Breaking Down J. Crew's SS23 Lookbook
Some Favorites From Babenzien's Second Collection
Hi all, welcome back to the Ivy Letter.
Early last week, J. Crew dropped its official Spring/Summer 2023 lookbook. J. Crew is one of my favorite companies and really can’t be beat when it comes to affordable basics (provided that you wait for their sales, of course).
The Crew was officially declared to be “back“ last year, after they brought on former Supreme designer/owner of Noah, Brendon Babenzien. His first collection, the Autumn/Winter 2022 release, was a huge hit and really ushered in the era of relaxed fits that we are now enjoying the fruits of.
Of course, this was a huge deal for J. Crew, the brand chiefly responsible for much of the skinny/slim-fit garments of the 2010s. After thorough saturation of the slim-fit look, J. Crew lost its way and had been drifting aimlessly on the seas of fashion for a while, even getting to the point of filing for bankruptcy.
The move to bring Babenzien (again, a guy with a large cultural footprint) on as their men’s creative director, lends the brand a fresh contemporary edge, which they seem to be thriving under. You’ll notice in the following breakdown that things aren’t radically different from previous J. Crew collections, but they’ve been tweaked and styled in such a way that really allows the pieces to shine.
With our little introduction out of the way, let’s talk about some of my favorite fits/pieces. You can view the entire lookbook here.
I’m actually a huge fan of solid-color seersucker. It’s a great way to add some texture to a fit without having to suffer in the heat. Their Wallace & Barnes collections are always top-tier as well — note the looser fit on the shorts and the popover detail on the shirt. I also spy what appears to be some Alden dupes on-foot.
Big fan of the pastel harrington. I’ve also really come around on suede chukkas recently.
The fit above is what I meant by this collection being full of minor tweaks that let the pieces shine — really basic but flows and drapes really well. Also a huge fan of the twill overshirt — reminiscent of the classic French chore coat (a personal favorite) without being too heavy.
No notes here, looks perfect
Much of the tailoring is dressed down — I’m noticing a general push toward resurrecting tailoring as a dressing medium and it’s mostly taking form in an upscaled casual sort of way. Above is a herringbone cotton-linen suit.
This is actually an Italian corduroy suit paired with a polo. Kinda fun, kinda out-there. Perfect for looking like a washashore exactly one time on Nantucket.
J. Crew x Barbour collaboration — I normally avoid red like the plague, but I actually really enjoy this one.
Alright, thanks for coming to my TED talk. As always, I appreciate you guys taking the time to read my articles. If you liked this post, I would definitely appreciate a like/subscription. Engaging with you guys really does make a difference in my ability to dedicate time toward putting out quality content.
If you’re feeling really generous, I do offer a very cheap paid subscription option ($5/month or $40/year). Either way, your readership is very appreciated.
Thanks for reading and see you next time!