J.Crew's New Affordable Arrivals

You don’t have to look far to find a J.Crew hater. We’ve got one down the hall (he’ll remain unnamed), upset about the once-proud outfitter’s current crop of “vanilla” threads, punctuated by what he calls the “most humdrum hoodie of all time in like nine different also totally humdrum colors.”

Does he have a point? Sort of. J.Crew’s trotted out similar looks for years now, carving real estate in many American minds as an overpriced Gap. But the tide is starting to turn. J.Crew has injected creativity into both its looks and business plan of late, and it’s starting to pay off. In late spring, it was a collection of ‘80s-tinged throwbacks. A week ago it was a line of essentials conveniently made available on Amazon Prime.

And now? They’ve debuted an array of new arrivals — most of them at more accessible prices than we’re used to — that include duffels and boots from new collection Oar Stripe as well as a series of autumnal shirt-jackets from vintage-styled sub-brand Wallace & Barnes.

un-suit (3 images)

But the all-new Un-Suit is the clear standout here, a perfect microcosm of the company’s revised commitment to meshing quality and affordability. Sewn in England’s Abraham Moon mill with wool-cotton twill fabric, the Ludlow-cut “Un”-Suit earns its prefix thanks to its unstructured cut. That makes it lighter, less expensive and perfect for transitional weather … which will soon be upon us. Find your fit in jacket here, and pants here. All told, the new arrival should run you a modest $356 — a steep discount from other variations of the Ludlow.

And for autumnal occasions outside of the office, see four other great pieces below.