The New Prep Mecca in TriBeCa

Mike Albo, you had me at hello:

Still, some items were so outrageously preppy, I felt my original odium for the style rising in my throat like bad grain-alcohol punch. A series of knit ties in bright colors, $49.50, brought to mind a tragically alcoholic dorm mate from college on his way to a football game, and a quilted patchwork tote, for $850, was something his equally blotto girlfriend would use to carry around her pumps and kegger go-cup.

Some items were just plain outrageous, preppy or not. A pair of $245 jeans with patches sewn all over them hung proudly in the center of the front room. (Aren’t we done with the whole fake-distressed trend?) A small glass case at the front of the store displayed vintage watchbands, belt buckles, aviators and pencils that have been chewed by the celebrated TriBeCan writer Max Blagg on sale for $25 each. Yes, that’s right —chewed pencils for $25. This is mostly a promotional gimmick — the store will soon offer copies of his book “What a Man Should Know” — but I couldn’t help but think of this as a trend, and imagined the poor, spidery Joyce Carol Oates sitting at an assembly line, gnawing away.

To be fair, most of today's Critical Shopper column in the New York Times was in favor of the new J.Crew Men's store in TriBeCa, but I just loved the scathing wit in that passage. That, and the image of Joyce Carol Oates gnawing on pencils...priceless!

After attending a prep school myself I don't think I'll ever be able to tolerate men in poorly-fitting navy blue blazers with brass buttons. True, our prep was here on the west coast which is surely very different than the time-honored, Eastern traditions of striped ties, croquet, regattas, gin-and-tonics on the lawn, and spring formals, but we every one of us aspired to the style. We still do - "we" as in "Americans". Ralph Lauren has brainwashed generations of shoppers into seeing the prep life and its inherent affluence as the total embodiment of the American dream. Tracing RL's influences, one goes back to the sportswear of Lacoste and the traditional men's haberdasheries of Paul Stuart, J. Press, and Brooks Brothers. Ever since, "preppy" has been the way most of America dresses, for better or worse.

Or, as a close friend of mine likes to say: "People buy Ralph Lauren because they don't know how to dress and it's always safe." I love the more formal stuff, but the casual, tennis-y, brunch attire? Do I hear crickets chirping?

Preppy is indeed the megatrend that Mike Albo mentions in his article, spanning not just one or two seasons, but decades. So many modern brands try to be preppy-esque that it's hard to distinguish between those who are really doing it and those who are aping the trend because it sells. The European brands stay away because it isn't their heritage, but the Americans are all over it: Milly, Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, and even Marc by Marc Jacobs show prep roots.  Another mention is Michael Kors, although the distinction is that Kors has always designed sportswear for the jet-setting woman; Ralph Lauren (and his descendants) has always catered to those who aspired to be one of those women. It's also interesting that other RL contemporaries, Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenberg, have stayed away from the prep and have developed their own design language and huge customer followings. 

J. Crew has always had preppy at its core, even back in the early 90s when it debuted and all of us snapped up those barn jackets by the bagload. It's certainly in their aesthetic, but there is always a new design story and an element of fun and surprise each season. A loud paisley pattern, a printed sweater, a touch of metallic. It's prep for the hip. Ever since the images of this new store have come out, I've been following its commentary along with my work colleagues - many of whom used to work for J.Crew. At first glance the store seemed a bit cluttered and even messy, and while the boozy-vintage atmosphere has been done before (although maybe not as publicly,) I did like the look of it. It's a pack of Marlboro reds and a bottle of Jameson. Classic, eclectic, stylish, down-to-earth, but with a whisper of danger - like Scott Fitzgerald and Cole Porter walked into a bar being run by Clyde Barrow and Kit from Badlands. 

A definite must for my next trip out to NYC in a few weeks!

For additional posts on J. Crew, please visit:
J.Crew in the Mailbox
Prep Luxe

For additional images/articles on the J.Crew Men's Store in TriBeCa, please visit:

J. Crew Men's Store Finally Opens, Won't Sell Us Alcohol - The Cut - New York Magazine

Now Serving the J.Crew Men's Shop - A Continuous Lean

Image by Kristi Garced of The Cut, New York Magazine