes. .
I wore that light blue button-down shirt to shreds throughout senior year of high school until the collars stopped rolling perfectly and my mum threatened to donate it to Goodwill. Fast forward through J Crew’s incredibly rapid ascent, meteoric downfall, and recently their improbable resurgence: it’s been a wild (emotional) ride for me and fellow J.
Crew lifers.
By 2020 I had all but written off J. Crew. Sales were never great, stores were closing, and all anyone could talk about was how bad the product was.
Quality control had been ditched long ago, styles were chasing every meaningless trend that popped up on Instagram, and prices had skyrocketed to match their nowhere-near-designer level of quality. I even hung onto a few old J Crew catalogues from the brand’s heyday (we’re talking 2008-2012, fight me) like Oprah refused popcorn after her lifestyle change. Cut to now.
2025. If you had told me J Crew would not only be good but great again, I would’ve laughed in your face. Every article of clothing I tried on during my most recent trip to their Williamsburg store could’ve (and will) end up on this list.
Choosing what to highlight has been agonizing, but I’ll narrow it down to J Crew’s best clothes now that they’re making shirts that don’t look like bed sheets again. J Crew was hitting its stride just as fast fashion started to take over. They went from a beloved brand that offered accessible, well-made classics at a fair price to a soulless company that roughly chopped everything in response to what Manhattan-centric “industry influencers” were wearing each season.
I picked up a Ludlow jacket in black in 2019 and was legitimately offended by how thin the material was compared to ones I’d owned years prior. It wasn’t just a bait-and-switch; the quality across the board was getting worse. Things started looking up slowly.
They came out of bankruptcy a few years ago with new ownership and a drastically lighter debt load. They hired back women’s designer Olympia Gayot in 2021, who started churning out hit after feminist-icon-approved hit. My Instagram feed suddenly became flooded with J Crew pieces worn by the same fashion editors who were mournfully tweeting about how things used to be – it almost felt like Halley’s Comet was passing by.
But Olympia was hired to helm the women’s side, so what about menswear? Enter Brendon Babenzien. If you aren’t familiar with him, Brendon is the co-founder of Supreme and creator of cult-favourite menswear brand Noah.
When I first heard that J Crew hired him as creative director I literally sent my college roommate and current Ralph Lauren employee Trevor a text that read: “Holy shit J Crew might actually give a shit again?? ?” Brendon’s vision didn’t fully materialize in stores for another year or two, but by late 20 they had definitely turned a corner. The Giant- Fit chino they rolled out quickly became my new jean alternative. Baggy?
Yes. But not oversized like the skin-tight Gen-Z jeans we’ve become so accustomed to. They fit slightly roomier than your traditional chino but still maintained some shape so that you didn’t look like you were hiking locally worn garments were suddenly back on menswear giants lists.
Those trousers were a game-changer. They were the physical manifestation of where menswear was headed silhouetted-wise, and we’re better for it. But beyond that one pair of trousers, everything J Crew is putting out right now is good.
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They’re going back to their roots of what made them great: classic American styling with just a hint of fashion thrown in to keep things interesting. They’re no longer trying to be something they’re not, instead perfecting the basics and upping their quality game to match past glory. I spent two hours talking to the manager of my local J Crew store in Williamsburg last week.
His name’s Marcus and he’s been with the company for over a decade. He showed me the tagua of their current blazers and instantly I could see and feel the difference. “See how thin the fabric got during the Drake years?” He asked, fingering the inside of the blazer lapel. “Everything was just cheap cotton. Look at this though,” he continued, flipping it over and pulling at the canvas on the inside. “This shit is closer to how things were built back in 20 even better.” He wasn’t kidding.
I’ve been scrutinizing every piece I put on since November and the increased quality is astounding. From their now perfectly-weighted oxford shirts to their thicc™ knitwear, J Crew’s attention to detail and renewed dedication to making well-made clothes is something we can all get behind. Here are J Crew’s best clothes that are worth buying in 2023.
1984 Rugby Shirt You know how some brands do basics so well that even though they’re advertised as essentials, you suddenly find yourself without when it’s time to buy? J Crew’s 1984 Rugby shirt is that shirt for me. The cotton feels heavy without being overwhelming, colours are bold but not garish, and they fit every body type.
I own both the classic navy as well as the burgundy stripe version and cannot tell you how many times I’ve worn them since I bought them. It’s my weekend uniform. Ludlow Suit It all starts at the top.
J Crew’s Ludlow suit has been revamped and is almost identical to the one they had back in 20 – widely considered to be J Crew’s golden era. Remember when guys had to wear suits and didn’t look like dad posting skateboard tricks on Instagram? Me neither.
J Crew’s modern take on that era features slightly widened shoulders, perfectly proportioned lapels, and fantastic fabrics throughout. The jacket I worn for 14 hours straight last month (including two transatlantic flights) looked as good going out as it did coming back to NYC. Cashmere Jumpers One of the biggest complaints I had with J Crew’s clothing through the ‘bad years’ was their cashmere.
I remember pulling at the sleeves on one of their crewneck jumpers and watching in horror as holes appeared where my fingers brushed. These new jumpers are special. Built with long-staple fibres that actually grow in prominence with each wash, J Crew’s cashmere jumper game is strong.
At $148 for the crewneck I still think it’s a bit pricey, but if they can keep making them this well I’ll gladly pay the markup. 1994 Relaxed-Fit Jeans I hate to say I told you guys so, but I literally commented on Trevor’s post when he shared this pic. J Crew’s denim program has been completely overhauled, starting with their biggest seller: their 1994 boyfriend jean.
They’ve found the perfect sweet spot between skinny jeans (barely waisted) and the baggy guys jeans that only skaters and grandpas can pull off. The denim has actual weight to it now and wears in perfectly, eschewing the trashy pre-distressed look that was plaguing J Crew’s bottom-selling denim for years.
Broken-in T-Shirt Remember when J Crew shirts used to feel so good that you didn’t even need to break them in?
RIP 2008, those days are long gone. But something magical happened when they reopened their stores. Their basics, and especially their beloved broken-in t-shirts, actually feel broken-in.
Hell, their chinos come in slim, athletic, and relaxed cuts that actually fit a range of body types. Add in their newfound fabric wisdom and J Crew may have just solved the holy grail of casual-programming. Dock Peacoat My biggest surprise?
How well they’ve done on the outerwear front. J Crew’s take on the classic Navy peacoat is about as close to the real thing as you can get without spending your life savings. Made with a hefty 32 oz weight wool and featuring corduroy lined pockets, this coat is built to last.
I purchased mine in January and have yet to take it off since. Vintage clothing purveyors in NYC have even been mistaking it for an actual vintage find thanks to the quality J Crew is putting out these days.
