How to replace J.Crew
Chronicling the decline of J. Crew is almost a mean-spirited affair at this point. It seems like the retailer just can’t catch a break from their debt, the press, or even their coupon-code hungry customers. Those who still shop there complain about how prices have gone up and the quality has declined.
I’m here to argue that it’s time to move on. Better brands exist.
If your interest is in basic, casual clothing, then check out Alex Mill. Mickey Drexler (former CEO of J. Crew) brought together the co-founders: a former design director at J. Crew and Mickey’s son. The brand relaunched a year ago from being a casual shirt brand to a full-fledged line for men and women. (Read more at GQ and Vogue.)
What I like about Alex Mill is that it balances quality with value extremely well. While you could say the brand focuses on basics, they do have a slight more interesting design than what you’d find at Uniqlo. And they’re not as overly pretentious as Everlane.
Another brand with roots to J. Crew is Todd Snyder, who was the former SVP of menswear at J. Crew. The brand even took over J. Crew’s “Liquor Store” location a year ago. To me, Todd Snyder is the natural evolution of what J. Crew should be today. They collaborate with and sell other brands alongside their own and have a great range of well-designed pieces from athletic sweats to tailored clothing.
If there’s one strength to Todd Snyder it’s that its clothing looks cool while also being very approachable. The upcoming collaboration with L.L. Bean looks especially promising. Even if the styling isn’t for everyone, at least it’s stepping away from the comfort zone.
For all the lamenting that happens over J. Crew’s current status, it’s not terribly hard to find great brands taking what the company did and pushing the concepts forward to something new. Alex Mill and Todd Snyder might not be as bottom-barrel cheap as J. Crew’s always-on-sale pricing, but they’re hardly expensive and the quality is certainly nicer. For better or worse, brands and their products will change. But the good news is you don’t have to look very far to find an alternative.