Monocle & J.Crew
February 28, 2010 by Ryan Willms 
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Images
—01. Tyler Brule in Broken-in Chinos.
—02. Monocle Fashion Editor, Takeharu Sato.
—03. J.Crew SS10 selections.
Words
Monocle and J.Crew might seem like an unlikely pair to team up but over the last 6 months the market leaders have been cooking up some interesting projects.
I know I’ve noticed the increased advertising presence in Monocle’s last couple of issues as J.Crew have been ramping up their menswear and the latest catalog. Now online, you can view the “Men of Monocle” piece that J.Crew have put together. They have photographed the guys behind the magazine in London, styled tastefully in J.Crew’s spring collection and their recent collaborations.
The catalog/magazine is the first real collaboration that’s now in the public eye between Monocle and J.Crew but I wouldn’t be surprised to see another form of collaboration in the future, maybe a shirt, or something like that. We don’t often get to see the Monocle staff in front of the lens so it’s nice to put faces to pens for once. The styling itself is very comfortable and what you might expect from both brands.
Reader Comments (14)
I think this is a very good colab, as jcrew has been very
Inovative this last couple of seasons. However I did notice
A lot of monocle stuff at their mens store on broadway,the
Magazine, postcards etc. Hopefully we will see a colab from
Monocle that will be a bit more afordable
Bizarre match up. I very much doubt that any of the Monocle staff wear J Crew outside of this photo shoot.
Think it's a great look...I mean, ACL has Jcrew advertising online, the Liquor Store in NYC is a cool retail concept. I'm sure the Monocle guys are wearing Jcrew at home, on the weekends..I personally think JCrew has made leaps and bounds into the mens staple / everyday wardrobe without undercutting quality. their fit is great and always reliable. the urban slim fit chino is on heavy rotation in my wardrobe!
I agree. The match up is pretty strange. Even the outfit Tyler Brule is wearing isn't like anything he is known through the London scene for wearing as a trademark look. The general style doesn't scream "London based magazine" at all.
If, like Ronan writes, they don't wear any JCrew outside of the photoshoot then the direction is a real blow.
Being a Monocle reader, the whole collection doesn't gel with the general positioning of the magazine. Monocle is huge on small family owned businesses that make and tailor clothing and garments in small workshops. Partnering with JCrew, when items are mass produced overseas (the leather bag in the shoot looks like an original Mulberry design copied?)
I hope this isn't the start of a bigger picture with Monocle trying to expand their readership into the mass channels. One of the reasons I read Monocle is to find off the beaten track brands. I don't want to open up the next issue to see JCrew and Gap ads all over the place.
It's not that strange. Monocle has been selling at the liquor shop for a while now, and they've talked about J Crew months ago on the radio show. They highlight off the beaten path brands and areas, but that doesn't sustain the growth of the magazine. Have you looked at the advertisers in the book lately? It's chock full of global brands.
Good points Chuck. On the other side of the coin if collaborations like this open up global brands to smaller companies then that's a good thing. Want Les Essentials are based out of my home town so it's great to see them being carried by J Crew. Both J Crew and Urban Outfitters both carried Filson products and they were still made along the same heritage and traditional way. The more well made quality items are featured in main street stores, the more hopefully the consumer will start paying attention to provenance and quality. Plus if it brings in brands like Yoshida Porter to accessible retail outlets in North America then so much the better!!
I'm sure that the two parties share an equal admiration and that is why the collaboration exists at all. Monocle respects J. Crew's long term commitment to a uniquely American aesthetic and their more recent addition of heritage brands. While J.Crew must envy Monocle for quickly capturing a readership interested in craftsmanship, quality and the importance of brands large or small.
Also, that red chambray utility shirt is mine as soon as I post this!
It may make commercial sense, but it is about as authentic a brand representation as the cheap Beams x Monocle plastic watch that came out last summer.
and not to mention the 2010 Marks Agenda Monocle collab at a price tag of 25 pounds + shipping. When you can buy the same Marks agenda in NYC for around 10 dollars (but without Monocle written on it ;-))
I think there's a whiff of snobbery here. J Crew make some great affordable pieces and host interesting collaborations (e.g. Red Wing and Barbour). Tyler Brulé is a big fan of slowear (www.slowear.it) and probably furnishes his wardrobe with elements from this collection. But this is a very expensive store; judicious selections from J Crew are not a million miles away from this Italian aesthetic.
I'm an avid fan of J. Crew, to the point that I buy shares of the company. I'm most interested in whether J. Crew will look to embrace a more global aesthetic rather than just a heritage approach. Both would be fine with me. Good evening everyone.
Why is everyone saying that a Monocle x J.Crew collab is strange??? Selvedge, leather, Alden Indy's, Barbour, Belstaff...all that Japanese, Americana style. I wouldn't be surprised if Monocle collaberated with The GAP!
Hi, I want to say thank you for an interesting site about a subject I have had an interest in for a long time now. I have been lurking and reading the posts avidly so just wanted to express my gratitude for providing me with some very good reading material. I look forward to more, and taking a more active part in the discussions here, whilst learning too!!