JC Penney: American Living

[Mocheman]

I'm sad to see the AL line being dropped from JCPenney. The line had a great vintage look to it and was affordable.

I'm sad as well. They had great khakis that were pretty close to my WWII(sans button fly) ones and for only $24. Luckily I bought a few pair before Christmas.

JC Penny has been making some strange decisions as of late.

 

[bl@ster]

Closest replacement I've found is Ralph Lauren's Denim & Supply line. The sale prices can get pretty good.

 

[MisterGrey]

Well, crap. Now where am I supposed to buy affordable french-cuff, contrast collar shirts? The AM weren't the cream of the crop-- the collars yellow far too easily-- but they were the only kind I was able to actually buy, and other than that issue, extremely comfortable and long-wearing.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

The jacket is great. I would like to have one like this too. There is a XXL on Ebay right now but I would need M or L. Are the arms long?

 

[Feraud]

I believe the XL sleeve length is 26.5".

 

[thunderw21]

My medium size jacket has 25" long arms. Good luck in your search.



Even with the death of American Living I an fairly impressed by Penney's new selection of suits and sports coats, as well as knitwear.

I was at a smaller Penney's today and found multiple plaid, windowpane, and other bold patterned sports coats. Most had a 1960s aesthetic going on.

I really like the suit/sports coat shown here. The silhouette is maybe the best thing about this jacket: pretty good looking dimensions and it fit me well. Labelled as "slim fit", it has a more vintage (shorter) length than most modern jackets, nicely shaped medium width peaked lapels, a ticket pocket, and dual vents. Nicely balanced 1930s aesthetic to my eye. Made by Stafford.
link

The matching trousers are still stuck on trendy. Low rise, flat front, extreme taper, and no cuffs.





I rather liked this blue windowpane sports coat. Again, made by Stafford.

Both jackets are surprisingly made of medium weight material: the plaid sports coat is worsted wool and the windowpane sports coat is tweed-like.

 

[bburtner@moran]

Very,disappointed, I did buy the plaid jacket also the duck style hunting jacket and some scalloped pocket military style shirts.

 

[Evan Everhart]

I'm sad as well. They had great khakis that were pretty close to my WWII(sans button fly) ones and for only $24. Luckily I bought a few pair before Christmas.

JC Penny has been making some strange decisions as of late.

I worked for JCP for a while. They recently replaced their long-standing CEO with that wanker from Apple who immediately set to work trying to execute the suits department, ramp up hype, and over-charge whilst claiming to keep prices even. Shirts that were Always 15, for years, are now 17! He got rid of American Living, my favourite brand of shirts and sweaters there, and just generally ran things down. There was a gentleman who was the manager of his own department there for at least 15 years whose department was closed. Despite the fact that he's a manager in name still, I recently saw him down on the floor stuck folding jeans in the "Levis Boutique" last time that I went in to pick up a shirt for my father in law. Abominable practices, Really. also, no more house-tailor or even house-endorsed tailoring services.....Appalling. I did get that snazzy tan plaid peak lapel though. It is my favourite suit of the moment. I like it more than my custom made suit even! Oh, and the pants are not low rise at all. You just have to size up in them. I normally wear a 32, I got a 34 and they fit perfectly.

The unfortunate thing is that the suit's charcoal pinstripe counterpart (a 3 pc model) is far too slim in the tails and center vented to boot which means that it splays open. Most UN-flattering. Ugh. Anyway, there's my 2 cents.

 

[Evan Everhart]

It's true and I'm sad about it. It was the only reason I entered JCP. Really liked their madras shirts and of course the prices. Guess it's back to buying overpriced Ralph Lauren Polo stuff

Here's some blog coverage:

http://racked.com/archives/2012/02/...nd-ralph-laurens-american-living-are-over.php
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120208-713078.html
http://www.ivy-style.com/ivy-trendbotch-jc-penney-drops-american-living-collection.html
http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2012/02/rl-dropping-american-living-br.html/

American Living was actually a JCP house brand designed by Ralph Lauren. It was so affordable because his name was not explicitly cited with the product line. Farewell old friend; AL!

 

[FStephenMasek]

There is no shame as some might think in shopping in Penny`s,speaking for a person that haunts the thrift shops and Salvation Army.......

If you read the wonderful book The Millionaire Next Door, you'll learn that many with net worths over $1M shop at JCP. I just bought a suit there (Joe Abound) and was amazed at the low price for a decent wool suit.

 

[Evan Everhart]

My medium size jacket has 25" long arms. Good luck in your search.



Even with the death of American Living I an fairly impressed by Penney's new selection of suits and sports coats, as well as knitwear.

I was at a smaller Penney's today and found multiple plaid, windowpane, and other bold patterned sports coats. Most had a 1960s aesthetic going on.

I really like the suit/sports coat shown here. The silhouette is maybe the best thing about this jacket: pretty good looking dimensions and it fit me well. Labelled as "slim fit", it has a more vintage (shorter) length than most modern jackets, nicely shaped medium width peaked lapels, a ticket pocket, and dual vents. Nicely balanced 1930s aesthetic to my eye. Made by Stafford.
link

The matching trousers are still stuck on trendy. Low rise, flat front, extreme taper, and no cuffs.





I rather liked this blue windowpane sports coat. Again, made by Stafford.

Both jackets are surprisingly made of medium weight material: the plaid sports coat is worsted wool and the windowpane sports coat is tweed-like.

Just so everyone knows, if you're having a problem with the Stafford Executive Slim Fit suits, vis a vis the trousers, just go up a waist size and the legs will fit perfectly, as well as correcting for the rise, then just have the waist taken in to your own taste. That's what I did. Any JCP slim fit brand works the same way, if it's slim fit, go up a size, even with the coats. I wear a 36S, but with their slim fit suits, I wear a 38S, and I normally wear a 32x29 trouser, but in slim fit, I wear a 34x29 and just have the waist taken in a half an inch. Go fig on their sizing scheme, but whatever, the suits are TOP NOTCH. I just got that Glenn-plaid slim fit suit in the top image. It's Gorgeous and very luxurious! If the fabric were a bit stiffer and stouter, it would feel like vintage suiting!

 

[skyvue]

If the fabric were a bit stiffer and stouter, it would feel like vintage suiting!

How are the arm holes?

 

[thunderw21]

How are the arm holes?

The tags on the slim-fitting jackets mention higher armholes but they seemed pretty much the same as typical modern jackets. But it's good to see an actual mention of armholes.

 

[Evan Everhart]

How are the arm holes?

I actually really like how the arm-holes are. They do a top notch job on them and they are quite high! The only thing I might say against the suit, and this is purely subjective, is that the shoulders are more padded than I would normally wear. I usually like my coats with little to no shoulder padding (emphasis on None). Anyway, yeah. I hope that answers your question. If you've got any other questions about that Stafford line, I've got all of their spread collared slim fit shirts that have come out, that suit, and several of the pairs of trousers, and have also tried on the dark pin-striped suit in the line as well though I did not decide to get it.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Just so everyone knows, if you're having a problem with the Stafford Executive Slim Fit suits, vis a vis the trousers, just go up a waist size and the legs will fit perfectly, as well as correcting for the rise, then just have the waist taken in to your own taste. That's what I did. Any JCP slim fit brand works the same way, if it's slim fit, go up a size, even with the coats. I wear a 36S, but with their slim fit suits, I wear a 38S, and I normally wear a 32x29 trouser, but in slim fit, I wear a 34x29 and just have the waist taken in a half an inch. Go fig on their sizing scheme, but whatever, the suits are TOP NOTCH. I just got that Glenn-plaid slim fit suit in the top image. It's Gorgeous and very luxurious! If the fabric were a bit stiffer and stouter, it would feel like vintage suiting!

This is a decent line of mens' suits. For the price, a very good deal. However, let's not get crazy here and call them "top notch". There are a LOT of additional notches one has to reach (in both materials and construction- as these are glued together) before you reach "Top Notch".

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Top Notch.......In context to what, the origianal poster more than once referred to JCP and the brands product. So read and understand the brand, price point, and quality you would expect from the retailer. Hart, Schaffner and Marx, Burberry, Brooks Bros. or other high end suitors were not used as a comparison. The assessment stands on its own w/o a comparison to another brand. He was just refering to the fit, pattern, and color from a vintage standpoint. The time period the jacket/ suit was compared to was even referenced in the post.

 

[Isshinryu101]

In any context, they're not "Top Notch". Again, pretty nice for the price-point, and the styling is well done. This isn't a criticism of the products in any way.

It is a nice vintage-style line, and the designers obviously cared enough to use period-accurate styling and patterns. If one is comparing those items to original Vintage Items, the materials aren't comparable, and the construction is inferior. The originals were not held together with glue.

 

[Evan Everhart]

This is a decent line of mens' suits. For the price, a very good deal. However, let's not get crazy here and call them "top notch". There are a LOT of additional notches one has to reach (in both materials and construction- as these are glued together) before you reach "Top Notch".

Calm down, "brother". They're top notch with regards to the price range if you want to split hairs and worry over semantics, that is. I've had better suits, much better suits in fact, and I've also had a few suits of quite inferior make and quality of materials and construction and craftsmanship, but over-all, I would say that the general quality of that particular Stafford suit is quite "Top notch" for what it is, a $200 suit.

 

[Evan Everhart]

In any context, they're not "Top Notch". Again, pretty nice for the price-point, and the styling is well done. This isn't a criticism of the products in any way.

It is a nice vintage-style line, and the designers obviously cared enough to use period-accurate styling and patterns. If one is comparing those items to original Vintage Items, the materials aren't comparable, and the construction is inferior. The originals were not held together with glue.

As I said to a previous poster, for a $200 suit, they are quite "Top notch". You can't expect much for $200, but you can certainly expect a lot less.

 

[Evan Everhart]

Top Notch.......In context to what, the origianal poster more than once referred to JCP and the brands product. So read and understand the brand, price point, and quality you would expect from the retailer. Hart, Schaffner and Marx, Burberry, Brooks Bros. or other high end suitors were not used as a comparison. The assessment stands on its own w/o a comparison to another brand. He was just refering to the fit, pattern, and color from a vintage standpoint. The time period the jacket/ suit was compared to was even referenced in the post.

Thank you. I'm glad that someone gets it!

I cannot abide over analyzing where it is not applicable. No comparative or juxtaposing comments were made, merely a statement that the thing was "top notch", and if we're talking about JCP (which we obviously are), these things can be said to be "top notch". Anyway, I'm ranting and just a bit peeved at all the hyper-critical uncalled for comments. Don't mean to take it out on the one person who understood my initial comment in the actual (and obvious) context in which it was made and given. Take care and have a great evening sir!