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The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Alternatives to J. Press

"Press' bid for continued relevancy seems to rest on telling right-wing groups how Ivy Style they are." (Comment.)   

A reader question:

What are your opinions or reviews of J. Press suits? Who are their best competitors offering similar alternatives?

 

24 comments:

  1. O’Connell’s out of Buffalo.

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  2. I have always liked J. Press suits. However, their prices have crept up. Also, especially on their sales, you need to scrutinize where things are made. They sent me a flannel blazer that was made in China. Although it is a nice enough blazer, I prefer to buy MiUSA, and had I known I would not have bought it.

    For the reader who wants traditional 3 roll 2 sack suits, I do not believe there is a better source than O'Connell's. I say this having worn J. Press suits for the period when Brooks abandoned the traditional approach in the late 1980s until I discovered O'Connell's about ten years ago.

    I have been pleased with the Southwick and H. Freeman suits from O'Connell's. I have not bought any house brand suits there, but I have been very happy with house brand odd jackets and trousers.

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  3. J. Press suits are cut too narrow for me; i have not tried their made-to-measure or custom, though, which may be worth considering with Brooks Brothers teetering.

    My favorite suits are Oxxford and Ermenogildo Zegna. I don’t consider them to really compete with J. Press due to their much higher price.

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    1. I have been a J. Press customer for 40+ years. I have "lost" an inch over time but at 6'4" and 250 pounds I still wear a 48L and need shirts of 17 1/2-36. The last couple years I have noticed that other than navy blazers (of which I have 3 and don't need another...at least in this lifetime), Press had virtually NO odd jackets in my size. Finding a shirt (I don't already have multiples of) is impossible on their website. Their made to measures consist of a scant few fabrics. I mentioned this on Ivy Style and they refused to print the comment. Maybe current ownership just doesn't believe in investing in larger sizes. The "Pennant" label is an ersatz substitute for the JP I knew and loved for decades

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  4. I am a longtime Squeeze customer but cannot wear their trousers -- they are quite snug in the legs. The last time I bought a suit there I had to convince the salesman to give me the trousers from a larger suit, which I then, in turn, had taken in at the waist. Admittedly that was ages ago. I haven't bought a suit in probably 10 years. Until fairly recently Brooks had a "made to order" program where you could still get suits with the old fashioned 3/2 sack jackets and choose from a wide range of fabrics. No more.

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  5. Still J.Press for me! Thank you!

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  6. The Andover Shop in Cambridge and Andover, MA.

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    1. JPress and The Andover Shop both use Southwick to manufacture their suits. O'Connell's Clothing also stocks Southwick and Hickey Freeman. I don't know who makes their own label sack suits but they are fully canvassed and made in the USA.

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  7. Almost all my suits are J. Press, although I recently bought an O'Connell's tan poplin because Press didn't have them in my size.

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  8. I have bought one suit in the last 25 years so my opinion isn’t that of an expert. I bought it from Cordings and I am very pleased with it. Single vent, 3 buttons and suitable for a large fellow.

    David J Cooper

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  9. Since J. Press is a Japanese company,
    it’s no surprise that their jackets and trousers
    are too tight.
    O’Connell’s is the place to go for traditional clothing.

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    1. Frederick J JohnsonAugust 5, 2021 at 12:39 PM

      I have found the trouser fit from J Press and O'Connell's to be very similar I have to "size up then take in" both only because I like a looser fit.

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    2. I know I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure J. Press's sizing is different in the U.S. and Japan.

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    3. I find J. Press articles to be comically voluminous. I am quite thin though -- anything that hasn't been tailored tends to look goofy.

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    4. To Anonymous on August 6, 2021 at 1:45 AM, a sense of fashion and a traditional/natural shoulder/Ivy League sensibility are inimical. Think of 18 year olds with 26" waists in sack jackets!

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  10. Durus Custom Shirts & Suits in Oak Brook IL.
    Made to measure, great customer service and good value. I bought a dinner, suit, multiple weekly wears, and a nice 3-piece for an engagement party.
    I've given up on Brooks Brothers and only buy OCBD shirts when they do their annual sale.

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  11. Durus Custom Shirts & Suits in Oak Brook IL.
    Made to measure, great customer service and good value. I bought a dinner, suit, multiple weekly wears, and a nice 3-piece for an engagement party.
    I've given up on Brooks Brothers and only buy OCBD shirts when they do their annual sale.

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  12. J. Press has started cutting their jackets too short in an attempt to seem "modern" and attract a new clientele. Godspeed to them, but if I want modernity, I wouldn't go to them for it. I always shopped there for the opposite reason.

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    1. I have two J. Press jackets with me, one bought +/- 10 years ago and another bought last year, and both are the same length.

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    2. Frederick J JohnsonAugust 6, 2021 at 11:51 AM

      I have two J Press blazers; one from an uncle 20+ years ago and another 10+ years old, they are a size apart but both fit exactly the same. I now get all my shirts and dress trousers from JP

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  13. I've given up suits and ties..I spend money on country clothing instead

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  14. Sadly, Brooks Brothers, the owner of Southwick, shut it down with the bankruptcy. I think JP and O'C still have a few, but those will be the last. I've read elsewhere that another American brand (Hickey-Freeman?) is going to start making traditional sack suits.

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  15. Paul Stuart and Frank Stella are always worth a look.

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  16. I am retired now and hope never to wear a suit again. But back when I was working, for years I bought my suits at J Press. Then towards the end of my working life I discovered LS clothing in NYC. The legendary Izzy Zuber is the master of made to measure clothing. I told him I was a J Press customer and he steered me to a model sack suit from H. Freeman. They had a wide selection of fabrics from Holland and Sherry (a related company, as is Oxford). The cost is less than a J Press off the rack suit.
    Izzy really is a legend in the industry. If you are anywhere in the NYC area, he can take care of you.

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