Will Chalker says Happy New Year @ J. Crew

Everybody remember Will's face popping up during J. Crew's holiday campaign shot in the Italian Alps and released this past November?


It'd been a while since he shot for the label prior to that. So, I must say, it's nice to see his face again, fresh haircut in tow, for the January 2012 catalog. He's truly one of my favorite models. And a real perennial.

Shamelessly shot on my iPhone while gawking in the Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan, this past summer:


P.S.: Loooove Clarins, btw...Will, or no Will...

P.P.S: Interestingly enough, I've yet to see this product -- the Ab Firming Body Toning Gel -- sell on Clarins' U.S. site or its counters at any of the major department stores...it's still obtainable here in the states if you look elsewhere for it, but it makes me wonder about the actual effectiveness of the product itself.

non-iPhone images courtesy of J. Crew

J. Crew June 2010 Catalog: RJ Goes to Guatemala

Hooray for another monthly installment of the J. Crew catalog -- picked up my copy at the Mall of America yesterday -- where actual male models are used. Or to be more exact, just one male model: RJ! He covers the whole men's section this coming month while traipsing through some Mayan ruins and appropriately styled in muted military-esque tones. I just love the slightly over-exposed quality of these shots...the bright lights lend a softness and haze to these pictures...summer is here.

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J. Crew Hand Painted Stanton Short

Last weekend, my sister came home with a purchase I had called in to J. Crew's Liquor Store in Tribeca. The following post is my happy story/ending regarding a pair of shorts I saw months ago (backstory: HERE).

I really owe a big thanks to Shawn and Lindsay over at J. Crew. Shortly after my last posting on these shorts, Shawn wrote me with the good news that the shorts I was looking for weren't just one-off's for their spring presentation and that they would in fact be available for purchase at both the Liquor Store and at 484 in Soho at the beginning of this month. I can't express enough my appreciation for this tip-off from Shawn...previously, I had been told by other individuals that (1.) there was no further information regarding these shorts, or (2.) the shorts would not be sold to the general public (which, honestly, seems odd, given the current outcome, but I'm not going to pull at that thread). Over the ensuing weeks, we kept in contact. Lindsay from their PR office was kind enough to notify me the day after the shorts had been shipped to both locations, allowing me to call ahead and set aside a pair for myself. And, Eddie, if you ever read this posting, I just wanted to thank you as well for helping me out over the phone when I called.

The same day I heard from Lindsay, a newsblip on Racked NY regarding these shorts went up with the following lines:

TRIBECA AND SOHO—Breaking news from the J.CrewWire: "30 minutes ago 20 pair of limited edition hand-painted shorts were delivered to the J.Crew Liquor Store in Tribeca and the J.Crew Men's Shop in Soho. The shorts were hand-painted by a member of the J.Crew men's design team in our New York office—no two pair are alike." They retail for $148, but you can find similar styles online or in stores for $75.

GQ and The Fashionisto also gave mention to these shorts with similar news. I had no clue that the shorts were created in such a limited run! 20 pairs in total...wow.


But even if 200 had been made, I'd still be as happy as I am now that I have my own pair to wear this season.

With cut-off frayed cuffs galore, the no-two-are-alike quality of these shorts comes across really well in person -- the variable textures, brushstrokes, splattering, and colors -- white, blue, green, yellow, red -- are quite random like a Pollock...



...and another thing I didn't realize until I received my pair is that the back of the shorts also get an ample dose of paint. And obviously I'm sure this wasn't necessarily intended, but for some reason, I really like that my back button is "affected" as well...

Just by reading the comments off of the GQ blog, it seems most readers find the shorts a bit far-fetched given the DIY-able quality they embody. But honestly -- and this might be a stretch, but I find it relevant -- how many of you dudes out there are going to do actual housepainting in a pair shorts that are cut/fit like these...using all the colors you can find on these... So to me, the excuse of "I have a pair of these lying around that I made myself and cost next to nothing," doesn't necessarily jive with me. Secondly, I don't sit in front of a canvas creating art all day long, so once again, that excuse is out for me as well. And thirdly, perhaps I'm getting too theoretical here, but to me, there's an unmistakable deliberate intention behind these shorts to play up current trends in a manner that's befitting for the J. Crew look as well as the J. Crew customer who (like me) has no qualms saying, "I bought these as is, and no, I'm not embarrassed about it...you realize paint-splattering is in, right?"

Thanks again, to all of you at J. Crew for your assistance. Now...onto that Saint James/Mister Freedom top I want, and mostly everything I wanted on my J. Crew Spring 2010 checklist will be complete...except for those unevenly blocked-sun-faded shorts I also saw on the spring presentation...but I won't give anybody anymore grief over how to land those...

J. Crew May 2010 Catalog

THE MODELS ARE BACK for next month! After a two month hiatus where the men's sections of J. Crew's catalogs featured unfamiliar (albeit, often times still good looking) faces of the masses, I find it nice that the company has once again decided to advertise via the age-old tried and true method of dressing up individuals who are unbelievably gifted in terms of looks.

For example, the above page features classic mainstay RJ Rogenski on the left. As for the man on the right, can somebody either confirm this, or shoot me down completely, but is that Nathan Bogle? As in the Nathan Bogle formerly of Rag & Bone? And previously connected to Natalie Portman back in '07? He's been in so many issues of the J. Crew catalog at this point, and I've always secretly wondered all this time...

Final thought...any chance the men's spreads could get a bit more editorial flavor worked into them to match the women's pages? I absolutely love the creativity that goes into selling the women's merchandise...and I realize that whimsy doesn't necessarily appeal to the common man...but imagine if it did!

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The J. Crew Vintage Splattered Sweatshirt, Part 2

I received the most wonderful package in the mail yesterday. And I wasn't sure if it was even going to come in the first place, so the surprise was most welcome. I've been coveting this piece since I first laid eyes on it at the beginning of the new year (backstory: HERE). Upon spotting this sweatshirt online at J. Crew, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical if I actually wanted it given the online rendition seemed a bit pared down with less details than the featured sample at the spring preview (backstory: HERE).

However, I figured I'd ultimately decide for myself and check out the piece in person given there was no indication that it was a catalog/jcrew.com only item. Unfortunately, when I went scouting around for it last week, I learned that most likely none of the Minnesota stores received the product! And by that time, the size I wanted had been sold out online for ages. But a very nice saleslady at the Rosedale Mall location not only called around the area stores for me, but also had me fill out a form to search for the piece nation-wide. What's the service called? I believe I read on JCA that it's called "We Will Find It." Shipping was free, and the lady even let me use my student status for a discount to sweeten the deal. Per her instructions, she noted that the search would be done, if nothing came up, then I'd get a phone call in a couple of days.

A couple of days passed, nobody called. I became hopeful.

So it appears the Natick Mall out near Boston had what I was looking for.

Upon opening the package, I can't say this enough (in fact, I've been blabbing about it to anybody who'll listen), but I was VERY very impressed with what I received. There's paint, there's bleach, there's holes and frayed edges, and there ARE actually elbow patches! -- one on each elbow done up in different proportions and shades. In total, the one I received seemed more detail-oriented than the one used for the online pictures. It's sold out online now, and that makes me even more satisfied to have secured one for myself (in the nick of time too! it made its way onto the spring sale page -- with only XL's left -- for the better part of a day before disappearing into oblivion...but I don't think searches are done on sale items, so, WHEW!)

I can't wait to wear this piece out this season on cooler days and casual nights.

Truly a novelty item.

Daniel Liu for J. Crew Fall Winter 2010 Presentation

Check out what Flashbang from tFS found from Habitually Chic! I think it's cool Mr. Liu has become a J. Crew regular.

The J. Crew Vintage Splattered Sweatshirt

I've been waiting for this sweatshirt to surface since January! It's finally for sale online.

A couple initial thoughts based on what I can see from the images:

1. The processed and painted touches are nice, but they don't seem as texturized or crustified as the original, which Matthew Goode wears in the January edition of GQ.

2. Missing elbow patches! This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker for me, but if workwear is the theme, elbow patches are certainly a nice and relevant touch...wouldn't you say? Below, the first image comes from the company's spring preview. The second image is a closeup of the actual selling piece.

I really want to like this piece...so I refuse to pass final judgement at this time. There's no mention that it's "catalog/jcrew.com only"...yet...so I'm hoping I can check out the piece in person at one of the area stores. That'll be my mission this week.

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Adventures in Deception: The J. Crew Painted Sun-Faded Stanton Short

I first got excited over these shorts (and posted about them) at the end of January when J. Crew previewed them in their "Behind the Design" segment for their then-upcoming spring collection. Paint-splattered in several tones over a dark blue grey background, I thought to myself, finally, something out of the ordinary that looks like some thought and creativity were involved. But even then, I also wondered, would J. Crew actually sell something like this? The shorts were definitely on-trend in their own right, but would they appeal to the tastes of their customer base?

My suspicions were somewhat allayed (or so I thought) when I saw the GQ March 2010 spread on the best new designers in America, of which one of the pages was devoted to Frank Muytjens and his bevy of male models -- one of them, sporting the same pair of shorts I had seen previously (third from the right).

:: thanks to Gary over at tFS for scanning this in! ::

However, last week, when I checked the J. Crew website for new updates, my hopes were dashed of ever owning a pair like the ones above when I saw they had put the Painted Sun-Faded Stanton short up for sale. Offered in both a light grey and quartz -- neither of which were the original color I had seen -- the painted effect was minimal, and only done mainly in white pigment (it seems you might get a few grey streaks if you're lucky).

A part of me wanted to think, wait and see, perhaps the better version will pop online later. But reading the online description of the shorts quickly dispelled any remaining hope of that:

Brand new and one of our absolute favorite shorts for the season. We wash each pair for over 300 minutes for that perfect broken-in feel (it's as if you've had them forever), then have them garment-dyed and dusted with pigment to achieve a rich, saturated color and vintage look. Finally, each one is individually splatter painted, so no two pairs are exactly alike.

As you can see, the company is really making an effort to build up the aura and appeal behind these lesser shorts. Why in the world would they ever offer anything better?

A one last attempt at trying to track down the original pair led to my emailing jack@jcrew.com -- this was the reply I received:

What a totally dissatisfying response, wouldn't you say? How does somebody, who so prominently is featured in the J. Crew lexicon, have no information on a pair of shorts that have gone out for public promotion? Perhaps he had no clue which pair of shorts I was referring to given I hadn't provided any visual aids. Unlikely. When fashion is your career, you know your product. At least Anna Wintour does, right?

On the off-chance that I truly did have to spell it out for these folks, I tried once again, this time, emailing their general customer service account, contactus@jcrew.com, and attaching specific images of the product. The answer I received confirmed my fears from the beginning.

The cool version of these shorts were only some ploy to garner interest and attention. How do I feel about the market rendition? How bland, how dumbed down from the original. How safe. I'm not excited over these ones, and I'm certainly not impressed that once again, J. Crew has capitalized on a far superior looking sample piece for marketing purposes only to offer a diminished watered-down interpretation in reality. I refuse to be played for a fool and to be happy with what is actually being offered.

I wonder if the sample piece will ever show up at their upcoming sample sale, as Alexis over at JCA brought to my attention (on a similar note, she too has expressed her discontent over the company's deceptive practices). Oh what I wouldn't give to at least be in New York to try and rummage around and see for myself, I don't even care if they've got "sample" stamped all over the piece.

All in all, a very unproductive foray that began with optimistic hopes and ends in disappointment. I guess I'll have to DIY a pair for myself this season...thank heavens for Refinery29...

images via jcrew.com unless otherwise mentioned

Daniel Liu for J. Crew SS 2010

This is pretty cool...we all first saw him modeling for J. Crew at the GQ/CFDA event earlier this month...and I thought, how strange, the two other models posed front row alongside him are J. Crew veterans...having been used time and time again both online and in the print catalogs.

Unless...

So he's shown up in the latest batch of online updates modeling several of the label's pieces...is this a harbinger of print catalog work to come?!! I certainly hope so...the March catalog featuring the staff of Monocle magazine is great, but perhaps in April we can go back to models and highly editorialized shots??

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J. Crew to Open Fourth Men's Store

:: image source: J. Crew by way of ACL ::

This morning, by way of WWD and Alexis over at JCA -- the blog that consistently caters to all things pertinent/relevant to J. Crew (I love it) -- I learned that J. Crew will be opening a fourth men's-only outpost.

How exciting! Sort of.

The new store will be located on 79th & Madison.

Wait. Why does that sound familiar? Oh yea, doesn't J. Crew already have a women's-only sister store sitting on Madison Ave. at that very same cross-street?

The men's store will be located across the street from the pre-existing women's store.

From a business perspective, it's no surprise that women can be a big drive in sales of men's clothing. So...with the Liquor Store already in place, and a second Manhattan men's store on Broadway in Soho, my two questions are this:

1. Does the retail landscape of Manhattan need another J. Crew men's shop?

2. Is Manhattan the only location that can support these forward-thinking gender-specific stores?

I think the Liquor Store is a great hit. In essence, here is the company's lab in which it gets to experiment and establish the direction and taste that, in an ideal world would set the standard for how it runs its men's business nation-wide. Ideally, the company would regard the Liquor Store as the poster-child of its men's business. I use these italicized modifiers because men's style and discernment appear to drop off exponentially as you inch farther and farther away from NYC. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the discrepancy between its normal stores and that of its concept stores.

Now before you chew my head off for making such a blanket statement, let's take the example of the company's men's-only store in Paramus, NJ, at the Garden State Plaza. Opened in Fall of 2008, who's heard anything of it since? On the other hand, the Liquor Store and the Broadway store continue to bring in press. In fact, if you take a look at the online store directory, there's no mention of a men's-only store status for the Paramus location. Perhaps it's because this one is set within a mall, so no free-standing walls, and there's a women's only location to complement the men's. But on the other hand, wouldn't you want to market the special status of this store? Could this be a business move gone wrong that, in essence, is the bastard sibling nobody talks of?

J. Crew Fall 2010

Through GQ, and in keeping with NYFW for Fall 2010, we get a look at what J. Crew is offering this coming fall. ALREADY! Spring merchandise has only flooded the stores for a short while, but of course, it's already time to look ahead into the future.

For fall, based on the selected looks GQ used to showcase Frank Muytjens' directorship over at J. Crew men's -- these images come from GQ/CFDA's Best New Designers in America event held a couple night's ago -- we clearly get a continuation of the themes and aesthetics that Muytjens' has brought to the company. There's clearly an Americana workwear element once again as shown through the boots and sturdy dark denim pieces, infused with military-inspired looks through utility jackets and muted colors (navy, olive, khaki, grey). This is all complemented with tailored slimmed down suiting complete with cropped pant hems. I'm personally enamoured with that Fair Isle sweater, that definitely ends up on the top of my list of things to look out for later this year. I didn't include the shot of Daniel Liu in this series, as I already posted on him (here), but I'm also going to keep my eyes open for that olive cardi he's sporting when the time comes.

Close fitting suits of this specific silhouette and cut are nothing new, especially when one conjures up previous Thom Browne and Band of Outsiders collections, and in general, American-inspired fashion is still in the midst of enjoying a hey-day of sorts. So in a way, J. Crew really isn't doing anything more than what it does best -- translating key trends and concepts in fashion and making them acceptable to the mainstream perspective. And although I do appreciate that J. Crew does this with a much softer pricepoint, and what that in turn can do for my need-to-look-presentable portion of my wardrobe, doesn't this all usually mean it's time to move on and see what's next? So my next question is, does this really make Muytjens worthy of being nominated for the title of Best New American Designer? The award actually went to Billy Reid, and personally, I would have voted for Vincent Flumiani of Caulfield Preparatory, who doesn't just adopt a look/trend (the ever-present collegiate and erudite preppy casual), but...subversifies it and turns it into a darker less-explored look...umm perhaps a visualization/interpretation of a certain J.D. Salinger character, anyone?

But I digress. So back to J. Crew, what happens when the bubble for this trend bursts, as pondered by the team over at Fashionista? I agree with the notion that there will always be a devoted following to the looks that just happen to also dictate the current style of the times, but is that enough to support a big company like J. Crew?

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Daniel Liu for J. Crew at GQ's Best New Designers in America Event, 02.11.10

I've always thought J. Crew could use an Asian male model in its catalogs. Asian women have broken down that barrier for quite some time now (Hye Park, Du Juan, Liu Wen), but I wonder if that will ever translate to the male gender. Well until that day actually comes, whenever that will be, we in the meantime have Daniel Liu head-to-toe in J. Crew at the Best New Designers in America event put on by GQ. Editing and styling were done per GQ, so who knows how much say each label -- J. Crew included -- had in the casting of the models. However, there are a few other J. Crew favorites that pop up in the series. So who knows.

ALSO, J. Crew Fall 2010 ALREADY! It's great to catch a glimpse of what will be coming out. Apparently, Red Wings are still good for another season. Wait. Maybe I should devote Fall 2010 @ J. Crew to a post of its own...

Keep on popping up, Daniel!

I wish there was a better version of this photo floating around somewhere. Big THANKS to Flashbang over at tFS for finding a better quality version of this photo!

all images per GQ.com

Frank Muytjens of J. Crew in GQ March 2010

GQ.com has put up its March 2010 photospread featuring men's designers it deemed as worthy contenders for its 4th annual award for best new American designer. The list of nominees has been circulating forever, and so it been no secret Frank Muytjens of J. Crew was one of the prestigious few to have been chosen. As it played out, Billy Reid won the coveted title last night. Which is just as well, Reid's eponymous label really sets a romantic tone for the southern dandy.

But back to Muytjens...his shot features him alongside a bevy of beautiful models (a good several are J. Crew favorites, having appeared online and in the catalogs, yea you know you recognize them...hey R.J.!) in front of the company's Liquor Store in Tribeca. It's a beautiful photo, the background serves as the perfect setting for the clothes. You really get the sense the clothes serve a purpose within a modern urban dwelling, no fuss, but on the money in terms of taste. Those shorts I want (3rd from the right) are in the picture too! I'm hoping a scan from the physical magazine will pop up soon, if you have one, send it my way! I'd love to have a bigger version of this picture.

Oh, and the short interview w/ Mr. Muytjens is a fun little read too.

Jenna Lyons of J. Crew Talks Trends to AmEx

I love catching glimpses of design studios. The collaged presentation boards and pockets of hodge-podge strewn around the space are so visually stimulating to me. As part of American Express' behind-the-scenes segments during the current and ongoing New York Fashion Week, Jenna Lyons, creative director at J. Crew, goes in front of the camera to talk upcoming trends. Nothing earth-shattering, she recommends the Ludlow suit to guys. She mentions the positive response this cut has received; I say it was a smart design move to offer slimmer-fitting tailored suits to the masses. In conversing with the camera, Jenna also offers a look into the J. Crew design space.

But most importantly, who is the handsome drink of water standing to Jenna's left?! I'm going to just take a stab in the dark here, but given he's cutting out a swatch of fabric, perhaps he's a part of the in-house design team? His plaid flannel is so covetable, as is his neatly coifed hair. Dear J. Crew: tell us more about him.

Catch the whole clip on Facebook, HERE.

J. Crew Mens Spring 2010

I first got excited about Spring 2010 at J. Crew when I saw Matthew Goode sporting this sweatshirt way back when the January issue of GQ first came out.

::image source: tFS::

Thread-bare knicked cuffs! Crusted splotches of acrylic! Of course, processed and paint-splattered is nothing new (hello Ralph Lauren circa Spring 2005).

Enter the promotional video J. Crew has carefully placed on the front men's page of their website. I must say, getting a look at their spring presentation and hearing their creative director, Frank Muytjens speak of the inspiration behind the spring looks gives much cred and substance to what has begun popping into stores. There's mention of military, nautical, workwear, and suiting -- all mixed in together in an attempt to create a unique look within itself. Umm, not necessarily the most original in ideas, but okay, we'll go with it...just because the individual pieces themselves do look good.

::all video stills from jcrew.com::

There's specific reference to Japan and deriving influence from the nation's steadfast dedication to workwear (which, ironically, as most people know by now, is also a reflection of the country's obsession with quality Americana of yore).

And of course, Matthew's sweatshirt gets front row purview.

A couple other pics of my picks based on the vid:

I guess these shorts come as no surprise as another item on my list given the caked on layers of color. Despite the DIY-rich context paint-splattered articles of clothing embody, who has the time and the effort? Certainly not me these days. On top of that, I do like the cutoff quality of these shorts (okay, I admit, once again DIY-able).

Mr. Muytjens mentions sunbleached tones as being a theme in the collection, and nothing speaks nautical to me more than different gradations of faded blue on chino fabric.

And in keeping with J. Crew's growing presence in the world of collabs, this top (underneath the blazer) is of interest to me. A "collaboration on top of a collaboration" as Muytjens refers to it, the boatneck (wait, haven't I mentioned my interest in trying out boatnecks lately? ;) tops are done by Saint James and then sent over to be worked on some more by Mr. Freedom.

I read a little bit about the Mister Freedom partnership in this past fall/winter's premier edition of Inventory, a Canadian publication. Formerly h(y)r collective, which I remember as a simple and well-organized online magazine with the best features (anybody remember their profiling the Band of Outsiders Fall 2008 collection?), I was thrilled to learn they'd grown to a point where a print magazine was possible. This first issue is a great collection of interviews and stories with names and labels that cater to individuals with taste and discernment that go far and beyond what J. Crew can offer. I highly recommend, and I'm glad to have it in my collection of readables. Of the selected few, Mr. Freedom is one of the labels to be featured.

I purchased my copy direct from Inventory Magazine, but I do recall seeing that J. Crew had begun offering this first edition on its site as well... If you don't have a copy, here's an excerpt from the interview with Christophe Loiron, the man behind Mr. Freedom.

<< Lately you've been wholesaling to J. Crew. How did that come up? Has it been helpful in terms of raising awareness for Mr. Freedom?

When I first started selling vintage stuff back in late '90's I used to sell vintage pieces to Todd Snyder and Frank Muytjens, the heads of men's design there. Then they saw what I was making and started ordering custom-made stuff from me: t-shirts, bags and things. Then one day Mickey Drexler, the mastermind behind today's J. Crew, was in town and honored me with a visit. He made it all happen.

It was the first time a well-established American company would buy MF and put it as-is in their store with no re-design or re-labeling. It was a great honor for me to be allowed to play in the major leagues. J. Crew understands that MF is standing solely on its integrity. I don't have money to fool people with fake advertising campaigns or endorsements from big stars. I just design and make stuff, then let it do its thing on the market. My niche is definitely not a big money making venture but J. Crew gave us some recognition as well as energy, motivation and the fuel to go on. The folks at J. Crew have been a blessing and are allowing us to not have to change or sell out but keep roaming freely.>>

- Mr. Freedom: the Diligent Raconteur, by Owen Parrott for Inventory, Vol. 01 No. o1, Fall-Winter 2009.

Pretty interesting.