Sartorially speaking, it’s a great time to be an Eli. First Gant returns to New Haven and resuscitates the Yale Co-Op label, and now J. Press is collaborating with Old Blue.
What’s more, in a move completely out of left field (wait, which way is France?), Press has also unveiled a collaboration with French designer Daniel Cremieux. Yeah, that name rang a bell here at Ivy Style HQ as well, but after scratching our heads we went ahead and looked him up anyway.
Oh right, that Daniel Cremieux.
All this following hard upon J. Press’ eyebrow-raising Urban Outfitters collaboration.
The Cremieux collection will certainly garner snickers for the polo shirts that resemble Ralph Lauren at its most baroque. But on the plus side, at least we get some narrow lapels:
The new Yale collection includes this cool letterman’s sweater, though earning a letter is generally better than buying one:
Our J. Press contact wanted to highlight a few more new items, such as the gingham sportcoat pictured at top with patch-and-flap pockets and 3/8th lining, and this reversible G9 made in Italy:
Next up are these Maine-made, kiltied camp moccasins:
And finally this washable Barbour Beaufort jacket:
I can’t seem to locate the gingham sport coat on their website. Do you have any details about this sport coat such as the price? Keep up the good work, sir.
Belay the last, sir. I found it.
Sportcoat link added; had forgotten it.
The French were always big on collaborating.
Collaborating with Daniel Cremieux?
My dictionary says: “willingly assisting an enemy”
Remember the days when there was a difference between J.Press and Dillard’s?
Cremiux doesnt even carry smalls, strange especially considering it’s the french.
I can’t support any university that rhymes with jail. Go Crimson!
Wow, that Daniel Cremieux stuff looks like downmarket garbage. Based on its appearance, it looks like it would be an “introductory” line for J Press, maybe one that would be sold at lower price points at JC Penney. However, it certainly isn’t priced that way.
Interesting collaboration for sure – but, those kiltied mocs are TERRIBLE – as are any shoes with kiltie detailing – and I’m not sure why anyone would buy a light tan Barbour jacket….impractical and ugly.
I would never touch this stuff personally but as long as it doesn’t affect the core J. Press lineup they can have a fine day for it. Best case, they make some money that allows them to keep the core lineup alive.
Now that’s a positive interpretation for a change.
Is there something wrong with the first photo, or is that the loudest and tackiest thing imaginable? Looking at these pictures, I don’t think J. Press has any raison d’etre.
Uhm… My response is mostly uhm… “meh.”
I do like the repp tie with the cross lacrosse motifs on it, however. But then, that is unsurprising, since what I mostly buy from J. PRESS are, lo and behold, ties.
@John…Ever heard of Gingham check before? It’s really not that shocking. Hate to see your reaction to a Madras sport coat…..
I actually like most of the Cremieux collabs. But then again I tend to like RL’s louder sportswear, and this definitely has that look to it. I always thought Daniel Cremieux was just the Dillard’s house brand, like a higher end Stafford’s. How this one came about is beyond me, but I like the results.
It’s funny to see all these trad purists getting up in arms. Some are the types that find jeans (they may even call them “dungarees”) to be vulgar, are deeply offended by logos, and glorify all things (real or perceived as) WASPy.
@Kionon The only items I’ve ever bought at J. Press have been three ties and some fabric knot cufflinks. I’ve generally thought of J. Press as being too dowdy.
@Abdullah…It’s thanks to the trad purists that we are still able to find OCBDs, repp stripe ties, and chinos 11 years into the 21st century. If not for them, they would have long ago been replaced by hoodies (I cringe as I type that word), dungarees, flipflops, etc., and completely disappeared.
By the way, I agree with John in finding the first photo disturbing; but it’s not the jacket, it’s the combination of that tie and the jacket. That should should only be worn with a navy blazer, if ever.
“Our J. Press contact wanted to highlight a few more new items, such as… G9 made in Italy…”
CC, you know better than that. If it’s made in Italy then it’s not a G9. Just sayin’. I see J Press is offering actual G9s (listed as “Harringtons”) but they’re asking a whopping $135 more than O’Connell’s asks for real G9s. Guess Buffalo’s low rent relative to NY, CT and DC makes a big difference.
IMO anyone who’d wear an athletic letter they didn’t earn is almost a low as people who wear military insignia they don’t rate. Call me hopelessly old fashioned but so be it.
@john
That gingham jacket is actually fairly subdued, dude.
@Mazama
Just reporting what J. Press calls it. For what it’s worth, G9 might be a generic term like kleenex or q-tip now anyway.
The “Harrington”/”Baracuta G9″ distinction is worth looking at:
Some information from Wikipedia (some of it disturbing):
“Elvis Presley popularized the Baracuta G9 when he wore it in his 1958 movie King Creole.”
This style of jacket earned the nickname Harrington because it was worn by the character Rodney Harrington (played by Ryan O’Neal) in the 1960s prime time soap opera Peyton Place.
“Similar to the 1950s United States Ivy League look, the jacket became fashionable in the United Kingdom in the 1960s among mods and skinheads.”
“In addition to Baracuta, companies that have made Harrington jackets include: Merc London, Fred Perry, Tesco, Izod, Ben Sherman, Lacoste,Lyle and Scott, Lonsdale and Warrior Clothing.”
This Yale thing deserves a little musing. JP certainly has a strong Yale connection, from original York Street location in New Haven.
However, JP has to know that graduates from the other Ivys wouldn’t touch anything with a Yale motif. They also must know that those who went to a school not in the Ivys wouldn’t touch anything with a Yale motif, because of the knowledge that it would immediately send out the message that the wearer is a poseur.
So who are they trying to appeal to? Could it be that they don’t care if they sell the Yale items in the US, but know that the customers in Japan will immediately snap up things from the US, with an Ivy connotation? In Japan, wearing a Yale letter sweater, might be the same as those of us in the US that wear regimental reps with no fear of sending out the message that we were actually a member of the regiment signified by the stripes.
Could be ? If so, maybe a smart move that goes over our heads here in the US.
Maybe like Ben Silver selling a ton of reps in the US, whereby if he sold, say Argyle and Sutherland stripes in the UK, the market would be limited to those in that regiment. A possibility, anyway.
Hey Chens, since you have a J. Press contact, why don’t you ask him wtf Press is thinking with this crap?
By a strange coincidence, I have what should be a very interesting interview lined up for Tuesday.
@Bill No. Most Japanese people, even people who have adopted a vaguely Ivy style, have never even heard of Yale. I’ve featured my vintage Yale tee given to me by an alumni (it is my plan, eventually, to attend Yale for my PhD) on my own blog. I have had very few individuals recognise the Yale shirt. When asked about it, I merely say, “Oh, it’s the Todai/Kyodai/Waseda/Keioh of America.” Those four schools are essentially the Japanese Ivy League. I’ve been on the grounds of Waseda and Keioh, and find the former to be very beautiful. Todai, Kyodai, and Keioh are too boxy and functional… but I digress.
In my opinion there would be too few Japanese customers who would purchase the Yale letter cardigan at the J. PRESS extreme prices in Japan (two to three times as much) because of its perceived Yale authenticity to justify the initial capital required to develop the product in the first place.
Also, to stymy any “poseur” claim, since the t-shirt was a gift, I have absolutely no problems wearing it. If people ask me if I went to Yale, I, of course, say no, but don’t feel I’m misrepresenting myself when it was a gift from a Yale grad who knew I was planning to apply. Now if I had purchased it myself…
OldSchool writes: “This style of jacket earned the nickname Harrington because it was worn by the character Rodney Harrington (played by Ryan O’Neal) in the 1960s prime time soap opera Peyton Place.”
What great trivia. I LOVED that show when I was in high school. Great place to see New England trad style – by way of Hollywood – as is the original Peyton Place movie (which takes place before and during WWII).
Can you imagine that Peyton Place was considered risque?
The windbreaker of choice in my Virginia locale in the mid-60′s was a tan or navy London Fog (then made in Baltimore); straight bottom, button cuffs and always worn collar turned up,of course. When I was in San Francisco late-60s-early70s the local style seemed to be the same “Fog” but with a hooded sweatshirt worn underneath it on cool days.
“The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there…”
Feeling nostalgic from my prior post I checked out a clip of the TV Theme Payton Place on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqi8fkMmqbM&feature=player_embedded) and discovered at the end of the show credits that mens’ wardrobe was provided by Lebow Clothes.
Then checked on Lebow Clothes and found this bizarre 2009 posting (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/history/abandoned-buildings-lebow-clothing-factorybaltimore-084546 ) that the Lebow Clothes factory has been sitting vacant in Baltimore since 1985 but is (was?) full of NOS clothes because “The pictures vividly tell a story of a city’s bygone days. It’s as if the factory workers punched their time card, went home for the day, and never returned.” Wow, industrial archeology at its best.
Christian, is there a story here for you and maybe a trove of NOS you can score for a profit? If it works out you owe me one…
Damn, shoulda gone to Yale.
Regarding the Cremieux collaboration, what in the world is an “opera blazer”?
http://jpressonline.com/daniel_cremieux_jackets_detail.php?id=E1RCJA06_S
I’ve been attending the opera on a regular basis since 1966 & I don’t think there is any such thing as an opera blazer. I sometimes wear a navy-blue blazer to the opera, especially on a Saturday afternoon, but it is not an opera blazer! I also don’t know how a broadcloth double-breasted jacket can be referred to as a blazer.
Not sure if you’re in NY, John, but if you are and attend Saturday matinees at the Met come by the membership desk and say hi. I volunteer there and often work the Saturday matinees.
Do the staff at the Met membership desk wear opera blazers?
Thanks. I’m not in NY, but I may be at the Met next year. This year I’ve been contenting myself with the Met’s broadcasts at the movies.
What an odd things to bring erstwhile contributing writer Taliesin out of the woodwork after a very long absence.
No, standard trad apparel is the main kit.
I’ve heard of opera capes, but not opera blazers.
Kionon,
Are we talking about the same Waseda here? With the exception of a couple of nice buildings, it is one of the ugliest campuses I’ve ever seen–and yes, I did a year abroad there.
Give me Todai anytime (which I also attended for a year). That campus has some beauty on it.
Mark it up to taste, I guess, Henry. I LOVE Waseda, but then, I am so, so biased (and so jealous you got to go there) because of other connections I have to Waseda. I really love the Tower and the roundabout at the center of campus. I feel no such affinity for the pictures I have seen of Todai, but I have not been there. As I said, I only visited Keioh and Waseda. Keioh looked a lot like a collection of business buildings. Waseda felt like a campus. But again, I think it’s probably personal bias.
I’d love to attend Waseda, but I’m not sure how to go about it, actually. Not at the graduate level…
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